The BALi Eating plan for Health and Weight Reduction
“We have seen the enemy and it is us.” Researchers have confirmed over and over that most of the deadly diseases we face today are lifestyle related. All of the top disease killers, vascular disease, cancer and diabetes are largely preventable with changes in eating and activity patterns. More than anything else, food seems to have a major impact on which diseases we get. Not surprisingly, as we now know that these diseases are underwritten by inflammation and oxidation, two disease-causing processes controlled by which foods we eat. Unfortunately, eating has become quite complicated as more and more experts weigh in on the appropriate diet. The medical dogma has been for quite some time to eat a high carbohydrate, low fat, moderate protein diet. The result of that have been more diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Newer experts are recommending high protein and low or no carbohydrates. Then there are any number of fad diets that come and go. Confused consumers are eating cake until the smoke clears.
The simplicity of an eating plan that promotes weight loss became apparent to me after speaking with a colleague of mine who had studied in China. One of the first things he noticed when he got there was that there were no fat people. Obviously this was not a genetic manifestation as back in the US there were many fat Chinese Americans. Secondly, he noticed that after about 3 weeks, he had inadvertently lost 10 lbs. How did that happen? Years later, after gaining those ten pounds back and more, he mused about how he had so easily lost weight without trying and without starving himself. They didn’t have the refined sugar and processed foods that we have in the USA. They drink water and unsweetened tea instead of juice and soft drinks. They have fresh fruit for dessert instead of cake and pie. Fresh produce is brought to the kitchen each day, and they eat lots of fish.
Principles of the BALI Eating Plan.
BALI stands for Basic, Antioxidant! Anti-fungal, Low insulin. These are the characteristics of an eating plan that will optimize your health. This is a different objective than weight loss. Some diets offer weight loss, but put your health at risk. Here is why this eating plan will work for you.
Basic – Our bodies operate in a biochemically-balanced system. If anything gets out of balance, the body has to work to get back in balance. For example, the body likes to operate at a temperature of 98.6 degrees. Outside that range we sweat to cool off or shiver to keep warm. Wide variations in either direction can lead to death. pH or acid/base balance is another narrow window that the body has to maintain for health. Acid/base balance is complicated science, but suffice it to say that moving toward acidity is a sign of deterioration toward disease and death. As your blood pH decreases, it supports cancer, causes yeast and bacterial over growth and stimulates pain. Your body struggles to rebalance by pulling minerals like calcium and magnesium out of your bones (osteoporosis is spurred by blood that is too acidic). Use the guidelines from the books The pH Miracle by Robert Taylor Ph.D., The No Grain Diet by Joseph Mercola M.D., The Maker’s Diet By Jordan RubinN.D., The Diet Cure by Julia Ross, or Eat Right to live Longer by Cass Ingram D.O. to start rebalancing your pH with your foods. White flour and other grains, sugar, salt, dairy products, and animal protein promote acid in your blood. Balance your plate by filling it with 1/3 high quality protein (fish, skinless chicken, lean/hormone free, grass fed beef, raw nuts, natural soy protein, eggs, dark beans). The other 2/3 should consist of alkalinizing foods. (The higher the pH value, the more positive the food is for you.) Drink water with peppermint and fresh lemon juice squeezed into it. Use dark alkalinizing fruit for dessert. Follow this way of eating 4/7 days for one month as you transition your home to include only foods that support the health of you and your family. Advance to 5/7 days the next month, then finally 6/7 days. Keep one day free to splurge.
Antioxidant/Anti-fungal – Destruction of body tissue happens from inflammation/oxidation (Oximation). This is the same process that causes nails to rust. Oxidation is a normal process that happens as we burn glucose for energy. However when you eat too much sugar, have too much yeast, or have too much heavy metal in your blood, oxidation is accelerated. This leads to heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cataracts, wrinkled skin, impotence, arthritis, cancer and many other diseases. Inflammation is the process generated by your immune systems. These cellular soldiers will launch weapons of mass destruction if they detect overgrowth of yeast or other germs. Chronic inflammation will also destroy normal tissue and cause disease. Prevent Oximation by eating dark greens, fresh garlic, dark berries such as cranberry, pomegranate and blood oranges, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, raw nuts, deep red and yellow vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts), avocado, fish, carrots, raw sweet potatoes, dark citrus fruits, purple grapes, tomatoes, dark beans and red onions.
Low insulin – Over production of insulin starts a chain reaction that leads to weight gain and death. Insulin promotes growth of fat cells. Fat cells then produce an estrogen called estrone. Estrone promotes further fat cell multiplication. Estrone also inhibits thyroid function, which causes you to have to produce more insulin to do the same job. Estrone further complicates things by inhibiting thyroid function and slowing metabolism. This allows yeast overgrowth, which lowers immune system function. As insulin becomes less effective at controlling blood sugar, yeast cells feed on rising blood sugar and make your brain cells think you are starving. This creates an addictive attraction to food. Foods that stimulate insulin production are foods that readily turn to sugar. Some people have a genetic predisposition to produce more insulin than others. Artificial sweeteners that are many times sweeter than sugar, like aspartame and sucralose (Splenda), make your body react by producing insulin also because they fool your pancreas with their super sweet taste. Use xylitol as a sweetener. Also add spices like cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom and nutmeg to give foods flavor. Major foods to avoid are: grains, sugar (white sugar, brown sugar, organic/grass fed/Kosher/blessed by the Pope sugar, fructose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, sodas, fruit juices, honey, syrup, jellies, apple juice, grape juice), white potatoes, corn and products made from corn, rice and rice products, crackers, cereals, pasteurized cow’s milk (lactose), fruit juices and foods that contain “hydrogenated” fat.
Follow this simple way of eating 6/7 days each week, use the supplements I recommend, get your hormones balanced, and exercise 45 minutes, 3 to 4 days a week and I guarantee your health will improve!
BALI DIET BASICS
1. Eliminate grains and sugar, which promote yeast overgrowth. Includes: bread, crackers, cereals, pasta, corn, rice. Steel cut oats and buckwheat flour products can be used in transition. Substitute dark beans and lentils for your carbohydrates. Coconut flour is available. To make “sandwiches”, wrap food in cabbage leaves or seaweed and add hummus or other bean pate. Cow’s milk has a sugar called “galactose” that yeast love very much. No fruit juices, sodas, or other sweetened beverages.
2. Protein sources-dark beans, fish, natural soy protein, range fed chicken, wild game meats, turkey, grass fed, hormone free beef, raw nuts, buffalo. Easy on the beef. No cured/deli meats.
3. Carbs-Dark beans and lentils. All types of vegetables. Purple cruciferous are powerful yeast killers. Sweet potatoes/yams and other dark root vegetables, especially raw.
4. Fat-Coconut milk, raw nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, nut butters, real butter/cream, ghee
5. Sweeteners – xylitol, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, glycerin, unrefined sorghum molasses.
6. Drinks-water, Crystal Geyser or other carbonated waters, low sodium tomato juice, green/black/white tea/herbal teas, coffee, drinks using 100% raw chocolate, nut milks, club soda, coconut milk smoothies, unsweetened coconut water, Kombucha, freshly juiced vegetables-especially purple.
7. Fruit-any dark fruit/berries. The less sweet the better: Pomegranate, cranberries, blood oranges, red grapefruit-wash-don’t peel.
8. Spice up your meals with antifungals-garlic, green/red onions, leeks, shallots, turmeric, peppermint, oregano, thyme, coriander, bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon.
“Let food be your medicine. Let medicine be your food” – Hippocrates
