“Step One: Healthy Nutrition” is Dr. Diana Schwarzbein’s #1 objective in her Schwarzbein Principle Program. When you listen to her explanation, you understand why.
Recall that her overriding goal is to build/rebuild your body, not break it down. Nutrition is no exception. The goal is eating to build, not break down. “Help yourself to rebuild.”
I took LOTS of notes in this section of her three-part Menopause Power Webinar Series:
Consuming smaller meals more frequently allows your hormones, transmitters, and enzymes to rebuild. Food is what you use to build with. Smaller meals more frequently allows you to process the food well.
We age because we lose the ability to rebuild.
Consume at every meal and every snack: 2:1 complex carbohydrate to protein ratio – 15 grams of carbohydrates to each ounce of protein.
A woman between 5’6” and 5’8” and between 125 – 160 pounds should consume 2 – 3 ounces of protein at meals and 1 – 2 ounces of protein at each snack. The ratio would be 2 ounces of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrates or 3 ounces of protein and 45 grams of carbohydrates.
Consume at every meal: plenty of non-starchy vegetables.
Add a “splash of healthy fats” at every meal.
Usually in a high quality protein, the fat is already there. You can add a little more nuts, seeds, avocado, sour cream, butter, or olive oil.
Complex carbohydrates include whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables.
Fruit is a simple carbohydrate, not complex. Fruit is a sugar.
Lower glycemic fruits (better for you) include: berries, grapefruit, and melon.
The following vegetables contain very little sugar, help to slow digestion, contain minerals, antioxidants, and fiber: sprouts, lettuce, cauliflower, spinach, green beans, and broccoli.
Avoid or decrease eating protein that is hard to digest like gluten, casein, and unfermented soy.
As you age, you lose the ability to make enzymes and HCL. As you age, protein foods are hard to digest. You want to avoid inflammation.
Undigested food creates an immune reaction/response when it hits your small intestine, causing inflammation. Undigested protein reaching the small intestine causes inflammation, and cortisol is released.
Gluten is protein found in wheat grains. Cut back on gluten; it releases cortisol.
Processed casein as in cow dairy is hard to digest. Drink milk raw.
The body can’t digest soy protein, soy isolates, soy milk, or even tofu. Use fermented soy as in tempeh and miso.
Meal hygiene: chew food thoroughly before swallowing. Sit down and take time to eat in a relaxed setting.
Chew, chew, chew: that’s the cheapest thing you can do for yourself to keep you healthier and decrease inflammation in the body. By chewing the food, your body releases digestive enzymes.
Hot flashes are caused by changes in adrenalin and cortisol levels, not by low estrogen levels. Foods/chemicals that increase hot flashes (increase adrenalin) include: red meat, dairy, alcohol, sugar, tobacco, artificial sugars & chemical preservatives, and caffeine.
Stay tuned tomorrow to hear what Dr. Schwarzbein has to say about toxic chemicals.
