Untitled Document

Do You Eat Enough

The problem that first-time callers to Special Foods!™ talk about most frequently is severe weight loss which may cause people to become undernourished or malnourished with associated health consequences. Severe weight loss can cause a general deterioration in health which can then lead to increased sensitivities to foods and may contribute to increasingly severe reactions.

ALL of this can be avoided simply by eating enough! Unfortunately most people have no idea that large quantities of food are required on their diets.

When your diet includes one food as your primary carbohydrate for the day, you must eat five (yes 5!) times the amount of a normal serving each meal. In a typical evening meal carbohydrates are included as milk, bread, 1-2 servings of starchy vegetable, and dessert. You need the equivalent of all of these to get enough carbohydrates.

The following rules will help you avoid serious weight loss (you would need to eat even more in order to gain weight)! They are derived from recommendations developed by the National Research Council (NRC) on optimal amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat in the diet.

If your primary carbohydrate is a fresh vegetable such as potatoes or sweet potatoes, eat 5 pounds during the day. (Weigh before you peel and cook, but do not take gigantic peels.)
If your primary carbohydrate is a dried food such as a flour or beans, eat at least 7/8 pound, i.e., 14 oz (for women) or 1 1/8 pound, i.e., 18 oz. (for men) as dry weight. Fix the flour or seed any way you want, but consume the dry weight in some form by the end of each day.
Fresh vegetables such as green beans, squash, leafy vegetables, even carrots don’t count; they simply do not contain enough calories. Eat one to two pounds of these each day, but do not consider them as primary carbohydrates.
Eat meat in moderation; about 5 ounces per day is generally enough.
If you follow 1-4, you will need oil in your diet unless some of the meat is very fatty, or you use nuts in your diet. In general use 4 tablespoons per day.

Regardless of the type of foods in your diet, whether common or uncommon, in addition to eliminating all problem foods, eating enough of the macronutrients is as important as eating enough vitamins and minerals. Simply getting enough calories, in a proper balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat, is probably the most important thing a person can do to achieve a return to good health and diminished levels of reactions.

"Do you eat enough", continues with:

Nutrition Table | Rotation Diet Sheet