WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR OCTOBER 2024

What to eat per Dr. Shanahan:

1. Drink more milk, preferably raw, organic, whole, or at least organic & whole if raw can't be found. I'd update that to add "grass fed." She's not a fan of low fat or fat free dairy.
2. Sugar-free peanut and nut butters, the kind with the oil on top (all that oil is typically absorbed by sugar molecules in brand-name peanut butters). Cue "Natural" with the only ingredients nuts and perhaps salt. No palm oil.
3. Buy sprouted grain bread instead of whole wheat or white. Popular brands are Ezekiel and Alvarado street Bakery. These are usually sold in the refrigerated or freezer section because they are preservative free and you need to store them in your fridge. Many are wheat-free as well. I'd update that to add REAL sourdough bread from small local artisan bakeries, where the natural yeast has partially digested the gluten. I buy Kalama sourdough which produced in my area. Gluten sensitive people can sometimes digest this fine.
4. For breakfast, eat eggs or whole grain cereals (like steel cut oats).
5. Use fresh, seasonal vegetables instead of frozen whenever possible. Season with salt and add
generous amounts of butter. Steam vegetables (like broccoli, asparagus, carrots, and cauliflower) instead of boiling, which leaches vitamins and minerals.
6. Buy lacto-fermented pickles- Bubbies, for example, and fresh (not canned) sauerkraut and use as condiments/side dishes instead of chips or cookies at lunch. Save the juice when the jar is empty for salad dressing and to use as a starter for making your own sauerkraut.
7. Never use margarine or low-fat, low-cholesterol “spreads.” Buy organic butter from pastured
animals. Popular brands are Organic Valley and Horizon.
8. Choose healthy oils like olive and avocado.
9. Make your own salad dressing. Even easier, pour olive oil then balsamic vinegar over your salad (pouring the oil before the vinegar helps it stick better). Use a ratio of approximately 2:1 oil to vinegar. For extra flavor fast, add 1 Tbsp of the juice in the Bubbies pickle or sauerkraut jars.
10. Hard boiled eggs with a dash of salt make a great snack. (I need to remember to make some!)
11. Eat large salads three to five times a week. Don’t bother with iceberg lettuce. For variety,
experiment with other greens, including radish leaves, arugula, beet greens or whatever looks
particularly fresh. Add celery, carrots sprouts, capers, pine nuts, sunflower seeds.
12. Use fresh herbs often. Add basil to salads with tomatoes; add parsley to hamburger; add garlic
to butter for vegetables; rosemary to chicken; mint to beef stews or fatty roasts; ginger to stir
fries.
13. Instead of canned tuna, buy salmon or mackerel with bones in. Mix with olive-oil based
mayonnaise or small amounts of regular mayo and mustard to use for lunch as a replacement for
nitrate-laden sandwich meats.
14. Eat liver once a week.
15. Eat soups made with bone stock once or twice a week.
16. Use bone stock rather than water as the base for making rice, mashed potatoes, noodle dishes,
etc.
17. For variety, substitute beets or turnips for baked potatoes.
18. For light desserts that give a sweet finish to your meal, drink Kombucha or wine.
19. Use bone-in chicken, turkey, and red meats whenever possible.
20. When eating boneless cuts or beef, like fillet, serve with bone-stock gravy (also known as demiglace).
21. Buy fatty cuts of meat, like New York strip, and sear the fat on the grill before cooking to
enhance flavor. Some research is now advising to avoid searing, it can be a carcinogen. Though I love the flavor of an occasional grilled burger.

What You Need to Cut from Your Diet per Dr. Shanahan:

1. Vegetable oil
2. Added sugar and honey (to tea, coffee, etc.)
3. Soda
4. Juice, except fresh squeezed (But why not just eat the fruit? It’s got more fiber and more
antioxidants!)
5. Energy bars and “health” bars
6. Boxed cereals - sugar and other "preservatives" are often added.
7. Fried fast foods
8. Powdered “proteins,” and powdered milk
9. Salad dressings made with any kind of vegetable oil, including canola
10. Low-fat products, including milk, cheese, salad dressings, cookies and other baked goods
11. Snacks and desserts—if you want to lose weight.