Foods On the Menu

The food included in the Ancestral Regeneration Protocol may seem very limited to the newcomer. Try to keep in mind that the body needs nutrients, not variation. The body can only use certain foods for information, energy, and mental and physical health and regeneration. The ultimate goal is to eat how - not what - our ancestors ate. We need to eat what is appropriate for where we live now; our immediate environment is very relevant to how our bodies process what we eat. Our genetics, less so.

We only need to eat local and in-season food, and that means animal products all year-round for everyone. Some of us will be able to eat a few plants that grow through the winter. Mostly we will eat plants that are in-season and grown (or foraged) in live soil by us or someone in our community. We ferment some plants and dairy for preservation in order to continue to rebuild our microbiome. The foods we eat in the beginning will not always be this limited, but they will also never resemble the modern diet.

Fasting

Fasting once weekly and - when you are healthy enough - prolonged fasting will be added in, but you won’t fast if you are underweight.

Eating

We eat nutritious foods at the same time everyday, which will signal to our nervous system that it is safe and no longer has to search for nutrition. Once you have regulated blood sugar, it is best to eat meals at 10AM and 3PM (2PM would actually be ideal), without snacking in between. Late breakfast and early supper give the body time to clean up, repair, and digest.

The what, when, and how we eat communicates love, safety, and plenty to our bodies. So before you eat, take a moment to relax. Take a few deep breaths in through your left nostril and out through your mouth. Show reverence for your food, however you choose to. Take a moment to pray over your food, with hands folded or holding the hands of those with you. Try to feel the gratitude for the nutrition, for the animal(s) or plants that gave their lives, and for each soul that made it possible for your meal to be before you (including yourself!).

Be present at each meal. Don’t read; don’t look at screens. Eat outside as often as possible. Listen to Baroque music or talk with those around you. We must be in a parasympathetic state to digest our food.

It is important to chew your food well. Ideally, this means chewing your food to the consistency of apple sauce. For meats, you may have to chew up to 40 times per bite!

We want to eat a lot of animal fat, a moderate amount of animal protein, and a small portion of vegetable carbohydrates. Plants are not necessary though, especially if your body isn’t tolerating them. Feel free to take a vacation from plants if this applies to you.

The Right Mindset

You may feel like you are not eating healthy, your meal is too heavy, or you won’t digest well without plants. This notion comes fro learned conditioning and is not true.

When we are just starting out, we allow ourselves greater freedom and flexibility (buying food from the grocery store, etc). But it’s important to begin to ask yourself questions like: Does this plant grow in my current environment? and Can I buy or forage this local to me, grown in living soil? And if not: What would replace it?

Permitted Foods

Meat, Eggs, Dairy

• Meat stock
• Bacon or sausage¹
• Meat close to the bone
• Ground meat
• Organ meat
• Eggs
• Small, oily fish
• Shellfish
• Insects
• Fermented raw dairy²

Animal Fats

• Tallow
• Lard
• Ghee
• Butter
• Schmaltz
• Duck fat
• Goose fat
• Any other animal fat

Vegetable Fats

Vegetable fats are not for cooking. They must be good quality and cold-pressed.

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil

Vegetables

Vegetables should be cooked on low in a lot of fat or meat stock and covered for 30 minutes. Some raw vegetables can be re-introduced in time.

• Carrots
• Onion
• Garlic
• Leek
• Mushroom
• Turnip
• Cauliflower
• Rutabaga
• Cabbage
• Brussel sprouts
• Broccoli
• Collard
• Cheese³
• Avocado
• Radish
• Fresh herbs
• Foraged greens (e.g., dandelion leaves)
• Fermented mustard

Tea

• Herbal teas
• Green tea
• Coffee

Misc

• Mineral salt
• White pepper