Hi! My name is Christina Dennis and I've been blogging since 2009 at The DIY Mommy. In 2022, after two stressful years, I decided I needed to change my diet to improve my health. My 40th birthday was approaching, and I wanted to finally feel better. I enrolled in the Gina Livy program which promotes whole food eating (among many other healthy habits), and my life has changed forever! I've created this blog as a way to share my favourite meals with you, and as a personal journal to keep me accountable. I hope you enjoy these whole food recipes and meal ideas!
What is a whole food?
A whole food is a food that's as close to its natural, unprocessed form as possible.1 Whole foods include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean meats like chicken and fish, milk, yogurt, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
A whole food diet
Eating a whole food diet is choosing mostly whole foods and avoiding things like fast food, foods with lots of added sugar and sodium, and packaged foods with a long list of mystery ingredients. This way of eating isn't really a "diet" - it's a sustainable way to eat for the rest of your life. Learn more about a whole food lifestyle & how to get started right here.
My approach to a whole food diet
I eat 80-90% whole foods, but I do still enjoy the occasional cookie, cake, candy or baked goods. I want to eat this way for the rest of my life because I feel great, but I also don't want to fall into any sort of disordered eating pattern. For me, no food is off limits, but I know my body feels best when I'm consuming mostly whole foods!
Because I'm a busy mom of 3 and work full time as a blogger & YouTuber, I need quick and easy meal solutions. That's why you'll find the majority of the recipes on this site can be made in 30 minutes or less, and most require only a few steps.
How a whole food diet changed my life
Once I started and maintained a mostly whole food diet that was plant-forward (yes, I still eat meat but I eat FAR more plants than I used to), I experienced the following:
- weight loss*
- clearer skin
- improved digestion
- improved thyroid function**
*Keep in mind that a whole food diet wasn't the only thing that helped me lose weight. I attribute that to joining the Gina Livy program, which promotes not only a nutritious diet but stress reduction, more water intake, better sleep habits, and more. I highly recommend this program, and you can see all the details here. MINDSET and COMMUNITY via the Gina Livy program truly launched my whole health journey in 2022.
**based on my blood tests
Sources:
- Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim: https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/whole-foods-diet/