Metabolic Considerations

With disease or exacerbation of symptoms, you will need to eat almost entirely, if not entirely within the center of the wheel depending on severity and the metabolic group that is creating the most stress. “Choosing Your Ring".

 

 

Choosing Your Ring

Inner Circle: Fruits and Vegetables

These foods should comprise the majority of the daily diet. This will naturally decrease the amount of other foods on the outer rings. Try to eat before getting too hungry. 1 TBS of Nori flakes 1 hour before eating is great for being satisfied with choosing foods in this category.

First Ring

Eat as much as you need, but as little as possible. Preferably no more than 1 to 2 times per day.

Second Ring

If needed, try to limit to 1 to 3 times per week or smaller portions.

Third Ring

Avoid as much as possible. Try to limit to 1 or 2 times per month or smaller portions.

Notice how foods make you feel. As your body returns to its natural state of ease, you will more likely choose the foods that nourish your body as you lose your cravings for those that do not. However, do not make any diet a discipline. If you feel like you need to eat a food further away from the center of the circle, do so and enjoy. Healing is about making intelligent choices based on how you feel and how you would like to feel. It is not about eating perfectly. Ultimately, health is not about what you do every minute of every day, but what you do most of the time. However, keep in mind that exercise within optimum limits and activities that stimulate the mind and curiosity, and social interactions the nurture are very important for a healthy diet.

Cultures that have the longest lifespan have three common factors:

• They eat a moderate quantity of food.
• They have consistent/daily physical activities and or physical work in moderation.
• They have a healthy social network.

Stay within the inner circle as much as possible. Make sure to eat foods from each food group and to get at least 1 - 2 Tbs. of high quality oil per day (coconut, olive and lesser amounts of sesame and/or sunflower).

The Exceptions to the Rule

Do not eat entirely from the center of the circle if one of the following pertains to you as you will require a slightly denser diet for balance:

• You are not exercising at least three times a week. Beans, and animal and fowl protein inherently have steroid hormones and precursors that stimulate or influence our hormonal system. If you are eating predominately in the center of the wheel, then you need to exercise to stimulate hormone production. This is by far the best option than relying on food sources. For one, it lowers cholesterol as cholesterol is the precursor for androgens (male and female hormones) and gives your system control over its hormonal system.

 

• Your exercise program is extreme (i.e., you are exercising to fatigue or failure) or you are under excessive mental or emotional stress. Extreme physical exertion, pushing a deadline at work, worrying about a family member all require a higher caloric intake and you will need to eat accordingly. Increase high coconut oil and the metabolic category that has not been pushing your system. For example, if you typically crave carbohydrates, choose protein, but as high a quality as possible (fish over fowl, and fowl over beef).

However, even in the above situations, you will get the most benefit in maintaining health and handling the more intense stresses of life, if you stay within the center of the wheel as much as possible while feeling satisfied with your meals.