nutrition | the meal plan

Why do we recommend eating as much fruit and vegetable as you want? As we mentioned a few paragraphs ago, they are rich in fiber and water content that would fill your stomach and satisfy your appetite well before you could overconsume these carbohydrates, especially when you're also consuming servings of proteins and fats with your meal. We encourage you to add heaping helpings of vegetables and fruit to your single-plate meals to ensure you feel satiated when you begin the program.

​

A helpful way to think of meals and servings is to consider vegetables as the main course of each meal, with protein and fruit as side dishes. Once you get used to this, it will revolutionize how you prepare and consume meals. And remember to eat twice as many vegetables as fruit to ensure you're consuming the correct types and amounts of antioxidants and micronutrients.

​

While it is not required to have green vegetables as part of your breakfast, we urge you to experiment with serving them occasionally with your morning meal. Sausage served on salad greens or an omelet that includes sautéed spinach or kale can be delicious and satisfying.

​

What About Calories?

As mentioned, our bodies require energy to move and support bodily systems—the macronutrients you consume become energy through previously explained metabolic processes. Food scientists have analyzed foods to determine the energy these foods will generate when metabolized. This energy is measured in a unit known as calories. Many eating plans ask that a person measure every food item and count corresponding calories. We've tried this, as have millions of people, and found it difficult and time-consuming—and not a realistic way to eat

​

That's why the Mismatch meal plan focuses on foods organized by their macronutrient content. The workbook and downloadable Meal Logs describe recommended portion sizes in a manner that is easy to visualize. Meals that adhere to the plan deliver the correct amount of macronutrient servings. Calories are incorporated into the eating plan, but you are not required to count them. That's because we've taken the average caloric intake necessary for people who moderately exercise and determined appropriate portions of macronutrients for each meal.

Portions By Gender vs. Body Size

Reviewing the serving sizes on the Meal Logs, you'll notice we don't indicate differences by gender. You may think, "shouldn't women and men have different nutritional requirements?" The answer is yes, but most of these differences are due to body size. Typically, human males are larger than human females, but this isn't always the case. The reality is that proper meal portions depend more on body size than gender.

​

When you follow the Mismatchevolutionary meal plan, proper protein servings are based on the size of your hand (either an open palm or a closed fist), which is proportional to your body size. Larger people have larger hands and will eat more protein than smaller people with smaller hands. A few proteins require specific portions (e.g., eggs, shellfish), which are indicated on the Meal Logs and in the Recommended Foods List.

​

Beverages

Even a small reduction in the body's water composition (called dehydration) can adversely affect your health (fatigue, memory loss, increased body temperature, muscle cramping, nausea) so we need to consume water throughout the day and night. Dehydration also increases your likelihood of developing chronic inflammation in several ways. Water flushes toxins out of your digestive system that, if not regularly removed, create gut microbiome immune responses and associated inflammation. Dehydration also contributes to our brain's stress response which promotes the release of cortisol which can lead to impaired metabolism resulting in chronic inflammation of the body.

​

For these reasons, the meal plan recommends drinking more water than you're likely used to—nine 10 oz. glasses daily (three in the morning, three in the afternoon, and three in the evening). This ensures you'll never suffer from mild dehydration, that chronic body inflammation is reduced, that your bodily systems are running at full potential, and that you experience optimal wellness. And don't forget to limit caffeinated drinks to two per day, and go light on alcohol—1 or 2 drinks per day no more than a few days per week.

​

Don't Do Guilt

We're often asked why we need to label foods as "either good or bad" or why "treat meals" aren't included in the program. First, foods aren't good or bad--they're objects that can't express behavior. In the Mismatch Method, we label foods as recommended or discouraged. It's not about never eating a particular food again. It's about science. It's about aligning our eating patterns with our evolutionary design. That means some foods and drinks that you may be consuming cannot be processed by your digestive and metabolic systems that you inherited from your ancient ancestors. Over time, if you continue to eat these foods you will develop inflammatory ailments and eventually serious disease. Avoiding certain foods because they make us sick seems the logical thing to do, doesn't it? In fact, it's already something we do. For example, people avoid eating spoiled fish and green potatoes because our bodily systems can't process these foods and they make us ill. 

​

In regards to "treat meals" (scheduling a specific time to eat anything you want) we don't see the point. Why set aside a particular day and time to eat foods that your body isn't designed to ingest? The Mismatch Method is about learning to create meals made from foods rich in nutrients and antioxidants that will optimize the healthy functioning of our minds and our bodies. It seems a bit illogical to set aside time each week to do the exact opposite.

​

Now does this mean you shouldn't have cake on your birthday or pasta during an anniversary dinner? Of course not. The The Mismatch Method is about feeling better than you have in years (remember that most people don't know how bad they actually feel until they take healthy steps and begin to feel better). We want to feel better so that we can share our time with loved ones and celebrate life. This can include the occasional consumption of something we find delicious that may not be the best food for our bodies. But it can't be an everyday occurrence or we're wasting our time with the program. If we follow the nutrition plan 90% of the time we'll get all the health and wellness benefits. We just need to remember to eat off the plan only on special occasions.

​

Lastly, what if you find that you lose control and eat a pint of ice cream or an entire large pizza? Well, you're human, and humans aren't perfect. Don't beat yourself up, and don't feel guilty. Learn from the experience. Figure out steps you can take to more easily choose foods aligned to your body's needs. If you keep in mind the unavoidable science of evolutionary mismatch and consider the damage that some foods can do to your health, you'll find it gets easier and easier to choose paths that lead to wellness. Once you understand the science its always in your head, guiding your choices.

​

Summary

Our members have found that eating this way has led to remarkable changes in energy and physical fitness levels, mental capacity, and overall emotional well-being. We encourage you to access the nutritious meals and recipes found on the program website. These will inspire you and make meal preparation much more manageable. If you mindfully follow the Mismatch Method nutrition plan with a bit of discipline and focus, we believe you'll experience a profound transformation in your health and wellness.