Starch-Based Diet for Ultimate Health & Longevity

What do ALL of these Disease Conditions Have in Common?

·       Arthritis: AS(ankylosing Spondylitis), Gout, Psoriatic, Rheumatoid)

·       Atherosclerosis (Heart Disease, Carotid artery disease, Stroke)

·       Asthma

·       Cancers (Colon, Breast, Uterus, Ovary, Kidney, Prostate)

·       Cataracts & Macular Degeneration

·       Colitis (Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS [Irritable Bowel Disease])

·       Constipation

·       Dementia (Alzheimer’s, Cognitive Dysfunction)

·       Diabetes

·       Diverticulitis

·       Erectile Dysfunction

·       Gallstones

·       Gastritis (ulcers)

·       Hearing loss

·       Hemorrhoids

·       Hiatus hernia

·       Hypertension

·       Kidney Disease

·       Multiple Sclerosis

·       Obesity

·       Osteoporosis

·       Parkinson’s Disease

·       Varicose veins

They can ALL be PREVENTED or REVERSED by the same Diet!

 A Starch-Based Diet 

for 

Ultimate Health & Longevity

A Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet has been proven through medical research time and again specifically how this diet helps. ‘Whole food’ means very limited or no processed foods (including refined oils). ‘Plant based’ means meals based on plant rather than animal foods (which include meat, fish, dairy, and eggs).   Basically, the diet is: unprocessed vegetables, fruits, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), and whole grains/starches (wheat, oats, rice, corn, potatoes).  While this pretty much describes a healthy vegan diet, however, cheating once in a while (lets say a couple times a month) will keep you from being so rigid, that you become judgmental of others (that became a problem for me years ago when I was a strict vegetarian). What is more radical eating oatmeal, beans and rice or having your chest sawed open and having the heart re-plumbed?

The stricter you follow this type of diet, the quicker will be your return to health.

But any changes in this direction will be positive

What to Eat

Grains and other starch foods (in whole form): Starches (complex unrefined carbohydrates) are the foundation of a good diet.  They should be the bulk of your calories. Eat whole grains, the more unprocessed the better. Wheat, rice, oats, quinoa, millet, etc. Other healthy starches include: potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, parsnips, winter squashes, beans, lentils and peas.

Vegetables: For maximum weight loss make vegetables one third to one half of your meal.  Eat higher fat vegetables sparingly: Avocados, coconut, olives.

Fruits: Whole fruits are far superior to processed fruits (applesauce, juices, smoothies, and dried fruits). Limit fruits to 2 per day for weight loss.

Herbs & Spices: Use sea salt to taste. Season food with culinary herbs and spices to enhance the flavors in your meals.

Foods to Avoid

No meat (beef, lamb, pork, game)

No Poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.)

No Fish (including shellfish)

No Dairy of any kind (milk, yogurt, cheese)

No eggs (not even egg whites or Egg Beaters)

No oil (not even extra virgin olive oil, coconut or processed canola, corn, soy, safflower oils)

Highly refined processed foods (generally, the more processed the food, the more unhealthy)

Foods to Limit

Sugars (stick to health sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey. Dried fruits are also very sweet and should be limited)

Fruit juices (go easy on them, they are generally very sweet and don’t have the fiber to offset the concentrated amounts of sugar in them.

Soy products (stick to traditional soy foods such as miso, tofu, edamame, tempeh, and soymilk) avoid the ‘fake foods’ made from soy

Nuts and seeds and their butters (lots of nutrients, but also lots of fat. Limit if you’re trying to lose weight or if you have heart disease).

High Fat Plant Foods (Don’t overeat avocados, olives or coconut, especially if trying to lose weight or if you have heart disease.)

 I have long taught that we should be Vegetarians that Cheat. Of course, if it is your plan to stray from a strict regiment, then it is not really cheating.  Once you have achieved your health and weight goal, it is permissible and even wise to stray a couple times per month. A strict vegan diet can result in deficiency of vitamin B-12, which can result in anemia.  Eating animal product (meat, yogurt, cheese, or eggs) a couple times per month will provide you with what you need. 

Understand that ANYTHING you do to improve the quality of your diet will benefit your health. Some just jump right in and make a major change, others will begin by eliminating junk food and begin to make their meals from scratch at home. You may start by adding more fruit and vegetables to your diet. Reduce the added fats. Switch to Almond milk on your cereal rather than cow’s milk. The key is to start thinking about what it is you want with your health. Begin by watching some videos on YouTube by Dr. John McDougall or Dr. Michael Greger (see also nutritionfacts.org).  Of course, if you need to lose weight or recover from a health issue, I welcome you to jump right in.

Examples of What to Eat

Breakfast: Whole Grain hot Cereal (oats, 10-grain, brown rice, or Congee) with Almond/Cashew Milk with honey for a sweetener and fresh berries.

Hash Browns (fried without oil on non-stick pan) with ketchup

Lunch and Dinner: Focus on a Starch, Beans, and Veggies

Starch – Brown rice, pasta (whole grain), potatoes, corn (tortillas, etc.)

Beans – black, pintos, garbanzos, etc. make into refried, hummus, salad, etc.

Veggies –steamed broccoli, carrots, etc. Makes sauces (fat-free marinara, non-dairy mushroom/cream sauce, stir-fry sauce, etc.) Salads with fat-free dressings

Lunch is usually leftover from dinner.

Snacks: Always have something to grab when you begin to feel hungry. Fruit, Popcorn (spray with soy sauce them add nutritional yeast and sea salt), potato slices, corn tortilla (dip in salsa), raw veggies, cold cereal (whole grain with low sugar/fat and almond milk)

Quick Ideas: Sandwiches or tortilla wraps: Whole grain sourdough bread, mustard &/or hummus and veggies (sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.)

Tortillas - (corn, whole wheat, etc.) Add beans, rice and salsa

Soup - Vegetable with added beans and or pasta

Pasta - (no egg -whole grain – search to find one you like) top with vegan low-fat sauces

Salad - Lots of greens and veggies, dressing 3-2-1 3T. vinegar - 2T.mustard - 1T. maple syrup.

Potatoes - mashed, baked, fries, sweet potatoes –no fat added (no butter, sour cream) Say yes to salsa and ketchup

What to Drink – Water, mineral water (not flavored with chemical or sweeteners)

Kyle D Christensen, DC, ND,MH     November 2017