Healing Recipes (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781540584809)

I can remember spending hours in the kitchen when I was a kid. I loved to create, cook, and bake. Growing up in the south I ate a typical American diet, loaded with processed foods like mac-and-cheese, Cheez Whiz, tuna fish salad, canned soups and vegetables. On the weekends, I would bake cakes and cookies. During the week, I would insist on not only making my own lunch, but my mom's too. My palate developed by the age of 18, and I began truly appreciating the food I ate. When I moved to San Diego, I fell wildly in love with Mexican food. When I worked late-night shifts, burritos were routinely my jam when I got off work. In addition to developing my palate, I also developed a deep love for yoga practice. My practice led me to Santa Cruz, where I met a teacher who guided me through the physical practice but also made a big impact on the way I perceived life. I can remember at the end of one class, she had us sit in a circle and gave each of us a single raisin. She instructed us first to observe it, and then to place it in our mouths without chewing. After some time we were allowed to chew, ever so slowly. It was a practice in mindful eating, and one of the most powerful moments in the evolution of my lifestyle and diet transformation. A few years later, I started teaching yoga in San Diego. I loved everything about it - the practice, the community of teachers, students, and like-minded folk. As I built my teaching practice and developed other areas of my life, there was a voice inside of me that craved adventure and exploration of other cultures. I could no longer resist my desire to travel - so I packed my bags! While abroad, I noticed some alarming skin discoloration in a sensitive area of my body. I immediately went for a biopsy and was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus. To add insult to injury, I broke out in hives all over my body from the traumatic experience at the doctor's office. My body was clearly in shock and I needed to get my histamine levels back to normal. This experience was the catalyst for regaining my health. It was then that I decided to change my diet, which felt like the only thing I had control over. That's when I decided it was in my best interest to do a much needed cleanse. I started to play around with new recipes and that was essentially the birthing process of this book! You can find out more details at jennacarpenter.org