Mercola Nutrition Program - Introduction
Many people today struggle with weight issues, diseases, and other health problems that impair their ability to enjoy life. Many resort to pharmaceutical drugs and other conventional methods to relieve their symptoms, but these are actually just Band-Aid solutions that typically result in more harm than good.
What they don’t realize is that they can significantly improve their health by just changing their diet and eating habits. And this program will help you achieve exactly that.
Fact: High-Quality Fat Is One of the Most Important Nutrients for You
Conventional physicians, nutritionists, and public health experts have long claimed that dietary fat promotes heart disease and obesity. This deception caused people to follow conventional low-fat, high-carb diets, which ruined the health of millions. Today, the general guideline for dietary fat intake is that it should only be 10 percent of your overall diet.
I believe that this is one of the most destructive health recommendations that have pervaded the U.S. food system, because you need at least 50 to 75 percent of your daily calorie intake in the form of healthy fats. This is one of the basic principles that I have incorporated in my Nutritional Plan.
So what is good fat and how can you distinguish it from unhealthy ones? We’ll discuss this more in detail as you go along this program.
Saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources are an important
component of this program, as they provide you with a number of
important health benefits and help in the proper functioning of
your:
- Immune system
- Liver
- Cell membranes
- Bones
- Heart
- Hormones
- Lungs
- Genetic regulation
Saturated fats also promote satiety, reducing your hunger pangs so you avoid binge eating and unhealthy food cravings. By following this high-fat, low-carb diet, you will be able to optimize your weight and avoid virtually all chronic degenerative diseases.
This Optimized Healthy Food Pyramid Will Turn Your Health Around
The original food pyramid created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) promotes a diet that has grains, pasta, and bread at its base (meaning they make up the majority of your diet) and fats at the top, or the smallest portion. But this can spell trouble, as grains break down into sugar in your body, driving insulin and leptin resistance.
I strongly believe that for optimal health, you should follow the opposite: increase your intake of healthy saturated fats and limit your grain and sugar intake. I’ve created my own Food Pyramid based on this ratio.
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I also believe that you should always be conscious of what you eat – this means avoiding all processed foods that are loaded with additives, harmful chemicals, and genetically engineered ingredients that could put your health at risk.
Following This Program May Help You Avoid the Hospital
The reason why I am so passionate about sharing information about healthy
eating and exercise, as well as other lifestyle changes like stress
management, is it can help keep you OUT of the doctor's office, or even
worse, the hospital. Hospitals are actually notorious breeding grounds for
medical errors and infections, and those with compromised immune systems can
easily fall victim.
And if you think taking prescription
medications and antibiotics is a viable solution, think again. These drugs
not only expose you to harmful side effects, but they also lead to the
proliferation of antibiotic-resistant diseases.
Getting Started: Three Factors That Determine Your Level of Health
This Nutrition Plan is divided into Level 1 and 2. Level 1 is for beginners, such as those who are new to this website and are not yet fully familiar with my health recommendations.
However, if you are already implementing most of my health advice, then you can proceed to Level 2. This is also recommended for people with serious medical conditions who are looking for extensive measures to promote healing and health.
So how will you know if you’re ready to move on from Level 1 to Level 2? It’s simple: use these three health indicators. Once they are in their optimal ranges, you will feel comfortable and confident enough to move on to the next level.
1. Insulin Resistance
If you consume a diet consistently high in grains, sugar and non-fiber carbohydrates, then chances are very high that you are struggling with this insulin resistance. This condition happens when your body becomes “sensitized” to the rapid insulin production caused by excessively high sugar intake. When your body becomes used to this large surge of insulin, it eventually causes resistance, which can then lead to diabetes.
Before starting this program, have your fasting insulin level checked through a fasting blood insulin test. This is relatively inexpensive and can be done by any commercial laboratory. Knowing your insulin and leptin ranges can help you assess how well you are progressing in the program.
A normal fasting blood insulin level is below 5, but ideally, you should strive for below 3. Most labs will have reference ranges, but you can safely ignore these as they are based on “normals” of a population that has highly-disturbed insulin levels.
If your level is above 5, it’s good to significantly consider reducing most sugars and grains (even whole grains), until you’ve lowered your level. Once you’ve reached the normal level, you can reintroduce grains in your diet (but still keep your intake in moderation).
2. Waist Size
Your waist size gives a good indication of the amount of fat you’re carrying, particularly around the stomach area, and is the best and simplest anthropometric measure of your total body fat. In fact, it is more efficient that body mass index (BMI), as it can factor in how muscular you are.
Your waist size can also determine how much intra-abdominal fat mass – this is the dangerous type of fat that surrounds your internal organs, and is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and heart disease.
To find out your waist size, take a tape measure around your waist and comfortably measure the distance around the smallest area below the rib cage and above your belly button. Use these charts to find out if you have a healthy waist circumference:
For men, between 37 (94 cm) and 40 inches is overweight and more than 40 inches is obese.
For women, between 31.5 (80 cm) and 34.6 inches is overweight and more than 34.6 inches is obese.
3. Ideal Cholesterol Ratio
I first opened my medical practice in the mid ‘80s, and during that time, cholesterol (and the fear of having too high a level), was something that was rarely discussed – unless of course your level was over 330 or so. But now, many people believe that they must keep their cholesterol levels = as low as possible, otherwise your health will suffer.
In reality, you NEED cholesterol. It’s crucial in the production of hormones, cell membranes, vitamin D, and bile acids that help digest fat. Cholesterol also plays an integral part in memory formation and neurological function.
So if you want to learn your risk for heart disease, take note of these indicators instead:
- HDL/Cholesterol ratio. HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor. Just divide your HDL level by your total cholesterol. The percentage should ideally be above 24 percent.
- Triglyceride/HDL ratio. You can also do the same thing with your triglycerides and HDL ratio. The percentage should be below 2.
- Your fasting insulin level, as mentioned above.
- Your fasting blood sugar level. Studies found that people with a fasting blood sugar level of 100-125 mg/dl had a nearly 300 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease than people with a level below 79 mg/dl.
-
Your iron level. Having excessively high iron levels can damage your blood vessels
and increase your risk of heart disease, as iron can cause oxidative
stress. Make sure to monitor your ferritin levels and make sure they are
between 40 and 60 ng/ml. If you level is higher than 80 ng/ml you
are creating reactive oxygen species in your mitochondria that produce
free radicals that damage your proteins, membranes and DNA.
The simplest way to lower your high iron levels is to donate your blood. If that is not possible, a therapeutic phlebotomy can effectively eliminate the excess iron from your body.
One Last Tip: Always Listen to Your Body
Once you get started with this program, you will notice remarkable improvement in your health, anywhere between a few days to a few weeks. If you don’t feel any noticeable change, your body may be telling you that you should consult a knowledgeable health care professional who can understand your insulin and fat biochemistry and fine-tune your individual program.
These recommendations are generally safe, but if any of these make you feel nauseous or sick in any way, then please stop immediately. Listening to what your body is telling you is the smartest way to gauge whether or not this plan is working for you.
Remember, there is no charge for this life-saving information in this Nutrition Plan. It is my gift to you and your family to help offset the massive confusion, misinformation, pain and suffering that the conventional medical system has likely given you.
Source: https://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/index.htm
Welcome to Level 1 of Dr Mercola's Nutrition Plan
Even if you feel you already eat a basically healthy diet, the majority of you will highly benefit from starting at Level 1 — as there are basic requirements in this plan that may take time and patience to integrate into your daily life. You may need to adjust to them before you can move on to Level 2. You may also need some time to adjust to lowered insulin or leptin levels, especially if you are generally unhealthy, overweight, or living with a chronic disease.
If you’re already healthy and are seeking advanced strategies to improve your wellbeing, and if you’re mostly incorporating the methods in this section, then you can go to Level 2.
No matter what level you choose, one of the most important principles to remember is to listen to your body. If you suspect that any food or supplement in this plan is making you feel sick, stop it immediately!
Eliminate All Wheat, Gluten, and Highly Allergenic Foods from Your Diet
There is an epidemic of hidden intolerance to wheat products today, and the primary culprit is gluten. Found in wheat, this protein contains gliadins, which are molecules that can cause toxic reactions and trigger an unwanted immune response. Gliadin is water-soluble, causing it to bind to your cells.
If you are gluten sensitive, your body will produce antibodies that will attack the cells that gliadin has attached itself to, treating them as an infection. This response causes damage to the surrounding tissue and may exacerbate other health problems throughout your body – a key factor why gluten can have such an immensely negative effect on your overall health.
Another important reason to avoid gluten is that it stimulates opioid receptors (gluteomorphs) that will impair your immune response and make you more susceptible to autoimmune diseases and infection. Casein (milk protein) also has similar challenges as it stimulates caseomorph receptors.
Other grains such as rice, buckwheat, and millet may also contain gluten, but they do not contain gliadins that can provoke the inflammatory reaction so they are usually safe. Quinoa and amaranth are also generally safe.
Gluten intolerance may be manifested by gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, constipation, and abdominal pain, but they may be diagnosed with non-gastrointestinal symptoms as well. Therefore, to avoid triggering gluten intolerance, it is best to completely eliminate gluten from your diet.
This can be quite tricky, especially if wheat is a staple of your diet. There are also companies that label their products “gluten-free,” yet they don’t truly understand the science behind the problem.
However, do not expect to feel completely healed immediately after eliminating gluten, as it may take 30 to 60 days for the inflammation to subside, and nine to 12 months for the lining of your small intestine to heal.
Some people may not feel any improvements even after eliminating all wheat products (even the safer ones) from their diet, and may even feel worse. This may be due to other unidentified food allergies and sensitivities – a problem that affects about 75 percent of the population.
Food sensitivities lead to decreased serotonin levels, which can negatively impact your mood and lead you to turn to simple sugars and carbohydrates for a pick-me-up. This is why when you eliminate gluten and other allergenic foods from your diet, your cravings will decrease, your weight will drop and your overall health will improve.
Highly allergenic foods you need to avoid include:
- Wheat
- Soy
- White flour products (baked goods, cookies, and pastries)
- Rye
- Teff
- Pasteurized cow’s milk products
- Spelt
- Kamut
- Barley
- Couscous
Eat as Much High-Quality, Healthy Fat as You Want
For the last five decades, many people have turned away from healthy fats like butter, eggs, and full-fat dairy and shifted to whole grains and cereals instead. This is in response to conventional “health experts” advice to eat a high complex-carbohydrate, low saturated-fat diet.
However, many recent studies have found that replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates actually leads to detrimental cardiometabolic consequences, as well as increased risk of obesity, inflammation, heart disease, and cancer.
Overindulging in sugar and grains overwhelms your brain too, as having consistently high levels of glucose and insulin blunts its insulin signaling, which can lead to impaired thinking and memory, eventually contributing to permanent brain damage – a key factor in diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (which has even been dubbed "type 3 diabetes").
So if you truly want to achieve optimal health, I advise you to replace the calories you were getting from wheat and other common allergens with healthy saturated and unsaturated fats from whole food, animal, and plant sources. Learn to distinguish the healthy fats that contribute to health from those that can wreak havoc.
I cover fat in much more detail in the Fats section of this nutrition plan, but at a glance, the good sources of healthy fats include:
| Avocado | Organic, grass-fed butter and ghee (ideally from an organic farmer, but Kerry Gold is the best option if purchasing from a conventional food store) |
| Coconut oil | Raw cacao butter |
| Pastured poultry fat | Pastured lard or tallow |
| Extra virgin olive oil | Organic, pastured eggs |
| Nuts, especially macadamia nuts and pecans | Seeds like black sesame and black cumin (about 1 to 2 tablespoons of each a day, but soaked for eight hours prior to using) |
| Olives |
And the fats you want to avoid altogether, as they are high in omega-6 fats that promote inflammation, are:
- All processed vegetable oils — particularly omega-6 oils
- Seed oils, such as canola, sunflower, safflower, and grapeseed
- Trans fats — which are listed as “partially hydrogenated”
It would be best to strive for at least 50 percent up to 85 percent for your overall energy intake. Once you make this shift, you will reap a number of important health benefits, including:
- Bringing your glucose and insulin levels into healthy ranges
- Reducing free radical damage and inflammation throughout the body, as fat is a cleaner-burning fuel than grains, starches and sugars
- Lowering triglycerides
- Raising HDL levels (good cholesterol)
- Interrupting the cravings that lead to weight gain
- Improving mental clarity
Make Sure at Least One-Third of Your Food Is Raw
When you cook or process food, the shape and chemical composition of its valuable and sensitive micronutrients can be severely altered. Heating in particular destroys and damages these nutrients. This is one reason why people who consume a highly processed food diet are prone to malnutrition or nutrient deficiencies.
Cooking food at high temperatures also produces unhealthy byproducts like acrylamide and thermolyzed casein, which are carcinogenic chemical compounds. This is the exact opposite of raw uncooked foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, which contain live “sun energy” known as biophotons.
Biophotons contain important bio-information that control complex vital processes in your body regulating them to help elevate your physical body to a higher oscillation or order. This then leads to a feeling of vibrant vitality and well-being.
Every living organism emits biophotons, and the more biophotons an organism emits, the greater its vitality and potential for transfer of energy to the person who consumes it. So this means that the more light a food can store, the more nutritious it is.
You cannot find these biophotons in highly processed foods. Plus, processed foods are loaded with unhealthy preservatives, artificial colors, and artificial flavorings. If you’re a savvy reader of food labels, you already know how ubiquitous these ingredients are. Particularly problematic are genetically engineered (GE) ingredients, which, if you live in the U.S., you will not find labeled as such.
So remember, always make sure that real food from wholesome sources comprises the bulk of your diet, and then seek to consume at least one-third of these real foods in a raw, or uncooked, state. It’s important that you know how to set apart real food from those manufactured products masquerading as health foods, though, so here’s a helpful chart to help you identify real food:
| Real Food | Processed Food Products |
|---|---|
| Is grown (above or below ground) in healthy, microbe-rich soils that are being regenerated by sustainable land management practices | Grown in depleted, chemical-doused soils, and/or produced or manufactured in whole or in part in a factory |
| Has variable quality, taste, and texture | Has uniform quality, taste, and texture |
| Spoils quickly | Can stay "fresh" for weeks, months or years |
| Requires preparation when cooking | Quick, convenient, no-prep cooking |
| Is authentically flavorful and colorful | Flavored and colored with chemicals |
| Grown without, or with minimal, agricultural chemicals | Grown with chemicals |
| Not genetically altered | Often contains genetically engineered ingredients |
| Contains no added growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs | Grown with hormones, antibiotics, and/or other drugs |
| Does not contain artificial anything, nor chemical preservatives | Contains artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, fillers, nano technology, and more |
| Grown with the laws of nature in mind | Grown with profits and high-yield performance in mind |
| Grown in a sustainable way | Grown in an unsustainable way, such as large mono-crop factory farms, and confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) |
I believe nearly everyone would benefit from eating as many non-starchy vegetables as possible as given each individual’s unique biochemical makeup. Raw vegetables are a top choice. Leafy green vegetables in particular are rich in valuable nutrients and minerals, such as folate and magnesium. The latter may be a lesser known nutrient for some, but it actually plays a role in keeping your metabolism running efficiently, reducing your risk of diabetes and cancer, and promoting higher bone density and better sleep.
Quality is extremely important when it comes to vegetables. Make sure that you’re consuming fresh, organic, non-GMO vegetables at all times. If for some reason you cannot obtain organic vegetables, then opt for non-organic varieties, but make sure to rinse them thoroughly. Simply submerge them in a basin of water with 4 to 8 ounces of distilled vinegar for 30 minutes.
Store fresh produce properly to maintain freshness: Make sure to squeeze as much air as you can out of the bag that holds the vegetables before sealing it. This will decelerate their ripening process caused by the release of ethylene gas, which occurs after harvesting.
I do this simply by holding the bag against my chest and running my arm over the bottom of the bag to the top. This squeezes the air out of the bag, and will double or triple the normal storage life of your vegetables.
Limit Your Sugar and Fructose Intake
There is a considerable amount of compelling evidence that excessive amounts of sugar – all forms of sugar, but fructose in particular – is the primary driver of obesity, as well as many if not most chronic and lethal diseases like diabetes. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1 out of 3 Americans aged 20 and older has prediabetes.
For many people this is the result of a faulty diet. The conventional health paradigm defines type 2 diabetes as poorly controlled blood sugar. The truth is it is a result of dysregulated insulin and leptin signaling.
When you have type 2 diabetes, your pancreas continues to produce insulin,
but your body is unable to recognize and use it properly. This advanced
stage of insulin resistance is typically caused by a diet that’s high in
sugar and sugar-releasing foods like grains and simple starches. Fructose is
especially problematic as our bodies weren’t designed to handle more than
what’s found in small amounts of fruits and berries.
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So in order to avoid or reverse type 2 diabetes, as well as most other chronic diseases, I advise you to cut way back on sugar from all sources and to limit your TOTAL fructose consumption to below 25 grams per day. However, for most people, it would also be wise to limit your fructose from fruit to 15 grams or less, as you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" fructose from packaged or processed foods.
I believe that by doing this, you can avoid the damaging effects that sugar can inflict on your system. Too much sugar has been found to:
- Overload and damage your liver. The liver is the only organ that has the transporter for fructose, so over-consuming it leads to potential damage – similar to what alcohol does to your body but in this case, it’s called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- Tricks your body into gaining weight. Fructose fools your metabolism by turning off your body's appetite-control system, causing you to eat more. By failing to stimulate insulin, it suppresses ghrelin, or "the hunger hormone," which then fails to stimulate leptin, or "the satiety hormone."
- Causes metabolic dysfunction. Too much sugar leads to a barrage of problems like weight gain, abdominal obesity, decreased HDL and increased LDL, elevated blood sugar, elevated triglycerides, and high blood pressure. This is known as metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetes.
- Increased uric acid levels. High uric acid levels are a risk factor for heart and kidney disease. In fact, the correlation of fructose intake and uric acid is now so established that your uric acid levels can now be used as a marker for fructose toxicity. The only caution here is that a low carb diet may temporarily increase uric acid levels.
In addition, I advise you to avoid artificial sweeteners such as aspartame at all cost. Research shows that they can worsen insulin sensitivity to a greater degree than sugar, and may even disrupt your intestinal microflora, which raises your risk of both obesity and diabetes. Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners are added to about 6,000 different food products. This is why you must always check food labels to see if it contains artificial sweeteners. Natural sweeteners like stevia and Luo-Han in moderation are typically fine.
Source: https://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/beginner.htm
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