Introduction To Nutrition for the ILP kit.

By Seth Braun

Since the ILP kit provides only a brief overview to nutrition, I have written this to introduce you to a strong nutrition practice. This is not exhaustive, rather pointed, written to get you the most relevant information quickly.

Lets begin with the foundation:

1. There is no one right diet for anyone person, for any length of time. 2. Universal truths of nutrition need specific application. 3. You are what you eat.

Health is the ability to maintain a state of balance. To borrow the overview from Systems Biology, or Functional Medicine, there are two main questions to address in creating health.
1. What do you need to remove? 2. What do you need to get?

Further, there are a set number of causative factors for dis-ease:

1. Toxins 2. Infections: Microbes, Viruses, Bacteria, Mold, Fungus, Yeast 3. Poor Lifestyle 4. Diet 5. Stress (This is what we want to remove.)

And, finally, there are the things we want to bring in:

1. Proper food 2. Remove allergens 3. Appropriate supplementation Of course, there are other factors that disrupt or contribute to health; exercise, relationships, spiritual orientation, stress management, community, shadow-work and subtle / causal energy work, which are addressed elsewhere in the ILP kit.

This PDF is going to introduce you to the most powerful way you can get the good stuff in and the bad stuff out, THE FOOD YOU CHOOSE TO EAT!

Overview:
Nutrition 101 Your Own Best Dietary Plan Grains Glycemic Index Greens Fats and Oils Protein / Animal Foods Shopping Guide Miscellaneous Tips Taking It Home Wrap Up and review

Nutrition 101:
OK, basic nutrition theory. There are two classes of nutrients: MACRONUTRIENTS: Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates. And

MICRONUTRIENTS: Including vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, glyconutrients, phytochemicals (a catch all term for a vast number of beneficial plant compounds), and antioxidants. Good nutrition is not only the right foods, but also proper digestion and assimilation. Digestion is really the first place to look for good nutrition. Here is a rough graphic representing the role of macro and micro nutrition in a complete view of nutrition:

Your Own Best Dietary Plan

There is a technical term in nutrition, biochemical individuality. This means that there is no one right diet for any one person. This seems pretty straight forward, but is actually radical when we consider it. This means that the latest fad diet might work for everyone at the office but you. This also means that what works for you might run contrary to what you think should be working for you. This rigid idea of what we should and should not eat is one of the biggest challenges I see my clients struggle with. I work with them to get past the programming about good foods and bad foods, especially with low fat or low carb diets. Most often, women come to me with a deep-seated belief that fat is bad and to be avoided. Men come in seeing food as potential muscle. Some folks come in with an idea that eating meat is not spiritual. Occasionally clients are convinced that raw foods are the best approach, while others just want help staying on the South Beach diet. This is of course, no longer a purely physical challenge. The right diet for you is as much about your emotions and beliefs as it is about the biological reality of what works for you. Problems settle in when we let our brain dictate what our body needs, despite clear messages.

A striking example of dietary diversity is catalogued in the work of Dr. Weston Price, a dentist that researched traditional diets around the world in the first half of the 20th century. He found healthy robust peoples eating 80% animal fat (Inuit), eating 90% rye and milk (Isolated Swiss villages, eating primarily sourdough rye bread and unpastuerized milk products from grass fed cows), primarily vegetarian diet of beans, corn and squash (Southwestern United States, first nation people). What are the factors that you want to consider in creating you own best dietary practices? Well, they include, but are not limited to: Seasonal eating: (any dietary theory that does not acknowledge that you need different foods in the winter than summer is missing something) Climate: What you eat in Fiji is quite different than what you eat to thrive in Northern Finland. Genetic: You ancestral diet, evolutionary biology, your DNA. Blood Type: What kind of lectin response is happening to your food. Your nervous system: What kind of energy are you conducting, high strung, laid back, anxious, apathetic, enthusiastic, serene. Hormonal Dominance: What is happening with your thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, pancreas, and your entire endocrine system? Activity level: Do work at a desk? Are you a laborer? Stress Level: Under the gun constantly or very few responsibilities. Work: Do you love your job or hate it? Are you interacting with tons of people every day or are you working by yourself? Availability: What are the constraints or opportunities of your environment? How are you eating? Are you chewing your food? Do you have time and space to properly digest a meal? When are you eating? Are there times of the day that work better for your digestion and assimilation? Getting curious about these questions is fun. The best way to learn what is right for you is to increase the awareness level of

how food effects. Consider using a journal practice to keep track of the food-mood connection, or how your energy fluctuates with meals.

WHOLE GRAINS

Whole grains have been an essential part of traditional peoples diets for thousands of years. The key to grains is to remember the following principles: 1. Grains contain phytates, which block mineral absorption. This can be countered by soaking, sprouting or fermenting (as in sourdough) the grain. 2. Eat mostly whole grains, not products made from flours. If you are going to eat grain products, like breads, than make them sprouted or cultured (sourdough). 3. Eat grains in ancient varieties and avoid genetically modified or even highly hybridized strains, as in wheat and corn. Traditional people, eating grain, living on all continents had robust, strong bodies. In the Americas, corn was the staple grain. In India and Asia, it was rice. In Africa, people ate sorghum. In the Middle East, they made pita bread, tabouli and couscous. In Europe, corn, millet, wheat, rice, pasta, dark breads, and even beer were considered health-providing foods. In Scotland, oats were a staple food. In Russia, they ate buckwheat or kasha. The very real problems that we have with our modern diet are directly correlated to refined carbohydrates. Notwithstanding, there are portions of the population that do not seem to do well on many grains at all, while others thrive on

a heavy grain diet, typical of traditional macrobiotic practices. For those who do not do well with grains, you may find that quinoa; buckwheat and amaranth are workable, since these are not true grains, rather seeds that we use like grains.

How To cook whole grains.

1.

2.

3. 4.

5.

Measure the grain and check for bugs or unwanted material and rinse in cold water, using a fine mesh strainer. Optional: soak grains for 1-8 hours to soften, increase digestibility, and eliminate phytic acid. Drain grains and discard the soaking water. Add grains to recommended amount of water and bring to a boil. A pinch of sea salt may be added to grains to help the cooking process, with the exception of kamut, amaranth and spelt (it interferes with cooking time). Reduce heat, cover and simmer for the suggested amount of time. water 2 cups 2 cups 3 cups 3 cups 2 cups 2 cups 2-3 cups 2-3 cups 2 cups 3 cups 3 cups 2 cups 3 cups 3 cups 3 cups 2 cups cooking time 60 minutes 20 minutes 90 minutes 20 minutes 30 minutes 20 minutes 60 minutes 90 minutes 20 minutes 15 minutes 90 minutes 30 minutes 2 hours 2 hours 60 minutes 60 minutes

1 cup grains common grains: brown rice buckwheat (aka kasha)* oats (whole groats) oatmeal (rolled oats) alternative grains: quinoa amaranth barley (pearled) barley (hulled) bulgur (cracked wheat) cornmeal (aka polenta) kamut millet rye berries spelt wheat berries wild rice

All liquid measures and times are approximate. . *The texture of grains can be changed by boiling the water before adding the grains. This will keep the grains separated and prevent a mushy consistency. This is the only way to cook kasha. Do not add kasha to cold water, as it will not cook properly. For a softer, more porridge-like consistency, boil the grain and liquid together. **Technically not a grain, but a small pasta product. Cooked grains keep very well. Busy people can prepare larger quantities of grains and simply reheat with a little oil or water later in the week.

Understand the Glycemic Load

The glycemic load is the glycemic index crossed with the caloric density. The glycemic index tells you the rate at which food becomes glucose in your blood stream. Some foods, like white rice, table sugar and white bread, rapidly digest and become blood glucose. Other foods, like peas, chickpeas, lentils or even grapefruit, apples or pears, take much longer to metabolize into blood glucose. Fat and protein are low on the glycemic index scale, since carbohydrates are the primary source for blood glucose. Caloric density tells you how much blood glucose is going to become converted. Many make the mistake of addressing only the glycemic index. Books have gone so far as to say avoid carrots and eat snickers bars. The rationale is that carrots have a higher glycemic index than a snickers bar and will therefore contribute to blood sugar disorders. There are several holes in this theory. One, the snickers bar is lower because of the added hydrogenated oils

and peanuts. You can add olive oil to carrots and get the same effect of slowing the assimilation of the carbohydrates. Two, the carrot also contains, enzymes, fiber, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals that assist in blood glucose metabolization. Three, the snickers bar is considerably more calorie dense, and you would need to eat a pound and a half of carrots to get the same glycemic load. Why is this important? Sharp rise in blood glucose is the number one factor for most degenerative disease. The explanation could be complex. Summarily, a quick rise in blood glucose leads directly to a rise in insulin, and then storage of excess blood glucose as fat, which triggers the liver to produce what we consider bad cholesterol for moving fat through he bloodstream (mixing fat and water). This is a triple whammy for the body, which contributes to inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the underlying cause of the majority of disease processes. If you can keep the body in a balanced inflammatory state, symptoms decrease and energy is restored. From a practical perspective, high glycemic load foods also leave most people tired and drained after eating them. High glycemic foods = refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates include sugar, which is called sucrose, fructose, glucose, and includes the healthy sweeteners too, like maple syrup, honey, sucunat sugar, which are great in moderation, but I want you to notice this month, what tendencies you have towards craving sweets and refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates also include pastry, cookies, cakes, bagels, breads in general (with the exception of fresh ground sourdough and sprouted grain breads), crackers, candy, fruit juice, which is basically concentrated fruit sugar, soda and chips A comprehensive list of the glycemic load can be found here: http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_a nd_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

But the readers digest version is simple. Eat whole, unprocessed foods, in the right balance of macronutrients; proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES

If you look at the foods that are least represented in the modern American food supply, greens top the list. Greens help build your inner rain forest and strengthen the blood and respiratory systems. They are especially good for city people who need more nature. They can eat there their way to nature by including these wild and robust foods. A great way to improve health and vitality is to use the crowding out theory, which my clients love. By adding in foods like green leafy vegetables, you slowly crowd out foods that are not supporting your health. With dozens of choices, you can adventure through greens, experimenting with what you like. I am sure you will find greens that make you smile. Choose between bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, dandelion and other leafy greens. Green cabbage is great in the form of sauerkraut or raw. Arugula, endive, chicory, lettuce, mesclun and wild greens are generally eaten raw, but can be consumed in any creative way you enjoy. Spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens are best eaten cooked, as they are high in oxcalic acid, which depletes calcium. Cook these greens with fat to reduce the mineral absorption issues.

Cooking Greens In fact, you want to make sure that you eat all your greens with sufficient fat to ensure that you get all of the fat-soluble vitamins. Try a variety of methods like steaming, boiling, sauting in oil, water sauting, waterless cooking, or lightly pickling, as in a pressed salad. If you have gotten accustomed to thinking of greens as a garnish, or as an iceberg salad, consider trying one of the above green leafy vegetables a week. Try it out for a month and see how you feel. Then add two a week and notice the difference!

FATS and OILS

FAT. The vilified macronutrient. No other food has been given such a bad wrap. And thanks to several decades of misinformation, people have been making what they thought were healthy fat choices, but were actually contributing to disease. The emphasis on polyunsaturated oils as heart healthy, actually increases inflammation because these oils are the building blocks for pro-inflammatory compounds. But how do we know what to eat? How do I know that this

information is accurate and true? Simple. Eat fats and oils that are the least processed, in their natural state and maintain their integrity (not rancid.) Eat fats and oils that humans have been eating for thousands of years. That means no hydrogenation, no soybean oil, no cottonseed oil, and very little vegetable oil in general. Eat fruit oils. What? Yes, olive oil, red palm fruit oil and the good fat in avocado. Again, these have been consumed for thousands of years. Hydrogenated oil is made by taking the cheapest oil on the market, cottonseed and soybean oil, and then spinning it in a vacuum at high heat, under intense pressure. An agent is added to create a catalyst, usually nickel (a toxic metal) and additional hydrogen chains are forced into the molecule. This process changes the molecular structure. The fat is then detoxified, bleached and then deodorized. Walter Willet, principle of the Harvard Nurses Health Study called this, the worst food you can eat. Tips on Fats and Oils: Butter (salted) Baking and spread. Salted butter is much harder to digest than unsalted. Refrigerate. Butter (unsalted) Baking and spread. Goes rancid more quickly than salted butter. Refrigerate. Coconut Oil Baking, frying, body care. Tasteless. Does not need refrigeration but keep cool. Evening Primrose Oil Nutritional supplement. Not for cooking or dressings. Refrigerate. Ghee (clarified butter) Baking and frying. Does not need refrigeration but keep cool. Olive Oil Salad dressings, marinades, wine sauces, sauting. Does not need refrigeration but keep cool. Palm Fruit Oil Baking and frying. The most nutritious oil. A true superfood. Does not need refrigeration but keep cool. Palm Kernel Oil Baking and frying. Does not need refrigeration but keep cool.

Secondary Use Oils: Almond Oil Salad dressings, sauces, sauting, body care. Refrigerate. Hemp Oil Nutritional supplement. Not for cooking or dressings. Usually contaminated. Not recommended unless certified organic. Canola Oil Baking, sauting, sauces, salad dressings. Usually chemically contaminated. Not recommended unless organic. Soybean Oil is often found in prepared and processed food. Almost always chemically contaminated. Use only coldpressed, organic and use sparingly. Peanut Oil Baking, frying, sauces, marinades. Almost always contaminated. Not recommended unless certified organic. Safflower Oil Baking, sauting, salad dressings, sauces. Does not need refrigeration but keep cool. Buy high oleic variety. Sesame Oil Baking, sauting, salad dressings, sauces. Does not need refrigeration but keep cool. Sunflower Oil Salad dressings and sauces. Does not need refrigeration but keep cool. Buy high oleic variety. Oils as Nutritional Supplement Black Currant Seed Oil Nutritional supplement. Not for cooking or dressings. Refrigerate. Borage Oil Nutritional supplement. Not for cooking or dressings. Refrigerate. Flaxseed Oil Nutritional supplement. Can be used for salad dressings. Refrigerate. Fish Oils Nutritional supplement. Not for cooking or dressings. Refrigerate. Wheat Germ Oil Nutritional supplement. Not for cooking or dressings. Refrigerate. Oils To Avoid: Corn Oil Baking, salad dressings. Often pesticide contaminated. Highly processed. Not recommended. Margarine Is sold for use as spread and for cooking. Harmful synthetic substance; false health claims. Not recommended. (exceptions include Smart Balance and Earth Balance, which are valid options, though still highly processed) Cottonseed Oil Is often found in prepared and processed foods. Almost always chemically contaminated. TOXIC - DO

NOT INGEST. Soybean Oil is often found in prepared and processed food. Almost always chemically contaminated. Use only coldpressed, organic and use sparingly. Buy only fats and oils that are certified as organic. Buy only cold-pressed oils. Do not buy oils in clear glass or plastic bottles. All fats and oils, including fish oils, should taste and smell fresh. If they do not, dispose of them. Rancid fats and oils are extremely toxic and severely interfere with normal fatty acid metabolism. Oils break down from oxygen, light and heat. The exception to this is Coconut, Palm oil and Ghee, which can maintain integrity when exposed to light and oxygen for an extended period of time. Finally, with fats and oils, you need to understand the importance of omega 3 fatty acids in your diet. Due to many factors, we are deficient in this essential fatty-acid (meaning it cannot be created by the body and we must eat it). There is confusion about omega 3 fatty-acid sources. Flax, Walnut and Cold-pressed Soybean oil contain alpha-linolenicacid, which, as a short chain omega-3, can be synthesized into long chain DHA (docosahexaeonic-acid). DHA is the good stuff in the body, which contributes to cognitive function, reduced or balanced inflammatory states, and is a general tonic to the body (because we are generally deficient in modern diets). The bad news is that it conversion from ALA to DHA is inefficient. There are six enzyme conversions to cross from ALA to DHA and those are optimal only when no other polyunsaturated oils are consumed. It can be done, but requires specificity in fat and oil consumption.

PROTEIN / ANIMAL FOODS

Traditional nutritionists treat all protein as equal, whether it is from a bean, a seed, a chicken or a cow. But if you pay

attention to how you feel after eating these protein sources, you will notice that you feel very different. Animal foods give us an opportunity to really notice the energetics of food. While all foods have an energetic quality that entrain to our system, none as powerful as animal foods. When you eat an animal, you take on the energetics of that animal. If you dont believe me, check it out for yourself. Spend time with someone that eats a lot of chicken breasts. How do they act? How about someone that eats a lot of beef? I mean massive amounts; do you notice any of the energetics of the animal? I have been in the middle of the opposing side of the vegetarian / omnivore debate enough to know that I do not need to take sides. I have read the books, have been to the lectures and have heard the heated arguments that state both sides. Here are few points I now follow: 1. Eating meat does not make you unspiritual. You are a spiritual being first and foremost and what you eat cannot change that. 2. Factory farmed, commercial meat (and egg) production is unethical and cruel. There are other ways to raise animals that are humane. This is for us as much as for the animal. We become what we live. 3. Factory farmed animal foods are nutritionally inferior. 4. Some people thrive with animal foods, despite the conviction of vegan and vegetarian advocates that meat is the cause of illness. 5. Some people thrive on a vegetarian diet, despite the conviction of the fiefdoms of nutrition that claim that animal foods are absolutely necessary for good health. Soy Bean Protein: There is a large amount of soy protein in the American food supply. Currently, the fad for high-protein diets has generated a market for low-carb products. Keep in mind that these are highly processed foods. Soy protein is very difficult to digest. Just as there are phytates in grains, beans and legumes contain these compounds and need to be neutralized by soaking, sprouting and fermenting. This is why we see fermented soy products the norm in tradition soy consuming cultures (tempe,

tamari, miso). Often times, my clients believe they are making the hearthealthy choice by switching to soymilk and soy products. There are quite often serious digestive disturbances that need to be addressed after years of heavy soy consumption. Consider eating soy products in traditional preparations; tempe, tamari and miso soup. Whey Protein: A popular product for athletes and health conscious smoothie lovers that is free of lactose and can be tolerated often when milk cannot. Keep in mind that whey is made from milk that comes from either conventionally produced milk or from organic or free range fed cows. I recommend that my clients purchase the highest quality whey protein from cows that graze on grass, which is often imported from New Zealand. I look for whey protein that is processed with low temperatures to ensure protein quality. Keep In Mind: Fish farming is a huge industry: red fish, white fish, canned fish, smoked fish. Beware of mercury poisoning, overfishing, genetic engineering and added chemicals. Stay away from farm-raised fish. Enjoy high-quality, wild fish as a cleaner protein choice. It is of utmost importance to eat the best quality animal foods. If the animal was healthy, you will be healthy. It is that simple. Animals in conventional factory farms are not healthy and require daily doses of antibiotics to stave off infection. Most commercial soy products are highly processed food that has not been properly prepared to optimize digestion. Stick with traditional preparations of soy; tempe, tamari and miso. Find out what your body needs for protein. Keep in mind that it may change with the season, with your stress and activity levels and at different ages.

 There are significant environmental and ethical concerns with factory-farmed meat in America. Consider the choice for high quality, small-farm animal products as an ethical choice as well as a health choice.

SUPER FOODS

Super Foods are something between food, herb and supplement. I like to think of Hippocrates quote, Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food, when I discuss superfoods. On a spectrum of medicine, food is the most subtle, then superfoods, herbs and supplements, then pharmaceuticals, at the most concentrated end of the spectrum. Algae, spirulina, chlorella, and blue-green forms of algae are available in powdered forms or as capsules. Experiment with which works well for you, but make sure to get the highest quality available. Although there is some debate over the benefits of algae, I believe it to be a very valuable food that detoxifies and alkalinizes the body. Algae is rich in chlorophyll and may be useful in reducing inflammation, cleansing the blood and in bringing an acid/alkaline balance to the body. I am unsure why the mainstream medical community has not researched algae more completely. I have read many reports that try to debunk its value but none of them get below the surface. Again, I encourage you to get the best quality available and begin with small quantities and to research this for yourself. Bee pollen contains twice the antioxidant level of blueberries, and triple the polyphenol content of cranberries (www.ccpollen.com). I recommend that you eat one grain of pollen to begin with (to test for allergic reaction) and increase the amount slowly over time. If you have any known allergies to pollen then you must take extra precautions when you use this super food. It has a pleasant taste, can be added to cereal or you can eat it plain. Bees collect millions of tiny pollen spores to build one bee pollen pellet and this is an incredible task. One teaspoon of pollen contains over 2.5 billion grains of pollen! Anecdotally, I have seen clients report significant improvement in energy and stamina through the use of bee pollen. Cacao is the raw form of chocolate. It is high in minerals and contains over 400 beneficial chemical compounds. Although it is bitter to the taste, it is not unpalatable. I suggest that it is best when used in smoothies or mixed with other foods, but for simple medicinal use it can be eaten a

tablespoon at a time. Cacao is a better choice than coffee for days when you are feeling the need for stimulants. It is rich in magnesium, the number one mineral deficiency for most Americans. In addition, cacao also contains selenium, the number one trace mineral deficiency for most Americans. However, cacao cannot be understood completely from a compartmentalized view and there is nothing like it on the entire planet. Its physiological effects are quite unique so I suggest you experiment for yourself. Try using raw cacao nibs - pieces of peeled low fermented cacao beans - in smoothies. Goji Berries are little nuggets of goodness! A traditional food of China, Mongolia, Tibet and the Himalayas, they are one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. The antioxidant level of Goji is about ten times that of blueberries (using the ORAC* scale), and thats incredibly high. You can get 170% of your daily vitamin A requirements from just one ounce. The use of goji has been documented in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. *The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorpt ion Capacity ) ref ers to the antiopxidant cont ent in foods. These are an introduction. For a complete list of super foods, request the special report titled, A Complete List of Super Foods, from Real Simple Nutrition ([email protected]).

SHOPPING GUIDE
Produce Although it is usually more expensive, organic produce is much healthier and nutritious than non-organic produce. Local produce is even more important. Look for a local farmers market. Eat a wide variety of color in your veggies. The worst rated produce in terms of pesticide and insecticide residue: Strawberries Apples Peaches Nectarines Cherries Bell Peppers Here are the best rated: Avocados Asparagus

 Bananas Broccoli / Cauliflower Mango Onion Meat > Poultry > Eggs > Seafood Organic and free-range animal foods are essential. If you must make a choice, make this the place where you focus your resources. Animal foods are at the top of our food chain and are the repository for all the good stuff or the bad in the life stream below it. Poultry should be organic or free-range, antibiotic and hormone-free. Poultry processors who use hormones to maximize bird size and growth rate package most frozen poultry, and must use antibiotics to prevent disease because of the extreme cage crowding found in a typical poultry farm. The hormones and antibiotics remain in the bird. Eggs should be organic, free-range or cage free. Look for human society approved. Cold-water fish, wild, not farm raised, and should smell like the sea, and SHOULD NOT SMELL BAD. Buy whole, fresh foods only Read the labels and look for simple ingredients from whole foods. Frozen veggies are better than canned. Local is the best, as mentioned. Be careful of anything in a box or a can. Make sure the expiration date is good. Look out for CORN SYRUP, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, HYDROGENATED OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL, INTERESTERFIED OILS, ARTIFICIAL COLORS and FLAVORS, ANTI-CAKING AGENTS, PRESERVATIVES, THICKNERS, EMULSIFIERS, or any chemical name that you do not know. Grains, Beans and Legumes Grains and beans can become rancid, jut like vegetables. Look for fresh, good smelling grains, beans and legumes. Whole grain is whole. Whole grain breads, pastas, muffins, etc. are not whole grains, they are processed. DO NOT BUY BREAD UNLESS IT IS FRESH BAKED, WITH FRESH GROUND FLOUR, OR IT IS IN THE FREEZER SECTION. Sprouted grain and sourdough is best. Ground meat It is especially important to be quality conscious with

ground meat. Deceptive labeling Just because it says natural does not make it good. Food companies have lobbied to change labeling laws. Therefore, a food can say, trans fat free and still contain trans fat, as long as it is below .5 grams per serving. If the serving size is small, this could be a large proportion of the food. Unfortunately, you cannot trust the front of the label, always read the back. GM Foods Genetically modified foods should be strictly avoided. The scope of this document is not sufficient to address this topic.

Miscellaneous:
Reduce Fried Foods Experiment with steaming, braising, baking, broiling and other methods of preparation. Add high quality oil to your food after cooking. Avoid microwaving Not enough is known about the long-term safety of eating microwaved foods, and there are many more arguments against it than for it. It changes the molecular structure of foods. Be Mindful With Raw Vegetables Raw vegetables can be very difficult to digest, especially if you are building your health back up. Lightly steam vegetables for best assimilation and digestion. Experiment to see what works for you. Avoid aluminum Aluminum is a highly toxic metal. Large numbers of aluminum molecules enter food that is cooked, covered by or stored in aluminum pots, pans, cans and foil. Non-Stick Pans Use only the highest quality non-stick pans. Materials from cheap products can flake or leach out into your food.

TAKING THE INFORMATION HOME

OK, so how are you going to integrate some of these ideas on nutrition into your daily life? Here are a few practical steps to consider: Nutrition for the Integral Life Practice must begin with the reminder that there is no, one size fits all approach, so use these as guidelines.

Today.
What are two things you can do today, to improve your health through nutrition. Well, the first one is to practice chewing your food! Simple. Free. No side effects. Works for everyone. Integrates with awareness practice. The second thing you can do today is intentionally including healthy fats in your meals. There is a deeply ingrained belief in the modern psyche that fat equals bad. Eating healthy fat with your vegetables allows you to assimilate 400 to 1200% more fat-soluble vitamins. Fat helps your body regulate hormonal levels, especially insulin. Healthy fats generally include, extra virgin olive oil, great source of oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid chain, extra virgin coconut oil, a great source of lauric acid, a healthy medium chain saturated fatty acid chain, red palm oil, an amazing source of monounsaturated fat, with your daily allowance of mixed caratenoids (the most effective form of vitamin-A) and mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols (the superior forms of vitamin-E), like Red Palm Fruit oil, the healthy fat from any fruit, like Olive and Avocado will be primarily monounsaturated.

This week.
The first thing you can do this week is to schedule yourself a day and time where you can shop and cook at least one time a week. I am not asking you to shop and cook one time this week, I am suggesting that you take the time this week to look at your schedule to create a time every

week, where you know you can shop and cook. This habit is worth developing. The second step you can take this week is to experiment with eating green leafy vegetables, especially the dark and hardy varieties like kale, mustard greens, swiss chard, collard greens, bok choy, and spinach. There is a great recipe for roasted kale in my book.

This month
Find simple and subtle ways to phase out refined sweeteners and carbohydrates and replace them with naturally sweet foods. Replace these foods with naturally sweet, whole foods like fruit, apples, bananas, pears, mango, papaya, grapes, tangerines, grapefruit, dried fruits, figs, dates, goji berries, and dried apples. Especially helpful are the sweet vegetables, like sweet potato, yam, carrot, parsnip, squash, pumpkin, rutabaga, cooked daikon, and cooked cabbages. Keep in mind that many people respond exceptionally well to reducing even the sweet fruits and moderately using sweet vegetables. What I am suggesting here are general principles to practice this month, especially for those of you that may be in an addictive cycle with sugar and/ or refined carbohydrates. The second step I can recommend this month compliments the first step. I would like to suggest that over this month, you begin to keep a food-mood journal and keep track of how what you are eating effects how you feel. I give small pocket sized journals to my clients so there is no inconvenience in carrying it around all day. This powerful awareness practice is especially helpful in watching how you may or may not be affected by eating sugar, sweets and refined carbohydrates. Because really, sugar is not the problem, the problem is generally some type of stress, which we can temporarily manage through the expansive energetics of the sugar experience, which then becomes a cycle and a habit.

By gently tracking your food-mood connection, you may spontaneously discover what foods work well for you and automatically improve your diet.

Now finally, what can you practice this year?

What is broad enough to consider in yearly terms? Id like to invite you to pay attention to how your diet changes from one season to the next and if possible, attempt to make your diet 51% seasonally appropriate. So if you want to eat a mango in the winter in Michigan, it is fine. Practice making 51% of your diet in line with the foods of that season, which essentially, in Colorado, means something like green leafy vegetables, sprouts and radish-like roots in the spring, whole grains, thicker green leafy vegetables and local, pasture fed milk in the summer, hardy leafy greens, root vegetables, squashes and apples in the fall and root vegetables, squashes, bison, soups and stocks in the winter. These generalities change from place to place and are best monitored by attending your local farmers market or roadside fruit and vegetables stand. The second thing you can do this year, as a practice, is to get into the habit of saying thanks before you eat. The wisest elder nutrition teachers that I have had the fortune of studying with suggest that this is one of the fundamental steps in healthy eating, developing gratitude, reverence and sense of place in the cycle of life.

Now if you create the determination to apply these simple principles to your life today, this week, this month and this year, with slow and sustained commitment, I assure you that you will experience more health and robust energy. Please consider these and all practices in the long term, to be consistently taking small steps in

the areas of importance leads to lasting and powerful changes.

And I want to reiterate, at the risk of redundancy, the utmost importance of viewing these as guidelines to be adjusted for your biochemical individuality, your own unique blueprint. One mans food is another mans poison. Recognize that your mind can latch on to a theory that you have read about, while your body can be protesting. The mind insists and forces the body to rigidly follow the theory, though the body is clearly calling for a different approach. Dont let this be you. The right dietary theory for you can taste great; leave you feeling satisfied, well fed, energized and full of vigor. The facts and figures of nutrition can seem overwhelming, but rest assured that you can figure it out. There are several dozen fundamental principles to discover about your unique needs, the basics of which are introduced in this short introduction. But you can also practice working with your intuition, which balances the immense intellectual framework that is built around nutrition. Consider conflicting theories and paradox good news, for they will expand the spectrum of options for you and contribute to your ability to discern what works for you, when it works for you and how it works for you. In wrapping up, lets review the main principles together: Eat the right type of food. Whole, real food. Learn what works for you, there is no one right diet for everyone. Grains are best whole. Soak, sprout and ferment for maximum nutrition.

 Get a sense of the glycemic load of foods. Reduce refined carbohydrates. Welcome high quality fats and oils into your life! Make your protein choice based on your unique needs and make sure that your animal foods are of the highest quality. Avoid foods in a box or a can. (Processed, chemicalized, artificial foods) Try green leafy vegetables! Integrate changes in diet in slow and steady steps. Have fun with all of this.

This PDF was brought to you by Seth Braun, a board certified health counselor and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Braun teaches clinical and whole food nutrition at the Mandala Integrative Medicine Clinic in Boulder Colorado. His expertise in energy issues, fatigue, blood sugar and digestive disorders and his passion for health, whole foods, superfoods and integral life practice allows him to assist

clients in making positive and lasting changes in their health. Seth loves working for professional performers, entrepreneurs, executives and other high-energy people that want to maximize their health potential. He dedicates a portion of his practice to serving people with both type I and II diabetes. Seth is a certified coach and coach trainer and loves to apply coaching technologies to support his clients progress with health goals. If you find yourself hungry for more and would like to contact Seth for a free 20 minute consultation or to book an hour appointment to discuss deeper health issues, please contact his office manager, Dayna, at the Mandala Integrative Medicine Clinic, at 303 444 2357 or [email protected].