What Do I Eat?

Before I start talking about what I eat I’d like for you to know a little more about me and my dietary restrictions.  If you have read anything about me you probably know that I advocate a paleo type diet. Why? There are numerous studies showing that following a paleo diet, specifically an autoimmune protocol paleo diet, can lower inflammation in the body, prevent autoimmune diseases and help many digestive issues. I happen to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and found through research of my own and frustration with ordinary doctors that there is no permanent cure or any good medication that works (at least not for me).  I happened to find out about alternative methods from people like Dr. Sarah Ballantyne (a.k.a. ThePaleoMom) who is one of the scientific pioneers in developing the Autoimmune Protocol Paleo Diet.  I also learned about the low FODMAP (fructo-oligo-disaccharide-monosaccharide-alcohols and polyols) diet which is probably the best way to treat most IBS symptoms in the majority of people (however, having IBS throughout your life can lead to autoimmune issues due to the development of a leaky gut so you may have to take it a step further).  So in my research and development of my own dietary plan I learned a whole lot more about how diet, foods, fats and allergens can lead to low to moderate overall inflammation throughout the body. This changed my whole perspective on helping others with their diet as well.  If you don’t know the significance of inflammation let me just briefly state that inflammation is the root cause of just about every disease under the sun (except for genetic conditions, which also may be exacerbated or expressed earlier in life from chronic inflammation) including heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and countless other conditions.

So what do I eat?

I eat a somewhat paleo diet with the exception of rice as an occasional grain as I have found it not to cause any symptoms of inflammation or IBS in my body. I also eat more vegetables than most paleo diets so you may call it a Paleo-vegan diet or as Dr. Mark Hyman coined the phrase “pegan” which takes the best from both diets.

Here’s a typical day:

Breakfast

• Half  of a medium sized sweet potato
• 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites or my pork or beef sausage
• Romaine lettuce or spinach
• 1 small cup of coffee
• Garden of Life Vitamin Code Men’s Multi

Snack

• Paleo wrap with
• 4 oz of chicken and
• lettuce and bell peppers
• (additional blueberries or cantaloupe if pre-workout)

Lunch (usually my post workout meal)

• 1 1/2 scoops of Vega Protein Powder or Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein
• 1/2 sweet potato and 1/4 cup of blueberries

Snack

• 5-6 Macadamia nuts
• 1 scoop of Vega Protein Powder or Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein
• Romaine lettuce salad with arugala

Dinner

• 6-8 oz of scallops or 6 oz of wild caught fish
• 3 small purple potatoes
• 10 asparagus spears or a large mixed salad with olive oil and spices