Top 10 Dietary Recommendations
By Annika Rockwell, CN & Rachael Richardson, RD, LN

In our 12 years experience as nutritionists, we have found that there are some foundational dietary guidelines which help 95% of our clients. Although there is no substitute for getting your own customized program from a nutritionist, here are our Top 10 Tips which are guaranteed to improve how you feel, and most likely to reverse your chronic health concerns.

Remove Gluten
Read complete details about the benefits of removing gluten foods from your diet here.

Get Your Omega 3s (EFAs) and other Good Fats
You must take Omega 3s or an Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) blend regularly! Most of you are completely deficient. When buying fish oils, it is critical that they are certified mercury and dioxin free and purified. Read about many benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids here.

Other sources of health-promoting fats are almonds, walnuts, cashews, macadamia, pecans, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, almond butter, avocados, egg yolks, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, organic butter for very low heat cooking, and Coconut Butter, Grapeseed Oil or Sesame Oil for higher temperature cooking or sautéing.

Increase Vegetables
Eat your greens at least twice a day, as part of your lunch and dinner. You should eat at least one salad per day (the darker the greens, the better), and one big helping of green veggies with your meals (orange, yellow, and purple veggies are also good). Variety is ideal. They provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, enzymes, phytonutrients, and water- which will positively impact every system of your body.

Increase Protein
Protein is critical for virtually every function in the body including immune system, weight loss (metabolism), brain function, hormones, and energy. Be sure to get at least 3-4 oz. protein at every meal. Protein needs increase with psychological, physical and immune stress, exercise/weight training, pregnancy, and height. Ideal sources of protein are low mercury fish, organic chicken, turkey, beef, or eggs. Also use quinoa, the highest protein grain instead of white rice or oatmeal. Nuts, lentils, quinoa, and beans are encouraged, but do not replace complete animal proteins. Consider drinking an Organic Whey Protein smoothie daily to fortify your protein intake, especially in the morning or for a snack.

Increase Fiber
You must consume fiber each day for optimal health. For women, 30-35 grams and for men 35-40 grams. Ground flax meal is an excellent and inexpensive way to get your fiber & cancer protective phytonutrients. Raw nuts & seeds contain fiber and minerals (almonds, walnuts, cashews, macadamia, pecans, pumpkin seeds). Low sugar fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, papaya, grapefruit) and vegetables are another great way to fortify your fiber intake. Here is a Fiber Chart where you can see if you are getting enough fiber every day. If you discover you’re not meeting your needs, consider taking a daily fiber supplement such as Paleofiber by DFH.

Eliminate “Empty Calorie” Foods, Sugar, and Toxic Foods
Most cereal, breads, pasta, & packaged foods are considered junky and toxic "empty calorie" foods. In addition, dried fruits, high sugar fruit (banana, grapes, mangos), high sugar drinks (soda, fruit juice), jelly/jam, candy, cookies, and desserts are all loaded with sugars and should be eliminated. Yes, even the fruits and fruit juices are doing more harm than good for any of you with Candida symptoms. In any substantial quantity, these high sugar foods act like a fire in your body, causing inflammation, diabetes, and early death of cells. Also, eliminate any foods containing partially hydrogenated oil (cancer & heart disease causing). And eliminate toxic chemicals like MSG, food colors, and preservatives.

Drink More “Clean” Water
Filtered or spring water, or herbal teas (hot or cold) are your best beverages. Drink 8-12 cups water per day (calculate your ideal amount by calculating ½ your body weight in ounces. Example: 140 lbs/2= 70oz or 8-9 cups daily. Drink this amount each day to optimize health, energy, endurance, and sports performance. We recommend using a reverse osmosis water filtration system, and then adding your own liquid minerals or electrolytes such as Peltier Electrolytes. Also, here are some herbal tea suggestions.

Eat Organic
Benefits of eating organic foods include that they are free of pesticides and chemicals which harm and weaken your hormonal system, intestines, and overall metabolism and it’s proven that organic produce contains more vitamins and minerals. In essence, you get more bang for your buck! Also, be sure to learn about GMO (Genetically Modified) Foods which are very hazardous to your health and cause infertility and cancer. There is currently no regulation to label GM foods in the US (as of 11/15/08) yet Europe and other countries have banned them! Read more details about why you need to avoid GM Foods. And download your Non-GMO Shopping Guide Booklet.

Stop Drinking Coffee
Coffee causes adrenal fatigue, intestinal problems and hormonal imbalances. Replace daily coffee with homemade bone broths with sea salt- drink all day long. Recipe for Homemade Bone Broth. This is easier said than done, but so important to energy, gut health, sleep patterns, and pain reduction. Other coffee replacement ideas are ginger or green tea, coconut milk with cocoa powder, or a super greens drink like Paleogreens with water and lime.

Include Foods to Support Digestion
Throughout history, all cultures have used functional foods to fortify their digestive function and maintain their healthy bacteria. They intuitively knew that digestion was a key to health and regularly included foods to protect their intestinal health. Coconut oil, papaya, pineapple, ginger (make tea or use in cooking), peppermint (tea), Kim chi, sour kraut, miso soup, and fresh homemade yogurt (if you tolerate dairy).

Other Important Suggestions…

Eliminate Food Allergens and Antagonists
Dairy, soy, corn, wheat (gluten) are difficult to digest and cause inflammation in many people. If you are experiencing poor health symptoms such as intestinal problems, body aches/pain, headaches/migraines, fatigue, depression/anxiety, or other poor health symptoms, try eliminating the common allergens for 3 weeks to test for food allergies. You can also go for a food allergy test, however beware these tests are often misguiding.

Use Sea Salt and Kelp
Replace all commercial table salt with brown or pink sea salt which contains minerals and is unrefined. Kelp also serves to add a salty flavor to soups and other dishes and provides many benefits from the sea.

Take Vitamin D3
Vitamin D deficiency is this country’s new epidemic! If you don’t get at least 2 hours of direct sunshine on your body each week (with no sunscreen since it blocks Vitamin D production), you need to take 2000 IUs per day to prevent many healthy problems including hormone related cancers, osteoporosis, muscle & bone pain, fatigue, and hormone imbalances. Read more about the importance of Vit D and the research.

Consider Nutritional Lab Testing
Lab work is an excellent way to determine exactly what you need to focus on and what your biochemical weaknesses are. There are a variety of reports which can be performed using your blood or urine. Ask us what we recommend for your specific health concerns. We highly recommend the CBC by LabAssist.

Exercise
Make exercise part of your regular routine. Three (3) days a week is a minimum (weight training ideal, along with Yoga, Pilates, or some aerobic form). Exercise is good for preventing heart disease, helps balance hormones, and helps regulate insulin (blood sugar). It also strengthens the immune system, helps increase endorphins (happy chemicals) in your brain, strengthens your bones, helps your body function better, increases detoxification of all your organs, and helps prevent over 50 diseases!