Foods for Life
Common Sense Guide to Whole Foods
Foreward by Dr. Alan Christianson
In our age of technology, some things become clearer, while some become more obscured. One science which exemplifies this trend more so than many others is nutrition. Here in the industrialized world at the edge of the millenium, the meaning of health and longevity has changed. All throughout human history, survival was threatened by infant mortality, life threatening childhood disease, famine, war and adulthood plagues. In the common person's experience, these were primarily forces outside the individual's field of control. Health and longevity were attributed to unseen forces. Thanks primarily to public health measures, these age-old scourges today touch few of us.
Most of us now live long enough so the cumulative effects of our lifestyle habits shape our health most centrally. Research has shown that the most critical areas of lifestyle are our spiritual lives, how we respond to stress, our physical activity and our diets. Unfortunately many of us are still in the belief model that our health is solely in the hands of destiny. Every day in my practice as a physician, I see people who are eager to pursue healthful diets but end up not following through. Sadly enough, one of the more common explanations for this is the mass of conflicting information given the public.
Since it costs money to give people a message, most nutrition information given to the public is from those with vested interests. Food manufacturers promote products with low production cost and long shelf life. Supplement companies promote products with faddish current appeal and high mark-up. Information from most medical researchers revolves around the fact that only synthetic medicines are patentable.
An example of how we only apply our knowledge when there is a direct economic outcome is seen in how we raise our animals. I remember growing up and going to work with my father. He helped a company make custom feed for cattle. We would drive to the farm and take samples of the hay grown for the cattle each season. The hay was sent to a lab and thoroughly analyzed. Using information from the lab, feed supplements were made to give the cows specific nutrients in specific amounts to offset what the hay was missing. After riding with to a few farms, dad explained all this to me as we had fast food for lunch.
Deluged by conflicting information from all areas, the public often decides that there is no true knowledge to be had and they may just as well go on eating overly processed foods. The reality is that most crucial changes are the most simple and least controversial.
This is where Wendy's book has something to offer above the scores of books on fad diets and supplements. The messages we are clear on from science have been to decrease total fat, eat unprocessed foods, increase the intake of fruits and vegetables and eat a wider variety of foods. Wendy not only explains why this is crucial to the health of our planet, and ourselves but she gives us the tools to implement these changes. In her book, she lays out very specifically how to base one's diet on a variety of whole, unprocessed foods. Wendy delivers clear common sense information that has existed throughout the comings and goings of nutritional trends.
Furthermore, she offers very specific recipes and shopping guides to help those less familiar with whole foods make the gradual transition. The grace and simplicity of her book will surely touch many lives as countless many already have been by the message of her life and her work through HEALL.
Alan Christianson, N.M.D., Naturopathic Physician
"Wendy has done a fine job in simplifying and clarifying what you really need to know. Her book is more than a mere cookbook, it is a guidebook to a healthier life and a freer spirit."
John Robbins, Pulitzer prize winning author, "Diet for A New America" and "Reclaiming Our Health"
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