Glenn Ingram, Jr, ND 1 Market Street Marty Ingram, ND Brevard, NC 28712 www.throughwoods.com Phone: 828-233-5576 Naturedocs@throughwoods.com Fax: 828-398-0430 Dietary Guidelines for Losing Weight and Gaining Control of Insulin This handout is based on The Schwarzbein Principle. For more detailed information, please consult that book. One of the main problems with our society s eating habits is the large amount of carbohydrates in the diet. Our addiction to carbohydrates along with many nutritional myths touted by experts have led to the huge problem of high consumption of carbohydrate and underconsumption of protein, fat, and cholesterol. Carbohydrates, no matter their form, are fuel and have very few other uses in the body. Insulin is released in response to carbohydrate intake which stimulates the body to either use or store those carbohydrates. When there is more fuel than needed, it is stored as fat. Fat and protein can also be used as fuel, but when there is no need of fuel, they can be used to build and manufacture many things in the body (hormones, neurotransmitters, cell membranes, and many more). So eating too many carbohydrates tends make most people gain weight whereas fat and protein do not. Problems associated with chronic high insulin levels: Acne Addictions Asthma Cancer Sugar cravings Delayed puberty Mood swings (depression, anxiety) Eating disorders Weight gain Gastrointestinal disorders Lifestyle factors that increase insulin levels: High carbohydrate diet Yo-yo dieting Skipping meals Artificial sweeteners Damaged (trans) fats Caffeine Soft drinks Alcohol Tobacco Heart disease High cholesterol Infertility Insomnia Fatigue Diabetes (type 2) Low estrogen Migraine headaches Osteoporosis Stress Other stimulants Sedentary lifestyle Many prescription drugs Excessive thyroid replacement therapy Steroids Diet pills OTC cold medication
2 Guidelines: Do not skip meals (especially breakfast; at least eat a small meal even if you are not hungry) Eat real food food that you could pick, gather, hunt, fish, or milk. Eat all the fat and protein your body needs at each meal. Eat lots of non-starchy vegetables at every meal. Eat only the carbohydrates needed at your current activity level. Avoid stimulants such as caffeine (taper off) Avoid drugs (alcohol, recreational drugs, over-the-counter medications, and any prescription drugs you do not have to take) Carbohydrates: You will need to count carbohydrates until you get used to eating this way and are able to estimate the total carbohydrates in a meal. Avoid man-made carbohydrates such as sugar, soda, pastries, and juice. Carbohydrates are found in sweets, grains, beans, starchy vegetables, fruit, nuts, and some dairy products. You need to learn how much carbohydrate you are getting in each meal and then eat so that you are getting the correct amount of carbohydrate fuel for your activity level. Use this chart to figure out how many grams of carbohydrate you should have per meal and per snack: Activity Level Sedentary Somewhat Active Active Extremely Active Underweight Meal 30 30-45 30-60 45-80 Snack 0-15 0-15 0-30 0-30 Normal Body Composition Meal 30 30-45 30-60 45-75 Snack 0-7.5 0-7.5 0-30 0-30 Normal Body Composition Meal 15-30 30 30-45 45-60 with fat around midsection Snack 15 0-7.5 0-7.5 0-15 Slightly overweight esp. Meal 15 15-30 30 45-60 around midsection Snack 7.5-15 0-15 0-15 0-7.5 Overweight especially Meal 15 15 15-30 30-40 around midsection Snack 7.5 7.5-15 0-15 0-15 Sedentary: Do not exercise at all, avoid physical exertion. Somewhat active: Exercise moderately every other day, bicycling or walking, weekend sports. Exercise a total of 2-4 hours per week. OR You are physically active at your job. Active: Alternate moderate exercise (2-3 times per week) with more rigorous aerobic exercise or weight training for longer periods of time (1-2 times per week). Total of 7-10 hours per week. Extremely active: Exercise strenuously 2-3 hours every day, engaging in challenging activities such as dance, running, biking, rock climbing, swimming, or weightlifting. Total 14 hours or more per week. Body Composition If you are eating more than 15 grams of carbohydrate per meal, you do not have to eat a snack unless you are hungry. If you are only eating 15 grams of carbohydrate per meal, you must eat 2 snacks. If you have Type 2 diabetes, eat 3 meals a day that contain 15 grams of carbohydrate per meal and two 7.5-gram carbohydrate snacks. If you are depressed and you find yourself getting more depressed, then add 7.5 grams of carbohydrate per meal and snack. If you are losing weight too quickly, feeling sluggish, or suffering from insomnia, increase carbs.
Proteins: Eat freely of protein. Your body will tell you when to stop eating protein. Eat as many eggs as you want (preferably local eggs from chickens that run around free) Meat and poultry: hormone-free, additive-free, antibiotic-free, grass-fed Wild fish: preferably fresh Sausages: nitrate and nitrite-free (don t eat packaged ones) Cheese (preferably raw): focus on those that are not aged as much to avoid damaged fats o Cottage, Cream, Goat, Feta, Mozzarella, Muenster, Ricotta, Queso fresca Nuts (see carbohydrate tables to figure out the carbohydrate content of the food) Soy products: only naturally processed soy products (see carbohydrate tables) o Tempeh, Miso, Natto 3 Fats: Eat freely of high-quality, undamaged fats. Get organic if at all possible since many toxins are stored in the fat of plants and animals. Saturated fat is not the problem so do not worry about it. Avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oils. Cook fats at low temperatures to avoid damaging them (boil, steam, lightly sauté). Discard any fat that starts smoking while cooking. Extra virgin olive oil: Cook only at very low heat. Preferable to use this raw. Pure coconut oil: Very stable so can be cooked at higher temperatures. It should smell and taste like coconut. Butter: Cook at low heat or use raw. Animal fats (poultry, meat): Cook at low heat. Flax oil: use raw only Mayonnaise without hydrogenated oils Avocado Cheese (see protein section) Cream (dairy only), sour cream Nonstarchy Vegetables: Eat a variety of as many vegetables as possible. Vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and enzymes. Eat a mix of raw and cooked vegetables. Any vegetable with less than 5 grams of carbohydrate per of vegetable is considered non-starchy. Do not count these as carbohydrates unless you are eating vast quantities of these vegetables. Dark leafy greens: Should be a staple eaten as often as possible o Kale, collards, chard, arugula, turnip, radish, beet, broccoli leaf, cauliflower leaf, watercress, dandelion, lettuce (not iceberg), mustard, spinach, cabbage, and many others. Herbs and spices can be used freely and are quite beneficial Other non-starchy vegetables: o Asparagus, bamboo shoots, sprouts, bell peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots (raw), cauliflower, celery, chives, onion, garlic, cucumber, eggplant, endive, fennel, ginger, gourds, green beans, jicama (raw), peppers, kohlrabi, mushrooms, onions, radishes, snap peas, snow peas, spaghetti squash, summer squash (zucchini, yellow squash), tomatoes Condiments: o Vinegar, garlic, homemade sauces, tamari soy sauce, natural mustard, salsa (without sugar), olives
Grains: Buy grains in their natural state and avoid eating processed grains. All of the following contain 15 grams of carbs per serving: (cooked) Barley Buckwheat Bulgur (tabouli) Corn grits Couscous farina Millet Oats Polenta Popcorn (popped) Quinoa Rice (brown) Rice (wild) Rye Semolina (whole-grain) (dry) Wheat berries (dry) Wheat bran (crude) (dry) 2.5 cups 1.5 Tbsp Yogurt: Choose whole-fat yogurt. Eat raw yogurt from a trusted source if possible. All of the following contain 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving: Plain Whole Milk or Soy Soy Products: All of the following contain 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving: Miso (diluted) Natto or Tempeh Tofu or Soy milk Legumes: All of the following contain 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving: (cooked) Adzuki beans Black, Kidney, Navy, Pinto, White beans Chickpeas (Garbanzo) Lentils and Split peas Black-eyed peas Fava beans Hominy Whole-Grain Flour: All of the following contain 15 grams of carbs per serving: (dry) Almond meal Amaranth flour Brown rice flour Buckwheat flour 3.5 Tbsp Cornmeal Pecan flour Rye flour 3 Tbsp Sunflower seed flour Whole-wheat flour 3 Tbsp Bread and Crackers: Limit these as much as possible. Be sure they have no hydrogenated fats or additives. All of the following contain 15 grams of carbs per serving: Corn tortilla Low-carbohydrate bread Whole-grain bread Whole-grain hamburger bun Whole-wheat English muffins Whole-grain dinner roll Whole-grain pita Rice or wheat crackers Rye crispbread or wafers Nuts and Coconut: All of the following contain 6 grams of carbohydrate per serving: (raw) Almonds Almond butter Brazil nuts Cashews (Cashew butter) Coconut milk or meat Filberts (hazelnuts) Macadamia nuts Peanuts (Peanut butter) Pecans, Pine nuts, Pine nuts Pistachio nuts Pumpkin kernels Sesame (Sesame butter) Sunflower seeds Walnuts 2 slices 1 slice ½ bun ½ muffin 1 roll 1 small 4 crackers 2 crackers 4 1 ounce (23 nuts) 2 tablespoons ¾ ounce (1.5 Tbsp) 1 ounce () 1 ounce (15 halves) 1 ounce 1 ounce (47 kernels) ½ ounce (42 seeds) 1 ounce (1.5 Tbsp) 2 ounces
Fruit: Although fruits are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants, they do contain a large amount of quickly-absorbed sugar. Berries are the best fruits as many actually decrease insulin resistance. All of the following contain 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving: (raw) (raw) Apple (Dried apples) Applesauce (unsweetened) Apricot (Dried apricot) Avocado (California) Avocado (Florida) Banana Cherries Dates Figs (Dried figs) Grapefruit Grapes (American) Grapes (European) Kiwi fruit Lemons Limes Mango Melon (cantaloupe) 1 small (3 rings) 2 medium (7 halves) 1 avocado ½ avocado (with pits) 2 medium 2 medium () ½ large 15 grapes 7 grapes 1 large 3 medium 2 medium (cubes) Melon (honeydew) Melon (watermelon) Nectarines Oranges Tangerines Papayas Peaches (Dried peaches) Pears (Dried pears) Pineapple Plantains (cooked) Plums Pomegranates Prunes Raisins Rhubarb Sun-dried tomatoes Tomatoes (diced) 1.25 cups (diced) 2 small (mashed) (2 halves) ½ large (1 half) 2 fruits ½ fruit 3 prunes 7 stalks 1/6 ounce 5 Berries: Berries are the ideal fruit as they have less effects on insulin and are protective to the cardiovascular system. Many berries actually decrease insulin resistance. The following contain 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving: Blackberries, Blueberries, Loganberries Boysenberries, Cranberries, Currants, Gooseberries, Mulberries, Raspberries Strawberries 1.5 cups Juice: Avoid most juice as they contain far too many carbohydrates that are absorbed almost instantly (increasing the glycemic index). Vegetable juices are a much better option than fruit juices. The following contain 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving: Carrot Vegetable Tomato 3 fluid oz 6 fluid oz 6 fluid oz Starchy Vegetables: All of the following contain 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving: (cooked) (cooked) Acorn squash Artichoke Beets Burdock root (raw) Butternut squash Carrots Corn Green peas 1 artichoke ½ root Jerusalem artichoke Lima beans Okra Parsnip Potato (baked) Pumpkin Rutabagas (raw) Sweet potato or yam Turnips ¼ large