Poisons (I Mean Foods) to Avoid Like the Plague!!!

Grains of ANY kind (this includes rice, oatmeal, rye, wheat products, etc.)

Corn (and anything containing corn or corn products)

Peanuts (and anything containing peanuts or peanut products)

Potatoes

Legumes (beans, peas, etc.)

Cereal (not even whole grain or unsweetened)

Sugar

Honey

Bread

Cakes, cookies or pastries

Wine

Beer

Distilled liquor

Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners (Stevia is OK)

High fructose corn syrup

Corn syrup solids

“Vegetable” oil (they are usually made of corn or soybean oil)

Soy products of any kind

Citric acid

Partially hydrogenated or fully hydrogenated anything

Margarine

Pam cooking spray

Anything that comes in a box

Read Those Labels !!!

For a period of time, you want to eat nothing but fresh (or frozen) whole foods. No convenience foods, nothing that came in a box, nothing with sugar, and nothing labeled “diet.” (As far as I know, aspartame is only a neurotoxin – it doesn’t help the fungus proliferate. So in that sense, I guess a diet soda now and then wouldn’t hurt, but if you do drink them, try to drink as few as possible.)

I know it will be hard, but this diet implies you’re eating to save your life, so just try to put up with it. After you’re finished with Phase 1, you can add some things back in sparingly, such as honey, brown rice, oatmeal, beans, peas, flour tortillas and such. Just remember to pay attention to what’s going on in your body as you reintroduce these items. If something sets you back again, quit eating it.

We’ll go into Phase II in a future newsletter, giving you a list of additional foods you can start adding in, and some more recipes to go along with them. Phase II is so easy to stick with. There are just so many good foods.

Breakfast Recipes for Phase I

Broccoli & Tomato Omelet

2 eggs

Pinch of dried dill (or any herb you like)

½ cup broccoli pieces (florets or stem), cut small

1 small (or ½ large) tomato, diced

2 tablespoons cream cheese

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a frying pan. Beat the eggs and herbs together. Add a pinch of salt if you want. Pour into the pan and immediately sprinkle the broccoli and tomato pieces evenly over the surface. Cover and cook over low heat until almost set. Dot the cream cheese along one side and continue cooking, covered, until eggs are set. Fold in half and slide onto plate.

You can use anything else you want to make different omelets (well, you know!). That one is one of my favorites, though.

Herb & Cheese Omelet

2 eggs

2 slices Swiss cheese

Pinch each of thyme, rosemary, savory (or whatever you have that you think will taste good)

Salt and pepper to taste

(You know how to make an omelet) Beat the herbs into the eggs, then when the eggs are almost set, lay the cheese over half of it, then when eggs are set, fold over and eat!

Persian Omelet

1 large tomato, sliced

Small handful of slivered onion

2 to 3 eggs

Salt and pepper

Heat either butter or olive oil in a frying pan. Add tomato slices in a single layer and sprinkle onion slivers over the tomatoes. When tomatoes start sizzling, flip over and cook the other side for a minute or two. Crack the eggs over the top of the tomatoes (do not beat the eggs). Break the yolks and swirl slightly with a spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until eggs are set.

Country Breakfast

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup diced lean ham (or turkey ham)

½ green pepper, diced

½ cup onion, diced

2 green onions, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper to taste

In a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the vegetables, ham and seasonings for 3 minutes. Cover and cook over low heat until vegetables are just crisp-tender (only a couple minutes). Pour the eggs over the vegetables, without stirring. Cover and continue cooking until eggs are set.

Grapefruit Crunch

1 ruby red grapefruit

¼ cup plain (or vanilla) yogurt (recipe for vanilla yogurt in the Dessert section)

1 tablespoon chopped or slivered almonds

Cut grapefruit in half and spoon out the sections into a bowl. Remember to slurp all the juice out of the peel before you toss it. Top grapefruit sections with yogurt and sprinkle with almonds.

Breakfast Fruit Salad

3 green apples, diced

2 grapefruits, peeled and sectioned, chopped

½ tsp. Cinnamon

1 tablespoon crushed or slivered almonds

Combine all ingredients, tossing until well blended, and chill.

Some Other Quick & Easy Breakfast Ideas

Eat a large Granny Smith apple with a hunk of Swiss cheese

Eat 2 hard-boiled eggs and half a grapefruit

Eat a bowl of cottage cheese with blueberries on it

How about steak & eggs? Fry a thin, lean steak and two eggs (no toast or hash-browns, sorry)

No matter what you eat for breakfast, accompany it with a glass of V-8 juice – that way you get all your good veggies for breakfast.

Lunch Recipes for Phase I

Carrot Salad

2 large carrots

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

pinch of salt

pinch of dried basil

Peel and grate carrots into a bowl. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, salt, herbs and olive oil. Whisk until creamy. Pour over carrots and toss until coated. You can eat as much of this as you want. It’s truly a medicinal food!

Walnut & Feta Cheese Salad

1 medium tomato, diced

½ cup walnuts, chopped

½ green or yellow pepper, seeded and diced

½ cup feta cheese, chunked

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

pinch of salt

2 cups salad greens

Place chopped (or torn) salad greens into a large bowl. Add walnuts and peppers and toss. In a small bowl combine lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Whisk until creamy. Pour over greens and toss lightly. Place on serving plate and sprinkle with chunks of feta cheese. (You can also add a can of drained tuna to the greens before tossing, if you want a bit of a heartier meal.)

Tomato & Green Pepper Salad

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

2 green onions, sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

dash of garlic powder

1/8 tsp. Cumin powder

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings together until creamy. Pour over diced vegetables and toss to coat.

Yogurt & Mint Salad

1 cup plain yogurt

½ cucumber, peeled and diced

½ sweet onion, diced

1 tsp dried mint (peppermint or spearmint), crumbled

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill and serve cold.

Doug Kaufmann’s Favorite Meal (slightly adapted)

1 tomato, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 cucumber, diced

1 avocado, diced

½ cup black olives, chopped or halved

3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Cooked salmon or tuna

5 tablespoons lemon juice

drizzle of olive oil

Combine first five ingredients and toss. Add sliced boiled eggs and salmon (or tuna). Top with lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Makes two servings (unless you’re really hungry!)

Tuna Salad

½ cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ tsp. Mrs. Dash seasoning (or salt)

2 6-oz cans of tuna, crumbled

1 small onion, diced small

1 stalk celery, sliced thin

1 carrot, grated or sliced thin

1 small tomato, diced small

1 jalapeno pepper, diced small (optional)

Lightly blend all ingredients. Chill and serve with slices, chunks or cubes of a variety of raw vegetables.

Deviled Eggs

3 hard boiled eggs

Plain yogurt

1 tsp (or more, to taste) yellow mustard

Pinch of dried dill weed

Salt & pepper to taste

Halve the eggs and mash the yolks with mustard, seasonings, and enough yogurt to make a good consistency. Stuff the egg halves with the yolk mixture.

Note: If there is nothing listed above that’s convenient to take to work with you, just make extra dinner and take leftovers to warm up the next day for lunch. These salads can be made for lunch on weekends, as well as with dinners. I’ve had most of them, and they’re very good!

Dinner (Main Dish) Recipes for Phase I

Garlic Pepper Steak

1 lean beef steak (about 7 or 8 oz.)

½ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp pepper

salt to taste

1 tsp goat cheese or feta cheese

Combine thyme, garlic and pepper. Press evenly onto steak. Salt if desired. Broil or pan fry until as done as you want. During the last two minutes of cooking, sprinkle on the cheese.

Tas Kebab

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lean beef, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, diced

½ tsp turmeric

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp black pepper

½ can tomato paste

4 cups water

2 cups diced tomatoes

2 cups eggplant or any kind of squash, diced (can also use diced cauliflower)

Salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a deep pot. Add beef and onions, stirring briskly until beef is almost browned. Add spices and stir. Add tomato paste and stir. Add water, tomatoes, and eggplant or squash, stir. Reduce heat a bit and simmer (keep it bubbling gently) until the sauce has thickened somewhat. This could take up to an hour, depending on the heat. When it’s sufficiently thickened, taste and add salt as needed, then ladle into a bowl. Refrigerate leftovers to take to work and nuke for your lunch the next day.

Meat Koo-Koo

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

1 lb ground meat (no fat)

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1 ½ cups chopped broccoli

1 medium onion, diced

1 large tomato, diced

12 eggs

pinch of saffron

½ tsp salt

Heat the olive oil or butter in a large skillet and brown the meat. While the meat is cooking, add cumin, basil, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.

Mix the broccoli, onion and tomato in a large bowl. Add the meat mixture and toss to combine. Place in a buttered baking dish, like one of those Corningware white quiche dishes, or a 9x13 baking dish. Beat the eggs with the saffron and ½ tsp of salt and pour over the meat and vegetable mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until center is set, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of your pan. Start checking it after 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before cutting into serving sized pieces. Leftovers can be microwaved for breakfast, too.

Turkey & Spinach Patties

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic

1egg

1 lb ground turkey or chicken

½ cup well drained, thawed frozen spinach (or chopped fresh spinach)

½ cup chicken broth

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Sauté onion in 2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan, until soft and lightly browned. Remove from heat and mix in garlic.

Beat egg in a medium bowl. Blend in onion mixture, ground meat, spinach, 2 tablespoons broth, salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan that the onions were cooked in. Place the patties in the pan and brown over moderately high heat, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove patties to warm plate to keep warm.

Add remaining 6 tablespoons of broth to pan. Cook, stirring to mix into the pan drippings. Boil for about 30 seconds and pour over patties.

Basil Pork Chops

2 pork chops, all fat trimmed off

½ cup V-8 juice

2 tsp dried basil, crumbled

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Brown the pork chops in a frying pan lightly wiped with olive oil. While the chops are browning, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. When chops are browned nicely on both sides, pour the sauce over them, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Turn meat occasionally and add a few tablespoons of water to the pan if the sauce evaporates too much.

Vegetable Ham (slightly adapted)

2 cups diced ham (or turkey ham)

¼ cup diced onion

1 cup zucchini, shredded

½ cup water (or chicken broth)

½ cup carrots, shredded

½ cup broccoli florets, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Add ham, onion and zucchini and sauté until browned. Add water and the rest of the vegetables, cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 6 to 10 minutes.

Moroccan Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 large onion, sliced

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

salt to taste

Lay onion slices in the bottom of a glass baking dish. Slice chicken breasts into large chunks diagonally and lay on top of the onions. Sprinkle with a little salt. Combine other spices in a small bowl and mix. Sprinkle spices over chicken and onions. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 35 for 30 to 40 minutes. Take the leftover chicken and onions to work the next day.

Chicken Fajitas

(This one takes a little effort, and makes a lot, so invite some friends over some weekend and have this for dinner.)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinade:        2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (can also use lemon)

Tomato Salsa:            1 pound tomatoes, chopped

                        1 small onion, minced

                        1 fresh jalapeno pepper, sliced thinly

                        1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (or lemon)

Vegetables:     1 clove garlic, minced

                        1 large onion, sliced

                        1 green pepper, sliced

                        1 red or yellow sweet pepper, sliced

                        1 tablespoon olive oil

Place chicken breasts in a bowl or large zip-lock bag. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Combine tomato salsa ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use. Sautee onion, garlic, and peppers in olive oil until they’re as done as you like. Meanwhile, grill or broil the chicken until cooked through, then slice. Put sautéed vegetables on plate, top with sliced chicken and salsa. You can also use large lettuce leaves instead of tortillas if you want to wrap them up like a burrito.

Curried Chicken

One whole fryer chicken, cut up.

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced or smashed

2 tsp curry powder

¼ tsp ground ginger

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

salt to taste

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and brown chicken well on all sides, a few pieces at a time. Add more butter to pan if necessary. Remove chicken pieces as they brown and set aside. When all chicken is cooked, add another tablespoon butter to pan and add onion, stirring constantly over medium heat until just beginning to brown. Add garlic and curry powder and continue stirring for 1 minute. Mix in ginger and tomato paste, stirring well, then return chicken pieces to pan. Pour chicken broth over chicken and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, simmering chicken until it is tender (about 45 minutes). Remove chicken pieces and arrange on platter. Pour the sauce over and garnish with parsley. Serve with plain yogurt, chopped cucumber and almonds on the side.

Greek Chicken (from Georgeanna Hakimi)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 lb feta cheese

1 can black olives

1 onion, diced

3 or 4 tomatoes, diced

Oregano, rosemary and thyme

Dice the chicken breasts and sauté them in a little butter or olive oil. Sprinkle them in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with the feta cheese, crumbled into chunks. Top with olives, onions, tomatoes and spices. Stir briefly to mix ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Spicy Turkey Patties

4 large garlic cloves, smashed and minced

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin powder

½ tsp black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

¼ tsp salt

1 lb ground turkey

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix spices in a bowl. Add ground turkey and mix lightly to blend. Shape into 4 patties. Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium heat, add patties and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side (patties should be springy when pressed). Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Turkey Meatloaf

3 lbs ground turkey

2 tablespoons chili powder

3 eggs

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (or 3 tsp dried)

1 tablespoon V-8 juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients. Place turkey mixture into an oiled loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

(Be creative and substitute or add different spices for different flavors.)

Garlic Dill Fish

½ pound fish fillet (any kind will do)

½ tsp dillweed

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle lemon juice over fish and refrigerate for 30 minutes, covered. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay the fish in a shallow glass baking pan, greased with butter. Sprinkle with dill, garlic, salt and pepper. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Fennel-fried Fish

1 ¼ lb thick fish fillets

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons fennel seed

2 tablespoons water

Cut fish crosswise into ½ inch thick slices and set aside. Pour oil into a skillet large enough to hold fish pieces in one layer. Add fennel seed and sauté a few seconds. Add fish and fry for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of water and cover skillet. Two minutes later, add the second tablespoon of water and replace the cover. Steam fish until it is cooked through. (Makes 4 servings, so take the leftovers for lunch.)

Garlic & Rosemary Broiled Fish

¼ tsp crumbled dried rosemary

1 clove garlic, minced fine

½ tsp paprika

dash cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb firm fish fillets (cod, salmon, halibut)

lemon wedges

Preheat broiler with rack positioned about 4 inches below the heat. Sprinkle fish lightly with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine rosemary, garlic, paprika, cayenne and oil. Spoon half the mixture over one side of the fish pieces, rubbing it in with your fingers. Lay fish on the broiler rack oiled side up and broil for 5 minutes. Carefully turn the fish over and spoon the remaining oil mixture on the other side, rubbing it in with your fingers. Broil for 4 to 5 more minutes, or until thickest part of the fish turns opaque. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

Mediterranean Baked Fish

1 pound cod fillets (or other firm white fish)

2 medium zucchini, sliced

4 medium tomatoes, diced

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp dried oregano, crumbled

Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix zucchini and tomatoes in baking dish, top with cod fillets. Spoon olive oil evenly over fish. Sprinkle with lemon juice, garlic powder and oregano. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn fillets and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.