Transition Steps From a Low to High Energy Diet

The basis of the transition I recommend in my book and overall philosophy is a gradual switch from a refined, processed, high meat-based diet to a more natural, live, and plant-based diet. To help make the transition, I have created categories of substitutions and replacements to serve as guideposts that will help you make choices on which foods to decrease, substitute, eliminate, and add during your transition…

When making your daily food choices it is sensible to think holistically and consider how far the food is from its natural state—raw, organic, cooked, processed, the digestive qualities, the enzyme potential, nutrient density and ultimately whether the food is functional or dysfunctional.

Transitioning to Functional Whole Foods

When starting and continuing your transition, it is important that you always think of the foods you eat and the beverages you drink in terms of their energy value. In our fast paced lives, we are often placed into a variety of situations that require us to negotiate and accommodate our choices based on what is available at the time. Planning ahead is not always possible.

It is important not to get frustrated or feel overly guilty if you eat or drink something you know is not in the good energy category. Those emotions can cause as much damage as the choices you are worrying about. Just the fact that you are aware of what you are putting into your body and how it affects you should empower you to believe that you can and will balance and adjust to any missteps in the future. There is no failure here.

The energy analysis breakdown below separates foods into various energy categories:

Negative Energy Foods

I. Highly Refined Foods — to be avoided whenever possible:

Highly refined, processed, dead foods whose nutrients have been stripped through processing

Any foods with artificial additives and preservatives
Meats grown with hormones and chemicals
Any dairy foods from animals raised on hormones and chemicals, or pasteurized
Most canned foods
Refined oils, especially hydrogenated oils
Table salt
Refined white or brown sugar
Refined flours (white/unbleached flour)
Refined grains, such as white rice

Low Energy Foods

II. Cooked or Slightly Processed Foods — limit consumption:

This group includes non-organic foods (except organic meat & dairy) that start off nutritionally sound but lose nutritional value through cooking or processing

Baked chips
Bottled, un-pasteurized juice (orange, apple, grape, pineapple, mango, papaya, etc.)
All non-organic Wine
Wheat and potatoes (specifically for those losing weight)
Whole grain, non-organic cooked foods
Non-organic cooked vegetables and fruits
Non-organic frozen produce
Non-organic spices and herbs
Condiments that are heated, high in sodium and even MSG: Braggs Liquid Aminos and generic soy sauce
Non-organic dairy substitutes from soy, rice or nuts
Non-organic vegetable and fruit juices
Powdered and non-irradiated egg replacers, baking soda, baking powder
Non-organic whole grain flours and grain products
Free range, nitrite & nitrate free, and/or organic meats & dairy (focusing mainly on yogurt & feta cheese

Moderate Energy Foods

III. Organic and/or sprouted, cooked whole foods — eat moderate amount:

These foods are all good energy choices, but are not the purest form of good energy.

Whole grain organic flours and grain products – specifically gluten-free grains
Sprouted Breads
Organic baked chips and tortillas
Organic, sprouted, cooked whole grains (especially brown rice and quinoa)
Organic, soaked beans that are cooked
Organic, raw, soaked nuts and seeds, cooked
Jarred organic nut butters
Natural raw condiments including Nama Shoyu, Coconut Aminos (Coconut Secret)
Organic whole foods and sauces bottled in jars
Organic lead-free canned foods
Organic sweeteners – raw honey, raw agave, raw yacon syrup, raw maple syrup
Organic dairy substitutes made from coconut, nut and rice
Organic dried fruits
Organic sprouted tofu (Wildwood)
Organic, cold-pressed, grapeseed, macadamia nut and olive oil
Fish, organic and/or wild
Organic/free range eggs
Organic goat products (un-pasteurized if possible): milk, yogurt and cheese. (Goat milk is much easier for the body to digest than cow’s milk because its mineral ratios are very similar to those in the human body)
Raw cow’s milk and yogurt

High Energy Foods

IV. Organic, sprouted or dried foods in their raw state — eat freely:

These foods are great when added to your own home-processed foods:

Sprouted, organic raw dips, spreads and sauces
Organic, cold-pressed flaxseed, hempseed and coconut oil (raw/uncooked)
Organic, raw, sprouted dried/dehydrated breads, crackers and cookies
Fresh, organic vegetable and fruit juices
Fresh, organic sprouted beans, grains, nuts and seeds
Organic spices and herbs, dried under 110 degrees temperature
Sea vegetables
Fresh, organic fruits and vegetables
Tempeh
Miso
Kombuca
Young Thai Coconuts – the coconut water is amazing for digestion
Organic and raw Green superfood blends, such as wheat grass and spirulina

The substitutions and replacements can be made in increments. Keep in mind that it takes 21 days to adapt to a new change mentally and internally so don’t expect to change in one week. Focus on a few changes at a time and give them a few weeks to create a blueprint in your brain and cravings! Each change will all add up to a healthier, energetic and more balanced lifestyle.

Every person has a different time-line for transition based on the degree of imbalance, so patience is essential. There is not a one-size-fits-all timetable for your transition. The results depend on your own will, passion, and unique lifestyle.

What I want you to understand is that your body took years upon years to reach its current state so you must be patient and always remember that these changes you are making are not just for a temporary period to prepare you for a night out. These changes are for a lifetime. The rate of change depends on what point you are starting from and how committed and consistent you are. Truly, I believe it depends on your passion. Passion is what drives us forward in all of our lives.

Today we discussed the energy categories of food and tomorrow we will discuss beverages!