Jan's Recipe Book is a recipe book created by and used by Jan Smith for her own special diet needs. After many requests by people who have seen her incredible transformation she decided to put her recipes in book form for others to try. If you are on a gluten free diet, are dairy free or soy free you will love the recipes in this book. If you are new to this type of eating then you will be surprised at how tasty and healthy these recipes are and how easy they are to prepare. You can enjoy eating healthier meals using these great tasting recipes even if you don't have special diet needs. Check out the photo gallery to see actual photos of the dishes made from the recipes in Jan's Recipe Book.

Below is Jan's story.

Hello, my name is Jan Smith and I have Multiple Sclerosis. Sounds like a typical introduction if you were at an AA meeting or something of that nature. That’s not the case here but there is relevance to this statement. I had felt there was something wrong with me for many years with many symptoms but without a correct diagnosis. So when I was clinically diagnosed with MS in Feb. 2007 I was actually relieved. I could now pinpoint a disease. There is currently no cure for MS. With that knowledge I started a pursuit to learn as much as I could about the disease and what I personally could do for myself to combat its progression. What I found was an abundance of information some of which was on diet and nutrition specifically. There are doctors and scientists currently involved in the study of how diet and nutrition play roles in disease. This pursuit of diet and nutrition information has led me to create my own personal diet (based on a combination of published diets) to help fight the progression of MS. There is no clinical study or confirmed analysis that diet and nutrition play a substantial role in slowing the progression of MS but I personally believe there is. That is what this recipe book is about. I’ve had good success with eating this diet. It has helped me maintain a healthy lifestyle. It has also brought some unexpected but very welcome benefits like losing over 70lbs the first year and then maintaining that weight loss ever since.

My before and after photos.       

Here is what my diet is about. Let me start with a list of what I don’t eat.
                                              

NO DAIRY (no butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.).

NO GLUTEN (no wheat, rye, or barley) oats are okay if certified gluten free.

NO LEGUMES (beans, peas, soy, peanuts).

NO REFINED SUGAR.

NO POTATOES.

NO RED MEATS (no animal fats, bacon grease, or lard). Lean wild meats like buffalo and elk are okay.

Eggs and yeast are allowed in limited quantities.

     So what can I eat? That is the most often asked question of me and what ultimately led me to write this recipe book. The main idea to creating these recipes was about substitution, substituting one ingredient for another basically making normal meals with the diet restrictions. However, I have made no restrictions for how much or how often I eat. My only personal stipulation is trying not to eat after 7:00pm unless it’s a snack like popcorn during a movie (that would be air popped, sprayed with extra virgin olive oil, and lightly salted with sea salt). Friends and family have tried some of my dishes before they had any idea of how I prepared them and were impressed with the taste and flavors.

      The choice I made to change my diet was easy but some of the changes were hard to do since it included breaking some habits and curbing desires for certain foods like dairy which for me was exceptionally hard. I was the queen of cheese! However if my diet change could help prevent an MS relapse and possibly slow down the progression of the disease then I would be crazy not to do it.                                 

    
     This led me to the great journey of cooking with my many “no’s”. It was a long process and it was a hard task with many failures at first. What made it even more difficult was also trying to please my picky family. They were not very willing to join in with me at first and, if my memory serves me right, I didn’t blame them. But as time passed and the taste of my food got better so did their willingness to eat it. I’ve been faithfully eating like this for 4 years now. I do not count calories or carbs or anything like that so I did not add any of that information to my recipes. I eat smaller portions than I used to but I eat a lot more often. I eat meals, snacks and desserts so I never go hungry and I am always satisfied.

    
     I am a wife, mother, cosmetologist, singer and self employed entrepreneur. I never thought I would one day write a recipe book. I want to share my success in feeling better and in so doing know that I could be helping others do the same.                                       

    
     I realize the broad spectrum of dietary needs these recipes can cover besides mine. For example, if you are just gluten free then all of my recipes will work for you. If you have special dietary needs like any of mine then give these recipes a try. You may have to give up some ingredients in life but who says you have to give up taste?

     Please understand that this is my personal diet and I don’t make any kind of health claims for anyone else regarding this diet.

     The beautiful photographs of my food were taken by my husband Phil who never would have guessed that he would one day have to photograph his dinner before he could eat it!

Here’s to happy cooking and happy eating!

Enjoy, 

Jan Smith