Principles to Live by and Understand!

Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs

• eating carbs (good or bad) increases your blood sugar levels
• Complex carbs produce small gradual changes in blood sugar levels
• complex carbs are rich in fiber
• fiber slows digestion, which means energy is released more gradually. This means sustained energy and steady blood sugar levels
• refined or processed carbs cause rapid increases in blood sugar levels
• refining or processing foods takes much of the fiber out
• easily digested foods cause blood sugar levels to spike
• Your body produces insulin to drive down blood sugar levels by stimulating cells to absorb the glucose (sugar) in the blood stream and store it as FAT
• Glycemic Index measures how fast a carb is broken down to glucose that then enters the blood stream. The more quickly it is digested the higher the glycemic index
• this is why you can eat high glycemic foods (like pancakes with syrup) and feel hungry an hour later--because your body already has broken it down
• when glycemic index is lower you will feel fuller for longer periods of time (this will give you sustained energy and a better overall feeling)
• you want to generally consume foods with a GI of less than 40
• click here to see a chart of GI’s for different types of food

Paleolithic Diet

• We should eat what our ancient ancestors ate--the cave dwellers, and hunters/gatherers:
• meat -- grass fed (no hormones, please)
• B vitamins found in meat are important to our nervous system
• does not have to be the core component of our diet
• fish (wild)
• fresh vegetables (organic)
• fruits (organic)
• berries
• avocados--have 10-15 grams of fiber
• apples
• bananas
• nuts (organic) --buy them raw
• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper

Rules of Eating

1. Eat to live, don’t live to eat
2. eat a tapered diet (smaller meals as the day goes on)
3. practice portion control
4. eat ONLY clean, non-processed foods
5. eat a paleolithic diet
6. drink at least 2 liters of water a day
7. follow these rules 80% of the time and you will be in great shape