Your body has a natural rhythm — and the food you eat should work with it, not against it. This guide is built around your body's "bio-rhythm": the ideal foods for each time of day, based on how your digestive system actually works.

By following this guide, you'll enjoy more energy, reduced inflammation, less pain, and better overall health.

Food Guide: What to Enjoy & What to Avoid

Fruits (Breakfast · Lunch)

Enjoy: Apples, fresh or frozen berries, cherries

Avoid: All other fruits and fruit juices

Vegetables (Breakfast · Lunch)

Enjoy: All fresh steamed, sautéed, raw, juiced, or roasted vegetables

Avoid: Corn, creamed vegetables, white & red potatoes

Grains (Breakfast · Lunch)

Enjoy: Rice, oats, quinoa, amaranth, tapioca, buckwheat

Avoid: Wheat, spelt, kamut, corn, rye, barley — all gluten-containing products

Fats (Dinner)

Enjoy: Products made from rice, oat, buckwheat, millet, tapioca, arrowroot, amaranth, quinoa

Avoid: Products made from wheat, spelt, kamut, corn, rye, barley — all gluten-containing products

Bread & Cereal (Dinner)

Enjoy: All beans, peas, and lentils unless otherwise indicated

Avoid: Soybeans, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, other soy products

Nuts & Seeds (Dinner)

Enjoy: Almonds, cashews, walnuts; sesame (tahini), sunflower, and pumpkin seeds; butters made from these nuts and seeds (raw is always best)

Avoid: Peanuts, peanut butter, pistachios; any nut roasted with peanut oil

Meat & Fish (Dinner)

Enjoy: Wild-caught salmon, organic chicken, turkey, wild game, lamb, free range eggs, grass-fed beef

Avoid: Beef, pork, cold cuts, frankfurters, sausage, canned meats, shellfish, tuna, freshwater fish

Dairy & Milk Substitutes (Dinner)

Enjoy: Milk substitutes such as rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut and other nut milks, organic butter

Avoid: Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, ice cream

Oils (Anytime)

Enjoy: Cold-expeller pressed olive, flax, sesame, walnut, pumpkin, or almond oil. Organic pressed coconut oil, organic butter

Avoid: Margarine, shortening, seed oils, processed (hydrogenated) oils, mayonnaise, spreads, soybean/canola oil, peanut oil, other vegetable oils

Beverages (Anytime)

Enjoy: Filtered or natural artesian waters, herbal or green tea, coconut water, kambuchha

Avoid: Soda pop or soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, coffee, black tea, other caffeinated beverages

Spices & Condiments (Anytime)

Enjoy: All spices unless otherwise indicated

Avoid: Chocolate, ketchup, mustard, relish, chutney, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, all other condiments and store-bought sauces

Sweets (Anytime)

Enjoy: Stevia and 80%+ dark chocolate

Avoid: White or brown refined sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, candy, desserts made with sweeteners

Serving Size Guide

Use your hands as a built-in measuring tool:

Protein = Palm of your hand
Fruits & Vegetables = Your fist
Healthy Fats = Your thumb
Carbs = Your cupped hand

Lifestyle Change Replacements

Making the switch doesn't have to be hard. Here are simple swaps:

Pasta & Noodles → Rice noodles, brown rice noodles, mushroom noodles, quinoa, spiralized veggies, riced cauliflower, lentil noodles, chickpea noodles

Bread → Gluten-free bread without corn, canola oils, or sugar. Brands: Canyon, Siete (tortillas and wraps), NUCO Coconut Wraps

Cooking Oils → Grape seed oil (485°), coconut oil (400°), EV olive oil (400°), ghee (320°), grass-fed butter (350°)

Dairy Milk → Coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, pea milk, rice milk, macadamia nut milk

Cheese → Homemade with nuts and/or nutritional yeast. Brands: Diya, Follow Your Heart, Kite Hill, Pamela Creamery, Violife

Salad Dressing → Olive oil and seasoning, pesto, avocado, hummus. Brands: Bragg, Primal Kitchen, The New Primal

Snacks → Kale chips, apple chips, veggies with hummus, 80%+ dark chocolate, raw nuts/seeds, nut butter

Sweeteners → Stevia, raw honey (in moderation), maple syrup (in moderation), agave. Brands: Sweet Leaf Stevia

Coffee & Caffeinated Drinks → Caffeine-free tea, herbal tea. Favorites: Dandy Blend, Spring Dragon Tea, OptiB Complete

Steps to Mindful Eating

Think about what you purchase and why. What benefit will you receive from this item?
Eat when you have true physical hunger — not emotional hunger.
Set a place and time to eat. Be away from technology, limit distractions, and eat in a calm environment.
Thoroughly taste your food by taking small bites and chewing slowly.
Eat slowly and allow your mind and body the time to process what it's receiving. This re-establishes natural food cues so you don't overeat.

Emotional vs. Physical Hunger

Understanding the difference empowers you to know whether your body needs food or is trying to self-soothe:

Emotional Hunger

Food-specific cravings
Mental, not physical
Comes with emotional upset
Sudden urge
Absent-minded eating
Never feeling full
Guilt after

Physical Hunger

Not food-specific
Felt in the body
Not impulsive
It's time to eat
Present eating
Can feel full
No regrets

Optional Fasting Guide

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting can be done several days a week or daily. We generally find that fasting from 8pm to noon the next day works well. Set an eating window of 4, 6, or 8 hours.

Getting started: If jumping straight to noon is difficult, push your first meal back by 30 minutes each day until you reach your target window.

Hydration support while fasting:

Add Himalayan pink salt (½–1 tsp per liter of water — slightly salty, not ocean-salty)
Consume ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily
In humid weather or during exercise, increase by 1–2 liters per day

Water Fasting

Water fasting means consuming only water. During your fast, avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other toxins. Gentle daily movement (yoga, walking, meditation) is recommended.

Important: If you have blood sugar issues, hypoglycemia, or diabetes, only fast under professional supervision. Fasting is not recommended for those who are underweight, malnourished, pregnant, or breastfeeding. If you take medications, discuss fasting with your doctor as dosages may need adjustment.

Holistic Eating Guide