Feeding Men on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.)
Tara Carpenter, NC.
Nutritional Consultant for people on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.).
Originally published on September 8th 2018.
This is for men and any person cooking for him to more easily tailor Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) to meet specific masculine dietary/health needs and most importantly feel full. Though I am no man, I did watch my husband begin the diet and have many years under my belt feeding him and our two growing boys.
I met my husband in 2011 after being on stage 1 of B.E.D. for a year to heal a stubborn case of systemic yeast overgrowth. My husband on the other hand had been on his own, smoking, drinking beer, eating a macrobiotic diet rich in rice cakes and tahini 🙂 He had chronic health issues, mainly in mouth/throat and an open mind. In the snap of a finger I went from making simple meals for myself and two little boys to cooking feast after feast for a big, hungry man!
Pastured lamb over mashed cauliflower, sauteed onions, steamed cabbage, mixed salad, and unsalted cultured vegetables with lemonade sweetened with green stevia.
I learned as I went. When I felt overwhelmed, my husband encouraged me with his desire to be healthy, stop smoking, and heal. We were both trained cooks and made a good team. If I cooked, he washed dishes, vice versa. Overall I was in charge of meal planning and food preparation; essentially keeping the house wheels moving, especially the kitchen.
A peaceful kitchen at rest ….
Soaking grain, making unsalted cultured vegetables, coconut kefir, and sprouting buckwheat for waffle batter was all on my shoulders. This time of life grounded B.E.D. into my way of thinking and eating and certainly improved my ability to meal plan! We have been married 8 years now and though we no longer eat strictly B.E.D., we do for the most part follow the core principles here to keep balance.
Most men like:
- Salt
- BIG (think cheeseburgers, sandwiches, pizza slices with toppings)
- Sweet
- Fried
- Flavor
- Simplicity
Sound like any man you know? I don’t want to get too detailed because we are only skimming the surface here, yet I think most can agree that men are inherently more masculine and need more minerals, especially salt and flavor to best energetically extend themselves outward into the world with more force. Most men I know also tend to have a fast metabolism. If you are a working professional traveling woman, athlete, etc. then you may want to also include many of the foods below and be prepared.
Poached cod fish topped with parsley dressing with steamed collards, sweet baby corn, and unsalted cultured vegetables.
For example, my husband stands 6 foot tall and operates as both a civil engineer and builder. He is on his feet all day; measuring this, lifting that. When home he sits with us or at his computer. This is his rhythm. Your own rhythm plays an integral part in the food you need and how much.
Spiced ginger cake sweetened with stevia and topped with creme fraiche blended smooth with liquid lakanto; served with mugs of hot rooster stock.
Do you have health issues? My husband’s kidneys called for attention. He struggled most specifically with oral health and weight gain. In this way, I customize cooking to meet his needs. My oldest son is unable to eat gluten because he was diagnosed with “borderline Celiac Disease” as a little boy, so I focus on that and maintaining a balanced plate of food. My youngest eats near anything though loves fat and fruit best so I hone in there. Me? I love a mixed salad piled high with protein like soft-boiled eggs and meat.
Be curious ….
How old are you? Are you big or small? Do you have a fast metabolism? Are you sedentary most days or very active? What climate do you live in? Let your answers guide you in finding the food and ways to cook for you.
Pastured filet mignon with homemade horseradish, sauteed onion, steamed daikon/carrots, spinach salad with vinaigrette, and purple potion cv’s.
If you cook for a man then listen and observe as you move forward on the diet. This is step one in my opinion. Then act accordingly while you go about your life. B.E.D. is not meant to rule our life nor define who you are. Instead, I have found that this holistic way of eating can enhance the life you already have. Take time to weave the traditional principles that Donna Gates, author of B.E.D., has laid out to follow. They are your guideposts!
Softly scrambled pastured eggs, steamed kale/carrots, and purple potion cv’s.
Feeding Men on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.)
Serve meals with unsalted cultured vegetables, beginner recipe here ….
- Zucchini frittatas with quinoa pilaf and winter squash soup topped with pumpkin seeds.
- Coconut truffles by the dozen.
- Broiled wild salmon with cauliflower mash and steamed asparagus.
- Chef salad with soft-boiled eggs, deli meat, and dressing.
- Poached wild cod served with luscious lemon sauce over bed of steamed thinly sliced greens.
- Stack of flax-onion crackers with pumpkin seed butter (or almond).
- Pan-fried millet cakes with hiziki carrot saute and corn on cob.
- Turkey burgers with sweet mustard sauce wrapped in large lettuce. leaves that have been brushed with homemade mayonnaise.
- Buckwheat waffles topped with cultured butter and hemp seeds.
- Roasted chicken with broiled yellow summer squash over broccoli.
- Konjaku noodles sauteed with slivered snow peas, zucchini, garlic, and topped with pesto.
- Steak ‘n eggs smothered in bernaise sauce.
- Filet mignon with cultured horseradish and fine minced scallions.
- Pumpkin pie with cultured cream.
- Omelets of all kinds.
- Milk kefir blended with cinnamon, pastured egg yolks, and stevia.
- Probiotic protein shake
- Lamb stew with carrot chunks and fennel and broccoli florets.
- Chicken soup with a couple eggs scrambled in
- Spaghetti squash with pesto and baby lima bean soup.
- Red-skin potato salad made extra creamy with mayonnaise, mustard, celery, capers, red onion, and poached pastured egg yolks.
- Almond roll-out cookies cut into hearts, why not? Only live once 🙂
- Tuna or sardine salad with capers, celery, and homemade mayo.
- Mug of hot rooster stock or salmon head stock or Ujido green tea.
- Cocobiotic with scoop of super spirulina.
Stage 1 Grocery List for The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.)
Getting Intimate on B.E.D.
Tara Carpenter, NC.
A word of thanks to my husband, who loves me enough, to let me write about him so that others can glean from our experience on stage 1 of Body Ecology Diet. This blog post contains affiliate links, read here for more.
May all bellies be happy!
