Foundations of Health Resources Guide

Nutrition:

The China Study by Dr. T Colin Campbell 

This is where it starts for most people. This book is so informative and was one of my first true deep dives into the world of plant powered eating. Dr. Campbell examines the connection in various regions of China between diet and disease. There is disputing based on his finding that diet has a great influence in disease progression especially in cardiovascular and cancer.

Eat for Health By Dr. Joel Fuhrman 

Dr. Fuhrman doesn’t disappoint in his quest to help people realize the importance of whole food, plant based in preventing and reversing chronic illness. This book is full of recipes and meal plans based on his proven system to help conquer food addiction and cravings. He will have you feeling optimal in no time.

An Evidence Based Approach to Dietary Phytochemical and Other Dietary Factors by Jane Higdon and Victoria Drake 

This is a must for health care practitioners and anyone interested in evidence based knowledge on plant foods, and the amazing researched benefits of the individual phytochemicals. The book looks at various plant food categories and breaks it down into disease prevention, nutrient interactions and intake recommendations. It also summarizes some of the most important nutrients and phytochemicals looking at bioavailability and metabolism, disease prevention, disease treatment, safety and sources.

The Cheese Trap By Neal D Barnard 

In my long journey to becoming a doctor, one of the first steps was really listening to my body and understanding how much inflammation developed with eating dairy. When I cut out dairy, my health started to improve drastically. Through the years, I have seen the same transformation happen in my patients, some of who aren’t ready to go to WFPB entirely but make the commitment to give up dairy.

Cookbooks:

Straight up food Cookbook By Cathy Fisher

Revolutionizing whole food plant based cooking. She take simple ingredients and transforms them into amazing easy to make dishes! Her meals are not only plant based but also has no added salt, sugar and oil. The cookbook is alive with color and spiral binding to make it more convenient to use while you are cooking! This cookbook is a MUST!

Bravo! By Chef Ramses Bravo 

The amazing and brilliant Chef at TrueNorth Health Center in Santa Rosa, CA. He is renowned in the Whole food plant based no salt, sugar and oil culinary arena. This book is really imperative to starting your journey towards optimal health with healthy and easy cooking tips and recipes. This is necessary in your kitchen.

The PlantPower way by Rich Roll and Julie Piatt 

I love these two!! Rich Roll is an ultra athlete and his amazing wife and brilliant chef Julie Piatt, bring this beautiful book that has recipes and ideas for the whole family. This is a fun and really great cookbook that breaks you out of cooking ruts! One of the best sections is the amazing nut cheeses! (If you love the nut cheeses, Julie has another book: This Cheese is Nuts! All I can say is Amazeballs!)

Health topics:

Vaccinations: A thoughtful Parent’s guide: How to make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternative by Aviva Romm MD

My favorite MD!! Dr. Aviva is such a powerhouse. She is a midwife, a botanical medicine genius and just a fantastic practitioner really promoting the foundation of health in her approach to medicine. This is one of the book I recommend all the time because its such a hot button topic and she breaks it down so beautifully.

Comfortably unaware by Dr. Richard Oppenlander

I love this question Dr. Oppenlander poses: “Do you know the true cost of the food you eat every day?” “What does the word sustainable really mean when applied to your food choice and how sustainable is that particular food to your own health? He exposes the truth about the consequences of our diet, the footprint it make on our environment.

Farmageddon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat by Philip Lymbery and Isabel Oakeshott

An excellent account of the livestock and fish farming industries and how our overconsumption and addiction to eating animals is really costing us not only human health but also the health of our beautiful environmental. Our planet is in dire straits. Increases in greenhouse gases, land and water pollution, deforestation, and wildlife extinction to name a few of the catastrophes that are widespread in our world and encroaching upon how we live.

Blender:

VitaMix

There is no competition with blenders. You either Vitamix or just don’t blend it. that is my personal opinion! This is one of the best for everything

https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/

Juicers:

Centrifugal Juicer

These have blades which slices the food to allow the juices to come out. They have more food waste due to less ability to break down the food. But easier on prep time. 

My favorite brand is Breville – just depends on the size you need.

• Breville Juice Fountain Elite
• Breville Juice Foundatin Plus
• Breville BJ200XL Compact Juice Fountain

Masticating juicer – these use gears to grind food. Since they essentially squeeze the juice they have less amount of fruit and vegetables needed. Prep time is slight more since you have cut into smaller pieces.

My favorites: 

• Omega J8006 Nutrition Center juicer
• Hurom H-AA slow squeezing juicer

Water distillers:

Pure Water – Mini classic CT Countertop Water Distiller

Pure water is one of the best steam powered water distiller. We use the commercial version at TrueNorth Health for our water fasting patients.

Aquanui Water distiller

Another good brand of steam distillation. Steam powered water filtration really has the best ability to remove everything from Arsenic, bacteria, nitrates, and other containments.