Clever Eats: Improve your nutrition in 8 steps

๐ Eat more โancestralโ foods & avoid or limit โmodern-factoryโ packaged food products*
(Nourish from nutrient–dense, minimally–refined foods)
The first and most crucial step – remove or limit Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF). These include foods containing refined carbohydrates or added sugars and factory-processed vegetable oils.
Patient Education – downloadable guide
A downloadable PDF is available below.
Progressive Steps towards Metabolic Health with Diet
๐โจSet goals, plans and expectations โจ๐
1st steps:
- Eat more non/minimally processed foods
- Prioritize macro-nutrients (protein > healthy fat > low glycemic index, high-fiber carbs)
- Quit or minimize UPF products (carb + fat combos = *doughnuts/ice cream/pizza)
- Quit or minimize refined grains
- Avoid snacks (eat no more than 2-3 meals a day)
- Hydrate with water or unsweetened tea
- Eat when hungry (until 80% full)
- Donโt drink sugar (soda + natural fruit juices = liquid candy)
- Liberal salt intake (3-5 grams)
- Sleep hygiene (7-9h)
2nd steps:
- Donโt eat after dinner
- Quit or minimize artificial sweeteners (allulose is less worse)
- Decrease or eliminate intake of starchy carbohydrates e.g., grains, oats, potatoes, yams rice
- Decrease or eliminate intake of high-sugar tropical fruits, e.g. pineapple, mango, banana, and prioritize lower sugar fruits, e.g. blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
- Taper down total daily carbohydrates as needed (30g <75g <100g<150g)
- โน๐ป movement, ๐ถwalks, ๐งโ๏ธTUT (time under tension), ๐ resistance exercises, ๐คพ๐ป โHIIT
3rd steps:
- Time restricted eating (e.g. 16-8; 20-4)
- Weekly or monthly >24 hr fasts
- Macronutrient-cycling variants
- Targeted-nutrient intake
Nutrients:
A – Building blocks
- Protein (amino acids) โPrioritize Proteinโ ๐ฅฉ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐
- Micronutrients (minerals and vitamins)
B – Other
Fiber ๐ฅฆ๐ฅฌ๐ฅ๐ฅ
C – Energy sources
- Fats (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated) ๐ฅ OR
- Carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, galactose) ๐ฅ๐ฅจ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ง๐ฆ๐ช๐ฉ๐ฐ๐๐๐
Distinguish types of processed foods vs non-processed foods:
- Apple ๐ โ Apple sauce ๐ฅฃ โ Apple juice ๐งโ Apple pie ๐ฅง
- The NOVA Food Classification System of Processed foods:
Best Drinks:
Water, Mineral Water, Black Coffee, and unsweetened Tea
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The GOOD: Eat more โold fashionedโ foods:
- Beef (Preference to grass-fed) ๐ฅฉ๐ฅ
- Salmon (Preference to wild-caught ) ๐ฃ
- Other seafood (Fish/Shellfish) ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐
- Fish low in mercury (avoid swordfish and tunathose high in mercury)
- Lamb ๐
- Pork (Preference to pasture raised) ๐๐ฅ
- Eggs (Preference to pasture raised) ๐ฅ๐ณ
- Cheese (Minimally processed, full fat, preference to sheep/goat/buffalo) ๐ง
- Plain Greek yogurt ๐ฅฃ
- Nuts ๐ฅ (pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pili nuts) raw, unsalted, ideally in shell.
- Cruciferous vegetables (Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, arugula) ๐ฅฌ
- Fermented foods (Kefir, kimchi, dark chocolate)
- High quality non-starchy vegetables that grow above the ground ๐ฅฆ (Phytonutrients)
- Chicken, turkey & other fowl (Preference to pasture raised) ๐๐๐ฆ๐
- Low-sugar fruits (berries, grapefruit) ๐
- Avocado / Guacamole ๐ฅ
- Broth (Bone, Beef, Chicken, Vegetable) ๐ฒ
- Dark chocolate ๐ซ (>80%r)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Macadamia oil
- Avocado oil ๐ฅ
- Virgin coconut oil ๐ฅฅ
- Ghee
- Butter ๐ง
- Beef tallow
- Lard
The BAD: added sugars
- Excess added sugar (Sucrose, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Agave, Honey, Maple syrup, etc.)
- Sugar substitutes (often things ending in -ose or -syrup on labels)
- Excess fructose (including from fruits)
- Excess refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, flour, grains, cereals)
The UGLY: โFactory Fatsโ high in Omega 6 (PUFA-Linoleic acid)
- Nut oil (except macadamia and hazelnut)
- Corn oil
- Cotton oil
- Canola oil
- Soybean oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Rice bran oil
- Grape seed oil
- Margarine
- Artificial shortening
Hunger & Satiety
- Choose naturally raised foods that are nutrient- dense and leave you full and satisfied.
- If hungry, eat somethingโฆ best to eat more foods that leave you feeling satiated for a longer time. Try not to snack.
- Notice, what are your personal trigger foods? Avoid these & replace it with another food option.
- 2-3 meals a day and skip the snacks. Play โmeal golf,โ and try to score an average of less than par (3 meals per day) for the week. Relax & enjoy your meals. Chew your food slowly.
- Try to distinguish between hunger and cravings
Eating โlow-carb / low-processed foods,โ skipping the snacks and fasting shift the hormonal environment in your body to favor appetite suppression and fat oxidation (fat weight loss). Hormonal hunger suppression is key to gradually facilitating incremental fasting periods, thus promoting further fat oxidation.
Gradually Incorporate Intermittent Fasting;
Stay hydrated for the duration of a fast:
- 12:12 (12 hours fasting, 12 hours eating)
- 14:10 (14 hours fasting, 10 hours eating)
- 16:8 (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating)
- 18:6 (18 hours fasting, 6 hours eating)
- 20:4 (20 hours fasting, 4 hours eating)
- OMAD (One Meal A Day)
Food replacements examples:
- Apple juice๐ง with apple ๐
- Cereal๐ฅฃ with eggs ๐ณ
- Toast with crisped prosciutto ๐ฅ
- Margarine with butter ๐ง
- Canola oil with avocado oil ๐ฅ
- Ice cream with dark chocolate or Greek yogurt ๐ซ
Good Reads & YouTube:
- Diabetes Code (Jason Fung MD)
- Why We Get Sick (Benjamin Bikman PhD)
- Jerry Teixeira (YouTube scaling workouts)
Websites to explore:
- https://www.dietdoctor.com/ (visual guides & videos) *
- https://thefastingmethod.com/ (the science)
- https://burnfatnotsugar.com/MacroCalc.html (PE calculator) *
- https://bodyweightstrength.fit/ (Body Weight Exercises)
Patient Education – downloadable guide
A downloadable PDF is available below.
Credit
This guide was developed by Juan Carlos Torres-Urrutia, MD in the course of his practice. He’s kindly sharing it with other clinicians. It has been reviewed by Nick Norowitz, PHD & David Pendergrass, PHD. All are members of Metabolic Multiplier’s Education Teams.
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