RULE #1: At every meal and snack, eat a balanced amount of protein and carbohydrates.
To do this, eyeball the portions on your plate. The carbohydrate serving should be a bit less than two-thirds of your meal (in volume) and the protein (which is denser) should be a bit more than one-third (by volume). Use your energy as a gauge of which proportions are best for you. If you feel tired or hungry one to two hours after eating, you’ve probably overloaded on carbohydrates at the expense of the protein, or you didn’t listen to your feelings of fullness. You can get right back on track with your next meal.
RULE #2: Eat the least processed foods.
If nature doesn’t grow it that way, don’t eat it. Limit your intake of anything that contains flour or other refined carbohydrates. Choose whole-grain carbohydrates, fresh vegetables, and fruits instead. Barley and lentils have far more natural nutrients than pasta and white rice. These foods are also less likely to cause unstable blood sugar, which means they won’t leave you depleted of energy. Whenever possible, eat only organic foods to reduce your exposure to toxic pesticides and hormones.
RULE #3: Eliminate the four toxic foods: Sugar, white (refined) flour, caffeine, and alcohol.
COMMIT TO FOLLOW THESE THREE RULES FOR SIX WEEKS. Follow this nutrition plan to the letter, cutting out all the toxic foods while increasing your intake of medicinal foods. After six weeks, think about the foods that you miss the most and — if you must — allow yourself small amounts of your favorite foods on no more than a once-weekly basis, always balancing the protein and carbohydrates as directed (above). The danger, of course, is a slow and subtle relapse into your old eating habits. So if you allow yourself dessert once a week, keep it at once a week. Be wary of this strategy though. If you have a serious addiction, even one desert could lead to an uncontrolled intake of toxic foods. This could set you off course for week, months, or (as in Jim’s case, below) for years. Use your moods and energy levels as a gauge. (Feeling lethargic and moody is your body’s way of letting you know that you’ve eaten too many toxic foods.)