Make it Yours

I have had a number of conversations recently about eating By Design that started off with a variation of the statement “I don’t think my body will do well eating that much meat and fat.”

This particular comment always arouses the same response in my head “How much meat and fat?”

It has become evident that there is a misunderstanding that many people have concerning Eat By Design. While eating animal protein and fat are requirements that we highly recommend you add into your diet if you would like to be healthy, I have yet to be at an Eat By Design seminar where the presenter said how much of these things to eat.

Back to the basics: Eat By Design is based on the principle that all of our bodies require the same basic nutrients (fats, protein and micronutrients).

That does not mean that everyone eats the exact same way when they Eat By Design.

We can acknowledge that our species has the same biological requirements while honoring our individual uniqueness!

To compare us to cars, a Mini Cooper and a Hummer both run on gasoline but they have very different fuel economies.

The exact types and amounts of food that you eat should be dictated by your activity levels, body composition goals (whether you are trying to lose, gain or maintain body fat and muscle mass), how you feel and what you enjoy eating.

From a life experience and logic stand point, it is easy to see that different

things work for different people when it comes to maintaining a healthy body weight and feeling at peak energy and performance levels.

You need fat. Without fat you die… its really that simple. Your brain, nerves,

immune system and all of the cells in your body are made up of fat.

You need protein from animal sources. Your body cannot function properly without enough protein and will break down muscle tissue when you don not eat enough. Your body has enough B12 to keep you feeling good for a couple of years if you eat ZERO animal products. Past that point, significant immune compromise, energy deficiency and neurological damage occur.

You need vitamins and minerals. The best sources are meat, vegetables and fruit.

But – and this is a big but – How much of each of these things you get and the

sources you get them from are completely and totally unique to every person.

Grains and legumes are not good for anyone. Grains and legumes cause gut irritation and contain antinutrients that keep you from absorbing the nutrients they contain. They also interfere with your protein and carbohydrate digestion and the balance of healthy bacteria in your intestines.

There may be ‘better’ grains and ‘better’ preparation methods for grains and legumes, but there are no grains or legumes that are in any way more nutritionally beneficial than vegetables.

You have options

If its between starvation and grains.. Grains is the better option. Otherwise, there is no logical reason to eat them.

The take home point here is that when it comes to fueling the body, everyone has

the same basic requirements.  The STRATEGY for meeting those requirements can be drastically different for different people.

If you are vegetarian and committed to that lifestyle, you can make that By Design.

A vegetarian diet composed of lots of vegetables and fruit with some high fat

dairy and eggs and maybe a bit of seafood could be absolutely perfect for your body. You can maintain great health as a vegetarian as long as you are not consuming a processed food and grain-atarian diet.

Another important thing to note is that even within your own body, the amount and types of food that allow you to function optimally will change on a day-to-day, month-to-month, season-to-season basis.

This is especially true for women. Your optimal diet fluctuates with your hormones and menstrual cycle. When a woman is pregnant, she typically needs less protein and more fat to fuel her developing baby.

As long as you are eating real food (not grains, legumes or processed sugar and

vegetable oils) listen to your body and do what feels the best to you.

If you are unsure whether a food is best for you, eliminate it for a few weeks and then slowly reintroduce it. Keep track of how it affects your energy levels, digestion, skin and sleep. These 4 areas produce particularly noticeable responses to food sensitivities.

I hope this post helps. I hope that you realize that Eat By Design is based on principles and it is up to you to develop the strategy for how you will Eat By Design.

Your Eat By Design and my Eat By Design do not have to look or taste the same.

Be okay with it.