Optimal Function “General” Nutrition Advice

Remember the concept - 

Inflammation and Metabolic Dysfunction → Free Radicals → Oxidative Stress → DNA and Mitochondria Damage 

**What you put in your body can either be healing and contribute to optimizing your health, or it can be a huge contributor to poor health, low cellular vitamins and minerals, chronic inflammation, chronic symptoms, early aging, and chronic disease. 

Here are some general points

         1. The goals of a nutrition plan should be anti-inflammatory, real 

              food-based, blood sugar-stabilizing, and include a variety of 

               healthy, nutrient-dense proteins, fats, and some carbs.

         2. I will often recommend specific nutrition plans depending on the goals 

              and needs of the individual. For example, a patient fighting cancer may 

              need a ketogenic diet or a more plant-based diet. A diabetic may need 

              to restrict carbs more than others. Someone with food sensitivities 

              may need a more restrictive diet. You get the point. Take the advice in 

               this plan as a general recommendation.

          3. When studying Blue Zones around the world—areas where people live 

               over 100—one variable studied within these groups was eating 

               smaller amounts of “real food from the earth.” This diet is anti-        

               inflammatory, allows for much easier digestion, and will not cause a 

               major blood glucose spike.

           4. We are avoiding things in this plan that research is clear on. These 

                include wheat and most grains, dairy, unfermented soy, refined 

                flours, refined sugars, processed and packaged foods, chemicals, 

                additives, preservatives, trans fats, etc. Food from the earth, in its 

                most natural form, will be void of all of these.

Keeping it as simple as possible: eat “real food” from the earth in its most natural form.

As a general rule of thumb…if you can’t pick it or chase it, think twice.

I understand the back-and-forth regarding meat vs. plant-based diets as a huge source of debate. I do not anchor to either one, per se. I prefer testing your genetic susceptibility, your blood type, and your cell nutrition to determine what diet is best for you as an individual—as well as “at this time” in your health journey.

Some of my vegans, when tested, were some of my most unhealthy patients. When reviewing their diets, they were void of essential amino acids, carbohydrate-dense, and caused blood sugar spikes. My heavy meat eaters, as an example, when tested, had elevated TGF-1 and elevated mTOR function. 

Both are not good when dealing with chronic disease, but can be controlled with moderation of each. 

I believe both approaches can be good for the body when done properly.

• If eating animal protein and meats, use pasture-raised and finished. The wilder, the better.
• Same with fish—no farm-raised; choose deep, cold-water fish.
• If eating plant-based, combine plant proteins, as a single plant protein does not contain the full complement of all essential amino acids and can leave you protein-deficient. Be conscious of carbohydrate levels, as many of these foods are rich in carbs/glucose.

If we work together, I will prescribe a specific diet based on individual lab testing and needs.