Slow Oxidizer Diet

THE SLOW OXIDIZER EATING PLAN

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

© April 2015, The Center For Development

 

A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE DIET FOR SLOW OXIDIZERS

 

Cooked Vegetables. Most adults need to eat nine to ten cups of cooked vegetables each day. Vegetables must be cooked until they are soft, not crunchy.

Eat 2- 3 cups of cooked vegetables at least three times daily. Children need less, depending on their size and age. Children can often have vegetables covered with cream, which makes them tasty. Even cooked vegetable popsicles are okay for children.

Measure the cups of food with cooked, not raw vegetables. Ideally, each day have at least 2 (two):

– Root vegetables (such as carrots, onions, turnips, daikon, rutabagas or parsnips. Others include taro, cassava, eddoes, dasheen and tania.)

– Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or Brussels sprouts).

– Greens (such as spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens, mustard greens or kale).

 

This is a lot of cooked vegetables, but they are needed today to provide hundreds of nutrients! Eat the cooked vegetables first at a meal, so you won’t accidentally fill up on other food and skip them.

 

– Dried herbs on your food. Not only does this add flavor, but it may add vitamins in large amounts. Among the best are parsley, garlic, ginger, sea salt, rosemary, basil, cilantro or coriander, thyme, and marjoram.

– Sea salt. Unrefined sea salt may be used liberally, and in most cases does not cause high blood pressure or other problems. Adults can have up to 2000 mg of unrefined sea salt per day. A good brand of sea salt is Real Salt by Redmond. Avoid all table salt, which is toxic and deficient in trace minerals. Also, never add salt to your drinking water. Also, do not just eat salt alone. Sprinkle a little on your food, preferably after it is cooked.

– Soups. Soups usually have too much water in them, so they dilute the digestive juices and interfere with digestion. Occasionally thick soups or purees are okay. Another way to eat soups is to separate the vegetables and meat from the broth after cooking. Eat the vegetables and meat as part of a meal, and have the vegetable broth as a drink between meals.

– Fermented foods. The following fermented foods are okay to eat: natural cheeses, plain yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso and a little natural soy sauce. Avoid all the others, including kombucha tea, pickles, kimchi, and fermented grains. Most contain aldehydes, which are toxic.

 

Protein. Eat some high-quality protein twice or three times daily. Most protein needs to be of animal source, such as lamb, chicken, turkey, soft-cooked eggs and preferably raw dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. Avoid all vegetarian diets and avoid raw food diets. Do not eat fish or shellfish (seafood) except for up to 3 or 4 cans of sardines weekly. Most food from the sea is highly contaminated with mercury and other toxic metals today. Avoid all vegetarian diets. Read about vegetarian diets.

Do not eat meat broths because they are somewhat toxic and contain very little nutrition. Instead, eat the meat. Some bone broth is excellent, however.

 

Fat and oils. Fat intake should be low – perhaps up to two tablespoons daily. I like the Challenge brand of butter in the USA, found in many supermarkets. A lot of butter is not healthful, even if it is labeled organic.

 

Carbohydrates or starches. Eat complex carbohydrate such as whole grains and starchy vegetables. However, avoid all wheat and spelt products. Also avoid all rice at this time. Rice seems to have too much arsenic. Hopefully, this will be resolved in the next year or so.

 

Sweets and fruit. AVOID ALL sugars and all things sweet, including fruit. Fruit is too yin, too sugary and upsets blood sugar.

Avoid fermented foods except for cheeses, yogurt and kefir, as these have less toxic aldehydes in them. Avoid all soy foods today, as they are very hybridized and less healthful.

 

Meal planning. Eat at least three times daily, do not skip meals, and keep the meals simple. Ideally, have only one or two kinds of food per meal. With each meal, have cooked vegetables with EITHER a protein or a starch. Rotate your foods to have some variety in your meals. Organically grown, high quality and preferably fresh food is best.

Water. Ideally, drink two to three quarts or liters of spring water each day. Second best in most cases is to drink carbon-only filtered tap water. Do not drink reverse osmosis water or other types of water. Never add minerals to your water.

Do not drink with meals, however. Drink an hour or more after meals, and up to 10 minutes before a meal. Drink water, preferably, not soda, coffee, tea or other beverages. One cup of coffee or tea is fine, however.

 

The reasons for each of the items above are explained below. This diet will seem strict to some people. I have found the closer one follows the diet, the better one feels. Change over slowly if you need to, substituting healthier foods for less healthy ones. Here are more details about this diet.

 

WHAT TO EAT IN MORE DETAIL

 

1. 70-80% cooked vegetables. To eat this many, you need to eat cooked vegetables three or perhaps four times daily. All vegetables are excellent except the following: mushrooms, artichokes, okra, summer squashes and the nightshades (tomatoes, white and red potatoes, eggplant and all peppers – both sweet peppers and hot peppers). A little cayenne pepper as a spice is fine.
2. About 15% protein, mainly of animal origin. Have some flesh protein daily. ONLY EAT ONE KIND OF PROTEIN PER MEAL. Lamb is the best red meat in most cases, although good quality beef is excellent, too.
3. 7-8% complex carbohydrates. These include concentrated starches such as brown rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth and others. However, avoid all wheat products and most buckwheat. HAVE ONLY ONE TYPE OF STARCH PER MEAL.
4. Ideally, do not combine a heavy starch with a heavy protein. Instead, have a starch with vegetables, OR a protein with vegetables at each meal. You may also have just a cooked vegetable meal.
5. 6-7% high-quality fats and oils. Acceptable fats are from meat, eggs, dairy products such as butter or high-fat cheese, olive oil, and a little toasted almond butter. Avoid avocado, coconut oil and palm oil. These are too yin in Chinese medical terminology for common usage, no matter how nutritious they are.
6. 0% simple carbohydrates. These are fruits, fruit juices, honey, maple sugar, agave nectar, other sugars, and all other sweets.
7. 0% chemicalized and fast foods. This includes all artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and others. Also, limit stevia and other natural sweeteners. A little xylitol or stevia may be used, but try to avoid sweetening your food, which is mainly just a habit.
8. Eat the Special Foods for health and mental development:
9. Plenty of cooked vegetables, except avoid those mentioned above such as the nightshades.
10. Whole organic blue corn, organic blue corn chips, and/or blue corn tortillas. You may have two 7-10 ounce bags of blue corn chips weekly or a few organic blue corn tortillas several times a week. If you do not tolerate blue corn at first, then begin with less, as with all of the foods recommended on this diet.

Some yellow corn is also good. If you can eat corn chips, I suggest one to two bags per week of organic yellow corn tortilla chips. Or you may have several organic yellow corn tortillas every other day.

1. Lamb. Have a full portion at least once and preferably twice each week. While any lamb will do, lamb loin chops or rack of lamb are among the best. They can come from the supermarket, and need not be organic, as most are quite good.
2. Sardines. Adults may eat one can every other day or 3-4 cans weekly. Any brand is fine. Do not eat more than this, however, as they all contain a little mercury. Children need less.
3. Kelp, but only certain brands (see the Kelp article). An alternative is about 1 tablespoon daily of Frontier Herbs Monterrey Bay Herb Company kelp granules. Avoid the toxic brands of kelp, other sea vegetables and all fish except sardines. Salmon once a month or so, however, is not too bad.
4. Carrot juice. Have 10-12 ounces daily, preferably freshly made, but you may buy it at the market if needed. You may add a small amount of greens to your carrot juice. An alternative once or twice weekly is 1 or 2 ounces of wheat grass juice.
5. Sea Salt. Most brands are fine. One that I like a lot is Blue Hawaii Sea Salt, sold by the San Francisco Salt Company.
6. Herbs and spices. Excellent spices include parsley, rosemary, basil, cilantro, thyme, marjoram, ginger, mustard, turmeric and garlic. Have some daily, ideally, as spices or condiments.

Natural sea salt is excellent. Avoid table salt, which is a horrible junk food. It is toxic, often contains aluminum, and can raise blood pressure. Also avoid table pepper, which is often rancid and can cause joint problems in some people.

 

HOW TO EAT

 

1. Cook all or almost all food. Raw food is too yin for slow oxidizers. Also, most people cannot absorb their minerals nearly as well from raw or fermented foods. See below for other reasons for cooking foods.

The exception is fats and oils of all kinds, which should be eaten as raw as possible. For example, raw dairy products are best. Do not have more than about 4 ounces of raw milk daily, however, as it is quite yin. Eggs must be soft, with the yolks runny. Good methods of preparation are soft-boiled for about 3-4 minutes (the best), poached, or lightly fried with the yolk runny. Do not eat hard-boiled eggs. When cooking eggs, the yolks should be eaten in a liquid or runny state and the white portion should be semi-solid for best utilization and cleanliness.

2. Eat slowly, chew thoroughly and always have sit-down, relaxed meals. Do not eat on the run, in your car, standing up or while working.
3. Food combining. THE SIMPLER THE MEAL, THE BETTER. Mono meals are excellent (one food at a meal). Otherwise, eat only one type of protein per meal, or one type of starch per meal. Do not combine heavy protein with heavy starch. Instead, eat a starch with vegetables, OR a protein with vegetables.
4. Eat whole foods. Do not use smoothies, powders or blended meals. If you have trouble chewing or swallowing, cook your food adequately and chew it very thoroughly. Smoothies and powders are too yin. Food blended with water dilutes the digestive juices and this is not helpful. For the same reason, do not eat a lot of soups, as they also contain too much water, in most cases, and this tends to dilute the digestive juices.

 

MORE DETAILS ON THE DIET

70-80% cooked vegetables. Eat a variety of cooked vegetables, NOT SALADS. The body cannot absorb enough minerals from salads, so please do not eat salads.

Fill at least 2/3 of your plate with vegetables. You may also have a meal of just a vegetable or two, such as a bunch of steamed carrots, or a half a head of broccoli or spinach. Fresh and organic are best, although some frozen vegetables such as peas and green beans are acceptable, too.

Root vegetables such as turnips, carrots, onions, garlic, and rutabaga are excellent. Cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cauliflower and most green leafy vegetables are also superb.

 

Avoid the nightshade family of vegetables. These are red and white potatoes, all tomatoes, eggplant and all peppers. These are irritating to the body, somewhat toxic, and very yin as they are mainly fruits, not vegetables. Anything that contains seeds is a fruit.

Acorn and winter squash are okay in moderation. The summer varieties of squash such as zucchini and sunburst squash are less recommended. They are too yin. A few other vegetables such as all mushrooms, okra, cucumber, jicama, asparagus and other salad greens such as lettuce are also not recommended. These are not as healthful for various reasons.

Avoid most canned vegetables, canned soups, and spoiled or old vegetables that are not fresh. However, canned vegetables are better than no vegetables at all.

Very few people eat anywhere near enough cooked vegetables. You will need to eat them twice or preferably 3 or 4 times daily. Eat simple food combinations.

 

Toppings. If you don’t like plain vegetables, add toppings for flavor. These can include butter, cream, whipped cream, salt, garlic, cayenne or mustard powder, soy sauce, salad dressings, almond sauce (almond butter and a little water mixed together), pesto sauce, or chili sauce.

Read How To Disguise More Vegetables In Your Diet for many other vegetable suggestions.

 

About 15% protein, mainly of animal origin. Natural, hormone-free meats are best. Have 4-5 ounces of protein twice daily, and less for children depending on their size (see babies and children sections below). The best protein foods are:

Red meats: Lamb is best. Have it twice weekly in most cases. Wild game and lamb contain some omega-3 oils, as well. Lamb from the supermarket is usually fine. Cook all meats lightly only. Meats should not be cooked for more than about 45 minutes at the most, and much less in most cases.

Poultry: Naturally-raised or Foster Farms chicken, turkey and some duck if available. Natural chicken and turkey sausage are also okay, but not as good as fresh meat. Turkey or beef jerky are also okay for snack food if it is not laced with chemicals. Do not cook chicken for more than 1.5 hours for a whole chicken, and less for chicken parts.

Bone broth: This is optional. Make this by cooking or simmering bones only in some water, overnight or even for a few days. It is tasty and very good for the bones and to obtain minerals.

Eggs: Eat healthy eggs from the store or from a farm, up to about 8 per week or perhaps a few more in some cases. Always cook eggs lightly so the yolks are runny. Soft boiled are best, or they can be poached, or even fried lightly, but always with the yolk runny.

Raw Dairy: An excellent food for most people is some raw goat milk, raw goat cheese, or raw goat yogurt. Cow’s dairy is not quite as good, although raw cream and butter are excellent. You may also have some raw kefir and full-fat raw yogurt. If you cannot find raw dairy, organic dairy products are the next best. Avoid most commercial dairy products, if possible.

Fish and seafood: Sardines are an excellent food. They are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, RNA and DANA, and the nerves, and skin are helpful for most people. Also, they are so small that mercury does not accumulate in them to any great extent. If one eats 3 or 4 cans of sardines weekly, no additional supplemental omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin D should be needed.

All other fish, sadly, along with seafood, are not recommended, as they are all contaminated with mercury today. Shellfish and other ‘seafood’ is terribly contaminated with toxic metals today, such as shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops, oysters, octopus, calamari, eel and others.

 

Less desirable protein foods, but okay once or twice weekly.

1.Other small fish. In addition to several cans of sardines, which are highly recommended, once or twice weekly you may have very small fish such as anchovies, herring, and smelt. Wild caught may be more healthful, but not necessarily.

2. Beef. Once or even twice a week you may have a meal with naturally-raised beef. Almost all beef is quite hybridized today. For this reason, it is not quite as good a food.
3. Dried beans. Twice weekly or less you may have dried beans that are well-cooked. Lentils are among the best. Others include pintos, black beans, split peas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans and others. These foods are much more yin, and they are low in etheric energy, an energy that is helpful for most people. Also, they can be slightly toxic in subtle ways. They are also quite starchy. Therefore, they are much less recommended.
4. Peanuts and peanut butter. Even natural peanut butter may contain some aflatoxin, and for this reason peanut products are not recommended. Peanuts are also beans that are more yin and slightly toxic.
5. Protein powders and drinks. These are not recommended! Whole protein foods are preferable to powders and liquids. The reasons are that the powders and smoothies are: 1) horrible food combinations in some cases, 2) too much water mixed with the food, which impairs digestion, 3) too yin in Chinese medical terms (raw, broken apart and liquidy are all yin qualities) , 4) generally contain much less nutrition than the whole food, and 5) are eaten in a hurry, rather than cooked, eaten warmed, and chewed thoroughly for proper absorption.

 

Protein Foods To Avoid:

1. All fish, especially all large fish. Fish such as tuna, shark, ahi, mahi mahi, halibut, game fish and even salmon, except on occasion, are too high in mercury to be eaten. The only exception is sardines and occasionally other tiny fish.
2. All shellfish. These are too high in toxic metals in almost all areas of the world as they are caught close to shore.
3. All pork, ham, bacon, pork rinds, pig intestine used in sausage, and other pig products. These often contain parasite eggs, no matter how well cooked they are.
4. Most processed meats. These include most hot dogs, bologna, salami and sausages. Most contain toxic chemical additives and are often not fresh enough. 100% natural processed meats with no additives are okay, though not ideal, but only if made without any pig products. Note that pig intestines are usually used to make all types of sausages and some hot dogs.
5. Soy products. I recommend avoiding all soy foods. These are lower quality proteins and all are genetically modified today. Avoid soy milk, soy protein powders, Hamburger Helper, “textured vegetable protein” or TVP, tofu, tempeh, and many other products that contain soy.
6. Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are not recommended foods because they are quite yin and slightly toxic. An exception is roasted or toasted almond butter, which is helpful for many people and may be eaten in moderation. Nut and seed butters are slightly more yin, but much more digestible than the whole nuts and seeds, providing they are fresh.

Read the article entitled Proteins for more on this subject.

 

7-8% complex carbohydrates. These may include organic blue corn or organic yellow corn tortillas or tortilla chips, brown rice or even a little white Basmati rice, quinoa, millet, and perhaps some oats, rye, barley, kamut and amaranth. Buckwheat is slightly toxic and best avoided.

Some people should avoid all gluten-containing grains such as rye, oats and barley, at least until their digestion improves.

Pasta or noodles can be eaten that are made from rice, corn or quinoa.

Avoid all wheat products, including organic whole wheat, flour products and all prepared foods made with wheat. Wheat is too hybridized today and not a quality food any more. It is irritating to the intestines and has a lower protein content and a high content of glutamic acid, which is irritating.

 

5% Fats And Oils. Eat about 1-2 tablespoons of quality fat or oil daily. Those with sympathetic dominance pattern need a little more fat. Excellent sources of high-quality fats and oils include fatty meats such as dark meat chicken, dark meat turkey, lamb, wild game, and fatty cuts of beef. Other good fats are eggs, olive oil, and raw or organic dairy products such as whole milk, butter, full-fat yogurt or full-fat cheeses.

Somewhat less recommended sources of fats and oils are the oils of flaxseed, hemp, sesame and other seeds, nuts and nut butters. Some refined vegetable oil is okay, but not ideal. These are oils such as corn, safflower, sunflower, canola or soy. Other oily foods that can be eaten on occasion are raw or toasted almond or other nut butters.

 

Avoid most tropical fats including coconut oil, palm oil and avocado. They are too yin. Some health authorities believe these are healthful. However, they are all extremely yin, so they are best avoided or eaten in small amounts only.

Avoid all krill oil, primrose oil, borage oil. These seem to be slightly toxic. Also avoid poor quality oils such as those found in fast-food French fries, restaurant deep-fried foods, margarine, shortening, bacon, lard and other butter substitutes. Also avoid processed and canned meats that often contain oxidized fats.

If you are very concerned with high cholesterol: Cholesterol will normalize on a nutritional balancing program in almost all cases without the need for dietary restriction.

If you are very afraid of cholesterol, begin with less meat, eggs and butter. Have more olive oil, flaxseed oil, and perhaps some roasted almond butter, a little natural peanut butter, and perhaps and a little coconut oil to obtain your fats and oils. Do not eat a lot of coconut or palm oils, however, as these are very yin in Chinese medical terms.

 

0%, or close to it, simple carbohydrates. These include fruits, fruit juices, sugars, honey, maple sugar and other sweets. Eating fruit, unfortunately, causes many problems today. Reasons for this are that it is 1) extremely yin in Chinese medical terminology, 2) too high in sugar so it upsets the blood sugar, 3) contains fruit acids that upset the digestion, 4) favors the growth of candida albicans and other yeasts and fungi in the body, 5) often sprayed with pesticides even if labeled organic, and 6) the mineral balance in fruits seems to be incorrect today for most bodies.

Most of our clients feel much better avoiding all fruit. You may have a few berries or an apple occasionally, but fruit is not really permitted with this program. I know this is different from many other dietary and healing programs, but it works extremely well. For more on this important topic, read Fruit-Eating and Tropical Fruit Drinks on this site.

Also Avoid all foods in which one of the first four ingredients is sugar, honey, dextrose, glucose, fructose, corn syrup, rice bran syrup, honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, maltose chocolate or malt sweetener. Also avoid candy, cookies, cakes, pastries, ice cream, soda pop and other sweet prepared foods. These cause wide fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels.

Artificial sweeteners. Try not to substitute Nutrasweet, aspartame, Equal, Splenda, saccharin or other artificial or non-caloric sweeteners. If you must use a sweetener, use a very small amount of stevia. DO NOT USE A LOT, HOWEVER. Weaning yourself off sweets and sweeteners may take some time or effort, but is well worth it. Learn to eat food without the need for sweeteners of any kind.

 

0% chemicalized, “junk” foods and “fast” foods. These are of much poorer nutritional quality, in general, and are often irritating or toxic for the body. They make up the bulk of most restaurant food, and occupy the middle isles of the supermarkets. They cost more for what you get, and will ruin your health.

The most common of these are white flour products such as breads, pastries, donuts, bagels, pretzels, cup cakes, cakes, ice creams (unless very simple with very little sugar or chemicals), other baked goods, Kool-aid, soda pop, beer, wine, hard liquors, sweet coffees, sports drinks like Gatorade and Recharge, candy bars, health food bars, chocolates and similar items.

 

Beverages. Adults need to drink about 3 quarts of preferably spring water daily. A second-best option is carbon-only filtered tap water. Do not buy fancy water filters containing KDF media and others. These damage the water. Only use carbon filtration, even though it does not remove most toxic substances from the water.

Buying spring water in plastic jugs at the supermarket is perfectly safe, in my long experience with water. Another option is to have spring water delivered to your home in recycled plastic containers. A third option is to find a spring nearby where you can fill up your own containers, usually at no charge. Go to www.findaspring.com to locate a healthful spring or other water source near where you live.

Avoid reverse osmosis water. This is extremely important. Problems with reverse osmosis water are 1) it does not seem to hydrate the body well enough for some reason, 2) it is very low in minerals, which are vital today, 3) it is too yin in Chinese medical terms, and 4) it always seems to pick up some plastic residue from the plastic membrane the water is forced through to make it. It is much worse than drinking water from plastic jugs or bottles.

Well water and plain tap water are often contaminated with various chemicals, although in some few areas it is okay.

Avoid alkaline waters. Alkaline water makes the body too yin, often contains toxins found in tap water, and the water is usually passed over platinum plates, which makes the water even more toxic. Also avoid most “designer” waters, which are not worth the money and are often made with reverse osmosis water or other types that we don’t find are good for the body. For much more on water, read Water For Drinking.

Mild teas and up to one cup of coffee daily are okay, but coffee is not recommended. Also, up to 4 ounces of raw or organic milk daily is okay.

Carrot juice. Ten to twelve ounces of carrot juice or 1-2 ounces of wheat grass juice are excellent for almost everyone. Carrot juice is preferably made fresh at home. However, it can also be bought at the health store or other outlet. Any type of carrot juicing machine will work. Do not use a Vita-Mix or other blender, however. It does not do the same job. If you are very sensitive to the sugar in the carrot juice, make your juice, drink half of it immediately, and save the rest in the refrigerator to drink in a few hours.

DO NOT DRINK WATER OR OTHER BEVERAGES WITH MEALS. Drink only enough with meals to take your supplements. Drink one hour after meals, or up to about 15 minutes before meals. An excellent idea is to drink about 1 quart or 1 liter of water upon arising, before breakfast. You may drink some of this while in the sauna, for example.

 

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE DIET

 

Cooking Utensils and Methods. For cooking use glass, enamel, stainless steel, non-stick or coated aluminum. Using a food steamer is fabulous for those who want easily prepared, healthful meals. Crock pots may be used for vegetables, but don’t cook meats for hours. Baking is fine. Frying and barbequing are okay once in a while, but not quite as good due to the high heat and production of harmful chemicals.

If you cannot shop more than once a week, place your vegetables in the bottom of the refrigerator. A simple, inexpensive device called the Fridge Freshener will keep vegetables and meats fresh much longer. To order, call 1-877-877-0747 or go to www.naturesalternatives.com.

Fresh meats are much tastier than most frozen meats. However, to keep meats in the freezer, divide meats into meal-size portions. Then place the fresh meats in plastic bags in the freezer. However, try to eat meats quickly, rather than leave them in the freezer for weeks or months. Defrosting meat is often unnecessary, provided it is not too thick. It will cook rapidly if sliced thin, or if is naturally not more than about 1 inch thick.

 

Avoid exposed aluminum cookware and microwave ovens. Microwave ovens seem to damage the food more than standard cooking methods. Making the simple effort to nurture yourself by preparing healthy meals is often important for healing and maintaining health.

 

Eating Habits. Eat regular, relaxed, sit-down meals. If possible, eat only one or two foods at each meal. This simplifies digestion greatly. Eat slowly and consciously, and chew thoroughly. Chewing each mouthful at least 15-20 times will assure better digestion.

Keep the conversation pleasant during meals. Do not criticize children or discuss very negative topics at meal times. Make your meals a pleasant activity.

Stop eating before you feel stuffed. Also, sit for at least ten minutes after you finish eating, or if possible, take a short nap or siesta after eating.

Avoid eating in the car, while standing up, while on the phone or while rushing around. These habits impair digestion and reduce the value of the food. Also avoid drinking most liquids with meals, as this tends to dilute the digestive juices. Drink up to 15 minutes before meals and one hour or more after meals.

 

Meal Suggestions. Mainly cooked vegetables are the staple of this diet. This is needed today to supply hundreds of nutrients no longer found in our food in large quantities. Have some protein twice daily or more in some cases. If you are hypoglycemic and must eat often, have four or up to six meals daily.

Strictly avoid vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diets. Vegetarian diets are all too yin, and are missing or low in vital nutrients such as zinc, carnitine, taurine, alpha-lipoic acid, some B-complex vitamins in many cases, and others. Have animal flesh protein daily. The only exception are people with cancer. Cancer patients should strictly avoid all red meats and eggs until they are healing well, mainly due to the higher iron content of these foods.

Ideally, rotate your foods so you do not have the same food every day or at least every other day.

Snacks. If your blood sugar is unstable, have a snack or preferably a small meal in between your main meals that contains some fat and perhaps a little protein. Examples are a soft-boiled egg or two, some raw goat cheese, or a little roasted almond butter on a few rice crackers. If blood sugar is very unstable, you may need five or six small meals per day for a few months or so, until your health improves.

 

Eating Out. Eating in restaurants is not ideal, but a treat once in a while is fine. If you will not cook, then going to quality restaurants and following the instructions above for choosing your food will work okay.

The best restaurants are those that offer plenty of cooked vegetables such as ethnic Chinese, East Indian, and Thai restaurants. Some are not clean, but others are acceptable.

Common problems with eating out are: 1) limited food choices, 2) cleanliness and food safety problems, 3) low food quality, 4) hidden chemical additives, and 5) noisy or distracting environments that are not ideal for digestion.

For example, Mexican restaurants usually serve too many carbohydrates and not nearly enough cooked vegetables. Italian food restaurants may be okay, but offer too much wheat and salads, and not enough cooked vegetables.

AVOID standard fast-food restaurants, and most chain restaurants. They often cut corners, serve too many chemicals and the overall food quality is quite poor.

When eating out: Sit in a quiet area away from noisy tables and blaring televisions or music. Ask that music be turned down. Always ask for exactly what you want. Most good restaurants will be happy to comply. For example, ask for double or triple orders of cooked vegetables. If bread is served, ask that it be taken away. Ideally, bring your own water if you need it, or skip drinking water altogether. Bring your supplements along.

 

WHEN YOU TRAVEL

 

If possible, bring along cans of sardines, bags of blue corn chips, and even a plastic food steamer. This appliance is easy to clean and can cook eggs, vegetables and more. This can save time and money, and help you eat well. For much more about how to travel happily and safely, read Travel Hazards And How To Avoid Them on this website.