Happy Memorial Day weekend here in the United States. For me, this is not only a time of remembrance but a time of celebration. One of getting together with family to spend time and eat. I can easily continue to eat in a way that best honors myself with just a few rules and guidelines. Here we go!
Eat It
I follow a Primal style of eating: real food (meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats) and try to make it the best quality I can. It seems simple enough, but the labeling on food, even real food, can be confusing. Here are some distinctions I watch for:
Animals, Birds, and Eggs >> Local, pasture-raised: Superior omega-3 and nutrient values due to natural diet of grass, insects, etc. USDA-certified organic: Likely grain-fed but free of objectionable hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics. Humane-raised, hormone-free, grass-finished or other distinctive labeling: Terminologies are loosely-regulated and not entirely helpful, but efforts to distinguish as other than conventional Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) meat are worth recognizing.
Fish >> Wild-caught, oily, cold water fish from remote, pollution-free waters: Highest omega-3 values of any food (salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, anchovies). Other wild-caught fish: Stick with domestic sources such as trout. Approved farmed fish: Domestic coho salmon, shellfish, barramundi, catfish, crayfish, tilapia, and trout are acceptable.
Vegetables >> Locally-grown, pesticide-free: Superior nutritional and antioxidant value. USDA-certified organic: Local actually ranks above organic for sustainability and optimal growing and ripening conditions. Conventionally grown: Thoroughly washed conventionally grown veggies with soft, edible skin (leafy greens, peppers). Remote, conventionally grown.
Fruits >> Locally-grown, pesticide-free, in-season: High antioxidant, low glycemic, including all berries, most fruits with pits (cherries, prunes, peaches, apricots), avocado, casaba melon, lime, lemon, tomato, and guava. USDA-certified organic: Again, local ranks above this, but this is always a good choice as well. Conventionally grown: Wash fruits with soft, edible skin thoroughly. High glycemic, low antioxidant fruit I prefer to avoid or enjoy in small quantities include dates, dried fruits (all), grapes, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, pineapples, plums, and tangerines.
On a side note, the Environmental Working Group each year publishes a list of the most pesticide-contaminated conventionally grown produce, called the Dirty Dozen. A Google search will bring this list up. Anything on this list I buy organically or not at all. The EWG website has additional information on how to make your produce selections (EWG.org)
Fats and Oils >> Avocado/avocado oil, Olive/olive oil: Excellent monounsaturated fat sources. Note that olive oil has a lower smoke point than other cooking fats, so save it for cold uses such as on salad, or use for light sauteeing. Try to find domestic sources of olive oil labeled extra-virgin, first cold-press. Coconut products: Oil, milk, butter, water, flakes and other derivatives. Coconut products can be used to replace milk, flour, and refined vegetable oils. Cooking fats: Butter or ghee, coconut oil, other saturated animal fats. High omega-3 oils: Borage, cod liver, krill, hemp, salmon.
Supplements >> Being high energy and athletic, I can’t get everything I need to perform optimally from food alone so I do supplement.
Skip It
Processed Sugars >> Inflammatory, High glycemic impact, burns inefficiently in the body.
Most Grains >> Inflammatory, high glycemic impact, and contain anti-nutrients.
Soy >> Precursor to estrogen and can causes hormonal changes in men and women. Unless it’s certified organic, it is also most likely a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) to hold pesticides and have a higher survival rate and bulk in growth. Little to no research has been done on what side-effects the modified plant may have.
Chemicals >> Any chemicals added to food or drink fall into a category called Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Sounds innocent enough, but what does GRAS actually mean? It means that it hasn’t been proven that anyone has died from it and there aren’t enough studies (or none in some cases) to show the long term effects. No thank you!
Fats and Oils >> Refined high polyunsaturated vegetable oils: Canola, corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower and other vegetable and seed oils, margarine, shortening. Trans and partially-hydrogenated oils: Found in a variety of packaged, frozen and processed foods. These cause destruction on the cellular level in the body.
Processed Foods >> Usually contain sugar and/or fats and oils to be avoided and/or processed sugar and/or grains and/or soy.
Animals, Birds, and Eggs >> Anything CAFO
Fish >> Most farmed fish: High levels of chemical contaminants, unsanitary waters, poor omega-6:omega-3 ratios, and overall significantly lower nutritional value than wild-caught fish. Includes Atlantic salmon, by far the most common type of salmon sold. Top of food chain: sword and shark due to high concentrations of mercury and other contaminants. Asian imports: both farmed and wild-caught fish imported from China and other Asian countries, due to minimal safety regulations and polluted waters.
That’s it for now. Make it a magnificent week. If you have an idea for an article or want to engage my consulting or research services, please feel free to contact me.
Wishing you happiness, health, and success!
-Gregg
