Dietary Guidelines

Meta-Principles:

1. Listen to your body and pay attention to your experience. The food plan that you feel best on is the one that is right for you. Do not get too mental about food (or anything). There are a lot of conflicting theories regarding nutrition-it is easy to get confused and frustrated. Pay attention to your feeling. If something feels right, go with it. If you get good results stay with it. If not, do something else. Your experience is the final authority on the topic. (The rest of this paper gives you guidelines that are true for many people. These are offered as a starting place you can experiment from and find what works for you.)

2. “Eat as close to the living eco-system as possible.” Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc are all carriers of life energy. That is the real nutrient you are looking to get from food. So more than gram counting different nutrients, ask “how much life and energy does this have to give me”, as the real measure of a foods value. Think about what the diet would have been like in the Garden of Eden?

Specifics:

At least 60% of total dietary intake should be raw (you can’t get life from dead food).
At least 40% of diet should be above-ground vegetables and at least half of those should be eaten raw (light steaming is ok).
Up to 25% of dietary intake from fresh fruit is acceptable for most people once they have stabilized their blood sugar.
Approximately 30+% of diet should come from the following: nuts (peanuts and cashews are generally not the best options), seeds, beans, lentils, and animal products.
NOTE: These percentages are a general starting place but will vary greatly from person to person based on their genetic metabolic make-up, exercise levels, etc. Some people need up to 60% of caloric intake from fats and proteins, while others do best with less than 10%. Experiment by varying the ratios to find what works best for you.

All farmed meat and poultry should be organic and free-range.
Wild game meat is far better than farmed meat, if available.
If beef is to be consumed, it should be grass-fed.
Avoid and fish and water creatures unless tested to be mercury-free. Wild Alaskan salmon is one of the best choices.
Avoid all pork products.
Overheating meat ruins the nutrients and makes it carcinogenic. The best ways to cook meats are by crock pot, baking or steaming. In some circumstances broiling is o.k. Charred meat should be avoided.
Pasteurized dairy is inflammatory and allergenic for most people and is best avoided. Raw, unpasteurized dairy, however, is highly nutritious and fewer people have allergic responses. Unpasteurized goat dairy is even better.
Raw eggs are another nutritionally dense food. The yolks contain many minerals and organic compounds that are destroyed or even made toxic by cooking (e.g., the good cholesterol is oxidized and turned to “bad” cholesterol). If the yolks congeal, that is a sign they have been overcooked-its is best that the yolks stay runny. The whites contain valuable protein but are less sensitive to temperature, so soft-boiled and sunny-side-up are options for people who don’t want to eat raw eggs. All eggs should be organic, free-range, and Omega-3. The incidence of salmonella in free-range eggs is almost non-existent.

All nuts and seeds should be eaten raw. Of the two, seeds are generally the better option, especially flax, and chia seeds, as they have a higher Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio. Hemp, pumpkin, and sesame are also good. Over-consumption of nuts can definitely contribute to weight gain and inflammation.

Avoid all hydrogenated and rancid (heated) fats-they can be very harmful.
Eat good raw fats containing Omega-3, such as organic flax, primrose, hemp, fish, and krill oils.
The right kinds of saturated fats are also important: coconut oil is very beneficial. It supports the thyroid, increases metabolism, aids digestion and is anti-pathogenic.

It is best to avoid most grains. Grains have a high glycemic index (i.e., breaks down into sugar very quickly). This causes raised insulin levels and unstable blood sugar, which can cause weight gain, unstable energy levels, etc. This includes white rice, corn, and refined grain products: bread, cereal, pasta, etc. Many grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) also contain gluten—-one of the most common (sub-clinical) food allergens.
If you are going to eat grains, wild (black) rice and buckwheat are gluten free and have a lower glycemic index. Amaranth and quinoa have very low glycemic index and many nutrients, but can be reactive for people who are highly gluten intolerant. Millet and brown rice are gluten free but have slightly higher glycemic index and should be used sparingly.

Complete vegetarian proteins can be obtained by mixing multiple types of beans (or lentils), or by mixing certain beans with the safe grains. Seeds, algae, dark green vegetables, sprouts, and bee pollen also contain protein.
Most people have a hard time digesting soy products, especially soy protein. It contains trypsin inhibitors, which can impair protein digestion and tax the digestive organs. Miso, Nato, and Tempeh usually are fine for most people (due to the method of fermentation).

Avoid all pre-processed foods: junk foods, fast foods, anything containing artificial sweeteners, colors or additives, etc.
Avoid refined sugars, such as sucrose, dextrose, lactose, maltose, fructose, syrups, etc. Same reason a mentioned for grains: blood sugar stability is one of the foundational pillars of health.
If desired, the best sweeteners are stevia, lo han, raw organic honey, agave nectar, yakon syrup, grade B maple syrup, and blackstrap molasses.
Eat mostly foods with a lower-glycemic index (refer to a glycemic-index chart), especially if weight loss is desired.
It is not ideal to combine fruits and vegetables at the same meal as it can be harder on your digestion.
Avoid caffeine and stimulants. If you are tired, rest. It is important to respect your body and what it is telling you.

The best things to drink are clean water, fresh juices (not too much fruit juice because of the sugar), and certain herbal teas.

A good rule of thumb is to drink approximately one liter of water per 50 pounds of body weight, per day. Exercise levels, metabolic type, and other factors affect this number. Find out what works for you.
Avoid drinking liquids with meals, as they dilute the gastric juices. Not much liquid for one-half hour before meals and 1-1/2 hours after a meal is recommended. (If the food is dry, like a health bar, some liquid is needed for digestion. Use common sense and pay attention to how you feel.)

Most people do best with some protein at breakfast. Carbohydrate breakfasts and non-existent breakfasts are hard for blood sugar stability. Lunch should also contain some protein. Dinner should be a lighter meal.
As much as possible, buy organic and locally grown produce.
Vitamin, mineral, enzyme, etc. supplements can be very beneficial, but I recommend consulting with a qualified health-care professional first.
Starting an organic food garden, or at least sprouting, is one of the very best things you can do for your health and for the environment.

It is important to be realistic with cause and effect. Not acknowledging the effect nutrition can have on your wellbeing is not wise…neither is exaggerating its role and being excessive. If your energy is low or your mood is down, it is fine to clean up your diet…but don’t forget to clean up your relationships, thoughts, life, etc.

It is important to chew your food well so that it is possible to digest.
Eat in a calm, peaceful, relaxed, and joyous atmosphere. Avoid eating in a rushed environment, when distracted, or when emotionally upset.
Avoid foods that you know aren’t good for you.
Take time to prepare your food with love and blessings.
Take time to prioritize yourself and your well-being–it pays off.
Know that you can be well, and that it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Avoid eating addictively. Food is intended to provide physical nourishment. It cannot provide nurturing. Become aware of the reasons why you are eating what you are. If you are eating when you aren’t hungry, or eating foods that don’t support the health of your body, get clear what needs you are trying to meet and ask if the strategy you are using to meet them really makes sense. If not, explore more effective strategies to meet your needs lastingly.

Take it one step at a time and don’t get overwhelmed. It is important to have ease and peace surrounding food.

Thank you for your willingness and care.

Namaste,

Daniel Schmachtenberger
(619) 788-1681
geosol114@yahoo.com

Please remember these are only guidelines and the opinion of the author, at that. This paper is designed to support your healthy food decisions and is not intended to replace one-on-one advice of a qualified health care provider.