This morning I am having a piece of mocha cheesecake for breakfast, along with my cup of coffee. What a way to start a Monday! I recommend it. At 330 calories a slice, this is actually doable, a recipe from my friend’s cookbook. This is what I am giving away. Let me tell you a bit more about it.
Here is a link to the book, along with resource lists, some recipes, and words from the author.
A few years ago, Esther and her husband started a long, grueling journey to find solutions for their little daughter who had been diagnosed with absence seizures. During a period of trying one medication after another, they were discouraged to see no real progress and the side effects of the drugs had changed their little girl into someone they scarcely recognized.
Around that time their doctor broached the subject of trying a radical diet change to see whether it would improve her quality of life. He explained to them that some epilepsy sufferers have seen significant improvement when they eat a low glycemic index diet, which is a carbohydrate-controlled diet, using only low glycemic carbs with an emphasis on fats and proteins. The glycemic index ranks foods and beverages based on how they affect your blood sugar level. It was a huge, scary shift for the Yoders, but they were willing to do anything to help their daughter.
Esther has described to me how her life was completely overwhelmed with the need to figure out foods that her little girl could eat and actually enjoy. She worked carefully with the doctor and a dietician, spending entire days developing recipes and tweaking them until they were delicious. I can personally attest to this, as I have been using recipes from her cookbook this past week. My friend knows how to cook!
All the hard work paid off when they found that after only three months, the seizures were gone and the medications were being slowly tapered off by the doctor. They became committed to the diet for the long haul, and Andria is now seizure free, off all meds. Nutritious food became her medicine.
The cookbook is beautifully done, with serving sizes and nutrition information included in every recipe. I enjoy just paging through and looking at the gorgeous photos. This book is a labor of love and encouragement to anyone who faces the gigantic shift of a lifestyle change with their eating habits, especially the low glycemic index diet. This is typically recommended for folks with diabetes as well as a sustainable weight loss plan. For the Trim Healthy Mama crowd, these recipes are actually quite similar to THM.
I am giving this book away for the specific purpose of spreading the word. Everybody knows somebody and word of mouth is a great way to share exciting ideas and products. You can download a free preview here, which is the website for her bookseller. Maybe you know someone who would love to have this book, or maybe you are a collector of recipes. There are no requirements to qualify for the giveaway except this:
Simply leave a comment here on the blog. To give the book more publicity, I have decided to give an additional chance to anyone who shares on Facebook. A comment or “like” on Facebook does not count, because it would be much too hard for me to tally. (EDIT: I am having trouble with keeping up with the shares. I thought facebook would tally them for me, which they do, but they don’t give me a list of the names, so just mention it here in the comments that you shared. I think I got all of them from the first 24 hours. Thanks. )I am pretty green on the matter of give aways, but I plan to leave it open until March 31. You have one week. Don’t be shy. 🙂
wocket in my pocket 
Pick me!;)
Stories such as these never cease to amaze me. I’m astounded by the courage and endurance in mothers who fight for their children in these ways. I feel unworthy of “winning” a book birthed with such struggle but here’s my humble entry.
This looks beautiful, thank you for the chance to win! 🙂 ~Judy
Should the need ever arise, I hope that I would also be willing to go through a major diet change for the health of my family. Even now , I try to make healthy choices for my family, cutting out processed foods etc. but in light of what this lady has done, I have done nothing!
Oh, wow.. This looks delightful! even if I don’t win it I think I would still like to get my hands on it! Thanks for sharing!!
Ah ever since this cookbook came out I knew it looked like my kind of cookbook! So here’s me entering the give-away. 🙂
I have one daughter who I am trying to keep on a gluten free/ dairy free diet at least for a time and I know it is no easy thing to do a diet change. Blessings to Esther and her family! If I would win the cookbook I would be delighted and even if I don’t it’s an inspiration to read about her and her dedication!
This is wonderful!!! And it was wonderful reading your blog and reliving the story of how you and Esther became such good friends because i remember those days and hearing of your looonngg letters etc…..Hope to win !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!=}
Looks like a great cookbook! What a labor of love…
Sounds like this one might be a “necessity” in my kitchen whether I win or not.
Mmmmm…..sounds lovely!
I probably don’t need another cookbook, but I am always up to trying new things, especially low glycemic recipes. 🙂
Yay! A free recipe book!
You should have friends that invent tools and give them away!
I have one that invents tools, but he doesn’t give them away.
Yay! gotta throw my vote in! and wow, what a pretty book! I looooove picture books 😉 and complete with nutrition facts… far cry from Amish cookbooks, eh?!
Although Pinterest is my cookbook most days, this sounds like a fun one to have! 🙂
This looks like the kind of diet I have been considering if I can get my whole family on board. 🙂 I’d love to be entered in the giveaway!
I also shared on facebook. 🙂
That would be awesome to have for my diabetes =)
I would love to have this cookbook 🙂
I haven’t seen Esther in years. Thanks so much for catching me up with her life! I had no idea all this had transpired.
a book like this full of those yum healthy recipes would be amazing!!!
I have been hearing all about this through my dear friend Anita. Would love to have this book!
So glad this book is finally done! I’d love to win! 🙂
I’d love to win this, but I’m sure there are many others who would actually need it, versus me just wanting it 🙂 but I do love cookbooks with pictures n all the other info in it with the recipe!
I’d love to try this cookbook. Even though we’re not considering any radical diet changes, I’m trying to do some small changes that will hopefully help us change our lifestyle and result in better health. Thanks for doing the giveaway!
I can attest that a low glycemic foods are very tasty! What a nice win this would be!
Love to win this cookbook!
My son is gluten intolerant and I know how much work diet changes can be!! This looks like a wonderful cookbook!! (I shared on facebook.)
Would love to win!
Also shared on Facebook
I would so love to win this!
I shared on facebook
I would love to enter to win this, and it’s a blessing to have found your blog through this giveaway. Please enter me.
Would love this book 🙂
Would love to win! Sounds like a great cookbook!
I have been wanting this cookbook too! I shared your giveaway on Facebook.
I’ve been looking forward to this book coming out! I would be thrilled to win it!
would love this cookbook! just starting to try to cook more like this…
Shared on FB.
I love to look at new cookbooks an better yet this one is healthy!!! Gina
This looks like a beautiful cookbook! I would love to try it out.
I’m in the midst of the diet/health journey and a cookbook of already tweeked and delicious recipes would be amazing! I shared on facebook.
I would be delighted to win!
I would love to win! I am sharing it on my page as well!
yes please!! I have also shared it on Facebook!
I heard about this book from my neighbor, who is Esther’s sis-in-law Rose. Would love to have it! Will also share on FB.
Looks like a keeper! Would love to win
Cookbooks are my weakness; this would be nice to have alongside all my Menno cookbooks which are full of delicious comfort foods! Bless you for sharing your disciplines with many people.
Looks like a good one!! Would love to win! Am sharing on facebook.