This is a chart I came up with many years ago to help people navigate through making nutrition changes. It can help you move in the right direction in each of the food categories.
Many people use it successfully to manage budget issues, availability issues, making changes for the whole family and more but the idea is to be taking steps to make it to the column on the right.
On the heels of my last post, I wanted to share another sad truth. The Standard American Diet is for standard American people. Food manufacturers, three letter agencies, big agriculture, government, grocery stores, disease associations, doctors, conventional nutritionists, and many others are all complicit in morphing our food supply into something that is barely recognizable.
My last post highlighted the importance of good fats, nutrient dense foods, raw foods, fermented foods, naturally raised meats, enzymes, and more. The Standard American Diet is void of these things but filled with artificial ingredients, preservatives, colorings, antibiotics, excitotoxins like MSG, hydrogenated/damaged oils, are genetically modified, and more.
Sadly, many people DO know about these ancient truths and eat according to them. Who are these people? The elite.
I was reminded of a great excerpt from the book Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan, MD. She stated, “How do I put this delicately? If you think the wealthy- members of the upper social class- would even touch the foods most Americans eat daily, the foods relentlessly touted as healthy, you’d be mistaken. No, the most privileged among us eat very much the way their great-great-great-grandparents did. If we could fly past the iron gates guarding the White House and peer through the dining room windows to see what the guests were eating at President Obama’s second inaugural lunch, we’d see this.” She goes on to say, “Those dining on these sinfully rich foods represent the same government whose food pyramid forbids us regular folk from eating anything of the kind.”
Below are examples of past inaugural luncheons but I guarantee that Oprah’s, Angelina Jolie’s and The Rock’s personal chefs aren’t serving up Lunchables and Chef Boyardee either! Yes these things cost more money and take more time but they are do-able and can be pulled off by the average American. That is what I help people work through.
What do you see here? Cream sauce (good fats, protein, enzymes), bison which is presumably grass-fed and pasture raised with a reduced glaze (which no doubt had a nice bone broth at the base), golden beets, green beans and red cabbage all loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and antioxidants. Aritsan cheeses (again good fats, enzymes, protein).
Other inaugural luncheons are similar:
Obama’s first inaugural luncheon featured: a first course of seafood stew. The second is a Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck), served with Sour Cherry Chutney and Molasses Sweet Potatoes. And dessert will be an apple cinnamon sponge cake and sweet cream glacé. https://www.rollcall.com/2009/01/09/luncheon-menu-announced-by-inaugural-committee/
Trump’s inaugural luncheon contained: Maine lobster and gulf shrimp, served with saffron sauce and peanut crumble. The entrée was Angus beef with a dark chocolate and juniper jus. For dessert, chocolate soufflé and cherry vanilla ice cream. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/01/17/whats-menu-trumps-first-presidential-meal/96680436/
President Bush’s 1st Inaugural Menu was quite impressive:
LOBSTER PIE
Morsels of lobster sauteed with fresh herbs and winter vegetables in a rich cream sauce; served in a flaky pasty crust, topped with fresh lobster, garnished with lemon leaves and lemon wedges.
GRENADINE OF BEEF SUPREME
Petit filets of prime beef tenderloin individually tied, marinated in garlic and fresh herbs, interlarded with vegetables, well seasoned and sauteed topped with a turned mushroom cap and presented over steamed green beans with Madeira demi-glace;
Chartreuse of vegetables – a puff pastry ring filled with chestnuts, Brussels Sprouts and Parisienne vegetables to include carrots, squash, broccoli stem, zucchini and yellow and red tomatoes;
Puree of small roots – to include celery root, navel and parsnip.
SOUR CREAM DROP BISCUITS
Served warm.
TOFFEE PUDDING
A moist, dense nutmeat pudding loaf served with caramel sauce, surrounded with navel and blood orange slices topped with crystallized ginger and sugared pecans and presented warm with very rich very vanilla bean ice cream scoops.
DEMITASSE CAFÉ AND TEA
Pass chocolate dipped ginger, candied fruit rinds, fresh strawberries florentines, macaroons and truffles.https://gherkinstomatoes.com/2009/01/06/all-the-presindets-tables-george-w-bushs-first-inaugural-luncheon-2001/
His second was similar:
Scalloped Crab and Lobster
Roasted Missouri Quail
Chestnuts
Brined Root Vegetables
Steamed Lemon Pudding
Apple Wild Cherry Compote
https://gherkinstomatoes.com/2009/01/09/6321/
Ronald Reagan’s inaugural luncheon on January 20, 1981 featured:
California Garden Salad
Sautéed Chicken Breast Covered with White Wine Sauce and Capers*
Rice Pilaf
Hot Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette
Strawberries with Raspberry Sauce
Meanwhile…the average American wedding (a momentous event for most) would typically feature:
Fruit, cheese and crackers
Fried appetizers of some sort
A salad with they typical lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers with store bought dressing
A Pasta Dish
A conventional (feedlot raised) chicken or beef dish with mashed potatoes or rice
Desserts of brownies, cakes, ice cream, pies, etc.
While the wedding feast is a step up from the typical Standard American Diet, it is still riddled with processed food, sugar, and damaged oils. However, glaringly missing are the homemade cream sauces, naturally raised animal products with slow-cooked, off the bone reductions, and exotic vegetables.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This is a reality that should make Americans pause and reflect. We all have access to these things. They may cost a little more and take more time in shopping and preparation but YOU ARE WORTH IT! YOUR KIDS ARE WORTH IT! Let’s face it, you are going to pay for your health one way or another- either through sourcing and preparing nutritious foods, getting exercise, avoiding toxins, keeping your nervous system functioning at 100%, and having a positive mindset OR on the back end when you are dealing with a diagnosis, paying for trips to the doctor, paying for medications, surgery, and dealing with a decline of health.
I often think of my grandmother who gave me my love of cooking. I used to spend hours in her kitchen preparing meals from scratch and sitting down and enjoying them with her. She told me stories of her upbringing in the small town she spent her entire life in, where neighbors would share their spoils- eggs, meat, dairy products, and produce. The local store was the only one for miles and only contained locally sourced items. Fast forward to today, many children don’t even know where a hamburger or chicken nugget comes from.
Be well my friends!!
Keto has turned into just another dietary fad/ buzzword. It now officially has the status of used, abused, adulterated, and confused.
Here’s a brief history from my perspective.
A ketogenic diet was first developed in the 1920’s to help treat children with epilepsy. And it worked fabulously. Even previous to that, a gentleman named William Banting was looking to lose weight so he embarked on a carb-free diet. He lost 46 pounds and published his “Letter on Corpulence” documenting his findings. Also in the 20’s and many years since, the Inuit Eskimos have been the subjects of many a study on a high fat/low carb diet and health.
Fast forward to the 70’s where the Atkin’s diet came on the scene. It started out as a low carb diet that indeed could elicit ketosis but became a diet who’s staple was the pork rind (not healthy). It has now morphed into a corporate brand that has processed bars, shakes, and snacks. Pork Rinds and all kinds of toxic meat and damaged oils are still fair game. (See marketing section below)
Today, the “Keto” diet has again morphed into a catch all where no one can truly be sure what it even is anymore. Today’s mainstream keto diet includes exogenous ketones, processed foods, foods with misleading labels, promotion of toxic meat, and more atrocities.
My humble opinion is that keto (for the purpose of getting into ketosis) can be great when done correctly, on a short term basis to directly combat a diagnosis or to lose weight rapidly. However, for long term health, I recommend and have recommended for many years, a nutrition plan that will get you in to mild ketosis yet allow you to consume optimal nutrients across the board. In fact, I co-authored a book back in 2009 which laid out a nutrition plan that is sustainable for a lifetime, easy to do, and offers maximum nutrient density, and optimal health as a result.
The principles that were laid out in the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book were not new! I can’t even take credit for them. They are time-proven nutritional principles that have sustained a species for thousands of years. The two plans – Core and Advanced – focus on food that God put on planet earth for our consumption. They emphasize the need for quality nutrients from whole food sources, as close to the source as possible, unprocessed and unadulterated. The Advanced Plan eliminates grains, tubers, sugars and anything that turns to sugar. This plan includes an abundance of vegetables and good fats which set it apart from a strict “keto” diet. It is a simple and very effective plan. MaxLiving doctors use the timeless principles of nutrition to teach their patients how to nourish their bodies. Hundreds of lives have been transformed through the MaxLiving principles of health.
What is the keto diet?
If you do an internet search for “keto diet” you will see a variety of resources. You will also see a variety of guidance. Unfortunately, many people “doing” keto are doing it in an unhealthy way.
An extreme example is one a friend of mine told me. She met a man who explained that he had just lot a lot of weight. She asked how he did it and he replied, “keto”. When she inquired a little more, he revealed his plan. He fasted for breakfast and then ate at McDonalds for lunch and dinner. He added “I just took the buns off of the burgers.” I suppose technically, this would meet the keto criteria but HOLY COW!
Here is something very important to interject here: LOSING WEIGHT =/= GETTING HEALTHY. As my husband says, “You may be lighter but not healthier. There are a lot of skinny sick people.” Eating McMeat is not a good idea if you want to be healthy! Although this is an extreme example, many people are eating meat that is unnaturally raised and processed.
Protein is the building blocks of what becomes your liver, your heart, your eyeballs, etc. Therefore, it is highly advisable to eat the highest quality protein possible.
While the mechanism of ketosis works for things like weight loss, there is more to the story.
A better plan
The nutrition plans that I wrote about in 2009 and continue to teach today are very specific and avoid generalities. Here are a few of the highlights.
-Source and consume only naturally raised and processed animal products. This includes grass-fed beef and dairy, free range chicken and eggs, and wild caught fish. I also dissuade people from consuming pork and shellfish. While there are many reasons for this, my top four are that it is 1) the flesh is toxic as a pig doesn’t have the same digestive filtering system as a cow has, 2) highly prone to toxins and parasites (they are scavengers after all), 3) highly acidic and inflammatory and 4) it is biblically prohibited (Leviticus). In addition, you can get plenty of nutrients from chicken, beef and fish so they are not necessary for health.
-Source naturally raised animal products. Any conventional meat is dangerous. It comes from animals who are cramped in feed lots, stand in their own excrement, are pumped with vaccines, steroids, and antibiotics, fed gmo grains, stale candy, and animal by-products. They are highly stressed and never in their natural habitat or eat natural food sources. Many people can do well on a vegetarian diet if they are eating the right kind of grains and vegetables but since it eliminates a whole food group, it is highly advisable to do nutritional testing to determine where there are potential deficiencies. Contact me for more information on this)
-Eat a variety of vegetables and buy organic as much as possible. At a bare minimum, source produce that is lowest on the pesticide scale. (See www.ewg.org/foodnews). Many keto plans eliminate or drastically reduce vegetable intake. In my opinion, for most people, vegetables should be eaten to get a variety of nutrients. (One caveat: many people do well on a carnivore (meat only) type diet but again, it is imperative that high quality meats be eaten and regular nutritional testing be done to detect any deficiencies. Contact me for more information on this).
-The Advanced Plan also eliminates high glycemic fruits, grains and tubers. To stay in mild ketosis, only consume low glycemic fruits like berries, Granny Smith apples, grapefruit, limes and lemons. (The core plan allows for all fruits, whole grains and tubers)
-It is very important that you be consuming high quality, undamaged fats. (Most keto plans do a better job on the fat recommendations). The Advanced Plan can be considered a low carb, moderate protein, moderate-high fat type of nutrition plan. Never eat vegetable oils, margarines, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, or soybean oil. It I best to stick to coconut oil, butter, avocado oil, olive oil (do not heat), and flax oil (do not heat).
Enter the marketers
Now on to one thing that really set me off with this topic. It was seeing products popping up with a KETO label. The crafty marketers are at it again! They are labeling items Keto that are not technically keto and play on people’s attraction to the keto buzzword.
Any reputable keto resource will eliminate sugar from the list of approved foods. However, many food manufacturers are jumping on the keto wagon but skirting around the concept. For example, this product clearly has sugar on the label (cane sugar, brown rice syrup) SIDE NOTE: Label reading rule #1- go straight to the ingredients to see what is in it. That is where the real truth is.
How do they call it keto then? They manipulate the serving size to have the grams of sugar or carbs under a certain threshold. It’s like this: there’s too much sugar to be called, keto….well simply reduce the serving size and slap a keto label on it. This is an old food marketing trick that is used frequently. SIDE NOTE: Label reading rule #2 – look at the serving size and do the proper math to see the actual carbohydrate/sugar content. In this example, the serving size is 1 ounce which would be less than an handful. Most people would eat a few or more handfuls which would surely kick them out of ketosis. It even says, “Includes 3 grams of added sugars”.
This product is not the only one. Many food manufacturers look to capitalize on things that are popular with consumers. Post your examples below.
For some healthy keto foods that uphold the standards above including mct oil, keto chews, keto bars, electrolytes, whey protein, and bone broth protein, you can visit www.westcobbchiropractic.com/store
Final Advice
Here’s my advice, don’t look for the latest and greatest “diet”, don’t look for a magic bullet, and don’t be fooled by creative marketing. Adopt a nutrition plan that follows the timeless principles of good nutrition, is based on naturally occurring foods, is unadulterated and as close to the source as possible. To keep it simple, it can be pared down to just two food groups: Food by God and Food by Man. Stick with the Food by God.
To find recipes, tips and meal ideas, visit my blog at www.eatsmartmeals.com
This is one of my favorite things to order at a local Mexican restaurant. I tried it out at home and it turned out amazingly. It is spicy and tasty and I use grain-free tortillas to keep the refined flours and GMO’s out.
1 lb organic chicken (breast, thighs or combo)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 sprigs parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup avocado oil
2 medium onions, slivered
6 plum tomatoes or 14 ounces canned tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
2 chipotle peppers
1 cup free range chicken stock
2-3 teaspoons sea salt
8 grain free tortillas (like Siete brand)
Optional Toppings:
Chopped avocado
Chopped red onion
Chopped cilantro
Sour cream
Salsa
Salt the chicken breasts and place in the instant pot (if not using an instant pot, see below).
Turn InstantPot to sauté and sauté onions until translucent – OR – chop into fourths and add to the mix in the blender.
Add tomatoes, garlic, chipotle peppers chicken stock and salt in a blender and blend well.
Pour over chicken and mix until chicken is covered.
Alternate stovetop method: Poach chicken in water or broth for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, follow directions above for the tinga sauce. When the chicken is cold for a bit, shred it and add the tinga sauce, stirring well to combine
Where are my pickle lovers?
This is a great recipe for a spring or summer bbq, or potluck. It has ingredients you probably have on hand and is simple and easy to throw together. It is reminiscent of potato salad without all of the starch. This is a ‘healthified’ dish to share with friends and family.
This is a delicious, rich and flavorful dish that will have you amazed that it is made with cauliflower rice. It uses only simple ingredients and is a breeze to make.
Ingredients:
4 cups riced cauliflower (use a food processor or do a wet chop in a high powered blender)
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloved garlic, minced
1 cup chopped mushrooms (more if desired)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chicken or beef stock
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4-1/2 cup organic heavy cream
sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Sautee the onions over medium heat in the avocado oil until soften and translucent (3-4 minutes). Add garlic and saute for another minute. Add mushrooms, butter, about 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, stir and let sautee another minute or two.
Add chicken or beef stock and cook until the flavors are incorporated, most of the liquid is reduced and the cauliflower is at the desired consistency (12-18 minutes). Add 1/4 – 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Adjust seasonings if desired.
EatSmart Meals 
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