Deborah’s Diet Recommendations

Although I prefer to teach patients about nutrition so they can make better food choices, some need an actual diet to follow. Here’s my basic nutritional recommendations for good health:

DMAR® NUTRITIONAL PATH TO WELLNESS

• Eat all the healthy fats and proteins your body needs
• Eat a variety of non-starchy vegetables
• Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains
• Drink adequate amount of water
• Eat locally grown organic foods whenever possible
• If overweight, eat fewer carbohydrates than your metabolism requires.
• Limit manmade carbohydrates and artificial sweeteners
• Limit sugar, caffeine, and alcohol

THE HEALTHY FOUR

Protein: Protein provides the building blocks necessary for new tissue growth. The more lean body mass (LBM) you have, the more protein you may need. Men need more than women.

Calculate LBM by getting your body fat measured and subtracting pounds of body fat from total body weight.

For example: 120lbs woman with 20% body fat has 96lbs LBM

120lbs – (120lbs x .20) = 96lbs

Protein rich foods: fish, poultry, meat, eggs, nuts, legumes, diary
Goal = 0.5-0.75 gm/pound LBM 1gm protein = 4 calories

Fat: Fats are essential for healthy cell membranes and hormone production. Eating healthy fats helps you feel satiated by slowing down the exit time of the food from your stomach. Listen to your body, it will tell you when it has had enough:

Omega 3 from fish, flax, walnuts

Omega 6 from veggies, nuts, seeds

Omega 9 from olive oil, canola oil

Limit saturated fats including tropical oils

NO TRANS FATS

Goal= 0.5 gm/pound of LBM 1gm fat = 9 calories

Carbohydrates: Carbs are energy foods. The more active you are, the more carbohydrates you can consume. You do not count non-starchy vegetables because they are low glycemic index foods (they do not easily convert into sugar). You must count all the rest- starches, fruits and starchy vegetables. Avoid white flour, white sugar and highly refined foods.

Goal = limit intake to 40% of total 1 gm carbs = 4 calories

• Overweight/sedentary: 15 gms/meal
• Overweight/active or Sedentary/low metabolism: 15 -30 gms/meal
• Ideal weight/inactive: 30-45 gms/meal
• Ideal weight w/insulin-meter of midline fat: 15-45 gms/meal
• Ideal weight/athletic: 30-80 gms/meal + 15-30 gms/snack

Water: The human body is composed of 40 to 50 percent water. Fluid balance is necessary for true health. There is no substitute for drinking water.

Goal = 1/2 oz / pound of body weight

So here's an actual diet, I recommend to help reverse insulin resistance and lose body fat:

Deborah’s Diet Recommendations to Reverse Insulin Resistance

Phase I

Wake Up: Drink one full glass of filtered water with lemon juice

Take morning supplements and meds [recommendation for men]

Breakfast:

coffee or tea (no sweetener, real cream is ok)

2 whole eggs (scrambled or fried in olive oil or veggie frittata) [3 eggs]

1 cup cooked veggies [1 ½ cup]

Or

1 cup whole fat plain yogurt [1 1/3 cup]

½ cup fresh fruit [¾ cup]

¼ cup hemp hearts (or chopped raw nuts, seeds) [1/3 cup]

Lunch:

Drink one full glass of water with lemon

Take pre-meal supplements

2 cups cooked or raw veggies [2 ½- 3 cups]

Fat in the form of:

olive oil (2 tbl) and [3 tbl]

nuts or seeds or avocado (¼ cup) [1/3 cup],

or full-fat goat cheese (¼cup) [1/3 cup]

3-4oz lean protein (poultry, fish, meat - use olive oil to sauté, grill or roast) [5-6oz]

Dinner:

Drink one full glass of water with lemon

Take pre-meal supplements

2 cups cooked or raw veggies [2 ½ - 3 cups]

Fat in the form of:

olive oil (2 tbl), [3 tbl]

nuts or seeds or avocado (¼ cup) [1/3 cup],

full-fat goat cheese (¼cup) [1/3 cup]

3-4oz lean protein (poultry, fish, meat - use olive oil to sauté, grill or roast) [5-6oz]

In between meals and before bed drink filtered water or unsweetened green or herbal tea

No sweetened beverages, No artificial sweeteners

No sugar, No starches (grains, flour, potatoes), NO processed foods

No fried foods, No fake fats

No grains until Phase II

If constipated, ok to add insoluble fiber like psyllium before bed

Continue phase I until weight loss goals are met and insulin resistance is reversed.