Food, Faith & Flavor
G and I are foodies at heart. Whether we’re trying international dishes or picking up local favorites, we love expanding our palate and connecting through food. If I’m ordering out, I want something I can’t (or won’t) make at home, something that teaches me how another culture finds comfort or celebration in food.
Growing up in Lancaster, PA, we were surrounded by PA Dutch classics like whoopie pies, shoofly pie and chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. There were some other savory "delicacy's" if you will, but not every stomach can handle them. Let's just say, nothing went to waste. If you didn’t know what to do with it, you pickled it or canned it! The farmer’s markets and roadside stands overflowed with beautiful, quality, affordable produce. Lancaster City offers a surprisingly rich blend of international flavor too.
Here in the Low Country, southern comfort reigns: grits, okra, rice, black-eyed peas, and boiled peanuts. While we haven’t fully adopted all the local flavors, we do love sweet or savory grits, pickled okra (maybe that’s our PA roots), and a good bowl of rice and beans.
A few of our local favorites are:
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Bangin’ Vegan Eats (food truck of flavor)
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Three Girls on Spring (downtown gem for comfort, just voted 2025 best vegetarian restaurant in South Carolina!)
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Pho Bowl Restaurant (International flare in Goose Creek)
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Essentials Coffee Shop (a Moncks Corner special, who’s homemade chai is love in a mug!)
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Prophet Coffee (Park Circle North Charleston, they also have a homemade chai and some more unique drinks)
Bottom line, food brings people together. It connects us to culture, creation, and care. And what we eat daily… becomes our energy.
Inflammation Starts in the Gut
Unless caused by an injury like a cut or sprain, inflammation often starts in the gut. Simply put, everything we eat ends up in our gut to be digested, broken down and sent to our organs, joints, brain, muscles, and skin. Our food choices either fan the flames of inflammation or quenches them. Have you ever heard of the gut-brain axis? I won't go too nerdy today, but the gut signals your brain and it can go the other way too. So when your gut is inflamed, it also negatively impacts how your brain functions. I think we all can agree when our brain is not functioning correctly, it can negatively impact our daily choices and thus a vicious circle.
Today’s packaged food is built to last a century. It’s stuffed with preservatives, additives, and “enriched” chemicals—calorie-rich but nutrient-poor. While to food may be made to last forever, we’re seeing more people (and at younger ages) being diagnosed with conditions like:
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Heart and Liver Disease
- Arthritis
- Chronic Fatigue
- Hormonal imbalance
- Certain cancers
What’s changed? Where's the link? Our food.
But there is hope.
When we return to real food being whole, mostly plants, and closer to the earth, we return to energy, clarity, vitality, and purpose. The gut is where healing begins. You don’t need perfection—just progress.
Remember the days of gardens, shared abundance, and food made with ingredients you could pronounce? That wasn’t just nostalgia. That was wisdom. But maybe you don't know where to start...
Grow Your Own — Even on a Kitchen Counter!
Want a garden that fits your schedule and space? Start with sprouts! They’re nutrient-packed, super simple, and ready in just a few days. My mom adds them to her soup for lunch and we love them on sandwiches. And if you aren’t a fan of tasting your veggies, you can add the spouts to a fruit-based smoothie, you’ll never know they are there (unless you were the one who put them there)!
Check out this resource: The Sprouting Company
You’ll be amazed how empowering it feels to grow your own food—even if it starts in a humble mason jar.
The Power of Nutrition All Month Long
This month, I’m diving deep into the Nutrition Pillar of ALCM—the foundation of my own healing journey.
Watch for:
Educational content
Simple recipes
Gut health science
Scripture-based encouragement
Your voice matters! Reply and let me know what you love and what you’d like more of. I want this to serve you better.
Connect With Me
Are you curious about how nutrition, lifestyle, and faith can help reduce pain and increase energy?
Let’s talk. You can:
Email: kim@hopeandhealinglifestyle.com
Website: https://hopeandhealinglifestyle.com/welcome
You don’t have to figure this out alone. I’m here to walk with you toward healing, hope, and wholeness.
“The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:12 (NLT)
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