“Eating is not a science, it is a relationship with nature. Spontaneously, when the mind, body, and nature are connected, communicating, and co-creating the next moment.”

Nathan Daley, MD, MPH
“Diet and Nutrition are the Main Pillars that form the foundation of Human Health and Longevity, so the ESSENTIAL elements for life provided by food cannot be reproduced or replaced by any form of modern technology.”

The Tao of Detoxification by Daniel Reid

• Return to the simplicity of eating. Eat with humanity, gratitude, and respect: try to eat with the awareness that you are ingesting life to sustain life.
• Re-establish a connection with the food you are eating. Notice which foods catch your attention and then engage with them. Observe, touch, feel, smell, and finally savor them.
• Prioritize whole foods in their natural state in your diet. Avoid all processed, refined, canned foods, and fast food. Nature has spent more than 4.5 billion years implementing the continuous dynamic formulation of these health tonics. Mankind will never articulate this complexity, and nature will keep its secrets. However, nature gives us the final product of this alchemy for free! Whole foods in their natural state meet and exceed the recommendations of nutrition experts.
• In contrast, industrially refined foods are contaminated with poisonous pesticides and chemically altered preservatives with artificial flavors and coloring agents. They are also denatured by irradiation and genetic modification.
• Eat local, fresh, and seasonal foods. The storage and transportation of food reduce its nutrients. Real food is that which you can grow and care for yourself. You should choose the native foods of your local habitat. The integrity of food originates in the local environment, the whole dissolves the effort, and nature will do all the work.
• Eat organic, raw, wild foods. The more connected a food is to nature, the richer it is in nutrients! Foods that come from wild plants often offer more complex micronutrients that act as defenses against the pathogens of the same plants. The diet of wild animals is based on wild plants; they tend to be leaner, have more energy, and be happier.
• Maximize diversity. Diversity is a feature of healthy ecosystems, so eating within a healthy ecosystem naturally leads to consuming a wide variety of foods. In modern times, most of us eat a limited variety of fresh foods. This is why we recommend visiting local farmers’ organic markets, where you will find a great variety of uncommon and necessary vegetables and fruits. Indigenous populations often identify and consume more than 200 different edible plants in their local habitat.
• Eat more plants than animals. It’s nature’s ratio. In most ecosystems and bioregions, there are more plants than animals. Let your plate reflect the same.
• Use your somatic wisdom to choose your foods. How do we decide which foods to eat from a wide variety, heavily influenced by habits or emotional voids? By becoming increasingly aware of what our body asks for, without letting the mind distract us. Our physiology and somatic wisdom co-evolved with plants. Millions of years of interactions between human physiology and plants have produced wisdom that far surpasses our scientific knowledge and reflects the needs of the present moment. This includes the hunger impulse as well. Hunger and satiety are reliable guides that won’t fail us when eating foods from nature. Whole foods in their natural state satisfy easily, making it difficult to overeat.
• Take your time to eat, do so with pleasure and calm, chewing food well and savoring it.
• Start each meal with a salad of leafy greens to which you can add all types of sprouts (rich in amino acids and excellent enzyme providers!). Enzymes are catalysts for chemical reactions and are involved in all vital functions of the body.
• A healthy average diet should contain 20%-30% protein, 30%-35% carbohydrates (mostly fruits and vegetables with a small amount of whole grains), and 30%-40% fat, including essential Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, Omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids, saturated fats, and a small amount of Omega-6 fatty acids. Contrary to what the “medical community” has been telling us, all fats are good except Omega-6 fats, which are pro-inflammatory and overconsumed in the Western diet as they are hidden in industrially processed bakery and pastry, including processed vegetable oils (hydrogenated), which lead to trans fats and should be avoided at all costs.
• Deep-sea fish is a good animal protein choice due to its high content of essential Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly small fish at the beginning of the food chain, which are less contaminated by heavy metals. These include sardines, herring, wild salmon, black cod, butterfish, anchovy, or trout. Consume wild fish, not farm-raised. If you don’t eat enough fish, you can get essential Omega-3 fatty acids from avocado, black olives, chia, walnuts, and flaxseed. Nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds) can be added to breakfast cereals or salads. Omega-3 fatty acids greatly benefit health (brain, neurotransmitters, heart, arteries, liver, skin, vision—thanks to their action on the retina, etc.). They contribute to emotional balance by reducing aggressiveness, combating depression, and relieving headaches. They also have anti-inflammatory properties, making them important in preventing many diseases.
• Meat is best consumed when it has a “Humanely Treated Certified” or “100% Grass-Fed” label, and pasture-raised chickens and cage-free turkeys are preferable.
• Reduce the consumption of acidic foods: orange, unripe mango, cas, kiwi, strawberries, and other acidic fruits; vinegar, milk chocolate, black tea, coffee, ketchup, mustard, pickles, white wine. Also minimize foods that require excessive production of hydrochloric acid for digestion (refined sugar and flour, industrial bakery, red meat, processed meats, sodas, and excessive legumes like beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas). Disease thrives in an acidic environment.
• Increase the consumption of alkalizing foods: vegetables in general, banana, avocado, papaya, pear, almonds, sweet potato, non-GMO corn.
• Steam and stew your food to preserve its nutrients.
• Use unrefined sea salt for cooking. Unrefined sea salt contains sodium chloride, iodine, magnesium, and virtually all trace elements. Be cautious of the fluoride added to refined salt. Himalayan salt or any other natural salt is also recommended.
• Cook only with cold-extracted olive oil, grapeseed oil, or coconut oil. These oils withstand high temperatures without losing their nutritional value or becoming denatured (from cis to trans fats that the body cannot metabolize). Minimize frying food and use the aforementioned raw oils in salads and vegetables; keep them refrigerated or in a dark place to avoid oxidation. Olive oil has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, aids bile excretion, improves intestinal transit, and helps lower bad cholesterol.
• Use plenty of aromatic herbs and spices: thyme, rosemary, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cilantro, basil, tarragon, parsley, bay leaves, chives, garlic, and onions to season and enhance the flavor of your meals. These herbs and spices are also rich in nutrients, with some having anti-cancer properties. They can also improve digestion, helping prevent the putrefaction and fermentation of food in the intestinal tract, positively affecting the immune system.
• Seafood is also recommended: oysters (high in zinc), mussels, seaweed (an important source of trace elements and minerals), and Japanese food like sushi or sashimi, or Lebanese dishes such as hummus, eggplant caviar, or cucumber and yogurt salad.
• Consume whole grains in moderation (quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, brown rice, rye, millet, oat bran). Whole grains retain all their nutrients: their B vitamin content supports the nervous system’s balance and the proper assimilation of sugar. Fiber also improves digestion and positively affects fat metabolism by preventing its accumulation as adipose tissue. Limit wheat consumption as much as possible; modern wheat has been adulterated to the point that it has been entirely transformed from its prehistoric genetic configuration into a poison for humans. Modern wheat contains a new protein called gliadin, an opiate. This protein binds to opioid receptors in the brain, stimulating appetite in most people, causing us to consume 440 more calories per day, 365 days a year. According to Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist, author, and wheat expert, thousands of people who give up wheat are losing 30, 80, and even 150 pounds. Diabetics are healing; people with arthritis are finding significant relief. People are recovering from swollen legs, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and so on.” Breakfast cereals should contain more fiber than grams of sugar, be natural, and free from preservatives. Choose, for example, Uncle Sam cereals, Ezekiel, or other similar brands.
• Reduce dairy consumption, as it causes allergies, phlegm, and digestive problems, affecting the balance of intestinal flora and allowing undesirable molecules to pass into the bloodstream. Favor goat, sheep cheeses, and almond or hazelnut milk. Cow’s milk has been linked to many diseases in children and adults, such as chronic fatigue, anemia, diarrhea, iron deficiency, atherosclerosis, arthritis, cramps, obesity, all kinds of allergies, and heart problems.
• Incorporate these superfoods into your diet: Lemon, Turmeric, Ginger, Coconut Oil, Chia.
  • Lemon (Citrus): Lemon is the most medicinally beneficial acidic and alkalizing fruit. It purifies the blood, is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent against bacterial and fungal infections, is effective against internal parasites and worms, regulates high blood pressure, and is an antidepressant. It combats stress and nervous disorders and is said to destroy malignant cells in 12 types of cancer. Its peel contains 10 times more vitamin C than its juice, so use it in salads, marinades, or sauces.
  • Turmeric (Rhizome): This spice is a powerful anti-inflammatory (it acts on all organs and arteries) and anti-cancer agent that detoxifies the liver. It’s very useful for arthritis and digestive problems. You can use fresh turmeric or add it as a powder to soups, salads, juices, etc. Always accompany it with black pepper as it multiplies the action of curcumin by 1000%.
  • Ginger (Rhizome): A powerful tonic for blood circulation, digestion, and kidney and liver function. Also helps reduce nausea. It’s also good for treating inflammatory pain.
  • Coconut Oil (Cold Extracted): Supports metabolism and helps break down fat for weight control. It’s especially effective when added to green tea and provides excellent hydration for the skin.

  • Chia (Salvia Hispanica): Chia seeds are highly nutritious and balancing. Their Omega 3 content helps lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides, boosts energy levels, and improves concentration, which is beneficial for attention deficit. Additionally, chia aids in cleansing the digestive system due to the gel that forms when soaked. It promotes tissue regeneration by regulating blood clotting and contains high-quality proteins with essential amino acids. Chia also strengthens the immune system, has anti-cancer properties, and helps control blood sugar levels, making it useful for diabetes management.

    • Consume red and purple fruits and vegetables: Foods like black grapes, cherries, and beets contain polyphenols, anthocyanins, and vitamin C—powerful antioxidants that stimulate collagen production and skin firmness. These fruits and vegetables are also linked to preventing DNA mutations associated with aging. Bioflavonoids can also be found in white or green tea, berries, and dark chocolate. Blueberries, cherries, and raspberries are known to help regulate blood sugar levels.

    • Prefer farm-fresh eggs: They tend to be more nutritious and have a better profile of healthy fats compared to industrially produced eggs.

    • Avoid excessive consumption of coffee, black tea, and sodas: These contain high levels of caffeine, which can have negative effects on the nervous system. When choosing juices, opt for natural ones without added sugars. For example, many cranberry juices are excessively sweetened. You can dilute juices with water to reduce sugar intake while improving hydration. Be aware of the many names of high-fructose sweeteners, such as corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, molasses, honey, cane juice, etc.

    • Drink 8 glasses of pure water a day: Filtering water is essential, as tap water or even bottled water may contain chlorine and other chemicals. You can naturally flavor your water with ingredients like lemon, thyme, organic orange, or mandarin juice.

    Lastly, avoid frustration: Treat yourself to a small pleasure each day. This can contribute to overall well-being by reducing stress and increasing daily satisfaction.

    Marisia Jiménez, North Dakota