A Simple Template to Follow
- janlindquist
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Are you constantly hearing about yet another food to eliminate, or a new 3-week plan to solve all your health issues?
Maybe you're too tired to try something new again to then realize it actually doesn't work and now all that money you paid was for nothing!
I think we have over-complicated the process and are led to believe that without certain supplements, exercise equipment and complicated schedules, we will never find our best health outcomes.
This is a lie fed to us by the many influencers who want a market share of our need to address our declining health.
This is a huge problem, and most of us are the sad recipeints of a broken system of spending more and more money, hoping that this new supplement, lifestyle routine, or 6-week program will solve all our ills!
What if you began at the beginning?
Become a investigator of what you're eating, how you're moving - or not moving, your sleep patterns, and openness to addressing your light environment?
What if you considered the most important thing - what you actually put into your mouth each and every day?
Eating whole, real, nutrient-rich foods can be the very best beginning. There is hope my friends, change can happen one bite at a time.
I have distilled down a lot of good practices into a simple template to follow to begin to restore our health one step at a time.
High Insulin - Too Much of a Good Thing is Bad!
High Insulin levels underlies most of the chronic illness we’re seeing in our country. -Dr. Casey Means
High insulin levels can lead to many health problems, including:
Insulin resistance
Weight Gain
Type 2 Diabetes
Heart Disease/Stroke
PCOS
Poor Memory and Concentration
Increased hunger and Cravings
High Blood Pressure
High Blood Sugar
Excess Abdominal Fat
Elevated Cholesterol Levels
Cancer
Let's Begin Here.
Step 1. Begin by removing foods that can be inflammatory [to most of us], to find out how eliminating them might improve how you feel.
Look at this as an experiment into your individual symptoms and goals, because each body is unique and and designed to actually want to regulate and reach a balance. Amazing, right?
Eating Like Everyone Else.
Unfortunately, when we eat a diet that’s normal [aka Standard American Diet], it’s full of ingredients that have been factory-created and our body has a difficult time breaking down these foods. This puts a strain on our system and many times problems arise. We begin to experience sub-optimal digestion, which over time can lead to leaky gut, which then puts our body on high alert that foreign substances need eradicating.
This is the genesis of the autoimmune cascade that shows up in many ways:
Systemic Lupes
Thyroid-Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Joints & Tissues- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Central Nervous System-Multiple Sclerosis
Digestion-Inflammatory Bowel Disease
When our immune system attacks our body’s own tissues, organs and cells, we experience a broken metabolism.
We also may experience rising cholesterol and triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, climbing weight that’s difficult to loose, and sugar/carbohydrate cravings that lead us to even more metabolic dysfunction.
Our modern ‘sick-care’ system treats the symptoms of these diseases, maintaining there’s no cure - just management.
I believe from a functional perspective that there is great hope.
Because, when we actually choose to look at how and why these conditions continue to happen in greater numbers each year, we can view our inputs and find a common thread of what we eat and more importantly, what is happening to the food we are eating.
Eating for Life-long Health Plan
Remove these 6 things.
Common Inflammatory Foods.
Added Sugars and High-Fructose Corn Syrup.
Vegetable & Seed Oils high in Omega-6 fatty acids.
Refined Carbohydrates found in packaged foods.
Processed Meats.
Trans Fat.
2. Include anti-inflammatory foods.
Fatty fish
Avocados
Beets.
Berries.
Cherries
Green Tea.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Onions & Garlic
Leafy Greens,Spinach
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Peppers
Citrus
Turmeric, Ginger
Cocoa or Cacao Powder
Walnuts, Almonds.
Chia Seeds, Flax Meal, Hemp Hearts
3. Filter Drinking Water and add Minerals.
Aim for 1/2 of ideal body weight in ounces daily.
Use a powdered electrolyte mix, mineral drops or a small pinch of a good salt in every glass.
4. Focus on Light Environment.
Download Circadian app [free] to learn the sunrise/sunset each day.
Get Your eyeballs outside as soon as the sun rises.
Eat during daylight hours as much as possible.
Increase outside time each day.
Turn-off overhead canned lights at night and use lamps [replace bulbs w/ orange bulbs.]
Bright light exposure in the morning leads to more energy throughout the day and facilitates better sleep at night.
Why Is This Important?
Sunlight is the primary cue for regulating our Circadian system, especially the timing of cortisol secretion.
Morning sunlight is rich in blue light that anchors the Circadian rhythm and syncs all other bodily tasks like;
Sleep-wake cycles
Hormone secretions
Digestion
Metabolism at the optimal times
Do this Every Day.
Step outside as soon as possible after waking up. Optimal time- before 8 am.
If sunny, spend 5-10 minutes outdoors. Overcast days require at least 15 minutes of exposure.
Avoid wearing sunglasses before 10 am.
Face the direction of the sun, but don’t look directly into the sun.
Benefits.
Hormone Production
Improved Digestion
Efficient Metabolism
Improved Immune and Brain Function
By exposing our eyes to bright natural light in the morning, we align our cortisol rhythm with the 24-hour cycle. This improves daytime energy and better sleep at night.
When the sun sets, consider blue light blocking glasses for improved sleep.
5. Move Every Day.
Walking after meals is best for digestion and blood sugar balancing- even 10 minutes makes a huge difference in stable blood sugar.
Massage, rebounding, vibration plate, legs up on wall, deep breathing, and leg circles are all great ways to support lymphatic drainage by moving fluid throughout our tissues.
6. Create Your Plate with a 30-30-3 Template as a goal to work towards.
30 grams of protein- every meal.
30 grams fiber- every day.
3 probiotic foods- every day.
Protein is communication. It tells our brain we are full, improves hormone balance, energy, body composition, regulates sugar, improves our mood and balances our stress response. Protein is essential and will help with cravings as you move toward eliminating all the foods that are high in salt, sugar and poor quality fats.
Try a Smoothie.
I recommend a protein-based smoothie [Equip Prime Protein Powder] to begin your day because it’s easily digested and will keep you fueled until lunch.
Fiber is necessary to grow good gut bacteria. 90% of us don’t get enough of this essential food for our gut. Getting 30 grams of fiber every day will increase our energy, improve digestion, and allow for best nutrient distribution.
Probiotic Foods will decrease fatigue, anxiety, and sugar cravings.
With the exception of yogurt - we sadly don’t get enough probiotic foods.
Include These Foods.
1 cup Kefir
1/2 cup Sauerkraut [Wild Brine- Costco]
1/2 cup Kimchi
1/2 cup Organic Plain Greek or Regular Yogurt [Bellwether Farms A2 Organic-Costco]
1 tbsp. Miso
8 oz. Kombucha [Read labels, most are too high in sugar, [Humm Zero, Remedy]
1 fermented Pickle [not in vinegar brine - Bubbie's, Boar's Head]
2 tbsp. Tzatziki
1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
Change Your Life Smoothie.
[ 2 servings]
1 cup organic milk, non-dairy milk- almond or coconut, *kefir or plain yogurt
[Use Califia Organic- green cap, 3 Trees or Elmhurst Almond Milk, make coconut milk by mixing 1 can of coconut milk with 3-4 cans of water. Store in fridge.
Read labels on Almond milk, choose one that has only 3 ingredients; almonds, water and salt. Added vanilla is ok too.]
1 cup filtered Water
2 tbsp. Chia Seeds
2 tbsp. Flax Meal
1 tbsp. Almond or Cashew Butter [choose one that is only nuts & salt]
*1/2 Avocado
1 scoop Protein Powder [Equip Prime Protein in Vanilla]
1 tsp Cinnamon
1-2 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1/2 cup frozen blueberries or 1*kiwi
1/2 lemon, washed skin on
1 cup frozen cauliflower rice
Blend in a high speed blender until smooth.
Add cacao nibs, hemp hearts or bee pollen to smoothie to stimulate digestive juices.
You can use frozen avocado chunks or avocado cups.
*If you choose kefir or yogurt, you will get a probiotic food too.
Includes 25 grams fiber.
Coffee - choose wisely.
Most coffee contains inflammatory mold. I’d suggest purchasing a quality organic coffee that's mold & toxin-free, especially if you drink coffee daily.
Caffeine is not a problem when you pair coffee with food. When we drink coffee first thing in the morning, especially on an empty stomach, it can elevate our blood sugar causing our body to struggle to stabilize blood sugar throughout the day.
This is what's termed; Running on Stress Hormones!
My Best Day Eating Plan.
Morning/Breakfast.
Wake up with the sun and go outside for 10 minutes.
Drink a large glass of filtered water first thing in morning with added minerals.
Drink a Smoothie or eat a protein-centered breakfast of eggs, or other protein, veggies and a small serving of fruit sometimes. I aim for 30 grams of protein at breakfast which helps me to avoid late afternoon energy crashes and sugar cravings. I find it's helpful to include a fiber supplement to boost my goal of 30 grams of fiber daily.
Enjoy Coffee with breakfast or drink a cup after breakfast.
Lunch.
1 can* of fish [tuna, salmon, or sardines], chopped veggies, avocado, cottage cheese, nuts or seeds.
Add to a plate of leafy greens. This is a fast & easy lunch that includes fiber and adequate protein. I also add a probiotic like sauerkraut or pickles.
*Each can of fish has between 25-30 gr. protein.
Snacks.
Ideally eating enough protein at each meal should eliminate snacks. But if I'm hungry, I try to make sure my snack has real food value. Meat stick, veggies & guacamole or hummus, nut butter on apple or celery, hard-boiled egg with chili garlic, yogurt with berries & nuts, or chia pudding.
Dinner.
I focus on 30 grams protein, + 2 fiber-rich veggies.
For weight loss, reduction in cholesterol and to lower blood sugar I keep dinner very simple.
Protein with fiber-rich non-starchy vegetables only.
Key for Long-Term Weight Management.
Close Kitchen Early.
This will give digestion the appropriate amount of time before bed. Then during the night, your body will be able to focus on all the clean-up required. This will also calm inflammation, help with weight reduction and support better sleep when this is a regular practice.
I hope these simple strategies practiced over and over again will encourage you in establishing a solid plan for long-term health.
Please reach out if you'd like some direction and support in creating a personalized template for your best health.
You can find me here.
Thanks for reading,
Jan
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