The Book of the Lamp ā Read free with Kindle Unlimited Ā· Kindle eBook: $0.99 Ā· Paperback: $5.75.
š„·šæ Flourishing Nurse Ninja
Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM
šŖ The nurse behind Kitchen Monkā¢
š² A family nurse practitioner who believes good health starts in kitchens, homes, and communities, long before anyone gets sick.
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.
More about this memory
With Chef AJ: a joyful moment from my TrueNorth chapter
During my 2023 chapter as Clinical Administrator at TrueNorth Health Center, this memorable moment with Chef AJ captured my enthusiasm for nourishing food and flourishing. My recorded skin-carotenoid reading from that chapter was 995. A skin-carotenoid reading is not a complete micronutrient assessment.
Watch Nathanael with Chef AJ: Play the video Ā· Chef AJ video feature Ā· TrueNorth 2023 story and video.
š„· Susan Benigas ā My Inspiration
Grandpa Ken had been preparing me to pick up the lamp for years. Even as a nursing student working in his grocery store, I was entrusted with the storeās pharmacology sectionāand I aced pharmacology in nursing school. Looking back, I see those years as preparation for the work I carry forward today: serving people through nursing, lifestyle medicine, and community.
Grandpa, thank you for helping prepare me for today. This has always been a team effort: family, teachers, mentors, clinicians, and neighbors each carrying part of the light.
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
š² The roots of my calling
Rooted in love. Restored through care. Growing shade for others.
My grandparents, Kenneth and Carolyn Smith, helped shape my calling through the everyday care they offered their community. Grandpa insisted that I pause and rest. Grandma tended gardens and made room for childrenās joy. I honor her as our Chief Flourishing Grandmotherā¢ and Chief Flourishing Restorerā¢.
My mother belongs in this story, too. Alongside my grandparents, she remained with me when I felt abandoned and exiled. I honor her place among the roots that held me.
That legacy informs my vision for nurse coaching: listening deeply, honoring each personās values and choices, supporting meaningful goals, and helping people find nourishment, rest, connection, and belonging.
Explore Roots of Our Care Ā· For nurses: explore the nursing connection
šļø In honor of my grandpa, Kenneth Smith
United States Veteran ā¢ Family Patriarch ā¢ Keeper of the Market š Fifty-two years at Ken and Sons Market in Seaside, Oregon (1967ā2019), where I first learned lifestyle medicine. šŗšø Celebrating America at š250š and thanking everyone who serves.
šŖ Three Generations, One Lamp
Kenneth ā Nina ā Nathanael
Grandpaās work at Ken and Sons Market began in 1967. His daughter Ninaāmy dearest motherāhelped me take the next step. With her help and the support of our lifestyle medicine community, I was fortunate to secure funding and become board certified in lifestyle medicine.
Although the store was sold in 2019, the care it represented continues to guide my work as a nurse practitioner and through Kitchen Monk and Flourishing Nursing. I carry the lamp forward with gratitude for my grandfather, my mother, and everyone who helped make this possibleāand with hope for the generations who will follow.
Thank you for supporting me, my family, and my grandfatherās legacy. May the care we receive become the care we pass on.
š Nathanael is a Life Member of the National Health Association (2026)
š In 2026, Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM became a Life Member of the National Health Association, the National Health Associationās highest membership level, as part of his long-term commitment to the National Health Association and its health-education mission.
š Why Nathanael endorses National Health Association membership
āI personally endorse the National Health Associationās membership program, and I want to help support our community by supporting the National Health Association. š± In my experience, the National Health Association is the only patient-facing organization I know of that goes above and beyond to keep its teaching and recipes free of added salt, oil, and refined sugar. š„ I saw that same standard up close as Clinical Administrator at TrueNorth Health Center in Santa Rosa, California (AprilāNovember 2023), under Dr. Alan Goldhamer.ā
ā š„·šæ Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM Ā· National Health Association Life Member (2026)
š National Health Association Life Member benefits & perks
- ā¾ļø All National Health Association membership benefits, for life
- šø No annual dues, ever again: one payment and youāre a member for life
- š° Health Science magazine every quarter: ad-free issues with interviews, member stories, and recipes free of added salt, oil, and sugar from top chefs
- šø Recognition in Health Science: new Life Members are featured by name and photo
- š¤ Special recognition at National Health Association conferences and events
- āļø Top-priority booking for National Health Association Travel plant-based trips
- š» National Health Association Community membership included: online community, past conference videos, ongoing education videos, member forums, expert Q&As, and live events and webinars
- š Members-only website and free classic health eBooks
- š·ļø Member discounts on books and early notice of National Health Association events
š” How to become a Life Member: according to the National Health Association, through a one-time $2,500 payment or by being a Century Club member for 10 years. šæ Not ready for Life Membership? Every National Health Association membership level helps support the mission, from the online Community Membership to the Century Club.
šØāš³ Chef James Rohrbacher ā National Health Association member benefit: The National Health Associationās public discount directory lists a 10% discount from Chef James Nutrition for National Health Association members. The National Health Association directs members to sign in for discount codes. Orders are placed with the independent seller; check current eligibility, terms and availability before purchasing. Source checked October 19, 2026.
ā¹ļø Nathanaelās endorsement is his personal recommendation. The National Health Association has not endorsed, sponsored, or partnered with Kitchen Monkā¢ or Flourishing Nursingā¢, and neither has Chef James. Nathanael is a former TrueNorth Health Center employee with no current affiliation. Benefits and prices are summarized from the National Health Associationās membership pages as of October 20, 2026 and can change; always confirm current terms directly with the National Health Association.
ā ā ā ā ā The Book of the Lamp ā Reader Voices
š Barbara Weaver
ā ā ā ā ā Ā· September 22, 2026
āVery creative, well written book challenging us to carry the light forward.ā
Nathanaelās third-grade teacher, writing about the bookās creative imagery, love, hope, family memory, and call to carry the light forward.
šæ Erik L.
ā ā ā ā ā Ā· September 24, 2026
āTo Read Again. And to Comprehend.ā
A caregiving perspective on self-care, purpose, younger-reader accessibility, everyday health, and reconnecting with why people choose to help.
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
Nina Delores Smith ā Momma Eagle
A personal message from Nathanaelās mother about The Book of the Lamp.
See all reader voices Ā· Read reviews on Amazon ā
Reader voices are quoted and attributed to their authors. Momma Eagleās words are a personal family message. Amazon may group reviews differently across editions.
š¤ Invite a speaker
Flourishing Coach Ruben Guzman Ā· Chief Flourishing Chef Robin Jeep Ā· Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith
Planning a conference, workshop, school, church, or community event? Explore speakers and speaking inquiries. Contact Coach Ruben directly for his availability. Dates, topics, fees, and any joint appearance require each speakerās confirmation.
š New here? Explore:
š¤ Who is š„·šæ Flourishing Nurse Ninja
Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM?
Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, a lifestyle medicine professional, an author, and the founder of Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢. His work helps people take small, realistic steps toward better health through food, movement, sleep, managing stress, relationships, purpose, and community.
š¬ In plain terms: he is a nurse who wants health care to show up earlier, in kitchens and neighborhoods, not only after someone becomes ill. And he believes the people who care for others deserve care, too.
š¤ Nursing Commencement Speaker, Class of 2012. Nathanael was trusted by the Pensacola Christian College nursing department to give the nursing graduation commencement speech for the nursing class of 2012. š That day planted his dream of becoming a Flourishing Nursingā¢ speaker who helps light the lamp for nurses everywhere. šŖ
š Nathanael, “God has given” š Ā· Elijah, “My God is the LORD” š„ Ā· Smith, shaped in the fire for His work āļø (Isaiah 54:16). All glory to Jesus Christ, King of kings.
āTestify to Loveā ā Our Song, Our Promise
Dedicated with love to Grandma Carolyn, Grandpa Kenneth, and Mom, Nina.
Your love lives on in the care I give. ā Nathanael
The official song of Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢. Inspired by Jesus, we seek to love faithfully and never give up on anyone. Rooted in faith and compassion, we welcome people of every faith and none.
From the nursing commencement speech I gave in 2012 to my work today, I carry forward the love of my family and the compassion my teachers helped nurture.
Every patient. Every person. Every day. We will testify to love.
We keep listening. We protect dignity. We respect your choices. We help you find the next step. When needs extend beyond what we can provide, we keep helping people find appropriate care.
Whose love do you carry forward? Remember someone who shaped your lifeāand one act of care that could honor them today.
š§ A Journey of Faith and Learning
- ā Anchor Christian Academy, Nathanaelās favorite private Christian school in Hammond, Oregon, where Mrs. Sandra Smith taught him to write in his own voice āļø He dreams of one day making the kind of Christian education he treasures available to everyone who desires it, regardless of financial circumstances.
- š Dual enrollment: finished high school a year early and became the first nursing student in Pensacola Christian College’s history to complete that pathway š
- š Nursing student leader at Pensacola Christian College, 2009ā2012: service, leadership, and cheering on classmates š¤
- š Jude 22 Award (2010) for compassion from the Pensacola Christian College nursing faculty, as a sophomore š
- š Pensacola Christian College nursing graduate, 2012, with a 3.65 grade point average ā, and the nursing commencement speaker for his class š¤
- š©ŗ Registered nurse since 2012
- š MSN and family nurse practitioner (FNP-C)
- š„ Diplomate, American College of Lifestyle Medicine (DipACLM)
- šæ Life Member, National Health Association (2026), the National Health Associationās highest membership level š
- š² Founder of Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢ š±
š„ Invite Flourishing Coach Ruben Guzman to Speak, Too! šŖ
š Chief Transformational Coach Ā· š Coach we proudly recommend Ā· šæ Ruben J. Guzman, MPH, DipACLM
š§ Coach Ruben is a lifestyle medicine educator and coach, one of the first professionals board certified in lifestyle medicine, and author of How to Fully Live and Evolving Health. He speaks on behavior change, leadership, and workplace well-being, and he is living proof that lasting change is possible. š
š Dates, topics, fees, and any joint appearance are arranged directly with Coach Ruben. His titles here are Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢ recognitions; he is a lifestyle medicine educator and coach, not a nurse. Videos belong to Coach Ruben and play from YouTube.
š©āš³ Invite Chief Flourishing Chef Robin Jeep to Speak, Too! š
š Our Flourishing Culinary SHERO Ā· š„ Chief Culinary Guardian Ā· āØ Chief Flourishing Enchantress Ā· š Chef we proudly recommend
š„ Chief Flourishing Chef Robin Jeep is Nathanael’s culinary mentor and co-author: a plant-based chef, functional nutrition coach, and author of The Super Antioxidant Diet and Nutrition Guide. She brings the kitchen to the stage with live cooking, whole-food plant-based teaching, and a reminder every care team needs: the nurse does not have to be the chef. š±
āļø A faithful follower of Jesus Christ, Chief Flourishing Chef Robin Jeep shares the compassion this page celebrates and wants everyone to flourish. šæ
š§ rfjeep@gmail.com Ā· Chief Flourishing Chef Robin Jeep’s titles here are Flourishing Nursingā¢ and Kitchen Monkā¢ recognitions, not clinical credentials. She is a chef and coach, not a nurse or dietitian.
š¤ Invite š„·šæ Flourishing Nurse Ninja
Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM to Speak! š
š From the 2012 Pensacola Christian College nursing commencement stage to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in 2026, Nurse Ninja Nathanael loves helping nurses, students, families, and churches light the lamp of flourishing. šŖ
- šŖ Flourishing Nursingā¢: from surviving to flourishing
- š„ Whole-food, plant-based living made simple
- š Compassion and calling for nursing students
š§ rfjeep@gmail.com
š Why Kitchen Monk exists
šŖ Nathanael grew up on the Oregon Coast. His grandfather, Kenneth Smith, ran Ken and Sons Select Market in Seaside and brought healthy food to the community. Years later, as a nurse and nurse practitioner, he kept seeing the same thing: many of the things that help people flourish, like a good meal, a walk, a night of real rest, or a friend who checks in, happen far from the clinic.
š± Kitchen Monkā¢ is his answer: free, practical, shame-free help for patients, families, and communities, one small step at a time.
š§ How I choose what I recommend to you
I am placing greater emphasis on clinicians whose care and conduct embody what Flourishing Nursingā¢ is working to create: compassion, respect for nurses and every member of the care team, meaningful relationships, and support for the flourishing of both those receiving care and those providing it.
1. National Health Association. Across my experiences with the National Health Association, I have found that it embodies the vision Flourishing Nursingā¢ is working to create. Those experiences shape the greater emphasis I am giving its educational and community resources through Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢.
2. The Plantrician Project. I am placing The Plantrician Project second in my recommendations, before the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, with particular emphasis on clinicians. In my experience, The Plantrician Project and the clinicians I have encountered through it embody the compassion, education, collaboration, and commitment to flourishing that I want Flourishing Nursingā¢ to cultivate. I want to give greater visibility to clinicians who bring those values into their relationships with patients, nurses, colleagues, and communities.
3. American College of Lifestyle Medicine. I continue to recommend the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and support its mission to advance evidence-based lifestyle medicine. Across all organizations and clinicians I recommend, I value evidence, transparency, usefulness, compassionate communication, clear costs, and meaningful responses to concerns.
These recommendations reflect my experiences and judgment. I want our work to embody the same care, dignity, and accountability I look for in others.
ā š„· Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM Ā· Founder & Chief Flourishing Connector, Kitchen Monkā¢ Ā· Updated October 28, 2026
šæ A commitment carried into patient rooms
Nathanael’s support for the National Health Association reaches back to his time as Clinical Administrator at TrueNorth Health Center in Santa Rosa, California.
During that period, he regularly championed the National Health Association’s educational resources and made a sustained effort to place its Health Science magazine in every patient room. He wanted patients to have the opportunity to read, reflect, ask questions, and explore information they could continue learning from beyond their appointments.
Nathanael recalls encountering staff resistance along the way. Even when the effort became difficult, he continued advocating for access to the magazines because he believed deeply in the value of making health education available to patients.
That commitment continues through Kitchen Monkā¢ and Flourishing Nursingā¢. His goal is to help people discover the National Health Association’s resources, understand them in clear language, and connect with opportunities for further learning and community.
“My support for the National Health Association goes back to my time as Clinical Administrator at TrueNorth Health Center. I regularly worked to get the National Health Association’s Health Science magazine into every patient room because I believed patients deserved the opportunity to explore these resources for themselves.
“I encountered resistance from some staff members, but I kept advocating for access. That is how strongly I believed in this work. Today, I am carrying that commitment forward through Kitchen Monk and Flourishing Nursingāmaking useful education easier to find, easier to understand, and easier to return to.”
ā Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM
š ļø What he’s working on
š² Kitchen Monkā¢
For you, your family, and your community: food, movement, sleep, relationships, purpose, and lifestyle medicine you can actually use. š¢ Available now.
š©ŗ Flourishing Nursingā¢
Our companion site for nurses and care teams: how nurses can help people flourish while taking care of caregivers, too. š¢ Available now.
š” Still growing: Move With a Nurseā¢ gatherings, the interactive Community Map, and The Book of the Garden are in development.
š Author of The EVERgreen Chroniclesā¢
š² Nathanael also tells stories. The EVERgreen Chroniclesā¢ is a story series about caregiving, courage, family, faith, food, and flourishing on the Oregon Coast. It begins with The Book of the Lamp, available on Amazon. The stories are fiction, not health advice, but they carry the same heart as Kitchen Monk.
š° In the news & elsewhere on the web
ā āThe Kitchen Monk: Reinventing Healthcare, One Meal at a Timeā
Womenās Wellness / OptiMYz Ā· September 1, 2026 Ā· by Chief Flourishing Chef Robin Jeep. How Nathanael’s cooking lessons in Robin’s kitchen grew into Kitchen Monkā¢ and a bigger vision for helping communities flourish.
Disclosure: Chief Flourishing Chef Robin Jeep is Nathanael’s culinary mentor and co-author.
š Credentials
MSN: Master of Science in Nursing. APRN: advanced practice registered nurse. FNP-C: board-certified family nurse practitioner. DipACLM: Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
ā¹ļø Kitchen Monk is health education, not medical care. Nothing on this website creates a clinician-patient relationship, diagnoses, or treats any condition, or replaces care from your own clinician. In an emergency, call 911.
āļø We aim to keep this biography accurate and current. If you spot a factual error, please let us know so we can review and correct it. Ā· š Last updated October 23, 2026
Food, hospitality, and my TrueNorth chapter ā 2023
During my time as Clinical Administrator at TrueNorth in 2023, experiences of nourishment, movement, and community helped shape my path. Thanksgiving at Chef AJās home remains especially dear to me. Read about Chef AJ and Charles, and explore her treasured signed books.
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.
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.
Flourishing Nurse Ninja Nathanael Elijah Smith, 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.
āThy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.ā 
