I’d like to fill you in a little about the nutritional process that I’m doing.  Currently, Abby and I are working on a complete overhaul of our physical health, starting with the way we eat.  We both have wanted to do this for a long time, and we have discovered that the best approach is to work slowly and systematically.  It has also been important to us to take time to research what we need, and also to build adequate support for ourselves.

The ideas we are following are based on the UltraMetabolism format, created by Dr. Mark Hyman.  He has spent many years working at a nutrition rehab resort called Canyon Ranch, where he helped people rethink the way they put food into their bodies.  Here’s the basic format:

Week 1: Prep Week
During the first week, we basically emptied our kitchen of anything that is harmful to our bodies (see specifics below).  We spent two long evenings at Whole Foods shopping for the right foods to begin our detox and familiarizing ourselves with the store.  We also began to wean ourselves off caffeine, refined sugar, junk food, and alcohol.

Weeks 2, 3, 4: Detox and Restore
This is where we are right now, until May 18.  During this time, we basically only eat foods from one list, and avoid all foods from another list.  We also eat 3 meals and 2 snacks in between (never going more than 3 hours before eating again).  Here’s the basic rundown:

AVOID:

All refined sugars
Hydrogenated oils
Corn syrup
Alcohol
Gluten (including any wheat products)
Dairy
All processed foods (for the most part)
Most oils except olive, sesame, flax, and coconut
Caffeine
Beef
Eggs

FOODS TO ENJOY:
Fresh vegetables
Fresh fruit
Whole grains (except wheat)
Most types of seafood
Organic poultry and lamb
Nuts, seeds, and soy products
Beans

There’s more on both lists, but that gives the basic idea.

Weeks 4-8: Reintroduction
After the three weeks of the above restrictions, we will reintroduce certain foods back into our diet, like beef, eggs, dairy, wheat, etc.  The idea is that after the initial detox phase, we will be more able to determine which foods our bodies will tolerate.  Many of these foods are common allergens and we aren’t often able to know if we’re allergic to them until we become more sensitive to our physical system.  After the reintroduction process, basically we continue to eat the whole foods on the list above and permanently avoid refined sugar, white rice/flour, artificial fats and sugars, and most processed food.

What we’re NOT doing:
One of the things we’re discovering is how lots of the ways people tend to lose weight are only temporarily effective or miss the big picture.  For example, counting calories is nowhere to be found in this approach, because calories vary greatly in the way they are absorbed into our bodies.  We aren’t really even too concerned about the size of the portions we eat, but simply sticking to the good foods.  Also, it’s basically a myth that eating low-fat with make you less fat.  There are many fats and oils our body needs, and this approach doesn’t factor in the speed at which food is digested.  Lastly, the low carb/Atkins approach is often effective in losing weight, but isn’t sustainable long-term for a healthy lifestyle.

We’ve been saying we are trying to understand the owner’s manual for our body, not just trying to lose weight.  We feel (and hope) that simply learning how our body works and what it needs will naturally make us healthy, fit, and happy.

Check back for more updates as we walk through this process!