At a new patient visit, I provide a detailed analysis of a 3-7 day dietary log and point out areas where the patient is doing well and where things could be improved. In general, the following 15 points work well for most people. Of course, if allergic, I recommend they avoid those particular foods. The paleolithic concept is great; however I understand the cultural attachment many of us have to certain "non-Paleo" foods, and things like olive oil, legumes, protein powders, and supplements have proven their worth and can greatly assist one in achieving optimal health.
Combining the Paleo approach with a few items from the Mediterranean diet, I call my approach the Paleo-Mediterranean eating plan.
- Eat all the lean, wild, organic meat, fish, and seafood you desire if eaten according to the recommended schedule and quantities. Whey protein or egg protein powders and soy or pea protein are good choices when you don’t have time or access to meat protein.
- Eat all the in-season, non-starchy vegetables you want: cooked or raw; not peeled, juiced, or processed. Chopped up is OK. Blending in smoothies is OK. You need the fiber!
- Avoid excess fruit:no more than 1 piece per day and it should be whole fruit, with the peel. If diabetic or prediabetic, no fruit at all. Sugar is sugar.
- Avoid eating cereals or grains or white potatoes, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Particularly avoid any grain with gluten (wheat, barley, rye). If at your ideal body weight and composition, you could have up to 1/2 serving per day of a non-gluten-containing grain such as quinoa or wild rice.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners. Xylitol and stevia and small quantities of raw honey, agave, or real organic maple syrup are acceptable natural sweeteners in very small quantities. But, again, eating none of this category is best, particularly if you are prediabetic or have type 2 diabetes.
- Moderate legumes (beans, lentils, soybeans, peas, peanuts) and nuts. OK for 1 serving per day, but too many calories for regular eating at meals. Legumes have been shown to help stabilize blood sugar in diabetics if used instead of grains/refined carbohydrates.
- Avoid dairy products.
- Use only cold pressed olive and canola oils for salads or cooking; Ghee (clarified butter) is OK as well. Avoid margarine, shortening or any Trans-fats or vegetable/corn/safflower oil. Take 2 tablespoons of fish or cod-liver oil daily or take an EPA/DHA/GLA supplement. Flax oil is a good omega-3 oil, but it is not a substitute for fish oil.
- Don’t eat processed foods; stay out of the middle aisles in the grocery store! Processed means anything that was done to a food to alter it (ground, smoked, colored, mixed up, cooked, chemically adulterated). Most processed foods are in boxes, jars, or containers and have multiple, often unpronounceable ingredients.
- Eat frequent small meals, 5-6 per day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and snack) about the size of your 2 fists for meals; 1 fist or less for a snack. Keep a bag/container of snacks at work. Snacks are whole fruit, vegetables, a few nuts, a hard-boiled egg, or a meal-replacement/protein bar (not sugary power bars). For purposes of this plan, 1 serving=1/2cup fully cooked or prepared.
- Meals are ¾ vegetable+fruit, 1/4 lean protein by volume on the plate. Add lots of spices to your foods-they have many health benefits.
- Supplements: Take a high-quality multivitamin, a supplemental multistrain probiotic, Vitamin D3 1000-5000 units/day, essential Omega-3 fats in the form of fish oil (3-5 grams/day). Other nutraceuticals are prescribed for your specific condition.
- Fast for 24 hours once per week (continue to drink liquids). This will extend your life, raise your level of human growth hormone, lower insulin, prevent chronic disease, help you to lose weight, and give your body a needed rest to repair itself.
- Drink plenty of purified water, glass-bottled mineral water, green tea, herbal tea; Avoid milk or fruit juices. Avoid beverages from plastic bottles due to hormone disrupting chemicals in the plastic (BPA). 1-2 glasses of red wine per day are permitted but better if none is consumed. Try to switch from coffee to green tea.
- Make eating fun! Many delicious recipes are available in books recommended by our office and online. See my website at www.OptimalWellnessMD.com in the store section for links to recommended books on Amazon.com.
By following these 15 points, you will see a healthy and moderate weight loss of about 1 pound per week. Your cholesterol profile and blood pressure will also improve.
If your goal is rapid fat and weight loss, I highly recommend our Ideal Protein fat loss system. You can learn more at our website and at www.idealprotein.com. We combine this system with HCG, injected nutrients to accelerate fat loss, custom prescribed medicines to stop cravings, and various nutritional supplements to achieve truly extraordinary results. Our clients can safely lose up to 10 pounds of fat per week with this approach.
In health,
Dr. Joseph Kaye MD.
BodyLogicMD of Boston
781-933-4200
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