Ask Raymond - Blog
by Raymond David Salas
I would like to start eating healthier and feeling better. What do you eat? What foods and snacks do you recommend?
First, let me begin by saying that I don’t believe that there is any one diet that is right for everyone. We're all different.
My food choices have evolved over time through A LOT of trial-and-error, especially with my snacks. Fortunately, by working in a holistic clinic environment, I have the opportunity to try a lot of different natural food products from many different vendors. Some are great. Others, not so much.
Below is my current list of daily food choices. I realize that some may find my diet too simple...or boring....or not enough meat...or whatever. Regardless, my hope is that it will give you a good start and help you discover the foods that are best and most enjoyable for you. Happy eating!
Most of these items can be purchased at Whole Foods or other natural foods markets, Trader Joe's, or Amazon.com.
Breakfast:
Every morning I start the day with the "workday power" smoothie.
Here's the recipe:
- 4 ounces of almond milk
- 4 ounces of spring water
- 1 scoop of greening powder (by VitaMineral Green)
- 1 scoop of acai berry powder (by Sambazon)
- 1 scoop of raw protein (by Garden of Life)
- 3 drops of liquid stevia extract
Put all of the ingredients into a blender bottle and shake. It's ready in less than a minute. No blender required. Very easy and convenient, especially for busy people on the go.
Mid-Morning (usually one of the following):
- Breakfast burrito: two organic omega-3 eggs, sea salt, brown rice tortilla
- Cacao and Goji Superfood Power Snack (by Navitas)
- Heart Thrive Vegan Bars
Lunch (usually one of the following):
- Thai vegetable fried brown rice with tofu
- Thai stir-fry vegetables with tofu and brown rice
- Wild salmon sandwich with avocado on toasted gluten-free bread, plus a vegan soup
- Wild-caught fish or grilled ahi soft tacos, brown rice, black beans, Beanfields bean & rice chips (no deep-fried corn chips)
- grilled albacore, with broccoli or another vegetable, kale salad with garlic dressing (no bread or potatoes)
Snacks (usually one of the following, eaten throughout the day whenever hungry, usually every 1-2 hours):
- handful of jalapeno & lime almonds or lemon almonds (both by Sally's Smart Almonds)
- handful of brown rice crackers (by Mary's Gone Crackers)
- organic peanut butter (with sea salt) on a Lundberg rice cake (brown rice, sea salt)
- handful of Spicy Flax Snax crackers (by Go Raw)
- handful of Skinny Crisps Seeded crackers (highly addictive)
- handful of Wild Berry Sprouted Trail Mix (by Living Intentions)
- handful of Raw "Bliss Mix" (by Royal Himalayan)
- handful of macadamia nuts or almonds or "raw trail mix" (all from Trader Joe's)
- organic honeycrisp apple or organic pink lady apple
- Raw Wheat Free Crusts (by Mauk Family Farms)
- Eco-Farms Pesticide Free Sunflower Seeds - salted with sea salt (addictive)
- Trader Joe's Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil and sea salt (when watching movies)
Dinner (usually one of the following):
- big salad of spinach, kale, swiss chard, steamed broccoli, cucumbers, shredded carrots, celery, quinoa, radishes, artichokes, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, all mixed well and tossed together with extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and Bragg Liquid Aminos
- brown rice sushi (salmon), miso soup
- brown rice, tofu with vegetables
- Amy's organic Lentil Vegetable soup
- VitaMix smoothie
Drinks:
- lots of spring water (approx. 80oz. daily). I use a bigger 40-oz. food-grade, stainless-steel water bottle every day and love it! (It also comes in smaller sizes too.)
- one 16oz. cup of organic dark-roast coffee, sweetened with organic raw honey every morning
- Metro Mint water (favorite flavors are Lemon, Peppermint, or Spearmint) - every day with lunch
- 8oz. of GTs Kombucha (favorite flavors are Ginger, Trilogy, or Raspberry), usually with dinner
- Reed's Ginger Ale, occasionally with lunch or dinner
- organic green tea
- organic Hawaiian Ginger Lemonade (by Big Island Organics)
Desserts:
I’m not really into desserts or sweets (crazy, I know), but when I do crave some, here are the ones that I enjoy (warning: both are delicious and addictively good):
- organic Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge ice cream (by Coconut Bliss)
- organic Mudd Pie ice cream (by Good Karma)
Guidelines I generally follow when I eat:
- no refined carbs (breads, potatoes, white rice, pasta, etc.)
- no refined sugar (use raw honey or stevia for sweetener)
- no dairy (butter occasionally)
- no meat, only fish (wild-caught if possible) and eggs (organic, cage-free, omega-3)
- limit deep-fried foods (1-2 times / month)
- gluten-free (bread, pasta, tortillas, etc.)
- lots of raw foods
- no refined salt, use sea salt
- use coconut oil when cooking
- finish eating dinner at least two hours before bedtime
- walk 15-20 minutes after the biggest meal
- make lunch the biggest meal of the day
- eat smaller portions, don't overeat at any meal (aim for 80% full)
- eat slowly and enjoy the food
- aim for 80%-90% compliance on these guidelines (don’t try to be perfect, have fun, enjoy what you eat)
Enjoy!
Have another question? Ask Raymond
by Raymond David Salas
I would like to start eating healthier and feeling better. What do you eat? What foods and snacks do you recommend?
First, let me begin by saying that I don’t believe that there is any one diet that is right for everyone. We're all different.
My food choices have evolved over time through A LOT of trial-and-error, especially with my snacks. Fortunately, by working in a holistic clinic environment, I have the opportunity to try a lot of different natural food products from many different vendors. Some are great. Others, not so much.
Below is my current list of daily food choices. I realize that some may find my diet too simple...or boring....or not enough meat...or whatever. Regardless, my hope is that it will give you a good start and help you discover the foods that are best and most enjoyable for you. Happy eating!
Most of these items can be purchased at Whole Foods or other natural foods markets, Trader Joe's, or Amazon.com.
Breakfast:
Every morning I start the day with the "workday power" smoothie.
Here's the recipe:
- 4 ounces of almond milk
- 4 ounces of spring water
- 1 scoop of greening powder (by VitaMineral Green)
- 1 scoop of acai berry powder (by Sambazon)
- 1 scoop of raw protein (by Garden of Life)
- 3 drops of liquid stevia extract
Put all of the ingredients into a blender bottle and shake. It's ready in less than a minute. No blender required. Very easy and convenient, especially for busy people on the go.
Mid-Morning (usually one of the following):
- Breakfast burrito: two organic omega-3 eggs, sea salt, brown rice tortilla
- Cacao and Goji Superfood Power Snack (by Navitas)
- Heart Thrive Vegan Bars
Lunch (usually one of the following):
- Thai vegetable fried brown rice with tofu
- Thai stir-fry vegetables with tofu and brown rice
- Wild salmon sandwich with avocado on toasted gluten-free bread, plus a vegan soup
- Wild-caught fish or grilled ahi soft tacos, brown rice, black beans, Beanfields bean & rice chips (no deep-fried corn chips)
- grilled albacore, with broccoli or another vegetable, kale salad with garlic dressing (no bread or potatoes)
Snacks (usually one of the following, eaten throughout the day whenever hungry, usually every 1-2 hours):
- handful of jalapeno & lime almonds or lemon almonds (both by Sally's Smart Almonds)
- handful of brown rice crackers (by Mary's Gone Crackers)
- organic peanut butter (with sea salt) on a Lundberg rice cake (brown rice, sea salt)
- handful of Spicy Flax Snax crackers (by Go Raw)
- handful of Skinny Crisps Seeded crackers (highly addictive)
- handful of Wild Berry Sprouted Trail Mix (by Living Intentions)
- handful of Raw "Bliss Mix" (by Royal Himalayan)
- handful of macadamia nuts or almonds or "raw trail mix" (all from Trader Joe's)
- organic honeycrisp apple or organic pink lady apple
- Raw Wheat Free Crusts (by Mauk Family Farms)
- Eco-Farms Pesticide Free Sunflower Seeds - salted with sea salt (addictive)
- Trader Joe's Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil and sea salt (when watching movies)
Dinner (usually one of the following):
- big salad of spinach, kale, swiss chard, steamed broccoli, cucumbers, shredded carrots, celery, quinoa, radishes, artichokes, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, all mixed well and tossed together with extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and Bragg Liquid Aminos
- brown rice sushi (salmon), miso soup
- brown rice, tofu with vegetables
- Amy's organic Lentil Vegetable soup
- VitaMix smoothie
Drinks:
- lots of spring water (approx. 80oz. daily). I use a bigger 40-oz. food-grade, stainless-steel water bottle every day and love it! (It also comes in smaller sizes too.)
- one 16oz. cup of organic dark-roast coffee, sweetened with organic raw honey every morning
- Metro Mint water (favorite flavors are Lemon, Peppermint, or Spearmint) - every day with lunch
- 8oz. of GTs Kombucha (favorite flavors are Ginger, Trilogy, or Raspberry), usually with dinner
- Reed's Ginger Ale, occasionally with lunch or dinner
- organic green tea
- organic Hawaiian Ginger Lemonade (by Big Island Organics)
Desserts:
I’m not really into desserts or sweets (crazy, I know), but when I do crave some, here are the ones that I enjoy (warning: both are delicious and addictively good):
- organic Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge ice cream (by Coconut Bliss)
- organic Mudd Pie ice cream (by Good Karma)
Guidelines I generally follow when I eat:
- no refined carbs (breads, potatoes, white rice, pasta, etc.)
- no refined sugar (use raw honey or stevia for sweetener)
- no dairy (butter occasionally)
- no meat, only fish (wild-caught if possible) and eggs (organic, cage-free, omega-3)
- limit deep-fried foods (1-2 times / month)
- gluten-free (bread, pasta, tortillas, etc.)
- lots of raw foods
- no refined salt, use sea salt
- use coconut oil when cooking
- finish eating dinner at least two hours before bedtime
- walk 15-20 minutes after the biggest meal
- make lunch the biggest meal of the day
- eat smaller portions, don't overeat at any meal (aim for 80% full)
- eat slowly and enjoy the food
- aim for 80%-90% compliance on these guidelines (don’t try to be perfect, have fun, enjoy what you eat)
Enjoy!
Have another question? Ask Raymond
