Nutrition

Changing your relationship to food and eating involves a major shift in thinking, feeling and doing. The goal of this shift is to create a lifestyle change, not to temporarily lose weight on a "diet." Choosing, making and eating food with an "Abundance Model" includes the pleasures of delicious choices, many tastes, ample portions, not feeling limited, not counting calories and eating when hungry. This is in contrast to the more common "Deprivation Model" where rules of "do not's" and "should not's" leave us feeling bad or guilty with unmet hunger and cravings. Cycles of stress and depression-related eating are common with this model. A shift from "I can't eat without feeling bad and guilty" to "I enjoy an abundance of healthy, delicious food" often results in a better nourished and healthier self.

Recommendations	Examples
1. Lower dietary fat to between 10% to 20% of calories	Low or nonfat foods
2. Eat more plant based protein and eat less animal based protein	More beans and soy Less turkey and lean meats
3. Minimum daily servings of: grains: 6 per day vegetables: 3-5 per day fruits: 2-4 per day beans: 1-2 per day soy: 1-2 per day	Whole grains Cruciferous vegetables Pinto and kidney beans Tofu and soy milk
4. Drink 8-10 eight ounce glasses of water/day	Carry a water bottle
5. Limit caffeine to no more than 1-2 cups/day	Herbal teas
6. Drink alcohol in moderation	No more than 3 servings per week
7. Limit nitrates and cured foods	Avoid Hot dogs
8. Decrease food additives	Avoid Artificial flavors