If you are a big person who would like to get smaller, the "Diet for a Small Person" is for you. It's the updated and micro version of Frances Moore Lappé's 1971 best-seller, "Diet for a Small Planet."
That book introduced the concept of complementary protein. While she pushed the idea too far, her emphasis on high quality protein remains valid today.
Protein remains a key macronutrient of successfully becoming a smaller person. Our muscles need it.
Protein and fat are the essential macronutrients. We don't have any proof that we need the other macronutrient, carbohydrates. Still, some of the best foods contain more carbs than they do protein and fat. These are the good veggies.
The good foods are far too many to describe in a short article here. It is a myth -- one that I long accepted myself -- that a low-carb diet is too limiting to be enjoyable. In fact, I discovered a huge number of tasty new foods once I decided to severely limit my carbs in order to control both my blood glucose level and my weight.
So what is the crème de la crème of foods that will help to make a smaller you?
Protein has to head the list. While few foods are purely one macronutrient or another, the best sources of protein include:
1. Fish. Among fish, the best source is sardines, which are high in omega-3 oil, low in toxic mercury, and don't pose an environmental threat. Whether the sardines you eat are canned in water or olive oil, they are delicious either as is or with a tablespoon of probiotic miso and a little hot sauce.
My second seafood choice is kippered herring. But since kippers are smoked, they may be too high in AGEs. While salmon is high in omega-3s, being higher on the food chain it also has too much mercury. Wild-caught fish of any species -- instead of those that are farm raised -- are certainly better for the environment and for our bodies, even in the short term.
2. Poultry. Organic chicken, especially that which we can find at most farmers markets -- is a mainstay of the "Diet for a Small Person." Organic turkey and more exotic birds, when you can find them, are great alternatives. Poultry cooked in water that's simmering is lower in AGEs than the usual ways we cook beef or pork or game like bison, elk, and venison.
3. Dairy. Greek-style yogurt has enough carbs that we need to limit how much we eat each day. But because of the small amount of whey that it contains, this is the dairy product that's best for most folks. And organic is as always better than conventional. Strained yogurt is even better.
4. Eggs. Sure eggs are high in cholesterol! But is that bad? Nowadays, that seems like another myth.
5. Soy Protein. Tofu is high in protein, and some brands are low in carb. Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) and texturized soy protein (TSP) offer many different foods. For years one of the foods that I have liked most for breakfast is Morningstar Farms Sausage Patties. These veggie sausages made from TVP taste so good to me that I haven't eaten meat sausages in years, so I can't say how they compare in taste. These sausages have five times as much protein as they have available carbohydrate.
