Thats a very odd version of "really healthy." Maple syrup, honey and fruit are as much sugar as sugar is for one thing. Where is your protein? Nondairy milks are highly processed and contain a ton of junk unless you make them yourself. Peanuts contain lectins, phytic acid and aflatoxins.

What is your plan based on? I'm not saying dont do an elimination diet (I'm a big fan of the Whole30,) Yours just isnt making sense to me.

Yeah, some might say that . I can use honey and maple syrup in dessert like things but I shouldn't eat a lot of it. I will be eating beans and peanut butter (I'm going to make my own) mostly for protein along with quinoa. I am looking into making my own almond milk, I think it would be fun.

i also can eat chia seeds and oats.

im trying to just see how this works, it's not really based of a plan, just seeing if I can get healthier by eliminating meat and dairy for a while.

Here is a green detox soup that I use from time to time: it is from the gluten free goddess. A lot of times I will add a can of coconut milk to it, as well.

If I want a bit more spice, I use this recipe with sriracha: Spicy detox broccoli soup.

Understand that two weeks of this diet is not going to change your life. If you are going to eliminate something from your diet, you need to resolve to do it for the rest of your life. Any real effects, other than weight loss or gain, take months and years to be of long term value.

I'm not a nutritionist, don't even play one on TV, but I've made major changes to my diet over the years and have experienced both positive and negative results. More than 40 years ago I stopped using salt. Then three years ago I began baking and adding salt as listed in the recipe. My blood pressure, that had always been normal, spiked to the point where I am now taking a daily pill to bring it back to normal.

Depending on which experts you follow, red meat is either the worst thing for your body or something we can't live without. I gave up red meat a couple of years ago to keep my cholesterol in check. Yeah, it worked, but I miss it terribly and will occasionally cheat.

Dairy is another good / bad class of foods. Again, in my case high cholesterol is the problem and so most dairy products are out of my diet. I do use butter in my baking along with organic eggs, and I'll occasionally have a bowl of Special K for breakfast with some 1% organic milk, but overall I'm dairy-free (if there really is such a thing.)

My suggestion to your is to eliminate just one thing at a time from your diet and give it a couple of months to see how your body and your mind react to it. And go speak to a professional nutritionist.

Thanks guys! Fawnridge, thanks for the advice! That green detox soup looks so delicous!

If you're willing to switch to almond butter or sunflower butter there are a lot of great paleo/ whole30 recipes luke Melissa Joulwan's Sunshine Sauce: http://meljoulwan.com/2009/07/21/sunshine-sauce/

Look around her site, we use many of her recipes regularly. Also, research Whole30 for a more nutritionally sound elimination diet- and really read the program so you understand the WHY. There are some people who do a veg version though it is much harder since so many fake food protein substitutes used by vegetarians are highly processed soy and grain based and therefore not allowed.

Tofu?

dcarch

Thanks!

dcarch, I don't really like tofu but willing to give it another try.

Do the recipes have to be vegan? I'm not at all sure that's a healthier diet than a regular vegetarian diet that includes eggs and some dairy.

Fully loaded salads - kale, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, hemp, chia, with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, grated garlic, 1/4 tsp maple syrup or honey, lots of pepper.

I also love a loaded egg salad - 3 eggs, 2 tbsp mayo (regular), 2 diced celery stalks, 1/4 sweet onion diced and 1/2 diced pickle - again, lots of pepper. you can sub canned salmon for egg.

ice cream - 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, 1/4 cup almond milk blended - you can add chia for part of meal (extra calories)

fish and veggies

pancake - 1 egg, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, bit of almond milk

Thanks for the recipes guys! I am trying to avoid meat and dairy as much as possible.

I am mildly lactose intolerant, and also as Fawnridge mentions, cheese is high in saturated fat, so I try to eat as little of it as possible, although I love cheese. So I exist on a low dairy diet. Also eat no beef and very little other meat. The more meat I eat, the worse I feel frankly, and I have had 38 yeas of experimenting with a vegetarian diet. Due to my cutting down on carbs and dairy, like I said, I eat some chicken or fish, and a bit of pork mostly as a flavoring. Anecdotally, (for me), I will say that cutting out meat and alcohol has a pretty dramatic effect on hot flashes. If I go overboard on either one, my hot flashes will come back. I have read in the scientific literature, that Japanese women don't have as many problems with hot flashes, at least in Japan, and that may be because their diets are low in red meat and dairy, and relatively high in soy. HOWEVER, some folks are sensitive to soy, they have mild allergic reactions to it, and it can interfere with your absorption of some medicines, etc., so it isn't for everyone. I don't eat soy in the morning because it interferes with my thyroid medication, but do have it often at lunch or dinner.

Here are some ideas:

Tofu salads, you can make them with curry or barbecue sauce, and lots of add ins. I either buy or make my own baked tofu to use in stir fry. I usually bake it for about an hour (turning halfway) covered in whatever salad dressing or marinade floats my boat at the moment. Baked tofu is basically just tofu coated with the dressing with a lot of the water evaporated. I add that to pasta and rice for added protein, particularly with a lot of pasta dishes that might ordinarily contain a lot of dairy. So for example, you can cut your ricotta (a big flag for my lactose sensitivity) with tofu and goat's milk cheese, in lasagne.

I use rice and other grain pastas to mix it up with wheat stuff. I'm not gluten intolerant, but they add so much gluten to so many things, I do try to stay away from it and use only whole grain wheat products with no added gluten. I think a lot of people's reactions to gluten aren't intolerance, just overload. So I use as many whole grains as I can, but don't sweat an occasional slice of toast or cookie.

Soups are the way to go, there are so many ideas out there! A typical day for me will be some kind of whole grain cereal for breakfast, soup or stew and salad or sandwich for lunch, and a stir fry or pasta dish for dinner or a root vegetable based stew or casserole. Sometimes I have leftovers and I reverse the order of lunch and dinner. Fruit and nuts and veggies and whole grain crackers with spreads to snack on, in moderation. Most days my salad is some version of coleslaw with carrots, bean sprouts, peas or pea pods, celery, green pepper, radish, broccoli, whatever is on sale and looks good at the market. Also marinated veggies like broiled asparagus, beets, cauliflower, etc. I go by what is in season at the market and is in my price range. A typical way this would work for me is some pita bread filled with store bought hummus, lettuce and whatever type of salad I had on hand, then maybe a bowl of soup, this week it was curried butternut squash. Next week I will probably have fake ham sandwiches and split pea soup. I make a lot of my own breads so I can control what goes into them.

Another good place to search for recipes would be Dr. Joel Fuhrman's books. I have read Eat to Live and he has several others with recipes. They lean heavily vegan so it is a plan that many would be unwilling to follow completely but he has many recipes that are quite delicious and he relies heavily on scientific studies for his nutrition advice. One recipe of his that we have enjoyed is a cauliflower mash (using cashew butter from creaminess and with chopped spinach) covered with a mushroom "stew" (I think of it as more of a ragout). If you are interested, I could find the recipe.

Tonight we will be having this recipe for spicy spaghetti squash from Whole Foods. I simplify a bit by using a can of Ro-Tel in place of the tomatoes and jalapeno and will probably have some avocado on top, and add some chopped greens to the mix. When you are no longer doing the cleanse, the leftovers are great in a tortilla. I like it topped with plain yogurt and you could do the same if you used a nondairy yogurt.

As far as the over healthiness of the diet, if you were pursuing this is a lifelong odyssey, yes, you would need to spend much more time evaluating and balancing the merits of what you eat. However, just doing this for 2 weeks, the food limitations you describe are not likely to do long-lasting harm if you are a reasonably healthy adult.

As far as the over healthiness of the diet, if you were pursuing this is a lifelong odyssey, yes, you would need to spend much more time evaluating and balancing the merits of what you eat. However, just doing this for 2 weeks, the food limitations you describe are not likely to do long-lasting harm if you are a reasonably healthy adult.

Totally agree with this. Sorry, I should have made that more clear.

Now that some people have mentioned it, I will probably do it for a few months instead. Pink mountain, thanks for the recipe ideas!

tishtoshmn, thanks!

Here's my adaptation of Smitten Kitchen's Kale Quinoa Salad. I use cheaper ingredients than the original.

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Ricotta SalataYield: 2 to 3 quite large meal salads or 4 to 5 side salads; salad will wilt a bit and seem smaller the longer it sits with the dressing

Salad
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (or 1 1/2 cups cooked) I use red quinoa, that is the only kind I can tolerate the taste of.
8 ounces Black Kale, also known as Cavolo Nero, or Lacinato, Dinosaur, or Tuscan Kale. Note: you can use this or a mix of kale and cabbage, carrots, etc.
1/2 cup slivered almonds, very well toasted and cooled (I usually use walnuts, because they are less expensive)
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped a bit (I never use cherries, almost always raisins, but you could also use dried cranberries)
2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (I use dried dill, 1 tsp.)
2 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled or finely grated (I use goat feta cheese, but you could use some marinated garbanzo beans or baked tofu as a sub. Bake the tofu like I said, using Italian dressing as the marinade.)
Few gratings of fresh lemon zest

Dressing (Can double it if you want a stronger flavored salad)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon coarse Dijon mustard
Just shy of 1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Rinse quinoa well in a small colander. This is essential to remove
bitterness. Place quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan and
bring to a simmer with a couple pinches of salt. Simmer at a very low
temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain any un-absorbed
liquid from cooked quinoa. Spread quinoa on a plate to cool quickly.

Wash your kale and dry it well. Then, with a knife, remove the rib
from each stalk, leaving long strips of kale leaves. Stack the leaves in
small batches, roll them tightly the long way, and cut the roll
crosswise into thin ribbons. Add the kale ribbons to a large salad bowl.
Add remaining salad ingredients to kale and toss to mix.

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small dish, and pour the
dressing over the salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then dig
in.

A bit more research and read links posted above. Keep it simple and stick with it. Whole foods, nothing processed. A few good grains. Nothing fried. Eggs and braised skinless chicken, etc. Make Hand rolls using tender BostonLettuce in place of bread. Banh Mi lettuce wraps. Lots of great spice blends to make yourself from whole seed. Cha Gio spring rolls or lettuce wraps...

Make your own stocks from your veg scraps.

Lots of healthy methods to learn about instead of following a not-so-healthy plan. I do think the idea is smart. Some basic eliminations.

Study a bit more. Many choices if you need a plan. but sugars starch and fats are not necessarily 'healthy'.

another choicee

Wow, 1/2 cup of olive oil. No need for oils at all. Why so much oil in recipes. ?

Adds nothing, not even much flavor.

Thanks pink mountain and sleevendog!

Here's what I am making this weekend, dutch green split pea soup, modified from "The Bean Bible" by Aliza Green.

1 lb. green split peas
16 cups vegetable broth (I think this is too much, when I make the soup I just wing it, cover the peas in twice their volume of broth and then keep adding broth as needed). I use "Better Than Bouillon" vegetable broth bouillon.
1 lb. potatoes, preferably gold ones
1 bunch leeks, white and light green parts only (in my world, that's three big leeks)
1 celery root, peeled and small diced (if you can't find this, sub some more celery and/or some carrots)
I celery stalk, including leaves, thin sliced
1 tsp. dried summer savory
1/2 lb. kielbasa style fake sausage, or whatever kind of sausage you deem healthy enough for your diet. There are some great uncured sausages out there and also ones with a mix of grains and meat. Cook the sausage before adding to the soup.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Optional: (chopped up fake ham or a sprinkle of fake bacon bits, unless you consider them "unhealthy.")

Bring peas and broth to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. It will take about an hour and a half for this soup to finish. After the peas about about half done (45 min.) add the chopped vegetables and seasonings and simmer about another 45 min. You can mash or blend some of the soup if you like, I always do. Add the fake meats if you are so inclined, and simmer another 30 min.
If you're totally down on fake meats, add some frozen peas before pureeing the soup, and add some chopped spinach or chopped pea pods and some marjoram and thyme and maybe some garlic if you are so inclined. Makes a nice soup but totally different flavor. Both are good. Can add some chopped hard boiled eggs to garnish this version.

How many seasonings do you like to use? When I start cutting fat and salt and meat and dairy, well, there's not a lot of flavor left sometimes. I do things like this, with the chick peas to add protein, and the cinnamon helps with blood sugar control and the turmeric is just healthy. Lots of veggies too...

North African Barley and Bean Stew

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
• 2 leeks, white and green parts, diced
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems separated
• 1 cup finely diced fennel, fronds reserved (1/2 large fennel bulb)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 ½ tablespoons baharat (see note)
• ½ cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ cup pearled barley
• 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
• Large pinch saffron, crumbled (optional)
• 4 cups cooked beans or chickpeas
• 2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash (1 small squash)
• ¾ cup peeled and diced turnip (1 medium)
• ½ cup red lentils
• Plain yogurt, for serving
• Aleppo pepper or hot paprika, for serving

PREPARATION

1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and cook leeks until they begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Finely chop cilantro stems. Stir into pot, along with diced fennel and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in baharat, cinnamon and tomato paste, and cook until paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in broth, 3 cups water, the barley and the salt. Bring to a gentle boil, stir in saffron, if using, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Stir in beans, squash, turnip and lentils; cook until barley is tender, about another 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Remove cinnamon stick. Spoon stew into bowls. Spoon a dollop of yogurt on top and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with cilantro leaves, fennel fronds and Aleppo pepper or paprika.

TipBaharat is a Middle Eastern spice mix. You can buy it at specialty markets or make your own. To make it, combine 2 tablespoons sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom and 1 teaspoon allspice.

I also liked this chili and I always leave the cheese off, I'm not a particular fan of cheese.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

MAKES:8 servings

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chili powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup brewed coffee

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese or reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

In a nonstick Dutch oven coated with cooking spray, saute sweet potatoes and onion in oil until crisp-tender. Add the chili powder, garlic, cumin and cayenne; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, coffee, honey, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Nutritional Facts
1 cup: 252 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 5mg cholesterol, 554mg sodium, 47g carbohydrate (17g sugars, 9g fiber), 10g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 starch, 1/2 fat.

These both came, I think, from the New York Times.

Annie

Annie, I can have any spices, pepper, salt.

Baddha vegetarianism has been around for a few thousand years. Amazing what they have done.

Go find an Asian vegetarian restaurant and enjoy. No need to deprive yourself.

dcarch

https://www.google.com/search?q=buddha+vegetarian+dishes&rlz=1C1RNHN_enUS472US472&espv=2&biw=1136&bih=602&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwieuPC7ycDRAhVBTCYKHQyfA7EQ_AUIBigB#tbm=isch&q=buddha+vegetarian+delight

If you're using peanut butter for protein, I've made this African Peanut Stew a few times and it's very good:

https://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/08/african-peanut-stew-vegan/

All of these recipes are making me hungry!

I make a salad dressing with sunbutter, rice vinegar, garlic and honey. My DH loves it!

Season, "can have" is not the same as "I'll eat them". (grin) That's why I asked. I'm perhaps the world's pickiest eater, but adventurous. So, I'll try anything once, but if I don't like something, I'm just not going to eat it, no matter how "good" it is for me or how delicious other people insist it is.

So, hot peppers? Not in my lifetime. Olives? Not happening. Beer/wine/liquor? No chance. I can have all those things, but I am just not going to! I'm pretty good at giving up things I like if they aren't really good for me, but I'm terrible at eating things I don't like because they are...

Annie

Annie, thanks for clarifying! I can stand mild heat so maybe a hot pepper mixed in to a dish is fine. I only like black olives. No mushrooms or squash (butternut is ok). I would never cook with alchohol except if it was cooking red wine in beef stew. I'm sorry, I am pretty picky. I hate tuna.

compumom, that seems like an interesting dressing!

Eggs are just about the perfect source for protein & some essential nutrients. Hard-cooking them adds no fat. I find eating grains makes me hungrier than when I avoid them. Starches tend to promote the production of ghrelin, I understand - which is the hormone that makes us feel hungry.

Leaner proteins, lots of fresh fruits & veggies, legumes, whole grains & green tea make for a pretty healthy & 'cleaner' diet. Organic foods have less pesticides, which makes a difference, I believe, especially when it comes to eating fewer toxins.

Thanks!

When I did an elimination diet years ago I would even just have a tablespoon of chia seeds with a teaspoon of coconut oil for breakfast. An odd but perfectly acceptable food intake source.

Organic foods have less pesticides,

Not always. They often have more pesticide residue than conventional produce, the difference being the origins of the pesticides. If you grow your own produce, yes, they probably do, but factory farming is factory farming, whether certified organic or not.

See, for instance:

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/httpblogsscientificamericancomscience-sushi20110718mythbusting-101-organic-farming-conventional-agriculture/

As a matter of fact, one of the local farms here that specializes in froofy esoteric produce for many of the chefs in S FL states flatly that they just can't afford to be certified organic because of what it would cost them in pesticides.

Cookie8, I love chia seeds do I will probably try that!

Writersblock - I understand that organic foods are not pesticide free, but they tend not to have the same type of toxins found in conventional produce - & meats, dairy & eggs are treated differently than conventional as well.

Yeah, my version of eggplant dip is just roasted pepper and eggplant, peeled and pureed with some s&p garlic and dill and maybe a splash of evoo or tahini, or even mayo, but the fats are not necessary. But I serve it with pita bread so if you're going gluten free and whole grains, that's out. It does go well with rice crackers or wasa or some gluten free bagel chips I can get at the store. But I usually only eat that for either a party or as a snack. Better is to make some ratatouille for a dinner, which is great over rice with some garbanzo or cannellini beans added, very healthy vegan meal, with a salad and maybe some orange slices for dessert.

I would just find a vegan cooking site and adapt the recipes to your liking. We had a book "eating vegan before 6" that had a lot of good recipes. Nancy

I made the North African stew for supper tonight and Elery and I both liked it very much. It was very filling, with all those beans and lentils and surprisingly, not very spicy, in spite of the homemade baharat I made to season it with. I didn't have barley that the recipe calls for, so I used a mixture of quinoa, millet and flax and a handful of brown rice. It makes a LOT, though, I'd make half a batch next time, I have a large container in the refrigerator. Elery will make omelettes stuffed with it, I'm sure, and I don't mind leftovers.

I'd definitely make it again. Elery was lamenting that his kimchi is just started today, he thought they would go well together. Ahem. I understand that kimchi is very healthy and full of probiotics and all that, but I just can't eat it, it's too spicy.

Annie

Oh, Annie, that looks so good!

Nancy, thanks for the advice!

It’s amazing what you can do with Spam these days.

And you dragged up a 2 year old post to add your spam. Does your mother know what you do?

It's spam, just flag it.