There is so much press on foods that we should not eat; including trans-fats, artificial sweeteners, salt, and high fructose corn syrup. Many people say they want to eat healthily, and many could stand to lose weight but unfortunately in this society, we are not taught what we should eat. What should we be putting in our mouth each day? Of course, each person is different, but what I have listed is some general guidelines to help people with what they should be eating.
Fruit
For many people, the first thing to eat in the morning is some fruit. This gives you a nice natural boost of sugar to get your blood sugar up and get you energized in the morning. Fruit is a great way to start the day also because of the fiber, it is gentle on the stomach and it is sweet which often helps people who might not be hungry in the morning. Fruit should be eaten by itself and preferably intact. Juicing isn’t always best as it pulls out the fiber put there by nature to help balance the blood sugar. Eating fruit by itself is best based on the concept of food combining which can cause problems for some, especially for people with digestive issues.
Many people can handle 1-2 servings of fruit each day, ½ cup for each serving.
I know this can be challenging for many people as I have found that many people eat way too much fruit. Eating more fruit consistently than this can lead to future blood sugar issues. Historically if you look at how much fruit our ancestors ate, it wasn’t much at all. In fact, it was probably less than a piece of fruit a week. If you are prone to digestive issues, blood sugar problems (diabetes, hypoglycemia, etc.) fungus/candida, or rashes, then fruit may be something you want to eat more sparingly.
If you are a person that can handle eating 1-2 pieces of fruit a day, it can be eaten by itself, of course, used as jam/jellies, in smoothies, eaten on top of cereal, dried as a snack (as long as it is organic without the sulfur), or mixed into salads.
Whole Grains
The best whole grains are Quinoa, Millet, and Wild Rice (which is actually a grass) – as these are seeds, gentle to digest, and highly nutritious. There are several brands of Quinoa pasta, quinoa cereals, millet bread and chips, wild rice chips, etc. Check your local health food store. Brown Rice, Oats, Ezekial products, and Spelt are others that are beneficial, recommend avoiding all wheat products as wheat is highly processed and not very nutritious.
Grains, of course, are high in carbohydrates, but when eating whole grains such as the ones listed, they are higher in fiber, provide a balanced protein, and are complex carbohydrates that are better for blood sugar issues. For best results look at sprouting/soaking/blooming your grains. I take a cup of grain, put it in a glass jar, fill it with water, and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 1-3 days (depending on the grain). I rinse the jar out twice a day (morning and night) and put fresh water in. This removes the phytic acid from the grain which aids digestion. It starts the sprouting process as if you were planting the grain in the ground. It also burns up some calories and fat as it starts to germinate and makes the grain easier to digest. Once you start “cooking” your grains this way it becomes quite easy. It also saves power.
There are many books at the library and information online on sprouting to learn more. I try to keep at least one-grain sprouting, and once it is the texture I like, I give it a final rinse and use it in salads, or other dishes, or store in the refrigerator up to a week in a sealed container.
Dr. D’Adamo in Eat Right For Your Blood Type mentions some guidelines on eating grains; O blood types should limit grain servings to 2-4 servings a day; A blood types should have 4-8 servings of whole grains and can also have another grain amaranth which is often seen as and are similar to graham crackers; B and AB blood types; 2-6 servings per day.
Some other serving suggestions for grains are; Ezekial or spelt English muffins, Ezekial, spelt or brown rice tortillas, millet, quinoa, rice or Ezekial cereals (hot/cold), quinoa, rice, or Ezekial pasta, or eating the actual cooked/soaked grain or millet, quinoa, wild rice or brown rice as a main or side dish. I stuff tortillas with all sorts of veggies, cut tortillas up into chips and bake them for dipping veggie dips, and make mini pizzas out of English muffins.
Meat
Animal protein is important within balanced proportions. We recommend each serving is 2-4oz maximum. If you are still unsure of the organic issue for food as far as paying higher prices, if you must eat something organic, it should be your meats. Else you are getting the pesticides in the food they give them, the hormones, antibiotics, and steroids all combined. O Blood types can do 2-3 small servings, A’s can get away without any animal protein sources if they want to as long as they are taking a B12 supplement and everyone should avoid all pork products. Pork is often loaded with nitrates, so check the packaging.
Meat servings can be seen as breakfast turkey bacon or turkey sausages, organic/free-range lunch meats in sandwiches, tuna fish, or grass-fed beef, buffalo or turkey for dinner meals. Eggs also fall into this category and are also a good source of animal protein. Free-range chicken and other meats for dinner are fine as long as there is a balance of vegetables being served as well.
For people that have blood sugar issues, eating protein in the morning is a way to help balance blood sugar issues throughout the day. Adding vegetables to the meat is even better to get much needed alkaline sources, fiber, chlorophyll, and nutrients. Duck eggs are a good choice for people that can’t have chicken eggs.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds can be eaten in fairly large quantities. Almonds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds are especially beneficial for all body types. Nuts are high in essential fatty acids, a good source of vegetable protein and fiber. Sprouted nuts are even better for us as they have less fat, fewer calories but higher protein and fiber. Look for sprouted almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. at your local health food store (TruHealth carries a good selection of these nuts/seeds). Chia seeds are high in fiber, are 18% calcium, balance blood sugar, and are high in omega’s.
Servings for nuts and seeds can be used on top of all kinds of salads, as a snack or cooked with vegetables. My son loves green beans sautéed in coconut oil with garlic, scallions, and sprouted almonds – yum!
No Dairy
If you are trying to get healthy, dairy is not the best thing for our bodies. I have written about this before in past articles. If you must do dairy products, at least make them raw so you are getting the enzymes and none of the toxins that are typically found in dairy products. To take that another step tries some of the milk alternatives there are available including almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, or other alternative milk. Try to avoid rice milk as it can be high in carbohydrates/sugars. Soy is not recommended because processing is typically done with Hexane – read more about that on our Resources page. In addition, unfermented soy inhibits the absorption of iodine and can cause hormone problems in some people.
There are also cheeses, cream cheeses, ice creams, etc. made from natural sources as well. Coconut ice cream is especially good. Check your local health food store for the yummy options! Or look into getting a milk maker. I have one that I make almond milk out of each week. It is tasty, easy, and inexpensive.
If you must have dairy, try making or purchasing kefir, plain yogurts, or buttermilks. The fermentation is beneficial for many people and can make digestion easier. Raw cheeses would be another option.
Vegetables
There is no limit on the number of vegetables – as many as you want! People always ask me if there is a secret to staying healthy and young and other than ½ hour of walking every day – making vegetables 80% of your diet is the other secret. Vegetables are so good at providing our bodies’ nutrients, fiber, essential fatty acids, and water. As a guideline, you can check the blood type diet book mentioned above to find the optimum vegetables for you.
For serving suggestions for vegetables, check out your library for vegetarian cookbooks. You can add meat if you want to any dish at some point, but these cookbooks can give you some great ideas for preparing and seasoning vegetables that might surprise you. Of course, you can always eat them raw, blanched, boiled, or steamed – JUST EAT THEM!
Oils
We recommend olive oil for salads and coconut oil, avocado oil, or butter (preferably pastured) for cooking. Pay attention to the olive oil as it is a sensitive oil and can go rancid if heated too much or not kept cool. Camelina oil is another oil that is high in vitamin E and tastes delicious in salad dressings or drizzled over vegetables. Coconut oil is much hartier and can withstand high heats. Avoid margarine, canola oil (from the rapeseed), and butter substitutes.
Best to your health, Kasara
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