The Body Doesn't Lie (31 page)
Read The Body Doesn't Lie Online
Authors: Vicky Vlachonis
Tags: #Health & Fitness, #Pain Management, #Healing, #Medical, #Allied Health Services, #Massage Therapy
You have a framework for an eating plan that will not only help you release pain and avoid disease, but also give you enough energy and vitality to fuel your newfound passions. You have a sustainable, progressive plan for your fitness; no matter how much you challenge yourself physically, the plan will help your body be there to meet you, step by step.
Living in the positive means that you know what works for you. You believe in yourself. You’ve found your positive voice—that calm, strong, optimistic feeling deep inside.
You feel free, safe, and grounded. At any time, if you encounter a problem that feels too large, or a pain that feels too raw, you can retrace your path through the Positive Feedback program and get a foothold again.
You know that every new day brings a new chance to restore yourself with the Morning Glory ritual.
You now have space in your body; you have a structure, a routine. You like being alone so that you can meditate, pray; you love being with others to feel connected and loved. You like starting your day with dry brushing and Tibetan rites, with foods that make you happy. Even the scale is happy. And if you have your once-a-week chocolate croissant, the voice of positivity says, “Don’t worry; go back to your routine and everything will work its way back.”
The path back to yourself can always start, and start again, with that first glass of warm water with lemon. Armed with all the work you’ve done in these three weeks, you won’t find yourself back where you started even if you have a relapse. You’ve come too far to turn back. Nothing can stop you now. You’re ready to share your radiance with the world.
Positivity always works. Your blood is flowing; your heart is beating. You are alive and happy; everything works.
Please look at yourself in the mirror and say this one last meditation with me:
I am confident. I am happy. I am ready to go.
I am the power and the authority in my life!
I believe in you. But, more important
,
you believe in yourself.
The Positive Feedback Meal Plan
T
he foods you consume have a significant impact on your body’s ability to heal itself. If you’re suffering from muscle and/or joint pain, food can help—
if
you choose wisely. That’s where the Positive Feedback Meal Plan comes in. It will help you stop feeding your emotions acidic foods such as oranges, vinegar, alcohol, coffee, and colas, and junk foods that are high in sugar and wheat. All these foods, which exacerbate the inflammation causing your pain, are replaced by healthier options in the Positive Feedback Meal Plan. As we’ve discussed throughout the book, Positive Feedback eating is powered almost exclusively by anti-inflammatory foods.
My Mum’s Voice: Raise Your Glass
Go ahead and pour yourself a glass of champagne or wine—and enjoy it. Remember, however, what the ancient Greeks used to say: “The first glass is for health, the second for love, the third for sleep, and the fourth for swearing.”
This chapter contains two versions of the Positive Feedback Meal Plan. The first is for use during your Release week (though the meals from this version can be used at any time); the second is for the Radiate week and beyond.
As you will recall, in the first week of the Positive Feedback program—the Reflect week—you made no major dietary changes; instead, you reflected on your customary eating habits. Now, in the Release week, you will be eating a more modest number of foods, in order to enhance the cleansing action of the program. The Release Meal Plan is outlined in table 10.
Table 10.
The Release Meal Plan
Fair warning: The first three days, also known as the Liver Flush, sometimes trigger a few extra toilet visits! Bear that in mind when planning your outings. I would also recommend keeping your restaurant visits to a minimum during those days so that you can better control your access to Liver Flush foods.
For the remainder of the first week, I encourage you to experiment with a variety of smoothies (see recipes in table 12, later in this chapter) and get comfortable with your knife set—you’re going to be doing a lot of raw-veggie chopping. (See the shopping list in appendix C for a complete list of foods you’ll need for the Release stage.) Most of my patients are amazed by how calm they feel and how clear their skin looks and feels after just a few days on this diet.
In the Radiate stage, you’ll expand your repertoire of foods to a varied palette of tastes and colors that can be modified to delight and sustain you for the rest of your life. On the Radiate Meal Plan (see table 11), you’ll use more olive and coconut oil, and you’ll focus on broadening the range of antioxidant- and omega-3-rich anti-inflammatory foods. The result will be rich and satisfying meals that bring deep pleasure and satisfaction while reducing inflammation and guarding against future food sensitivities.
My Mum’s Voice: Moderation
My maternal grandfather died at ninety-two. His philosophy was what the ancient Greeks referred to as
pan metron ariston
—everything in moderation. He loved my grandmother, a beautiful woman who was tough and solid as a rock—the true head of the family. My maternal grandfather followed all the traditions of our faith, even fasting occasionally throughout the year. He walked a great deal and he died without ever having been seriously ill. My paternal grandfather was healthy as well—he died at the ripe old age of 115! He worked well into his old age and made love until he was ninety.
Don’t you ever wonder why chronic illnesses such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes were not as common in the past as they are now? I believe the answer is incredibly simple: People once ate simple, nutrient-rich, whole foods and, in the case of my Greek ancestors, consumed more olive oil, fruit, and legumes, all of which are rich in beneficial minerals and trace elements.
I hope that the first week on the Radiate Meal Plan gave you a flavor of how your eating can keep you in Positive Feedback. You’ll follow the Radiate way of eating for the rest of your days. At this stage, you can feel free to experiment with new combinations of foods. As long as you take care to avoid the Release foods listed in chapter 5, you should be in good territory. In addition, take the time to do the food reactivity testing described in the previous chapter (under “Reintroducing Reactive Foods”), to further tailor the Radiate way of eating to your body’s unique needs. Tables 12 through 16 offer additional options that you can mix and match as you explore.
Positive Feedback Supplements
Recent studies have found that long-term supplement usage may lead to less-than-favorable health outcomes. Of particular concern are vitamin E and vitamin A in supplement form (rather than from food)—but even standard multivitamins are raising some red flags. If you have any health concerns, be especially careful. For example, many supplements feature high levels of iodine, which can be problematic for people with thyroid or parathyroid issues. Only two supplements have so many positive benefits that I recommend using them every day:
Vitamin D:
Take 2,000 to 3,000 international units (IU) daily. (Note: If blood tests indicate that you’re deficient, under a doctor’s care consider taking one 50,000-IU capsule weekly for six weeks.)
Omega-3 fish oils:
Take 1,000 milligrams (mg) twice a day, one capsule in the morning, one at night.
Table 11.
The Radiate Meal Plan
Table 12.
Smoothie Recipes
Berry Smoothie
1 handful blueberries
1 kiwi
1 slice pineapple
1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk
1 scoop Warrior Blend protein powder or egg white protein
1 tablespoon Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend or olive oil
Protein Shake
1 scoop Warrior Blend protein powder
2 teaspoons plain goat’s-milk
yogurt
½ banana
1 kiwi
7 blueberries or blackberries, or 1 peach, or ½ papaya, or 2 slices pineapple, or ½ pear with the seeds
Warrior Smoothie
½ to 1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup berries
½ banana
1 teaspoon honey
1 scoop Warrior Blend protein powder
1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk (and ice if desired)
Nutty Smoothie
1 cup plain goat’s milk yogurt
½ to 1 cup blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries, or 1 peach, papaya, or pineapple
2 to 3 tablespoons nuts of your choice
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon goji berries
Omega Smoothie
1 handful blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries
1 slice pineapple
1 tablespoon Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend or olive oil
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
Tropical Smoothie
4 kiwi berries
1 whole small organic lemon, peeled
1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk or 1 scoop protein powder with vanilla taste
½ apple or pear
2 slices pineapple
1 tablespoon Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend or olive oil
Kiwi Lemon Smoothie
1 kiwi
7 blueberries or blackberries
1 whole small organic lemon, peeled
2 slices pineapple
4 walnuts
3 almonds
1 tablespoon Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend or olive oil
Almond Chocolate Smoothie
1 scoop chocolate-flavored
protein powder
½ banana
1 kiwi
1 whole small organic lemon, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
1 handful blueberries or blackberries
1 tablespoon organic almond butter
1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk
3 walnuts
Kale Smoothie
1 handful blueberries
5 large kale leaves
½ banana
1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk (and ice if desired)
1 scoop Warrior Blend protein powder
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Table 13.
Additional Breakfast Options
Egg-white omelet made with 2 or 3 eggs cooked in olive oil, with added goat or feta cheese and chopped tomato with thyme, with a side of steamed spinach
1 cup plain goat’s-milk yogurt mixed with ½ to 1 cup fruit (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or pineapple chunks); 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted walnuts or almonds; and 1 tablespoon goji berries
1 cup plain goat’s-milk yogurt mixed with 1 peach or papaya; 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds; and 1 tablespoon goji berries
2 to 3 boiled eggs (eating only the whites) drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and pepper to taste
