Dad suffered from a number of health problems. He had GERD, minor psoriasis, mouth ulcers, fatigue and had an extremely hard time losing weight. He stopped eating desserts, went without sugar, and tried exercising. The worst health problem was severe depression. It seems to run in our family.
When I started figuring out my problems were caused by food, and my depression lifted, I convinced dad to go on the same diet. The first year he lost 50 pounds. No joke. He lost about a pound a week. I know this sounds extreme but he’s eating well. We eat a lot and we definitely don’t calorie count. All his minor health problems went away, and he seemed to age backward. No joke, check out his previous YouTube videos (2014 ish) compared to 2016-2017’s. The depression has been harder to get under control but it’s under control too. He doesn’t nap either. We’re going to make a video soon about it.
Anyways this is his diet:
Meats:
- turkey
- beef
- chicken
- lamb
- duck
- wild game is fine too, elk, moose, etc.
- wild salmon
- tuna – check the ingredients! Get stuff that’s just tuna and water and perhaps salt.
- organ meat – chicken liver tastes the best I find
- wild herring – check the ingredients!
- wild sardines – check the ingredients!
Veggies:
- lettuce
- arugula
- arugula microgreens (arugula sprouts)
- cucumber
- swiss chard
- seaweed –check the ingredients! this is hard to find without soy and other things. The brand I’ve linked to is safe and really tasty
- cilantro
- collard greens
- broccoli
- turnips
- cauliflower
- parsnips
- sweet potatoes
- spinach
Fruit:
- olives – check the ingredients! see my olive post. be super careful about which brands you buy here too, many have preservatives and flavours and dyes.
Vinegars:
- apple cider vinegar – try to get the organic stuff so there aren’t dyes and flavours added
Oils:
- coconut oil – get unrefined. And try to avoid the Nutiva brand. It’s everywhere but it doesn’t taste as good, and I’ve had ones that have gone bad before.
- olive oil – make sure your olive oil is pure olive oil. Sometimes it’s also soybean oil!
Spices/Seasonings
- salt
- pepper
- marjoram
- parsley
- oregano
- thyme
- rosemary
- peppermint
- turmeric
- basil
- bay leaf
Other:
- baking soda (probably won’t eat this but it’s good for toothpaste 🙂 )
- peppermint tea – check the ingredients. Buy loose leaf (David’s sells an organic peppermint which is lovely) or organic. We want to make sure there aren’t preservatives or flavours added. White tea bags or coffee filters are often bleached with sulfites. If you’re super sensitive (dad and I), you’ll react to these. So make sure you get organic tea bags as well!
- black tea
- bourbon
- vodka (unflavoured)
This makes it extremely difficult to eat out, and we’d be more relaxed about it if messing up didn’t result in a deep and miserable month long depression. We’re trying to branch out to more foods, but it seems like most of what we try and reintroduce goes badly. Next test is tomatoes!
UPDATE:
Hello Mikhaila, found your blog through your dad, he mentioned it in September Q&A….Love his talks, changed my life….sending it to all my family and friends…he is amazing, and of course from him I knew about You and your health problems…I would have to write a book to tell you about my health problems over the years….I am 60 years old now…anyway…IBS, and more is giving me more problems lately….hate doctors, so went on your diet….bit similar to Ketone diet which I was introduced to in a German Clinic..I am actually drinking bicarbonate of soda, spoon a day with a spoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water…plus ginger ( fresh one) tea makes wonder for my liver! Congratulations on your baby…and kiss your dad for me….had a dream about him after listening to him nearly every day for 2 months ( catching up on all his lectures) 🙂 Warm greetings from Poland 🙂
Thanks, Mikhaila.
Is pork problematic? I mean, besides bacon/ham and other processed meat. Does he abstain for religious reasons/personal distaste, or does he react to it?
Your father advises a large low carb/high fat breakfast for emotional stability. I’d really like to know what such a breakfast looks like on this diet. Eggs and bacon and cheese are out. Chicken wings? Steak?
Does this diet provide enough vitamin c?
I’ll write a post on this at some point. We’ve given up on breakfast foods. Breakfast dinner and lunch are all the same. We’re huge fans of chicken wings. So far vitamin c hasn’t been a problem. If you’re worried though, get your levels looked at periodically. You can also take supplements.
Cauliflower has tons of vitamin C in it.
Have you talked to any women who have endometriosis? My girlfriend and I have been experimenting with different diets to help her pain. The diet you and your Dad are on is the one we have had the best success with but just wondering if you had heard anything about diet and endo. Thanks! Congrats on the baby 🙂
I have a friend with endo and she’s on the same diet. Most of the bloating has gone down and other health issues (skin, fatigue), but I’m not sure how much it’s helped the actual endo… She has to be as strict as me though, and has some pretty nasty reactions if she accidentally messes up. If she’s being strict with the list of food Dad is on and it isn’t helping enough, cut out the carbs. It’s restrictive but my friend can’t handle the parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips part… not yet anyways. Good luck!
Hi, Mikhalia, thanks for this post.
I’m looking forward to hearing your Dad speak next month at Clemson University in South Carolina which is 15 minutes from my home. I am on the keto diet and would be happy to help direct him toward restaurants that will work with the above nutritional restrictions. Hell, if necessary, I’d be happy to serve as a personal chef during the visit if I could hang out and chat a bit.
Let me know if I can be of any help, and I’d love to hear your opinion of the modern keto diet for weight loss at some point. I’ve had good success with weight loss and have also seen benefits to my mood, energy levels, and complexion on keto. Thanks!
I see your Dad likes olives. I’m also very sensitive to the additives in commercial olives so I learned how to make my own olives. Here’s the recipe. Wishing you both the best! http://eatkamloops.org/pantry-foods-fast-cured-green-olives/
Hi Mikhaila – I came across your blog through your Dad’s videos. His diet is virtually identical to mine, although I’ve come to it through adopting the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) after many years trying different things to tackle fatigue and mood problems. People are shocked when they find out what I can’t eat and think I must feel terribly deprived, but compared to being deprived of health, it’s nothing. The best of luck to you in your ongoing journey.
Yeah… Would you rather have a restricted diet or be miserable? That’s a really easy question to answer. Thanks!
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