Feeding Men on Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.)
Tara Carpenter, NC.
Nutritional support for people on Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.).
Originally published on September 8th 2018.
This is for men who want to tailor Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) to meet specific dietary and health needs and most importantly feel full. While I am no man, I did watch my husband begin the diet and have 8 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 (little did I know at the time, I still had 2 more to go) to heal a systemic yeast overgrowth. My husband was used to being on his own, smoking, drinking beer, and eating a macrobiotic diet rich in rice cakes and tahini 🙂 He had chronic health issues, mostly in the mouth and throat, and an open mind. In the snap of a finger, I went from making food for myself and two young boys to cooking feast after feast for a hungry man I loved day and night.
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 and vice versa. Yet, overall I was in charge of meal planning and food preparation; essentially to keep the home wheels moving, especially in kitchen.
Soaking grain, making unsalted cultured vegetables, coconut kefir, and waffle batter was on my shoulders. This time of my life grounded me in the ‘body ecology way of eating’ and certainly improved my ability to meal plan! We have been married now for 8 years and though we no longer eat strictly B.E.D., we do for the most part follow the core principles as laid out here to keep our inner ecology balanced.
Most men I know, 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 detailed, yet think most agree that men are inherently more masculine and need more minerals (esp. salt) and flavor to energetically extend themselves outwards in the world with more force than many women desire. Again, I am skimming the surface here. Men also tend to have a heightened metabolism.
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 is at his computer. This is his rhythm. Your own rhythm plays an integral part in the food you need and how much.
Do you have health issues? My husband’s kidneys called for attention. When he started B.E.D. he struggled most specifically with oral health and weight gain. In this way, I customized cooking to meet his needs. How old are you? Are you big or small? What climate do you live in? Your answers will guide you to find the food and ways to cook that food for your body.
If you cook for a man in your life, 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 your life nor define who you are, rather 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 guideposts!!
B.E.D.-friendly ideas to get him salivating:
- Zucchini frittatas with quinoa pilaf and butternut squash soup
- Coconut truffles by the dozen
- Broiled wild salmon with mashed cauliflower and steamed asparagus
- Chef salad with soft-boiled eggs, avocado, deli meat, and dressing
- Poached wild cod served with luscious lemon sauce
- Turkey burgers with sweet mustard sauce
- Buckwheat waffle topped with cultured butter and hemp seeds
- Roasted chicken with broiled zucchini
- Konjaku noodles sauteed with snow peas, zucchini, and garlic – top with pesto
- Steak ‘n eggs…does it get more manly? Smother with bernaise sauce
- Filet mignon with cultured horseradish, see photo above
- Pumpkin pie with cultured cream
- Omelets of all kinds
- Milk kefir with cinnamon, pastured egg yolks, and stevia
- Probiotic protein shake
- Lamb stew with carrot and parsnip chunks and broccoli florets
- Chicken soup with a couple eggs scrambled in
- Spaghetti squash with pesto and baby lima bean soup
- Almond cookies cut into hearts, why not? You only live once!!
- Tuna or a tin of sardines with capers, celery, and homemade mayo
- Mug of Ujido green tea
- Cocobiotic with scoop of super spirulina
Note: Serve all with plenty of vegetables; including scoop of unsalted cultured veggies.
Stage 1 Grocery List for Body Ecology Diet
Getting Men Into B.E.D.
Therapeutic Nutritional Consultations
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 Body Ecology Diet. This blog post contains affiliate links, read here for more.
May all bellies be happy!
