Fighting Disease with a Whole Foods Diet

“I read about U.S. food production/processing and agricultural practices and realized that illness aside, I didn’t approve.” In the case of cancer, environmental pollutants are just as suspect as pesticides. The heavy reliance on chemicals and petroleum products for transport and large-scale growing conflicted with her health concerns. The source of food became as important as the items on her grocery list. “My food sources are the Union Square and Grand Army farmers markets, along with the local food coop.” By shopping at the farmer’s markets and cooperatives, she is able to find whole foods that are from small, local sources. By making this switch, she is able to eliminate most industrially processed and refined foods. She feels better about what she’s eating, knowing that it came from a farm and not an animal factory.

For a busy professional, eating a whole foods diet has necessarily meant changes in lifestyle. “Eating whole foods puts a new spin on the urban social life. So much of our socializing centers around grabbing some food and eating in restaurants, which is something that I do less and less of.” That hasn’t meant any less socializing or eating, just more cooking in with friends.

She’s finding a whole local culture in her Brooklyn neighborhood around the local and seasonal food that she’s tapping into. Many restaurants and cafés are committed to serving quality ingredients from local food sources, and a publication called Edible Brooklyn is dedicated to local food culture. By shopping at the farmers markets, she’s also become more aware of the people and places involved in her diet. “Evolutionary Organics, a farm in New Paltz [upstate, New York] is my favorite.” You can find them and other organic farms at Certified Naturally Grown.

“Paying attention to diet and nutrition, mental and spiritual exercise is a more active approach to wellness that I enjoy. It’s empowering to see eating as an opportunity to enrich or even heal the body. I do spend a lot of time, energy, and money with food preparation, but that is what is important to me.” And it seems to be working. Wendy’s last visit to the oncologist showed that tumor involvement had subsided. So that while her doctors watch and wait, she’s taking charge.

Wendy’s not waiting around for evidence or statistics. She’s doing what makes sense to her and what is making her feel well and empowered and responsible. “This spring I’m going to start designing urban culinary roof gardens. We all have something to contribute. I’m a landscape architect, so this is my contribution.” By showing others how they can grow food in their small city spaces, she hopes to bring whole foods home.