Team BLC

What to Eat? How to "Feed Your Soul" to be healthy and happy!

There is so much conflicting information available regarding how to eat and what is healthy. What I'm going to share with you is the best lifestyle eating plan I have found based on cutting-edge research, nutrition training and personal experience for myself and with my patients. It is called the Feed Your Soul eating plan.

I have also included general variations such as dealing with specific health conditions (arthritis, gout, digestive disorders, depression), focusing on eliminating allergens, weight loss or anti-viral/fungal/parasitic.

A few points to consider - everyone wants change in their lives without having to make any changes! You want to get thin but still eat cake. You want to get healthy but still down Taco Bell. Been there. Done that. Unfortunately, that's not going to work. Change will happen in your life once you make changes. If there was a shortcut, I'd tell you.

However, change can still taste good - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Most important, change (getting healthy, losing weight) feels really, really good! Your experience with getting lean, sleeping soundly, pooping normally, handling stress with grace and truly feeling joy will become your new motivation. I just want you to get a taste of how good you can feel and then that will keep you going!

You can use the Feed Your Soul (FYS) eating plan as a temporary solution and then add other foods back in once you reach your goal, or you can use the FYS eating plan as your ongoing lifestyle diet. Once you learn the basics (6 Righteous Rules and 6 Deal Breakers) you'll be able to take this into any eating situation and know how to make the best choice every time.

Read the Variations section for changes to consider depending on your specific situation and consult your functional medicine doctor.

Let's start with the basics and then I'll explain the details and exceptions. Don't stop reading when you see the food I'm suggesting you skip - read the details and you'll see why!

First the basics:

FEED YOUR SOUL eating plan

The 6 Righteous Rules

1. Do NOT skip meals

2. Eat every 2-3 hours

3. Eat a protein/carb/fat at every meal or snack

4. Eat 2x as many veggies as fruits each day

5. Mix cooked and raw veggies

6. Drink water in between meals

The 6 Deal Breakers

(at least for now while healing/losing weight)

1. Skip flour/grains

2. Skip dairy

3. Skip soy

4. Skip caffeine

5. Skip refined sugar

6. Skip processed foods

Now let's talk details:

The 6 Righteous Rules

1. Do NOT skip meals

Often in life we make poor eating choices because we have gone too long without food, our blood sugar level crashes and we need a quick and immediate fix. When we feel "starving" is when we'll hit the drive-thru or the all-you-can-eat buffet.

Instead, view your food as medicine and don't miss a dose. Read my article on Body Love for ways to do this and bring a more tender and natural approach for self care into your life.

Your body is a wonderfully complex machine largely driven by fuel (what you eat) that initiates a cascade of nutrient exchange, biochemical reactions and hormonal releases. Mess with that machine and your beautiful Tesla becomes a junkyard clunker.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is heavily promoted as a way to lose weight but is not for everyone. It works best for healthy men trying to make that final few percentage changes in their body fat. There are some neurological disorders where it might have wider applications. In women IF often isn't successful and can set up a hormonal response that makes you feel miserable and create weight gain. Most important - remember that IF is a stress on the body - it is not to be tried unless you are already healthy.

2. Eat every 2-3 hours

This equates to 4-6 small meals a day, or 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. If you prefer small meals each time, then go with that. If you prefer bigger family meals for breakfast/lunch/dinner, then just throw in a few small snacks in between. It just depends on how long your day is, what your energy requirements are and any health issues you are dealing with.

This is also key for those that want to lose weight and are dealing with blood sugar issues (hypoglycemia, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, diabetes). Your body will become more efficient.

You will make better food choices when you are feeding yourself regularly because you want fuel for your body instead of because you are "dying of hunger" or bored, mad, sad, tired...etc.

3. Eat a protein/carb/fat at every meal or snack

This is super important and it's all about biochemisty. If I explain all the "why's" behind it this will be a 10,000 word post. So ask me specific questions or do your own research - I just want to give you the "how" so you know what to do.

Remember that there are variations to this plan depending on your goals or specific health issues you are dealing with, so be sure to read that section and work directly with your functional health doctor.

Protein:

The only thing that will count as protein will be animal protein. I know that nuts and quinoa have protein, but they don't count as meeting this requirement. Eat them if you want, but make sure you are still consuming an animal protein with eat meal or snack.

Beef, chicken, lamb, pork, bison, fish, sardines, tuna, eggs...if it runs, flies or swims it counts. You can also use whey protein powder. I have tried so many substitutes and the best I have found is a high quality whey protein isolate and concentrate version that includes added nutrients and veggies. (See variations for proteins to avoid in certain circumstances).

Best choices (but do what you can): grass fed beef, organic chicken, wild fish (no farmed or sustainable raised), grass fed lamb, organic free-range eggs.

Carbs:

The only thing that counts as carbs are veggies and fruits. You can use all veggies and fruits. (See variations for fruits/veggies to avoid in certain circumstances).

Fats:

This is going to seem weird because we've all been brainwashed into thinking fat is bad for us - but once you get this you are going to love it! Read my article on Fats for more information - here's the short version:

Saturated fat is excellent for you, will help you to lose weight and make you feel good (think happy, think full, think natural anti-depressant).

Eat saturated fat with each meal or snack. At least 1 tablespoon or more. Best choices are organic butter, coconut oil/milk (not lite), animal fat, and ghee.

The saturated fat will nourish your brain, increase your IQ, stabilize your blood sugar, you'll feel better, increase your metabolism, lose weight, increase your heart health and lower your cholesterol - yep, you read that correctly!

This is GOOD news - it is a big part of what makes eating like this doable because food will TASTE GOOD and you will FEEL GREAT! Put butter on everything - you can cook with it, put it over your veggies, add to your soup, or dollop on your steak. Add full fat coconut milk to your recipe or your smoothie - makes it taste like a "milkshake." Cook protein and keep the fat from the meat in the pan. Scoop up the drippings and save it on the counter to cook your veggies in. I know you are freaking out, but it is heart healthy - read the current research. More important, give it a try and watch your kids eat up veggies that taste good!

It is very important that you buy ORGANIC fats. If you don't buy anything else organic, do it for your fats. Toxins are stored in our fats so if we eat non-organic fat sources, we are getting the highest concentration of those pesticides and other toxins - yuck! The priority list for your organic shopping budget is as follows: 1. Fats. 2. Proteins. 3. Veggies/Fruits.

If you can buy everything organic that is great, if not, use the priority list and at least do #1 and ideally #2. If your budget doesn't include organic Veggies/Fruits, then look online at ewg.org for their "Dirty Dozen" that lists the 12 most heavily pesticide sprayed produce and try to get those organic and buy the rest of your produce conventional. Again, you do what you can.

You can also eat some monounsaturated fats such as avocado and extra-virgin olive oil. Be careful though if trying to lose weight as these can put on the pounds whereas the saturated fat will help you lose weight.

The saturated fats are also best for cooking and the monounsaturated fats are best for "finishing" - such as using olive oil as a salad dressing or just pouring over a meal.

Skip polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) like the plague - read the Fat article to see why. This includes almost all veggie oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, etc. Food in restaurants is always cooked with these cheap, toxic oils so when you order ask them to cook your food with butter or to grill or bake it.

4. Eat 2x as many veggies as fruits each day

This doesn't have to be in one sitting, it is just as you look back on the day - did you eat 2x as many veggies as fruits? This is important in digestion, blood sugar handling, gut health, fructose levels. (See the variations for when to skip fruit or certain types of veggies).

5. Mix cooked and raw veggies

There are different enzymes present in cooked vs raw veggies and occasionally you may face digestive issues where you want more of one or the other. Outside of that, the best rule of thumb is to have a mix. An example would be some protein and cooked veggies over a bed of raw lettuce greens with extra-virgin olive oil as dressing. (Mixing protein, carbs, fat in one meal along with cooked/raw veggies).

If you don't mix cooked and raw veggies in the same meal, just make sure to get some of each throughout the day. It is often easier to include raw veggies as part of a snack that has to be packed. Include as wide a variety of veggies and fruits as you can to maximize different nutrient profiles and keep yourself interested.

6. Drink water in between meals

It is a bad habit that we drown our meals with liquid and it can interfere with our digestion. Try to keep liquid at mealtimes to 4 oz or less, but chug water like there is no tomorrow in between meals. Shoot for at least 75-100 oz of spring water each day. You can substitute some of that with homemade broth. If you are doing a detox or elimination diet, shoot for 4-5 quarts of water each day. Don't go overboard though and start drinking 2 gallons or more as you can impact your electrolyte balance.

It is also a good idea to drink water first thing in the morning, before even getting out of bed. This will give you a head-start on your water consumption, is hydrating after hours of sleep and can help initiate a bowel movement.

A few sample meal or snack ideas following the 6 Righteous Rules:

Green soup (cooked veggie, see recipe HERE), chicken, raw spinach, butter

Poached egg over sauteed greens in butter (kale, chard, collard greens)

Lamb, asparagus, salad, avocado and extra-virgin olive oil

Hard-boiled egg, blueberries, raw cream

Sliced turkey, celery, avocado

Chicken soup, broccoli, bok choy, raw spinach, coconut oil

Ground beef, sauteed onions in fat rolled in raw collard greens

Whey protein powder shake with coconut milk and blueberries

Lemon curry chicken with coconut milk and veggies

(See Tips/Tricks below for more suggestions including eating out)

Now let's keep talking details:

The 6 Deal Breakers

1. Skip flour/grains

Sorry my friends, but there are so many reasons to skip this. In short, most will turn into sugar in your body and others will irritate your gut. Read my Wheat article for more details and you can always do your own research.

Meanwhile, for phenomenal results in weight loss, overcoming cravings, restoring your mood and healing a number of health ailments - you'll want to completely eliminate all flours and grains.

This means skipping bread, pasta, baked goods, wheat, oats, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, sprouted (ezekial) bread, gluten-free items - skip it all!

I know this is one of the hardest to give up - and if it is really a struggle you might be addicted (see more on that in the variations section). Get whatever support you need to make this happen, eat more of the foods under the 6 Righteous Rules - do whatever it takes to make this happen because it is so worth it!

2. Skip dairy

Exceptions are organic butter (use freely) and for some people, raw milk, cheese or cream. Ghee is fine for most people.

Otherwise, skip grocery store milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese, sour cream - they are all pasteurized, homogenized and from hormone-laden cows.

3. Skip soy

Here's a link to an article about the problems with soy with enough references and links to keep you reading for months - or just take my word for it - it is a nutrient inhibitor, disrupts your endocrine function and dumps junk estrogen into your body which is a problem for men, women and children.

Watch out for soy because it is everywhere - especially in salad dressings, protein bars, protein powders, baby formula, etc. Even the Whole Foods prepared foods section contains soy and canola oil in almost all their items - two nasty ingredients to avoid! (See Tips/Tricks for Whole Foods clean suggestions).

4. Skip caffeine

No one wants to give this up, yet any type of detox or healing requires going off caffeine - at least temporarily. Caffeine is a powerful drug that interrupts the natural stress response by provoking adrenaline from adrenal glands (aka epinephrine) creating a "rush" that will wear off followed by a "crash" in 2-3 hours.

Best to wean off coffee to avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches. If you absolutely must have coffee, make sure it is organic as coffee is heavily sprayed with pesticides. Espresso is a better choice than drip coffee.

Skipping caffeine also means black teas and energy drinks (beware of sports drinks, many contain neurotoxins clearly identified on the label if you know what to look for - enter ingredients into ewg.org to know their danger level - or stick with water!)

5. Skip refined sugar

Research has demonstrated that sugar is one of the most highly addictive drugs.

The American Medical Association (AMA) said way back in 1942 that "The consumption of sugar and other relatively pure carbohydrates has become so great during recent years that it presents a serious obstacle to the improved nutrition of the general public."

In 1942 sugar consumption was 4 lbs per person per month. We've seen the result of that in the multitude of chronic illness and disease we experience and today the sugar consumption is about 14 lbs per person per month!

It is best to skip all forms of sugar including refined, processed, organic, raw, natural, artificial. Agave is marketed as a good choice but it is 90% fructose which leads to weight gain and potential health ailments. Stevia if used in natural green leaf form (you grow it) can be fine, but most Stevia we encounter is heavily processed white powder, often with toxic (undisclosed) ingredients and no better than an artificial sugar.

To sweeten use raw local honey or grade B (dark) maple syrup and use both sparingly. (See variations for situations where even these can not be used). Consider using blueberries to sweeten (ex. smoothie).

It can take time to change your taste buds and recover from your "sweet tooth" but it is doable. I have a specific formula I use to slowly reduce sugar cravings that also involves enhancing bitter receptors. It works!

6. Skip processed foods

A processed food is anything that is "manufactured" and that you most likely encounter in a box, bag or can. Processed foods are designed to have a shelf-life so they can go from farm to factory/laboratory to grocery store. Mass production involves a number of chemicals just to preserve the food - none of which are healthy. That's the mild problem with processed foods.

The more serious problems are chemical additives, preservatives and known neurotoxins that have been added to make the food hyper-palatable - meaning you want more, you crave more, you buy more - it is a true chemical addiction and you will likely experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop. Food science is an industry and it is keeping you sick and dependent.

For a soft introduction that is an easy read, check out the book The Food Babe Way (you can order on Amazon). Keep in mind, even items like organic corn chips have become a toxic, processed food because of GMO seeds - these are designed to produce their own insecticide which kill the bugs that want to feed on the corn - what do you think it does to your own gut lining? You could research this for days and it gets pretty depressing and a bummer, because I love corn chips. Best bet is to skip them or make your own.

Focus on eating natural whole foods that don't come in a processed form such as healthy proteins, veggies/fruits and fats as listed in the 6 Righteous Rules. When you aren't eating processed foods you'll want to add healthy salt back into your diet. I recommend using pink Himalayan Salt. I don't cook with it but let each person add directly to their food.

Variations:

(These are general changes to the above guidelines - of course when I work with patients everything is customized).

80/20 Rule:

This always sounds like a good idea - just do the healthy thing 80% of the time and eat whatever you want 20% of the time. While I agree that every time you make a good choice it is a step in the right direction, giving yourself a planned "out" is usually a set up for failure. It's all too easy for 20% to become 30-40% and so on...plus, when we are talking about some of the toxins in food, you really want to eliminate those as much as possible. There are too many things in life that we have no control over that impact our health (like radiation exposure) so make the good choices when you can.

And, although the 80/20 rule might work for some people, it will not work for people with food addictions, those trying to heal health issues and those trying to lose weight. So, even if it is only temporarily - give it your all to start and see where it takes you. Maybe after you lose weight or heal the 80/20 principle will fit your lifestyle.

Weight Loss - Diabetes - Blood Sugar Handling Issues:

For the best results here you will want to be more strict, at least until your health normalizes. Fructose is particularly troublesome when it comes to weight gain and blood sugar stabilization. For this reason I often recommend avoiding all fruit for a short time period or limit to 1 piece of fruit and/or 1 tsp honey per day. The goal would be to have your fructose consumption at 15 gm or less/day.

You can use the Glycemic Index to avoid starchy veggies and high glycemic fruits or make it really easy and just eat lots of green & leafy vegetables (ex. asparagus, zucchini, lettuce, celery, cucumber, chard, kale, bok choy, collard greens, spinach, broccoli).

I also recommend eliminating nuts or limiting to 15 nuts/day.

Those with blood sugar handling issues often wake up in the middle of the night a few hours after sleeping because their blood sugar has dropped too low, there isn't enough glycogen stores in their liver and cortisol from their adrenal glands wakens them. Try having a protein/carb/fat snack closer to bedtime to help alleviate this.

Digestive Disorders:

Constipation - you need to get things moving and this is a complex subject, read the article I wrote on constipation for more information. Dietary wise I recommend more saturated fat, more fiber and more food volume. For example, 2 cups of cooked AND raw veggies with meals at least 3x/day. Definitely eliminate all dairy (except butter), nuts, caffeine until resolved. I will often recommend 4-5 quarts of water.

Diarrhea - you need to restore the gut flora and reform normal stools. I have specific supplements/herbal remedies I use to support this healing and diet wise I recommend only healthy, lean protein (chicken, turkey, whey protein), green veggies that are cooked, and saturated fats. Skip everything else until this is resolved. Be super strict and it should be quickly resolved and then you can reintroduce foods.

Heartburn - for this you can stick to the general Feed Your Soul (FYS) eating plan but will need supplements to increase your stomach acid (read Digestion article to see why) and support protein and fat metabolism. Using TUMS does not solve the problem and creates new ones.

Diverticulitis - conventional medicine will tell you to eat bland bread, pasta, rice and crackers to resolve this - what a nightmare! I recommend starting with bone broths when it is at its worse. Then moving to Green Soup (recipe here) or simple cooked and mashed green veggies (think baby food). You can then add small bits of chicken meat and slowly reintroduce food, adding raw greens and fruits last. Definitely avoid all nuts and seeds until healed. There are several nutrients and herbal remedies I recommend to help restore the bowel health.

Leaky Gut aka Increased Intestinal Permeability - Dysbiosis - SIBO:

Use the Elimination diet listed below and just be super careful as you allow for healing and then later reintroduce foods. You may want to add fermented veggies and/or Kombucha to your diet. There's a host of nutrients and herbal remedies to support healing these conditions and often the anti-viral treatments need to be utilized.

Elimination Diet - Acne - Nightshades - Dealing with Allergens:

This is the strictest diet. Start with the FYS eating plan but also eliminate nuts, eggs, pork, honey, maple syrup and fruit. When you reintroduce fruit, you'll need to test individually for reactions. Eliminating nightshades means no bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes or potatoes. In the case of acne and some allergens, you may also need to eliminate and test coconut. Except in rare cases butter is usually still fine because it is the proteins and not the fats that cause the allergic reaction. Skip all other dairy including raw. Your diet will be healthy protein, green leafy veggies, bone broths and animal fat, avocado and olive oil.

Arthritis - Gout - Fibromyalgia - Chronic Fatigue - Pain:

The purines from red meat and seafood can cause joint pain as can certain veggies. Follow the Elimination Diet listed above and for the time being, also skip red meat and seafood.

Anti-viral (ex. Epstein Barr Virus) - Autoimmune - Candida - Parasites - Fungal:

Follow the Elimination Diet and also eliminate mushrooms, vinegar and ideally any prepared or packaged foods of any kind. You'll be living on bone broth, green leafy veggies, healthy organic protein, select fats and nothing else until healed. Work with your functional health doctor as it takes a variety of nutrient support and herbal remedies to support this complex healing.

21-Day Purification Program, Detox & Liver Cleanse:

I love this program because it gets such amazing results and it is for a short duration. It is basically the FYS eating plan plus shakes and high quality nutrients. You are eating 3 meals a day and 3 shakes a day so you are getting plenty of great food to eat. It is incredible the impact you can have on your health in just 3 short weeks.

Food Addiction - Compulsive Overeating - Bulimia - Anorexia:

Eating disorders are not simple because they involve a very real biochemical component that creates the addiction and drives craving along with a psychological component that has the individual using (or not using) food to comfort and control. Food is used as a coping mechanism even when it is a destructive force.

The FYS eating plan can be utilized along with the combined efforts of a doctor, support group, body awareness and lifestyle healing plan. Certain foods may need to be avoided if they are binge foods for that individual and a stricter set of rules, scheduling and food portion control may need to be implemented. Some individuals may struggle adding certain foods that will benefit their health but conflict with their eating disorder.

Kids:

This is always a challenge for moms that are making changes and trying to implement the FYS eating plan in their own life, but still need to feed the kids. The best bet is to make food that tastes good using FYS. It also helps to only have that available and then that is what the kids will choose from. You can teach your kids how to do FYS on their own which will benefit them for life, but modeling how you are doing it and taking care of yourself is the best place to start. (Read Body Love article here).

It is also helpful to know how to make some healthy, desirable desserts for kids that will satisfy their cravings but also change their taste buds. There are some good recipes on Food Babe Way or some Paleo sites - but watch out for and avoid all the flours including nut flours.

An easy one I recommend is Standard Process SP Complete (a whey based protein powder with antioxidants and other vital nutrients and veggies) blended with full fat coconut milk, 1T raw cacao, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries and some ice cubes. Pour mixture into small bowls and freeze as "ice cream" or into thin, flat container as "fudge". Can mix in unsweetened shredded coconut and/or nuts. You can make the mixture with 1/4 c honey to start and gradually wean it out as their taste buds repair so eventually there is no added sweetener other than the blueberries and with time they won't even need that. Another good dessert for kids is berries with raw organic whipping cream (just make sure they also have a few bites of a protein).

Going to the movies and don't want them eating junk? I've packed Tupperware containers of food before to keep the kids eating healthy! Quick snacks to pack to keep kids going can include sliced turkey or chicken or meatballs, celery or carrot sticks, blueberries, nuts (small amount, see exceptions above if there are health issues), raw cheese pieces (limit amount), hard boiled egg, guacamole, raw almond butter (limit amount). I found that having a greater variety of choices kept them interested and not feeling deprived.

Mental Health - Depression - Anxiety:

Follow the FYS eating plan and increase the saturated fat. Work with your functional medicine doctor and try 2T saturated fat per meal and perhaps even 1T of coconut oil in between meals. If you are really suffering here, use the Elimination Diet with the increased saturated fat.

There's a lot of nutrient and herbal remedies that support your healing. Do not go off your medication without working with the doctor that prescribed it. Read The Road to Recovery article here for the 10 step plan to assist in recovering from any chronic illness.

Paleo - Primal - Gaps:

These diets can be beneficial however some get really caught up in the "philosophy" which doesn't seem necessary, especially after a person has healed and/or lost their weight. Don't become ruled by the dogma or the fervor of a specific plan. The FYS eating plan can be used for life and if you are healthy you can apply the 80/20 principle (if it works for you!). The Gaps diet is like the Elimination Diet listed above but even stricter.

Tips/Tricks to making it a reality:

Eating this way means I buy and cook my own food, but I'm not cooking every day. I'm often reheating leftovers on the stove or mixing together things I've already made.

Foods I cook - In about 2 hours I can make enough Green Soup or Chicken Broth to last for 2 weeks or more. I put some in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. Both of these are great on their own, mixed with other protein and veggies or even mixed together. It's healthy, healing, tasty and makes my life easy.

When I cook protein I will usually make 2-4 packages at one time so there are leftovers and I often freeze half of it. This works out well for when I'm lazy and don't feel like doing a darn thing. It's also great for traveling or when life gets busy and I didn't get a chance to go to the grocery store. Having great tasting home-cooked food in your freezer keeps you from making poor choices when you are stressed or tired and also saves you money.

It's also a great way to start teaching your kids to "cook" as they can start with reheating and combining leftovers/frozen foods you've made and now they have "created dinner." For example, my daughter can reheat chicken I cooked in coconut milk and toss in some fresh broccoli and serve over some raw spinach and you have the perfect FYS meal prepared by a kid. Eventually they can learn to make the whole dish from scratch.

I love my pressure cooker. I make my staple soups and bone broths in minutes and often use it to cook protein.

Learn simple, fast ways to cook or reheat or combine foods. I toss onions, fresh garlic, rosemary and basil in almost everything. It is fast, easy, and delicious. Occasionally I vary with lemon and/or coconut milk. There are many other seasonings and flavor profiles you can use and if you enjoy cooking, go for it.

If you like simple, you really only need about 3 breakfast options, 4-5 lunch and dinner options and that's it - you just rotate the menu. Find what you and your family likes and you don't have to make it complicated. Almost every recipe you have liked in the past can be converted into something you'll love following the FYS eating plan. Miss sandwiches or tacos? Use lettuce wraps or collard greens. Miss mayo? Make your own with olive oil (takes 3 minutes in the blender) or buy one made with Avocado oil (limit amounts). The truth is that when you are filled up with high quality protein, saturated fat and a good volume of veggies - you won't be hungry at all!

Have items ready for a quick grab and go in the fridge: sliced chicken or turkey, hard-boiled eggs, egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, lettuces, spinach, broths, green soup, celery, carrots, raw cheese (doesn't count as protein/carb/fat & limit amount), avocado, blueberries (great in freezer), snap peas. Be flexible with what you eat and redefine traditional meals - ex. Soup or leftovers for breakfast, eggs for dinner.

Get containers that work for you in order to pack food quickly and take with you whenever you need. I used to feel weird about this, now people always want what I have and I guarantee it is always better and more tasty than what's being served.

Feel like you will die without desserts? Come up with some healthy FYS approved recipes - see the kids section.

Traveling out of town on driving trips became so much easier when I realized I could take frozen soups and proteins from the freezer on the drive to the cabin where we were staying. The frozen food didn't need any ice packs and I had some meals already prepared that allowed me to relax for a few days before I had to do any real cooking - awesome! I made sure there were also some left in the freezer at home so when I arrived back from vacation all worn out and too tired to go to the grocery store...there were days worth of food for the family already there.

Knowing how to eat out is a great skill to have especially when in a pinch, you are too tired to cook, you've exhausted your freezer stash or you're just bored and looking for a change. Remember that good quality protein and fat is your first priority so go to a restaurant that will allow you those choices. Maybe this is the night you treat yourself and order Filet Mignon.

Any restaurant will let you ditch the starch and double the veggies. You can always ask that your meal be served on a bed of lettuce. You can ask that your protein be grilled or cooked with butter. Watch out for soy and other crappy additives in the food - don't be afraid to ask. You can also "create" your own entree by grabbing veggies from other places on the menu and building the plate you need.

If you are really sick or on the Elimination Diet then you'll probably want to avoid eating out as much as possible because there are variables you can't control. When in a time crunch and don't want to spend a lot, you can order a Paleo protein and veggie dish at the Whole Foods prepared foods section. I say the "Paleo" choices because Whole Foods has so many prepared items filled with soy and rancid oils plus about 40% of their store is now GMO, so be selective.

You will NOT be perfect right away and that's okay - read the Body Love article for how to handle that. Just keep making the next right choice.

Serving Hands-On Healing,

Dr. Zachary