š± Practical help to eat well and flourish.
Explore free whole-food, plant-based recipes, simple meal plans, cook-along videos, and compassionate support for everyday life. Start where you are.
Created by Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM, a family nurse practitioner. Rooted in faith and compassion, welcoming people of every faith and none.
š² Our signature verse š²
šŖ A lamp for the path. šæ A garden for flourishing. š A life devoted to loving God and serving our neighbors.
āThy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.ā
Psalm 119:105 Ā· KJV
šæ Nathanaelās reflection: A lamp offers light for the next step. It does not show the whole road at once. To me it means guidance for the next step, hope in uncertainty, knowledge used with compassion, faith expressed through service, and humility about what we cannot yet see. Through faith, good food, education, and community, we hope to help people and families find a meaningful next step toward flourishing.
āļø Our Christian foundation: Kitchen Monkā¢ grows from Nathanaelās Christian faith and his conviction that caring for people is a sacred responsibility. It brings together nourishing food, lifestyle medicine, faith, compassion, and communityāan invitation into flourishing rather than condemnation.
š¤ People of every faith and of no religious affiliation are welcome here. Prayer and spiritual reflection are optional. Every person deserves compassionate care, respect, and belonging.
š Helping save the world, one flourishing kitchen at a time
āŖ Join Us at Santa Rosa Christian Church ā Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
š Questions about faith? š£ What does it look like to follow Jesus? Come find out with me at my Santa Rosa Legacy anchor church. šļø Rooted in faith and compassion, welcoming people of every faith and none.
š Santa Rosa Christian Church Ā· 1315 Pacific Avenue, Santa Rosa, California
š Coming Up at Santa Rosa Christian Church (2026)
- š¤± Mom’s Connect ā Mondays at 10:00 a.m. Support and community for moms in the thick of motherhood. Childcare provided.
- š¤ Men’s Barbecue ā Friday, November 13, 2026, 6:00ā7:30 p.m. Connect with other guys over great food and learn how to turn a tragedy into triumph.
- š¦ Middle and High School Thanksgiving Party ā Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 6:30 p.m. Fun, games, Thanksgiving dinner and prizes.
- š Women’s Christmas Lunch ā Sunday, December 13, 2026, 11:30 a.m. A festive afternoon celebrating Christmas, with a devotion and music.
š„ Bringing a dish to share? Our free first-week plan has whole-food plant-based meals that travel well to any church table.
š„ Watch Santa Rosa Christian Church ā Newest Video First
ā¶ļø Tap play to watch with sound. š It always opens on the church’s newest YouTube video and keeps playing through every older one on its own. š New Sunday services show up automatically each week.
š§ Your first week
Four simple steps. Take them one at a time.
š Your first week, at a glance
Seven days, four recipes, three cooking sessions, planned for one person (easy to double). Each meal has a video of that exact recipe by the cook who created it.
š
Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal
Breakfast Ā· by Jill Dalton
š¶ļø Vegan Chili + rice
by Jill Dalton
š Veggie Burger Meal
Burgers by Cathy Fisher
š„£ Creamy Cauliflower Soup
by Jill Dalton
The oatmeal and burgers are free of added salt, oil, and sugar as written; for the chili and soup we show simple salt-, oil-, and sugar-free changes. Recipes belong to their creators, and we link to them. Short on time? Try the 3-day starter.
š Your grocery list, ready in one tap
Return to your saved list, add the Starter Plan for 1, 2, or 4 people, or open the printable version. The interactive list opens on our sister site, Flourishing Nursing, and saves only in this browser on this device. Opening your saved list does not add a plan.
š„ Cook along with this weekās meals
ā¶ļø Tap play for sound. This player starts with meal 1, š Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal by Jill Dalton. To watch all four meals back to back, tap the gold button below.
š Open a recipe and its own video: ingredients and our salt-, oil-, and sugar-free changes
Videos by Jill Dalton (The Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show) and Cathy Fisher (Straight Up Food). Video wonāt play? Watch on YouTube: Oatmeal Ā· Chili Ā· Burgers Ā· Soup Ā· š„ More recipes with videos
šļø Our Heart’s Desire: That Humanity May Flourish Eternally
ā¶ļø Tap the big triangle to play with sound. It keeps going on its own: this video first, then every video from The Chosen, straight from its official YouTube channel. š¬ The Living Scriptures live feed is just below, and š§ the cartoons-only player for children is in the Children’s Garden further down.
āļø This is the whole point of Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢: to help humanity flourish eternally. It is Nathanael’s most heartfelt desire for every person, inspired by his virtuous mother, Nina Delores Smith (š¦ Momma Eagle), and his ever gracious and forever welcoming grandfather, Kenneth Smith, in loving memory. š²
š¬ Live Feed: Living Scriptures’ Newest Movies & Trailers
Videos play through each owner’s official YouTube player, with credit. The complete classic Animated Old and New Testament series streams on Living Scriptures+, a paid subscription. Not affiliated with or endorsed by The Chosen or Living Scriptures.
š¦ Childrenās Garden: Mama Eagle Was RightāAlways Choose Truth
Even in the little things, choose truth over lies. Calling a lie a ālittle white lieā does not make it true. Mama Eagleās lesson is simple: be honest, speak with love, and take responsibility for what you say and do.
šØ Living Scriptures: Animated Bible Stories (cartoons only)
ā¶ļø Tap play to watch with sound. šØ Every video in this player is a cartoon: it plays straight through Living Scripturesā official Animated Old Testament collection on YouTube (45 animated Bible stories), one after another. āļø Use the playerās Next and Previous arrows to skip to any story. š¬ Live-action movies and trailers are in the Live Feed above.
š The Living Scriptures animated Bible stories are the cartoons Mom lovingly watched with me, always taking the time to make sure I understood, because she cared about my soul, as did my grandfather. I stand here today proclaiming that I am forever grateful. š ā Nathanael
š¦ø Living Scriptures: Animated Hero Classics (cartoons only)
ā¶ļø Tap play for sound. šŖ Cartoon stories of real heroes of faith, courage and compassion, including Florence Nightingale, from Living Scripturesā official Animated Hero Classics collection (51 videos), one after another.
In the Nine Gardens of the EVERgreen Chroniclesā¢, and in Nathanaelās Book of the Lamp theme, truth is something we practice throughout life. Honesty nurtures trust in our relationships, responsibility in our community, and integrity in our purpose and faith. Through Jesusā example of truth and love, we seek to interrupt the harm that sin and deception can pass from one person to another.
Our family practice: Pause before speaking. Tell what really happened. If you do not know, say āI donāt know.ā If you make a mistake, admit it, apologize, and help make things right. You are still loved, and you can choose truth again.
Talk together: Why can a small lie hurt trust? What could you say when telling the truth feels difficult? How can we help one another feel safe admitting mistakes?
For grown-ups: Model honesty and respond calmly when children tell the truth. Truthfulness can respect privacy: āThat is privateā is an honest answer. Children can always seek help from a trusted adult about anything that makes them feel unsafe.
āSpeaking the truth in loveā ā Ephesians 4:15, King James Version. Our prayer: Jesus, help us choose truth, speak kindly, repair the harm we cause, and grow a garden of trust. Amen.
š„ Little Onesā Garden: VeggieTales š š„
ā Officially endorsed by Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢ for our youngest flourishers.
š¶ For even smaller children: Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber and friends sing and laugh their way through Bible stories and big lessons about kindness, honesty and Godās love.
ā¶ļø Tap play to watch with sound. It keeps going on its own through every full-length, widescreen video on the official VeggieTales YouTube channel, newest first. āļø Use the playerās Next and Previous arrows to skip to any video.
Videos play through the official VeggieTales YouTube player, with credit. VeggieTales is created by Big Idea Entertainment. Our endorsement is ours alone: VeggieTales and Big Idea Entertainment have not reviewed or endorsed Kitchen Monkā¢ or Flourishing Nursingā¢.
A healing ministry inspired by Jesus Christ
Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢ are a healing ministry inspired by Jesus Christ and rooted in the King James Bible. As founder, I seek to put His love into practice through compassionate nursing, whole-person care, nourishing food, friendship, and the hope of transformation. ā Nathanael Elijah Smith
āAnd of some have compassion, making a difference.ā ā Jude 22, King James Version
š Thanksgiving 2026 ā¢ šŗšø Americaās š250thš birthday year ā¢ āµ All aboard! In gratitude for family, neighbors, and new beginnings, we celebrate Grandpa Kenneth Smithās U-turnāour familyās hopeful symbol of reconnection and a renewed direction toward flourishing. We carry forward the love and community spirit of his neighborhood market at š250š Avenue U in Seaside, Oregon.
Rooted in Christian faith, we welcome people of every faith and none. Explore Jesusā love, Riverside Fellowship, our family story, and the hope of eternal flourishing through the Jesus tab above.
š¦š½ Happy Thanksgiving 2026, Grandpa Ken! šš
š¾ His favorite holiday after āļø Christmas and š Easter
šŖ KENNETH SMITH ā U.S. Veteran ā¢ Family Patriarch ā¢ Keeper of the Market
š§ŗ For over 50 years, Grandpa and Grandma Carolyn opened Ken and Sons Select Market on Avenue U in Seaside, Oregon, to feed their neighbors. š This Thanksgiving, we gather around the table in his loving memory. š²
š„ Grandpa Ken loved whole foods. š„¦ His grandson Nathanael endorses a whole-food table that is free of added salt, oil and refined sugar, or as close as possible, as taught by T. Colin Campbell and The China Study, which we highly recommend. š
š āEnter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.ā ā Psalm 100:4, King James Version
š Thanksgiving 2026 Ā· Thursday, November 26, 2026
āEnter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.ā
Psalm 100:4ā5 Ā· KJV
āIn every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.ā
1 Thessalonians 5:18 Ā· KJV
šæ Nathanaelās reflection: I am grateful for food, movement, relationships, and community, and for every nurse and caregiver who makes room at the table. Gratitude grows when it is shared: an extra chair, a plate carried to a neighbor, a thank-you to the night shift. If this season holds grief, loneliness, complicated family relationships, or financial strain, you are welcome here too. Gratitude can sit beside sorrow.
šÆļø Advent begins Sunday, November 29, 2026 Ā· š Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2026
šÆļø Advent: waiting for the light
āThe people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.ā
Isaiah 9:2 Ā· KJV
āThrough the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.ā
Luke 1:78ā79 Ā· KJV
š Christmas: good tidings of great joy
āAnd the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.ā
Luke 2:10ā14 Ā· KJV
āAnd the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.ā
John 1:14 Ā· KJV
šæ Nathanaelās reflection: Advent is a season of waiting, light, hope, and preparation. At Christmas I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who came near to us. The angelsā news was āto all people,ā and it began with a welcome for shepherds working the night shift. If the holidays bring grief, loneliness, family strain, or money worries, there is room for you here.
š š¦ Our Thanksgiving 2026 Gratitude Wall š¦ š
š» Six thankful words to carry to the table this Thursday, November 26, 2026. š„§
š š» HAPPY THANKSGIVING š» š
āGratitude is the memory of the heart.ā
āO give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good.ā
āIn every thing give thanks.ā
āGratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.ā
āJoy is the simplest form of gratitude.ā
š š¾ š GATHER ā¢ GIVE THANKS ā¢ FLOURISH š š¾ š
ššø See the Niagara Falls Thanksgiving photos on Flourishing Nursingā¢šæ THE JOY THAT INSPIRES MOVEMENT NURSING
š Get Our Groove On ā Move With a Nurseā¢
Learn together. Dance together. Help the world flourish.
āThank you, Jill Edwards, for helping make the 2026 Power of the Plate conference one of the most joyful experiences of my life. We got our groove on while learning how to help people heal and flourishāand I had the best time of my life! This moment is a personal inspiration for Movement Nursing and Move With a Nurseā¢: bringing joy, connection, and movement into the way we care for ourselves and our communities.ā
ā Nathanael Elijah Smith, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, DipACLM
To my fellow nurses: I warmly recommend exploring The Plantrician Project and its Power of the Plate conference. Come for the learning, find your community, and bring your joyāletās get our dance on while we learn to help the world flourish!
With gratitude to Jill Edwards, MS, CEP, DipACLM, Director of Education at The Plantrician Project. Explore The Plantrician Project ā
If the Instagram player does not load, use āWatch Our Dance Reelā to open the original video. Instagram may require sign-in. This is Nathanaelās personal tribute and invitation.
āØ Our Official Song āØ
š¶ āTestify to Loveā
š¤ Sung by Wynonna Judd Ā· š¼ final scene of Touched by an Angel (āPsalm 151ā)
š The full song plays right here, with sound.
šÆļø Played at Grandpa Kennethās funeral.
š Dedicated with love to Grandma Carolyn, Grandpa Kenneth, and Mom, Nina.
š©ŗ Every patient. š¤ Every person. š Every day.
š¦ Honoring Mrs. Luella Kerr ā Forever Our Chief Flourishing Butterfly
A neighbor who became family. A lifetime of kindness that continues to inspire our work.
Play Nathanaelās tribute to Mrs. Luella Kerr here. Use the player controls for sound, pause, and full screen.
The photograph of Nathanael with Mrs. Kerr was taken in July 2026, as the United States celebrated its š 250th š birthday. The video was recorded the previous year, in 2025.
āMrs. Kerr is the most Jesus-loving Christian I have ever met. Her love for me and my family helped inspire Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢. She reminds me that everyone is worthy of love, dignity, and the opportunity to flourish. Like her beloved butterflies, we can keep growing and discovering new possibilities.ā ā Nathanael Elijah Smith, founder
Our full tribute shares our reunion, a day at Riverside Fellowship, our conversation about Philemon, and the kindness of a neighbor who became family. We honor her with Nathanaelās completely unofficial, heartfelt āBest Neighbor Nobel Prize.ā
Carry the kindness forward: Who has been a Mrs. Kerr in your life? Tell them what their kindness has meant to you. Welcome a neighbor, share a meal, offer a listening ear, or accompany someone who needs a friend.
āLove your neighbor as yourself.ā ā Mark 12:31
āØ A Sonās Salute āØ
š¦ Momma Eagle ā Nina Delores Smith
šÆļø āBefore I carried a lamp for others, you helped light my way.ā
š āTrain up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.ā
ā Proverbs 22:6, King James Version
š Chief Flourishing Ninja of Pediatric Pulmonology (a sonās honorary title of love)
š” A Seaside girl Ā· š± Momās Nine Gardens Ā· š a 20-passage Scripture salute Ā· āļø a letter Ā· š a prayer
āļø With love, your son, Nathanael š²
š©āš³ Our Flourishing Chefs šØāš³
š² Cook with our chefs: every video, newest first
ā¶ļø Tap play to start with sound. š Each player begins with the chef’s newest video and āļø keeps playing through all of their videos on its own. š New videos appear here automatically as soon as each chef posts them.
šæ CHIEF CULINARY GUARDIAN Ā· āØ CHIEF FLOURISHING ENCHANTRESS
š„ Chief Flourishing Chef Robin Jeep
š FLOURISHING CULINARY HERO
š„ Chef AJ
š½ļø Videos belong to each chef and play from YouTube. Some recipes may include added salt, oil or sugar; our salt-, oil- and sugar-free tips are on each Kitchen Monkā¢ recipe. šļø Collections confirmed October 30, 2026.
š² Three easy Kitchen Monkā¢ recipes
Our own recipes: whole-food, plant-based, and free of added salt, oil, and sugar.
š² One-Pot Lentil Soup
One pot, three servings, freezes well.
š„¦ Lentil & Broccoli Smash Potato
A filling loaded potato for one.
š„¬ No-Cook Chickpea Lettuce Wraps
No stove needed; ready in minutes.
Looking for more? All recipes Ā· The Garden Tableā¢ Ā· National Health Association recipes (credited links to the National Health Association’s own pages)
š Featured learning
Keep cooking: explore the full video collections
Go beyond the starter week without leaving this homepage. Open a collection below and use the YouTube playlist controls to choose another recording. Collections update as their publishers add public uploads.
šŗ The Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show ā full uploads collection
š„ Straight Up Food ā full uploads collection
Tap Play for sound. Automatic continuation and the number of available recordings depend on YouTube, publisher availability and your browser. These are growing collections, not an infinite stream. Recipes may need adaptation to your preferences; a channel recording is not automatically free of added salt, oil or sugar.
Browse more recipe cook-alongs Ā· Explore National Health Association recipes
š± How to Fully Live with Coach Ruben
š Learn Lifestyle Nursing with š„· Dr. Karen Laing
š„· Dr. Karen Laing, DNP, APRN, AGPCNP-BC, DipACLM Ā· creator of the Lifestyle Nursing course at the Integrative Nurse CoachĀ® Academy
š Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM, highly recommends this course and deeply respects š„· Dr. Karen Laing and all of her very hard work to get where she is today. š
ā¶ļø Tap play to hear š„· Karen introduce her course, with sound. More videos keep playing after it ends.
š¤ You don’t have to do this alone
Free plant-based support groups, caregiver help, and resources in Spanish, gathered in one place.
Find connection near you
Explore the care and community directories, browse the worldwide map, or learn how to request or contribute a listing. These resources are growing; availability varies by location.
Mindfulness & breathing Ā· Take the KitchenMonk Pledge ā Progress Over Perfection
š A motherās encouragement
My Mom Says I Should Be a āMedical Pastorā
My mom says I should be a āmedical pastor.ā Her words resonate with the kind of service I hope to offer: the clinical knowledge of a nurse practitioner, the practical teaching of lifestyle medicine, the welcome of a shared table, and the compassionate presence of someone willing to listen. It is a calling I am discerning.
Nathanael Elijah Smith, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, DipACLM
Founder & Chief Flourishing Connector, Kitchen Monkā¢
āMedical pastorā is my motherās encouragement and a calling I am discerning, not a credential, title, or ordination.
š Not sure where to start? Tap what fits you
Explore Kelly Freemanās recommended learning resources and Kitchen Monkās featured clinician directory. Many learning resources are free.
š Nathanael & Chef AJ
Celebrating Chef AJ
Good food. Shared laughter. A moment worth keeping.
Chef AJ, thank you for the joy, encouragement, and love of whole plant foods you have shared with me. This memory from TrueNorth Health Center in 2023 still makes me smile.
Nathanael & Chef AJ Ā· A carotenoid-scan moment Ā· Tap the video to play or pause.
Thank you, Chef AJ, for being part of this chapter of my flourishing journey. Hereās to nourishing food, human connection, and making room for joy.
Stay connected with Kitchen Monkā¢ & Flourishing Nursingā¢
KEEP THE JOY GOING Ā· CHEF AJāS OWN YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Keep watching Chef AJ
Enjoy the recorded celebration below, then explore Chef AJās own uploads, newest first.
On YouTube, choose Play all to start at the newest available upload and continue through the collection. Use the playlist menu to choose another video; turn shuffle off to keep the order.
The collection opens on YouTube because its current player restricts playback on other websites. Continuous playback depends on YouTube, video availability, and your browser. YouTube updates the uploads list as new public videos become available.
Our vision: make nourishment visible ā read Nathanaelās story
Our vision: make nourishment visible
āAn ultimate goal of Flourishing Nursingā¢ and Kitchen Monkā¢ is to help everyone enjoy God-made whole plant foods so consistently that their nourishment is reflected in their carotenoid scores.
Thank you, Dr. Alan Goldhamer, for making the scanner available to help people learn about their carotenoid status. My hope is that more healthcare organizations and certified lifestyle medicine clinicians will explore carotenoid screening as a routine nutrition measure alongside traditional vital signs. Thatās this lifestyle medicine nurse practitionerās vision.ā
Nathanael Elijah Smith, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, DipACLM
Skin carotenoid scores can help estimate carotenoid-rich fruit and vegetable intake. They do not measure overall health or prove someoneās complete dietary pattern; this vision is not a claim that carotenoid screening is an established vital sign. Read the research.
š¤ Trusted resources
š A community we warmly recommend: the National Health Association
šæ Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢ strongly endorse the National Health Associationās commitment to plant-based living, education, and community, and enthusiastically recommend its free recipes, learning, and travel program. šļø Promoting plant-based living and health education since 1948.
š Nathanael volunteered at a National Health Association conference and fell in love with its mission.
Our endorsement is our own: it does not mean the National Health Association has endorsed, approved, or partnered with us.
šæ National Health Association
šæ Led by Wanda Huberman, Executive Director of the National Health Association and coordinator of National Health Association Land Travel, with Lisa McCarl, RN, National Health Association Travel Coordinator and Advisor for National Health Association Cruise Travel.
š± The Plantrician Project
š Featuring Jill Edwards, MS, CEP, DipACLM, Director of Education, and Scott Stoll, MD, Co-founder & Board Chairman of The Plantrician Project, honored here as our Chief Flourishing Educatorā¢ and Chief Plantrician Guardian (honorary titles).
š©ŗ American College of Lifestyle Medicine
š Plant Based Support
šæ Led by Meryl Fury, MS, RN, our Chief Plant-Based Support Nursing Guardian (honorary title, accepted with gratitude).
š Full resource directory
š± Every Plantrician Project program Ā· tap to close or open
š Education & learning
š Conferences & awards
š Resources
š©ŗ For providers
Buttons marked ā open The Plantrician Projectās own pages. Items marked paid cost money. Independent recommendation; no sponsorship, partnership or endorsement is implied.
ā¶ļø Watch the American College of Lifestyle Medicine: official YouTube videos & latest uploads
ā¶ļø American College of Lifestyle Medicine: official videos
Watch the American College of Lifestyle Medicineās Flip Your Script conversations, then explore the channelās recent uploads. Select Play for sound; YouTube controls include captions when available.
Latest from the American College of Lifestyle Medicineās YouTube feed
The latest-upload list refreshes from YouTubeās official feed as WordPress refreshes its cache. If the list or player is unavailable, open the channel directly. Public videos are separate from paid conference access.
šŗļø Maps, travel & more
š Who made this
Kitchen Monk was created by Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM, a family nurse practitioner certified in lifestyle medicine. He built it to give patients and families the practical food help that is hard to fit into a short visit, rooted in faith and compassion and welcoming people of every faith and none.
The Book of the Lamp ā Read free with Kindle Unlimited Ā· Kindle eBook: $0.99 Ā· Paperback: $5.75.
ā ā ā ā ā The Book of the Lamp ā Reader Voices
š¦ Momma Eagle ā Nina Delores Smith
Nathanaelās mom Ā· September 20, 2026
āCONGRATULATIONS! And thank you! God has given you beautiful gifts and talents and a heart that deep down does care about people.ā
Read Momma Eagleās message and see her photo ā
A personal message from Nathanaelās mother.
Barbara Weaver Ā· September 22, 2026 ā āVery creative, well written book challenging us to carry the light forward.ā | Erik L. Ā· September 24, 2026 ā āTo Read Again. And to Comprehend.ā
Read Barbara Weaverās review Ā· Read Erik L.ās review Ā· Amazon reviews ā
Independent reader opinions. Amazon may group reviews differently across editions.
š¦ Celebrating my mom Ā· Her love, her strength, her joy
Momma Eagle
Nina Delores Smith
My mother. My first SHEro. Still showing me how to flourish.
š¤ A Motherās Jesus Hug of Love
Before My Nursing Graduation
Mom, here in 2026 youāre still hiking mountains, walking beaches, and showing your son how much life there is to live. Iām proud to be your son.
Before I knew the words ālifestyle medicine,ā I knew the love of my mother.
š Read my full thank-you
Just before my final nursing graduation ceremony in 2012, both of my parents stood on stage with me. Then you wrapped me in what I still think of as your Jesus Hug of Love. In that embrace were years of sacrifice, prayer, encouragement, and belief. I look at these photographs and remember the joy of that dayāand the love you have given me throughout my life.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine recognizes positive social connection as one of its six pillars. You fiercely advocated for that connection my entire life: through your presence, your encouragement, and your belief that we must care for one another. You helped me understand what it means to be loved, supported, and to belong.
Before Kitchen Monkā¢, before nurse leadership, before I discovered lifestyle medicine, I believed that expressing gratitude openly and publicly was of the utmost importance. I still do. I want the people who helped carry me here to hear my thanks, and I want the world to know whose love helped shape the care I give.
Thank you, Mom. And thank you to my grandparents, Kenneth and Carolyn Smith, for the love, encouragement, and example you have given me. Your place in my story is woven into everything I hope to build.
I love you, Mom. Hereās to more mountains, more beach walks,
and many more moments together. šļøš
With all my love,
Your son, Nathanael Elijah Smith
šŖ How the lamp gets passed
š Good care is never one person alone. It travels from heart to heart until it reaches someone at home.
- š¤ Kelly Freeman, a nurse leader in lifestyle medicine, referred Denise to Nathanael.
- š Nathanael, Kitchen Monk’s founder, guided Denise through her nurse practitioner training.
- šŗ Denise Bitz, who once founded an animal rescue and a vegan sanctuary, now cares for patients in their own homes.
- š” Her patients get care right where they live.
š± One kind referral can light a whole path. Who will you pass the lamp to?
When the Healer Needs a Nurse Ā· Read the story
Rooted in faith and compassion, welcoming people of every faith and none. Our aim is an invitation into flourishing rather than condemnation.
The Book of the Lamp
Explore the stories and people behind the lamp, and read what readers have shared.
āVery creative, well written book challenging us to carry the light forward.ā ā Mrs. Barbara Weaver
Erik L. Ā· September 24, 2026 ā āTo Read Again. And to Comprehend.ā
ā ā ā ā ā
America at
š250š
1776 ā 2026
Happy š250thš Birthday, America!
Letās give our next chapter something to celebrate.
FLOURISHING NURSING FORWARDā¢ Ā· A CALL TO NURSES EVERYWHERE
The All-American Ken speed U-turn!
This is our time for a complete turnaroundāfrom our sick care system to a flourishing healthcare system.
Our time to lead alongside every profession is now.
Nursingās knowledge, compassion, and leadership belong at the heart of healthcareās future. Let us lead with our voices, care for one another, and help people and communities thrive and flourish.
Sincerely,
Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM ā and every nurse who chooses to join us.
š§® Here Is the Math: How Many of Us There Are
š¤ For our physician colleagues and every partner in care: here is exactly how the numbers add up, with the year and source behind each one. š©ŗ
| šŗšø United States, employed (May 2025) | Jobs (positions) |
|---|---|
| š Registered nurses | 3,379,720 |
| š¤² Nursing assistants | + 1,448,910 |
| š§” Licensed practical and vocational nurses | + 648,410 |
| š©ŗ Nurse practitioners | + 323,040 |
| š Nurse educators (college and university) | + 77,960 |
| š¤ Nurse anesthetists | + 51,840 |
| š¤± Nurse-midwives | + 7,920 |
| = Our nursing workforce (jobs) | 5,937,800 ā 5.94 million |
- šŖŖ Licensed people: 5,147,084 registered nurses + 926,976 practical nurses = 6,074,060 ā 6.07 million (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, November 2026).
- š§© Nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists and nurse-midwives are also registered nurses, so they are never added twice.
- š Worldwide: 29.8 million nurses (World Health Organization; measured 2023, published May 12, 2025), with a shortage of 5.8 million.
Participating workforce Ć people supported per participant = potential direct reach
- šŗšø If 10% of us take part: 5,937,800 Ć 10% = 593,780 nursing jobs. Each supporting 10 people a year: 593,780 Ć 10 = 5,937,800 support contacts a year.
- š Worldwide: 29,800,000 Ć 10% Ć 10 = 29,800,000 support contacts a year.
- ā ļø Illustrative possibilities, not proven health outcomes. Contacts can include the same person more than once.
šæ More from Kitchen Monkā¢ ā stories, community & resources
šŗš¦ Nurses Stand With Ukraine ā our promise and ways to help
Nursed to Flourishā¢.
Free, practical help to plan, shop, and cook plant-based meals
Start with a simple one-week meal plan, build your grocery list in one tap, and cook along with step-by-step videos. Created by Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM. Start where you are; progress over perfection.
ā Always free Ā· ā No account needed Ā· ā Health education, not medical care Ā· En espaƱol
š„· Susan Benigas ā My Inspiration
š„· Susan Benigas is one of my inspirations. Her encouragement and support for clinicians pursuing lifestyle medicine certification meant so much to me. I was one of those clinicians, and I successfully passed my lifestyle medicine board examination in 2019. I am grateful for her part in helping clinicians like me carry this work forward.
I remember š„· Susan closing the 2025 Lifestyle Medicine conference with the reminder, widely attributed to Margaret Mead:
āNever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.ā
Widely attributed to Margaret Mead; recalled by Nathanael from š„· Susan Benigasās closing remarks at Lifestyle Medicine 2025.
Thank you, š„· Susan. This picture means so much to meāa reminder that leadership, encouragement, and working together can help us carry more than we could alone. Flourishing is a team effort.
ā Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM
š¬ Featured replay Ā· Plant Based Support
Can Fasting Save Your Life? (We Can Make It Better)
šæ With Alan Goldhamer, DC Ā· š published in October 2026 in Plant Based Supportās Online Event Replays
ā±ļø Start with the Q&A ā 52:23
āI especially recommend watching the Q&A starting at 52:23.ā ā Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM
š¤ With gratitude to Meryl Fury, MS, RN, and the Plant Based Support team for opening the door to education and community.
ā¹ļø How to watch & what to know
- š The replay library asks you to sign in as a Plant Based Support member. Please check its current terms, trial and pricing before joining.
- š§ After signing in, choose the title above and move the player to 52 minutes, 23 seconds.
- šŗ As of October 26, 2026, we have not found a public YouTube copy of this recording. The public YouTube community playlist is a separate collection.
- š©ŗ Educational content, not individual medical advice. Prolonged fasting requires medical evaluation and supervision. Our recommendation is our own; neither the speaker nor Plant Based Support has endorsed our websites.
š„¦šŖ Our everyday recommendation: while fasting may have some benefits, we predominantly recommend eating whole plant foods every day and keeping all the muscle we can as we age.
šļø The American College of Lifestyle Medicine put muscle health front and center on its Lifestyle Medicine 2026 conference program with the session āManaging and Treating Sarcopenia with Therapeutic Lifestyle Medicine & Emerging Technologiesā (Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 2ā3 p.m. Eastern Time), focused on spotting sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) earlier and supporting strength and function. Please talk with your own clinician before fasting or making big changes.
š² Roots of Our Care
Rooted in love. Restored through care. Growing shade for others.
Behind Kitchen Monk is a family legacy of nourishing food, restorative pauses, childrenās joy, and belonging. Meet Kenneth and Carolyn Smith, whose everyday care helped shape Nathanaelās calling.
Explore Roots of Our Care Ā· For nurses: explore the nursing connection
Our official song: āTestify to Love.ā Dedicated with love to Grandma Carolyn, Grandpa Kenneth, and Mom, Nina. Inspired by Jesus, we seek to love faithfully and never give up on anyone. Every patient. Every person. Every day. Play the video and read Our Song, Our Promise ā
š Power of the Plate 2027 Ā· May 13ā16, 2027 Ā· Los Angeles, California
š½ļø Four days of nutrition science, shared plant-based meals and new friends. You do not need to be a clinician to come. š Nathanael plans to be there in 2027. Come say hello!
Independent recommendation; no sponsorship, partnership or endorsement. Prices, dates and policies are set by the organizer; please confirm on poweroftheplate.org.
š² Bring lifestyle medicine into your everyday life
Everyday habits, like food, movement, sleep, stress care and connection, support health. Pick one step that matters to you and start there.
š¤ Kitchen Monkā¢ supports the American College of Lifestyle Medicineās mission. Independent initiative; no affiliation or endorsement implied. Health education, not medical care.
šæ Explore more when youāre ready
- š§ Mindfulness & breathing Ā· š Zumba & dance Ā· š Sleep & rest
- š Books & The EVERgreen Chroniclesā¢ Ā· š¤ Invite a speaker
- šŖ Where my nursing lamp was lit: Pensacola Christian College
- šŗš¦ Nurses Stand With Ukraine: our promise, news, and ways to help
- š©ŗ Nurse or clinician? Visit Flourishing Nursing, our sister site for care teams.
šæ More stories, learning opportunities and community features
š Your Healing Story Could Help Others
š± The International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention shares real recovery stories in its Patient Self-Reported Outcomes section, written with your clinician. šø As shared by Scott Stoll, MD, the journal’s co-founder, publishing is free.
š Shared by š„·šæ Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM, 2026 Power of the Plate Conference scholarship recipient (San Diego, California).
š± The Plantrician Project ā Thank You for Lighting Our Lamp
Power of the Plate helped light a new lamp for Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢. From San Diego, we brought home more than education: we brought home belonging, interdisciplinary friendship, practical tools, and a renewed commitment to move nursing forward.
š Plantrician education led by Jill Edwards, MS, CEP, DipACLM, Director of Education. Explore free Quick Start Guides, Plantrician University, open-access science, Plantrician Providers, Power of the Plate, scholarships, culinary education and systems-change resources.
š Dedicated to Jill Edwards ā our Chief Flourishing Educatorā¢. š±š©ŗ Scott Stoll, MD ā Co-founder & Board Chairman of The Plantrician Project and our Chief Plantrician Guardian. These are honorary titles created by our organizations.
Moving Nursing Forward: Read the science ā Learn the practice ā Connect with support ā Bring it home.
Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢ independently recommend educational resources from The Plantrician Project. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, this does not indicate sponsorship, partnership, endorsement, or organizational affiliation. Honorary titles are ours, not Plantrician Project positions.
šæ Leadership lesson from TrueNorth: founder Alan Goldhamer, DC leads an organization whose public team includes clinicians, nurses, kitchen staff, administration, housekeeping, facilities, concierge and scheduling. Health-promoting work is carried by whole teams. That same principle guides our conviction that the people doing the caring must be able to flourish, too.
šŖ Why this matters to Nathanael: he honors The Plantrician Project for helping keep the heart in medicineābringing evidence, food, human connection, and interdisciplinary care back together. That vision resonates deeply with the nursing leadership Nathanael has followed throughout his professional life, including the work of š„· Dr. Karen Laing, whom Flourishing Nursingā¢ honors for carrying forward a modern nursing tradition of whole-person care inspired by š„· Florence Nightingale.
Our gratitude is wholehearted: The Plantrician Project has spent years helping clinicians and communities imagine healthcare that nourishes people, relationships, and the systems around them. We want nursing to stand beside that work, strengthen it, and help carry it farther.
šæ Learn together. Help the world heal and flourish.
Featured: Lifestyle Medicine 2026 Online, November 8ā11, 2026. Explore lifestyle medicine with an international learning community, then continue with š„· Dr. Karen Laingās Lifestyle Nursing course through the Integrative Nurse CoachĀ® Academy.
The conference can broaden your perspective; the course gives the nursing team a structured way to bring that learning into everyday conversations, education and care. Thank you for being hereāand for helping carry š„· Florence Nightingaleās spirit of compassionate service forward. šŖš
š„· Our 2026 Flourishing Nurse Ninjaā¢ invitation: Flourishing Nursingā¢ will recognize anyone who completes both Lifestyle Medicine 2026 Online and the Integrative Nurse Coach Academyās Lifestyle Nursing course as an Official Flourishing Nurse Ninjaā¢. This is our honorary community recognition; it does not change your professional role, license or scope of practice. See the recognition details.
š #KitchenMonk #FlourishingNursing #LifestyleMedicine #NurseCoaching #LearnTogether
š² Stacey Lynn ā Chief Non-Clinical EVERgreen Guardianā¢
Discover Staceyās plant-based education, culinary conversations, and public work. This is an honorary, non-clinical recognition from Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢.
šŖš Living Lamp Media: Nursing Leadership + Stress-Free Self-Care
Our newest Living Lamp resources bring together Kelly Freemanās public nursing and workforce-development education with Dr. Robyn Tigerās public stress-relief, self-care, podcast, and Lifestyle Medicine teaching.
Open either resource page to choose a recording, then tap Play. Use the playerās sound and pause controls, or its original-source link if playback is unavailable.
šæ Plant Based Support: free weekly meetings
š¤ Plant Based Support, led by Meryl Fury, MS, RN, holds free online support meetings and classes every week, and you donāt need to be fully plant-based to join.
Dates and times are set by Plant Based Support and kept current on their own schedule. Registration is handled on their pages; some events may require membership. Independent recommendation: no sponsorship, partnership or endorsement is implied, and event content is not individual medical advice.
šæ Explore the National Health Association meal library
Kitchen Monkā¢ās most recent documented National Health Association catalog review (November 2, 2026) reports 527 deduplicated National Health Association source-version records, including separately documented recipe formulations; this is not a count of 527 unique dishes. The historical October 23, 2026 index contained 539 web/PDF entries (316 National Health Association website recipe-page entries plus 223 conference-PDF recipe entries), with overlaps: 539 is not a verified count of distinct recipes. These are our working inventory figures, not official National Health Association totals or a fresh complete recount. We credit original recipe authors and link to source recipes; videos and grocery-list features vary by entry. Check each source ingredient list before calling a particular recipe salt-, oil-, and sugar-free: some originals include sweeteners or prepared condiments. Ā· Official National Health Association recipes ā
Nutrition status: We have not yet calculated verified per-serving nutrition for this National Health Association collection. Estimates will be shown only after checking ingredient amounts, substitutions, recipe yield, and matching ingredients to documented United States Department of Agriculture FoodData Central records; otherwise we mark analysis pending. Cronometer is independent and optional: its free Basic account supports manually created recipes; paid Gold provides website recipe import and friend-to-friend recipe sharing; and Cronometer Professional can share custom foods, meals, and recipes with connected clients (Cronometer documentation updated October 29, 2026). These features do not create a universally public Cronometer URL for each recipe. Verify every ingredient match and serving yield before logging, and note that our sites do not sync any recipes or personal diaries to Cronometer. Kitchen Monk and Flourishing Nursingā¢ endorse the National Health Association for patient education. This is our own endorsement; the National Health Association has not endorsed or sponsored either site.
ā Health education, not medical care. Recipes from other cooks are credited and linked; nutrition numbers are estimates; independent dietitian review is planned, not yet complete. How we write and review
āļø Nathanaelās Faith: Jesus, Our Anchor, and Our Hope
A personal faith invitation from Nathanael: Riverside Fellowship in Hammond, Oregon, is my anchor church. Its teaching points to repentance, faith in Jesusā death and resurrection, confession of Him as Lord, and salvation as Godās gift of grace. Receiving Jesus into our hearts means personally trusting and following Him.
Riversideās salvation teaching Ā· Its Jesus Class
My mom, Nina Delores SmithāMomma Eagleāis a devout Jesus follower. During my visit home for our special Jesus-loving reunion, I returned to Riverside for two Sundays. I treasure that homecoming and the faith and love woven through our familyās story.
Read the full explanation: accepting Jesus, resurrection, the Rapture, Tribulation, Christās reign, and everlasting life ā The guide distinguishes Pensacola Christian Collegeās published position from wider Christian interpretations and Riversideās own salvation teaching. Read Momma Eagleās faith and reunion feature ā
Our faith reflections are shared as an invitation. People of every faith and none are welcome and deserve compassionate care.
With Momma EagleāNina Delores Smithāmay we renew our strength in the Lord and āmount up with wings as eaglesā (Isaiah 40:31, King James Version): a poetic image of hope, not a promise of literal wings.
