Health - Chris' Diet

*DISCLAIMER:  I am not a doctor or health care professional of any kind, please consult your doctor before making any diet changes.

There, now I feel better and that should appease our litigious society. :-/

Diet (noun): food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health.

The word diet has come to have a very negative connotation to it in the past decades. The word is now synonymous with people starving themselves to reach some "weight goal" or by saying "I can't eat that, I'm dieting". A diet for us is merely a food plan to help us reach optimal health.

In a previous post, I explained why we started tweaking our diet and our goal has always been one of "optimum health".  I tweak Chris' diet the most because he is physically active and receptive to it. It gives me someone to experiment on before trying it myself. :-)

MORNING INTAKE: 

ALIVE PEA PROTEIN WHOLE FOOD SHAKE:  He mixes this with about 12 oz of So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk and a serving of Living Harvest Hemp Protein.  This shake provides all his daily vitamins.  I'm pleased to say that they recently improved the formula to include more Vitamin D, more organic foods and less carbohydrates.  I add the extra protein via the Hemp, because with Chris living an active lifestyle and being a vegetarian, protein is important to Chris' diet.  Pea and Hemp are the two most complete and most absorbent proteins as I previously noted.

 

BLUEBONNET LIQUID CALCIUM WITH VITAMIN D3:  Chris has become lactose intolerant over the past decade, therefore a calcium supplement is in order.  I chose this one because it has the highest ELEMENTAL calcium.  Elemental is a key word to look for in choosing a calcium supplement.  Elemental is the amount of the calcium in the product that your body will actually use.  If they don't list the elemental amount, assume that it's not much.  The product is flavored with fructose, which is not ideal, but it's such a small percentage overall, I'm not worried about it and I think its better than sodium benzoate.

KOMBUCHA - AKA THE ELIXIR OF LIFE:  This not just a drink but a raw food and will fill you up with good stuff and good feelings.  It has the energizing effects of caffeine without the downside, lots of B Vitamins (happy vitamins!) and loads of probiotics and very few calories.  Great for the colon in two ways: decreases food cravings and keeps the internal environment healthy.

CHIA SEEDS*:  Yes, this is the same stuff used to grow "Chia Pets". Who knew it was a really healthy food also!  This serves a similar purpose as the Kombucha but approaches things in a different way.  It fills you up and energizes you at the same time. Nutritionally, it brings different benefits in copious amounts of Omega 3, fiber, and protein.  Most western diets are too high in Omega 6, which increases inflammation in the body, and too low in Omega 3, which decreases inflammation. Chia seeds are a great way to balance out your diet. For weight loss, it's reported to specifically help with eliminating fat along the waist line.  The only downside I've found is that it helps lower blood pressure and when used in conjunction with medication, blood pressure can become too low. Chris mixes 1 tbsp with 8 oz of water and lets it turn to gel (about 5-10 minutes, shaking occasionally), then drinks it down. When cold, it has very little, if any, taste. Chia seeds can also be sprinkled on food of any kind.  We use the Whole Foods brand from the bulk container - it's the cheapest and also raw and organic.

MID MORNING SNACK, LUNCH AND MID AFTERNOON SNACK:

DRIED MANGO AND TRUFFLE ALMONDS (measured/weighed each day to control calories - about 40 grams each): We grab these from the Whole Foods bulk bins. Very yummy.

AMAZING GRASS BERRY BAR:  These are a full serving of veggies, greens, raw, vegan, soy-free, alkaline, etc.

AMAZING GRASS CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BAR:  This is another serving of veggies but does include Whey protein. I'm hoping they'll switch to hemp soon like they use in their other products.  Both bars are very filling, nutritious and low in calories and also very tasty.

HARD BOILED EGG (Organic with Omega 3), an organic apple (fuji or gala), and more Chia soon once he is home. It provides a great boost after his ride home and fuels him for the attack of the kids, baseball, and whatever life throws at him in the early evening.

DINNER: Right now, nursing Amber requires me to eat very, very bland, therefore Chris is eating bland too.  I'll post more about this when the dinner recipes are a bit more interesting :-)  In the mean time, it might be worth your time to sign up for Amazing Grass Two Week Challenge.  They have two weeks of healthy meal ideas and daily emails about different health topics. It's not an MLM and I have nothing to gain from this suggestion. Amazing Grass has great products and awesome customer service.  I wish it was an MLM with all the people I now know using their products at our suggestion. It would supplement our income nicely. :-)

NOTE ON SUPPLEMENTS:  My research indicates that supplements and vitamins are best when derived from whole foods and/or in liquid form.  When not available in that form, look for vegetarian/Kosher capsules, as some of the ingredients in binders and capsules can be animal based and actually hinder absorption or neutralize the effects.