It’s Not Just a Cookbook: Eat Healthy Be Healthy

By Vickie Gelardi and David Martin D.O.M.

This is not just a cookbook, this book contains nutritional information and guidance for those individuals with various diseases and health challenges. It contains factual research to help the user understand the nutritional content in food, and to help you make wise choices. Our hope, is that you will read this book thoroughly and utilize the information to live a healthy lifestyle.

With all the vegans, meat eaters, vegetarians, dairy free and diabetic varied diets within households today, we created this cookbook to be flexible enough to meet the needs of a diverse family and to be friendly for everyone.

There is a magical gluten-free chocolate cake... a gluten-free pie crust for Quiche and breakfasts for large families and guests, you can make the night before.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jul 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781982260101

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Copyright © 2021 David Martin and Vickie Gelardi.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6009-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6010-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020924109

Balboa Press rev. date: 07/22/2021

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Introduction

Welcome to our cookbook, It’s Not Just a Cookbook. We are so happy to have you join us on the path to delicious healthy eating, and a fulfilling healthy lifestyle.

We wish to thank all our clients and patients for encouraging us to create this book, and we appreciate their support and input immensely. You have truly inspired us! You might even see your name listed in a recipe as a contributor, and thank you for sharing! We feel strongly that we are connected, and we are dedicating this book to all of you who have demonstrated that you want to eat healthy and be healthy.

We also wish to thank our families and friends, and our Lotus Blossom Clinic co-workers for their encouragement and support in this year-long endeavor. A huge thank you to Kandy Love for her assistance in editing, and to Debbie Thompson, Jackie Feniello, and Deb Martin for their input on recipes and content. Your eyes and knowledge refined our dream. Special thanks to Deb White for the cover photo and many of the photos of food in this book.

So, now let us begin our journey into the world of healthy eating. As you turn the pages, know that you are on the path of good health.

THE CREATORS

Meet Vickie Gelardi and David Martin. We are great friends who must have had lots of past lives together! Even with our friendship, who would have guessed that two such diverse people could have come together for this sweet…and at times challenging ride.

For more than a year we have spent hours together, at the computer writing and in the kitchen cooking and sampling. Then at the computer re-writing, and in the kitchen re-cooking and re-sampling! And we have deepened our friendship and commitment to being healthy!

WHO ARE WE

Vickie Gelardi

I grew up in an Italian American household where everyone cooked and ate natural, organic foods that are wholesome and tasty. My grandmother and my mother always prepared the freshest foods. When I had my own family of three children, I continued with this tradition. I experienced firsthand how healthy eating affected the health and wellbeing of my children. My son experienced great benefits when we removed artificial coloring and flavoring from his diet.

Being witness to such positive changes encouraged me to share this information with others, and I formed The Feingold Association of New York. The purpose of this organization was to educate families on eating healthy, thus improving their child’s learning and behavior. Improper labeling of foods at the time was the main obstacle. Through much effort and with the help of TV appearances on the Geraldo Rivera’s Good Morning America Show, we were able to effectively change labels through legislation in Washington, making them more transparent.

I was also fortunate to work with the Director of the New York City School Lunch Program and assisted them in making healthy changes to the lunches served to children. This was a major factor in making the public aware that more natural foods have an effect on learning, behavior, and diseases.

My love of children, especially those with learning differences, has guided me throughout my life. In 2012, I was one of the Founding Members of De LaSalle Academy (a school for children with learning differences), and am still on the Board of Directors and active in this community. My passion for healthy, healing foods has shaped my entire life and has brought me to where I am today. It is my mission to teach others how to select the foods necessary to eat for their health issues. I now work with adults and children, young and old, healthy and unhealthy.

I saw positive effects of healthy foods among so many people, especially those suffering from a variety of diseases, e.g., cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, heart issues, to name a few. Eventually I found myself at Lotus Blossom Clinic working as a Holistic Food Consultant. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with like-minded practitioners who share my vision. My joy in life is helping people be healthy in all ways.

Blessings to you for a healthy and happy life.

David Martin

I have been an Acupuncture Physician for 22 years. In that role, I have seen and treated thousands of patients for a wide variety of problems. I found, through my practice, that lifestyle choices cause most chronic disease. I can certainly help relieve the pain and suffering for my patients. But as we say in Chinese Medicine, we need to heal both the root and the branch. For most of my patients the root of the problem is in their lifestyle choices described in this short poem.

The air you breath

The water you drink

The food you eat

The thoughts you think

Of course, this book addresses the food.

My family is, in large part, Native American, and I have incorporated many of those values into my practice and into this book. I also come from a background of engineering and have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering. However, my passion is where I am today, trained and licensed as a Chinese Medicine Doctor in two states (Florida as an Acupuncture Physician and in Colorado as a Licensed Acupuncturist). In this role, I help people deal with various diseases, pain, anxiety, fertility, etc. It is my mission to help people to realize that they have many choices when it comes to health. I want people to think of natural and holistic medicines as their first choice and western medicine as the follow up choice for chronic disease. I always recommend western medicine for urgent care.

Over my journey the last 20+ years working with my patients, I found myself telling them to eat less sugar or no wheat or milk. They often came back with the question, Well, then what should I eat? We now have a robust set of answers that we tailor to specific individuals who come to our clinic in Fort Myers, Florida, and for people who need ongoing support we decided it was time to create a cookbook. I, and my co-author, Vickie Gelardi, send this cookbook out into the world as a foundational book to help you create your best health!

One last thought...before you get ill, begin your healthy lifestyle now, in this very moment.

WHY DID WE WRITE THIS COOKBOOK?

Simply put, we believe healthy food has a profound effect on the health of us all. We wanted to create a cookbook to be used as a starting point to eating healthy. Vickie loves cooking. David loves tasting, and together we created this cookbook. Our hope is you will enjoy these pages as much as we have in writing them. We care about our families and friends, our co-workers and our clients. With this in mind, we created this for you.

Although we enjoy having our Food Focus classes at the clinic, we realize busy schedules can prevent many from attending. Having this cookbook in your home, will allow you to have the information you need at your fingertips.

In addition to delicious recipes, we value nutritious eating. Good nutrition plays a critical role in the prevention and lessening the development of diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disease. We wrote this cookbook with a ton of researched nutritional tips sprinkled throughout its pages.

We recognize that food tastes and desires vary greatly. You will find meat dishes and decadent desserts, along with vegetarian, vegan, and no-sugar choices. You will find light, easily digested meals along with hearty meals. There is no one right way... moderation in everything is the key to good health. Also, you are welcome to be very creative with each recipe…there are so many preferences and so many choices! Have fun experimenting and making these recipes your own!

We all have differences, challenges, and preferences. Recognizing this, we designed this cookbook for everyone to find a way to Eat Healthy and Be Healthy. Our shared hope is that you enjoy what we have created, learn how to make good choices, and share healthy food with family and friends. Know that we have totally enjoyed writing this book with you in mind.

Notes:

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TIPS ON HOW TO EAT HEALTHY AND BE HEALTHY

Organic fruits and vegetables are our most potent nurturing foods to help fight disease. They are high in antioxidants (which neutralize free radicals), fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (which help avoid diseases such as cancer).

One easy way to identify the healthy foods is color. Add lots of color to your meals! Adding greens, like spinach and kale to your smoothie in the morning gives you a fresh start each day. Green, red, and orange colored vegetables make a healthy lunch or dinner salad. Try adding spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots to your salad. Then add some pumpkin seeds and nuts for more protein and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon.

Healthy fat will keep you satisfied so you do not have those cravings after you eat. Good fats are found in salmon, sardines, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, hemp seeds, and avocados. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, help with joint inflammation and are healthy for our cardiovascular system, our immune system, brain function, and keeps our skin hydrated and healthy looking.

Consume enough protein. Both meat and vegetables contain protein. If you consume meat or fish, the amino acids found in them promote healing, repair tissues, and are the building blocks of red blood cells. Chicken, fish, lamb and beef all contain vitamin B 12 and other nutrients essential for growth, healing and tissue repair. Too much, however, can cause inflammation, which is definitely not a good thing. So, once again, eat only moderate amounts of meat and fish, and add other sources of protein like beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.

Drink clean water, preferably filtered. The recommended amount of water to consume is as many ounces as half of your body weight. So, if you are 120 pounds, then drink 60 ounces of water per day to keep fully hydrated and flush out toxins. If you live in a hot climate, do drink more!

Sleep is very important for health. Sleeping is the time the body naturally repairs, recharges, and regenerates. A lack of sleep can readily lead to chronic stress reactions. Here are a few bedtime tips. Turn off the computer and do not use your phone for at least one hour before bedtime. Keep technology out of the bedroom. Daily meditation is also helpful. Five minutes in the morning can give you a more peaceful and less stressful start to your day. Five minutes in the evening helps with a more restful sleep. These tips are the recommended guidelines. You need to make it work for your lifestyle.

Find your purpose in life! Having a purpose will give you longevity. Usually this means you have a sense that you belong and make a difference. In Blue Zones of the world, people live well in their 100’s. They all have one thing in common: purpose of life and spiritual beliefs (regardless of what that belief is). They walk and/or ride a bike daily, and eat healthy foods with their families. These people are happy and contented and have little stress, even though they may have day-to-day hardships.

Here are some examples: Vickie’s Aunt Abruzza was over 100 years old when she died peacefully in her sleep. She consistently climbed three flights of stairs to her apartment at least four times a day. Many small villages in Italy, France and Okinawa have an average age of 100! They eat small amounts of olives, greens, fish, and very little meat. They do not consume many sweets, but do drink some wine. Their diets are different than the standard diet in this country. For more interesting stories on the Blue Zone, go to Google.

Healthy eating is a long topic. We hope these few tips inspire you not only to re-think your own habits, but also to do some more of your own research.

JUST SO YOU KNOW……

Our goal with this cookbook is to share our recipes that are healthy and easy to prepare…with lots of research data to further your nutritional education. We feel we have created something for everyone, whether you or someone you live with, are vegan, vegetarian, or carnivore. We eagerly share with you the research and information we gathered pertaining to certain food groups and how we have modified our recipes in accordance with this. We hope you enjoy these kitchen tested recipes as much as we have enjoyed our time in the kitchen preparing them.

Wheat Flour & Gluten

Substitutes for wheat are readily available. The wheat flour, which contains gluten, is highly inflammatory, and most wheat flour is genetically modified. This can cause bloating and other intestinal disturbances. Individuals with Celiac disease have a specific immune response to a protein in gluten called gliadin, where the immune cells destroy the microvilli in the small intestines which absorb nutrients. Gluten is also responsible for sinus problems, brain fog, joint pain, skin conditions and other health issues. Try some of these substitutions which we have used with success with gravies, baking, pie crusts, etc.

King Arthur Measure to Measure Gluten Free Flour

Buckwheat Flour (great for pancakes)

Tapioca Starch

Arrowroot (great for thickening gravies)

Almond Flour

Chickpea Flour (check the bread recipe in our Pizza & Bread section)

Cassava Flour

Lentil & Bean Flours

Note: Grains are inflammatory and if you are on a grain-free diet, then opt for quinoa, and this cookbook has several recipes with quinoa. Quinoa is a plant-based source of protein and contains the same amino acids found in animal products.

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Dairy

Many of us were raised believing that milk is the essential food to make us grow big and strong. However, many individuals don’t produce the lactase enzyme needed to digest the lactose sugars in milk. This leads to bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. Along with this, many children in this country just simply can’t digest any cow dairy.

Several thousand years ago, the A2 protein mutated into the A1 version in some of the European dairy herds. This new protein became incorporated in the cow milk and is now called the A1 protein. Prior to this period, the protein in cow’s milk was A2, which makes the milk similar to mother’s milk since it contains lactic acid. Goat milk also contains the A2 protein and is easier to digest.

Hundreds of years ago in Europe, a type of dairy cow known as the Holstein was developed, and while the milk was not the best in terms of quality, its production was prodigious. In 1985, over 90% of all dairy cows were Holsteins, but unbeknownst to dairy farmers at the time, the Holstein has a genetic mutation that causes it to produce the A1 casein variant. In other words, the Holstein was the darling of the milk industry, but its milk contained a dark secret that was only recently discovered.

Heritage cows like the Guernsey’s and Jersey’s have A2 milk. These milks are more expensive, however, they are easily digested. Many of these cows are pasture-raised and are not given growth hormones or antibiotics. Read your labels to help with your purchase.

Keep in mind that dairy is a mucus-forming food and creates mucus in the digestive tract preventing nutrients from being absorbed. Also, if you suffer with sinus issues, it’s best to avoid dairy. Along with all this, cows are raised on antibiotics and are fed growth hormones that interfere with our own body chemistry. Not everyone has to avoid dairy, but having choices is always healthy for various diets. Here are some other milks, not cow dairy, that are good alternatives, along with substitutions for cow dairy.

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Cow Dairy Alternatives

Almond Milk (we use Silk brand without carrageenan)

Cashew Milk

Hemp Milk

Coconut