Naturo Diet

The Naturopathic Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Below are examples of a diet that encourage all of the bodies systems to function at their optimum. It’s a balanced diet that has been used for centuries and is supported by current clinical evidence for it’s all round health benefits.

SHOPPING LIST

Fruit and vegetables everything in season, go with sweet potatoes instead of white potato and avoid the nightshade family.

Nuts and seeds ‘ABC’ almonds brazil and cashews

Legumes and beans (preferably sprouted) aduki beans, kidney beans, lentils, split peas and chick peas

Whole-grains (non starchy) quinoa, amaranth, millet, rice brown or basmati white rice

Oily fish salmon, sardines, trout and mackerel

Poultry (up to three times a week) turkey, chicken, duck

Meat (once or twice a week) game, organic lean beef

Other: herbs in box below on page 5, coconut oil, olive oil, Himalayan salt

Fruit and vegetables

• Provide high nutrient density and make up the majority of the diet.
• Eat local produce from farmers markets or organic from the supermarket.
• Always eat what is in season.
• Half of your plate needs to be fruit (breakfast) or vegetables (lunch and dinner).

Nuts and seeds

• These are high in essential fatty acids necessary for brain health
• One to two handfuls of nuts a day
• The best nuts are walnuts, almond, brazil nuts and cashews

Legumes and beans

• These provide protein and fibre for energy
• Eat ½ cup a day
• The best way is to sprout them. Try lentils, chickpeas, aduki beans

Whole-grains (non starchy)

• These provide energy for the nervous system and assist in hormone synthesis and break down
• This will make up one quarter of your plate
• Quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, wholegrain noodles

Oily fish

• These provide protein and essential fatty acids for brain function and musculo-skeletal health.
• If you are not vegetarian, try to eat fish 2-3x a week
• Salmon, trout, sardines and mackerel are highest in essential fats. Buy wild or organically farmed fish to avoid heavy metals and radiation

Meat and poultry

• Meat including poultry is a good source of iron, zinc and many B vitamins; It is a protein however it is highly acidic to the blood and should be eaten in moderation.
• If you are not vegetarian you may eat meat 1x to 3x a week
• Choose lean sources of wild game or at the very least organic. Chicken, beef, turkey.

What to AVOID

Dairy

• Dairy is an acidic forming source of protein
• It is mucolytic and should not be eaten frequently. Only 20% of people have the enzyme that breaks down the proteins lactose and casein found in dairy. Many studies have proven its cancer causing effects.
• Yoghurt is an exception but try to make your own or buy organic. Another non reactive form of dairy is ghee. A great substitute for butter especially for Asian cooking.

Refined Sugar

• All forms of sugar cause inflammation in the body.
• Avoid white sugar, brown sugar, caster sugar, icing sugar, corn syrup. Avoid artificial sweeteners too as these contain chemicals that increases the toxic load on the liver and kidneys, e.g. xylitol.
• Agave can be used very occasionally. Stick to local honey and sweeten foods with fruits such as dates and figs. The sweetness in fruit is from fructose not sucrose and this is broken down and utitilsed in a less detrimental way than sucrose, which is inflammatory.

The calcium dairy myth

We have fallen under a guise of believing that we need dairy for bone health. This is due to every major health agency endorsing daily consumption of milk and dairy: from The Surgeon General, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, to even the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Truth is the most industrially advanced countries—the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and most Western European nations—have the highest fracture rates, yet consume more dairy than anywhere else in the world. Meanwhile, the people in much of Asia and Africa consume little or no milk (after weaning), few dairy foods, and next to no calcium supplements, and their fracture rates are 50% to 70% lower.

Our bones need more than just calcium. The way we eat—along with our lifestyle choices and stress levels— contribute to bone depletion, no matter how many calcium supplements we take or glasses of milk we drink. This information is based on a meta-analysis of 1,200 studies on the dietary risk factors for osteoporosis. Eating a plant based diet, with plenty of greens strengthens bones much more effectively and, as a growing number of bone-health researchers agree, holds the key to preventing osteoporosis and arthritis.

The Importance of Organic AND Local

Every non organic food has an average of six different pesticides and herbicides sprayed on it. We eat a combination of food in one sitting. No studies have been done on the combination of toxins in foods eaten together, only singularly. Therefore we don’t know the extent of the toxic synergistic effects of many food eaten together. Organic food is actually just food. All other food is chemically induced which interferes with immune health. Otherwise called junk!

Eating local produce is ethical. It means that you are supporting local business instead of monopolies that control produce. Not to mention they genetically modify produce. (refer to Forum for your local producer!) Eating locally also ensures that you are eating in season and naturally adjusting your biological rythms to nature.

Use of Fermented foods and Apple cider vinegar

70% of the immune system resides in the gut wall. Fermented foods act as prebiotics which stimulate the healthy bacteria in the gut. Every time we have had an antibiotic drug, healthy bacteria is killed off. Removed and unable to repopulate because there is nothing there to germ without a fecal transplant (adding new bacteria to the gut directly, normally from a child’s stool). It’s on a false premise that probiotics replace bacteria. All they can do is temporarily replace healthy bacteria but this does not last more than 24 hours per capsule.

The microbiota in the gut which remains can however be repopulated (grow). Prebiotics can create the fertile ground for the bacteria which is still available in the gut to grow. As well as removing healthy bacteria forever, anti-biotic use cause dysbiosis (leaky gut) whereby peptide bonds which hold the gut lining together become loose and proteins permeate the gut wall causing inflammation, bloating, food intolerances and later further complications such as auto immune diseases.

Herbal Antibiotic

Oregano is a brilliant herbal antibiotic,. Take one drop ONLY on the tongue of the essential oil of oregano.

---

Meal examples

Breakfast

1. Berries and oats with LSA (Linseed sunflower and almonds ground in a nutribulet or hand held blender) and coconut yoghurt or oat milk. This can be as a smoothie or in a bowl. Adding frozen berries is best as they generally contain less pesticides.
2. Smoothie followed by avocado with squeezed lemon and sliced fresh parsley on toast.
3. Smoothie followed by sardines on toast
4. Poached egg and grilled tomatoes with avocado

Lunch

1. Salad: Large bowl of Salad leaves (kale, rocket, chicory, endives with protein(fish / chicken / chickpeas / lentils / vegan cheese), sprouts (mung beans, chickpeas, aduki beans, alfalfa, broccoli) Sprouts are the most nutrient dense food in the world. Fruit pomegranate seeds, tomato or apple, nuts walnuts, crushed almonds, cashews, avocado, Veg cucumber, carrot,  as you like.. Herbs: coriander/basil/ parsley
2. Soup” any vegetables boiled and blended. Checkout womans weekly soups online book or http://www.foodtolove.com.au/recipes/collections/australian-womens-weekly-soup-recipes
3. Last nights left overs. A few times a week make enough for you to have the next day if it is going to be a busy day. You can always use the protein from the night before in your salad too, For example if you make grilled salmon or grilled chicken make an extra fillet for the next days lunch.

Dinner

1. Slow cooked meal: example below

• 4 Large fish fillets OR Organic Tofu
• 1 table spoons of fish sauce OR 1 teaspoon of himalayan sea salt
• 2 table spoons of soy sauce,
• 1 litre of water
• a stick of fresh lemongrass
• green curry paste.
• Add cauliflower and green beans and put in the slow cooker at lunch time.
• When ready boil rice or baked sweet potatoes and serve with rocket salad.

For more slow cooked meals go here: http://www.womansweekly.com/recipes/slow-cooker-recipes-13322/

2. Grilled salmon with soy sauce and steamed asparagus or broccoli and brown rice.
3. Steamed or roasted lemon mustard chicken OR butternut squash

• Prepare chicken Or butternut squash dices with honey and mustard by mixing 3 tablespoons of both plus a tablespoon of coconut oil and rub on outside of chicken.
• Sprinkle one teaspoon of Himalayan salt.
• Stuff one half of a lemon inside the chicken or leave next to squash.
• Steam for 15 minutes or roast with a lid on in 220 high oven for 20 minutes.
• Prepare a rocket salad with fresh tomatoes
• Boil quinoa to serve alongside.

---

Make food interesting with HERBS:

Herbs and seasoning to keep in the pantry

Italian: mix of oregano, basil, parley, rosemary, garlic *can find in one shaker

Thai: green curry paste, coriander (fresh), thai lime leaves (these come in a jar), sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce

Indian: turmeric, chilli, garam masala OR cumin

Other for shopping list: coconut oil. Apple cider vinegar, olive oi

Herbs to grow or buy fresh each week:

Basil, coriander and lemongrass

---

Preparation is key for an organized healthy kitchen

Always have a salad dressing prepared in jars. No need to refrigerate:

Asian dressing: (this is for one large salad, multiple as needed to make a jar)

1 tablespoon of honey

2 tablespoons of soy

1teaspoon of sesame

½ a teaspoon of fish sauce

squeeze of lemon

Italian dressing:

Half jar with olive oil,

Half jar with apple cider vinegar

Squeeze juice of half a lemon

1 table spoon of mustard

1 tablespon of honey

¼ a teaspoon of Himalayan salt

Black pepper

Add chilli if you like too

---

How to cook grains:

Cooking quinoa or rice:

• Rinse it with water a few times until the water is clear
• Use the same amount of water as rice. ¼ cup per person. So if you have 1 cup of rice, you will have 2 cups of water.
• Place in a pot with lid and bring to boil
• As soon as begins to boil turn down low to a simmer.
• Keep lid on through whole process. Once all water ahs been absorbed it’s ready
• This normally takes around 20minutes

How to activate nuts:

• Activate nuts by soaking over night in a bowl of water and 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt. Rinse in the morning and place in fridge eat within 2 days.

Sprouted food:

Sprouted foods are the most nutrient dense form of food. It is a great way to get your non animal protein. Chickpeas, lentils, aduki beans and alfalfa can all be sprouted.

• Take a jar and punch some holes in the top with a knife.
• Wash the produce
• Fill half of the jar with the bean or legume
• Cover with water, let sit for as long as needed refer to guide below. Make sure they are soaking in a dark place. Inside a cupboard is brilliant. If not then use a brown paper bag and leave on the side.
• After the time indicated rinse the water out in a strainer and rinse the pulse/bean/nut. Then put back in jar wet and leave with lid on in dark space
• Leave until sprouted. See sprout guide to know how long they will take to sprout.
• Once sprouted put jar in the fridge to stop them sprouting further and eat within 5 days.