What should I eat?

The Optimal Nutrition model sets a strict set of rules on what should be eaten in order to obtain the maximum benefits, health and otherwise, of this dietary model. A failure to meet these rules will result in a poorer than possible gain of health benefits or even worsening of health, depending on how much one deviates from the principal proportion between nutrients and/or prescribed types of foods. The benefits of this dietary model are described elsewhere on this site. Therefore let's concentrate on the best types of foods, providing best nutrients, a person should consume to fulfill criteria of the Optimal Nutrition.

Above all, two general rules apply:
- we eat mostly what we are made of; and
- we eat well-cooked foods (with few minor exceptions), regardless of the origin (i.e. plant or animal).

From the above, it is clear that our nutrients should come from animal sources, rather than plants. That includes animal proteins and of course, animal fats.

The Best - Egg
Without a doubt, the best universal source of nutrients for humans is the chicken egg. Eggs provide both proteins and fats of the highest biological value for humans. Egg yolk contains a multitude of biologically active nutrients, including anti-atherosclerotic substances, essential unsaturated fatty acids, rare but important minerals (selenium, iodine) and vitamins. Therefore egg yolks should be eaten liberally, with a minimum of four (4) per day.

Sources of Protein - e.g. Meats
Because farmed pork meat is the closest to human tissues biochemically, it is only logical that we should eat predominantly that kind of meat. That of course creates problems for those who for a variety of reasons will not or can not eat pork. This, however, is not a problem, since other farmed animals are also a good source of meat for humans, although their meat typically contains far less fat than pork. (Note: recently "invented" lean pork is of course not as good as meat from traditionally farmed pigs).

Poultry (farmed duck and goose meat is an exception) and particularly fish flesh (and other seafood) is not a preferred type of meat for the followers of the Optimal Nutrition, because of a low-fat content and biochemical differences compared to human tissue. When other types of meats are scarce or unavailable, these meats can be eaten but with an addition of an appropriate amount of fat, preferably of animal origin.

It is essential that a weekly menu includes at lest one serving of offal, e.g. animal internal organs such as kidneys, liver, heart and other typically discarded tissues. In general, all animal flesh should be eaten, including connective tissues, brain and skin (pork skin). Diary products, e.g. various cheeses, can also be used as a source of proteins, but not as the principal one.

The one source of proteins we definitely do not rely on are plants. Plant-sourced proteins are of poor biological and therefore nutritional value for humans.

Sources of fat
The best without a doubt are animal fats, which contain saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in the best proportion for the well being of humans. Saturated fats, contained for instance in butter, ghee, lard and dripping, are the best form of energy for the human body; they also play an important role in the correct functioning of the human immune system.

Animal fats also contain so-called essential polyunsaturated fatty acids and other fatty acids, which are important for human health, but only when taken in right proportions to other fats. And that crucial proportion is only found in animal fats. One of the best sources of animal fats are diary products, e.g., various cheeses, cream and butter. But these products should contain their full complement of fat, i.e., 35% cream or 30-60% Brie. When animal fats are not available, plant-sourced fats such as olive oil and various nut oils (i.e., palm or coconut oil) offer a reasonable substitute.

However, a care should be taken to minimise the use of so-called vegetable oils (a very inappropriate name), particularly those, which contain a majority of polyunsaturated fatty acids, shown to be damaging to human health.

Sources of carbohydrates
The Optimal Nutrition model dictates that an appropriate amount of carbohydrate should be eaten every day to maintain a required for health balance between various metabolic processes.The best sources of carbohydrate are those that do not contain simple sugars, e.g., glucose or fructose, but contain a complex form of carbohydrates, i.e. starch.

The best are various vegetables, including potatoes, which are low in carbohydrate. Products rich in carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and many fruits should be avoided due to deterious effects on human digestion and metabolism. Certain fruits, particularly of a berry variety, can be used as good sources of carbohydrate, but in strictly limited amounts. Sugar should be avoided, although small amounts can be added to various dishes for taste reasons, e.g. ice cream.

Menu Example 1
The menu given below (we are citing just one of 14 from the Homo Optimus book) is based on the menu used at the Health Academy "Arkadia". It has been therefore well tested on patients who have come to "Arkadia" for 2-week long period of treatment ...

.... A careful reader should be able to notice that the menu, to some extent, does not follow the previously stated principles of the diet. IT recommends a higher proportion of protein to fat and significantly more calories. These discrepancies are intentional.
Most of the guests who visited "Arkadia" were seriously ill, often overweight. During the initial period of the treatment their bodies required more energy and more high quality protein. However, they did not need so much fat since on such a diet they were able to quickly start burning their fat and lose weight. During the 2-week period they lost on average 3.5 kg of weight. At the same time those who arrived with wasted bodies put on weight on average 2.6kg ....

.... After reaching the protein equilibrium , when the amount of ingested protein equals the amount which is excreted, one has to increase the make of fat to reach the recommended proportion of 3 grams of fat per 1 gram of protein ..... "

BREAKFAST:
Scrambled eggs with bacon, butter, pancakes, tea with lemon

2 eggs - 100g
Smoked bacon - 50g
Lard - 10g
Butter - 10g
Two Pancakes - 100g
A thin slice of a lemon

Proportions - 1:3.2:0.15
Proteins -32.3g
Fat - 103.8g
Carbohydrates - 5g

kcal : 1,010

LUNCH:
Celery cream soup, pork cutlet in bread crumbs, gherkin, chips,
juice (diluted with water)

Soup - 200ml
Pork cutlet - 110g
Lard - 10g (for frying)
Gherkin - 1 (approx. 100g)
Egg - 1/2 for bread crumbs
Two table spoons of juice per a cup of water.

Proportions - 1:2.8:1.4
Proteins - 25g
Fat -71g
Carbohydrates - 35g

kcal : 884

DINNER:
Pork hock jelly, pancakes, butter, tea

Jelly - 100g
Butter - 10g
Two Pancakes - 100g
A thin slice of a lemon

Proportions - 1:1.8:0.1
Proteins - 51g
Fat - 85g
Carbohydrates -5g

kcal : 960

DAILY TOTAL:
Proportions - 1:2.5:0.4
Proteins - 108.3g
Fat - 259.8g
Carbohydrates -45g

kcal : 2,854


Bon appetite! :-)