The Easiest Dietary Plan
Tuesday November 30, -0001
Most of the health problems seen at my office are musculoskeletal strains and sprains as well as nerve entrapments stemming from muscle and joint injuries and postural stress. However, because we work here on a holistic basis, we have to think systemically, and nothing is more important to your entire system than your diet. You are what you eat.
Diet heavily affects your hormones and hormones drive systemic inflammation. If you are systemically inflamed, you will not recover well from musculoskeletal injuries. Also, diet affects weight, and the heavier you are the more stress on your frame and connective tissues.
So an easy to follow and healthy dietary plan is always welcome. Back in the 1990’s Barry Sears, PhD wrote The Zone Diet and was one of the first to talk the link between diet and hormones. The Zone Diet essentially centered on a 40:30:30 ratio of calories obtained from carbohydrates:proteins:fats for each and every meal and favored low glycemic (low sugar) carbohydrates.
The Zone Diet worked but required great discipline in meal planning and preparation. A simpler plan comes from Body for Life which recommends that, for every meal, you choose a food from each group of three categories: protein, carbohydrate, and vegetable. Examples of foods from each group are:
• Protein: soy, tofu, lean beef, turkey, chicken, fish, egg white, low fat cottage cheese, etc.
• Carbs: whole grain bread/pasta, sweet potato, corn, oatmeal, beans, wild rice, fruit, etc.
• Veggie: broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, carrots, cauliflower, mushroom, spinach, onion, etc.
• Add some “good” fat into each meal with olive oil, avocado, or shaved almonds.
(Protein portion is the size of your palm, and the Carbs and Veggie portions each are what can fit into your cupped hand. Drink only water, with lemon or lime is fine, tea, or plain coffee. If you are still hungry after the meal eat more veggies as you please.)
Supplement your three meals per day with a between meal snack consisting of either a meal replacement drink or a meal replacement snack (examples: http://eas.com/product/myoplex-lite-ready-to-drink, http://zoneperfect.com/)
Bon Appetit!