The Captains Lady

The 1200 Calorie Menu

 

 

 

 

'Psyche Entering Cupid's Garden' by John William Waterhouse.

 

 

 

 

When following "Eating, Naturally!" you will not only balance your pH levels, but you will loose weight naturally, without ever counting calories or food exchanges. However, when you have more than 20-25 pounds to lose, following a caloric menu plan has its benefits. You'll have the opportunity to learn proper food exchange measurements. You will discover, rather quickly, what works for you and what doesn't. And, keeping track of your energy wellness plan will help you to recognize your successes!

 

To discover your perfect weight-loss calorie level and plan, please refer to 'On Losing Weight!'.

 

 

 

"Eating, Naturally!" That's The Plan!

 

You would not be reading this if you didn't know there needed to be some changes about the way you feel. You and I both know that if changes are not made, we will continue to feel the same way next week, next month and next year. In fact, we will probably feel worse.

While "Eating, Naturally!" there is focus is on pH balancing and eliminating most acidic foods from your diet, yet you may also choose to continue to eat foods that are comforting and familiar to you as well. You'll be able to manage your weight, become healthier and more energetic, and look great by eating foods that work for you!

 

 

The "Eating, Naturally!" 1200 Calorie Daily Food Exchanges!

 

 

3 Fruit (frozen with no sugar added or fresh squeezed).

 

One should be citrus, unless you have a high pH acid level, in which case, balance your pH a little before ingesting too much citrus. Citrus is acidic and is usually OK to eat anyway because of the reaction it causes in the body, which produces more of an alkaline state, but too much citrus may still have a negative effect if ingested too much. Use other juices. If you are not thrilled about eating the recommended serving amount for your caloric needs, make juice from combining your fresh fruit and vegetables. Keep in mind that adding too much fiber to the diet can upset the sensitive stomach (See Vegetables, below). some fruits and veggies are higher in fiber than others. It's better to stick to the lower end of fiber intake at first.

 

 

3 Veggies (1 should be leafy greens)

 

If you have Irritable Bowel, start out with cooked veggies first until your system has had a chance to adapt to an increase in vegetables. Steam your veggies or make soups or juices of them. Drink the broth. You'll lose some of the fiber and enzymes, but you still get nutrients. One leafy green salad with only 1-2 other veggies on top is enough to get you started on raw vegetables. You can add egg or meat to your salad. If you have uncomfortable symptoms, cut back to all cooked veggies and start again with a small salad the following week. This isn't a race!

 

 

5 Grains (1 should be whole grain)

 

At least one of your breads and cereals should be whole grain for added fiber. If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, make changes slowly. Adding too much fiber right away, with either whole grains or raw vegetables, can do more harm than good. In fact, grains are compose of double molecules and chain molecules and are very hard to digest. You might consider leaving grains alone entirely as they are most often the cause of stomach problems. This will also help balance your pH levels, as grains are very acidic. If this is too daunting a task, try to switch away from using or eating anything that has been made with enriched white flour (white rice, white bread, etc.). If you decide to eliminate grain from your diet, substitute more friuts and vegetables in their place to get your calories and fiber in. I call this manner of eating 'The Going Against the Grain Diet'.

 

 

6 Proteins (6 ounces of fish, not 6 fish!)

 

Limit lean red meat, turkey and chicken breast (organic, free range, skinless) to only twice per week of each. Eat more fish, but limit or eliminate shell fish (shrimp, etc.). They are high in toxins. Good sources of protein are sprouted beans (once beans are cooked they become carbohydrates), Beet leaf, Coconut, Cottage cheese, Eggs, top quality lean lunch meats, nuts, Scallops, Tempeh, Wild rice (cooked, but not boiled), Feta cheese made from sheep or goat milk.

 

While "Eating, Naturally!" red meat, fowl (and dairy from meat sources) can be eaten as long as they are organic and/or range fed. That is rather extreme to start with for most, but it is important in order to get the most from our meats. 

Proteins may also include combinations of foods (more on this further down the page), protein drinks and high protein green drinks in addition to your complete proteins (meat, dairy and some grains).

 

All proteins are not the same! The amount of calories you derive from protein depends entirely on it's source. There are low-fat (tuna), medium-fat (regular cottage cheese) and high-fat (some cuts of pork) proteins. While losing weight, it is important to limit protein choices to lean and low-fat exchanges, otherwise you will be going above your weight-loss caloric level.

 

 

2 Milk (or no milk and substitute 2 proteins)

Try Goat or Rice Milk. Limit Cow and Soy Milk. In fact, you could exchange these two for Protein exchanges instead. If you do use Cow milk, use whole or 2%, not 1% or non-fat (skim). If so, make sure you eat high calcium vegetables. In choosing yogurt, make sure it is whole and plain (no nonfat or sugar free).

 

 

1 'Real' Fat

A little saturated fat is OK. Use real butter (within limits), not margarine. I don't advise Peanut Butter. It is too acidic and contains carcinogens. Use almond butter instead. Olive oil is wonderful. Coconut oil is good for those with Irritable Bowel and it doesn't lose its value when cooking with it. I personally do not like the taste of Coconut in my food, so be sure you buy the right kind of Coconut Oil for cooking!

 

 

1-2 Free Foods

Any condiments up to 25 calories each. Most condiments are high in acid. While we need some acidic foods, this is not the food group to load up with.

 

 

 

 

The "Eating, Naturally!" 1200 Calorie Sample Menu Plan!

 

If you are following the 'The Going Against The Grain Diet', make sure to use the food choices highlighted in Blue.

 

 

Breakfast

 

2 Proteins - 2 soft boiled eggs

1 Fruit - 1 1/4 cup of strawberries

1 Grain - 1 slice of whole grain toast (or a fruit)

1 Milk - 8 ounces of Almond milk in your latte!

 

 

Snack

 

1 Grain - 1/2 bagel (or 1 cup of snack veggies)

1 Protein - 1 ounce of cheddar cheese

Free Beverage - 1 cup of Herbal Tea

 

 

Lunch

 

A Large Salad

 

1 Protein - 1/4 cup aged cheese

1 Grain - 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (or 1 fruit)

1 Vegetable - 2 cups of chopped veggies on a bed of lettuce

1 Fat - Low Calorie Salad Dressing - 45 calories or less. (or seasoned olive oil or Avocado puree)

 

25 Calories or less are considered a free item, which you can have twice per day.

 

 

Snack

 

1 Fruit - 1 small apple

1 Milk - Yogurt - 90 calorie/Plain or 1 Cup Almond milk

 

Recipe Tip! Add a package of Stevia (a real natural sweetener) and real vanilla to your yogurt. You can also chop up your apple, place it in your yogurt and add a little cinnamon! Peaches taste great too!

 

Note! I have read that Stevia has steroid properties. It is undetermined at this point in time as to whether normal usage represents any danger.

 

 

Dinner

 

2 Proteins  - 2 oz of salmon

2 Grains - 1/3 cup cooked rice (or 1 vegetable and 1 fruit)

2 Vegetables - 1 cup cooked broccoli and 1 cup cooked carrots

 

 

Snack

 

1 Fruit - 1 small banana

 

If you used a 'freebie' for salad dressing earlier, instead of a fat, you can have your fat here! Have 1 1/2 teaspoons of almond butter with your banana. Yum!!!

 

 

Energy Wellness Tip! If you have problems with your blood sugar dropping at night, save a Meat, Milk or Fat to have with whatever else you have for a snack. This will keep your blood sugar level stabilized as you sleep and you will sleep deeper without waking as much!

 

 

Note! Most individuals use the 1200 Calorie Menu Plan for weight loss. However, this is not always the rule, especially if you have more than 50 to 100 pounds or more to lose. You will need to start a higher calorie level and work down to the 1200 Calorie Menu, otherwise you will be starving and won't be eating enough to lose! To determine your caloric needs, visit 'On Losing Weight!'.

 

 

 

 

Are You A Vegetarian, or Considering a Vegetarian Diet?

Follow the same guidelines as above, however you may omit eating meat, fowl (all bird life) and dairy. The vegetarian diet is particularly useful in ridding the body of toxins (and acids). You will be substituting a combination of vegetables and grains in the place of meat (including all bird life) and dairy. You may want to try this plan for a few weeks and then as your acid levels decrease, return to eating grass fed and organic meats and dairy products. 

 

If you think you might decide to eat this way on a permanent basis, I suggest making the change a gradual one, so that you have a chance to introduce yourself to new foods and allow your body to become accustomed to the changes you are making.

Highly Sensitive Women do not fair well with extreme changes, or less than optimal amounts of protein. You will have to learn to combine your foods so that you do not lack in protein at all. For this reason, it may take longer to adjust. You will need to eat more food, more often.

 

 

Vegetables and Grains

Fresh vegetables carry a certain amount of protein. However, they are not considered complete proteins and must be eaten in combinations (see below) in order for you to receive all of the proteins you need in one meal. If you are vegetarian it can be difficult to follow 'The Going Against the Grain Diet', if not impossible. Still, there are some grains that are better than others. Whole grains are much better for you. Instead of white bread, have a whole grain bread. Instead of white rice, have wild. Instead of white pastas, use whole grain pastas. Instead of frosted corn flakes, have museli topped with your own fruit. Instead of Kraft Mac & Cheese, make your own made from real cheddar and wholegrain noodles. In other words, stay away from the white, sugary and canned (or packaged) grains.

 

Soy Beans and Foods Derived from Soy

As I have stated elsewhere, there is some controversy over the use of Soy products due to the way some soy is processed, the fact that it is very high fat (40%) and because of it's effects on hormones. The only positive about soy is that is contains a high amount of protein. Soy is acceptable for use on either plan, unless you have cancer, or history of cancer in the family, or estrogen dominance.

 

 Food Combining for Complete Proteins 

 

Some Highly Sensitive Women find it helpful, especially those who stomachs are upset easily, or are already highly acidic, to follow a bit of food combining strategy.

Protein in the gut putrefies. Fruits ferment. This causes the body to become acidic. So, in order to aid digestion and prevent acids from building up, the following food combining rules are helpful:

 

Combine animal protein and dairy with only fresh fruit, leafy greens and vegetables (non-starchy only). Do not combine with nuts, oils or starchy foods (potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, pastas, cereals, cornstarch, breads, pies and cakes).

 

Combine grain and vegetable proteins (cereal, breads, beans, lentils, nuts, oils and peas) with fresh veggies and fruits. Grains (rice, for example) and beans, or grains and peas, make excellent protein combinations for complete protein meals.

 

Eating this way can help some of you to ease digestive upsets!

 

 

Tips for Eating for Energy Wellness!

 

When it comes to eating, we like convenience, don't we! We also stumble and fall on our diets when we don't know what choices are available to us that taste good! There's nothing worse than bland, tasteless, unsatisfying food. Want a little more Styrofoam with your cardboard? I think not. So here are some ideas!

 

Tip #1 - When you go to the store and buy fruit and veggies, make sure you buy only what you will eat over the next 2-3 days or it will probably go bad anyway.

 

Tip #2 - Wash all your veggies and fruits at the same time. Make a large salad and put it in the fridge so it is ready when you are.

 

Tips #3 - When your veggies look good but you know they won't last through tomorrow, make a vegetable soup! Toss it all in a pot and then divide it in servings and freeze it. Save the left over broth and drink it as a 'tea' whenever.

 

Tip #4 - The fruits are on the counter and starting to get a little too ripe? Puree them, add a little water and ice and drink!

 

Tip #5 - Salad dressing. Learn to make your own oil and vinegar dressings or your own 'thousand island' from organic tomato paste, plain yogurt and herbs.

 

Tip #6 - Invest in a 'healthy' vegetarian cookbook!

 

Tip #7 - Purchase a mixer or juicer. Tip #8 - Make your own grain breads. Visit a health store and buy some 'healthy' flour. Experiment making your own bran muffins, granola and cereals. The Food Network offers 'healthy' recipes from Paula Dean and others! Just visit www.foodnetwork.com.

 

Tip # 8 - Purchase nuts in their shells. Once they are de-shelled, put them in a container to keep them fresh in the fridge.

 

Tip #9 - Start adding sea veggies to your other vegetables. Sprinkle some dried seaweed on your salads and stir-fry. 

 

Tip #10 - Do not fry anything, except stir-fry dishes. Bake, broil, crock, steam or grill instead.

 

Tip # 11 - Very hot spices and condiments cause inflammation in the gut. Stop using these, or at least cut back greatly.

 

Tip # 12 - Save that left over broth to saute with! Or, use apple juice.

 

Tip # 13 - Cook your potatoes with the skins on and remove later if you don't wish to eat the skin. The skin holds in nutrients, especially when boiling for potato salad and such.

 

 

 

OK...Now for those food substitutes!

 

Beverages - Distilled, Mineral or Alkaline water, fresh fruit or vegetable juice (no added sugar, herbal teas.

 

Breads - Sprouted or Spelt bagel, homemade breads from acceptable ingredients.

 

Butter - A bit of real Butter or Soy butter or Olive oil.

 

Candy - Made only with natural sugars, no refined. (No white, light brown, Karo syrup, Corn syrup, etc.).

 

Cereals & Grains - Bran or Wheat germ, Buckwheat, Oats, Barley, Brown, Black or Wild Rice. When it comes to grains, you want to make sure they have not been refined or changed in any way. This goes for your flour as well.

 

Cheese - Goat, Soy or Nut cheeses. In general, cheese that has aged over 30 days is fine. No processed cheeses, such as processed cheese food substitutes (slices), string cheese or cottage cheese.

 

Cottage Cheese - Use crumbled Tofu or drained plain yogurt instead. You can drain yogurt by placing it in cheese cloth and allowing all the liquid to leak out of it. It takes a few hours. this is great for those who have stomach problems.

 

Fats - Olive oil, flax oil (but not seeds), nut butters (almond is great), butter.

 

Grains - Basmati rice, Buckwheat, Millet, Kamut, Amaranth, Brown rice. You may want to eliminate grains if you have stomach problems. (See 'Cereals & Grains' and 'Breads')

 

Hot dogs - Meatless hot dogs or turkey dogs. (Look for 'no nitrates' on the label.)

 

Ice cream - Only real ice cream or home-made ice cream.

 

Jellies and Jams - Homemade with only fresh fruit and very little sugar, preferably dark sugars (sparingly).

 

Mashed potatoes (are acceptable) - For a change, mashed cauliflower.

 

Meat/Protein - Vegetable proteins (Beans, Tempeh, Tofu, Oats and Rye), fresh water and ocean fish, poultry (white meat), liver, nuts, Almonds (1 ounce or 24 almonds equals 1 protein and 1 fat). Whey protein powder and Spirulina can cause stomach upset in sensitive individuals. They can be hard to digest. Flaxseeds, ground, but only if you have no stomach problems).

 

Milk - Almond milk (most easily digested of all milks), Rice milk, Soy milk, Buttermilk or Goats milk, raw milk, Homogenized milk (not pasteurized), real Cream, unsweetened plain yogurt. If you have cancer, have cancer potential, or have digestive problems, limit dairy to Almond milk, aged cheese and eggs.

 

Nuts and Seeds - Nuts (Brazil, Cashew, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Filberts are all low acid nuts), Almonds (are alkaline), Flaxseeds, ground, but only if you have no stomach problems. Sesame seeds and Fennel seeds.

 

Oils - Cold-pressed Olive oil, sesame oil, flaxseed and almond oil. (See 'Fats' and 'Butter')

 

Pasta - Vegetable pastas (spinach, spelt, etc.) and whole grain pastas.

 

Salad dressings - Pureed Avocado, cubed fruit, olive oil, lemon or lime juice.

 

Shortening -Vegetable shortening. 

 

Soy Sauce - Use only MSG free soy sauce. Bragg Liquid Aminos (sold at health food stores). Don't use either if you have stomach problems.

 

Smoked meat - Smoked Tofu is OK as long as you have no stomach problems or cancer issues.

 

Snack chips, etc. - Rice Cakes, Sprouted Tortilla Chips, Baked Veggie Chips, Yeast free crackers. None of this sits well with those with digestive problems.

 

Sugar - Stevia, Dark brown, raw sugars such as Turbinado, Honey (alkaline, but use only sparingly), Dried fruit (great in hot cereal!), Molasses (raw, non-sulfur) and Agave Sweetener. Sugar aggravates IBS and feeds Candida.

 

White sauce - Pureed White beans.

 

Yogurt - Organic or Soy (no soy if you have cancer or digestive problems).

 

 

Return to "Eating, Naturally!" for more information!

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