Chapter 6

The Plan

Stage one – The Healthy Start

Any great endeavor takes a bit of preparation. To prepare for this exciting new chapter in your life, you’ll need to do a few things.

1. Make an appointment

Make an appointment with your physician for a full physical exam. While you’re there, discuss any health concerns that you have with your doctor, and explain your intentions of starting the Healthy Body Connection Plan. Make sure that he/she is fully aware of the plan details (you may even want to bring a copy of the book with you for your doctor to look at,) and get your doctor’s approval to begin. To give you a starting baseline, I would recommend having your doctor run a few basic blood tests such as:

» a fasting insulin test – too much insulin in the blood could signal insulin resistance or pre-diabetes

» a hemoglobin A1C - to check your blood glucose levels

» a lipid profile - to check your cholesterol levels

» a THS - to check your thyroid function.

This would also be a great time to have your doctor check for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, or any other possible hormonal imbalances.

 

2. Rally your support

Tell the people who mean the most to you of your intentions to start the Healthy Body Connection Plan. Involving others who care about you will give you accountability and a support network to help make things easier. Ask them for their support. Tell them what it will mean to you and how it will impact your future. Let them know how much you appreciate their continued support, encouragement, positivity, and help. Maybe you can even find someone to do the plan with. Having a partner to share your adventure with makes the whole experience a lot more fun!

 

3. Out with the old

Time to clear your pantry shelves, your refrigerator, and your freezer of all the old refined carbs, processed foods, sugar, and junk. Get rid of the sugar filled jams and jellies, ketchups, BBQ sauces, candies, breads, cereals, pretzels, chips, frozen pizzas, and packaged dinners. Throw out the pasta, the rice, and the rolled oats. Toss away the hot dogs and processed meats, the low-fat yogurt, and the skim milk. Make room for all the fresh, wonderful foods that are about to become a part of your new, better life!

 

4. In with the new

Now you can make a shopping list based on the approved Able Body Foods List (pages 94-101), and start restocking your home with delicious things, like fresh fruits and vegetables; grass-fed lamb, chicken, & beef; wild Alaskan salmon and shellfish; olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk; walnuts, almonds, and cashews; pastured, fresh eggs; grass-fed butter, and don’t forget the dark chocolate!

Stage Two – The Able Body

The Able Body Stage is a 2-week detoxification period that primes your body, and gets you ready for success. Think of it like turning to a new page in your personal book of life. On a clean page, you can begin to write a new chapter that begins your own story of health and wellness.

For just these two weeks, there will be no grains, no sugar, no potatoes, no starchy vegetables, no high glycemic tropical fruits, no dried fruits, and no alcohol. Don’t worry though, there will be plenty of food, including low glycemic fruits and vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats to eat.

During this stage, your body will be going through a process that is very similar to withdrawal. While many people will get through this phase without incident, to be fair, I’ll tell you that there will be some who may not feel very well during this adjustment period. There is the possibility that you may feel lethargic, or more tired than usual. You may even get headaches, or feel queasy.

Drinking lots of water and making sure to get enough rest will help. If your doctor allows, try adding a little iodized sea salt to your diet each day. It will help you stay hydrated, and help prevent constipation. If you experience constipation, a magnesium supplement may help (see the Supplement Page for more detailed info,) and so will adding a tablespoon of ground flax seeds to one or more meals per day.

Also, this would not be the time to start any new strenuous exercise programs. These two weeks are a time to reset and relax. If you already participate in regular physical activities, go a little easy during this stage.

I recommend that you also remove dairy, and extend this stage to 3 weeks, if you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, or if you suffer from any of the following: skin rashes, eczema, brain fog, chronic fatigue, unexplained joint or muscle pains, headaches, bloating, excessive gas, constipation, diarrhea, or other digestive issues. By doing this, it will be easier to pinpoint possible food sensitivities later on in stage 3, which might be contributing to, aggravating, or possibly even causing these issues.

Hang in there. Two or three weeks is only a drop in the bucket. I know you can do it, and I promise it’ll be well worth it. Soon, your energy levels will be soaring, and you’ll be feeling better than ever!

Some Key Pointers Before You Start

These apply to both stages 2 & 3

» Start every day with a large glass of filtered water. This will rehydrate you and wake your system up. Make sure to stay properly hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, too.

» Eating seasonally available produce is one way to help keep our bodies healthy and in sync with the naturally occurring biological rhythms of the seasons.

» Try to eat from every color category on the Rainbow Food Chart (figure 6) each day.

» Concentrate on getting plenty of fiber, by choosing fruits and vegetables which are higher in fiber, including foods from the prebiotic food list. (Figure 4)

» You need between 9-12 servings of whole, plant-based foods daily. A serving size is roughly ½ cup of raw or cooked vegetables, 1 cup of raw leafy greens, 1 cup of berries, 1 cup of cut fruit, or one medium sized piece of whole fruit. These healthy carbohydrates should make up about 30-35% of your daily calories.

» Have 3 servings of plant-based foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and dark leafy greens at each meal. Again, reference (figure 6) for ideas. Plant-based foods should cover about ¾ of your plate.

» Have a serving of protein at each meal. One serving of protein equates to ½ cup of beans/lentils (stage 3 only), 2-3 eggs; 3-6 ounces of fish, meat, or poultry; 2 tbsp. of nut butter, or ¼ cup of nuts/seeds.

» Protein should make up about ¼ of your plate. For most people, no more than 20-25% of your daily caloric intake should come from protein. Even athletes and body builders don’t need more than 35%

» Healthy fats are unrestricted, and should make up relatively 40-50% of your daily caloric intake. Have at least one serving of healthy fat at each meal. One serving is approximately 1 tbsp. of oil, 2 tbsps. of nuts, 1 tbsp. of nut or seed butter, or 1/3 of an avocado.

» Be careful to store your oils in a cool, dark area, to prevent them from degrading. Only buy quantities that you can use in a reasonable amount of time. This way, your oils are always fresh.

» Don’t cook with oil on high heats. This can damage the oil and cause it to become unhealthy. So, for example: stir frying over a medium/low heat is fine, but deep frying or frying on a high heat is not.

» Since over-cooking vegetables can cause them to lose some of their valuable nutrients and fiber content, try to eat raw vegetables when you can, and keep your cooked vegetables a little on the al dente side.

» Have 2-3 servings of fresh fruit, daily. A serving is generally 1 cup of berries, 1 cup of cut fruit, or one medium sized piece of whole fruit.

» Don’t drink fruit juices, such as apple juice or orange juice. Fruit juices often contain added sugars, and even 100% juice blends are just concentrated forms of sugar. This is because it can take up to six pieces of fruit to make an 8-ounce glass of juice. That’s six times more sugar than is found in a single piece of fruit. Moreover, since juice lacks the beneficial fiber contained in a whole piece of fruit, absorption of all that sugar will occur in minutes, effectively causing sugar and insulin spikes in your blood.

» Save dairy products for an occasional snack or treat.

» Have up to 1 ounce of dark chocolate (containing 72% or more cocoa) daily.

» Grains, sweet potatoes, yams, beans, and starchy vegetables are all interchangeable. A half cup is the serving size for one serving of grains, beans, or starchy vegetables. You can have up to two servings of these foods daily. (Stage 3 only)

» Eat a high-protein meal for breakfast. This will help keep your blood sugar level, and give you the energy to get through the morning without being hungry.

 

Stage 2, the Able Body - Foods List

Vegetables to choose often:

(Try to include 3 servings with every meal)

» Dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, beet greens, collards, mustard greens, chard, dandelion greens, romaine, arugula, micro greens, etc.

» Mushrooms

» Peppers of all kinds

» Tomatoes

» Cucumbers

» Onions

» Leeks

» Scallions

» Garlic

» Fennel

» Celery

» Zucchini and yellow squash

» Spaghetti squash

» Eggplant

» Turnips and rutabagas

» Carrots

» Radishes

» Pumpkin

» Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, and Brussels sprouts

» Sprouts

» Asparagus

» Bamboo shoots

» Artichokes

» Green beans

» Kohlrabi

» Broccoli rabe

» Okra

» Water chestnuts

» Snow peas

» Jicama

» Raw beets

 

Vegetables to avoid:

» Potatoes

» Corn

» Acorn squash

» Cooked beets

» Peas

» Plantains

» Butternut squash

» Yams

» Sweet potatoes

» Parsnips

 

Fruits to choose often

(2-3 daily)

» Berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, black berries, and strawberries

» Apples

» Pears

» Apricots

» Nectarines

» Peaches

» Plumbs

» Citrus, such as oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons, and limes

» Fresh figs

» Kiwi

» Cherries

» Cranberries

 

Fruits to avoid:

» Mango

» Papaya

» Pineapple

» Banana

» Red, black, and green grapes

» Melon, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew

» Dried fruit, dates, and raisins

» Fruit juice

 

Fats to choose often:

(Include healthy fats at all meals)

» Avocado

» Organic extra virgin coconut oil

» Flaxseed oil

» Extra virgin olive oil

» Sesame oil

» Whole flaxseed

» Flax meal

» Chia seeds

» Hemp seeds

» Pumpkin seeds

» Sesame seeds

» Sunflower seeds

» Seed butters

» Nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, and cashews

» Nut butters, like peanut, almond, and cashew

» HBC mayo (See recipe section)

» Mayo without added sugar, sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, or unhealthy oils

» Grass-fed butter

 

Fats to choose less often:

» Heavy cream

» Half & Half

» Sour cream

» Cheese

 

Fats to avoid:

» Trans fats (fats that are partially or fully hydrogenated)

» Processed vegetable oils, like soy bean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, or safflower oil

 

Choose full fat dairy for an occasional snack or treat (serving size = 1/2 cup, or 1 oz. of cheese)

» Plain Greek yogurt – a good source of protein and probiotics

» Kefir – a good source of probiotics

» Cottage cheese – a good source of protein

» Cheese

 

Proteins

(1 serving at every meal)

» 2-3 whole eggs

» 3-6 ounces of poultry

» 3-6 ounces of red meat, such as grass-fed beef, grass fed lamb, or pork; or wild game, like bison, elk, or venison

» 3-6 ounces of wild fish, such as sardines, salmon, light tuna, cod, lake trout, halibut, or shellfish (at least 2x a week)

» 2 tbsp. of nut butter

» 1/4 cup of nuts or seeds

 

Fermented foods, choose often

(look for varieties which have been cured in salt, and which do not contain added sugar)

» Fermented pickles

» Sauerkraut

» Kimchi

» Fermented vegetables

 

Choose fresh or dried, herbs and spices as often as possible

» Fresh ginger and turmeric

» Powdered ginger, turmeric, and cumin

» Fresh or dried basil, rosemary, oregano, dill, cilantro, thyme, and parsley

» Garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, ancho chili, and other spices.

» 100% raw cacao powder

 

Condiments to choose often

» Vinegar

» Salsa without added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» Hot sauce

» Marinara and tomato sauces without added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» Pesto sauce

» Full fat dressings without added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» Plain or spicy mustards without added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» Gluten free soy sauce/tamari sauce

» Healthy Body Connection marinades and dressings (See recipe section)

» HBC Mayo (See recipe section)

» Guacamole

» Olive oil

 

Condiments to avoid

» Ketchup with added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» BBQ sauce

» Low-fat dressings

» Dressings, marinades, dips, and sauces with sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» MSG

» Soy sauce

 

Avoid all added sugars, sweeteners, and artificial sweeteners, such as:
(including Healthy Body Connection recipes with any added sweeteners)

» Date sugar

» Agave

» Barley malt

» Brown & white sugar

» Cane juice

» Corn syrup

» Dextrose

» Dextran

» Florida crystals

» Fructose

» Juice concentrate

» Glucose

» Grape sugar

» High fructose corn syrup

» Honey

» Hydrolyzed starch

» Maltodextrin

» Maltose

» Maple syrup

» Molasses

» Rice syrup

» Sucrose

» Turbinado sugar

» Palm coconut sugar

» Coconut sugar

 

Have daily if desired

» Dark chocolate (containing 72% or more cocoa,) 1 ounce daily.

Stage Three - The Daily Connection Stage

Congratulations, you have made it to stage 3, the Daily Connection! Although this is the last stage of the plan, the Daily Connection is the beginning of many wonderful things to come. This is the stage where you learn to listen to what your body is telling you. You’ll pay careful attention for clues and insights on how your body is reacting to certain foods, so that you can customize the plan to fit your personal needs. This is also when you’ll begin to incorporate other positive lifestyle changes into your daily life, so that you can fully maximize your results!

Let’s begin this part of your journey by discussing the dietary aspects, first. In the Daily Connection stage, you may add whole grains, starchy vegetables, and other items, such as higher glycemic fruits, back into your diet. Grains, sweet potatoes, yams, beans, and starchy vegetables are all interchangeable. A ½ cup is the serving size for one serving of grains, starchy vegetables, or beans. You can have up to two servings of these foods daily.

When including grains back into your daily food plan, I would recommend starting with gluten-free grains like quinoa and gluten-free steel cut oats for the first week, at least. After that, if you choose, you can carefully begin to incorporate other whole grains back into your diet, always paying careful attention to how your body reacts to each new addition.

In addition to the dark chocolate, at this time you may also have up to 2 tsp/8g of added sugar, daily. I prefer that you limit your sugar products to raw honey, pure maple syrup, and organic coconut sugar. Be aware of how much added sugar you are eating each day, and avoid going over the 2 tsp/8g limit.

You may also enjoy an alcoholic beverage from time to time, if you wish. Although 1-2 drinks a day is alright, aim to make your alcohol intake more occasional than habitual. Remember that, for some of you, alcohol consumption may interfere with your weight loss/health goals, and you may need to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages for a while.

For Pre-Diabetics and Those with Type 2 Diabetes

If you have a strong family history of chronic illness or type 2 diabetes; if you have been told by your doctor that you are pre-diabetic, insulin resistant; or if you already have type 2 diabetes: you may want to stay on a modified version of Stage 2, the Able Body stage.

As per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, “People with a fasting glucose level of 100 to 125 mg/dL have impaired fasting glucose (IFG), or prediabetes. A level of 126 mg/dL or above, confirmed by repeating the test on another day, means a person has diabetes.” Both the American Diabetes Association and the Mayo Clinic recommend that target blood glucose levels for individuals who have diabetes should generally range between 80mg/dl – 130mg/dl.

A close friend, who I’ll call Ken, was recently diagnosed by his doctor as being pre-diabetic. In truth, his numbers were high enough, often enough, to be considered diabetic by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. We’ve found that the best way for him to control his blood sugar is by eating a well-balanced, low glycemic, high fiber diet. He avoids eating sugar, grains, and potatoes. He eats a varied whole foods diet, which includes protein, healthy fats, low glycemic fruits (like berries,) and lots of non-starchy vegetables. By following these guidelines, it only took Ken a few weeks to bring his fasting blood sugar (which was often above 180 mg/dl,) consistently down to below 90 mg/dl. The best part is, he has accomplished this miracle without taking any diabetes medications at all!

For those of you who fall into this category, enjoy your daily ounce of dark chocolate, limit your added sugar to 2 tsp/8g or less per day, and avoid eating grains, and potatoes. If you’d like even tighter control over your blood sugar, you can try limiting or omitting the intake of legumes and starchy vegetables as well.

An alternate approach for regulating your blood sugar would be to test how well your body tolerates specific foods, by checking your blood glucose levels one hour after eating. You can use this information to compare how certain foods affect your blood sugar, in contrast to meals without them.

I’d like to note that any significant changes toward a healthier diet will result in an improved outcome for most people. However, for people with blood sugar issues or a strong family history of chronic disease, a lower glycemic diet is going to be one of the most effective ways to take back the power over your own body, and promote your own good health.

For Everyone

As human beings, we all share a need for certain nutrients, and some things are just unhealthy for us all, but, because we are all individuals with different biological makeups, what is ideal for me may not be optimal for you. For example, while many people can thrive on a very low carbohydrate diet, there are just as many who would burn out and crash following the same regime; and there are those who can flourish with a lot more fat in their diets than others can even tolerate.

This plan sets you up with a solid foundation of information, and the basic guidelines of a healthy diet. Do your best, and remember that everything doesn’t always have to be perfect or exact. The point is not to obsess over tracking ratios, but to find a healthy way of eating that is right for you. Maybe you need a few more carbs. Maybe you feel better with a bit more fat. Maybe you can’t tolerate even a little dairy. Pay attention to how you’re feeling, and what your body is telling you. Start out with the Daily Connection food plan, and tweak it over time to make it the best plan for you.

Now, it’s also going to be very important to notice how specific foods affect your body as you begin to add them back into your diet. Add back one kind of food at a time, and see how you feel over the next 48 hours. Be on the lookout for any foods which cause increased cravings and hunger, stomach ache, bloating, gassiness, lethargy, headache, muscle or joint pain, soreness, runny nose, nausea, skin rashes, or diarrhea.

If you find that your body reacts adversely to any individual food, avoid that food for a while and see how you react to it again in a week or two. If at that point you find this food still causes you discomfort, consider eliminating it from your diet.

Remember, do the best you can. There is no need to obsess over the numbers. The most important part is to focus on eating a varied and nutrient-dense diet. If you only got in 6 plant-based foods today, or ate an extra piece of fruit, don’t stress about it; tomorrow is another day, and another chance to do even better.

You are making a wondrous lifestyle change, a change that is going to make your life, and probably the lives of your friends and family, better and happier. Celebrate the fact that you are already on the path to better health and a longer life!

Stage 3, the Daily Connection - Foods List

Vegetables to choose often:

(Try to include 3 of these with every meal)

» Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, beet greens, collards, mustard greens, chard, dandelion greens, romaine, arugula, micro greens etc.

» Mushrooms

» Peppers of all kinds

» Tomatoes

» Cucumbers

» Onions

» Leeks

» Scallions

» Garlic

» Fennel

» Celery

» Zucchini and yellow squash

» Spaghetti squash

» Eggplant

» Turnips and rutabagas

» Carrots

» Radishes

» Pumpkin

» Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, and Brussels sprouts

» Sprouts

» Asparagus

» Bamboo shoots

» Artichokes

» Green beans

» Kohlrabi

» Broccoli rabe

» Okra

» Water chestnuts

» Snow peas

» Jicama

» Raw beets

Starchy vegetables & grains to choose less often

(Up to 2 x daily)

» Acorn squash

» Beets

» Peas

» Parsnips

» Plantains

» Butternut squash

» Yams

» Sweet potatoes

» Purple potatoes

» Beans

» Whole grains, such as quinoa, steel cut oats, farro & bulgur

 

Starchy vegetables & grains foods to avoid:

» White potatoes

» Corn

» Rice

 

Optional grains to avoid:

Increasingly, people are finding they have a gluten sensitivity these days. Gluten is known to cause inflammation, and some doctors feel that gluten may contribute to the loss of integrity of the intestinal protective lining, which can lead to serious illness. If you would like to go gluten free, see (figure 3) on page 52, for a list of foods that contain gluten.

Fruits to choose often

(2-3 daily)

» Berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, black berries, and strawberries

» Apples

» Pears

» Apricots

» Nectarines

» Peaches

» Plumbs

» Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, lemons, and limes

» Fresh figs

» Kiwi

» Cherries

» Cranberries

 

Fruits to choose less often:

(These fruits are higher on the glycemic index, and should only be eaten occasionally)

» Mango

» Papaya

» Pineapple

» Banana

» Melon, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew

» Dried fruit, dates, and raisins (1-2 tbsp)

» Red or black grapes

 

Fats to choose often:

(Include healthy fats at all meals)

» Avocado

» Organic extra virgin coconut oil

» Flax seed oil

» Extra virgin olive oil

» Sesame oil

» Whole flaxseed

» Ground flaxseed

» Chia seeds

» Hemp seeds

» Pumpkin seeds

» Sesame seeds

» Sunflower seeds

» Seed butters

» Nuts, like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, and cashews

» Peanuts

» Nut butters like peanut, almond, and cashew

» HBC mayo (See recipe section)

» Mayo without added sugar, sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, or unhealthy oils

» Grass-fed butter

 

Fats to choose less often:

» Heavy cream

» Half & Half

» Sour cream

» Cheese

Fats to avoid:

» Trans fats (fats that are partially or fully hydrogenated)

» Processed vegetable oils, like soy bean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, or safflower oil

 

Choose full fat dairy for an occasional snack or treat

(serving size= 1/2 cup or 1 oz. of cheese)

» Plain Greek yogurt – a good source of protein and probiotics

» Kefir – a good source of probiotics

» Cottage cheese – a good source of protein

» Cheese

 

Proteins -1 Serving at Every Meal

» 2-3 whole eggs

» 3-6 ounces of poultry

» 3-6 ounces of red meat, such as grass-fed beef, grass-fed lamb, or pork; or wild game, like bison, elk, or venison

» 3-6 ounces of wild fish, such as sardines, salmon, light tuna, cod, lake trout, halibut, or shellfish (at least 2x a week)

» 2 tbsp of nut butter

» 1/4 cup of nuts or seeds

» ½ cup of beans or lentils

 

Fermented foods, choose often (look for varieties which have been cured in salt, and which do not contain added sugar)

» Fermented pickles

» Sauerkraut

» Kimchi

» Fermented vegetables

 

Choose fresh or dried, herbs and spices as often as Possible

» Fresh ginger and turmeric

» Powdered ginger, turmeric, and cumin

» Fresh or dried basil, rosemary, oregano, dill, cilantro, thyme, and parsley

» Garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, ancho chili, and other spices.

» 100% raw cacao powder

 

Condiments to choose often

» Vinegar

» Salsa without added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» Hot sauce

» Marinara and tomato sauces without added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» Pesto sauce

» Full fat dressings without added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» Plain or spicy mustards without added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» Gluten-free soy sauce

» Healthy Body Connection marinades and dressings (See recipe section)

» HBC mayo (See recipe section)

» Guacamole

 

Condiments to choose less often

» HBC ketchup (See recipe section)

 

Condiments to avoid

» Ketchup with added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» BBQ sauce

» Low-fat dressings

» Dressings, marinades, dips, and sauces with sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners

» MSG

 

Have daily if desired

» Dark chocolate (containing 72% or more cocoa,) 1 ounce daily.