Cancer, diabetes, depression, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s—these seemingly diverse diseases are increasingly thought to have a common denominator: inflammation. We can do something about this major player in disease.
Normally, inflammation is part of a healthy immune response, an orchestrated onslaught of cells and chemicals that heal injury and fight infection—think redness, pain, swelling. But the process also has a quiet, dark side. Chronic “hidden” inflammation occurs throughout the body when something kick-starts the immune system and disengages the shut-off button. I think that something is toxicity.
These dietary changes don’t have to be forever, but try at least 1 month on this diet to see how well you can feel, then if you add the “avoid” foods back in moderation, your body can tell you what your limits are.
Try to eat only organically grown foods. Please do not use a microwave oven to cook or reheat foods and beverages. There is no restriction on the amount of food you may eat, but try to chew well. The foods listed are only examples of foods to eat except where a specific restriction is noted.
Steamed Vegetables:
The primary reason for using steamed vegetables is that steaming improves the utilization or the availability of the food nutrients allowing the GI mucosa to repair itself. Raw vegetables may also be eaten as a salad. Other cooking methods such as boiling or baking can also be used.
Eat a variety of any and all vegetables (except tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers) that you tolerate. Yams, sweet potatoes, squash are allowed. Add your favorite spices to enhance the taste of these vegetables. (Look under Recipes for Healing: Creative Cooking with Vegetables)
Grains:
§ Eat one to two cups of cooked grains per day of those you tolerate.
§ Allowed grains include: millet, basmati or brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, oatmeal, barley, buckwheat, rye, spelt.
§ Other grain foods that may be eaten are rice crisps and wasa crackers.
§ (Look under Recipes for Healing: The World of Whole Grains)
Legumes:
§ Eat a variety of any legumes that you are able to tolerate:
§ Split peas, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans, soy beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans (chick peas), aduki & azuki beans.
§ (Look under Recipes for Healing: Delicious Meatless Protein Recipes)
Fish:
§ Deep-sea ocean (vs. farmed) fish: salmon, halibut, cod, sardines, mackerel, haddock is preferred. No shellfish.
§ The fish should be prepared by poaching, baking, steaming or broiling.
Chicken/Turkey:
§ Eat only the white meat and not the skin of free-range or organically grown chicken/turkey.
Bake, broil or steam poultry.
Fruit:
§ Eat only 1 or 2 pieces of practically any fruit except citrus. If possible, it is preferred to eat the fruit baked (such as a baked apple or pear) or apple or pear sauce.
Sweeteners:
§ Very small amounts of maple syrup, rice syrup, barley syrup,agave nectar, honey or stevia may be used.
§ Absolutely no sugar, NutraSweet, Splenda or any other sweetener is allowed. Sugar acidifies the body, contributing to metabolic acidity. Artificial sweeteners accumulate in the body and are not eliminated.
§ (Look under Recipes for Healing: Healthy Dessert Recipes)
Seeds and Nuts:
§ Grind raw flax, pumpkin, sesame or sunflower seeds and add to steamed vegetables, cooked grains, smoothies, etc. You may also eat nut and seed butters: almond, cashew, sesame, etc. No peanuts or peanut butter is allowed.
Oils:
§ Use extra virgin olive oil for situations requiring uncooked oil or in baking. Use sunflower or sesame oil for cooking since these oils tolerate higher temperatures.
Spices:
To add a pleasant flavor to your food choices, add whatever spices you enjoy.
Sea Vegetables
Have seaweed every other day: kombu, kelp, nori, wakame, hiziki, arame, agar or dulce. Nori and dulce can be eaten raw, wakame is great in soups, kombu or kelp in beans, arame or hiziki soaked then used in stir fries and agar like jello in desserts.
(Look under Recipes for Healing: Cooking with Sea vegetables)
Herbal teas and good water to drink:
§ Drink a minimum of 6 to 8 glasses of spring, bottled, filtered or reverse-osmosis filtered water every day.
§ You may also choose to drink 2 to 4 cups of caffeine free herbal tea and this will count towards your water consumption. Caffeine free does not, however, mean decaffeinated. The decaffeination process uses chemicals that are toxic for human consumption. Instead, you should use herbal teas that are naturally caffeine free.
For now, avoid the following foods:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Eggs (for some people)
- All wheat products including breads, white flour
- Citrus fruits
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Corn products
- Peanuts and peanut butter
- All caffeinated teas
- Coffee
- Alcohol
- Meat: red meat and especially pork and pork products
- Sugar, NutraSweet, and all sweeteners except natural sweeteners
- Fried foods (some stir frying ok)
- Any processed food
