Area wellness and lifestyle coach shares the love in debut cookbook
Courtesy of Sandi Kern
Sandi Kern tries one of the recipes featured in her book 鈥淒esire to be Well: Recipes and Wellness for Health and Happiness.鈥�
Desserts are featured prominently in Sandi Kern's new book"Desire to be Well: Recipes and Wellness for Health and Happiness."
Courtesy of Sandi Kern
Sandi Kern鈥檚 new book features recipes that are intended to help readers keep a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Courtesy of Sandi Kern
Author Sandi Kern, an East Washington resident, is dedicated to helping readers maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Courtesy of Sandi Kern
Recipes involving pears and other fruits and vegetables are featured prominently in Sandi Kern鈥檚 new book 鈥淒esire to be Well: Recipes and Wellness for Health and Happiness.鈥�
Courtesy of Sandi Kern
The cover of Sandi Kern鈥檚 cookbook 鈥淒esire to be Well: Recipes and Wellness for Health and Happiness鈥�
In the words of Sandi Kern, 鈥淪afe, sustainable food is a recipe for success.鈥�
And her first book, 鈥淒esire to be Well: Recipes and Wellness for Health and Happiness,鈥� is filled with recipes so good you won鈥檛 even realize the dairy and gluten are missing.
While some watched 鈥淭iger King鈥� and others tried their hand at sourdough bread during COVID-19 lockdown, Kern, who founded and runs the virtual health and lifestyle coaching practice Desire to be Well, penned her debut cookbook. The 187-page book is filled with 鈥渋nformation and inspiration鈥� and, while it only took a little more than a year to write and publish, the book was in some ways a long time in the baking 鈥� er, making.
鈥淚 was sick for about six years,鈥� said Kern, who lives in East Washington with her husband and two sons. She spent those years battling swelling and digestive issues, and chronic fatigue. 鈥淚t just got progressively worse. Nobody could help me. It took a long time to figure it out.鈥�
She decided to embrace holistic nutrition.
鈥淚 took the leap of faith and that鈥檚 what made all the difference,鈥� she said.
That, and the red pepper cashew cream sauce she shares in 鈥淒esire to be Well.鈥�
鈥淭hat was the recipe that changed my life,鈥� Kern said. 鈥淚 created that out of complete desperation. 鈥業f I don鈥檛 have some pasta with cream sauce鈥︹�� I got my blender. There were all sorts of tutorials. I think that鈥檚 probably the recipe that changed my life.鈥�
Her health struggles and healing through nutrition inspired Kern to go back to school; she earned a certificate in integrative nutrition coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and graduated from The School of Applied Functional Medicine.
鈥淭his is the wave of the future,鈥� said Kern, whose holistic approach to health focuses on the mind, body and spirit. 鈥淭here is no 鈥榙isease.鈥� There is 鈥榙is-ease.鈥� Just because somebody says you have an autoimmune issue doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 forever. I want to try to relay this health information that is so important to so many people 鈥� in a way that鈥檚 easy to understand.鈥�
鈥淒esire to be Well鈥� is a colorful invitation into the world of cashew cream sauces and silky, kid-approved avocado pies. Before readers are gifted allergen-free dessert recipes 鈥� yes, dessert comes first 鈥� clean blocks of text offer insight into common health issues and tips for cooking with ingredients some may have never used before.
Readers will connect with Kern鈥檚 personal stories, woven throughout, and selfies 鈥� there鈥檚 a photo of her soaking cashews, proof she鈥檚 tested all the methods and recipes 鈥� and appreciate the cute conversion charts.
鈥淭his is food that your entire family is going to love,鈥� said Kern. 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e going to benefit. It鈥檚 delicious, it鈥檚 good for you.鈥�
Though Kern loves coaching and leading groups at her lifestyle and wellness practice, she鈥檚 excited to reach more people with 鈥淒esire to be Well.鈥� the book was released on Amazon Oct. 29, just in time for the holidays.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my first book and I鈥檓 so excited,鈥� Kern said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 everything that you crave, but done in a healthy way. It鈥檚 all about loving yourself through nutrition.鈥�
She added, 鈥淔ood is love. Food is medicine. The ultimate act of 鈥� loving your body is nourishing your body with the food it needs to thrive.鈥�
鈥滵esire to be Well: Recipes and Wellness for Health and Happiness鈥� can be purchased directly through the author鈥檚 web site at https://desiretobewell.com/book or at Amazon.com.