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Diet is of utmost importance in healing the body and restoring health. Food serves as the ‘fuel’ that provides the necessary building blocks for the body to function properly. Achieving and maintaining health is impossible when consuming unhealthy foods.
To heal and repair the body, it is essential to choose a diet that MAXIMIZES NUTRIENTS and MINIMIZES TOXINS.
FOOD CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO 3 MAIN CATEGORIES
MICRONUTRIENT-RICH WHOLE FOODS (Those that are nutrient-dense and health-promoting for most individuals, unless you have an allergy or sensitivity to them): • Meat, Poultry, Seafood, & Eggs • Vegetables • Fruits • Healthy Fats (animal fats, coconut oil, nuts & seeds, etc) | FOODS THAT MAY BE BEST AVOIDED ON A TEMPORARY BASIS UNTIL THE BODY HEALS OR AVOIDED DUE TO CERTAIN HEALTH CONDITIONS (Those that may or may not be tolerated and may be healthy for some individuals but inflammatory for others): • Dairy • Eggs • Legumes/Beans • Grains and Grain-like seeds • Nightshades | FOODS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD ELIMINATE (Those that are highly inflammatory, not necessary for a healthy diet, and cause more harm than good): • Gluten (increases intestinal permeability in EVERYONE) • Genetically Modified Foods (GMO’s) • Trans Fats & Highly Refined Vegetable Oils • Chemical Additives: Artificial Sweeteners, Artificial Colors & Flavors, MSG (Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid.) |
GENERAL HEALING DIET TIPS
BE AWARE when Eating. Having enough time for eating and paying attention to how food looks, smells,... is very important because digestion starts in the brain from the perception of a meal. I advise being in Parasympathetic (rest & digest) mode of ANS when eating, not Sympathetic.
FOCUS on eating unrefined micronutrient-rich foods and on avoiding universally harmful foods. REMOVE the most damaging, pro-inflammatory foods from your diet and REPLACE them with healthier alternatives in order to REPAIR your cells and RESTORE your body to a state of optimal health.
The QUALITY of the food you eat is extremely important. Look for grass-fed/grass-finished beef, pasture-raised/organic poultry and eggs, and wild-caught seafood. Purchase organic fruits and vegetables (especially for those that are on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” List or those that may be GMO such as zucchini, yellow squash, sweet corn, and Hawaiian papaya). Otherwise, you will be exposing yourself to hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, neurotoxic and endocrine disrupting chemicals, synthetic drugs, genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), and more.
FOODS THAT ARE BEST PERMANENTLY REMOVED FROM YOUR DIET: GLUTEN (Wheat, Barley, Rye, Oats) GMO FOODS (Soy, Corn, Canola, etc.) TRANS FATS (Hydrogenated Oils) REFINED WHITE SUGAR HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP HIGHLY REFINED VEGETABLE OILS (soy, corn, canola, cottonseed) UNFERMENTED SOY PRODUCTS (Tofu, Soy Flour, Edamame, etc.) ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS (Splenda / Sucralose, NutraSweet / Aspartame, etc.) ARTIFICIAL COLORS (Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, etc.) ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS & MSG | FOODS THAT ARE FREQUENTLY PROBLEMATIC / CONSIDER AN ELIMINATION TRIAL WHERE YOU COMPLETELY AVOID THEM FOR 30+ DAYS: DAIRY (Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Sour Cream, Ice Cream, etc.) GRAINS & GRAIN-LIKE SEEDS (Rice, Corn, Millet, Sorghum, Quinoa, Amaranth, etc.) EGGS LEGUMES / BEANS (Soy, Peanuts, Black Beans, Chickpeas, etc.) NIGHTSHADE PLANTS (Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Potatoes, Eggplant, Sweet Peppers, Hot Peppers, Pimentos, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder, Goji Berries, etc.) * The Autoimmune Protocol Diet (AIP) eliminates grains, dairy, legumes, eggs, nightshades, nuts, and seeds. This diet can be especially helpful for individuals with any kind of autoimmune disease (Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis) or pain (particularly joint pain). |
GLUTEN-FREE DIET
Do any lab tests for gluten sensitivity (such as Cyrex Array) BEFORE beginning a GF diet, as antibody levels start to fall after gluten is removed from the diet and you can get a false negative.
Because DAIRY is the second most inflammatory food after gluten and over 50% of people with a gluten sensitivity also react to dairy, it is best to follow a GLUTEN-FREE + DAIRY-FREE diet. At some point, it may be possible to successfully reintroduce dairy to the diet (especially less reactive dairy products like ghee, butter, or cream).
The healthiest Gluten-Free diet is one that consists of whole foods that are naturally gluten-free instead of highly refined “gluten-free” packaged food. Build your diet around high-quality protein, fats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts/seeds.
Because one tiny exposure to gluten can cause antibodies to be produced in the body for 3-6 months, it is essential to be 100% gluten-free; simply reducing gluten is not enough! It only takes 1/1000 of a gram of gluten exposure (a tiny crumb of bread) to reactivate the immune system, so it is also not sufficient to just take the bun off your burger or pick the croutons off your salad. Be as strict when it comes to gluten as you would be if you had a severe peanut allergy. Cross-contamination must be avoided.
Be aware that since gluten is a highly addictive substance that has an opiate-like effect on the brain, some people go through a period of “withdrawal” when they first remove gluten.
Withdrawal symptoms may include fatigue, headaches, depression, and nausea. Taking an enzyme called DPP-IV while transitioning to a gluten-free diet can be helpful, especially if you are the type of person who really craves bread, pasta, and other foods containing gluten.
LOOK FOR HIDDEN SOURCES OF GLUTEN
Soups and sauces/gravies often are thickened with wheat flour. Beer has gluten, so does nearly all soy sauce. Balsamic vinaigrette often has soy sauce added to it.
Foods with “malt” in their name almost always contain gluten, such as barley malt, malt extract, and malt vinegar.
Communion wafers contain gluten (many churches now offer a GF option).
Imitation seafood and seitan contain gluten.
Instant coffee is almost always contaminated with traces of gluten.
Most mushrooms are grown on gluten-containing grains (rye/wheat) and can be cross-contaminated with low levels of gluten.
Many spices and spice blends (particularly curry powder) contain wheat flour to prevent clumping.
Blue cheese is frequently inoculated with mold spores grown on breads or cultures that contain gluten.
French Fries are often prepared in the same fryer that fries foods breaded with wheat flour (chicken fingers / onion rings).
Restaurants like IHOP use pancake flour when making scrambled eggs and omelets to increase egg fluffiness.
Shampoo, conditioner, & hair products often contain hydrolyzed wheat or oats, and lotions sometimes have wheat germ oil.
Toothpaste, mouthwash, and cosmetics (be especially mindful of lipstick) may contain gluten.
Seek out certified gluten-free supplements (and avoid green drink powders with barley grass or wheat grass even if they are labeled “gluten free”).
For kids, Play-Doh and art supplies (particularly finger paints and craft paste) are often an overlooked source of gluten.
Pet food often contains gluten – look for grain-free dog and cat food (it’s healthier for them, too!).
NATURALLY GLUTEN-FREE: - MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, & EGGS - VEGETABLES - FRUIT - NUTS & SEEDS - BEANS | GLUTEN-FREE GRAINS / FLOURS: - Amaranth - Bean Flours (garbanzo/chickpea, etc) - Buckwheat - Coconut Flour - Corn - Millet - Montina - Nut Flours (almond, chestnut, pecan, etc) - Potato Flour/Starch - Quinoa - Rice & Wild Rice - Seed Flours (sunflower, pumpkin, etc) - Sorghum - Tapioca & Cassava Flour - Teff - Tigernut Flour | GLUTEN—AVOID AVOID ALL FOODS CONTAINING OR DERIVED FROM: WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE, OATS NOTES: - There are numerous varieties and forms of wheat – all of which must be avoided: durum, semolina, graham, bulgar, kamut, spelt, einkorn, emmer, farina, faro, triticale, orzo, couscous, matzo, and cake flour. - Sprouted grains (Ezekiel Bread) contain LESS gluten but are NOT gluten-free. - Certified Gluten-Free Oats would be acceptable on a GF Diet since great care is taken to ensure no cross-contamination. |
METABOLIC TYPING DIET
The optimal amounts of macronutrients—protein, fats, and carbohydrates—vary from person to person according to their personal Metabolic type. There are three different metabolic types: the protein type, the carb type, and the mixed type. The protein type has a fast metabolism, the carb type has a slow metabolism, and the mixed type has an average metabolism. People who eat according to their metabolic type will vary their diet based on the speed of their metabolism; protein types need slower-digesting foods, and carb types need foods that digest quickly. Here is a closer look at each metabolic type. You can test for the Metabolic Typing Diet online and receive your meal plan. Book Consultation to learn more.
TEST FOR FOOD SENSITIVITIES
Sensitivities are complex non-allergic, non-celiac inflammatory reactions that can involve both innate and adaptive immune pathways. The single common feature of all diet-induced inflammatory reactions is that they ultimately cause mediator release (cytokines, leukotrienes, prostaglandins, etc.) from various white blood cells (neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes). This holds true whether reactions are immediate or delayed, dose-dependent or not, governed by the innate or adaptive immune systems, cell-mediated or humoral-mediated, and whether inflammation remains at a sub-clinical level or becomes clinically symptom-provoking.
Food sensitivities are often dose-dependent, with symptom onset delayed by many hours, and there are usually many reactive foods, not just one or two, as in food allergy. And just like each person has a unique fingerprint, both food sensitivity symptoms and trigger foods differ from one person to another.
The best way to identify sensitive foods and chemicals is with the Mediator Release Test (MRT). Find more information in my Blog Post "Food Sensitivities and Their Role in Chronic Inflammatory States"
🔴 Join us at the Ultimate Wellness Retreat at Faena Hotel, Miami Beach, to learn science-based strategies for nutrition, fasting and metabolic flexibility.
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