As a boy my body was fueled with whole, pure, and natural foods that were grown on our family farm. After leaving home, ultra-processed foods entered my life to such an extent that by 32 years of age I became chronically ill; and by 42, I was diagnosed with only a few weeks left to live. Because medical experts lacked the knowledge necessary to help me be healed, I turned to God to learn if a way existed. I promised that if there was a way, and if He would reveal it to me, I would do whatsoever He might instruct me to do. Rather than allow me to die through a lack of knowledge, He instructed me directly to eat a variety of whole, pure, and natural plant-based foods daily, from each food group listed below. I obeyed His instructions with exactness, and my body entirely healed itself in just six months, much to my physician's delight!

My son Daniel (see picture above) thrives today as an elite distance runner, by fueling his body, as I was instructed to eat. Consider the following history of America's trending away from foods God's ordained for our use, to man-made, ultra-processed foods.

In the early 1900s, prior to the advent of ultra-processed foods, most calories consumed in America were derived from whole, pure, and natural plant-based foods—harvested fresh from family and community gardens, and only one in five Americans was overweight, and only one in 150 was obese. Harvested and eaten in their natural God-given state, they enabled Americans to thrive! In contrast, American adults and children today consume respectively, 57 and 67 percent of their calories from ultra-processed foods.¹  One in three Americans today is obese, rather than one in 150; and two in three are overweight. We now host the highest rates of obesity, disability, and disease worldwide.²  If you would thrive, fuel your body daily with a variety of foods, from each food-group that follows:

Leafy Greens: arugula, baby greens, basil, beet greens, Bibb lettuce, bok choy, Boston lettuce, celery greens, chicory, cilantro, collards, dandelion greens, endive, escarole, frisée, mesclun mix, mustard greens, oak leaf lettuce, radicchio, romaine lettuce, rosemary, red and green leaf lettuce, rutabaga leaves, kale, kohlrabi, spinach, Swiss chard, spinach, turnip greens, watercress, and micro greens (basil, broccoli, cilantro, radish, sunflower, and tendril peas).

Non-Starchy Vegetables: alliums (garlic, leeks, onions, scallions, and shallots), asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, garlic, green beans, jicama, mushrooms, okra, sweet bell peppers, hot peppers, paprika peppers, and pimento peppers, radicchio, radishes (all kinds), scallions, scallop squash, seaweeds, snow peas, string beans, sugar snap peas, summer squash, tomatillos, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Legumes (beans, lentils, peas, and soy): beans (adzuki, black, black turtle, butter, cannellini, garbanzo, great northern, kidney, lima, mung, navy, pink, pinto, small red, and white); lentils (all colors),  split and sweet peas (all colors), and soybeans (edamame, miso, tempeh, and tofu).

Berries: acai berries, blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries, mulberries, raspberries, strawberries, goji berries, golden berries, and gooseberries.

Sweet Fruits: apples, apricots, bananas, breadfruit, cantaloupe, cherimoyas, cherries, clementines, cranberries, currants, dates, dragon fruit, figs, grapefruit, grapes (all colors), guava, honeydew, jackfruit, kiwis, kumquats, lemons, limes, lychees, mangoes, melons (all kinds), nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plums, pluots, pomegranates, prunes, starfruit, tamarind, tangelo, and tangerines.

Grains: amaranth, barley, buckwheat (kasha), bulgur (cracked wheat), millet, oats, popcorn, quinoa, rice (brown and wild), rye, spelt, teff, and Kamut wheat.

Starchy vegetables: artichoke, beets, carrots, chestnuts, sweet corn, green peas, jicama, kohlrabi, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, turnips, water chestnuts, winter squashes of every variety, and yams.

Natural fats: avocados, olives, acorns, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, coconut, filberts, hazelnuts, macadamia, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios; and chia, hemp, flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds.

Flavor food naturally with herbs: basil, bay leaf, chives, chervil, cilantro, dill, fenugreek, garlic cloves, ginger, horseradish, lemongrass, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sorrel, savory, tarragon, and thyme; and spices: allspice, anise, Cajun seasoning, caraway, cardamom, cayenne, celery seeds, chili powder, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, fennel, garam masala, garlic, ginger, mustard, nutmeg, onion powder, paprika, pepper flakes, peppermint, poppy, saffron, turmeric, and white pepper; and natural sweeteners: dates, figs, raisins, fruits, berries, blackstrap molasses, and honey.

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1. Adults: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/115/1/211/6396017?redirectedFrom=fulltext    Children: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2782866?guestAccessKey=c646e502-898f-443b-8558-d90a74e35415&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=081021

2. Major Trends in U.S. Food Supply, 1909–1999; Food Review Volume 23, Issue 1; Credit and Source: USDA’s Economic Research Service; http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/foodreview/jan2000/frjan2000b.pdf