The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook

Much more than a cookbook....

I was very pleased to see this second edition of the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook come out, since I have been a loyal fan of the first edition for a year (and my copy is looking very appreciated)!

The reader will find the first eleven chapters of this book filled with well-written current information about why eating whole foods will improve your health and how to make the change. The authors have carefully spelled out how to stock your kitchen, basic cooking techniques and introductions to foods you may not be familiar with.

I have begun using this book as a text for my wellness and nutrition classes. It has been well received by people who know that they should eat better but don't know where to begin.

And the recipes...mmmm, delicious! I own many "health food" and "natural cooking" type cookbooks, and these are by far the most flavorful and simple to prepare recipes that I have found. It's all in the liberal use of the seasonings.

I especially appreciate the gluten free/dairy free options that are a necessity for my family. And I am hooked on "Tom's Fruity Medicine Chest Smoothie"; who ever thought that something that green could taste so good?

Thanks to Alissa and Tom for this gift of fun cooking and better health!

A simple answer to difficult illness

Since the late '80's, perhaps for my entire life, I have struggled with physical and mental illness. In 1997, depression, mood swings and debilitating chronic fatigue overwhelmed me.

For ten years my Psychiatrist and my husband kept me alive.

By 2006, I had the mental illness medically controlled and had resigned myself to spending the remainder of my life managing the chronic fatigue by living five hours a day.

Beginning late in 2006, my doctor recommended I look at the food I eat, and find a good Nutritionist. I said, " What? Food cause all the different problems I am dealing with? I find that hard to believe." But, I am always looking for an answer, and I had nothing to lose but a non-functioning life, so I committed to the process 100%.

I was fortunate that the Nutritionist's Elimination and Detoxification process was included in the newly published Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. The book also included recipes WITHOUT foods I would soon discover made me ill.

Within twelve days of beginning the Elimination and Detoxification process, the mental issues and the fatigue dramatically diminished. When I finally understood how food was affecting me, I said, "All these years I have been working very hard to eat the best food I can...whole grains, organic, locally produced...But I was poisoning myself every day/all day long, each time I ate. I might as well have been eating the dollar bills for all the nutrition I was getting!" The inability to absorb nutrition that was the basis for all my chronic medical problems - Simply, I was malnourished.

March 1, 2008 marks the 16th month since beginning the identification and elimination of foods I react to. I have never before experienced sixteen consecutive months where I have not had the cold or flu. My immune system is now functioning.

I am now off all medications.

There are times when I say, "I don't know who I am any more" because I feel so different.

Different in a good way.

My life is before me now, unknown and inviting.

Thank you, Ali and Tom, for creating this book.

Who knew?

I didn't realize when I purchased this cookbook that it was primarily a gluten-free cookbook. I read the line on the top about it having gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free recipes, but my primary reason for getting it was the whole foods aspect. I wanted simple recipes that used local, in season fruits and vegetables. I definitely got much more than I bargained for!

Between this book and the purchase of a Vitamix (highly recommended, even though expensive), I now consume 5 times as many green vegetables as I did before. Being primarily vegetarian, that says a lot. I tended to eat lots of vegetables before, and now I eat lots more. This is good. As a mother of four children, Ali Segersten doesn't really have time to have recipes that take all day to prepare. Most things are fast and yummy, once you get into the groove of cooking like this. I've owned this book for a year and have cooked probably 3/4 of the recipes and some of them are weekly staples (not to mention keeping up with the recipes on their blog). When beets are in season, I can't get enough of the balsamic beets. Who knew beets could be so yummy? I have one toddler (and feel as if I have four) so cooking healthy food has to be fast. I also want her to grow up with healthy eating habits.

Without even having a clue about it, I've probably been gluten sensitive my entire life. Pregnancy seems to have triggered it to be more noticeable, since I started having digestive problems after the birth of my daughter (and a bit during pregnancy too, though it's hard to sort out what's normal with pregnancy and what could have been sensitivity to gluten). I've heard of dairy allergies, and all sorts of other allergies, but gluten? Who is allergic to gluten? Well, it turns out a lot of us are. Now I know about all kinds of new grains like teff, sorghum, millet and quinoa. Even if you're not sensitive to gluten, these are great grains to experiment with! Yes, I will agree with others that lots of these foods are more expensive. However, if you're not eating meat, consuming dairy or buying lots of prepackaged foods, the cost balances itself. A box of cereal is sometimes $5. You can get a good sized bag of quinoa for that price and quinoa will certainly win on the nutritional front.

My copy of this book looks as if I've owned it for 10 years. I write notes in the margins, book mark things, star favorite recipes--it's practically the only cookbook I ever use anymore. I easily use it more than once daily. In addition to being a well-written cookbook, their blog is fantastic. With all of the other 5 star reviews, I felt I probably didn't need to add my two cents, but just in case someone needs 38 positive reviews instead of 37 to buy this cookbook, this is my two cents to add.

Get this cookbook if you want to feel great!

I have had this cookbook for just a week, but I am really enjoying it. After reading the other reviews, I felt like trying the 28 day detox and elimination diet, which is described in the book and also on the author's website [...], was going to be the perfect plan to help me kick my caffeine and sugar addictions. The book advocates eating whole foods for a variety of reasons: to help prevent and fight disease, increase energy, lose weight, feel better, less packaging and waste etc etc. Anyway, I really DID try to do the 2 day smoothie fast at the beginning of the detox/elimination diet, and while the smoothies taste GREAT I just could not do a full day without chewing something! I tried for 3 days and each day, by dinner time I gave up and ate regular not-ground-up-food. However, drinking the smoothies for breakfast and lunch 3 days straight DID make any food, even super healthy whole food with no dressings etc. sound more delicious than they usually would! :) Other than cheating on the smoothie fast, I have followed phase 1 of the elimination diet very easily. I feel that there are plenty of foods to enjoy and I have tried several recipes from their website and cookbook, as well as created my own versions of salads and smoothies.

Here is the thing: In 6 days I have lost 7 lbs. I have NEVER lost that much at a time, ever. I have not been hungry AT ALL this week. In fact, last night I was stuffed and could not finish my dinner. I have been calculating calories and have been consuming between 1000 and 1300 cal. per day. In the past when I have limited calories I have been hungry all the time. But with eating healthy whole foods only, the portion sizes are so much bigger and I can actually feel the food nourishing me and giving me energy. I no longer feel bloated. A few weeks ago I was so fatigued and depressed, I was about to go to the doctor to see about antidepressants. But I feel awesome now and feel like all the sugar and caffeine and "holiday" fat-laden foods were just bogging me down.

I was nervous at first I would not have as much energy on this diet, but I have more energy than I have had in a very long time, I can get through my workouts easily, I am feeling less dehydrated, my skin is already looking better, and I already feel like this is a plan I can stick with... forever. I am going to switch my family to whole foods now as well.

Fabulous Allergy-Free Recipes!

I purchased this book about a month ago and have been cooking most of our family's meals from it since. I am back to buy another one for my sister who is pregnant right now with her first child. (I thought the introduction to solid foods list for babies in the back of the book would be useful to her).

About 2 years ago both of my sons were diagnosed with ADHD. I have put both of my sons on a gf / cf diet (i.e. gluten-free, casein-free) to help with their disorder and it has helped tremendously.

I have found it difficult to find a cookbook that addresses moving towards a healthier whole foods type diet AND one that is gluten-free and dairy-free. This book is just that.

The book starts out with information on food sensitivities to gluten, dairy, and eggs. Then it moves on to what it means to eat whole foods. They even have a beautiful full color chart about dietary components - reminiscent of a food pyramid but much healthier. Then there is a chapter on eating organic food and a list of the top 12 foods to buy organic. The authors have a great chapter on Making the Change, which gives simple tips to help move towards a healthier diet. After that, a sample 7 day menu is given, which we have used several times to plan a meal - especially helpful when we have company!

Then the recipes.....mmmmm! I am not sure where to begin. I have yet to find one that we don't like. Luckily my boys are great at trying new things. Most of the recipes they like, though a few they have not, but that it typical for a 4 and 6 yr old!

Here are some of my favorite recipes: Buckwheat Pancakes, Banana Walnut Muffins, Peachy Millet Flour Muffins, Red Lentil Dal, Vegetarian Chipotle Chili, Winter Quinoa Salad, Tofu with Garlic Ginger Kudzu Sauce, Spiced Citrus Salmon, Indian Chicken Curry, Thai Fried Rice, Lemon Basil Pesto, Cabbage Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette(my boys actually love this), Beet Kale and Walnut Salad, Raw Almond and Vegetable Pate, Lemon Blueberry Pudding, Gingerbread Cake, Chocolate Truffles, and the Avocado Fig Fudgesicles.

This book has been worth every cent!

The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook

I admit it--I enjoy cookbooks and read them like novels and this is one, wonderful cookbook! I love it! But I have found that it is more than a cookbook--it is a knowledgeable and comprehensive guide to learning to live a whole life through the food we choose to eat, with encouragement and enjoyment on every page. As consumers we are aware of how our food supply has become increasingly over-processed resulting in "filler" food with little nourishment for our bodies and souls. This book gently shows us with straight-forward, creative and delicious recipes how we can make changes to live healthier and balanced lives with whole foods. I read somewhere that if you find one favorite recipe in a cookbook it was worth the purchase price--I have found many new, favorite recipes in this cookbook!