We’ve covered a lot of ground. You
may be asking yourself: What should I
eat?
The Perfect Health Diet prescription
is:
• About 600 carbohydrate calories
per day from about 1 pound of
“safe starches” such as sweet
potatoes, yams, taro, white rice,
sago, tapioca, and potatoes and 1
pound of fruits, berries, and
sugary vegetables such as beets
and carrots.
• About 300 protein calories per
day from 3/4 pound of meat, fish,
and eggs.
• Some factors influencing carb
and protein intake:
• Athletes should eat extra carbs as
needed to accommodate their
training; they may also benefit
from extra protein.
• Eating slightly lower amounts of
protein may extend longevity.
• Omega-6 fatty acids should be
limited to less than 4 percent of
calories. To get down to this
level, do not eat any vegetable
seed oils; do eat low-omega-6
oils such as butter and coconut
oil and low-omega-6 meats such
as beef, lamb, fish, and shellfish.
• Long-chain omega-3 fats from
cold-water fish such as salmon,
sardines, and anchovies should
be eaten to balance tissue
omega-6s. Up to a pound of oily
fish per week is likely to be
healthful.
• Saturated and monounsaturated
fats are the safest calorie source
—indeed the only calorie source
that is nontoxic in very high
doses—and should provide the
bulk of calories. Fish, shellfish,
beef, lamb, and dairy fats such as
butter and cream are the best
animal sources; coconut milk and
coconut oil are great plant
sources.
• Two tablespoons of coconut oil
(6 tablespoons of coconut milk)
per day will provide short-chain
fats to protect the health of the
gut, liver, nerves, brain, and
cardiovascular system.
• More short-chain fats are
generated in the gut by eating
fiber. Fiber should be obtained
from “Paleo” foods: the safe
starches, fruits and berries, and
vegetables to taste. These are the
fiber sources that generate the
healthiest portfolio of gut
bacteria and the most abundant
colonic production of beneficial
short-chain fats.
