Food

Seafood and Seaweed

Unseasoned seaweed Nori is the famous Japanese sushi seaweed Taste is rather bland by itself Use it to make seasoned seaweed at home: our recipe	<br />
Seasoned seaweed A tasty way to add sea greens (chlorophyll, minerals) to your diet Try with a pinch of rice It’s cheaper and better to make your own — see our recipe	<br />	<br />
Dried Seaweed Valuable source of iodine and other trace minerals Wakame (sweet, soft) is good in soups Dulse flakes can be used to flavor foods	<br />	<br />	<br />
Oysters A good source of zinc 12 oysters per week eliminates need to supplement zinc Watch out for bad packing oils like cottonseed oil – we’ve made that mistake	<br />	<br />	<br />
Anchovies A good source of omega-3 Delicious	<br />	<br />	<br />

Beverages

Green tea

The classic healthful drink of Asia
Best way to prepare: steep cold by placing about 20 leaves in a liter of filtered water in the refrigerator overnight.
For warm tea, heat the steeped tea in a microwave.

Flavorings

Sea salt

Useful source of trace minerals, sodium and chloride
Appropriate amount: 1/4 tsp/day on carb-rich diet, 1 tsp/day on very low-carb diet

Fish Sauce

A healthful fermented food flavoring rich in umami taste

Oils

Coconut oil A healthful plant oil low in omega-6 fats Rich in ketogenic medium chain triglycerides Has antimicrobial properties, helpful in bowel diseases	<br />	<br />	<br />
Coconut milk and creamed coconut Alternative source of coconut oil; 3 tbsp coconut milk contains 1 tbsp coconut oil	<br />	<br />	<br />
Macadamia Oil Another healthful tree nut oil low in omega-6 fats	<br />	<br />
Medium chain triglycerides An alternative source of ketogenic fatty acids The ketogenic benefits of coconut oil in fewer calories	<br />	<br />	<br />

Rice, Noodles, & Baking Starches

Rice Short grain rice clumps and is good for sushi Medium grain rice is a good all purpose starch Long grain Jasmine rice is suitable for Indian or southeast Asian style foods	<br />	<br />	<br />
Rice Noodles Tinkyada white rice spaghetti noodles are highly recommended by Mia Brown rice noodles are available in more forms, including lasagna noodles	<br />	<br />	<br />
Rice Stick Noodles Pad Thai noodles are good for most cooking applications, including spaghetti	<br />	<br />
Flours and Starches For PHD baking, these “safe starches” are all gluten-free Cheapest option: mix your own, 2:1:1 rice flour to potato starch to tapioca starch	<br />	<br />	<br />
Flours and Starches (cont.) For a more cohesive flour than the rice-potato-tapioca starch mixture, include buckwheat flour Gluten Free Pantry flour is recommended by Emily	<br />	<br />	<br />
Crackers Yehuda gluten-free matzoh crackers are our current favorite	<br />	<br />	<br />
Crackers (cont) Potato-based crackers are good Chestnut is also a safe starch Rice snaps have no oil	<br />	<br />	<br />

Sweeteners

Honey Natural raw honey is perhaps the most healthful of sweeteners Fermented raw honey is also healthful	<br />	<br />	<br />
Sweeteners – Safe Starch Syrups Rice syrup and tapioca syrup are pre-digested safe starches, broken down to sugars like dextrose, maltose, and maltodextrose Advantage: they are fructose-free	<br />	<br />
Sweeteners – Powders These are all fructose-free Dextrose is pure glucose (Warning: derived from corn) Malt contains maltose, the disaccharide of glucose (Warning: not gluten-free.)	<br />	<br />	<br />
Low-Carb Sweeteners Stevia is a popular low-carb sweetener. Erythritol is a natural sugar alcohol with almost no calories. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that inhibits Candida but can act as a laxative.	<br />	<br />	<br />

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134 Comments.

Beatrice P. June 4, 2018 at 8:45 am

Hello Paul,
Is it true that the best way to cook eggs is soft-boiling them because that way more lecithin and choline are preserved? Are other methods such as scrambled eggs worse?
Thanks.

Reply
- Paul Jaminet June 4, 2018 at 9:06 am
  
  No, I don’t believe it matters how you cook them. Boiling them denatures proteins but doesn’t destroy them. The nutrients are still there.
  
  Reply
Peter Sanders June 23, 2018 at 8:40 am

Hello Paul,
Is organic pork liver a good source of copper as well? I bought some because they didn’t have beef this time.

Reply
- Eric June 24, 2018 at 2:04 pm
  
  Hi Peter,
  
  No, pork liver has less than one twentieth of the copper of beef or lamb liver. Compare for example
  
  http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/pork-products/2195/2
  http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3469/2
  
  See also http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2012/02/the-trouble-with-pork-part-3-pathogens/
  
  Best,
  -Eric
  
  Reply
Jenna Stalvaart July 1, 2018 at 4:09 pm

Dear Paul,
Could you please say whether warming up bone broth before consumption to transform the jello into a liquid reduces the benefits somehow or the effects of collagen? Are we supposed to eat it in the gelatinous form? Thanks.

Reply
- Paul Jaminet July 2, 2018 at 5:33 pm
  
  No, heating does not reduce nutrition. It’s great in a hot soup or stew.
  
  Reply
Stan Staykov July 5, 2018 at 5:36 am

Hello Paul,
According to this research bone broth is not the great source of minerals it was once thought out to be, can you please comment:
https://www.alive.com/health/bone-broth-analysis-reader-research/

Reply
Henry July 20, 2018 at 1:09 pm

Hey Paul,

I’m wanting to try your lunch bowl out – meat, rice, veggies drenched in egg yolk! Salads with meat are getting old! Would you please elaborate on how you prepare the egg yolk on this dish? I just boiled the eggs & peeled the white away & only threw the yolk in there, but I’m sure theres a better way.

Thank you!
Henry

Reply
Betty Sampson July 21, 2018 at 8:58 am

Hello Paul,
Is it a good idea to blend chicken remains (bone, cartilage) into a smoothie and drink for some minerals and collagen? This way one doesn’t have to throw away anything?

Thanks.

Reply
- Paul Jaminet July 21, 2018 at 9:28 am
  
  Hi Betty, it’s common among animals to eat small bones and cartilage, so yes this could be beneficial/nourishing. Best, Paul
  
  Reply
Stephen S. July 22, 2018 at 4:23 pm

Dear Paul,
Have you heard this theory that if you eat a certain food very often, your body starts to develop IgG and IgE antibodies against it? There has been some evidence that if you eat a lot of avocados they may trigger a positive on a food intolerance test, because the body is producing antibodies against it. What is the evolutionary reason for this mechanism, does it have any value?

Regards.

Reply
- Paul Jaminet July 22, 2018 at 4:31 pm
  
  Hi Stephen,
  
  Immunology is complex. Exposure to higher levels of antigens can increase the risk of developing antibodies, but frequent exposure can also induce tolerance. I wouldn’t avoid eating a food you like because of an assumed change in sensitivity risk.
  
  Best, Paul
  
  Reply
Molly Cooper August 1, 2018 at 10:12 am

Hey Paul,
Do you think it’s possible to meet daily copper needs by storing drinking water in a copper vessel overnight and then drinking the water?

Regards,
Molly

Reply
- Paul Jaminet August 1, 2018 at 10:21 am
  
  Hi Molly,
  
  The amount of copper you get that way is going to be highly sensitive to the acidity of the water, and hard to control. I would recommend chocolate and nuts if you want to get copper from diet.
  
  Best, Paul
  
  Reply
Tawny Leonard February 18, 2019 at 10:32 pm

Do you recommend turkey at all, or is there a reason not to eat turkey meat? I like it better than chicken and read The Perfect Health Diet, but did not see any mention of turkey. Also, what cheese would you recommend? An aged cheddar ok? Thank you. Just starting your health plan.

Reply
- Paul Jaminet February 18, 2019 at 11:16 pm
  
  Turkey is fine. Any cheese is fine.
  
  Reply
  - steve February 20, 2019 at 11:04 pm
    
    Is turkey really fine though? A run-of-the-mill store-bought turkey is probably fed with soy & other high omega-6 grains. So the meat will directly reflect the feed.
    
    Reply
Lara Crespo March 23, 2019 at 10:23 am

Is it allowed the malted barley molasses,which specify are gluten free?
Thank you.

Reply
- Paul Jaminet March 23, 2019 at 1:33 pm
  
  Yes, although it’s not recommended, it is acceptable.
  
  Reply
Margit April 3, 2019 at 8:07 pm

Hello,
I am having no luck in subscribing to your newsletter. Perhaps you can help? I do not receive the part to activate my subscription. I have checked my spam (I do not have a bulk email section), but nothing there. I appreciate your suggestions. Thank you.

Reply
Della G. July 7, 2019 at 3:51 am

Dear Paul,
Can you please say whether dried fruit and vegetables are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts? I am mostly interested in dried tomatoes and blueberries (organic, unsweetened, unprocessed). I am also wondering whether blueberries retain their anthocyanin contents and and anti-cancer effects when dried. What are your general thoughts about dried fruits and veggies?
Thanks so much,
Della

Reply
- Paul Jaminet July 7, 2019 at 9:25 am
  
  Hi Della, it depends on the method of drying and preserving, but generally they should be as nutritious, yes.
  
  Best, Paul
  
  Reply
Christine Stevens February 16, 2020 at 5:15 am

Hi Paul, i have an under active thyroid and my cholesterol is creeping up. I have been put on 50mcg of levothyroxine sodium 6 days a week, nothing for cholesterol yet. What foods should i avoid? Also what foods should i be eating and what supplements would help me?
thank you for your help
Chris

Reply
Stella Berg February 26, 2020 at 9:04 am

Dear Paul,
I have the following two questions regarding Wakame:

1. If eating daily Wakame 10-20g do we need to boil in water to decrease Iodine and Arsenic contents?

2. Do we need to combine Wakame and other seaweed with goitrogens like soy/broccoli/bok choy (like the Japanese do) to help protect against excessive Iodine? (goitrogens compete with Iodine and might help prevent excessive Iodine intake).

Thanks,
Stella

Reply
Asania S May 21, 2020 at 10:28 am

Dear Paul,
We seem to posses many attributes of herbivores such as carbohydrate degrading enzymes in our mouth, longer guts and the need to chew food and carnivores have none of these features. Does this mean that our bodies are more similar to those of herbivores than those of carnivores?
Thanks

Reply
- Paul Jaminet May 21, 2020 at 10:36 am
  
  Hi Asania,
  
  Humans are omnivores meant to eat a mix of animal and plant foods. I would not say we are closer to herbivores than carnivores; for example, the ratio of small intestine length to colon length is more similar in humans to carnivores and in gorillas to herbivores.
  
  Best, Paul
  
  Reply
Joanna June 3, 2020 at 9:39 am

Hello Paul,

i was checking your website and i have a question, i know that people that have cancer tend to go to vegetarian diets and cut meet specially red meat and sugars, in your diet there is a lot of meet, organs meet and bones, which is nutritious. Is your diet recommended for people having or have had cancer?

Also one can apply your diet with the supplements, or those are mandatory?

Reply
Paola J. June 30, 2020 at 4:16 am

Dear Paul,
Should we avoid beef brain due to fear of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease?

Thanks,
Paola

Reply
Junior Hunter November 15, 2020 at 4:33 pm

Hey Paul,
Can you please share a healthful way to preserve meat without electricity/refrigeration? What is the best ancestral practice for this? Thanks.

Reply
- Paul Jaminet November 15, 2020 at 5:18 pm
  
  Salting or curing meat is the traditional approach. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt-cured_meat
  
  Reply
John Jammer September 4, 2021 at 5:58 pm

Dear Paul,
Is there any truth to the claim that steaming vegetables preserves more nutrients as opposed to boiling or baking them?

Thanks.

Reply
- Paul Jaminet September 4, 2021 at 7:49 pm
  
  Hi John, Generally gentle cooking (steam or water) is safer than high temperature cooking (baking), and boiling can leach nutrients into the water.
  
  Best, Paul
  
  Reply
James Marshall October 16, 2021 at 5:12 am

Hi Paul!
Could you please say, what did babies and small children eat during ancestral times when there were no puréed foods? Do you think babies should just follow the PHD in the same way like adults? Thanks.

Reply
- Paul Jaminet October 16, 2021 at 6:51 am
  
  Hi James,
  
  It was probably some combination of late weaning and mastication of foods by mom before transferring them to the weaning child. See for example https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26010245/.
  
  Yes, babies should follow the PHD. We have a recipe for a transitional baby food: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/recipe/phd-baby-food/
  
  Best, Paul
  
  Best, Paul
  
  Reply