Eating 4 Health

Last month I assisted at a free public education forum hosted by CMPC's Institute for Health and Healing.  I heard Ed Bauman, founder of BaumanCollege http://www.baumancollege.com/
(holistic nutrition and culinary arts) speak.   He is a very knowledgeable and entertaining speaker.  He shared a poster based on his philosophy of nutrition and health which I want to share.  Click here to read about it: http://www.baumancollege.com/about/eating-for-health-philosophy.html

Choose fresh, seasonal, chemical-free, nutrient-rich, organic foods.  "The goal of this unique system is to provide optimal amounts of macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), phytonutrients (plant alkaloids with protective value), and other vital factors (enzymes, tastes, energetic properties) that can be most efficiently digested and assimilated."

I LOVE his idea of 4 levels of eating:
1. Eating for pleasure
2. Eating for energy
3. Eating for recovery
4. Eating for health

I know this list is long, but it's helpful in understanding his common sense view of health and eating....

Eating for Health Guidelines

• Increase intake of local, seasonal, fresh, organic foods.
• Drink plenty of purified water each day, about one-half cup (four ounces) every hour. To determine the total amount you need, divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces of water.
• Read labels and avoid foods with artificial ingredients.
• Decrease intake of refined and artificial sugars, white flour products, unnatural fats, added hormones, preservatives, colors, and antibiotics.
• Diversify sources of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
• Ingest 1 gram of protein per kilogram (2.2 lbs) of normal body weight.
• Eat protein by ten in the morning and 1-3 more times during the day.
• Eat protein to curb sugar cravings.
• Minimize caffeine intake to 50mg or less (1 c. black tea, 3 c. green tea, or ½ c. coffee or espresso).
• Eat more monounsaturated fat (olives, avocados, almonds) than saturated fat (animal, dairy, coconuts) or polyunsaturated oils (soy, corn, sunflower).
• Decrease consumption of glutinous grains (wheat, rye, oats, barley) to prevent digestive disturbance and inflammation.
• Increase consumption of gluten-free grains (rice, corn, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth), which are mineral rich and easy to digest.
• Increase consumption of leafy (e.g. kale), crunchy (e.g. broccoli) and starchy (e.g. yam) vegetables to provide abundant minerals.
• Eat three portions of vegetables in a meal to 1 serving of protein and 1 serving of fat for pH balance.
• If body temperature is cold, eat more proteins, essential fatty acids, seaweeds, and warming spices such as ginger and cayenne.
• If body temperature is warm, eat more cooling foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and green herbal teas and spices like mint, rosemary, lemongrass, and rooibus.
• Determine a diet direction according to your metabolic tendency: Building if metabolism is fast, Cleansing if metabolism is slow, or Balanced if metabolism is neither fast nor slow.
• Add booster foods to the diet to increase energy, detoxification, and antioxidant activity.
• Undertake a simplified diet or fasting program seasonally, including colon cleansing and increased spiritual practice.
• Enjoy your food and let others eat in peace.