Counting calories is no fun. We shouldn’t be concerned with the labels on
our food because most the foods you should be eating actually have no
labels. My approach to nutrition is a
natural, holistic one. Let’s eat the
foods that come straight from the earth that require little to no processing
and modification. If we can learn to
practice self control and necessary meal planning, our need for doctors and
health insurance will disappear. Not to
mention the money you will also save by foregoing the average America fast food
joint and the many national, restaurant franchises. Pharmaceuticals? Absolutely not. Dare I say, no immunizations? Unfortunately the FDA, USDA and the CDC would
rather do what’s best for their wallet instead of our health. Not all of their recommendations are
nefarious, but the vast majority are vested in only monetary gain. My diet is borderline radical and I’m sure many
doctors will advise against it, however; I dare you to be different. At this point in our history and culture we
have to be the black sheep because everyone around is dying. The United States has seen both the number
and severity of illness and disease increase threefold during the last fifty
years. If we don’t take a stand, educate
ourselves and make better nutritional choices we are going to be just another
statistic.
First I want to tell you what NOT to eat/drink. These foods must be avoided as they are devoid
of anything good for you:
-Fried Food
-Sugar, Aspartame, Saccharin
-Soda
-Bread
(except sourdough)
-Corn
-Peanuts
-Deli Meats
-Partially Hydrogenated Oil
-Cow’s Milk
-Mushrooms
-Wheat
Second, let’s talk about what to enjoy in MODERATION:
-Coffee (organic)
-Alcohol (low sugar/light)
-Beans/Legumes (organic)
-Meat (hormone and antibiotic
free)
-Fish (fresh caught)
-Eggs (organic)
-Cheese (organic)
-White Potatoes (organic)
-Dairy Products (organic)
-Whole Grains (Oats, Brown Rice,
Quinoa, Amaranth, Millet, Buckwheat, Barley, Flour Tortillas and Sourdough
Bread)
Finally, the foods you can eat all the time:
-Vegetables (only moderation
should be used with the night shades; eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes because
they are acidic)
-Fruits (unfortunately this list
is short; green apples, berries, grapefruit, lemon and lime. The other fruits
can be eaten in moderation)
-Herbs and Spices (go easy on the
salt)
It will be difficult to join your
friends on a lunch date away from work and you might not fare well at the
family Christmas dinner, but I assure you that the sacrifices are worth the
outcome. I’m not saying to make your
life miserable by always alienating yourself during mealtime and condemning
others for eating so terrible. There
will be times when you cannot avoid eating that turkey sandwich from Arby’s or denying
a taste of Grandma’s fried green tomatoes.
Occasionally you can enjoy a splurge and take your kid for an ice cream
date. Now let’s ask ourselves; what does
a normal day on this diet look like?
Breakfast:
Most important and biggest meal of the day! First start by drinking a huge glass of water
as soon as you wake up, preferably with fresh, squeezed lemon juice. After sleeping for several hours and likely
urinating upon waking, your body needs water.
Depending on how much time you have before leaving the house each
morning, you may want to prepare breakfast the night before. Whole grains should be consumed at this meal;
oatmeal is a quick and easy choice.
Yogurt with some berries and nuts is also a fast, nutritious meal. Egg omelets are another great choice for the
first daily meal; preferably with fresh herbs and veggies. I love eggs with onions, garlic, cilantro,
bell peppers and spinach.
Mid-Morning Snack: I always have food on or near me because I
love to eat and do it often. Nuts,
fruit, protein shakes and smoothies are my usual snack items. Let’s talk about how to make a glorious
smoothie. A nice blender is an
investment you want to make. We bought a
refurbished Vitamix a few years ago for 200 bucks and it is the Rolls Royce of
blenders. I could probably blend a whole
coconut in there if I tried. They also
come with a 5 year warranty and have impeccable customer service. A super smoothie is the fastest, most
palatable way to eat/drink several fruits and veggies at one time. My favorite combination is a bunch of fresh
kale or spinach, one or two fresh carrots, blueberries, strawberries and an
avocado. Add water, coconut water or a
fruit juice to help the mixture blend properly.
If you like a sweeter taste than add more fruit juice than water, but remember
that fruit juices are chocked full of sugar that we should avoid. Try different combos to figure out what type
of smoothie you like best. I also thaw
frozen fruits and veggies (organic of course) for my smoothies; especially
during the winter when it’s harder to find fresh produce.
Lunch:
If you enjoy meat I would recommend having chicken breast, steak or
fish. Sweet potatoes, brown rice or
flour tortillas can compliment just about any meal. And of course, vegetables should be consumed
at every meal. Salads are a great lunch
choice. Add meat or boiled eggs to your bed
of lettuce, but don’t sabotage the plate with an unhealthy dressing. Most condiments are high in sugar, salt and
preservatives. Olive oil, lemon juice
and garlic make for an easy, DIY salad dressing. Sandwiches are also a favorite lunch staple
for many folks. Choose a healthy meat or
fish and always use sourdough bread.
Afternoon Snack: The 3-o-clock slump can have you reaching for
coffee, cookies and donuts, but that’s the worst thing for you right now. Much like the morning snack the best choices
are nuts, fruits (an apple is perfect) and a smoothie. If you take a fiber supplement (phylum husk
is a necessity) this would be a great time to drink up. A belly full of fiber will ensure you eat
less at dinner time.
Dinner:
This should actually be the smallest meal of the day and should be
consumed before 7pm. Contrary to popular
belief, eating a heavy meal and drinking three beers right before bed is not a
sure fire way to a good night’s sleep.
Eat small and eat early so your body isn’t storing fat throughout the
night and instead is focused on actually resting. Protein should be eaten at supper so your
stomach has enough substance to sustain you without eating for 6-12 hours. I don’t recommend eating carbs or grains at
dinner because your body simply doesn’t need that much energy. Unless you workout after dinner, then you may
want high energy foods to support the expenditure. Remember it’s not good to do hard workouts at
least three hours before sleeping. And
of course, eat vegetables with dinner. Broccoli,
egg and cheese casserole is a splendid, high protein meal option for
dinner.
Now I want to share a few other
nuggets of nutrition knowledge that you probably haven’t heard before that will
aid in your pursuit for optimal health.
-Never eat and drink at the same
time. Hydrating should be done separate
from eating for energy. Liquids,
particularly water are needed for your cells to function properly. Food is necessary for energy. Our bodies don’t do both functions very well
together. If you add liquids to the
digestion process it can slow the breakdown of your food. Always drink a glass of water an hour before
you eat and an hour after.
-It’s time you discovered and
used coconut oil. This magic potion can
be used for everything; stir-fry, sweetener, skin moisturizer, butter
replacement, weight loss supplement, etc.
-Stop using the microwave. The chemical heating process changes your
food/beverage in ways we aren’t even sure about. Heat in the oven or on the stove as often as
you can.
-Consider a few supplements. Even if you eat like a well versed
nutritionist there is still a margin of error because of the depletion of our
soil during the last few decades and the likelihood that you won’t eat all of
the daily recommended vitamins and minerals in an average day. I recommend and
currently take a daily vitamin, fiber (phyllium hulls), fish oil, a probiotic
(more on this next), and an all natural herb for anti-fungus on a monthly rotation
(olive leaf extract, caprylic acid or pau d-arco).
-I also take several other
supplements for muscle growth/repair as I workout and train often. Conjugated Liniolic Acid (CLA), Branch Chain
Amino Acids (BCAAs), a protein powder and an electrolyte replacement with B
vitamins for energy.
-Probiotics are an absolute
necessity. Good bacteria in your gut is
now being discovered as the secret link to not only generally good health but proper
brain development, combating allergies, bowel regularity and improved immunity.
It’s not enough to just eat yogurt every
day; an actual probiotic supplement is encouraged.
-Fall in love with hot tea. Whether you’re trying to kick coffee and need
some caffeine from green tea or you want to reduce inflammation with yellow
saffron tea, there is a hot tea out there for just about every ailment or
health benefit you can imagine. It can
also help curve cravings for dessert.
-Make it a habit to always have
healthy snacks with you. This will
minimize the chances of eating unhealthy convenience foods, allow you to resist
rabid restaurant menus and keep your metabolism cruising nicely fifth gear. Carry
an apple, blueberries, strawberries, walnuts, brown rice cakes or a protein
bar.
-The less you have to use high
heat to prepare your food, the better off you are since the nutrients can burn
up and get destroyed pretty easily.
Especially when cooking vegetables, you should choose the path of least incandescence;
however some foods need to be cooked in order to maximize our bodies absorption
of their nutrients. For example, just half a cup of cooked spinach will give you
thrice as much nutrition as one cup of raw spinach. It’s also important to learn the many powerful
combinations of certain foods. There’s a
compound in spinach called oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of calcium
and iron. An easy way to solve this problem is to pair spinach with a food high
in vitamin C; like bell peppers. Omelet
anyone? Another way to reduce the power
of oxalic acid is to boil the spinach leaves for at least two minutes.
-Dynamic duos are worth noting here. Who knew foods could be better for you if
eaten together with certain other foods?
As researchers work to unravel the complexities
of the interactions of the foods we eat, I present you with the most powerful
food synergies currently known to science: Tomatoes and Avocadoes, Oatmeal and
Orange Juice, Broccoli and Tomatoes, Blueberries and Grapes, Apples and Raspberries,
Lemon and Kale, Salmon and Soy, Red Meat and Rosemary, Turmeric and Black
Pepper, Garlic and Fish, Eggs and Cantaloupe, Almonds and Yogurt. Sorry I’m not going into the chemical details
here, but feel free to look up the reasons for pairing these items together.
Email me if you'd like more information and/or help putting this plan into action :)
