The Resveratrol Diet‘
“Eat less and work out”-probably the most unwelcome advice an overweight, sedentary person seeking a weight-loss plan can hear. But what to eat? Michael Pollan, in his recent best-selling book In Defense a Food, puts it succinctly in his eater’s manifesto: “Eat food, not much, mostly plants.”
Most diets, in some manner, come down to reduced calories and increased activity for their “revolutionary” plan to reshape our bodies, melt away excess fat, control hunger, decrease appetite, and improve our health for life. The hook may be high protein, low carbohydrate, daily grapefruit, or improved sex, but the bottom line is always to balance our diet and physical activity-s-eat less and work out-just as we balance our lives.
Basis of the Resveratrol Antioxidants Diet
Our understanding of food has been radically changed by the new sciences of cellular and molecular biology. No longer do we eat just to survive in a hostile environment or as a simple matter of filling our bellies. Food is now recognized as a way to affect our genes and how they function.
Over time, depending on your types of genes and how frequently they are turned on and off, you will either be healthy or in a diseased state.
Micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and plant phytochemical compounds) and macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) all alter gene expression, for better or worse. Too much of the wrong nutrients, and we develop diabetes, hypertension, and heart attacks. Not enough of the right nutrients, and we develop birth defects (from insufficient folic acid), anemia (from iron deficiency) and cancer (from too little vitamin D). Stress, if it doesn’t kill a plant-or a person-can make both healthier and stronger. This is the concept of hormesis in action.
It is why a potentially lethal fungal infection in grapes activates the antifungal resveratrol gene, improving survival. It is also why calorie restriction and exercise (both stressors with similar survival-gene activation) can lead to weight loss, disease suppression, and increased longevity-as reported by nutrition pioneer.
Our Xeno (hormetic) resveratrol Diet focuses on stressed plant compounds (polyphenols) and exercise to activate anti-inflammatory; anticancer, and anti aging genes for a healthier and longerlife. The bad news is that our bodies and genes are getting their daily dose of poisons from environmental toxins, trans fats, excess sugar and salt, and specific deficiencies in our Western diet. The good news is that it is never too late to change. Eating less, eating better, and exercising lead to healthy gene activation that can actually reverse inflammation, block cancer, and enhance the quality and length of life.
Before the cultivation of grains and the domestication of animals, our genes were activated and modified by the food available. This included wild game, foraged fruit, berries, nuts, leaves, roots, flowers, mushrooms, eggs, and honey This so-called Paleolithic, or huntergatherer, diet contrasts starkly with the typical Western diet, with its processed meat from grain-fed animals, drinks and foods high in sugar and fructose, French fries, refined grains, and dairy and meat products contaminated by hormones and pesticides. This also explains why hundreds of millions of people have allergies and intolerance to lactose (from milk) and gluten (from processed grains). Their genes, despite ten thousand years of conditioning, still haven’t adapted to these “new” dietary products .
The diets considered healthiest today are those that most closely resemble the ones that have interacted with our genes over hundreds of thousands of years. The Mediterranean and Asian diets are considered the healthiest. They are high in vegetables, fruits, plants, fish, and poultry, and low in refined grains, sugars, dairy products, red meat, and saturated fats. Olive oil and avocado are the main sources of fat in these diets, and they are healthy, monounsaturated good fats. Water, juices, and moderate amounts of alcohol, primarily red wine, are the drinks of choice.
Hundreds of scientific studies prove that a diet rich in polyphenol-containing foods, vegetables, and fish, like the Mediterranean diet, decreases obesity-related diseases like diabetes and also the risk of dying from all Western diseases.
Polyphenols are the most abundant antioxidants in these diets, and, as we’ve seen, they are associated with decreased cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
Those who attempt to lose weight by calorie restriction alone fail more than 90 percent of the time. We believe that adding greater quantities of high-quality foods is a better model. A pound of vegetables is just as filling as a pound of cake, but the cake is full of bad calories, and the vegetables are full of nutrients. Simply put, eliminate those foods that signal the inflammatory- and cancer-provoking gene activation, and add those foods that are xenohormetically protective.
Given our various lifestyles and energy needs, one diet does not fit all. A construction worker is going to have different needs for carbohydrate, protein, and fat than a sedentary office worker or a young mother. With the Resveratrol Diet, the essential components for a healthy lifestyle can be modified for different energy needs.
The following are the essentials of our balanced weight-loss Resveratrol Diet:
• Subscribe to the 80-20 rule. At least 80 percent of each meal (by weight) should be plant based and no more than 20 percent animal based.
• A list of fruits and vegetables high in xeno-polyphenols is provided in table 10 on page 220 for the 80 percent.
• Protein (the lower on the food chain the better): seaweed-jalgae-« plants-efish-spoultry-srnamrnals. A small piece of fish (not farm raised) is much better than a well-marbled steak. Protein is essential, and fermented soy (tofu, miso, tempeh, tamari), soy protein powders, soy milk, chicken, and other poultry are excellent sources.
• Fat is essential. Good (unsaturated) fats, from fish, fish oil, olive oil, and avocados, are necessary for brain, heart, joint, and immune health. Bad (saturated) fats, from beef, lamb, and pork, for example, should be consumed sparingly My book Fish Oil: The Natural AntiInflammatory, cowritten with Jeffrey Bast, is an excellent resource on the health benefits of the omega-3 essential fats DHA and EPA.
• Eat complex carbohydrates, which break down slowly, have a low glycemic index, and release glucose gradually into the bloodstream. They include most fruits and vegetables; whole grains, breads, and pasta; and legumes such as beans and lentils.
• Avoid simple carbohydrates, which break down rapidly during digestion and have a high glycemic index, such as cornflakes, baked potatoes, white rice, white bread, and sugar-filled items such as candy bars, fructose-laced sodas, and energy drinks.
• Consume 40 to 45 grams a day of fiber from whole grains, leafy greens, beans, lentils, oatmeal, raw vegetables, and fruits.
• Enhance your infection resistance and digestion with lactofermented foods (probiotics from yogurt, milk with lactobacillus) and supplements.
• Avoid “white stuff’; white flour, white bread, white rice, salt, sugar, and cream sauces.
• Drink red wine (no more than two glasses a day for men and one for women), 6 to 8 ounces a day of grape juice, and tea (green or white, two to five cups per day), and eat 70 percent dark chocolate.
How Much and How Often to eat
Some good basic suggestions to be followed with any diet plan;
• Eat when hungry, not famished, and make your last meal at least three hours before bedtime.
• Reduce your plate size from eleven or thirteen inches to nine inches.
• Eat nine handfuls of fruits and vegetables and at least 1 ounce of nuts, whole-grain breads, and high-fiber cereals daily
• Eat fish (preferably not farm raised) such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, tilapia, and flounder at least three times a week.
• Consider taking the following supplements on a daily basis:
1. A high-potency multivitamin or another supplements to get at least 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D; 400 micrograms of folate; 1,200 milligrams of calcium; 400 milligrams of magnesium; 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C; 400 milligrams of vitamin E; and the daily value of other minerals and B vitamins,
2. One baby aspirin daily after age forty.
3. Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) containing at least 1 to 2 grams of EPA/DHA per day for those over thirty.
4. Coenzyme QIO: 100 milligrams per day in a nanoparticle-sized product for highest absorption, especially if you’re taking statin drugs,
5. Turmeric: 500 milligrams per day An excellent anti-inflammatory and anticancer agent from the curcumin plant.
6. Probiotics. 5-10 billlion colonies per capsule per day containing L. acidopbilus and bifidobacteria
Boost Your Polyphenol Intake
As previously mentioned, polyphenols are key constituents of foods responsible for many health benefits, including reducing disease risk, controlling inflammation, and promoting healthy aging. The first step that you can take to living the xeno way is to focus on incorporating high-polyphenol foods into your daily diet. Take polyphenol rich foods that should appear regularly on your shopping list. By simply ensuring that at least one of these foods is a part of every meal and snack that you eat, you’ll start boosting your polyphenol intake and shifting your diet in the right direction.
DIET MENU
In general, the menus will help maximize your polyphenol intake and ensure adequate nutrient intake while limiting the fats, toxins, and chemicals consumed. This diet plan is also heart healthy, appropriate for blood glucose control, anti-inflammatory, and oriented toward weight management, hunger management, and overall health.
DAY 1
Breakfast
1/2 whole wheat bagel topped with 2 tablespoons light yogurt
1/2cup raspberries
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
6 ounces decaffeinated green tea with 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Lunch
Salmon Salad 4 ounces baked or grilled salmon 2 cups romaine lettuce
1/, sliced cucumber
1/. tomato
‘/, yellow onion liz cup celery
‘/4 cup almond slivers
Homemade Dressing
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Season to taste with fresh herbs and/or natural seasonings.
Water
Snack
3 pieces celery filled with 1 tablespoon all-natural, sugar-free peanut butter
Water
Dinner
5 ounces baked boneless, skinless chicken breast marinated and cooked in light dressing (consider homemade dressing recipe from lunch)
1/2 cup brown rice with 1 teaspoon light olive oil spread
1 cup steamed asparagus drizzled with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons lemon juice; seasoned to taste Water
Dessert
Strawbrosia Parfait
Water
DAY 2
Breakfast
Banana BerryJumble
1 piece whole wheat toast with 1 teaspoon preserves
6 ounces green tea with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Lunch
Bean Burrito
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped tomato
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons low-fat shredded soy cheese
Wrap in an 8-inch organic whole wheat tortilla.
1 cup soy yogurt 3/4 cup blueberries
Water
Dinner
4 ounces lean roast beef cooked with garlic, pepper, and natural spices
1/2 organic red potato, brushed with olive oil, parsley; and garlic, and baked
5 baby carrots, cooked Water
Red wine (1-2 glasses)
Dessert 12 cherries
2 pieces dark chocolate 1 cup soy milk
DAY 3
Breakfast
Black and Blue Berry Smoothie
2 slices toast topped with 2 tablespoons all-natural, sugar-free peanut butter
8 ounces green tea
Lunch
Colorful Edamame Salad – 2 small plums
10 whole wheat crackers 1 cup soy yogurt Water
Dinner
4 ounces grilled whitefish with lemon juice and 1 teaspoon olive oil; season to taste
1 cup steamed broccoli with 1 tablespoon low-fat shredded
cheese
3/4 cup quinoa or brown rice topped with light olive oil spread Water
Snack
1 tomato
3 slices fresh mozzarella cheese Basil seasoning
Water
Day4
Breakfast
Broccoli Frittata
6 ounces green tea with 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Lunch
Grilled CbickenWrap
5 oz grilled, skinless chicken liz chopped onion and tomato
1 tablespoon low-fat shredded cheese 1 teaspoon brown all-natural mustard
Wrap in an 8-inch organic whole wheat tortilla.
1 cup fat-free soy milk Water
Snack
% cup peanuts 4 baby carrots Water
Dinner
Black Bean, Pasta, and Artichoke Heart Medley
Tossed salad with oil and vinegar
1 slice whole wheat bread topped with garlic and 1 teaspoon olive oil
Water
Dessert
Spicy Apple-filled Squash
Day 5
Breakfast
1 cup puffed rice cereal with 1/2 cup fat-free soy milk, and 1 sliced banana
6 ounces green tea with 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Water
Lunch
Apple Tuna Sandwich (see recipe, page 242) 1 cup light yogurt
1 pear
The Four-Step Xeno Longevity/Weight-Loss Program 229
Snack
6 rice bran crackers
2 slices low-fat cheese (preferably soy cheese) Water
Dinner
Chicken Broccoli Stir-fry
Water
Dessert
Watermelon Blueberry Banana Split (see recipe, page 266) 1 cup green tea
Day 6
Breakfast
1 orange
2 plain rice cakes topped with 2 tablespoons all-natural, sugarfree almond butter
1 cup green tea
Water
Lunch
Stuffed Eggplant (see recipe, page 248) Fruit Salad (see recipe, page 254) Water
Snack
2 dark chocolate-covered coffee beans P/4 cups strawberries
Water
Dinner
Lettuce Tacos
3 iceberg lettuce wedges (use as taco shells)
FILLING
I/3 lb lean ground turkey with all-natural seasonings
4 tablespoons homemade salsa (tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic)
2 tablespoons low-fat shredded soy cheese lh avocado
Dessert
Berry Blast Smoothie
Day 7
Breakfast
1 cup oatmeal 17 grapes
1 cup green tea
Lunch
Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Salad with Roasted Pepper Dressing
1 slice whole wheat bread
Water
Snack
1 kiwifruit
1 small granola bar
Dinner
6 ounces fish (salmon, whitefish, or flounder) cooked with 1 teaspoon olive oil, garlic, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice, seasoned to taste
1 cup broccoli topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat shredded cheese, melted
1/2 cup cooked couscous with 1 teaspoon olive oil spread 1 cup fat-free soy milk
Water
Snack
20 organic blue corn tortilla chips
Tomatillo Salsa
Water
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