1. Agatha January 18, 2012 at 6:21 am

   Hello
   I’m craving crispy food!
   Has anyone got any recipes for PHD compatible crispy food. I mean dry crispy (like fried breaded fish or potato chips) rather than wet crispy ( like celery).

   I wonder if fried insects would be good? But I live in the UK – has anyone found a source of edible insects in the UK? Any other ideas?
   Thanks

   Reply
2. Connie Warner January 18, 2012 at 8:30 am

   Agatha: Try the kale chips (see my posting on Dec. 21). They’re crispy and salty – delicious! Also, there’s the PHD recipe for onion rings. Just like the kale chips, you have to make sure you cook them long enough so they get crispy.

   Reply
3. Connie Warner January 18, 2012 at 11:29 am

   I made Paula Deen’s Shrimp Etouffee this weekend and we loved it!

   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/shrimp-etouffee-recipe/index.html

   For the roux, I used a stick of butter instead of oil and rice flour instead of wheat flour and it was perfect! (Took about 5 minutes to turn caramel color – stirring constantly so it wouldn’t burn.) Also used 1 lb. of cooked shrimp and 3 cooked chicken thighs instead of 2 lbs. of raw shrimp because that’s what I had and it’s time consuming to peel the shrimp. I do eat rice, but just had some the night before and wanted my carbs from fresh berries, so I made cauliflower “rice” for the first time instead. Everything turned out great!

   Reply
4. Ellen January 18, 2012 at 1:27 pm

   Chebe Bread

   I use this as a bread. So I make one big pancake on my cast iron round griddle and make it plain with a topping of chunky sea salt. It is very satisfying and slightly chewy. Could be smaller pancakes. Could be plain, or savory with added herbs and/or perhaps sauteed onions mixed in. Or sweet with a rice syrup and melted butter topping. Might even work as a pizza…never tried that.

   Mix well:

   1 cup tapioca
   1 tsp baking powder
   2 Tbsps melted ghee or butter
   2 large eggs or three medium
   2 Tbsps water

   Pour out onto hot greased griddle. When cooked on bottom and top is beginning to solidify, slide onto large plate. (I put some chunky salt on top at this point — so you want the top to not be liquid, but still soft enough to the salt will press in slightly when the pancake is flipped).

   Invert griddle over plate and flip both so griddle is right side up and you have flipped the large pancake without making a mess. Cook for another few minutes. Slice and serve.

   This is best eaten right away, although any leftovers can be well wrapped and might be okay reheated gently in a microwave or lightly steamed. ( We never have leftovers of this so I don’t know for sure.)

   Reply
5. Rikke January 18, 2012 at 5:42 pm

   Hi everyone!

   I know how many of you perhaps supplement with vitamin K2. A known food containing significant amounts of that is the Japanese nattou, which is fermented soy beans, which some of you may not like the idea (or taste) of.

   However, while researching which medias the nattou bacillus may be grown on, I came around this board:
   http://ottawafoodies.com/forum/2162

   You can easily ferment different things, including milk, and thus get a nattou yogurt. I have yet to try it, but the result is described in the topic.

   Best,
   Rikke

   Reply
6. Andrea January 19, 2012 at 12:08 pm

   Grandma Utz potato chips are made with lard, and they are available on Amazon. Not cheap, though

   Reply
7. Robin H January 19, 2012 at 1:46 pm

   This is not my own recipe, but I saw it yesterday when researching yuca, and it looks delicious. It’s South American yuca bread. They’re crusty, cheese-flavored rolls made from yuca (tapioca) flour. I realize I’ve had them before in Brazilian restaurants. Definitely a pleasure food, but free of toxins (if you’re okay with a little cheese) and very easy to make. Maybe a good accompaniment for a special occasion meal. Beautiful photos too:
   http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/01/14/pan-de-yuca-pan-queso/

   Reply
8. Paul Jaminet January 19, 2012 at 2:01 pm

   Hi Robin,

   I can testify that they taste great: Mario Iwakura did a guest post for us on them, http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=1151, and we made them ourselves. They’re delicious.

   Best, Paul

   Reply
9. Robin H January 19, 2012 at 2:11 pm

   Interesting! Looks like Laylita’s recipe is a little bit different (She’s from Ecuador). I think I will have to try them both!

   Reply
10. Ellen January 21, 2012 at 7:04 am

    I tried the Tapioca pudding posted earlier as well as the one on the package of Bob’s Red Mill tapioca pearls. They both came out as liquid with hard pearls. Not what I want in a pudding. So I looked further and experimented and came up with this which is thick and extremely satisfying and somehow ethereal. You have to stir the mixture in the double boilder frequently, but can be doing other things at the same time.

    Soak 1/3 cup tapioca pearls in 2 and 1/2 cups milk overnight then cook in a double boiler for about 45 minutes till thick, add in 2 egg yolks blended with 1/3 cup rice syrup and a dash of salt and stir for a moment. Pour into serving dish and fold in 2 beaten egg whites. Eat warm or chilled.

    Reply
11. Agatha January 23, 2012 at 6:50 am

    Hello
    Thanks to you all for the crispy recipes – can’t wait to try them. I’m thinking of trying to make some crispy savoury biscuits using rice flour – I’ll post a recipe if I can get it right.

    Reply
12. Edle January 23, 2012 at 9:58 pm

    When getting my mother and aunt to start on the PHD, the big questions was “what will we eat for breakfast?” They had been eating Scandinavian whole grain bread for breakfast for more than 60 years. Getting off “bread” completely was not an option. After trying different recipes, this is what works best for them. They typically eat two slices with a bit of butter, cheese, tomatoes etc. for breakfast.

    3 eggs
    150 g crème fraîche (high fat sour cream can also be used)
    3 tbsps coconut oil or melted butter
    1 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp salt

    50 g flax seeds (coarsely ground in a food processor if possible)
    50 g sesame seeds (coarsely ground in a food processor if possible)
    50 g ground almonds (soaked and skin removed if possible)
    1 medium grated carrot
    1/2 large grated sweet potato (or big normal potato if desired)

    1 tbsp psyllium husks

    150 g rice flour (optional)

    Carefully whip the eggs. Add crème fraîche and oil/melted butter.

    Add the dry ingredients and mix it all together. The dough will have a soft consistency.
    If you think it is seems a bit too thin, add rice flour or another “safe starch” flour.

    Put baking paper in a 30 x 12cm bread tin, pour the dough in and bake in the lower part of the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 55 minutes.

    One portion will give you one low bread, a double portion will give you a normal sized bread. If you make a double portion, keep the bread in the oven for 10 more minutes.

    Let the bread cool in room temperature.

    Keep the bread in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the whole bread.

    Reply
13. Ashley January 24, 2012 at 9:45 am

    Last week I made the fermented vegetable recipe using cabbage. When their time was up (7-10 days), I noticed that there was dried liquid on the cupboard around them. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Is it normal or am I doing something wrong?

    Once the cabbage was finished fermenting I moved it to the refrigerator, but yesterday I noticed that the garlic I had thrown in was turning blue. Is this normal/safe? This is the first time I’ve let the cabbage ferment for more than 7 days, so I’m not sure if it has to do with the extra time or if I just shouldn’t use garlic.

    Thank you for your help! If you have a good sauerkraut recipe, feel free to share. 🙂

    Reply
14. Paul Jaminet January 24, 2012 at 9:50 am

    Hi Ashley,

    Fermentation will release some gas and if the container is a little too full the gas pressure will cause some liquid to leak out. It’s better to keep a seal, but hopefully the overpressure inside prevented much oxygen from coming in.

    The blue garlic is normal, that’s oxidized copper. Every scientific authority says it’s safe.

    I still like Daikon radish fermented sauerkraut-style the best.

    Best, Paul

    Reply
15. GeeBee January 26, 2012 at 6:08 pm

    Ice Cream using starch

    I’ve been making some fancy custard-based ice creams lately (it’s summer in Australia) and recently discovered a different method used by a lady some of you may already be familiar with – Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Ohio? – it seems like she has a large following in America. She uses starch instead of eggs for the ice-cream-base thickening component, specifically tapioca starch and syrup (her online recipes actually call for corn starch and syrup because it’s easier to get). According to her –“they absorb and hold water, so that it does not crystallize in the frozen ice cream” and “glucose helps prevent ice crystals and gives a bit of elasticity to the ice cream”. I made a small test batch using tapioca starch and rice syrup and it was very nice!

    Reply
16. Connie Warner January 26, 2012 at 6:52 pm

    Thanks for posting that, GeeBee! Great to know it tastes good with tapioca starch and rice syrup! That’s what I would try to use. I’ve been wanting to get an ice cream maker ever since seeing the PHD recipe. Lately, I’ve been trying to do the lower fat version of PHD to keep my weight down, but ice cream would be a wonderful treat to try to make.

    Here are some of her recipes:
    http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/how-to-make-ice-cream-like-an-artisan

    And here’s her book on Amazon – great reviews. The first review corrects a typo in the book:
    http://www.amazon.com/Jenis-Splendid-Ice-Creams-Home/dp/1579654363

    Reply
17. Connie Warner January 26, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    Don’t forget you can order anything from Amazon under the PHD heading “Ways to Support the Blog” (in the right column) and you’ll support this fantastic blog! 🙂

    Also, the first review of Jeni Britton’s ice cream cookbook has a link for cardboard ice cream containers for those who are trying to stay away from plastic.

    Reply
18. Paul Jaminet January 26, 2012 at 7:20 pm

    Connie, thanks for supporting the blog! We appreciate everyone who buys using the search box.

    GeeBee, we tried tapioca starch in ice cream once and it gave us gas. Too much resistant starch I guess. Maybe potato starch would work better?

    Reply
19. GeeBee January 26, 2012 at 9:48 pm

    Connie,

    I downloaded her book yesterday but haven’t had a chance to read it yet so can’t offer an opinion. For anyone interested in purchasing an electronic version, it’s not available on Kindle, only as an iBook from iTunes to be used on an iPad etc.

    Paul,

    David Lebovitz (The Perfect Scoop author) mentions in one of the comment threads on his blog that you can use potato starch as a substitute. He has a blog post about making Jeni’s chocolate ice cream.

    I’ve been making microwave custard using crushed kuzu granules and it’s absolutely brilliant. Not sure how it would work as a starch substitute for tapioca though. I might give it a try soon.

    Reply
20. GeeBee January 27, 2012 at 2:17 am

    I should add that the tapioca (or rice) syrup component isn’t the only sweetener in her recipes. She also calls for sugar. I used glucose powder instead.

    Reply
21. MarkES January 27, 2012 at 11:57 am

    I saw Jeni’s recommended a couple years ago on the Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate for their Queen City Cayenne Chocolate ice cream. Sounded like an interesting combo. I ended up buying her ice cream recipe book after starting PHD and I like it for ideas on unique flavor combos. The pictures are mouth watering, although, the recipes are a bit involved for my taste and I prefer the simpler Ben & Jerry’s recipe book. My daughter and I have fun making all different types of flavors, most recently pumpkin (Strawberry is a favorite). Avocado is on my wanna-try list.

    I stick with the PHD base 6 egg yolks, heavy cream, rice syrup, and then adjust flavors I find in recipes. (For blueberry, Ben & Jerry recommend freshly picked wild for best flavor).

    http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=2408

    Thanks,
    Mark

    Reply
22. GeeBee January 27, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    I really like the electronic version of her book as it contains some very helpful videos. I also like the option of not having to use eggs in ice cream to get a quality product but won’t I stop making the custard-based style. I use free range eggs and at 50 cents a yolk and not many uses for egg whites it can end up pretty costly.

    Reply
23. Connie Warner February 2, 2012 at 12:59 pm

    GeeBee: good to know!
    MarkES: Thanks for the info. Let us know how you like the avocado!

    Another recipe:
    Shaksuka sounds delicious – I may try to make this soon. I’d serve it with rice or rice cauliflower or with a side of roasted potatoes or baked potato. Some recipes call for a little bit of sugar, but I’d probably just leave that out or maybe use some rice syrup. Here are some recipes …

    Shakshuka (from Living Strong website)
    The name sounds exotic, but this Arabic dish is simple to make and offers hearty flavor and a healthy dose of essential nutrients. Tomato sauce made from fresh or canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and a generous sprinkle of cumin and hot pepper flakes creates a bed in which to poach eggs. Add a few to the sauce in a large, wide pan, then cover and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Combining eggs with lycopene-rich tomatoes packs a nutritional punch. Spoon the mixture over rice for a complete meal.

    http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/shakshuka/

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-shakshuka/

    Reply
24. Connie Warner February 2, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    Here’s another egg recipe from the Livestrong feature on eggs. A good alternative if you don’t happen to have some homemade mayonnaise on hand.

    Egg Salad
    Lighten up this deli standby by using mashed avocado in lieu of mayonnaise. Add a generous squeeze of lemon juice and chopped fresh herbs. Avocado gives this old-fashioned favorite a new twist and a dose of heart-healthy fat.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/554327-the-20-best-ways-to-use-eggs/#ixzz1lFUbs1qL

    Reply
25. Ashley February 6, 2012 at 10:05 am

    Has anyone made a cheesecake using rice syrup or another PHD-friendly sweetener? Was it dense? We’ve tried stevia, but I’m not a fan of the taste. Plus, it didn’t make for any airy cheesecake (more dense than usual). Thanks for your help!

    Reply
26. Connie February 7, 2012 at 6:04 pm

    Ashley,

    Not sure, but I think the extra egg yolks would make for a dense cheesecake, so if you want a less dense cheesecake, you might look for a recipe without the extra egg yolks.

    Here’s a recipe that I haven’t tried yet, but sounds great. I think you could substitute rice syrup for the honey to make it more PHD-friendly.

    http://www.theprimalist.com/crustless-primal-cheesecake/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ThePrimalist+%28The+Primalist%29

    You could try searching google with agave or maple syrup or honey cheesecake recipes and use rice syrup instead. Or you could just use the rice syrup substitution:

    From the Lundborg website:
    Substitute rice syrup in place of sugar, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup or molasses. To substitute sugar, use 1¼ cup rice syrup for one cup sugar, using ¼ cup less of another liquid in the recipe.

    If you want a crust, there are some paleo/primal/gluten-free ground nut or nut flour recipes out there.

    Reply
27. KH February 8, 2012 at 5:55 pm

    Just wanted to share a recipe that my husband and I really enjoy…

    This recipe, which is now one of our favorites, was born out of a need to slightly ‘hide’ the taste of the salmon a little since my husband isn’t so crazy about it. He eats it, but he would never intentionally request it. The other motivator for this was: no dinner prepped or planned and a slightly bare refrigerator! But, I did have some salmon left over from lunch at a restaurant and leftover sticky rice. So, I just started mixing… Sorry, I don’t measure a lot, I just taste and adjust as I go, so that’s why you don’t see quantities of ingredients.

    Lemony Cilantro Mixed Rice with Salmon

    ingredients:
    cooked white rice (for this I prefer Japanese short grain sticky rice)
    cooked salmon, broken into pieces
    fresh chopped cilantro
    juice of fresh lemon or lime
    coconut oil or olive oil, or both
    turmeric
    ground coriander
    ground cumin
    salt

    optional:
    chopped fresh avocado
    cayenne pepper

    Mix salmon pieces into rice. Heat in microwave. Then add all the other ingredients and mix well. We like the lemon and cilantro flavor a lot so I add lots of lemon juice, lots of cilantro, and lots of coconut oil (the extra fat helps lower the GI for me, it really helps A LOT!) Adjust spices, oil, lemon juice, etc until you like it (we adjust ours in our own bowls). Eat!

    Note: For the spice trio– cumin, coriander and turmeric… I use less cumin and turmeric, and more coriander here. Maybe something like two parts coriander to one part cumin, one part turmeric.

    Enjoy!
    KH

    Also, we took a photo of it (not culinary magazine quality) and it’s just as colorful and pretty as it is tasty (if you use enough turmeric that the rice turns yellowish).

    Reply
28. Robin H February 9, 2012 at 8:05 pm

    Recently I’ve been inspired by Vietnamese “che,” which are sweet puddings made with fruit, sweet potatoes, tapioca, etc., usually with coconut milk and sometimes nuts, beans or other weird ingredients. There are many types of che, but most have a very high glycemic load. I’ve been making my own versions that I use for a snack or sometimes breakfast. I absolutely love it! Here’s the one I had today. You can make up your own.

    Dice cold, leftover baked kabocha and sprinkle over a thin bed of coconut flakes. Add a quarter of a chopped ripe banana and a good pour of full fat coconut milk. Top with chopped macadamias, fresh nutmeg and a raw egg yolk. Salt and/or a tiny bit of stevia may be added. Insanely delicious.

    Go to vietnameseche.com to learn about che, then make up your own PHD version.

    Reply
29. KH February 17, 2012 at 9:58 am

    Does anyone have an interesting recipe for Okinawan sweet potatoes? Those are the ones that are tan skinned and purple! on the inside. I have never tried them but I saw them at out asian market and I’m going to buy some today.

    Also, for those of you who love Indian food and love butter chicken (like my husband and I!!) here is what I think is a great tasty recipe from Monica Bhide.

    http://www.monicabhide.com/2011/01/my-secret-ingredient-chicken-curry.html

    I’ve made it several times and it’s a tad different each time, depending on what ingredients I do or don’t have. For example, it calls for marinating the chicken thighs in a greek-yogurt based marinade. But when I don’t have yogurt, like last night, I just mix in a little apple cider vinegar or white vinegar with half &half, let it sit for 10-20 min on the counter, and it turns pretty thick! Use it just like the yogurt. It worked great and the flavor was just fine. Also, when I’m kind of in a hurry, I don’t even marinate the chicken for the time it says- I just mix the marinade, put the chicken pieces in it, then cook it immediately. It turns out great, so I think the marinating time isn’t even necessary. I also cook the chicken longer than she says, about 40 min for me. Also, last night I did have a red onion but did not have a tomato, so I used onion instead of tomato (the flavor of the ginger, garlic and spices is so wonderful that I think you dont even notice whether you have tomato in there or onion in there…). Anyway, we love love love this recipe. Although, because the main flavor of the dish is the spices, make sure whatever blend you put in there is a really good one that you like.

    Happy cooking!
    KH

    Reply
30. Agatha February 18, 2012 at 8:17 am

    How to eat fish eggs without noticing:

    I’m a bit squeamish and can’t stomach fish roe on its own but I want those lovely nutrients, so last night I tried hiding it in a highly flavoured Thai curry sauce.
    I simmered fish stock made from langoustine shells with coconut cream, fresh coriander, cumin, ground coriander, fish sauce, lemon juice, a little sugar, garlic, chili and zucchini to make a curry sauce. I then added some pieces of salmon together with some herring roe to this sauce and poached the fish for a few minutes. The roe kind of mushed into the delicious curry sauce and it was barely noticeable. Result!

    Reply
31. Gabrielle February 20, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    Hi Paul, I wanted to get your take on something. I understand your opinion on brown rice. But, I am looking for a protein powder to take and since I am allergic to whey and egg, won’t use soy, and can’t stand hemp, there are not a lot of options left. Recently, pea and brown rice protein powder is suppose to be hypoallergenic. But, I remember you feeling brown rice isn’t particularly healthy. Can you give your take on this kind of protein shake? Thanks!

    Reply
32. Paul Jaminet February 20, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    Gabrielle, I think brown rice protein is mildly toxic. But it is hypoallergenic, and a little toxicity should be tolerable.

    Do you really need a powder rather than, say, meat or fish?

    Reply
33. natural remedies for eczema - trackback on February 24, 2012 at 2:46 am
34. KH February 26, 2012 at 6:02 pm

    Hi everyone,
    I found this recipe online for Sancocho (I don’t know it’s exact origin, but it’s found in at least a few countries in South and Central America). Maybe some of you know a lot more about it, or can provide tips here. I copied and pasted this one from epicurious.com. It’s definitely for a day when you have plenty of time, maybe a weekend (there’s some sticky and tedious peeling work here!) I made it yesterday and my husband loves it (which is good because this made enough for several meals!). I like the different tastes and textures of the various root vegetables in here. The flavor was wonderul! I’m going to add more beef chunks to it tomorrow since it’s heavier on carbs since I omitted the pork products for ours.
    Buen Provecho!
    KH

    Here were the changes I made:
    -no sausage, bacon or pork shoulder (partly because I didn’t have any, partly because of a recent informative post I’ve read…;) I’ll be tentative for a while on pork… but it must be so much tastier with them!
    -extra garlic (always!)
    -used already cut up stew beef chunks (almost 1 1/2 lbs) and 6 skinless chicken thighs
    -no bell pepper or the frying pepper; used 3/4 of a jalapeno pepper instead
    -instead of name (with tilde on the n), I used a Japanese sweet potato, same amt.
    -instead of caribbean pumpkin, I used japanese pumpkin (kabocha)
    -didnt use the corn
    -for the orange juice at the end, I used only fresh squuezed lime juice
    -for the water, I used 2 c. homemade chicken broth and the rest water

    Dominican Sancocho
    Gourmet | September 2007
    Junot Díaz
    Talk about comfort food. This traditional stew combines all manner of meat with two different kinds of tubers. Sour orange lends a uniquely Caribbean flair. We like to brighten our sancocho by pairing it with avocado, rice, and cilantro, and to inject a little heat with a splash of hot sauce. We would not turn down an accompanying plate of crunchy tostones (twice-fried green plantains).
    Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

    1 (10-ounce) package Dominican longaniza sausage (optional)
    3 quarts plus 1 1/2 cups water, divided
    1/4 pound bacon (4 slices), cut into 1-inch pieces
    1 (1-pound) beef shank (1 1/2 inches thick)
    1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
    4 chicken thighs with skin and bone
    1 large onion, chopped
    1 Cubanelle or other mild frying pepper, chopped
    1 red bell pepper, chopped
    2 tablespoons chopped garlic (4 to 5 cloves)
    1/2 cup chopped cilantro stems (from 2 bunches)
    1 teaspoon dried oregano
    1 pound unripe (green) plantains
    1 pound yuca
    1 pound ñame
    1 pound white yautía
    1 pound calabaza (Caribbean pumpkin; often sold in large wedges) or butternut squash
    2 ears corn, cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds
    6 tablespoons fresh Seville orange juice (or 3 tablespoons regular fresh orange juice plus 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice)

    Accompaniments: white rice; hot sauce; sliced avocado
    Garnish: chopped cilantro

    Cook longaniza (if using) with 1/2 cup water in a 12-inch heavy skillet, covered, over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then transfer to an 8-quart pot.
    Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, then transfer to pot with a slotted spoon, reserving fat in skillet.
    Meanwhile, cut meat from beef shank into 1 1/2-inch pieces, reserving bone. Pat beef, pork, and chicken dry, putting them in separate bowls. Toss meat in each bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
    Heat fat in skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add beef and bone in 1 layer and brown, turning occasionally, about 7 minutes. Transfer to pot with slotted spoon. Brown pork and chicken in separate batches in same manner, transferring to pot.
    Add onion, peppers, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet and sauté until softened. Add 1 cup water and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Transfer vegetable mixture to pot. Add cilantro stems, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 3 quarts water to pot and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, then simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
    While meat simmers, cut ends from plantains with a sharp small knife, then cut a lengthwise slit through peel. Beginning at slit, pry off peel, then cut plantains crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces.
    Trim ends from yuca and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces, then peel, removing waxy brown skin and pinkish layer underneath. Quarter lengthwise and cut out coarse center fiber.
    Peel ñame and yautía, then cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces and keep in a bowl of cold water.
    Seed and peel calabaza, then cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
    Add plantain and yuca to tender meat in pot and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Drain ñame and yautía and add to pot along with calabaza, then simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Remove and discard beef and chicken bones.
    Add corn and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender and all root vegetables are very tender (yuca should be translucent), 10 to 15 minutes. Sancocho broth should be slightly thickened from root vegetables; thin with additional water if necessary. Stir in juice and reheat, then season with salt and pepper.

    Read More http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Dominican-Sancocho-239991#ixzz1nWxDWGmm

    Reply
35. Sudie March 4, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    Thank you for the links to healthy foods and meals. I need to come back and look at all those. I especially need the quick ones.

    I like teas with my meals. Thankfully, my daughter (post college and currently at home) has one of those pots that keep water (2 litres, I think) hot all the time, making tea brewing much faster. I don’t have to wait to boil the tea pot.

    Reply
36. Damodar Ginnaram March 16, 2012 at 6:43 am

    Thanks for your recipe sharing thread. Really it is a very good idea. I would like to share a low calorie recipe, “how to make delicious super human margarita recipe”. Here is a link, ENJOY!

    http://toneupbelly.blogspot.in/2012/03/how-to-order-healthier-low-calorie.html

    Reply
37. Síle March 17, 2012 at 12:55 am

    Hi Paul!
    I have a couple questions for you; unfortuently a little off-topic for this thread…hope thats OK 🙂

    I have MS, and am doing my best to find the right way to heal. I’ve been doing a lot of reading of your work and also that of Ray Peat. He suggests that MS is a result of low thyroid function. I see you suggest that it is caused by an infection of some sort. In my thinking, those can kind of go together, right? If your thyroid isn’t functioning properly, you are much more susceptible to infections and pathogens. Does this make sense?

    I’m also trying to reintroduce carbs back into my diet, after being fairly low-carb paleo for the past few years. Something seems to be bothering my gut, though–I am getting really bloated; basically its like lots of gas stuck all throughout my intestines. I *think* it might be caused by starches, like potatoes and white rice, that I’ve been eating recently? What do you suggest I do about this? Should I push on and keep eating starches? They make me feel great, otherwise!

    Also, have you heard of the theory that viruses are products of injured/toxic cells, not the cause? What do you think about that?

    thanks so much!!! <3

    Reply
38. Paul Jaminet March 18, 2012 at 10:07 am

    Hi Sile,

    Yes, hypothyroidism impairs immunity and can worsen infections, and also infections cause hypothyroidism, so the two often go together.

    Bloating after carb consumption shows that you have gut dysbiosis – some pathogens are living in your gut that shouldn’t be there. Starches often give trouble in gut dysbiosis, because they are fiber rich.

    There are several things you can do:
    1) Get your carbs as simple sugars. Dextrose, white rice syrup, tapioca syrup, honey, are all sugars that are digested early in the small intestine and don’t travel far down the gut to feed pathogens. You might want to read up on the GAPS, SCD, and FODMAPs diets for ideas on what foods do or don’t cause trouble in gut dysbiosis.
    2) Get a stool test to try to identify gut pathogens. This is a good one: http://www.metametrix.com/test-menu/profiles/gastrointestinal-function/gi-effects-microbial-ecology. If it finds a treatable pathogen, ask your doctor for antimicrobial medicines.
    3) Eat fermented vegetables, dairy, kombucha, etc to supply new microbes to your gut (hopefully more probiotic ones).
    4) Eat a healthy nourishing diet, to promote immune function and gut healing. Be sure to eat bone broth soups.

    I don’t agree with that theory of viruses, they are pathogens that are transmitted to us and infect us.

    Best, Paul

    Reply
39. Síle March 18, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    Thanks for your reply!
    Regarding the virus theory; I’m not quite sure what I agree with yet, but it sure is interesting to learn that it probably isn’t as simple as I was taught in school.

    Thanks for the suggestion on the stool test; I’m going to contact them and see if I can find a doctor in my area that will do that. I have been reading up on treating MS with antibiotic therapy, but I am still kind of leery for a couple of reason:
    1. I haven’t really seen any very convincing testimonials of long-term recovery (i.e. AFTER the person has been off abx. for a while).
    2. I’ve read that antibiotics do tend to help people with MS, but its because they are reducing inflammation caused by endotoxin in the bowel, so the symptoms will come back when you stop them. What do you think about that theory?
    Do you think that antibiotic therapy is the best way to treat MS? I’m also on LDN, but I don’t want to have to take it forever.

    I seem to get the most bloating in my lower intestine, from eating fiberous things. I think you mentioned somewhere that if fiber bothers you, its probably dysbiosis in your large intestine? Is this indicative of anything in particular, like a certain kind of pathogen or disease?

    I have been getting most of my carbs from fresh and dried fruit, honey and dairy lately, and these things don’t seem to bother me. Do you think that it would be unwise for me to give white rice a try? I’ve heard its the most easily digested of the starchy foods.

    I’ll definitely be following all of your recommendations; thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!!

    Reply
40. Paul Jaminet March 18, 2012 at 12:24 pm

    Hi Sile,

    It is hard to cure chronic infections. I think you have to optimize diet first, then antibiotics have a chance. MS is usually primarily viral, secondarily bacterial, so antibiotics have less likelihood of working than other chronic diseases, but will often still help. Usually there are multiple infections.

    Endotoxin reduction as the source of benefits is possible; another is that antibiotics are usually protein synthesis inhibitors — they don’t kill bacteria, but they put them in a dormant state where they can’t reproduce or disrupt bodily functions. But if the immune system doesn’t find and kill the bacteria during this dormant period, then as soon as the antibiotics stop the bacteria will resume normal function (or over a period of months, sometimes they stay in the dormant state for a while after antibiotics are ended).

    This is why a good diet, intermittent fasting, and other steps are so important.

    Yes, fiber is metabolized in the large intestine. This is why eating simple sugars digested in the small intestine will usually avoid the bloating.

    White rice does have some fiber, so you can try it, but it’s more likely to give you bloating than the things you’re eating now. It should be one of the first starches you re-introduce when you’re ready.

    Whether you should be on antibiotics is a judgment call. I generally think it’s worth an experiment, but (a) it’s important to fix diet, nutrition, etc first, and (b) it’s best to do some diagnostic testing and try to identify what pathogens you have, so that you can choose antibiotics with a better chance of helping. After those steps, then I would try antibiotics in a carefully controlled experiment. With luck, you’ll notice an immediate effect from protein synthesis inhibition.

    Best, Paul

    Reply
41. Sudie March 18, 2012 at 2:38 pm

    Hello Sile,

    Here is something not related to diet at all that I find to be a great help – Dr. Alex Loyd’s book “The Healing Code.” I actually acquired the whole program, but that is beside the point. What he has found helps on all sorts of things. I got my copy of the book at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/The-Healing-Code-Minutes-Relationship/dp/1455502014/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332099288&sr=1-1).

    Sue

    Reply
42. Síle March 18, 2012 at 5:49 pm

    Sue ~ Thank you, I’ll check it out! I’m always up for a new book. 🙂

    Paul ~ Thank you also! What you said really makes sense–if your diet isn’t optimized, taking antibiotics probably won’t be much more than a “band-aid” over the problem. But if your body and the abx. are working together = much better chance of success and healing! 🙂

    Does your book have a lot of info on healing from chronic disease? I’m probably going to buy it anyways, but I’d be interested to know if it would be helpful to me in this regard.

    Once I find a doctor to work with, I’m wondering if I should continue on the LDN if I do go on antibiotics, or if that might mask symptoms that I’d need to experience to know if the abx are working or not?

    Lastly, I was wondering what your opinion is on colonics? I was considering getting one, in hopes of kind of giving myself a fresh start, gut-wise. My symptoms are slowly going away, but still bothering me a lot, even though I haven’t had any starches for the last few days, and my only fiber is coming from fruit. I was thinking after getting the colonics, I would get lots of probiotics in (both ends), to hopefully re-populate with more beneficial flora.
    <3 I really appreciate your help, and how willing you are to answer questions! 🙂

    Reply
43. Sudie March 18, 2012 at 7:09 pm

    Ooh, I’d stick with LDN. It is an immune system booster – antibiotics aren’t.

    Yes, the book does say address chronic conditions. What it addresses is the stresses we all carry (responses to external stresses, rather than the externals themselves) and gives a way to eliminate those. The book is just the beginning . . . there is a lot more in the whole program. If you end up with questions, just email me. Sue

    Reply
44. agatha March 19, 2012 at 6:09 am

    Hi Sile
    I too have MS and I have done the Wheldon antibiotic protocol and it has been very, very helpful. I have no new symptoms and my old ones are gradually fading. I did 2 years on full time abx and have now been doing intermittent for nearly a year. So far so good. but as Paul has said, it is difficult to kill infections completely so now my goal is to optimise immune function through diet,probiotics, supplements (Vit D,K2..) intermittent fasting and so on to try to prevent any remaining infection flaring up again. I tried LDN but it didn’t work for me (though I know it’s effective for others). I also did the Swank diet for a couple of years (very low fat) – again some people do well on this but I felt dreadful – I do much better on a fairly low carb paleo diet. I have thyroid problems too and I am sure there is a link with MS. Leaky gut too is probably very important – I feel much worse when i don’t take my probiotics.
    Hope you find what works for you – the lesson I’ve learned is that you have to try different things to see what fits your situation.
    best wishes
    Agatha

    Reply
45. Sile March 19, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    Thanks Agatha!
    I am glad to hear of you success! I am definietly going to be looking into antibiotic therapy for MS…first, I think I’m going to optimize my diet and thyroid.
    What brand of probiotics do you take? Also, which vitamin D?
    How does being on abx long-term like that effect your digestive health? I’ve just heard so many horror stories about them wiping out your good gut flora! 😛

    Reply
46. agatha March 20, 2012 at 5:36 am

    Hi Sile
    I think you’re wise to do the diet and thyroid first. I too was worried about the gut effect of abx – I had diarrhoea almost every day in the years before starting abx but thought I just had IBS. Dr Wheldon told me I must start probiotics so I tried various kinds – in the end found those little Danone Actimel drinks were the most effective – I’m guessing it might be that everyone is different so you have to try different kinds and see what works for you. Interestingly, by the time I had been on the abx for 2 years and drinking my actimel every day my gut was in better shape than when i started! I still drink them now and again and I have started making sauerkraut. I never have diarrhoea any more but i will be continuing with probiotics in various forms indefinitely. The important thing with Vitamin D is to get D3. If you need more help with the abx the cpnhelp website is great.
    Good luck!
    Agatha

    Reply
47. Sile March 20, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    Is there an advantage to white rice syrup over honey? Just curious 🙂 What about evaporated cane juice?

    And how/when should I start introducing the starches? Are there signs I should look for that say I’m ready to try them?

    Reply
48. Paul Jaminet March 21, 2012 at 7:39 am

    Hi Sile,

    White rice syrup = 100% glucose
    Honey = glucose+fructose + favorable compounds for modulating gut flora
    Cane syrup = glucose+fructose, but no redeeming features.

    Personally I would favor baking with the rice syrup and eating honey fresh.

    Just do an experiment – either rice or white potato would be a good place to start, the latter has more fiber so more likely to cause trouble in IBS, but less likely in SIBO – eat some and see what happens. If you’re worried, use a small dose.

    Reply
49. Síle March 21, 2012 at 11:49 am

    Oh, cool–so that makes the rice syrup more like a safe starch, but without the fiber. Makes sense 🙂

    I will do that experiment today! I’ll eat a little white rice and see how I feel.

    By the way, does anyone know how long can you store white (sticky) rice in the fridge? My husband’s mom is Korean, so he grew up eating a lot of rice and he says it lasts a pretty long time. Just wanted to double check! 🙂

    Reply
50. Shelley March 24, 2012 at 11:14 pm

    The following link is one answer to how to make liver palatable:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/3346094/Delia-Smiths-recipes-lambs-liver-stroganoff.html

    Delia Smiths Lamb’s Liver Stroganoff- delicious. I used fresh, not canned mushrooms and nitrate free bacon.

    Question for Paul: is lambs liver as nutritious as beef. Beef liver seems so much more daunting? I can get both grass fed organis straight from the farmer….

    Reply

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