Eating a variety of foods and rotating foods are important for optimal health because this:

• encourages a diverse gut microbiome, which reduces risk of disease
• prevents food sensitivities and intolerances
• minimizes the buildup of irritants such as histamines, lectins, nickel, oxalates and salicylates (these irritants are naturally occurring or absorbed from the soil)

Cooking Tips

• Preferred methods are pressure cooking, steaming, slow cooking, and boiling (helpful for reducing oxalates and nickel—just don’t drink the liquid). Baking, roasting, broiling, barbequing, stir-frying and sautéing are okay once in a while.
• Using different methods allows for a variety of flavour and texture.

Food Categories to Include in Your Daily Diet

• The following list does not take into consideration histamines, lectins, nickel, oxalates and salicylates. If the initial assessment shows that you would benefit from excluding some foods at the beginning of your program, this will be factored in to your Personalized Active Care Plan.
• Serving sizes can vary depending on your height, weight and activity level.
• For IBS, constipation and diarrhea it’s often helpful to eat foods high in soluble fibre at the start of each meal to stabilize digestion.

Vegetables

• Best if cooked (easier to digest) but a small amount of raw is okay.
• Include a variety. If you get bloating or gas with certain ones, let me know and I’ll make other recommendations.

Onion
Mushroom
Parsnip
Rutabaga
Pea
Pumpkin
Radish (Daikon or White)
Squash
Sweet Potato
Turnip
Yam
Zucchini

Protein 

• Include 1 to 2 times a day. Think of the serving size as a deck of cards.
• Nut and seed butters are easier to digest than whole nuts and seeds.
• Keep egg yolks soft.
• Small amounts of beans and lentils can be included if tolerated.
• For yogurt and/or Kefir, goat is often better tolerated than cow. 

Sardines
Seed butters
Turkey
Wild game
Yogurt

Avoid 

Fish and shellfish other than sardines 
Soy product 
Protein powder

Grain

• Grains can be included if tolerated.
• Make sure oats are well cooked and gluten free. 

Rice
Rye

Avoid 

Wheat
Raw grain products such as granola, muesli and trail mix

Fruits

• If you are at the stage where these are being included, apple slices or a small amount of berries are the best choices.
• Cooked is preferred.

Fats and Oils

• Fast oxidizers often do best by including extra fat with each meal. This helps to balance the oxidation rate as well as stabilize blood sugar levels.
• Slow oxidizers generally don’t need extra fat with their meals. The exceptions are those who are in sympathetic dominance, breastfeeding and/or have certain health conditions.
• Dairy can be included if tolerated.
• Nut and seed butters are easier to digest than whole nuts and seeds.
• Avoid cooking with oil as this oxidizes the oil and makes it rancid.

Olive Oil
Sardines
Seed butters

Avoid

Coconut Oil
Flaxseed Oil
Hempseed Oil
Hydrogenated oils
Lard
Margarine
Palm Oil
Peanut Butter
Refined vegetable oil: corn, grapeseed, hazelnut, peanut, safflower, sesame, sunflower
Shortening

Beverages

• Spring water is preferred.
• If tap water is safe in your area, use a carbon-block filter.
• Distilled water should only be used for 2-3 days. Extended use will leach minerals from the body.
• Maximum 1 cup a day of regular coffee and 1 cup of herbal tea.
• Best to consume a beverage 20 to 30 minutes before or after meals so it doesn’t interfere with digestion by diluting stomach acid. 

Tea
Water

Avoid 

Sweetened beverages of all kinds

Seasonings

• These aren’t necessary, but can make meals more appetizing.
• Olive oil mixed with a small amount of nut and seed butters or mustard works well.
• Good quality sea salts are Bamboo Jade or Redmonds.
• Apply salt after cooking. 

Rosemary
Sea Salt
Tarragon
Thyme
Turmeric

Sweeteners 

• If some is needed, use small amounts of natural honey, pure maple syrup or maple butter.