The time-tested way of eating
If I could best describe or “label” my way of eating, it would be a diet supported by time-tested diet principles.
This way of eating will never be a difficult diet fad because it is not a restrictive diet. These guidelines shouldn't be seen as the rules, but rather as simple principles of longevity and health.
They aren't catered for a weight goal, but if you are not of a healthy weight, your goal will fall right into place through these principles. If you are struggling with any modern-day condition or illness, although this is not a "specific diet protocol for x,y, or z", these guidelines will likely improve your condition drastically.
The food standards below can take any of our modern “treats” or “junk” – and turn them into nutrient powerhouses. Using traditional ingredients we can make all of our favorites. There are no food groups we need to cut out. No cuisine we need to avoid. It’s all about swapping out the ingredients.
Far too many modern-day chronic dis-eases, conditions, or discomforts are rooted in a diet from modern-day low-nutrient, ultra-processed food, followed by outdated, bought-out, dietary guidelines.
This is the diet that can ultimately replace any and all fad diets. It is simply a human diet. To source foods that meet these standards see my masterclass for a comprehensive explanation. I recommend knowing your farmer and shopping local for each and every of these categories for many reasons.
The ultra-industrialization of our food and the way we eat now only began within the last 50–100 years. Before then, we had been directly involved in the cultivation of our food. We had no choice to buy Pineapples from Whole Foods in January that were imported from Costa Rica. We ate local and seasonally.
Small, local farms often use traditional farming practices. Regenerative practices ensure healthier soil, reduced pesticide use, and animals consuming their natural diets.
Nutrient depletion starts with soil. Mega farms use farming practices that deplete nutrients in the soil, reducing the little nutrients that would have been in the plant. Industrial livestock is adultered with growth hormones, antibiotics, and fed industrialized grains. The taste difference (both plants and animals) tells the tale.
Local food is fresher than imported food. It doesn't have to travel long distances to reach consumers. Local produce is often harvested at its peak ripeness, making it more flavorful and nutrient-dense.
Lastly, you are voting with your dollar. You're voting for food grown and raised by local farmers and ranchers as opposed to the industrial model of the food industry. The money stays in your local community and your support allows them to flourish. And if/when SHTF, you'll have the contacts to be prepared. ;)
Enough yapping, here they are:
1. Eat real, unprocessed food.
To decide whether a food meets this category, decide for yourself if the ingredients are known and natural. After this, consider what machinery was needed to make these ingredients.
Would you know how to recreate this product in your kitchen?
Seed oils? No. High-fructose corn syrup? No. Enriched flour? No. Sodium Benzoate? No.
2. Eat pasture-raised or wild animal foods and wild-caught seafood.
A pasture-raised animal and its products are superior due to a natural omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. The vitamin and mineral contents are also drastically higher due to the foraging diet of the animal. Get your hands on wild game whenever possible.
Farmed seafood are fed horribly and live in confined, sick conditions. Always opt for wild-caught seafood. Frozen and canned also can be found wild-caught. The one exception to farmed seafood are oysters. Read why here.
This includes eating nose-to-tail. Muscle meat, offal meats (nutrient-dense organs), making bone broths... Consuming more of the whole animal ensures our full spectrum of nutritional needs are met.
3. Prioritize high-quality fat.
Animal fat can be rendered down into tallow or lard. These are stable cooking fats for high heat. Egg yolks, butter, and raw cream are valued.
Use no industrial seed oils (vegetable oils). This includes (not limited to, anything from a seed/nut): Canola, Corn, Cottonseed, Soybean, Sesame, Sunflower, Safflower, Grapeseed, Rapeseed, Peanut, Refined Palm, Flax, Walnut, and Rice bran oil.
Good fats (that are not animal fats) come from fruits and do not need to go through expulsion processing to obtain: Olive, Avocado, and Coconut oil.
4. Eat full-fat, real raw dairy products from pasture-raised animals.
This includes milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, kefir, cheese, cottage cheese, etc. This is often hard to come by. Here are helpful resources:
If not raw, opt for full-fat, 100% grass-fed, low temp pasteurized, non-homogenized organic dairy. For depth as to why and also the hierarchy of options, see my masterclass.
6. Eat organic seasonal produce.
Agrochemicals are a major concern with produce. Produce that is heavily sprayed with glyphosate and grown in dead soil is destroying our guts and leading to nutrient deficiencies. Opt for locally grown, organic, seasonal produce. Plant anti-nutrients are often a concern – ensure to properly prepare foods from this category (cooking, fermenting…) and avoid using produce with the goal of low-calorie volume-eating. With all of this in mind, anti-nutrients from seasonal, natural produce shouldn’t be a problem.
7. Properly prepare grains, if tolerated.
Grains contain more plant defense mechanisms than simple produce in the form of anti-nutrients. This will cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies, gut problems, skin issues, fatigue, and signs of attack. Traditionally, cultures consumed grains and did well with them due to their preparation methods which we have gotten lazy with and no longer do so we are facing the consequences.
Preparation of grains is done by soaking, sprouting, or sour leavening to neutralize anti-nutrients. Simply look up the grain and the traditional method. The Weston A Price website is great for this. There will be multiple blog posts and videos about it.
8. Eat probiotic-rich, lacto-fermented foods.
This creates a healthy, resilient gut which allows radiating health within every other system to function properly.
Kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, real pickles, fermented vegetables... etc.
9. Use reverse osmosis water for drinking and cooking.
Tap water (fluoridated water) is a huge offender.
Spring water, reverse osmosis water, mineral water, are all safe options.
10. Use high-quality salt and organic seasonings.
Refined iodized table salt is not real salt. Redmond real salt and Celtic salt are ideal.
Use non-irradiated, organic seasonings and spices without preservatives.
Pluck seasoning is a seasoning blend with 100% grass-fed & grass-finished freeze-dried New Zealand organ meats, Redmond Real Salt®, and organic & non-irradiated spices and herbs. Pluck's proprietary blend includes – liver, kidney, heart, spleen and pancreas. Sprinkle onto your finished dish to up any food's nutritional profile. It's the equivalence to micro-dosing organ meats — and you can't taste them. Use MIAKAPRO to save 10%.
11. Use traditional sweeteners.
Such as raw honey, 100% pure organic maple syrup, dates, and fruit. Don’t skimp on vitamin P (pleasure).
12. Alcohol: Unpasteurized organic wine or beer in moderation.
13. Prioritize quality sleep, exercise, and sunshine.
