In the last post, we discussed eliminating vegetable oils, refined sugars and grains from our diets. But what should we eat? I know, it's all so confusing. I've been at this for 10 months or so and I'm still learning. Probably the best lesson I've learned so far is
"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good".
I agree with Mark's statement in that post "in most cases what you don’t eat is more important than what you do eat." That's one of the reasons my first post was about what not to eat. But we do need to eat something. The following is what makes up a large portion of my diet. I will address a lot of questions (but that's loaded with fat, and that's loaded with cholesterol...) in future posts. Today is just about getting started.
Eggs. I eat a lot of eggs. I eat them hard boiled when I need a snack. I eat them over easy with a side of bacon for breakfast. I eat them scrambled with a large handful of colorful vegetables for any meal. Or maybe I'll add some fresh salsa, jalapenos and sour cream.
Meat. I eat lots of burgers, steaks, tuna, bacon, chicken and pork. I look for meats with high quality saturated fats. I eat chicken with the skin. And when possible I cook my meat still on the bone. I haven't tried it yet, but I have some frozen chicken liver that I plan to prepare sometime soon (future post?). Organ meats are really, really good for you.
Vegetables. I eat a large salad almost every day. I make sure it is loaded with lots of dark leafy greens. I'll add some colorful varieties of bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms or whatever looks good that day. I will add some good fats from eggs, bacon, avocados and cheese. And I make sure my dressing DOES NOT contain any vegetable oils. I also eat lots of fresh broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots and so on. I steam my veggies since steaming keeps more of the good stuff intact than boiling. And I add lots of salt and butter.
Fruits. I eat mostly berries -- blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. I often mix some frozen wild Maine blueberries in my protein shakes. I also eat apples, peaches and cherries among other fruits. I often squeeze a lemon into a tall glass of ice water. Fruit does contain fructose (sugar). This doesn't mean you should avoid fruit. Remember, we are allowed 100 - 150 grams of carbohydrates per day. Some fruit is certainly encouraged. Just don't overdo it.
Dairy. I drink raw whole milk. I add it to my coffee or mix it with a protein powder following a workout. I eat high fat greek yogurt (or high fat plain yogurt). I add raw cheese to my burgers or eggs. Sometimes I cut it up into cubes and eat it as a snack. When I'm having a higher carb day, I'll eat ice cream (only the kind made with all natural ingredients). As mentioned above, I eat sour cream and lots and lots of butter.
Herbs and spices. As much as possible, I will add fresh herbs when preparing my food. More often than not, I use the kind that comes in a container. I buy whole spices and grind them in a coffee grinder. This produces more flavor and aroma than spices already ground in the container.
This list is certainly not complete - not by a long shot. It's just the beginning. Many, many foods not mentioned above are perfectly fine to eat. If you stick to whole foods found around the perimeter of the grocery store, you will have improved your diet by leaps and bounds.
