The Power of N=1
OVERVIEW
You are a unique individual.
When we explore becoming a person who prioritizes nourishment and feels really solid and grounded in the choices they are making for their body, we need to understand how important it is to truly KNOW YOURSELF.
This takes effort, careful paying attention and a framework.You have to willing to go slow and bring an energy of curiosity to your own being-ness.
There is no one body type, one diet, one food, one supplement, on practitioner that is going to save you.
You will constantly be uncovering layers of your healing process in a spiral path.
You can guide your own healing process, by you, for you.
PERSONALIZED DIET DESIGN
The premise here is simple: The foods you objectively do well with are the foods that are “good” for you. The foods you objectively do poorly with are the foods that are “bad” for you.
However, this may depend on the context of he meal, the quantity and the frequency. 1 cup per day isn’t good, but maybe 1/3 cup three times a day is ok for you.
I do not recommend removing entire food groups, because it can be really hard to add the food back in. Just lower the amount or frequency until you can tolerate it and then try to add in more once you get stable there.
How do you tell if a food is objectively good for you?
See how you feel- immediately after, 1 hr, 4 hr, and the next day to few days (if it was something you suspect may be an issue) This is another reason why tracking can be helpful if you’re feeling stumped as far as your bodily reactions.
Experiment with reducing food per meal or decreasing frequency.
Remember the psycho emotional components. So many foods have been demonized. Take note if you are projecting value on to food because of something you’ve been told and not a real physical experience.
THE IDEAL MEAL
Protein - replenish amino acids, slows digestion and helps balance blood sugar, “the building blocks”
Carbs- replenish glycogen and blood sugar levels, “the fuel”
Starch - rice, potatoes, root veggies, sometimes people do better with more starch for
carbohydrate.
Sugars - fruit, honey, maple syrup, juice, sometimes people do better with more sugars for
their carbohydrate source. Good to experiment by eating predominantly sugar for a few
days and see how you feel. Then eat predominantly starch and see how you feel.
Fat- slows digestion, helps balance blood sugar, regulate bile production and flow. “The lubricant”
Fiber- slows digestion, helps balance blood sugar, pull toxins from digestive tract, feed gut bacteria. “The cleaner”
Food that’s best for you might change season or season of life or even time of day subtly.
Meal Timing
Eat breakfast within 45 min of waking and after sunrise
Eat lunch 3-5 hours after that
Eat dinner 3-5 hours after that
Snacks optional, but make them defined, eg not just eating a back of pretzels until you feel full. Try to also have all components of an ideal meal in a snack.
FOOD REACTION WATCH LIST
**there are other foods/compounds that can cause symptoms but these are the ones I see most often.
HUNGER + SATIETY
Mechanical Hunger
Mechanical stretch
Circadian Rhythm- so helpful to eat at the same time of day every day and align it with light signals eg eat your biggest meal when there is the most light (midday- late afternoon).
Gastric Emptying Rate (enteroendoceine eg CCK- fat and protein and GLP -1 carbs and protein)
Psychological
Highly palatable foods override fullness
Buffet effect - too much novelty can override satiety
Expectation awareness - “100 calorie snack pack”
“Desert stomach” satiety and hunger can be just as much psychological/mental as they are physical. If you really want cake but don’t feel like you could eat a chicken breast or a potato, it’s probably not “real” hunger, but more a nutrient deficiency or mental/emotional craving.
Can be helpful to stick to simple meals for these reason. Eg: rice, chicken, veggies or Steak, potatoes, and veggies.
Certain foods can give you really good energy and satiety and others may not and it may be different for each person.
Satiety Index… What is yours?
The less calorie dense it is, the more volume you can eat and the more satiating it tends to be. Lean proteins, fruits, veggies.
The more difficult it is to digest (fat), the more satiating it will be.
If you need to eat more calories you may want to think about eating less of the voluminous foods and more higher density.
Notice what yours are: eg for me, rice actually isn’t very satiating, but potatoes definitely are.
CRAVINGS
Satiety can be quite individual and generally as people start to eat more micronutrient dense foods (eg unprocessed), eating enough, and of the correct macronutrient balance, food cravings tend to go away or you have a ton more “self control” in terms of being able to eat one bite or one cookie, or whatever.
If you are having tons of cravings it’s definitely a sign that you may need to simply eat more earlier in the day or you may need to change your macro breakdown or you may need to eat more nutrient dense foods, or there can be some mental/emotional pieces you may need to dig into.
If you have aversions or strong cravings to any of the flavors or foods below it could mean you need to address an energetic aspect:
Pure Sugar/Sweet- sweetness of life
Baked goods - fat and sweet together. Tends to mean you need more calories overall or you’re craving sweetness of life mixed with the soothing/numbing effects of fat.
Fast Food/Junk Food- What is your emotional relationship and history with these foods? What have they represented to you in the past? It may mean you simply need more nutrients and nourishment overall in a lot of cases. Eg my story about how I used to starve myself and then binge on Taco Johns. Even now if I ever have a craving for Taco Johns I know it’s because my body has associated that with getting calories fast.
Dairy- nurturing and soothing, needing The Mother.
Crunchy foods- repressed anger
Bitter- needing to release negative patterns and emotions
Spice- The “spice” of life.
Salty- overworked, over pressured, needing to push past your limits
Monitoring Satiety
“I’m Stuffed”
Utilize less frequent but bigger meals
Space out your meals and macros evenly throughout the day (especially protein and fat)
Use juice
Really chew and engage with food (eg cook it, smell it, look at it, notice the textures, etc)
“I’m Ravenous”
Utilize smaller, more frequent meals or snacks
Eat more defined meals
Use whole fruit and not juice
Really chew and engage with food (eg cook it, smell it, look at it, notice the textures, etc)
*If you feel crazy hungry all the time but you’re not losing weight, this is not a true need for more calories, it’s probably a micronutrient deficiency, an emotional craving/unmet need, or a sign you need to rethink your macro nutrient spread.
*There can be conditioning around hunger/satiety, eg “I always have desert” or “I always have pancakes on Sunday morning,” notice if this is part of why you eat.
READING YOUR POOP
Slow Motility
Increase amount of soluble fiber (cooked veggies, whole fruit)
Support stomach acid (Hcl)
Support bile (bile flow plus)
Make sure you are hitting your electrolytes RDAs from food (Ca, Na, K, Mg)
Digestive enzymes
Make sure you are eating enough
Align your meals with circadian rhythms
Refer back to “Watch List” above
**Pectasol and Zinc Matrix as well as Cal/Mag fusion can sometimes create constipation issues.
Eat kiwis and blackberries
Carrot salad
Well cooked mushrooms
Cooked bamboo shoots
Fast Motility
Chew your food
Make sure you’re eating at least 24 g of fiber/day
Make sure you are hitting your electrolytes RDAs from food (Ca, Na, K, Mg)
Make sure you are eating enough
Reduce amount of fat
Align your meals with circadian rhythms
Refer back to “Watch List” above
BODY AS THE UNCONSCIOUS COMMUNICATING WITH YOU
Remember our body is our unconscious in tangible form. It is always trying to communicate with you. it is not broken or working against you. It is always, unendingly, working for you.
You want to find the body that your soul belongs to. Not someone else’s or some “perfect” cookie cutter replica of some ideal.
