Eat Healthy & Heal Faster

​If you haven't seen me in awhile, I'm happy to report that I'm feeling great.

I'm fully recovered from my transplant surgery & feeling so very grateful -- to my donor, my medical team & everyone who supported me through this process.

I thought there was a good chance that I would have to accept a new reality, one where I was in slow decline.

That's not what happened.  I feel stronger, have fewer symptoms & much less worry than I did before surgery.

I expected to be on more medication, but I'm on less. 

I expected to feel weaker, but I feel strong. 

I expected to have to make peace with the inevitable aging process, but I'm not there yet.

This experience has led me to believe more than ever in the power of healthy eating.  What we put into our bodies has an enormous impact on how we feel.

It took me a long time to understand the benefit of eating whole, unprocessed foods & longer to actually put it into practice.

As a teenager, I was constantly dieting, obsessively weighing myself & eating unhealthy, low-fat foods.

In my 20s, I threw out the scale & put on 20lbs -- a lot when you're 5 feet tall.

Then, as I was studying acupuncture, I stopped eating sugar & overly processed foods, & started to focus on eating whole foods.

During the past few years, as my chronic kidney disease progressed, I cut back on protein, which is hard on the kidneys, & began to incorporate an additional 3-4 servings of vegetables a day in my diet.

This led to an aha moment. 

I realized that our bodies function most optimally when we eat a lot of vegetables.  They provide so many of the nutrients that we need.  And since they're low in calories, they can help us to lose weight.

Our bodies also need proteins & fats & carbohydrates, but it is easy to build a way of eating around these things & add a salad or vegetable here or there.

I found that I could flip this idea around.  I now have vegetables at every meal.

I cook a lot & these days I'm cooking more & more vegetables.  I make vegetable soups, stir fries, roasted veggies, steamed veggies, veggie frittatas -- things that are inexpensive and easy to prepare.

I realize how fortunate I have been & want to share what I've learned.

I've created a Yummy Healthy Food Group that begins on September 25th.  This offers support and weekly instructions on how to incorporate foods rich in nutrients into your diet.

Do any of these apply to you?

•  You know that you can be eating healthier, but are not sure where to begin.
•  You tried different diets but have not yet achieved your health & weight goals.
•  A party, visitors or a vacation set back your healthy eating habits.
•  You want to be pain-free without Advil or other NSAIDs.
•  You have GI tract issues & are confused about what to eat.
•  You're looking for natural ways to treat acid reflux.
• ​ You know deep in your heart that things could be better.

Yummy Healthy Food teaches the principles of healthy eating without fad diets, counting calories or overly restrictive rules.

You can get more information here.

Want to get started on eating healthier?  Here's one of my favorite recipes, zucchini with pumpkin seed soup. 

​Let me know how you like it.

Have questions? Just reply to this email.

With you on the path to better health!

Bonnie