Some of you know that I have made some major changes in my diet over the past year.  I haven’t shared much about it, but it’s really come about because of these books I’ve read.  Once I started making changes, I felt so much better and my allergies have definitely calmed down.  I’m not all the way “cured” yet, but I’m really excited about the progress I’m making!

Here are 10 books that have been instrumental in getting me to change the way I view food and dieting.

1)  Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

This was the very first book I read about five years ago that started me down the path.  Obviously, it’s been a slow process–because I didn’t embrace many of the ideas in this book until within the past year.  Honestly, I felt overwhelmed by the amount of information the first time I read it and put it aside.  I’ve been rereading it though, and I’m excited to try out the recipes!

2)  The Diet Cure

This book I just found in the last month, but it is one of the best I’ve seen as far as cravings, the cause of those cravings, and practical ways to help.  If you have struggled with your weight, your moods, depression, allergies, or autoimmune-type diseases, I would HIGHLY recommend this book.

3)  The Inflammation Syndrome: Your Nutrition Plan for Great Health, Weight Loss, and Pain-Free Living

This book helped me realize for the first time that the food is medicine.  Instead of spending money on medicine and healthcare, I realized I needed to spend more money on food–real food that doesn’t cause inflammation in my body.  The grocery budget was upped after reading this one!

4)  Practical Paleo

I still go back-and-forth with some of the Paleo information.  I’m eating Paleo right now, but I think I’m more along the lines of a traditional foods kind of approach (AKA Nourishing Traditions–#1 above).  I do like the recipes in this book, and the guides are really helpful, too.

5)  It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways

I credit the Whole30 with helping me break my addiction to sugar.  It’s a really powerful program, and if you can stick to it without cheating, you will see (and feel) amazing benefits.  Don’t cheat though, or you have to start your Whole30 over again!!

6)  Made to Crave

This is really a powerful little book that will guide you to understand some of the spiritual issues of food–overeating, cravings, etc.  You can see my series on Made to Crave here.

7) Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-free Kids

This has gluten-free and dairy-free recipes that my kids actually like!

8) Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome

If you are to a point where you are “tired and wired” all the time, you might want to check your adrenal function. I had some of the strangest (I thought) symptoms, but when I read this book, I realized I wasn’t so crazy…and I was struggling with the beginning stages of adrenal fatigue. Thankfully, I found an excellent functional medicine doctor who is helping me heal from this!

9) Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health

This is a helpful book about the effects of gluten. I just borrowed it, so it’s not one I have in my library, but it does contain some beneficial recipes and info.

10) Clean — Expanded Edition: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself

This is a book on detoxing your body. I haven’t made it through a full detox yet, but that’s on the agenda for this summer. I won’t be using his kit or anything, but you can do the full program with just regular, organic foods. I’ll share more once I make it through the program!

11) In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

This is a bonus one I added!  This book also got me on the road to real food.  Food that my great-great-grandmother would recognize as food!

Do you have a favorite book you recommend about real food or natural health?

 

This post is part of the 10 in 10 Blog Hop from iHomeschool Network.  Be sure to check out the other posts from my blogging friends!

I originally got the idea for this “Shepherd’s Pie” from Eat Like a Dinosaur (you can find also find the recipe over on The Paleo Parents).  They used organ meats for their recipe–which I didn’t have, so I just changed it!  We’ve made this adapted recipe quite a few times since then, and I’ve also bumped up the veggies and taken out some of the spices to make it one of our family favorites!

Shepherd’s Pie {Paleo Style} 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 – 2 lb. grass-fed ground beef
• 1 large (or 2 small) cauliflower
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 -2 tsp. cumin
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped broccoli

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat.  {Add onion to taste if desired.}

2)  While the meat is browning, chop up the cauliflower.  Steam the cauliflower until soft (or boil and drain it if you don’t have a steamer basket).  Mash the cauliflower with a potato masher.

3)  While the cauliflower and meat are cooking, chop up carrots, celery, and broccoli.  Combine and set aside.

4)  After the ground beef cooks, stir in the salt, pepper, and cumin.  Put the ground beef in the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ pan.  Layer the veggie mix (carrots, celery, and broccoli) next.  Finally, spread the cauliflower on top.

5)  Cook in 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Add salt and pepper as desired.

Since changing our eating habits so drastically last summer, I haven’t found too many super-simple recipes (besides scrambled eggs), but I have really started enjoying my time in the kitchen.  Cooking has become therapeutic in a way, and I love to chop and dice and know that I’m feeding my little munchkins well.  I like to double this recipe, cook both pans, and put one in the freezer for a later time (be sure to wrap it well).

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This post is part of the “Simple Family Dinner Blog Hop” hosted by This Reading Mama.

Find more recipes over on the Pinterest board and on these blogs:

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom | Inspired by Family | Sun Scholars | This Reading Mama | Life by Ashley Pichea | In Culture Parent | Raising Life Long Learners | Glittering Muffins | Octavia and Vicky | Kid World Citizen | Kitchen Counter Chronicles | Nomad Parents | Childhood 101 |Triple T Mum | Adventures in Mommydom | The Freckled Homeschooler | Teach Beside Me | The Chirping Moms | Disco… the World Through My Son’s Eyes | So You Call Yourself a Homeschooler | Pickle Bums | The European Mama | The Golden Gleam | Forever, For Always, No Matter What | Motherhood on a Dime | Harrington Harmonies | Rainy Day Mum | Jenni Fischer| Cakes and Sribbles | Toddling Into Madness | Mermaids’ Makings | Mud Hut Mama | Here Come the Girls | All Done Monkey | Small Potatoes | Little Artists

Last weekend before the Superbowl, I had a hankering for brownies.  Since starting my gluten and {mostly} dairy-free diet, I haven’t done a ton of baking…especially desserts.  Honestly, these are not frugal at all.

But.  They.  Are.  Delicious.

What I like to remember is that these are a treat.  Not something we have very often, but something I made special for a special party day.  They are so rich tasting that a little bit goes a longggggggg way!

Double Chocolate Gluten-Free Brownies

(Recipe adapted from Simply Gluten-Free)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips (these are my favorite!!)
• 1 cup room temperature butter
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup organic coconut palm sugar
• 6 T. cocoa powder
• 2 T cornstarch or tapioca starch
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place parchment paper in a 9″x13″ glass baking dish (or use a silicone dish).

2)  Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a large bowl.

3)  Add the eggs, coconut palm sugar, cocoa powder, starch, salt, and vanilla extract to the bowl.  Stir until well-combined (it will still be lumpy).

4)  Spread the mixture on the parchment paper.   Cook for 20-25 minutes.  It should feel firm to the touch.

5)  Allow to cool.

6)  Eat. 

I wanted something I could make as a gift using ingredients I already had, so I pulled together a few recipes from my cookbooks at home and came up with this Caramel Almond Crunch popcorn!  It is gluten-free and dairy-free (although not quite Paleo)!  I’m thinking maybe you could substitute something a little healthier for the sugar, but I was making a ton to give as gifts and brown sugar was on hand!

Caramel Almond Crunch Popcorn (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Christmas Treat

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup popcorn (10-12 cups popped)
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk (this is the kind we normally use)

1)  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  Grease two 9×13 inch pans.

2)  Combine coconut milk and brown sugar.  Cook over medium heat for 25 minutes stirring occasionally.

3)  Pop the popcorn.  We used an air-popper and two big bowls for this amount of popcorn.  Add the almonds.

4)  During the last minute of cooking, stir in the 1/2 tsp. of salt.  Pour the milk/sugar mixture over the popcorn and stir quickly.

5)  Transfer the popcorn to the pans.  Cook in the oven for one hour, gently stirring the mixture every 15 minutes.  Be sure not to burn it!

We think it’s delicious!!  This does make a lot, so just cut the recipe in half if you don’t need quite so much.  I figured I might as well make a large batch since it does take quite a bit of time!