This food plan is designed to assist your body in its ability to create and maintain “balanced body chemistry.”  Dr. Melvin Page’s food plan is not only extremely helpful but in many cases essential to control blood sugar and hormone imbalances and balance all types of imbalanced body biochemistry.  At the famous Page Clinic in Florida, blood chemistry panels were done every three to four days on all patients.  Dr. Page based his food plan from the research of Drs. Price and Pottenger, who showed the relationship of food choices to health, both physical and emotional.  The plan was proven true when blood chemistry panels of thousands of patients normalized without any other intervention.  Many of today’s popular diets are based on Dr. Page’s work.  Dr. Page emphasized removing absolutely all refined carbohydrates (such as sugar and processed flour) and cow’s milk from the diet.  On the food list sheet attached, notice the percentage of carbohydrates is indicated.  Dr. Page felt that it was not only important to eat quality proteins and fats, but quality carbohydrates as well.

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The longer you are on this program and the more closely you follow it, the easier it will be to stick to it.  This will result in your feeling and looking so much better than you did on your old way of eating.  As you become healthier, your cravings for those foods that are not the best choices for you will diminish.  Old habits are hard to break, so take your time to change your diet habits so you don’t slip into your old way of eating.  If you are an established patient and this happens, nutritional supplements may be needed to assist you to get back on track by reducing cravings, etc.

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Foods to Eat and Not Eat

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Proteins: Eat small amounts of proteins frequently. It is best if you have some protein at each meal.  It need not be a large amount at any one time.  In fact, it is best if you eat smaller amounts (< 3-4 ounces of meat, fish, foul, or eggs at a time).  Both animal and vegetarian sources of protein are beneficial.  Choose a variety of meat products and try to find the healthiest options available, i.e. free range and organic, whenever possible.  There is concern about pork because of its similarity to humans and an inability of pigs to sweat that result in an accumulation of toxins that is independent of their diet.  About 70% of the chickens grown for meat in the U.S. are fed roxarsone, which contains arsenic.  Some of the arsenic is retained in the chicken meat you eat.  Organic chicken should be free of arsenic additive.  Beef and lamb should be grass-fed and organic – grass provides healthier fat than the grain fed meat (no risk of “mad-cow” either).  One source showed that grass-fed beef contains more omega-3 fats that many types of fish!  For most people, eggs are a high quality source of protein.  Eat the whole egg; the lecithin and other nutrients in the yolk are essential to lower blood fat and improve liver and brain function.  With any protein, the way in which you prepare it is critical. For beef, lamb, and fish, the closer to raw or rare the better it is for you.  Avoid frying.  Grilled, broiled, steamed, soft boiled, or poached is best.

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Vegetables: Eat more, more, more! While almost everybody can eat more vegetables, it is especially important. Eat a variety vegetables as outlined in the chart you received, although make the green leafy type your preference.  This includes spinach, chard, beet greens, kale, broccoli, mustard greens, etc.  Sorry, chocolate is not a vegetable.

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As above, the quality of your produce (fresh and organic preferred), and the method of preparation is important.  The vegetables should be the vegetables that are in season.  Raw is preferred with lightly steamed or sautéed as your second choice for the all vegetables. Get your children to have vegetables with a dip if necessary.  The goodness in the vegetable outweighs most of the negatives of the dip.

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Sauté only in butter or olive oil.  Use lettuces with a rich green color, sprouts and raw nuts for salads. Iceberg lettuce is one of the least nutritious types.  Don’t make salads your only choice for vegetables. Substitute nuts for croutons.

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While vegetable juice does sound healthy, the act of chewing is important.  Chewing activates the part of your brain that controls your appetite and prepares your GI tract for digestion. Wheat grass and the “green food” products should also be mentioned. For many people who are depleted in nutrients, these seem to provide a lift. But large amounts of green foods can be irritating to your colon and should be used sparingly as well. Remember that man is not designed to be a grass eater. Trying to outsmart the maker with “super foods” may not only be ignorant but arrogant as well.

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Fruits: In addition to the advantages with chewing your food, there is an even more important reason not to drink fruit juice. Fruit juice is loaded with the simple sugar, fructose, which is shunted into forming triglycerides and ultimately stored as fat. Without the fiber in the fruit, juice sends a rapid burst of fructose into the blood stream. When you do eat fruit, only eat one type of fruit at a time on an empty stomach; second, avoid sweet fruits (like very ripe bananas and the tropical fruits on the food Phase 2 list available at the office); and third, eat only fresh and organic when possible.  Wild berries are a good choice for fruit intake.

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Carbohydrates: This is a very tricky area. Most people classify carbohydrates as either complex or simple/processed. Unfortunately, for most patients suffering with imbalance problems almost any carbohydrate is a problematic.  It is a physiological fact that the more carbohydrates you eat the more you will want.  Craving carbohydrates is a symptom of an imbalance; use this craving to monitor your progress.  Overall, eat vegetables as your carbohydrate choice and limit grains (even the whole grains can be trouble).  When you do eat whole grains, only have in moderation and only at dinner.  If you start the day with carbohydrates, you are more likely to crave them throughout the day, and then you’ll eat more and it’s down hill from there.  Absolutely stay away from breads (100% rye only bread is the least of the evils), muffins, cookies, candies, crackers, pastas, white rice and most baked goods.

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Carbohydrate intake, like excess calorie intake from any source, stimulates insulin release, which is directly connected to fat gain, insulin resistance and diabetes, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, and cancer.  Some background – Beta cells in your pancreas produce insulin.  Although we tend to focus on insulin’s role in lowering blood glucose, insulin’s fundamental purpose is to store energy at times of excess.  In other words, insulin is released when the supply of food is greater than the need, and then insulin acts to store the extra calories as fat, etc. for potential use later.  It is actually an excellent adaptation when the food supply is inconsistent.  However, we are fortunate to have more than enough calories available, but we consistently eat far more than we need.  As a result of excess intake, Nature following its laws, releases insulin and stores the energy (mostly as fat).

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Studies indicate that some of the dietary factors promoting insulin resistance, weight gain, and diabetes include refined carbohydrates such as sugar, products made with white flour, white rice, etc., cooked animal fats, trans-fatty acids, cow diary products, and caffeine.  Ways to improve insulin sensitivity in general include exercise and a low calorie diet that is also low in refined/processed simple carbohydrates and rich in vegetables.   This is the basis for classifying the carbohydrate content of vegetables, etc.

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Grains: There has been a tremendous amount of debate regarding grains.  Whole unprocessed grains can be rich sources of vitamins and minerals, but with soil depletion and the special strains of grain that modern agriculture has developed, it isn’t clear what nutrients remain.  When scholars study disease patterns and the decline of various civilizations, many of the degenerative diseases developed when cultivation of grains became part of their culture.  Allergic reactions, chemicals naturally found in certain grains, lack of the appropriate enzymes, and the carbohydrate content of grains make them a source of trouble for many individuals.  My opinion at this time is to minimize grains such as wheat and barley.  Unprocessed rye, rolled oats and brown rice can be considered on occasion to give you more variety.  Some of the Danish and German brown breads like pumpernickel seem to be nutritious.  Sprouting or soaking grain in water overnight seems to alter its character to a more valuable and probably safer nutrient.

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Sweeteners: Use only a small amount of raw Tupelo or Makuna honey or Stevia as sweetener. Absolutely no Nutra-Sweet, corn syrup, high fructose syrups, or table sugar.  Although Dr. Page did not allow raw cane sugar, it does provide the nutrients to aid in its metabolism.  If you cheat, be smart.  Use only raw cane sugar (called Succanat or Sugar In The Raw® in the brown bags) in small amounts and only with a meal.  Saccharin and Sucralose in small quantities are the lesser of the sugar-free evils, but the “need for sweet” suggests that there is an imbalance in your biochemistry.  Aspartame creates more problems than it solves because it stimulates the tongue as being sweet, which in turn stimulates brain receptors for anticipation of sweet.  When it does not arrive, you crave sweets to satisfy what the brain expected to receive.  It is no wonder that studies show that more calories are consumed by those who use artificial sweeteners than those who consume whole foods that are natural sweet.

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Fats: You may be surprised that most Americans are actually deficient in fat – specifically fats called essential fatty acids, which I include the fat soluble “vitamins.”  So please use olive oil (cold pressed, extra virgin), walnut oil, flaxseed, sesame and grapeseed oils.  These are all actually beneficial.  Cook only with raw organic butter, sesame oil or olive oil.  Avoid all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats – margarine, crackers, chips, fried foods, etc.  They are poisons.  Because peanut butter, even if raw and without the typical hydrogenation, is actually 28% carbohydrate, use peanuts and peanut butter sparingly.  Eat as many avocados and raw nuts as you wish.

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If you think eating fat will make you fat, think again.  When you eat fat, a chemical signal is sent to your brain to slow down the movement of food out of your stomach.  As a result, you feel full.  It is not surprising that recent research is showing that those who eat “fat-free” products tend to actually consume more calories than those who eat foods that have not had their fat content reduced.  In addition, fats are used not only for energy, but also for building the membrane around every single cell in your body.  Fats also play a role in the formation of hormones, which of course make you feel and function well.  It is far worse to be hormone depleted from a low fat diet than it is to over eat fat.  The sickest patients I see are the ones who have been on a fat-free diet for a long period of time.  Like carbohydrates, choose your fats wisely – this program is not suggesting fried or processed foods.

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Milk Products: Forget pasteurized cow milk products (milk, certain cheese, sour cream, half & half, ice cream, cottage cheese and yogurt).  If you only knew all the potential problems from pasteurized milk, you’d swear it off forever.  Dr. Page found out that pasteurized milk was actually more detrimental than sugar for many people.  Avoiding dairy will make it much easier for you to attain your optimal level of health and hormonal balance.  Raw butter, however, is an excellent source of essential nutrients and vitamins.  Raw goat’s and sheep milk products are better alternatives because their genetic code and fat content is apparently more like humans.  I’d still be cautious with these, however.

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There has been a lot of hype about using soy milk and rice milk to replace dairy.  While they sound like healthy alternatives, what they really are is highly processed foods that are primarily simple carbohydrates.  You are better off doing without these as well.  Of course Vitamite®, Mocha Mix®, and the other dairy substitutes are highly-processed nutrient-depleted products that honestly should not be considered a food.

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Liquids: Water is the only substance that qualifies as an ideal liquid.  Most diseases could be explained on the basis of dehydration.  It should be considered the first and largest part of your food plan.  The minimum number of ounces of water to be consumes is ½ your body weight in pounds.  It should be consumed in small amount throughout the day rather in large glasses sporadically.  You might set your water glass or bottle near you to be sipped frequently.  All water consumed should be chlorine and fluoride free.  Spring water that has a low mineral content seems to be best for most people’s needs.  Tap water, even when purified by charcoal and reverse osmosis, is often not as pure as it should be and can be imbalanced or depleted in terms of mineral content.  Nevertheless, it is more important to consume water of even modest quality than it is to substitute it for other liquids.  Avoid plastic containers – the evidence of safety has not been proven and we observe a higher than ideal level of chemicals in the urine of the majority of patients routinely using plastics in food and liquid preparation and storage.

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Avoid all soda and especially those with artificial sweeteners.  No coffee until you are fully recovered, and then only in moderation if you have the metabolism for it.  For every cup of coffee, you need to drink an extra equivalent amount of water since coffee is a diuretic.  Fruit juices are forbidden because of their high fructose content and dumping of sugar into the blood stream.  An occasional small glass of vegetable juice with a meal is probable okay, but I hope you’ll feel the difference that using water in adequate quantity throughout the day will be enough to convince you how much better water really is…

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The most important life-giving substance in the body is water.  The daily routine of the body depends on a turnover of about 40,000 glasses of water a day.  In the process, your body loses at a minimum of 6 glasses a day, even if you don’t do anything.  With movement, exercise, and sugar intake (that’s right) etc. you can require up to over 15 glasses of water a day.  Consider this – the concentration of water in your brain has been estimated to be 85% and the water content of your tissues like your liver, kidney, muscle, heart, intestines, etc are 75% water.  An adult’s water content is about 60-70% of the total lean body weight.  Netter’s Atlas of Human Physiology reports that about 2/3 of the body’s water is inside the cells (intracellular) and 1/3 is outside of the cells (extracellular).  In order to keep that balance, water wants to move from the outside of the cell (where it is diluted) into the cell (where it is more concentrated) to balance out things.  The urge water has to move is called hydroelectric power (also part of the trans-membrane potential).  That’s the same electrical power generated at hydroelectric dams (like Hoover Dam).  The energy made in your body is in part hydroelectric.  You wouldn’t mind a little boost in energy?

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If you enjoy wine or beer and still insist, there are some guidelines.  First, drink only with meals.  Red wine has less sugar and probably more of the beneficial polyphenols than white wines.  Most of the good foreign beer is actually brewed and contains far more nutrients than the pasteurized chemicals called beer made by the large commercial breweries in the United States.  Trader Joe’s usually has a good selection.  Less is better.  Occasional rather than regular.  Because coffee and alcohol force you to lose water, you’ll have to drink more water to compensate.

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Eat smaller amounts more frequently

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Eating a smaller amount reduces the stress of digestion on your energy supply.  Eating small meals conserves energy.  Give your energy generator a chance to keep up with digestion by not overwhelming it when you eat a large meal.  Avoid overwhelming your body with too much to do at one time.  If you don’t digest your food – indigestion, yeast overgrowth, gas, inflammation, food reactions, etc. result.

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Another reason for eating smaller meals is to prevent the ups and downs of your blood sugar level so you end up craving less sugar.  You can also overwhelm your body’s ability to handle sugar in the blood.  Since the body will not (or should not) allow the blood sugar level to get too high, insulin and other hormones are secreted to lower the blood sugar when the blood glucose rises above about 84 mg%.  Often times, the insulin response is too strong and within a short period of time insulin has driven the blood sugar level down.  As a result of the now low blood sugar, you get a powerful craving for sugar or other carbohydrates.  You then usually overeat, and the cycle of up and down, yo-yo blood sugar results.  Eating a small balanced meal will virtually stop this cycle.

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Eating smaller meals also has advantages for your immune response to ingested food.  It turns out that a small amount of food enters the blood without first going through the normal digestive pathway through the liver.  As a result, this food is seen by the body not as nourishment but as a threat and you will stimulate an immune reaction.  Normally, a small immune reaction is not even noticed, but if a large amount of food (or if a food is eaten over and over again), the immune reaction can cause symptoms.  Over time, disease develops.

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By eating smaller amount, the size of the reaction that occurs is small and inconsequential.  A large meal, and thus a large assault of the immune system, could cause many symptoms of an activated immune system including fatigue, joint aches, flu-like symptoms, headaches, etc.  This reaction was called the Metabolic Rejectivity Syndrome by the late nutritional pioneer, Arthur L. Kaslow, M.D.  Through thousands of his patients’ food diaries, he compiled a list of high-risk foods that is much the same as Dr. Page’s.  Dairy and wheat products were at the top of his list.

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I realize that eating five smaller meals is not always practical.  After all, you do have a life.  One concern with eating your meals too far apart is you may tend to get too hungry and overeat when you do get a chance to eat.  A small (healthy) snack between the main meals of the day is like an ounce of prevention.  If you’re an individual who says “once I start eating, I can’t stop,” then you will most likely require additional help with nutritional supplementation, at least initially.

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Supplementation

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In reviewing the many diets used all over the world, there are pros and cons to each.  For example, the vegetarian diet tends to minimize tissue degeneration but may not support tissue rejuvenation due to a lack of complete protein and fats found primarily in animal products.  The major concern I have had with the Page program is that most people do not eat enough vegetables and therefore do not get adequate amounts of minerals.  Since the fats and proteins tend to promote acid production in the body, it is very important to get enough alkalizing minerals to buffer the acid load.  For this reason, minerals that are specific to your needs should be taken to get you healthy…

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Final Note: When in doubt, don’t eat it.  If it isn’t on the list, wait and ask the doctor or nutritionist.  The food plan is designed to help you to optimal health just as it has for tens of thousands of Dr. Page’s patients, many of whom are in their later years without signs of degenerative diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, etc.  The Page Food Plan is not intended to make you suffer or sacrifice, in fact quite the opposite.  As you attain balanced body chemistry, you will be delighted with the physical and emotional improvements you experience from the food your body was designed to run on optimally.  And what you eat or drink at the occasional party or evening out is not going to be significantly harmful to your nutritional balance in the long run, so enjoy it.

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Lastly, as with all things that are beneficial to your health, it’s hard to start, but the longer you choose healthy foods and proportions, the greater the benefits that you will realize from it.

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Blood Type

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In general, avoiding the foods associated with your blood type is worth a try…

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A = avoid dairy, mango, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, and papaya.

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B = avoid chicken, buckwheat, and peanut.

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O = avoid wheat and corn (neither are on the Page Fundamental Food Plan anyway).

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PHASE I Food Plan for BALANCING BODY CHEMISTRY

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Grass fed, Free Range Organic MEAT (except pork), FISH, FOWL, EGGS, and unlimited Organic Fresh VEGETABLES

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Each of your meals must include some protein. The easiest high quality sources are meat, fish, poultry, or eggs. (Count 2 eggs as equal to 3 oz). Vegetarians must combine proteins carefully and consistently using a different calculation! An easy way to calculate the amount of protein you need is to divide your ideal body weight by 15 to get the number of ounces of protein to be consumed per day. This is not a “high protein diet.” Like many people, you already eat this much protein during a day, but you eat it mostly in 1 or 2 meals instead of spreading it out evenly over 5 meals. If you are more physically active, eat more protein.

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To convert ounces into grams:

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• Meats, fish and poultry = 7 grams of protein per ounce

• Eggs = 6 grams or 1.5 ounce for a whole egg, 4 grams per egg white

• Hard Cheese (formed) = 6-7 grams per ounce

• Soft Cheese (cream, spreadable)= 3-4 grams per ounce

• Curd cheese (cottage, ricotta) = 7 grams per 1⁄4 cup

• Tofu = 5 grams per ounce

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90 lb. IBW = 6 ounces a day or 1-1½ ounces of protein at each of five meals.

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105 lb. IBW = 7 ounces a day or 1½-1¾ ounces of protein at each of five meals.

 

120 lb. IBW = 8 ounces a day or 1¾-2 ounces of protein at each of five meals

 

135 lb. IBW = 9 ounces a day or 2-2¼ ounces of protein at each of five meals.

 

150 lb. IBW = 10 ounces a day or 2-2¼ ounces of protein at each of five meals.

 

165 lb. IBW = 11 ounces a day or 2¼-2½ ounces of protein at each of 5meals.

 

180 lb. IBW = 12 ounces a day or 2½-3 ounces of protein at each of five meals.

 

195 lb. IBW = 13 ounces a day or 3-3 ½ ounces of protein at each of five meals.

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• Foods are best eaten closest to their raw state. Do not overcook your food!

• TAKE FLUIDS MORE THAN ONE HOUR BEFORE OR MORE THAN TWO HOURS AFTER MEALS.

• LIMIT FLUID INTAKE WITH MEALS TO < 4 OZ. BUT DRINK AT LEAST ½ YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS OF PURIFIED OR SPRING WATER IN GLASS CONTAINERS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

• AVOID ICE AND VERY COLD BEVERAGES BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER MEALS BECAUSE THEY REDUCE DIGESTIVE FUNCTION.

• NO PROCESSED TRANS or HYDROGENATED FATS, PROCESSED GRAINS OR CEREALS, WHITE FLOUR, SUGAR, FRUIT JUICES, HIGH FRUCTOSE SYRUPS or SUGAR SUBSTITUTES.

• CONSIDER AVOIDING FOODS BASED ON YOUR BLOOD TYPE