Please forgive AI in making up words. I tried and tried and this is the best it would create. Not bad!
Simplifying this mystery… excerpted from The Vitality Code.
Nutrition can appear complicated with many approaches to diet including paleo, ketosis, “dirty keto,” “clean keto,” “high-fat low-carb,” “high-carb low-fat,” pescatarian, vegetarian, fruitarian, carnivore, vegan, raw vegan, grain-free vegan, grain-free vegetarian! It can get confusing, particularly when each of the proponents is arguing why their way is scientifically proven to be THE way. “The human body must consume animal meat and here’s the scientific proof!” Versus “The human body is not designed to consume animal meat and here is the scientific proof!” It’s like the battle of the diets. And there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” thing — everybody is different.
Here we will cover:
- Commonalities across every “diet”
- Removing toxicity — three staple culprits
- What is true food, aka nutrients?
- What works with people who reverse incurable illnesses — a few examples
- Basics of real food
Our cells require nutrients, as nature intended. It means sticking to “The Nature Codes,” and ignoring about 90% of grocery store shelves.
The first fundamental I discovered that worked across the board in terms of diet were to consume food as Nature intended, which meant consuming organic (to avoid chemicals such as pesticides, and fungicides, antibiotics & hormones in animals), nothing processed or man-altered, GMOs, hybridized Roundup Ready wheat, elimination/restriction of dairy, and limiting sugar (unless it’s from fruit). Many symptoms can be alleviated or even eliminated with the removal (or replacement) of these three food types.
Allegra Cohen, for example, was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at 16 years old. Since then, she has been on medications, on and off, for 20 years. A life-altering flare-up, a pivot in her life, as she describes it, caused her to make a radical decision in changing her life and diet. She discovered an anti-inflammatory protocol, which meant eliminating certain culprits. For her, this meant eliminating sugar, gluten, dairy, eggs, and also sodium. I found that the majority of those who reversed an autoimmune condition, such as multiple sclerosis, had done so by removing/replacing grains, eggs, and nightshades.
This is in alignment with two autoimmune protocols called The Wahls Protocol or The Myers Method. Grain-free vegan, or paleo (which is, by definition, grain-free), is an effective dietary approach for reversing autoimmune conditions that involves a major focus on healing the gut. I’ve discovered since living a majority paleo way (modified to have more plants and less meat/fish), that grains can be inflammatory. The argument for a grain-free and legume-free diet is that grains are designed for birds (expanded more in The Vitality Secret). Birds have the digestive tracts to digest grains, humans do not.
Grains and legumes can cause leaky gut, which leads to autoimmune disease. This is not the case for everyone, clearly. That said, if you do suffer from an autoimmune condition, I’d highly recommend considering a grain-free diet – at least until healed. I referenced two game-changing books in The Vitality Secret — Grain Brain and Wheat Belly — which both discuss in detail how gluten and other grains can affect our health. “Researchers have known for some time now that the cornerstone of all degenerative conditions, including brain disorders, is inflammation. But what they didn’t have documented until now are the instigators of that inflammation—the first missteps that prompt this deadly reaction.
And what they are finding is that gluten, and a high-carbohydrate diet, for that matter, are among the most prominent stimulators of inflammatory pathways that reach the brain.” – Perlmutter, 2013. Grain Brain was written by neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter.
He dedicated 35 years of his work to addressing the effects of grains and other carbs on the brain and body. He has helped thousands of people regain their brain health by freeing themselves of the effects of grains, and not just gluten. He reports that when we’re constantly exposed to high levels of insulin, as a result of grain consumption (and high GI carbs and sugar), it actually affects our ability to focus, concentrate, and remember things. It cognitively impairs us, meaning it harms the brain and prevents it from functioning to its full potential. This can lead to brain fog and depression.
The Autoimmune Solution, by Dr. Amy Myers, and The Wahls Protocol, by Dr. Terry Wahls, discuss how to reverse autoimmune conditions, and repair “leaky gut” with paleo principles and avoiding “nightshades.” These are certain vegetables and fruits that can cause inflammation in the gut or leaky gut. They have their own defenses, and these natural chemicals can cause harm to our own immune systems. Common nightshades include white potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant (aubergines), bell peppers, and chili peppers. See food resources for more examples. Since various spices and spice mixes are made from chili peppers, nightshades can be found in a variety of processed foods!
Please note: a strict anti-inflammatory diet is just one piece of the autoimmune protocol. It also requires paying attention to all lifestyle habits, as well as a huge focus on mental, emotional, and energetic wellbeing. While paleo is effective in reversing autoimmune conditions, other dietary approaches like a vegan or vegetarian approach can be effective. A grain-free vegan or vegetarian approach might be more effective than vegan or vegetarian with grains.
Personally, I feel that it is much more challenging to consume a diet that is vegan or vegetarian without any grains. If you’re curious about what it takes to reverse an incurable illness, I invite you to listen to some episodes on The Vitality Secret Podcast at VitalitySecretPodcast.com.
Another commonality I came across during these interviews was that, from a dietary respect, they all increased their micronutrient intake (vitamins and minerals) predominantly from organic vegetables, and a little fruit. Too much fruit can be a challenge for some, given its high sugar content.
Vegetable juicing is an effective way to ensure you increase your micronutrient intake. (Pure celery juicing on an empty stomach has remarkably powerful benefits unless you are on blood thinners. Check out Medical Medium for information on that.) Most people don’t consume sufficient micronutrients. I heard a holistic health practitioner, on the amazing documentary Food Matters, say: “We are stuffing our faces and we are starving. We are obese and we are starving.
When addressing diet, there are several steps to consider. Ultimately, we want to be eliminating (or reducing) toxins and replenishing with natural fuels.
1. Eat real food. Switch to as clean a diet as you possibly can, by sticking to the Nature codes. If it is packaged or processed, the chances are, it’ll have flavorings or preservatives in it, and sugar. This means no packaged goods, or being very mindful about what you purchase, and getting into the habit of reading the labels. If you don’t recognize an ingredient, your body won’t either. #Inflammation. Be aware of made-to-look healthy food.
2. Consider switching to organic and pasture-raised, money permitting. We do have a sustainability challenge right now, and I don’t believe we need to consume as much meat or fish as we are consuming.
3. Increase your micronutrient intake. There is normally no harm in increasing vegetable intake. Seek out organic stores where you can save money. The exception to this might be an autoimmune disease that will normally require eliminating nightshades while you heal.
4. Eliminate (or replace) gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. See how you feel. You may choose to stagger this transition.
5. Consider grain-free living. This is a lot easier if you eat meat and fish and eggs. It is possible as a vegan or vegetarian, but a lot harder. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, it is worth considering at least refraining from gluten, and the next step would be to consume only pseudo-grains like millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and maybe a little white rice. Contrary to popular belief, white rice is less inflammatory than brown rice, although slightly higher on the glycemic index.
6. Limit refined sugar. It is inflammatory and spikes insulin, your fat-storing hormone, and can lead to a myriad of health challenges. The same goes for alcohol. Sadly, it is a toxin, and must be limited or avoided. I do occasionally drink alcohol, I want to be transparent about that, but I do my best to be conscious about quantity and do what I can to mitigate its effects with principles outlined throughout this book.
7. Consider fasting. It has a plethora of health benefits, including it being superb for reducing inflammation, for improving/reversing insulin resistance and, for current times, is a great way to balance “Long Covid” and the lingering spike protein from either the virus or the inoculation. There are a variety of ways to fast. The Vitality Secret explored this in greater detail.
8. Consider the ketogenic diet. It, too, has a myriad of health benefits, although I would personally say this is not a good long-term strategy. In short, nutritional ketosis refers to the liver-producing ketone bodies in the absence of the introduction of carbohydrates into your body, and your body fuels very efficiently off these ketones, as does your brain. The brain favors ketones over glucose. It is a fast way to burn fat, and reduce inflammation, and is particularly useful with neurodegenerative disorders.
9. Take supplements relevant to what you need. A good kinesiologist, bio-resonance test, microbiome, or blood test will tell you where you are deficient and thus, which ones you need. A few you might regularly choose to take are Vitamin C, D, CoQ10, zinc, magnesium, probiotics and probiotics, and glutathione, but testing is the only way to truly find out where you are deficient and what your body requires. I suggest Functional Medicine or Naturopathic Medicine to help you with this (or me.)
Go to: VitalitySecret.com/codes for resources on food and a free e-copy download of The Vitality Secret. As you switch to an anti-inflammatory diet, you’ll notice unwanted body fat drop off with greater ease, energy, and concentration will likely improve, and symptoms will likely ease as well. And this is just from diet.
Sunlight: The Ultimate Fuel?
“Light is the basic component from which all life originates, evolves, and is energized. Light and health are inseparable.”
— Ken Ceder, former co-director of Hippocrates Health Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
Do you feel healthier in the summer? Do you find you get sick less frequently? In this section, I shed light on why the sun is so crucial for our survival and to thrive.
To be continued…or you can see this blog post on “The Ultimate Nutrient”
Seeking support with your health transformation? Check out how I can support you with private coaching here.