Thursday, February 11, 2016

The Perfect Diet (For Me)

I've been asked about my diet and what I eat. After perusing the too many posts I've written on what I eat, how I eat, how it's changed and what does/doesn't work, I realized I really don't have a clear list of foods and practices. Granted, this is because with all the dietary experimenting I do in hopes of discovering the secret to perfect health, the list gets tweaked all the time. (I'm tweaking it as I speak....) However, this is my basic diet followed by the "rules."

Meat:  Cod, salmon, beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, chicken liver, oysters, tuna

Fruits:  Apples, oranges, avocados, lemons, pears, grapefruit, limes, coconut, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, plums, prunes, cherries

Vegetables:   Lettuce, spinach, arugula, dandelion greens, onions, garlic, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, squash, peas, green beans


Herbs and Spices: Oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, black pepper, Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

Nuts: Almonds

Oils and fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, butter, avocados

Other:  Coconut milk, peppermint tea

Notes:

Do not overeat. It creates inflammation and stress on your body triggering autoimmune responses. Eat every two hours to avoid blood sugar fluctuations.

Eat 80% fresh produce (if possible), 20% meat and everything else. Must have a little protein with every meal to stabilize blood sugar.

All food must be organic and fresh. No canned, packaged or processed food.

All meat must be grass-fed, organic or wild-caught. I stay away from canned meats but on occasion I eat tuna. I buy only gluten free, wild caught tuna. Don't trust big-box grocery stores even if they claim it's healthy. Find a food co-op or source you can trust.

Stay away from pork and shellfish because they are toxic. I cheat with oysters but only because I've been told they are the cleanest shellfish and I live in the oyster capital of the world. I don't eat them often, and I don't have problems when I do.

No grains of any kind.

No gluten. Watch for hidden gluten in makeup, body products/lotions, chap stick, hamburger, spices, canned anything including tuna, supplements and thyroid medications.

No dairy.

No sweeteners of any kind including high glycemic fruits: dried fruit, mangoes, bananas, papayas, etc. as they are just as bad.

No high starch vegetables: potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes

Avoid or rotate goitrogens like broccoli, kale, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts as they decrease your thyroid function. I rotate these things and cook them as cooking decreases the goitrogenic effect.

No mushrooms or fungi.

No legumes like peanuts, beans, lentils. (Fresh green peas and green beans are fine.)

Avoid lectins like tomatoes, cashews, beans, peanuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, bananas. Remove peels from fresh fruit (apples) and if I cheat with potatoes or sweet potatoes, remove the peels. This decreases the amount of lectins.

Drink as much water as possible with the goal of reaching the required number of ounces (your weight x .67 = number of ounces per day). Preferably clean water with natural minerals like artesian water. This is important for detoxification and hydration. 


Yes, now and then I cheat. And I pay for it. Sometimes.





3 comments:

  1. As usual, the evidence for crucifers interfering with thyroid hormone is complex. Thepaleomom gives an interesting review of research on this: http://www.thepaleomom.com/2013/04/teaser-excerpt-from-the-paleo-approach-what-about-the-goitrogens-in-cruciferous-veggies.html Thanks for the listing of what you eat! You have some omissions that would be really hard for me and others I wish I could do (a celebration of diversity for sure)!!

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    1. I know people have various beliefs on food, but I also find those same people profess all kinds of suggestions I think are idiotic. For instance, nearly everyone recommends, no, requires supplements, but others say supplements have contributed to the autoimmune epidemic. The Paleo Mom's AIP diet made me absolutely miserable so I tend to take whatever she says with a grain of salt (sea salt). I go with what is right for me, not anyone else. My body likes some crucifers on occasion, but not constantly, and I hate a lot of them. Not everyone is going to agree with my diet or even want to do most of it, but it's still the perfect diet (FOR ME).

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  2. I wasn't suggesting you eat crucifers because she said they were good! I just wanted to say the science of them being bad (of being goitrogens) gives mixed answers. Personal experience is ALWAYS best. The human body is complex (boy howdy!) Her review of the research literature is good; her diet is somewhat on her own experience (as she explains).

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