What Should I Eat?
There is so much press on foods that we should not eat; including trans-fats, artificial sweeteners, salt, and high fructose corn syrup. Many people say they want to eat healthy, and many could stand to lose weight but unfortunately in this society, we are not taught what we should eat. What should we be putting in our mouth each day? Of course, each person is different, but what I have listed are some general guidelines to help people with what they should be eating.
Fruit
For many people, the first thing to eat in the morning is some fruit. This gives you a nice natural boost of sugar to get your blood sugar up and get you energized in the morning. Fruit is a great way to start the day also because of the fiber, it is gentle on the stomach and it is sweet which often helps people who might not be hungry in the morning. Fruit should be eaten by itself and preferably intact. Juicing isn’t always best as it pulls out the fiber put there by nature to help balance the blood sugar. Eating fruit by itself is best based on the concept of food combining which can cause problems for some, especially for people with digestive issues.
Many active people can handle 1 serving (1/2 cup) of fruit each day. I know this can be challenging for many people as I have found that many people eat way too much fruit. Eating more fruit than this consistently can lead to future blood sugar issues, weight gain and other health issues. Historically if you look at how much fruit our ancestors ate, it wasn’t much at all. In fact, it was probably only when fruit was available depending on the season. If you are prone to digestive issues, blood sugar problems (diabetes, hypoglycemia, etc.) fungus/candida, or rashes, then fruit may be something you want to avoid until you get your health turned around. When eating fruit, it is best to choose fruits that are higher in nutrients, such as blueberries or raspberries.
If you are an extremely active person that can handle eating fruit, it can be eaten by itself, of course, used as jam/jellies, in smoothies, eaten on top of homemade cereals, dried as a snack (as long as it is organic without the sulfur), or mixed into salads sparingly.
Whole Grains
Grains are not required as a food for all people. Younger people, active people or A blood types do the best on grains. Quality grains include Quinoa, Millet, and Wild Rice (which is technically a grass) – as these are healthier, gentle to digest, and highly nutritious. These are actually alkaline grains which can counter some of the acidic foods you may be eating. There are several brands of Quinoa pasta, quinoa cereals, millet bread and chips, wild rice chips, etc. Check your local health food store. Brown Rice, Oats, Ezekial products, and Spelt are others that can be sparingly used. I recommend avoiding all wheat products in most areas as wheat is highly processed, sprayed with pesticides, and not very nutritious.
Grains, of course, are high in carbohydrates, but when eating whole grains such as the ones listed, they are higher in fiber, provide a balanced protein, and are complex carbohydrates that are better for blood sugar issues. For best results look at sprouting/soaking/blooming your grains. Take a cup of grain, put it in a glass jar, fill it with water, and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 1-3 days (depending on the grain). Rinse the jar out twice a day (morning and night) and put fresh water in. This removes the phytic acid from the grain which aids digestion. It starts the sprouting process as if you were planting the grain in the ground. It also burns up some calories and fat as it starts to germinate and makes the grain easier to digest. Once you start “cooking” your grains this way it becomes quite easy. You can then warm up the grain for your meal if that is your preference and they will be ready much faster.
There are many books at the library and information online on sprouting to learn more. You can try to keep at least one-grain sprouting, and once it is the texture you like, give it a final rinse and use it in salads, or other dishes, or store in the refrigerator up to a week in a sealed container.
Dr. D’Adamo in Eat Right For Your Blood Type mentions some guidelines on eating grains; O blood types should limit grain servings to 2-4 servings a day; A blood types should have 4-8 servings of whole grains and can also have another grain amaranth which have a flavor similar to graham crackers; B and AB blood types; 2-6 servings per day.
Some other serving suggestions for grains are Ezekial or spelt English muffins, tortilla’s made by/from Ezekial brand, spelt or egg; cereals made from millet, quinoa, or Ezekial cereals (hot/cold), quinoa, or Ezekial pasta, or eating the actual cooked/soaked grain or millet, quinoa, wild rice as a main or side dish. Stuff tortillas with all sorts of veggies, cut tortillas up into triangles and bake them for dipping, and make mini pizzas out of Ezekial English muffins.
Meat
Animal protein is important for most people. If you are still unsure of the organic issue for food as far as paying higher prices, if you must eat something organic, it should be your meats. Even better is to find grass-fed and grass-finished meats. These can be harder to find, but they are definitely healthier. Do your best to find meats that have not been given foods with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and steroids. Pork is often loaded with nitrates, so check the packaging. However, there are good sugar-free/nitrate-free bacon sources available. Check your supermarket. I have found most people can eat several servings of meat. However, A blood types can get away without any animal protein sources if they want to as long as they are taking a B12 supplement.
Meat servings can be seen as breakfast bacon, turkey bacon or sausages, organic/free-range lunch meats in sandwiches, tuna fish, canned salmon or grass-fed beef, buffalo, or turkey/chicken for dinner meals. Eggs also fall into this category and are also a good source of animal protein. Search for pastured eggs, where the chickens are able to run around free, eat bugs and you will see the difference in the yolk color and they way the eggs cook up and taste. Duck or quail eggs are a good choice for people that can’t have chicken eggs.
For people that have blood sugar issues, eating protein in the morning is a way to help balance blood sugar issues throughout the day. Adding vegetables to the meat is also good to provide additional nutrients.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds can be eaten but recommend small quantities. Nuts are high in essential fatty acids, a good source of vegetable protein and fiber. However nuts can go rancid if not kept properly. Heat can damage nuts, keeping them in the fridge/freezer helps to prevent this. In addition, I have found people often over due nut intake which can cause joint issues. Sprouted nuts are a better for for some as they have higher protein and fiber. Look for sprouted almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. at your local health food store. Chia seeds are high in fiber, are 18% calcium, balance blood sugar, and are high in omega’s. Pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds are especially beneficial for most body types.
Servings for nuts and seeds can be used on top of all kinds of salads, as a snack, or cooked with vegetables. My son loves green beans sautéed in coconut oil with garlic, scallions, and sprouted almonds – yum!
Be sure to avoid all seed oils, such as canola (rapeseed) oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil. These are typically sold as vegetable oil, so read the label. All of these oils are very processed and very toxic to our bodies. To learn more about this check out Dr. Robert Lufkin’s book “Lies I taught in Medical School”.
No Dairy
If you are trying to get healthy, dairy is not the best thing for our bodies. I have written about this before in the past. If you must do dairy products, at least make them raw so you are getting the enzymes and none of the toxins that are typically found in dairy products. To take that another step tries some of the milk alternatives there are available including hemp milk, coconut milk, or other alternative milk. Try to avoid rice milk as it can be high in carbohydrates/sugars. Soy is not recommended because processing is typically done with Hexane – read more about that in this article. In addition, unfermented soy inhibits the absorption of iodine and can cause hormone problems in some people.
There are also cheeses, cream cheeses, ice creams, etc. made from natural sources as well. Coconut milk ice cream is especially good. Check your local health food store for yummy options! Or look into getting a ice cream maker. We make coconut milk ice cream often with no sugar or processed flavorings and it is delicious. It is tasty, easy, and inexpensive.
If you must have dairy, try making or purchasing kefir, plain yogurts without the added sugar and unecessary ingredients, or buttermilk’s. The fermentation is beneficial for many people and can make digestion easier. Raw cheeses would be another option.
Vegetables
Vegetables are good for many people. However, they are sprayed, unless you are growing them yourself, or purchase organic. Some people have issues with vegetables - for example oxilates from vegetables can create kidney stones. There are a few books on the market that help people to determine what foods are causing issues for their health. One popular one is The Plan and is written by nutritionist Lyn-Genet (http://lyngenet.com/). It is available on Amazon.
On this plan, there is a 21-day menu, all outlined with explanations and wonderful recipes. There are 3 meals required each day plus snacks. The plan has an initial 3 day cleansing fast that contains a lot of food. Once the initial cleanse is completed, different foods are brought in each day to “test” to see if they cause inflammation. This requires purchasing a thermometer and digital scale (if you don’t already own one) to test your bodies’ reaction to foods adequately.
Vegetables are good at providing our bodies’ nutrients, fiber, essential fatty acids, and water. As a guideline, you can check the books mentioned above to find the optimum vegetables for you.
For serving suggestions for vegetables, check out your library for vegetarian cookbooks. You can add meat if you want to any dish at some point, but these cookbooks can give you some great ideas for preparing and seasoning vegetables that might surprise you. Of course, you can always eat them raw, blanched, boiled, or steamed.
Oils
There are good oils recommend - olive oil for salads and coconut oil, or butter (preferably pastured) for cooking, tallow, lard, and ghee are also beneficial to our bodies and easy to cook with. Pay attention to the type/brand of olive oil as it is a sensitive oil and can go rancid if heated too much or not kept cool. Camelina oil is another oil that is high in vitamin E and tastes delicious in salad dressings or drizzled over vegetables. Coconut oil is much heartier and can withstand high heats. Avoid margarine, canola oil (from the rapeseed), and butter substitutes. If you look at the latest research out on oils, avocado oil would be another one that is questionable.
In addition to the type of foods, pay attention to how you feel after you eat certain foods. Your body will provide the information if you listen carefully. Finally, your diet may change over time. Foods that your body did well on, may no longer be best depending on your activity, location and availability. It can be benefical to review your food options regularly to see how your diet/way of eating is benefiting or hurting your body.
About the Author
Kasara is educated as a Mental Health Therapist, Master Herbalist, Board Certified Naturopath and Energy Worker with over 35 years of helping thousands of clients find alternative health options that work. She writes articles on Medium, and on her website http://truhealth.com/. You may subscribe to her Medium account or her newsletter to stay connected.