Diet guide handout - traditional/Paleo style, lower grain/carb guidance

*not individualized. This is being provided for general information -- an overview of dietary advice for a Paleo style diet.

A diet guide handout, leaning Paleo style, based on a food pyramid grouping system but modified towards whole foods, bone or meat broth, and fermented foods.

What is Paleo? from an older post on lectins in beans, is a good book on the topic:

Cross referencing the table of Saponin content in the book The Paleo Answer by Loren Cordain, (Thrift Books), with the list of beans that are higher in worse lectins, we arrive at Moong beans and black-eyed peas as clear winners. And tofu is far superior to soybeans which don't make it into the use-at-all list. Avoid non-fermented soybean products including edamame. (Substack)

Grains, Seeds, Beans - their lectins & our leaky guts.

Nourishing Hope Food Pyramid diet guide

This is helpful as an overview of a lower carbohydrate balance, traditional foods diet. This is a resource that you might be given at a nutrition counseling appointment along with an individualized daily meal plan with number of servings to aim for from each main category. (15 pp, pdf in my sync file) This is a purchased product, thanks Paid Subscribers for helping to fund the course I took/haven’t quite completed….goals.

Dietary goals, or subcategories of focus within a traditional/paleo, lower grain diet:

“The base level of the Pyramid comprises 9 solid foundations for optimal diet and nutrition.

1. Grass-fed animal foods and organic produce: Grass-fed and pastured meat, dairy, and eggs are essential for optimal nutrition. Produce should use organic principles and not be sprayed with anything chemical or toxic.

2. Bone broths: Homemade bone broths from chicken, beef or other source is a nourishing food and helps boost digestion. Drinking broth or incorporating it into a meal daily is wonderful.

3. Fermentations: Consume live lactic acid fermentations such as yogurt, raw sauerkraut or other cultured vegetable, kombucha, kefir and others daily. Soaking and sprouting Soaking and sprouting grains (as well as fermenting) grains will increase the digestibility and available nutrients. Another form of sprouting plants, broccoli sprouts, are a very nutrient rich choice.

4. Juicing: Homemade vegetable and fruit juicing is a wonderful way lots of nutrients in small, easy to digest, “package.”

5. Raw foods: Raw foods are foods rich in enzymes and nutrients, making them a nutrient-rich and supportive for digestion. They include raw vegetables and fruits, as well as raw nuts and seeds (when proper preparation of soaking is done). While raw foods make a wonderful addition to a healthy diet, 100% raw food diets (for more than a few days to weeks) are depleting. While raw foods contain enzymes for digestion, people with weak digestion and inflammation may need to cook their food until a certain amount of healing takes place.

6. Supplementation: Supplementation can be essential for some people. While we’d like to get all of the nutrients from our food, many of us need an extra boost because our bodies or cells are not able to make or absorb sufficient amounts.

7. Quality water and salt: Pure water is essential for good health. Drinking pure water ensures we do not get any additional toxins our bodies need to deal with. A mineral-rich salt (such as Celtic sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt) supplies needed sodium and minerals, while avoiding the chemical/toxic additives of standard table salt.

8. Raw Dairy: Raw dairy is designed “when tolerated” because some people will be casein-free and avoiding all dairy. If you are not intolerant to dairy, raw dairy is nutritionally superior and recommended. Read more about raw dairy in

   1. ‘Nourishing Hope for Autism’ (by Julie Matthews, Certified Nutrition Consultant, 2008, thriftbooks, New: (Amazon) Website: nourishinghope.com *now an older book but still helpful. The statistics are out of date (way, way out-of-date, sadly) regarding autism prevalence, and I would change the magnesium section and strike-out folic acid and write in methyl folate instead), and

   2. ‘Nourishing Hope for Baby’ (nutritionforpregnancy.com, a home study course for prenatal diet with a book and other materials)’.”

Book description for Nourishing Hope for Autism: Nutrition and Diet Guide for Healing Our Children:

“FOOD and NUTRITION matter for children with autism. Nourishing Hope for Autism explains WHY and HOW.

Julie Matthews, widely respected autism nutritionist, provides intense research and extensive clinical nutrition experience in this comprehensive guide. Readers are given practical steps for dietary intervention and a roadmap for getting started, evolving, and customizing the varied approaches. Parents & Caregivers, Physicians & Nutritionists will learn the following:

• A clear understanding of why diet affects behavior, cognitive ability, symptoms.

• The scientific rationale for autism diets and supplementation.

• Positive effects of autism-specific nutrition and biochemistry and healing.

• How to choose a diet, get started, measure effectiveness, reach goals.

• Dietary options; including GFCF, SCD/GAPS, Body Ecology, Feingold, Low Oxalate, & more.

• Creative ways to help picky eaters with kid-approved strategies.

Nourishing Hope for Autism is the most comprehensive and helpful guide to Autism Nutrition and Dietary Intervention. In easy-to-understand terms, the author explains the impact of nutrition on the biochemistry of children with autism and how special autism diets affect healing.

Readers will understand the connection between certain foods, the digestive system, and the influences on the child's brain. Parents and autism physicians around the world are using Nourishing Hope for Autism to guide their nutrition/diet focused interventions that help bring about real recovery results---improvement in cognitive ability, physical pain, digestive problems, rashes, speech, eye contact and aggression.

This book is a must have reference for autism diet success.”

1. Nourishing Hope for Autism: Nutrition and Diet Guide for Healing Our Children, 2008, thriftbooks New (Amazon) Website with other products/cookbook/courses: Autism and ADHD Books for Parents - Autism Diet Workshops, nourishinghope.com

Julie provides helpful guidance. Resistant starch for gut microbiome is not a strength. Her focus is on limiting carbohydrates and starches in many of the special diets and focuses on the fermented foods for microbiome health.

Vegetables and fruits are sources of resistant starches and fiber too.

Limiting amount or type can be way to stop SIBO type of gut dysbiosis - kill off the microbiome by starving it, however, the colon needs a healthy anaerobic colony and that also keeps the SIBO under control or prevents it. If the colon is aerobic, there is more risk of colon species migrating backwards and over-populating the small intestine - Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth.

Pomegranate peel is antimicrobial against negative species and Candida yeast and promotes the beneficial anaerobic colon species. The pectin in the inner pith is beneficial in the same way that Modified Citrus Pectin or citrus pith/peel would provide except it may promote histamine excess problems for sensitive people while pomegranate inhibits allergy mast cells from degranulating — win/win!

Example of a day’s menu for a Paleo style approach to eating, courtesy of Grok, plus additions -

It looks about right - lower carb, no modern grains. This would be a low calorie example, weight loss, unless very large portions were used of the meats and sweet potato. You would be a well-fed Paleolithic person though.

Here's an example of a Paleo-style meal plan for one day:

Breakfast:

• Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms:

  • 3 large eggs, scrambled

  • A handful of spinach (sautéed in olive oil)

  • A few sliced mushrooms (sautéed)

  • Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of turmeric for anti-inflammatory benefits. *Or Italian herb mix and citrus zest or pomegranate inner pith, minced.

Snack:

• Almonds and Berries:

  • A small handful of raw almonds, *presoaked/sprouted would be more digestible, remove the peel to reduce oxalate further. Eating raw nuts and seeds as a standard would not be traditional, that is a modern mistake.

  • A cup of mixed berries (like blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries)

Lunch:

• Grilled Chicken Salad:

  • Grilled chicken breast slices (seasoned with herbs like rosemary or thyme)

  • Mixed greens (arugula, romaine, or spinach)

  • Cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and avocado chunks *fats are satiating, and bitter herbs and greens are also.

  • Dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic, *other herbs, thyme, oregano, foraged Ground clover or Garlic mustard.

  • Optional: a sprinkle of nuts or seeds for extra crunch (like sunflower or pumpkin seeds or chopped walnuts)

Snack:

• Carrot and Celery Sticks with Almond Butter:

  • Carrot and celery sticks

  • A couple of tablespoons of almond butter for dipping *or make your own soaked pumpkin seed butter with a food processor or grinder.

Dinner:

• Baked Salmon with Asparagus:

  • Wild-caught salmon fillet, baked with olive oil, lemon, and dill

  • Asparagus spears, roasted or grilled

  • Side of sweet potato mash (mashed with a little coconut milk for creaminess, seasoned with cinnamon if desired) *or cardamom, ginger or other spices,

Dessert (Optional):

• Baked Apple with Cinnamon:

  • Core an apple, stuff with a little bit of chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts), sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake until soft.

Notes:

• Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Herbal teas like peppermint [salicylate source] or chamomile are also good options.

• Avoid: Dairy, grains, legumes, processed sugars, and refined oils.

• Customization: The Paleo diet can be quite flexible based on personal taste and availability of ingredients. Feel free to swap out meats, vegetables, or fruits according to preference or seasonal availability.

This meal plan adheres to Paleo principles by focusing on whole foods, lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds while avoiding processed foods and grains. Remember, individual caloric and nutritional needs may vary, so adjust portion sizes or ingredients accordingly.

~~

My follow up question shows that this example is very low carbohydrate - too low maybe: If that meal plan included 4 ounces of cooked chicken and 6 ounces of salmon and 1/2 cup of sweet potato and a 1/2 an avocado, roughly what might the calorie count for the day provide? and how many grams of protein, fats and carbohydrate might the day's intake provide?

(Grok) Here's an approximate breakdown for the meal plan you've described:

Calorie Count:

• Eggs (3 large): 240 calories

• Spinach (handful): ~10 calories

• Mushrooms (a few slices): ~10 calories

• Almonds (small handful, about 1 oz): 160 calories

• Berries (1 cup): ~70 calories

• Chicken (4 oz cooked): ~220 calories

• Salad veggies (tomatoes, cucumber): ~30 calories

• Avocado (1/2): ~115 calories

• Salmon (6 oz cooked): ~350 calories

• Asparagus (serving): ~20 calories

• Sweet Potato (1/2 cup cooked): ~100 calories

• Carrot and Celery Sticks: ~30 calories

• Almond Butter (2 Tbsp): ~200 calories

• Baked Apple with Nuts: ~120 calories (small apple, small amount of nuts)

Total Calories: Approximately 1675 calories

Macronutrient Breakdown:

Protein:

• Eggs: 18g

• Chicken: ~30g

• Salmon: ~35g

• Total: 83g protein [83 x 4 calories = 332 calories]

Fats:

• Eggs: 20g

• Almonds: 14g

• Avocado: 10g

• Salmon: 20g

• Almond Butter: 18g

• Total: 82g fats [82 x 9 calories = 738 calories]

Carbohydrates:

• Eggs: ~1g

• Spinach, mushrooms: ~2g

• Berries: ~15g

• Salad Veggies: ~5g

• Sweet Potato: ~25g

• Carrot, Celery: ~6g

• Apple: ~25g

• Total: 79g carbohydrates [ 79 x 4 calories = 316 calories]

[Dietary balance ~ 332 +738 + 316 = 1386 calories in total (not 1675) with ~ 24% calories from protein, 53% from fats, and 23% from carbohydrates. The dietitian rule of thumb is to provide at least 100 grams of carbohydrate per day in low calorie diets, to help support brain energy. Yes, the brain can use ketones for energy and very low carbohydrate diets might promote use of ketones for brain energy. My main point though, this meal plan example is a very low carbohydrate diet and that would be a BIG change from standard eating plans.

Vegetarian diets are discussed as a major health risk and an eating style that is not found in our evolutionary past in the book The Paleo Answer by Loren Cordain, (Thrift Books). All indigenous groups were found to include some animal products within their standard diet, and most include a generous balance of animal products in their traditional diet. Vegetarian diets are low in vitamin B12 and vegan diets would have zero. Iodine, zinc, calcium and iron, vitamin D and total protein might also be low in a vegetarian or vegan diet. Homocysteine elevation may occur with low vitamin B12 and elevated homocysteine is a cardiovascular risk *and it suggests methylation cycle dysfunction is present *(my addition). Pregnancy would increase need for vitamin B12 and lack would be a risk for fetal development. It is wrong advice to suggest that a vegan diet is safe during pregnancy (*I agree).

Fats are important in that style of eating as an excessive intake of protein may be hard on kidney health over time. ‘Carnivore Diet’ also would incorporate a variety of organ meats and bone broth to provide a wider range of nutrients than skinless/boneless chicken breast can provide.

Lemon juice & AGEs ~ How are the meats being cooked?

Loren Cordain, Ph.D. recommends avoiding high heat, quick cooking methods which increase AGEs (crispy barbecue or seared steak), and use more slow roast or simmered methods. Adding lemon juice to the simmering chicken also can reduce AGEs formation. A Table on pp 38-39 - raw chicken has 769 AGE content, boiled - 1,123, boiled with lemon - 957. Butter, (23,340), margarine, (17,520), or oils (olive oil, extra virgin, 10,040) have a lot more AGE content than the whole olive (1,670) has or mozzarella cheese (1,677). The food with the highest AGE content mentioned: Bacon, fried (91,577). Pumpkin seeds, raw - 1,853 AGE content, while sunflower seeds, raw have 2,510 and roasted - 4,693, almonds roasted - 6,650. Having citrus or pomegranate peel or other polyphenol foods along with a meal would help protect against the AGE content in the meal and may help reduce oxidation during cooking when used as an ingredient in the broth.

Loren Cordain, Ph.D., mentions that while there aren’t clear guidelines on AGE content in the diet, the average American adult may be eating about 14,700 kU of AGEs per day. Animal studies suggest that cutting that in half (7,350 KU per day) would likely reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, and which might improve life span. (The Paleo Answer, by Loren Cordain, (Thrift Books))

Eat more vegetables than are used in this example.

In this example, larger amounts of vegetables would add a little more carbohydrate intake. Don’t use just a few leaves of spinach and a few slices of mushroom - make it a generous cup or half cup of each to provide more staying power, satiety, and fiber support for a healthy gut microbiome. Have a generous salad and larger handful of raw veggie sticks. Eating more fruit wouldn’t be a better choice - increase the veggies for more nutrient variety and less total fructose in ratio to other carbohydrates and fiber.

General advice - avoid artificial sweeteners as they seem to upset glucose metabolism even though ‘calorie free’ or low calorie. ]

Note:

• These are rough estimates since exact caloric content can vary based on preparation methods, exact portion sizes, and specific types of foods (e.g., the fat content in salmon can vary).

• The carbohydrates count does not include fiber, which would lower the net carbs. For instance, the sweet potato and berries would contribute some fiber, reducing the effective carbohydrate intake.

• The total might be slightly off due to rounding and natural variations in food.

This meal plan provides a balanced approach in terms of macronutrients for someone on a Paleo diet, emphasizing high protein and healthy fats while keeping carbs moderate. However, individual caloric needs might vary, so adjustments could be necessary based on personal goals, activity level, or metabolic rate.

RAGE series linked (post).

Food for the ears and electrical flow, listen with headphones for the full binaural effect:

Also nice:

Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health care guidance.