The Page Fundamental Food Plan
This
food plan is designed to assist your body in its ability to create and maintain
"balanced body chemistry." Dr. Melvin Page’s food plan is not only extremely
helpful but in many cases essential to control blood sugar and hormone
imbalances and balance all types of imbalanced body biochemistry. At the famous
Page Clinic in Florida, blood chemistry
panels were done every three to four days on all patients. Dr. Page based his
food plan from the research of Drs. Price and Pottenger, who showed the
relationship of diet to health, both physical and emotional. The diet plan was
proven true when blood chemistry panels of thousands of patients normalized
without any other intervention. Many of today’s popular diets are based on Dr.
Page’s work. Dr. Page emphasized removing absolutely all refined carbohydrates
(such as sugar and processed flour) and cow’s milk from the diet. On the food
list sheet attached, notice the percentage of carbohydrates is indicated. Dr.
Page felt that it was not only important to eat quality proteins and fats, but
quality carbohydrates as well.
The
longer you are on this program and the more closely you follow it, the easier
it will be to stick to it. This will result in your feeling and looking so much
better than you did on your old way of eating. As you become healthier, your
cravings for those foods that are not the best choices for you will diminish.
Old habits are hard to break, so take your time to change your diet habits so
you don’t slip into your old way of eating. If this happens, e-mail Dr. Kaslow
(drkaslow@drkaslow.com) to determine
what imbalanced your biochemistry. Nutritional supplements may be needed to
assist you to get back on track by reducing cravings, etc.
Foods to Eat and Not Eat
Proteins: Eat small amounts of proteins frequently. It
is best if you have some protein at each meal. It need not be a large amount at
any one time. In fact, it is best if you eat smaller amounts (< 3-4 ounces
of meat, fish, foul, or eggs at a time). Both animal and vegetarian sources of
protein are beneficial. Choose a variety
of meat products and try to find the healthiest options available, i.e. free
range and organic, whenever possible. There is concern about pork because of
its similarity to humans and an inability of pigs to sweat that result in an
accumulation of toxins that is independent of their diet. About 70% of the chickens grown for meat in
the U.S. are fed roxarsone, which contains arsenic. Some of the arsenic is retained in the
chicken meat you eat. Organic chicken
should be free of arsenic additive. Beef
and lamb should be grass-fed and organic - grass provides healthier fat than the
grain fed meat (no risk of “mad-cow” either).
For most people, eggs are a high quality source of protein. Eat the whole egg;
the lecithin and other nutrients in the yolk are essential to lower blood fat
and improve liver and brain function. With any protein, the way in which you
prepare it is critical. For beef, lamb, and fish, the closer to raw or rare the
better it is for you. Avoid frying.
Grilled, broiled, steamed, soft boiled, or poached is best.
Vegetables: Eat more, more, more! While almost everybody
can eat more vegetables, it is an especially important for you. Eat a variety
vegetables as outlined in the chart you received, although make the green leafy
type your preference. This includes spinach, chard, beet greens, kale,
broccoli, mustard greens, etc. Sorry, chocolate is not a vegetable.
As
above, the quality of your produce (fresh and organic preferred), and the
method of preparation is important. The
vegetables should be the vegetables that are in season. Raw is preferred with lightly steamed or
sautéed as your second choice for the all vegetables. Get your children to have
vegetables with a dip if necessary. The
goodness in the vegetable outweighs most of the negatives of the dip.
Sauté
only in butter or olive oil. Use lettuces with a rich green color, sprouts and
raw nuts for salads. Iceberg lettuce is one of the least nutritious types.
Don’t make salads your only choice for vegetables. Substitute nuts for
croutons.
While
vegetable juice does sound healthy, the act of chewing is important. Chewing
activates the part of your brain that controls your appetite and prepares your
GI tract for digestion. Wheat grass and the "green food" products
should also be mentioned. For many people who are depleted in nutrients, these
seem to provide a lift. But large amounts of green foods can be irritating to
your colon and should be used sparingly as well. Remember that man is not
designed to be a grass eater. Trying to outsmart the maker with "super
foods" may not only be ignorant but arrogant as well.
Fruits: In addition to the advantages with chewing
your food, there is an even more important reason not to drink fruit juice.
Fruit juice is loaded with the simple sugar, fructose, which is shunted into
forming triglycerides and ultimately stored as fat. Without the fiber in the
fruit, juice sends a rapid burst of fructose into the blood stream. When you do
eat fruit, only eat one type of fruit at a time on an empty stomach; second,
avoid sweet fruits (like very ripe bananas and the tropical fruits on the food
Phase 2 list available at the office); and third, eat only fresh and organic
when possible. Wild berries are a good
choice for fruit intake.
Carbohydrates: This is a very tricky area. Most people
classify carbohydrates as either complex or simple/processed. Unfortunately,
for most patients suffering with imbalance problems almost any carbohydrate is
a no-no. It is a physiological fact that the more carbohydrates you eat the
more you will want. Craving carbohydrates is a symptom of an imbalance; use
this craving to monitor your progress. Overall, eat vegetables as your
carbohydrate choice and limit grains (even the whole grains can be trouble).
When you do eat whole grains, only have in moderation and only at dinner. If
you start the day with carbohydrates, you are more likely to crave them
throughout the day, and then you’ll eat more and it’s down hill from there.
Absolutely stay away from breads (100% rye only bread is the least of the
evils), muffins, cookies, candies, crackers, pastas, white rice and most baked
goods.
There’s
another dark side to carbohydrates that isn’t talked about much – the
connection to weight gain, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, and cancer.
You don’t even need to know the details to get the idea how much trouble are carbohydrates.
Grains: There has been a tremendous amount of debate
regarding grains. Whole unprocessed grains can be rich sources of vitamins and
minerals, but with soil depletion and the special strains of grain that modern
agriculture has developed, it isn’t clear what nutrients remain. When scholars
study disease patterns and the decline of various civilizations, many of the
degenerative diseases developed when cultivation of grains became part of their
culture. Allergic reactions, chemicals naturally found in certain grains, lack
of the appropriate enzymes, and the carbohydrate content of grains make them a
source of trouble for many individuals. My opinion at this time is to minimize
grains such as wheat and barley. Unprocessed rye, rolled oats, and brown rice
can be considered on occasion to give you more variety. Some of the Danish and
German brown breads like pumpernickel seem to be nutritious. Sprouting or soaking grain in water overnight
seems to alter its character to a more valuable and probably safer nutrient.
Sweeteners: Use only a small amount of raw Tupelo honey or Stevia as
sweetener. Absolutely no Nutra-Sweet, corn syrup, or table
sugar. Although Dr. Page did not
allow raw cane sugar, it does provide the nutrients to aid in its metabolism.
If you cheat, be smart. Use only raw cane sugar (called Succanat or Sugar In
The Raw® in the brown bags) in small amounts and only with a meal. Saccharin and Sucralose in small quantities
are the lesser of the sugar-free evils, but the “need for sweet” suggests that
there is an imbalance in your biochemistry.
Aspartame creates more problems than it solves because it stimulates the
tongue as being sweet, which in turn stimulates brain receptors for
anticipation of sweet. When it does not
arrive, you crave sweets to satisfy what the brain expected to receive. It is no wonder that studies show that more
calories are consumed by those who use artificial sweeteners than those who
consume whole foods that are natural sweet.
Fats: You may be surprised that most Americans are actually
deficient in fat – specifically fats called essential fatty acids. So please
use olive oil (cold pressed, extra virgin), walnut oil, flaxseed, sesame and
grapeseed oils. These are all actually beneficial. Cook only with raw organic
butter, sesame oil or olive oil. Avoid all hydrogenated and partially
hydrogenated fats – margarine, crackers, chips, fried foods, etc. They are
poisons. Because peanut butter, even if raw and without the typical
hydrogenation, is actually 28% carbohydrate, use peanuts and peanut butter
sparingly. Eat as many avocados and raw nuts as you wish.
If
you think eating fat will make you fat, think again. When you eat fat, a
chemical signal is sent to your brain to slow down the movement of food out of
your stomach. As a result, you feel full. It is not surprising that recent
research is showing that those who eat "fat-free" products tend to
actually consume more calories than those who eat foods that have not had their
fat content reduced. In addition, fats are used not only for energy, but also
for building the membrane around every single cell in your body. Fats also play
a role in the formation of hormones, which of course make you feel and function
well. It is far worse to be hormone depleted from a low fat diet than it is to
over eat fat. The sickest patients I see are the ones who have been on a
fat-free diet for a long period of time. Like carbohydrates, choose your fats
wisely – this program is not suggesting fried or processed foods.
Milk Products: Forget pasteurized cow milk products
(milk, certain cheese, sour cream, half & half, ice cream, cottage cheese
and yogurt). If you only knew all the potential problems from pasteurized milk,
you’d swear it off forever. Dr. Page found out that pasteurized milk was
actually more detrimental than sugar for many people. Avoiding dairy will make
it much easier for you to attain your optimal level of health and hormonal
balance. Raw butter, however, is an excellent source of essential
nutrients and vitamins. Raw goat’s and sheep milk products are better
alternatives because their genetic code and fat content is apparently more like
humans. I’d still be cautious with these, however.
There
has been a lot of hype about using soymilk and rice milk to replace dairy.
While they sound like healthy alternatives, what they really are is highly
processed foods that are primarily simple carbohydrates. You are better off
doing without these as well. Of course Vitamite®, Mocha Mix®, and the other
dairy substitutes are highly-processed nutrient-depleted products that honestly
should not be considered a food.
Liquids: Water is the only substance that qualifies as
an ideal liquid. Most diseases could be
explained on the basis of dehydration.
It should be considered the first and largest part of your food
plan. The minimum number of ounces of
water to be consumes is ½ your body weight in pounds. It should be consumed in small amount
throughout the day rather in large glasses sporadically. You might set your water glass or bottle near
you to be sipped frequently. All water
consumed should be chlorine and fluoride free.
Spring water that has a low mineral content seems to be best for most
people’s needs. Tap water, even when
purified by charcoal and reverse osmosis, is often not as pure as it should be
in terms of mineral content.
Nevertheless, it is more important to consume water of even modest
quality than it is to substitute it for other liquids.
Avoid
all soda and especially those with artificial sweeteners. No coffee until you are fully recovered, and
then only in moderation if you have the metabolism for it. For every cup of
coffee, you need to drink an extra equivalent amount of water since coffee is a
diuretic. Fruit juices are forbidden
because of their high fructose content and dumping of sugar into the blood
stream. An occasional small glass of vegetable juice with a meal is probable
okay, but I hope you’ll feel the difference that using water in adequate
quantity throughout the day will be enough to convince you how much better
water really is…
The
most important life-giving substance in the body is water. The daily routine of
the body depends on a turnover of about 40,000 glasses of water a day. In the
process, your body loses at a minimum of 6 glasses a day, even if you don’t do
anything. With movement, exercise, and sugar intake (that’s right) etc. you can
require up to over 15 glasses of water a day. Consider this – the concentration
of water in your brain has been estimated to be 85% and the water content of
your tissues like your liver, kidney, muscle, heart, intestines, etc are 75%
water. The concentration of water outside of the cells is about 94%. That means
that water wants to move from the outside of the cell (where it is diluted)
into the cell (where it is more concentrated) to balance out things. The urge
water has to move is called hydroelectric power. That’s the same electrical
power generated at hydroelectric dams (like Hoover Dam). The energy made in
your body is in part hydroelectric. I just know you wouldn’t mind a little
boost in energy.
If
you enjoy wine or beer and still insist, there are some guidelines. First,
drink only with meals. Red wine has less sugar and probably more of the
beneficial polyphenols than white wines. Most of the good foreign beer is
actually brewed and contains far more nutrients than the pasteurized chemicals
called beer made by the large commercial breweries in the United States. Trader Joe’s usually
has a good selection. Less is better. Occasional rather than regular. Because
coffee and alcohol force you to lose water, you’ll have to drink more water to
compensate.
Eat smaller amounts more frequently
Eating
a smaller amount reduces the stress of digestion on your energy supply. Eating
small meals conserves energy. Give your energy generator a chance to keep up
with digestion by not overwhelming it when you eat a large meal. Avoid
overwhelming your body with too much to do at one time. If you don’t digest
your food – indigestion, yeast overgrowth, gas, inflammation, food reactions,
etc. result.
Another
reason for eating smaller meals is to prevent the ups and downs of your blood
sugar level so you end up craving less sugar. As mentioned earlier, you can
overwhelm your digestive capacity. You can also overwhelm your body’s ability
to handle sugar in the blood. Since the body will not (or should not) allow the
blood sugar level to get too high, insulin and other hormones are secreted to
lower the blood sugar. Often times, the insulin response is too strong and
within a short period of time insulin has driven the blood sugar level down. As
a result of the now low blood sugar, you get a powerful craving for sugar or
other carbohydrates. You then usually overeat, and the cycle of up and down,
yo-yo blood sugar results. Eating a small meal will virtually stop this cycle.
Eating
smaller meals also has advantages for your immune response to ingested food. It
turns out that a small amount of food enters the blood without first going
through the normal digestive pathway through the liver. As a result, this food
is seen by the body not as nourishment but as a threat and you will stimulate
an immune reaction. Normally, a small immune reaction is not even noticed, but
if a large amount of food (or if a food is eaten over and over again), the
immune reaction can cause symptoms. Over time, disease develops.
By
eating smaller amount, the size of the reaction that occurs is small and
inconsequential. A large meal, and thus a large assault of the immune system,
could cause many symptoms of an activated immune system including fatigue,
joint aches, flu-like symptoms, headaches, etc. This reaction was called the
Metabolic Rejectivity Syndrome by the late nutritional pioneer, Arthur L.
Kaslow, M.D. Through thousands of his patients’ food diaries, he compiled a
list of high-risk foods that is much the same as Dr. Page’s. Dairy and wheat
products were at the top of his list.
I
realize that eating five smaller meals is not always practical. After all, you
do have a life. One concern with eating your meals too far apart is you may
tend to get too hungry and overeat when you do get a chance to eat. A small
(healthy) snack between the main meals of the day is like an ounce of
prevention. If you’re an individual who says "once I start eating, I can’t
stop," then you will most likely require additional help with nutritional
supplementation, at least initially.
Supplementation
In
reviewing the many diets used all over the world, there are pros and cons to each.
For example, the vegetarian diet tends to minimize tissue degeneration but may
not support tissue rejuvenation due to a lack of complete protein and fats
found primarily in animal products. The major concern I have had with the Page
program is that most people do not eat enough vegetables and therefore do not
get adequate amounts of minerals. Since the fats and proteins tend to promote
acid production in the body, it is very important to get enough alkalizing
minerals to buffer the acid load. For this reason, minerals that are specific
to your needs should be taken to get you healthy…
Final Note: When in doubt, don’t eat it. If it isn’t on
the list, wait and ask the doctor or nutritionist. The diet plan is designed to
help you to optimal health just as it has for tens of thousands of Dr. Page’s
patients, many of whom are in their later years without signs of degenerative
diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, etc. The Page
Diet is not intended to make you suffer or sacrifice, in fact quite the
opposite. As you attain balanced body chemistry, you will be delighted with the
physical and emotional improvements you experience from the food your body was
designed to run on optimally. And what you eat or drink at the occasional party
or evening out is not going to be significantly harmful to your nutritional
balance in the long run, so enjoy it.
Lastly,
as with all things that are beneficial to your health, it’s hard to start, but
the longer you use this diet, the greater the benefits that you will realize
from it.
Blood Type
In general,
avoiding the foods associated with your blood type is worth a try…
A = avoid dairy, mango, oranges,
potatoes, tomatoes, and papaya.
B = avoid chicken, buckwheat, and peanut.
O = avoid wheat and corn (neither are on the
Page Fundamental Diet anyway).
PHASE
I Food Plan for BALANCING BODY CHEMISTRY
LEAN MEAT
(except pork), FISH, FOWL, EGGS, and VEGETABLES (No Limit on Serving
Size but use Grass fed, Free Range or Organic always)
|
VEGETABLES
|
VEGETABLES
|
VEGETABLES
|
MISCELLANEOUS
|
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3% or less carbs
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6% or less carbs
|
7 - 9% carbs
|
In Limited Amounts
|
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Asparagus
|
Bell
Peppers
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Acorn
Squash
|
Butter, Raw
|
|
Bamboo
Shoots
|
Bok Choy
Stems
|
Artichokes
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Caviar
|
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Bean
Sprouts
|
Chives
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Avocado
|
|
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Beet Greens
|
Eggplant
|
Beets
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Dressing -
Oil / Cider Vinegar only
|
|
Bok Choy
Greens
|
Green Beans
|
Brussels
Sprouts
|
Jerky
|
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Broccoli
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Green
Onions
|
Butternut
Squash
|
|
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Cabbages
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Okra
|
Carrots
|
|
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Cauliflower
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Olives
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Jicama
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Nuts, Raw
(except Peanuts)
|
|
Celery
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Pickles
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Leeks
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Oils –
Olive, sesame or flax oils (no
|
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Chard
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Pimento
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Onion
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Canola) preferably cold-pressed
|
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Chicory
|
Rhubarb
|
Pumpkin
|
|
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Collard
Greens
|
Sweet
Potatoes
|
Rutabagas
|
|
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Cucumber
|
Tomatoes
|
Turnips
|
Beverages
|
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Endive
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Water
Chestnuts
|
Winter
Squashes
|
Beef Tea
|
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Escarole
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Yams
|
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Bouillon –
Beef, Chicken
|
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Garlic
|
|
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Herbal
(Decaffeinated) Teas
|
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Kale
|
|
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Filtered or
Spring Water
|
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Kohlrabi
|
|
|
|
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Lettuces
|
Each
of your meals must include some protein. The easiest high
quality sources are meat, fish, poultry, or eggs. (Count 2 eggs as equal to 3
oz). Vegetarians must combine proteins carefully and consistently using a different
calculation! An easy way to calculate the amount of protein you need is to
divide your ideal body weight by 15 to get the number of ounces of protein to
be consumed per day. This is not a "high protein diet." Like many
people, you already eat this much protein during a day, but you eat it mostly
in 1 or 2 meals instead of spreading it out evenly over 5 meals. If you are
more physically active, eat more protein.
To convert
ounces into grams:
q Meats, fish and
poultry = 7 grams of protein per ounce
q Eggs = 6 grams or 1.5
ounce for a whole egg, 4 grams per egg white
q Hard Cheese (formed)
= 6-7 grams per ounce
q Soft Cheese (cream, spreadable)= 3-4 grams per ounce
q Curd cheese (cottage,
ricotta) = 7 grams per 1⁄4 cup
q
Tofu
= 5 grams per ounce
|
90 lb. IBW = 6 ounces a day or 1-1½ ounces
of protein at each of five meals.
105 lb. IBW = 7 ounces a day or 1½-1¾ ounces
of protein at each of five meals.
120 lb. IBW = 8 ounces a day or 1¾-2 ounces
of protein at each of five meals
135 lb. IBW = 9 ounces a day or 2-2¼ ounces
of protein at each of five meals.
150 lb. IBW = 10 ounces a day or 2-2¼ ounces
of protein at each of five meals.
165 lb. IBW = 11 ounces a day or 2¼-2½
ounces of protein at each of 5meals.
180 lb. IBW = 12 ounces a day or 2½-3 ounces
of protein at each of five meals.
195 lb. IBW = 13 ounces a day or 3-3 ½
ounces of protein at each of five meals.
|
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Mushrooms
|
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Mustard
Greens
|
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Parsley
|
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Radishes
|
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Raw Cob
Corn
|
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Salad
Greens
|
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Sauerkraut
|
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Spinach
|
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String
Beans
|
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Summer
Squashes
|
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Turnip
Greens
|
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Watercress
|
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Yellow
Squash
|
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Zucchini
Squash
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- Foods are best eaten closest to
their raw state. Do not overcook your food!
- TAKE FLUIDS MORE THAN ONE HOUR
BEFORE OR MORE THAN TWO HOURS AFTER MEALS.
- LIMIT FLUID INTAKE WITH MEALS TO < 4 OZ.
BUT DRINK AT LEAST ½ YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS OF WATER SPREAD THROUGHOUT
THE DAY.
- AVOID ICE AND VERY COLD BEVERAGES
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER MEALS BECAUSE THEY REDUCE DIGESTIVE FUNCTION.
- NO MARGARINE, PROCESSED GRAINS OR
CEREALS, WHITE FLOUR, SUGAR, FRUIT JUICES, or SUGAR SUBSTITUTES.
- CONSIDER AVOIDING FOODS BASED ON
YOUR BLOOD TYPE 8 March 2005