Avoid:
- Sugars in any form whatsoever (including agave, maple syrup, stevia, and artificial sweeteners)
- All flour products (even gluten-free)
- All processed food
- All gluten and dairy
That's for anyone on the plan. For those on the advanced plan, like me, also avoid:
- All grains, starchy vegetables, and fruit. (winter squashes, peas, potatoes, corn, and root vegetables)
- You CAN have one-half cup of berries a day.
After the six weeks, we will start reintroducing (slowly) these foods to see how they affect blood sugar, energy, and weight.
Focus on food QUALITY.
- 500 calories of cookies is not the same as 500 calories of broccoli
- Food is information and it controls your gene expression, hormones, and metabolism
- Portion size matters
There's a lot of talk about mastering glycemic load - he says it is more important than mastering calories; low GI diets don't spike blood sugar and insulin. The basic idea is that you need to combine protein, fats and whole-food, fiber-full, low starch carbs (preferably from vegetables, nuts, and seeds, with limited amounts of whole grains and fruits). Also, never eat carbs alone - always combine them with protein and fat.
- Eat real food (IE fresh, not processed)
- Clean up your diet (avoid additives, pesticides, antibiotic-and-hromone-fed animal products, etc)
- Go organic
- Stay local and sustainable
When eating carbs:
- Eat "green" carbs freely - largely green and/or leafy vegetables and seaweed
- Eat in moderation: whole grains, legumes, dark berries, stone fruit, apples and pears, and fiber
- Eat limited amounts: starch vegetables and high-sugar fruits (such as melons, grapes, and pineapple)
- Avoid completely: processed carbs, gluten-containing whole grains, dried fruit, and resistant starch ("resistant starch" could even be sawdust! He says some breadmakers use it to 'lower the net carbs')
He also talks about eating phytonutrients, largely from the fruits and vegetables you choose. We all know they're good for us, and each one has different nutrients that affect our bodies in different ways. Check out the book if you want more info about specifics. but basically just eat a lot of them and eat a variety. Other good things to include:
- miso and other whole soy foods (none of that processed soy stuff)
- ground flaxseeds
- herbs
- garlic and onions
- green tea
- dark chocolate
Oh yeah, GOOD NEWS! You can have a little chocolate. It has to be dark, at least 70 percent cocoa, and you should eat no more than 2 ounces a day. Try to save this for after the first six weeks but you don't HAVE to.
Fats are essential to our bodies! They do not make you fat. Eat the right kinds. Omega-3's are what you want. The best fats and oils come from:
- Wild or sustainably-raised cold-water fish
- avocados and olives
- extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil and butter
- grass-fed and range-fed animals
Be careful with protein! It's important to our bodies too but every body is different. Some people do great on animal products, some do great as vegans, some need a mix of both. Pick high-quality animal products if you eat them. Make sure you get some source of protein at each meal or snack. Try:
- beans or legumes
- whole soy products (tempeh, tofu, miso, and natto)
- nuts
- seeds
- omega-3 or free-range eggs
- mercury-free fish, shrimp, and scallops
- organic, grass-fed, and hormone-, antibiotic-, and pesticide-free poultry, lamb, and beef (more poultry than lamb and beef).
He says red meat is a treat. He also says pork is the worst, but doesn't give any explanation for that or back it up in any way. We love our pork over here so I'm sitting stubbornly against that one. I need an actual REASON. For all I know, maybe he just hates pigs.
When you are setting up your pantry for cooking, it's really hard to find certain things that don't have wheat, or funky additives, or sugar. He recommends:
- Tamari (which is wheat-free soy sauce)
- chili pastes and hot sauces
- Tahini
- salt and fresh pepper
- spices (beware of spice blends, some of them have sugar and additives!)
- fresh herbs (grow your own or check the salad section at the grocery store)
- broth or stock (make your own if you can; read labels carefully. I couldn't find ANY that didn't have additives at first, even the organic ones. Then I found some good ones hiding in a separate tiny 'health food' section at my local Jewel-Osco).
- canned or boxed tomatoes, beans, artichokes, fish - check your labels, make the best choices you can
- fresh lemon and lime juice
Personally, I'm having a hard time giving up ketchup (I don't use a lot of it but I do use it in certain foods) and I can't find ketchup without sugar. The organic ketchup at my grocery store at least doesn't contain any additives and it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup. For now I'm not beating myself up over this choice... I don't think a little ketchup will make or break me. I may look into making my own but haven't yet.
I also miss barbecue sauce. Mostly because I was on vacation in the South and oh my was there some tasty-sounding barbecue! :( I didn't eat any of it. I know that barbecue sauce is usually FULL of sugar. I will be able to eat barbecue again one day, so I passed for now.
Country roads, take me home... to the place... I belong... (this has been in my head for days. You're welcome.)
Laying out your plate: basically it should be 1/2 low-starch veggies, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 whole grains or starch vegetables. Unless you're on the advanced plan, like me, in which case it should be 3/4 low-starch veggies and 1/4 protein for 6-12 weeks.
Also be sure to eat on time. Don't skip meals. Eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks each day. This keeps your metabolism going strong all day. Try to schedule meals for the same time each day. This will also keep your blood sugar balanced.
He also talks a lot about food allergies and why we are cutting out certain foods, especially the gluten and dairy. He talks a bit about the cost of foods and gives some advice on how to eat well for less money. Let's face it, eating healthy costs a lot more. There are ways to save money but it's still been a bit of a hit on the pocketbook. I'm still working on this too. I'll talk more about my experiences with the costs of food and how I've saved money as I get better at that part!
Develop a plan for surviving restaurants. We're all going to eat out. Try to choose restaurants in advance that you know have foods you can eat. Ask lots of questions. Plan ahead. Things like that.
Bring an emergency food pack with you whenever you leave home. Pretend it's medicine - if you were insulin-dependent (like me!) you wouldn't leave home without your insulin pen, needles, and blood test kit. Bring yourself some food every day too. Things like
- nuts
- veggies (like carrots or cukes)
- a healthy whole-food protein bar (check these ingredients too! A lot of these health-food bars aren't all that healthy. I like Larabars myself. This is another one of my small 'cheats'. I'm allowing myself one Larabar a day. They have dates in them and while dates aren't berries, I don't think the diet gods will strike me down. I eat the peanut butter cookie one (just dates, peanuts, and salt) or the blueberry muffin one (just dates, blueberries, peanuts, and salt). They're pretty good!
- a bottle of water
And of course we're supposed to journal throughout the day... write down what we are, how we feel before the meal, how we feel after, how the FOOD made us feel, what our symptoms are and if they've increased or decreased. Write every evening about our experience with food that day and how it impacted our day.
 |
| The checklist in the book. |
That's a lot of stuff! Wooo. Basically, getting healthy is a full-time job. It's crazy. He's got downloadable printable cheat sheets on his website (click here to get them), which is GREAT because there's a lot of stuff to remember. These are just the HIGHLIGHTS from the chapter on the first week of the plan.
OK scratch that. I thought the book said they were printable but apparently they're not. They are just online checklists. BOO to that. I'm not at my computer all day; that's one of the reasons that online communities often fail for me. He has the same checklist available in the book so you can either join his online community to get it or buy the book to get it. I'll write mine out in the paper journal I made and carry it with me; that's easiest for me. I'll be journaling there too. If I have any amazing food insights I'll be sure to share them here.
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