Our family always had a bent toward eating healthy foods. Years ago we cut out sugar, white flour, and drinking milk. We still used milk and eggs in our baking and ate turkey or chicken at most meals, along with plenty of cheese.

Compared to the norm, we were eating quite healthy. An average menu for a day consisted of whole-grain cereal for breakfast, soup or sandwiches for lunch, and a salad and casserole for dinner. By most standards, we were doing quite well - no sodas, junk food, or TV dinners.

But if we were doing such a great job with our diet, why did my older brother and I have acne? Why did my younger sister get a virus every six weeks? Why did Mom have such trouble losing weight after each pregnancy? Were all these things just normal?

My sister and I kept searching for the missing key. We read books, went to seminars, took vitamins, but we never found the answer that we knew must be out there. Only in recent years did we discover the new approach to health that we were looking for. Since that time our mother is often heard saying, "We feel as if we've arrived at truth, and we don't have to search any longer."

There is a simple solution to good health!

In our personal study, we have concluded that one of the most important things to consider with respect to our body's health is the effect that our diet has upon our blood.

Every cell in the body is completely dependent upon the life-sustaining mission of the blood. The blood carries each element of survival to the cells and removes the toxins and wastes. It is a true statement that "the life of the flesh is in the blood." Our very survival depends upon the good health of our blood.

The body maintains the blood within a very limited, slightly alkaline, pH range of 7.35 - 7.45. If the blood pH were to vary from that narrow range, we would die. When we first heard about how delicate this balance is, we were astonished. Having long ago adopted the logical belief that "we are what we eat," we immediately wondered how our food choices impacted our blood pH.

What we discovered has given us a new understanding of how to achieve and maintain good health. Each item of food that we consume produces either an alkaline or an acid effect in our systems. If our diet is high in acid-producing foods, the body will continue to maintain the blood's delicate pH balance through a process of neutralizing the acid. The blood maintains this balance by tapping into the body's alkaline reserves. These alkaline reserves are primarily found in the form of minerals that make up the structure of most of our organs and our bones. The result of a diet high in acid-producing foods is a weakening of the body's systems and a susceptibility to the common maladies of modern Americans. When the body robs itself of minerals, the likelihood of heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis increases.

Therefore, the questions become: What foods are alkaline-producing, what foods are acid-producing, and what is the proper balance between the two?

Our motivation in writing the Two Sisters Cookbook was to address these questions, and provide recipes that line up with this health-producing lifestyle.

Our mother did not change her eating habits in order to lose weight. Her motivation for changing her diet was her desire to be free from arthritis. After a few months of changed eating habits, not only did her arthritis clear up, but she also started to lose weight. Her goal was to lose ten pounds; yet in a short while, without even dieting she lost twenty pounds!

Of course, some people can't keep weight on and are worried that this eating plan will cause them to waste away to nothing. It has been especially interesting to note that those following this diet who need to lose weight, lose it, but those who need to gain weight often do so. Much to his joy, our older brother was able to gain twenty pounds on this eating plan.

The greatest change we have experienced as we have modified our eating habits has been the amount of energy that we enjoy. My mother and I were especially plagued with an energy slump at 10:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. every day. Now, we sail through the day. This has probably been the most rewarding benefit of all. Mom doesn't get crabby and need a nap every day due to fatigue. When we go for a walk, she always wants to come along. She used to slow us down, but now she sets the pace!

My older brother and I now have healthy skin. My younger sister rarely gets a cold. We all need less sleep at night, and my seven-year-old brother has never had a sore throat or an ear infection.

Our new approach to healthy eating began as a discipline but soon become a delight. At first, Dad was probably the most skeptical of the change. We changed our menu a little at a time, gradually eliminating foods that were less than optimum. We began by serving two or three healthy meals a week. After a while, Dad started to see the benefit of this new approach and said that as long as the meals tasted good and filled him up, he would eat whatever we served.

After several months of this new diet, my older brother, who was nineteen at the time, said, "Mom, at first I did not see how all these salads for lunch would ever fill me up, but they do. I want you to know that if I have a family someday, this is how I am going to feed them."

One of the most important parts of changing eating habits is finding the right balance for the family. If you're full of enthusiasm and joy as you adopt a new eating plan, then you're on the right track. But if you feel overwhelmed or look at the change as a drudgery, back up and find the right balance for your family and determine what will best meet their needs.

All of life is a process. It is more important for us to know that we're moving in the right direction than it is for us to strive to do everything perfectly and make everyone miserable in the process. Set a goal of good health, and begin with the steps that you are able to take right now. You will be amazed by how much better you will feel!