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Recently I have made a big change in my lifestyle of eating. I’ve always considered myself as someone who has eaten fairly healthy but I struggled with how I felt physically and mentally. I’ve had a lot of surgeries and physical problems since I was two months old. First beginning with a heart defect and the list goes on…

For people with chronic health issues, you know that waking up everyday you don’t know how you are going to feel. It is a daunting way of life. If it weren’t for my strong will, I think I would be in worse shape. Don’t get me wrong, there are days where I felt totally hopeless. However, I am no longer having days where feel like that. I’m not giving up and I am getting stronger. What is helping me? First, research, and learning all I can about the Whole Foods Plant Based Diet.

One of my illnesses is a Digestion Disease and I have to be careful what I eat not knowing how it is going to impact me on a daily basis. Its like taking a gamble of what to eat. The Whole Foods Plant Based Diet has opened a whole new world for me and believe me, I’ve tried a ton of different diets. On this diet you do not eat meat, dairy, or processed foods. People have asked me all sorts of questions about this diet and wonder how this can be healthy without the meat or dairy. This year on Layered Pages, I will be answering those questions but first, I recommend you read The China Study and watch Forks Over Knives on Netflix. I will begin today by saying that I no longer have cravings for processed sugar, meats or dairy. Matter of fact, every time I see meat, I cringe knowing what it was doing to my health and digestive system.  If you have any questions about the Whole Foods Plant Based Diet, please feel free to ask me and I will do my best to answer your questions or direct you to the right source.

Now onto my other books I am reading. I finished, Long Road To Mercy by David Baldacci! There was thing I liked about the story and things that made me roll my eyes. Ha! I might discuss this more later on.

I’m still reading The Blue by Nancy Bileau and I’m enjoying the story so much I am savoring it. I will be working on a project about this book with the author and I look forward to sharing more of that with you soon.

I’m also listening to an audible book, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. So far, I haven’t really been immersed into the story but I’m not giving up. I do find some of the situations fascinating however.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and productive New Year! Until next time….

Stephanie M. Hopkins

The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health

The updated and expanded edition of the bestseller that changed millions of lives

The science is clear. The results are unmistakable.

You can dramatically reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes just by changing your diet.

More than thirty years ago, nutrition researcher T. Colin Campbell and his team at Cornell, in partnership with teams in China and England, embarked upon the China Study, the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease. What they found when combined with findings in Colin’s laboratory, opened their eyes to the dangers of a diet high in animal protein and the unparalleled health benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet.

In 2005, Colin and his son Tom, now a physician, shared those findings with the world in The China Study, hailed as one of the most important books about diet and health ever written.

Featuring brand new content, this heavily expanded edition of Colin and Tom’s groundbreaking book includes the latest undeniable evidence of the power of a plant-based diet, plus updated information about the changing medical system and how patients stand to benefit from a surging interest in plant-based nutrition.

The China Study – Updated and Expanded Edition presents a clear and concise message of hope as it dispels a multitude of health myths and misinformation. The basic message is clear. The key to a long, healthy life lies in three things: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

“A lush debut; Owens delivers her mystery wrapped in gorgeous, lyrical prose.” (Alexandra Fuller, author of Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight)

How long can you protect your heart?

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life – until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.