Principles In Order Of Priority & Volume
Dear WA Wellness Leader,
The majority of the DNA results point towards the Whole Food Mediterranean Diet. There are ultimately 3 versions that can go with the DNA: Basic, Modified, and Down-regulated animal products.
Modified – refers to carb reduction – ADRB2 79>G, SLC2A2, particularly in concert with FTO.
Down-regulated animal products – Triple marker for saturated fats relative to genes such as FTO, APOA, and APOE.
There are dozens of opinions on the diet. Yet, the Mediterranean diet has continued to gain momentum. Its a far cry from the low fat, high carb diet the medical community began recommending in the 60’s/70s that still has some momentum today. Many believe it caused a scourge of disease that goes beyond measure.
The core points to the Mediterranean diet are extremely sound: whole food, heavy plant-based, low-glycemic, modest levels of whole grains and legumes, really good fats, and eliminate the commercial meats, fats, and dairy. When you take that base and adjust for someone’s individual genetics; the only result can be the ideal nutritional path.
Below are the updated guidelines
Eat Well!
PRINCIPLE #1: Eat “Plant-based”
• Especially consume green leafy vegetables like lettuces, kale, and spinach.
• Eat non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, fennel, Brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, tomatoes, and zucchini, eggplant
• Green apples, berries, apples, cherries, pear, apricot, banana, melons, orange, peach, plum, grapefruit, prunes, lemons, limes, nectarines, tangerines, passion fruit, persimmons, pomegranate, papaya, mango
PRINCIPLE #2: Healthy fats
• Olive oil, fish oil, avocado, coconut products, macadamia nuts, and nut butter, tahini (from sesame seeds), chia, and flaxseed
• Radically limit saturated fats (Butter, eggs, red meat)
• Avoid liquid vegetable, nut, and seed oil in cooking, dressings, sauces, or in pre-packaged foods.
PRINCIPLE #3 Seeds, nuts, and legumes
• Raw Seeds: sesame, pumpkin, flax, chia, and sunflower
• Legumes: chickpeas (hummus), peas, lentils, alfalfa, and clover
• Raw nuts: macadamia, cashews, hazelnuts, and walnuts
Servings
Seeds: 1 tbsp, 1-2 times a day
Nuts: 10-12 (A handful), 1-2 times a day
Legumes: ½ cup cooked a few times a week
PRINCIPLE #3b: Herbs and spices
Eg. oregano, rosemary, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, and parsley
PRINCIPLE #4: High-quality animal products
• Wild-caught fish (Anchovies, Sardines, Tilapia, Salmon, Flounder, and Herring)
• High quality, pasture-raised poultry
• Consumed in moderation
-Eggs and Grass-fed red meat consumed once weekly to bi-monthly
• Eliminate sausage, bacon, cured and processed meats or cold-cuts
Serving size
4 oz (Size of a fist or checkbook), 3-4 times/week
3 eggs
PRINCIPLE #5 Eat but use small amounts of cultured dairy
Dairy from cultured milk products*
• Pro-biotic rich kefir or yogurt
• Goat milk products
• Fresh curd cheeses like ricotta, Feta, cottage cheese, and mozzarella.
It is important to go organic, grass-fed, and raw as much as possible as well as to have tested sensitivity to dairy products. Many people allergic to dairy are able to do goat milk or grass-fed, raw products.
PRINCIPLE #6: Whole grains
• Small portions of quinoa, amaranth, sprouted or fermented grains, oats, brown rice, spelt, Kamut, bulgur, farro, millet, and sorghum, and buckwheat.
GRAIN WARNING:
• AVOID REFINED CARBS
• Avoid wheat, gluten, and other GMO grain products
• Minimize grains specifically in a more inactive lifestyle
Drink
• Plenty of fresh water
• Some coffee or even better, green or other tea
• One glass of red wine
Soaking & Sprouting
Making Nuts, Grains, Seeds, & Beans More Edible
Nuts, grains, beans, and seeds are designed to stay alive and intact until time to sprout and grow. As a result, nature has placed within them an internal defense system that causes these foods to be anti-nutrients or even toxic in high doses. These things have become a common part of our diets, but contain substances that can inhibit your food digesting enzymes and that can block the absorption of key minerals.
If you think of proper growing conditions, these seed-based foods become wet over time so they can germinate and reproduce themselves as the plant foods we eat. In a nutshell, pun intended, this is why we need to soak and sprout these nutrients to make them safer to eat. As they go through the soaking and sprouting process, the substances that create problems in human health can be reduced or eliminated.
Soaking nuts, beans, and seeds and sprouting grains also serves to increase the presences of vitamins, particularly B vitamins, reduce the presences of unhealthy tannins, enhance the production of digestive enzymes, break down unhealthy gluten, and provide several other benefits.
Below are the basics to soaking and sprouting. Other options can be easily found on-line. It’s a popular topic. Given the challenges related to these foods, these should be eaten in moderation.
Some Basic Nut, Seed, & Bean Soaking Instructions
- Use water with approximately 1tbsp of salt. Some methods recommend adding an acidic agent like lemon juice. Beans can also be soaked in vinegar.
- Minimum time to see results is 7 hours with best results coming in 12 – 24 hours.
- Eat nuts and seeds wet or dry in a dehydrator
Basic Sprouting Instructions
How to Sprout Grain
- Rinse the grains
- Place them in a glass or stainless steel container and fill with warm water until the water is 2-3 inches above the grain
- Soak the grains for 12 hours/overnight
- After the time is up, pour out the water through a screen filter a mesh cloth and leave them moist in the container.
- Rinse the grains multiple times, stirring so you get all of them evenly
- Rinse the grains occasionally over the course of 1-3 days until you see the buds appearing as they begin to sprout
- Drain them, refrigerate, or use a dehydrator if you’re going to grind for use as flour.
Have fun saving the world
Dr. Ben