“The only solution that made sense was to turn to the Creator of our bodies”

By: Faith Ralphs

I grew up in Sedona, Arizona in a large family, eating what is now referred to as SAD (Standard American Diet). Although we ate lots of fruits and vegetables, we also drank some Capri Suns, poured corn-syrupy maple syrup on our pancakes, and ate the occasional pepperoni pizza. But everyone was fit and healthy, so why not?

Fast forward to when I was about 15. My grandparents on both sides were suffering from various chronic diseases. It was hard to watch, and I think it made my parents think about preventing such problems from happening to them. We also had some friends who didn’t eat refined sugar (ever!), and that inspired us. My mom joined a Word of Wisdom email group and read a book called Super Immunity by Joel Fuhrman about the power of plant foods. She says she gained a testimony of those principles, and it forever changed the way she cooks. She shared some things she was learning, and I decided to join her in not eating meat. I am very thankful for my mom’s influence and example.

Although not fully whole food, plant-based (WFPB) yet, I didn’t eat any meat from the time I was 16 to when I left for college at 18. While at college I was more of a social meat-eater. On my mission in Paraguay I tried my best to get fruits and vegetables, but I also ate a lot of beef and more white bread than ever before in my life, trying to be polite to those who fed us.

Every marriage and family has their own food culture, philosophy, and health habits. When I got married we had to establish our own. My husband, Carson, had given up cow milk as a teenager to see if it would clear up his acne and prevent his frequent ear infections. He stopped guzzling the stuff and voila! His skin cleared up, and his earaches went away. Although he didn’t drink cow milk when I met him, he ate a typical college boy diet otherwise (think lots of spaghetti and $1 frozen pizzas).

My husband knew, before we got married, that I was prone to only eat meat for special occasions, that I bought almond milk instead of cow milk, and drank green smoothies every day. He loved that about me (and still does, thankfully!). I told him I’d be willing to cook him meat if he really wanted me to, but he said he was fine just eating it at restaurants. Although we didn’t eat meat, we still bought eggs and cheese those first few years, and probably way too many tortilla chips.

Fast forward to when we’d been married three years, had lost two babies due to incompetent cervix, and were now struggling to conceive for months. I had several symptoms of PCOS and rarely ever had a menstrual cycle. Although I thought I knew that a vegetarian diet was the healthiest, I needed reassurance. When you google the best diet for PCOS (or any other insulin-related disorder), you’ll be told to eat low-carb and high-fat. I desperately wanted to get pregnant and really needed to figure out how to eat to improve my fertility.

As I studied the plethora of contradictory health information and diets out there, I felt like the Joseph Smith of the nutrition world, very confused about who and what was right. Gluten-free? Paleo? Vegan? Keto? As I pondered and read about different ways of eating, the only solution that made sense was to turn to the Creator of our bodies and trust His advice most of all. The Lord doesn’t say much about what to eat, but the few verses He has given us recommend lots of grains and plants and little to no meat. This directly contradicted the many popular diets I was reading about. I read from several whole food, plant-based experts, and I felt excitement and peace, confirmation that it was right and true. I felt motivated to give up the small amounts of cheese and eggs I was eating, more fully avoid sugar and oil, and eat even larger quantities of healing fruits and vegetables. It was not and is not always easy.

Although not perfect, we have maintained that effort and now have two healthy, beautiful children born two years apart. Although it took nine months to conceive our daughter, our most recent baby was conceived right at the time we hoped, making me think I’ve reversed any PCOS I had before.

Aside from slight infertility, I’ve always been very healthy and fit. While I have no drastic before and after photos, I continue to eat this way because I know it’s the right thing to do for many reasons. After learning these precious “treasures of knowledge” and feeling the truthfulness, I have a responsibility to live it, even though it does require a lot of effort, self-control, and a willingness to be different.

Although my husband and I are both still fairly young (not quite 30) and inherently healthy, we have seen great benefits to this way of eating. We very rarely get sick, and if we do, we recover very quickly. We eat a LOT and don’t gain weight, because of the type of food we’re eating. While I’ve always been thin, I now consistently weigh 10 lbs less than I did in high school. I’ve effortlessly and quickly lost pregnancy weight gain. I hope to avoid the standard American diseases that nearly always accompany the standard American diet, but I know I must continue to pay the price.

It’s been surprising to me how much joy can be had without the foods we used to love, like ice cream and cheese. Those foods definitely bring pleasure, but in my experience, there is deeper joy to be found in whole, plant foods. I love cooking and baking, and delicious food is important to me. Thankfully I haven’t had to give any of that up! There is more included in this way of eating than just oatmeal and salads, and I do not feel deprived. We eat whole food, plant-based pancakes, tacos, soup, bread, curries, burritos, sandwiches, potato dishes, stir-fry, muffins, treats, and lots of plain fruits and vegetables that we really enjoy. And yes, also lots of oatmeal and salads. 😊

I have felt so much joy eating this way that I want to help others realize how delicious and meaningful it can be for them, too. I also believe that if more people ate plant-based, we’d diminish global poverty and hunger, which always weigh heavily on my heart. I started an Instagram account in 2017 and have since started a food blog. I have a lot of fun creating recipes and learning food photography for it. Instead of dwelling on what notto eat, I try to focus on the amazing foods we should eat, which helps crowd out the desire to eat less healthful foods that harm our bodies, planet, and wallets. I also try to help others learn to prepare nutritious food quickly so it’s convenient.

One of the best blessings is the peace and confidence I feel, knowing that I’m on the right track. I don’t live in nutritional confusion anymore, since I get my health advice from the ultimate source of truth—the Creator and Master Healer.

Faith Ralphs currently lives in Nampa, Idaho with her husband, their daughter and brand-new baby boy. She loves to travel, run, hike, cook and avoid the laundry. She graduated from BYU in Public Health and is a health coach for WW. You can follow her food blog for delicious recipes at FaithfulPlateful.com or on Instagram and Facebook @faithful.plateful.