Weekly Wellness Note #9 - The Innate Diet

Welcome back! Today we're gonna be talking about Diet and Nutrition.

And no, I'm not endorsing some fad weight loss diet that's doomed to fail. We're talking about taking the outdated and unscientific food pyramid, and learning how to make healthy choices in regards to the foods that you eat. It's not about losing weight. It's about eating in a way so that you thrive in your day to day life.

Side Effects may include: decreased cravings increased energy, decreased moodiness, losing weight, prevention of chronic disease, improvement in neuro/psychological disorders (ADHD, depression, etc), and much much more.

any of those things sound like you? If so, let's start the path to change

The information I'm referencing is called The Innate Diet and Natural Hygiene by Dr. James Chestnut. The premise of the book is that humans have a blue print (it's in the genes!) for what should go into their bodies, and if they eat the foods that they were made to handle then optimum function is the result. And the best part? If you eat right and exercise, counting carbs, calories, points, etc is pointless!

So what're we going to do? Well first, it's important to get some key ideas.
- Grains are bad. Grains mean more insulin,more insulin means fat and stress.
- Water, water, water
- You can get every vitamin and nutrient you need from healthy meat sources, fruits, and vegetables.
- Eating healthy does not have to be painful (it's actually quite delicious). I'll never say to stop eating "product x". But think of it this way, if you eat healthy 80% of the time, it makes that other 20% less detrimental.

Trust me, you don't have to tell me about how good desserts and pastas are, I love them both. But I can eat them on occasion now and still feel great about my overall health

Remember, true health is a path, not a goal. We'll go step by step towards reaching a truly healthy (and delicious!) way of eating.

Typical:
Protein: industrially farmed fatty meat and fish 15-20%
Carbs: (Processed grains, sugar, high fructose corn syrup) 45-55%
Fat (grain fed meat, dairy, trans fat) 35-40%

The Ideal:
Protein: lean meats and 15-20%
Carbs: Fruits and veggies 25-40%
Fat (grass fed meat, fish, veggies, nuts) 30-45%

Don't think you can do it? Well try some of these tips, and we'll eventually get you on the healthy side of things.

Week 1 Plan: Not the innate diet by any means, but let's get some whole foods in and some processed carbs out
- For every white bread or pasta product you buy, try using a whole grain product instead. (No enriched flours, only the whole stuff)
- If you're using whole grains, start looking for gluten free products
- Find a colorful vegetable and fruit that you love, and buy enough to have one for every meal. (grapes, watermelon, apple, orange, carrots, etc)
- Don't be afraid of beef. Grass fed meat is as healthy a food you can buy.
- Need a salty snack? Try tortilla chips and salsa or pita and hummus
- Make an effort to drink water whenever you get thirsty
- Need sweets besides fruits? Try some Nature's Valley Granola Bars
- If you're gonna fry, use olive oil or canola oil.

Breakfast Options:
- Granola cereal or Cheerios
- 2 eggs
- Fruit

Lunch options: (include your favorite vegetable here)
- turkey sandwich/roast beef sandwich, real cheese (no kraft singles), on 100% whole wheat bread
- grilled chicken salad (olive oil and balsamic dressing if possible)
- grass fed hamburger or bison/buffalo burgers on whole wheat buns
- Publix subs, even better on a wrap

Dinner Options:
- Teriyaki salmon
- Grass fed beef with 100% whole wheat pasta
- chicken with rice and black beans
- Grilled chicken salad