Menu Plans for Methylation Support

As demonstrated in previous articles, research studies have determined that promoting methylation support with nutrition by following a diet food plan includes different nutrient needs and avoids factors which can negatively affect DNA methylation status and activity. A diet food plan for methylation support should be nutritionally replete, anti-inflammatory, low-glycemic, antioxidant-rich, and supportive of detoxification processes.

A balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, complete proteins, and whole grains can help provide enough nutrients to support optimal methylation. Moreover, superfoods, such as beets, spinach, sea vegetables, daikon radish, shiitake mushrooms, salmon, fish roe, whitefish, oysters, eggs, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds, provide increased levels of nutrients for DNA methylation. Organ meats, such as liver, are also good sources of nutrients, including vitamin B2, B3, B6, folate, choline, and betaine, to promote methylation support.

Following a diet food plan is essential to continue to achieve proper nutrient intake. Even "healthy" diets can be lacking in nutrients or they may fail to provide treatment nutrient levels if they are utilized incorrectly. Healthcare professionals can also recommend regular nutrient intake evaluations, especially in the early stages of following a diet food plan, to make any changes which may be required to optimize a patients methylation support and help promote overall health and wellness. The following menu plans (Table 9.1 and 9.2) offer guidelines of what patients can eat throughout their day to improve methylation through nutrition.

Menu Plan Samples for DNA Methylation

Evaluating Nutrients in Menu Plans

Both menu plan samples provided above demonstrate a wide variety of nutrients which are ultimately essential for DNA methylation status and activity (Table 14). Doctors and functional medicine practitioners may also recommend regular nutrient intake evaluations on patients following a long-term, diet food plan to make sure that patients are able to maintain appropriate levels of nutrient intake throughout the treatment. It's essential for patients to communicate accordingly with their healthcare professionals so they can customize their diet food plan as necessary.

Supplements and medications used to promote methylation support may often cause side-effects if they're not managed accordingly by doctors and functional medicine practitioners. A diet food plan is a safe and effective alternative treatment option which can help promote methylation support without the side-effects of supplements and medications. In addition, a qualified doctor and functional medicine practitioner can customize a patient's diet food plan and provide advice and guidelines to help promote overall health and wellness. Menu plan samples, such as those provided in the article, are several examples of a diet food plan which can help improve methylation status and activity.

Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insight

Smoothies and Juices for Methylation Support

While many healthcare professionals can recommend nutritional guidelines and lifestyle modifications to improve methylation support, there are several options you can try yourself at home. As described above, methylation support supplementation should be determined by a healthcare professional. Smoothies and juices are a fast and easy way to include all the necessary nutrients you need for methylation support without any side-effects. The smoothies and juices below are part of the Methylation Diet Food Plan.

Sea Green Smoothie

Servings: 1

Cook time: 5-10 minutes

? 1/2 cup cantaloupe, cubed

? 1/2 banana

? 1 handful of kale or spinach

? 1 handful of Swiss chard

? 1/4 avocado

? 2 teaspoons spirulina powder

? 1 cup water

? 3 or more ice cubes

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until completely smooth and enjoy!

Berry Bliss Smoothie

Servings: 1

Cook time: 5-10 minutes

? 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, preferably wild)

? 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

? 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seed

? 1 tablespoons almonds

? Water (to desired consistency)

? Ice cubes (optional, may omit if using frozen blueberries)

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. Best served immediately!

Sweet and Spicy Juice

Servings: 1

Cook time: 5-10 minutes

? 1 cup honeydew melons

? 3 cups spinach, rinsed

? 3 cups Swiss chard, rinsed

? 1 bunch cilantro (leaves and stems), rinsed

? 1-inch knob of ginger, rinsed, peeled and chopped

? 2-3 knobs whole turmeric root (optional), rinsed, peeled and chopped

Juice all ingredients in a high-quality juicer. Best served immediately!

Ginger Greens Juice

Servings: 1

Cook time: 5-10 minutes

? 1 cup pineapple cubes

? 1 apple, sliced

? 1-inch knob of ginger, rinsed, peeled and chopped

? 3 cups kale, rinsed and roughly chopped or ripped

? 5 cups Swiss chard, rinsed and roughly chopped or ripped

Juice all ingredients in a high-quality juicer. Best served immediately!

Zesty Beet Juice

Servings: 1

Cook time: 5-10 minutes

? 1 grapefruit, peeled and sliced

? 1 apple, washed and sliced

? 1 whole beet, and leaves if you have them, washed and sliced

? 1-inch knob of ginger, rinsed, peeled and chopped

Juice all ingredients in a high-quality juicer. Best served immediately!

Protein Power Smoothie

Serving: 1

Cook time: 5 minutes

? 1 scoop protein powder

? 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

? 1/2 banana

? 1 kiwi, peeled

? 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

? Pinch of cardamom

? Non-dairy milk or water, enough to achieve desired consistency

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until completely smooth. Best served immediately!

ProLon? Fasting Mimicking Diet

Balanced methylation support can be achieved through proper nutrition. The ProLon? fasting mimicking diet offers a 5-day meal program which has been individually packed and labeled to serve the foods you need for the FMD in precise quantities and combinations. The meal program is made up of ready-to-eat or easy-to-prepare, plant-based foods, including bars, soups, snacks, supplements, a drink concentrate, and teas. The products are scientifically formulated and great tasting. Before starting the ProLon? fasting mimicking diet, 5-day meal program, please make sure to talk to a healthcare professional to find out if the FMD is right for you. The ProLon? fasting mimicking diet can help promote methylation support, among a variety of other healthy benefits.

Many doctors and functional medicine practitioners can recommend nutritional advice and/or guidelines to help improve DNA methylation. Proper nutrition and lifestyle habits can ultimately help improve DNA methylation. Following menu plans or samples can promote methylation support. The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal and nervous health issues as well as functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez