Dietary Recommendations and Guidelines

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Avoid sugar and both artificial and natural sweeteners of all types, even honey, molasses and fruit juice. Stevia is an acceptable “sweetener”.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine and soft drinks.

Avoid junk food, processed and refined foods, foods high in saturated fats or hydrogenated (trans) fats. Healthy fat choices include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and oils that are organic and cold-pressed.

Identify and eliminate food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities. Gluten found in some grains has been linked to depressive disorders. Gluten-containing grains include wheat, spelt, rye, triticale, oats, barley and kamut.

Eat adequate lean sources of protein (0.8 g/kg body weight daily). Emphasize wild, cold-water fish (salmon, halibut, mackerel, etc.), legumes, nuts and seeds.
Organically raised poultry and eggs are also good protein sources. Fermented dairy products are also acceptable (yogurt, kefir, cheeses, etc.)

Every meal and snack should be balanced, containing some protein, fat and complex carbohydrates.

Food choices should be whole foods (unprocessed and unrefined), organic whenever possible, including at least five servings daily of vegetables and fruits. Grains should be whole and unrefined, especially rice, corn, quinoa, millet and amaranth.

Fresh food is always preferable to frozen and frozen is always preferable to canned.