Hello guys! 

As you already may have noticed, our bodies have come to a place that metabolically speaking, is stuck. Basically our metabolism is having a hard time attempting to reset. This is normal at this stage into the program. For the past 7 years or longer, your metabolism has been working mostly off glucose for energy. Using mostly glucose for energy for such a long time has damaged the endogenous hormonal communication systems and as a result, we have become metabolically inflexible. Basically, we have lost the ability to use fat and glucose simultaneously for energy. Now that your metabolism finally is trying to break down the fat stores for energy, hormones 

like glucagon, insulin, leptin and others are in disagreement as to which substrate (carbs, fats or proteins) to burn for energy. My hope is that within the next 3 weeks you will keep on nurturing your body, giving it time, space and essential macro and micronutrients that would facilitate healing and restoring our metabolic flexibility. 

To achieve health we must restore our metabolic flexibility. 

We still have an accumulation of senescent cells and other inflammatory compounds that are making us age prematurely and we should try to get rid of them. It is necessary to keep working on fixing our microbiome, mitochondria, and immune system. It’s also necessary to cleanse our glymphatic and lymphatic systems to help our brain and body detox and drain out inflammatory compounds that are in our way. We also need to restore our oxygen uptake pathways and work in fixing our carbon dioxide, nitric oxide and oxygen balance. It is important to work on the balance of our nervous and hormonal systems. Finally, there is still a lot of work to do but we are on the right path. 

Phase 3 will last 3 weeks and will begin next Wednesday at 6pm with a group meeting. Phase 3 is necessary for getting our metabolism ready for a lifestyle brain, body and habits change. One of the most important logistics for a lifestyle plan to work is to learn to improvise and to cook with whatever items we have at home on any given day. 

​

​

EAT UNTIL YOU FEEL SATISFIED BUT THE TRICK IS TO EAT SLOWLY.

 

Your Coach, 

Humberto 

☺ 

WEEK 1 RECIPES: 

2 meals and 1 smoothie. 

Breakfast Winter Delight! 

For breakfast, lunch or dinner. For the eggs, if poaching is not your thing, you can boil them or steam them. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
2–3 eggs
2 cups baby greens
1⁄2 cup black beans (home cooked from dry) 1 fresh avocado
2 teaspoons salsa (recipe below)
Lots of cilantro and parsley 

​

INSTRUCTIONS:
Add 1 inch of water to a saucepan, along with the vinegar and sea salt, bring water to a medium simmer. Crack the eggs into two separate small bowls or ramekins keeping the yolk intact.
Using a spoon stir the heated water in one direction until it is spinning around like a whirlpool. Drop the eggs one at a time in the center of the whirlpool, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes while eggs cook. Place the baby greens on a plate, top with the black beans, avocado and salsa. Add cilantro, parsley and green onion. When the eggs are done, gently remove them from pan with a large, slotted spoon and place them on top. Enjoy! Eat until you feel satisfied but the trick is to eat slowly. 

Dear Snow Spinach Omelette 

For breakfast, lunch or dinner 

INGREDIENTS:
2–3 eggs
Sea salt to taste Black pepper to taste 1 teaspoon garlic 

2 teaspoons coconut oil or ghee or if neither available use butter 1 large portobello mushroom (or any type of mushroom)
1 1⁄2 cup fresh spinach
2–3 pieces dulse seaweed, chopped 

​

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic. Set the mixture aside. Place a skillet over a medium heat and add the coconut or ghee oil allowing oil
to slowly heat up, while it is heating up chop mushrooms and spinach in small pieces. When oil or ghee is heated (not very hot) pour the egg mixture into the skillet and allow it to cook for
1–2 minute or until the bottom is golden brown. Add spinach, dulse and mushrooms on one side of the omelette. With a spatula, flip the other side over the filling and turn the heat to low, letting it cook for one last minute. Transfer to a nice looking plate and enjoy! Feel free to garnish with cilantro or parsley. Eat until you feel satisfied but the trick is to eat slowly. 

Avocado/Tuna Collard Roll 

For breakfast, lunch or dinner 

INGREDIENTS:
1 can tuna in oil or water
1⁄2 red bell pepper
1 avocado
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1–2 large collard leaves (kale or romaine can be a substitute) 4–5 pea sprouts 

​

DIRECTIONS:
Drain the can of tuna and use a fork to break it up in a bowl. Add the bell pepper and using a fork, mash the avocado and dijon mustard into the mixture until it is creamy and well combined. Lay
out the collard leaves and remove the tough stem by slicing along each side of it. Spoon the tuna mixture onto one side of the collard leaves in the center and place the sprouts on top. Fold the opposite side over the filling and roll the collard leaves up like a burrito, cut into sushi rolls and enjoy! Eat until you feel satisfied but the trick is to eat slowly. 

Guacamole Tacos for your microbiome For breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

​

INGREDIENTS:
4 leaves romaine lettuce
1 cup cooked lentils
2 avocados
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1⁄4 cup broccoli sprouts
2 cloves garlic
1⁄4 cup red or sweet onion, chopped in small pieces 2 tablespoons lime juice
Sea salt to taste 

DIRECTIONS:
Place the romaine leaves on a plate. Add the lentils to the center of romaine leaves and evenly distribute among the 4 leaves. Chop in small pieces and mash the avocados together with the lime juice, garlic, cilantro, parsely, onions and sea salt to taste. Scoop the mixture on top of the lentils. Finally, add two tablespoons of the pico de gallo salsa on top and enjoy! Eat until you feel satisfied but the trick is to eat slowly. 

Sea Bass & Asparagus for Brain Health: For breakfast, lunch or dinner 

​

INGREDIENTS:
5 ounces sea bass
1 tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce) 1–2 tablespoons ginger, grated Juice of 1 lemon
3 teaspoons garlic
1 1⁄2 cups asparagus
Sea salt, black pepper to taste Sliced green onion 

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a blanking sheet with parchment paper. Add the miso, tamari, ginger, lemon juice and garlic to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour over the sea bass and rub into the fish so it is thoroughly marinated. Bake the Sea Bass for 12–15 minutes depending on how well done you like your fish. While the fish bakes, steam the asparagus for 4–6 minutes, covered. Place the asparagus on a plate alongside the fish and sprinkle it with sea salt, black pepper. Add the green onion and enjoy! Eat until you feel satisfied but the trick is to eat slowly. 

Roasted Ruby Salad: 

​

INGREDIENTS:
4 medium size Beets
Mixed baby greens (a lot!)
1 avocado
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
Apple cider vinegar (OPTIONAL: balsamic vinegar for drizzling) Sea salt to taste 

​

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice off the beets greens and use them as an additional green in a smoothie recipe during the week. Scrub the beets and wrap them loosely in foil. It’s okay if the beets are still wet. Place the wrapped beets on a baking sheet and bake for approximately
50 minutes or until a knife can slide through. Remove beets and allow them to cool. Prepare a bed with baby greens on a plate. Dice the avocado and beets and add to the greens. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top. Drizzle the plate with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with sea salt. 

Tropical Black Beans: 

For breakfast or lunch. 

​

INGREDIENTS:
1 1⁄2 cup black beans, home-cooked (any beans you like) 1⁄4 mango, diced
1⁄2 red bell pepper, diced
1⁄2 red onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoon sparsley, chopped
1–2 tablespoons garlic
Juice of 2 limes
Sea salt to taste
Cayenne pepper and/or cumin to taste 

​

DIRECTIONS:
Add the beans to a big bowl along with the mango, bell peppers, red onion, and avocado. cilantro, parsely, garlic, and lime juice. Mix it well and sprinkle it with seasonings to taste. Enjoy! 

Heavenly Halibut & Garlicky Greens: 

For breakfast, lunch or dinner 

INGREDIENTS:
1 (5 ounces) Halibut fillet (substitute with rainbow trout) 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
Sea salt, black pepper to taste
1 lemon
2 cups spinach, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, chopped 

​

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and rub the top with olive oil. Finely chop the garlic and reserve half. Spread the remaining garlic over the Halibut fillet. Sprinkle the fillet with sea salt and black pepper. Slice the lemon in half and place whole slices on top of the fish allowing the citrus to infuse with the fish. Bake it for 12–16 minutes, depending on how well done you prefer. While the fillet is baking, saute the spinach and mushrooms in butter and garlic (approximately 5 minutes or less). Place the spinach/mushroom mix on a plate alongside the fillet and sprinkle it with sea salt, black pepper to taste. Add juice of 1 lemon on top (optional and very yummy). Eat until you feel satisfied but the trick is to eat slowly. 

SMOOTHIES FOR THE WEEK 

16 ounces daily. You already are familiar with these 3 choices. 

Smoothie #1 

For breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup parsley
1 cup cilantro
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric (powder) 1 medium or large beet (raw) 

1 inch segment fresh ginger
1–2 tablespoons raw honey
2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt
1⁄2 cup blueberries or blackberries, kiwi, or 1⁄2 cup of red bell pepper (raw) Juice of two lemons or limes
1 banana for taste (optional) 

DIRECTIONS:
Add ice cubes and water. Blend! 

Smoothie #2 

For breakfast, lunch or dinner 

INGREDIENTS:
1⁄2–1 avocado
2–3 cups chopped kale
1 cup yellow pepper
1–2 stalks celery
1⁄2 cup broccoli sprouts (preferred). (You can use regular broccoli if you can’t find sprouts) 1 cup green tea (cold). (optional)
1⁄2 cup cilantro
1 banana
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1–2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon saffron (optional)
Cinnamon 

​

DIRECTIONS:
Add ice cubes. Blend! 

Smoothie #3 

For breakfast, lunch or dinner 

INGREDIENTS:
2 kiwis
2 generous handfuls of washed baby spinach 1 cup aloe vera gel
Juice of 3 fresh lemons
1⁄2 inch fresh ginger root
2 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 teaspoon saffron (optional)
Cinnamon 

Combine ingredients in a blender with lots of ice or water. Enjoy! 

​

Chris’ Signature Salad 

This salad is a super nice addition to any meal. 

INGREDIENTS:
Several handfuls of pre-washed organic baby spinach 1 small bunch finely chopped cilantro
1/3 cups (approximately) finely chopped sweet onion Juice of 2–3 limes or 1–2 lemons
Himalayan salt and cracked pepper to taste
1 can organic chick peas, rinsed (optional) 

DIRECTIONS:
Chop onion. Add salt and lemon juice into a bowl and mix. Then add all other ingredients, mix and serve. Feel free to get creative and add other salad items if desired. 

Chris’ Signature Green Sauce 

Great with meat and fish 

​

INGREDIENTS:
1 large bunch cilantro, fresh mint and fresh basil in ratio of 2:1:1 (if you don’t have all the greens, it can be done with just the cilantro in a pinch). The recipe is very forgiving!
1/3 sweet onion
1 jalapeño with seeds, if you like spicy
Couple shakes sesame oil, hot sesame if you like
1⁄2–1 teaspoon tahini paste or almond butter
Couple shakes soy sauce
Juice of 3 limes (or 1–2 lemons) 

DIRECTIONS:
Blend all ingredients together on the highest setting until smooth. Ready to serve. Put left over in a jar in fridge for later. 

SECOND WEEK, DETOX SCHEDULE 

Second week detox schedule from
Wednesday, February 16 at 6pm until Wednesday February 23 at 6pm: 

From Wednesday, February 16 until Saturday, February 19: 

• 4-day Power-Cleanse: Soup for breakfast and dinner.
• For lunch we do seafood or steak and one other vegetable. • Eat until you feel satisfied but the trick is to eat slowly. 

​

Bone-Broth is a must to achieve success. It has great healing properties, especially to our microbiome, stem cells, and is also good for joints, elasticity, and overall health. We suggest marrow bones, chicken bones broth, or fish bones broth. Once you make it, use it as the stock/ base for our 4 day soup. 

Vegetable Soup (you are already a pro when it comes to making this recipe!) 

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of cauliflower stalk (set aside flowers for other use)
2 cups sliced carrots
3–5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1⁄2 cups chopped parsley including stems
2 cups chopped green onion, discard the white part
12 oz broccoli stalks (set aside flowers)
3 oz baby kale, chopped
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup cilantro
Salt to taste
3 tbsp shredded daikon radish (add raw in the serving bowl just before eating) 1 cup broccoli sprouts as a side dish (important) 

DIRECTIONS:
Sauté carrots and cauliflower in olive oil on low for 10 minutes. Then add the other vegetables and spices. Heat and stir for 1 additional minute. Add 12 cups of water (bone broth). Bring mixture to a boil, stirring as needed. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cilantro. Finally, when the soup is served, add 1 tablespoon freshly grated daikon radish per serving as a garnish (contains myrosinase). The daikon radish is always added to soup after already served in a bowl. 

For Beverages: You may consume lemon or herb (try mint, rosemary, or basil) infused water. Again, remember to exclude ingredients that you may have allergies to. 

After The Initial 4 Day Power-Wash Soup: 

From Friday, the 14 until Friday, January 21, continue with 8 day cleanse. 

For the next 8 days, the goal is to have all of your meals inside an 8 hours eating window. 

For the next 8 days, plan a daily routine of 8 hours eating window and 16 hours of daily fasting into your schedule. We have observed best results if your eating window is earlier during the day (ex: 10am–6pm) as opposed to later in the day (ex. 2pm–10pm). Eat until you feel nicely satisfied, NOT until full. Don’t worry about counting calories. If you have any allergies to any of the recommended foods, you MUST avoid them. 

For the second half of second week (Sunday, February 20 until Wednesday, February 24, switch to our famous mushroom/lentil soup)
Soup for breakfast and dinner.
For lunch we do beef and one other vegetable. 

Mushroom/Lentil Soup: 

One Daily Soup (For Lunch Or For Dinner Or For Both If You Like) 

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups dry lentils
(soak lentils in water for 30 minutes before cooking and drain off the water.) 3 1⁄2 cups mushrooms, sliced
(cremini or shiitake or use different types of mushrooms)
10 cups bone broth.
4 carrots, peeled, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1–2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt (Himalayan or sea salt)
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
Add a lot of parsley and cilantro before serving 

​

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Let the vegetables cook until they soften and begin to brown, stirring occasionally— about 20 minutes. Add the stock and diced tomatoes with any juice from the tomatos and bring
to a boil. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the lentils and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium– low, covered and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Garnish with another drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar (if desired). Eat until you feel satisfied but the trick is to eat slowly. 

General recomendations: For one week, practice the habit of living one day a time. The truth is that we only have the day in front of us. We don’t have yesterday or tomorrow, just today. This coming week set your focus on being the healthiest you can be for that one day. Worry about tomorrow tomorrow. 

 

EVERYDAY: 

• Start with a large glass of warm water first thing in the morning. 

• If you would like to add apple cider vinegar to that, you may.

• Drink a full glass of water before and after a meal.

• Keep eating window to minimum of 7 hours for next week.

• Practice box breathing techniques 3 times a day.

• This coming week, try to start your day earlier, set your alarm clock for one hour before
  you usually do.

• Remove TV from your bedroom (if there is one)

• EXTRA HELPFUL – Choose a nice book to read, listen to a podcast or do some stretching
  before bed.)

• If possible, go to bed by 9 or 9:30pm
  NOTE: Eating raw vegetables is by far the best way to fix your metabolism and microbiome (leaky-gut). Please eat as many of your favorite veggies raw if you can to preserve their micronutrient and fiber content. Trust me on this one. Raw vegetables are wicked-awesome for you!
  Fermented Foods:
  Eating fermented foods will drastically improve your microbiome and leaky gut. Sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, plain yogurt or kefir, brie and gouda cheeses are good options. You can try all, but at least choose one or two. Aim to have one or two cups of fermented foods daily.
  Seasoning:
  For salt use only Himalayan or sea salt. Include any other herb you like such as cracked black pepper, cilantro, mint, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, etc. Please avoid processed, combination seasonings as they often include unwanted additives.
  Optional: First thing in the morning before breakfast, mix one or two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, juice of 1⁄2 fresh lemon, and a bit of water. Add a dash of Himalayan salt (if it suits you). Stir and drink it before breakfast.
  Have dinner at any time but remember, all foods should be eaten within a 7 hour window. After the 7 hour window is closed, you will wait 19 hours to eat again.
  Black coffee, tea, and water are not confined to the 7 hour window and you can consume them as much as you like and at any time. Water infused with fresh herbs (we favor mint, basil, rosemary) or lemon is a great choice. I do suggest that you avoid caffeinated beverages after dinner. Remember, no refined carbohydrate snacks. Snacks are part of the problem. 

​