“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”.

Ten years ago I took twelve pills a day for an autoimmune disorder, specifically Crohn’s disease. I had been on the same medication for seven-teen years, with frequent checks on my liver (the prescription had known toxicity, which was closely monitored). I made a bold decision one frosty winter morning while holding my beautiful newborn third son, and I went off all of the pills. I replaced them with…wait for it!…fruits and vegetables. I called it the “10-12 Diet” when people asked me about it – which was often – and it transformed my body, my skin, and my life into radiance. I literally replaced 12 pharmaceutical pills with 12 different fruits and vegetables each day. I ate 5-6 vegetables and 5-6 fruits. I ate them first, and then included healthy grains, nuts, and pasture raised meats/eggs, as I felt hungry for. That was it! It was the simplest and most impactful health decision I have ever made.

Over the years I have morphed into eating mostly gluten, dairy, soy, seed, and legume free as I let my body and gut decide what feels good – but not ever to a level at which I can not enjoy the occasional randomness and spontaneity of life, and the company and home cooking of the people I love. It is not to say that I was unhealthy in my eating habits before, in fact I was raised to believe wholeheartedly that food was to nourish me, and I treated it as such. But the introduction of the vast array of *different* fruits and vegetables, brimming with micronutrients and laced with some minuscule amounts of soil based organisms, healed by body and gut in ways no pill ever could. Not everyone was as lucky as me. My condition was mild, and my food choices and swaps were simple and easy for me. But I believe to my core that many “common” health conditions and the mental health of our society as a whole could be made better if we simply opted first for nature’s food to fill our bellies.

My sons have also learned that “you feel what you eat”. I have carefully and with purpose taught each of them what I consider my philosophy on food and the benefits of taking the time to consider what you eat. They each understand basic ingredients and cooking techniques, as well as what things should be consumed in abundance, and then also those in moderation. Food is good. Food is love. Food is nourishment. We enjoy greens just as much as (good quality) chocolate. We have taken the time to grow vegetables and fruits, to harvest/clean/prepare the seeds we sowed, and to consider what ends up on our dining table. We pick strawberries each year and mash them into jam. We bake pies that taste like a slice of heaven. And all the while, I know that my boys rest their bodies each night with bellies and hearts full of good stuff. I call that a Mother/Brother win, every time!

In your life, I hope you are able to :

Dig deep into the dirt around you

Let nature guide, heal, and love on you

Plant things – some you admire, some you eat

Consume an array of vegetables and fruits

Love what you eat

Nourish your body and soul with food