If You Have Kids, Learn How Vicki Hartzog’s Daughter Has Made the Body Ecology Diet Her Own

Do you want to try the Body Ecology diet but are afraid that your family won’t like it? Vicki Hartzog was worried about the same thing about a year ago.

Struggling with candida and occasional bouts of depression, Vicki wanted to take charge of her own health and keep her daughters’ immune systems strong. Tasha, 12, and Meeka, 8, were both reasonably healthy kids, but Vicki felt that diet would play a crucial role in avoiding the degenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s, that plagued her family tree.

Before Vicki learned about Body Ecology, she transitioned her family away from sugar.

But, upon learning how successful Body Ecology is with healing candida, Vicki was intrigued. So intrigued, in fact, that she attended a Certified Body Ecologist training, where she learned all she needed to know to transition her family to the Body Ecology system of health and healing.

Families and Body Ecology

These days, Vicki is still following “stage 1“, the initial healing stage of the Body Ecology program. She focuses on nourishing vegetables, healthy animal proteins and some grain-like seeds. And when it comes to the healing fermented foods and drinks, her favorite is Young Coconut Kefir.

Vicki’s girls are a bit more relaxed about their food choices, but don’t be fooled: these kids are not eating the Standard American Diet of processed foods!

Tasha and Meeka thrive on vegetables, kefir, and a tasty millet casserole that has become one of their favorite foods. They even eat a fresh salad every night with dinner.

Still, there are challenges.

Fermented foods, like cultured vegetables, are not the biggest hit in their household, but the girls do eat store bought Bubbies brand sauerkraut and chow-chow.

Vicki acknowledges that it’s not always easy.

“I was frustrated, thinking they’re not hearing my message and they’re not eating their cultured vegetables every day. But then when I saw my daughter by herself in the kitchen, converting a recipe to Body Ecology, it was a real wakeup call. She’s learning life skills.”

Vicki also likes to remind herself of two Body Ecology principles: the principle of Uniqueness and the principle of Step by Step.

“What I should be eating is different from what my kids should be eating. We all have different bodies and different needs.”

Body Ecology Success

Body Ecology is working for this family.

These days, Vicki no longer struggles with candida, and her daughters choose Body Ecology foods even when given the option to eat conventional treats.

Tasha and Meeka say their friends want to come over for dinner every night, and blue corn chips are especially popular. The girls take their lunches to school to avoid cafeteria food and often say no to cake and ice cream at parties.

“I don’t really like it[cake] that much,” says Tasha (who also hates frosting).

Vicki is proud that her kids make choices themselves. “They notice that they don’t feel so good if they eat bad food, but I empower them to decide.”

This strategy seems to be working, especially when both Tasha and Meeka say quinoa is their favorite food!

That’s not to say they don’t like the occasional sweet treat. In fact, the recipe that Tasha adapted to the Body Ecology diet is a delicious coffee cake that they all can enjoy (see Tasha’s coffee cake recipe, below).

Tasha and Meeka also recommend sprinkling cinnamon and Lakanto over the top of gluten-free waffles that have been spread with raw cultured butter for a special breakfast.

After a year on the diet, Vicki thinks Body Ecology is a way of life, a conscious choice you make for your own and your family’s well-being. It may not seem easy, but she is committed to their health for the long term.

“One thing that helps me stay on track is that it makes so much sense to me. It’s a big commitment, as you know. And sometimes I feel like I want to eat pizza and pumpkin pie, but then I look at how much work and time and emotions went into getting healthy, and it just doesn’t seem that enticing anymore.”

Tasha’s Coffee Cake – A Healthier Version Made the Body Ecology Way

We are always impressed when kids get into the act of being healthy and that’s exactly what 12-year old Tasha did when creating this recipe. She redesigned a typical coffee cake recipe to this healthier Body Ecology version at school in her home economics class!

While this recipe is best suited for stage 2 of the Body Ecology program, it is a wonderful way to have a healthy treat for special occasions!

Topping

• 2 T butter or ghee
• 1 ½ tsp coconut flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 4 T Lakanto

Cake

• 1 ¼ cup quinoa flour
• ¾ cup coconut flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup xylitol
• ¼ cup Lakanto
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 3 T cooled gelatin or 1 egg
• 1 cup water

Directions
Mix topping ingredients and cut together until it forms pea size balls and set aside.

Sift all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix melted coconut oil, water and egg replacer and add to dry ingredients. Mix until all dry ingredients are moist and then pour into an oil baking pan. Crumble topping over mixture Bake at 350 for approx 1/2 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.