the triad diet programThe other half of the platter can be a combination of fruit, beans,
whole grains, nuts and seeds, and, if you must (optional but not
recommended), small amounts of fish, eggs, poultry, and meat.
That’s what I call the “pizza platter” test of how to estimate a good
diet. As far as I’m concerned, it beats the heck out of thinking about
serving sizes!
It’s Simple: Surround Yourself
with Whole Foods Only!
If you eat whole foods, shop for whole foods, and only have
whole foods in your cupboards and refrigerator, then you do not
have to worry about added sweet-fat calories (added sweeten-
ers, fats, refined grains). If you are eating minimal or no animal
foods then you do not have to worry about excess calories, protein,
saturated fat, cholesterol, and other fats from the meat, especially
non-grass-fed animals. Remember our Paleolithic lesson: Meat is
an energy-dense food. It helped man survive because wild game
was a good protein, fat, and calorie source. We don’t need as much
energy-dense foods in this day and age of modern transportation
and easy access to calories, especially fat-laden, grain-fed meats
from sedentary animals that were given hormones and antibiot-
ics! We need nutrient-dense foods with low caloric density (gener-
ally). Those are the unrefined plant foods.
Nutrient Density: Why Is This So Important?
I have mentioned the term “nutrient density” many times in
this book. It is one of the most important concepts in basic health
and nutrition. Just for the sake of demonstration, set down this
book for a moment and hold out both of your hands, arms spread
and palms up. Imagine you’re holding in your right hand one hun-
dred calories of white sugar and in your left hand one hundred
calories of beans or broccoli. Which is better for you?