You Are What You Eat!

Food is medicine.  In fact a relatively new class of pharmaceuticals is called "Biologics".  There is money to be made by copying nature.  These Biologics are complex molecules, not simple single molecule drugs.

Definitions:  Biologics are medicines that generally come from living organisms, which can include humans, animals and microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria.

"So What Does My Food Plan Look Like?"

So, what am I doing?  Mostly following the PaleoMom's Autoimmune Protocol with an emphasis on nutrient density.   I make every bite count.  I am eating to live & recover and redefining what tastes good.

Goals for my diet:

1.  Low Carbohydrate:  50-300 grams per day

2.  Daily Saturated Fat, Coconut Oil and Olive Oil -- no other oils

3.  Improved Omega 6: Omega 3 Fat Ratio

4.  Greens Are Magical -- Very high Antioxidant level 

5.  Spend More $ To Achieve Goals

6.  Supplement to Strengthen the Methylation Cycle and as a result Epigenetics

7.  Slow Cook to Reduce Oxidation

8.  Simplify to Reduce Time in the Kitchen and Enjoy Time in the Kitchen

9.  Low Toxins -- Use Organic

10.  Keep number of ingredients to a minimum-- single ingredient cooking

Breakfast

I use No Nitrate/Uncured Bacon and try to make it fresh everyday so that the fat melts in my mouth.

Yum!  I also use liver -- I like the nutrient density and mix it with non-seed spices like cinnamon and coconut milk, apples and onions to create a flavorful pate.  I eat berries or a small green smoothie (various greens/lemon juice/coconut oil)  full of antioxidents.

I get up early so that I enjoy my kitchen-time!  I often listen to podcasts -- it is like listening to a friend -- to pass the time learning something new and thinking non-cooking thoughts! ;-)

Lunch

Green Soup at the Center:  Lunch can look a lot like breakfast with a meat, 10 veggie soup with cold olive oil, and water with lemon.  For any meal I may use Now Super Enzymes to help break down the food.

Ten Veggies!  My soup includes Kale (green and or purple), radishes, daikon, carrots, beet, spinach, red leaf lettuce, mixed greens, raddichio, broccoli or brussel sprouts.  I use a Vitamix with soup function and mix up a batch for the week.  I reheat in the microwave.  The heating reduces the phytates that we are all trying to avoid; it also increases methyl-folate level.  I add the olive oil cold after I reheat it.  That gives me some powerful Omega 9 and helps with absorption of fat soluble vitamins.  I also add sea salt and sometimes garlic powder, turmeric or ginger.

This is not gourmet food, this is survival food.  One of my sons looked at my soup and said, "Mom's going to outlive all of us."  :-)  This could be true.  Thomas O'Bryan, of ACAM, reported that celiacs who adjust their diet outlive the average person without autoimmune disease.  

Dinner

Main Course:  Rotate!   Our dinner is like musical chairs, each night I change the menu.

Lamb, Wild Caught Salmon, Grass Fed Hamburgers, Pork, Shellfish, Fish, Shrimp, Chicken.

Green Veggie:  Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans, Salad.

Rice:  White Basmati or Jasmine.  This is for everyone but me.  I don't eat grains.

Snacks:  These vary, but overall are limited to a few good things.

1.  Bone broth:  full of minerals and some easy to digest proteins

2.  Jerkey:  often grass fed

3.  Fruit:  usually banana, berry, apple, avocado (fat again), pear

Dessert is Rare!  Honey sometimes.  Figs and Dates.  Larabars aren't too bad.  ;-)

Eating Out?

Well this is difficult.  Food service is made for profit and their profit is not my goal.  

I usually order salmon grilled in Olive Oil and steamed broccoli.  Sometimes I get a burger with no bun.  At Chipotle I buy Carnitas with Guacamole and Lettuce.  It's all simple.  Sometimes I have to eat before I go out just in case there is no way to create a meal.  I just order water and lemon in those cases.

I could mope about not eating what everyone else eats, but overall I am just happy not to be cooking.   :-)  We recently went on an all inclusive vacation where the hotel put together a letter with a list of my "allergens".  The chef at each restaurant was happy to accommodate me!  The chef came to the table to see how I liked the food.  It was such a welcome change from eating in an American Chain Restaurant and hoping to get something fairly safe.

It's a diet I can LIVE with and THRIVE ON!

I should add that I went "Gluten Free" first, four years ago, and saw tremendous results in terms of energy level and lower autoantibodies.  The next stage was the "Virgin Diet" which took out eight other common allergens.  Yet another stage was "Paleo" which took out all grains, dairy, and legumes.  

Finally I found "PaleoMom's Autoimmune Protocol" which took out even more reactive foods.