The Perfect Health Diet
Here’s our Perfect Health Diet food plate:
NOTE: This is our new food plate, updated 2015. Foreign translations of the original food plate may be found here.
We recommend:
- About 3 pounds [1.4 kg] of plant foods per day, including:
- About 1 pound [0.45 kg] of safe starches, such as white rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro;
- About 1 pound [0.45 kg] of sugary in-ground vegetables (such as beets or carrots), fruits, and berries;
- Low-calorie vegetables to taste, including fermented vegetables and green leafy vegetables.
- One-half to one pound [0.25 to 0.5 kg] per day of meat or fish, which should include organ meats, and should be drawn primarily from:
- ruminants (beef, lamb, goat);
- birds (especially duck and wild or naturally raised birds);
- Shellfish and freshwater and marine fish.
- Low omega-6 fats and oils from animal or tropical plant sources, to taste. Good sources include:
- butter, sour cream, beef tallow, duck fat;
- coconut milk or oil
- palm oil, palm kernel oil, olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia nut butter, almond butter, cashew butter
- Acids to taste, especially citric acid (lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice), lactic acid from fermented or pickled vegetables, vinegars, tannic acids from wine, and tomatoes.
- Broths or stocks made from animal bones and joints.
- Snacks or desserts from our pleasure foods: fruits and berries, nuts, alcohol, chocolate, cream, and fructose-free sweeteners like dextrose or rice syrup.
By weight, the diet works out to about 3/4 plant foods, 1/4 animal foods. By calories, it works out to about 600 carb calories, primarily from starches; around 300 protein calories; and fats supply a majority (50-60%) of daily calories.
In the shadow of the apple are foods forbidden because of their high toxin content. Notably:
- Do not eat cereal grains — wheat, barley, oats, corn — or foods made from them — bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, oatmeal. The exception is white rice, which we count among our “safe starches.” Rice noodles, rice crackers, and the like are fine, as are gluten-free foods made from a mix of rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch.
- Do not eat calorie-rich legumes. Peas and green beans are fine. Soy and peanuts should be absolutely excluded. Beans might be acceptable with suitable preparation, but we recommend avoiding them.
- Do not eat foods with added sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Do not drink anything that contains sugar: healthy drinks are water, tea, and coffee.
- Polyunsaturated fats should be a small fraction of the diet (~4% of total calories). To achieve this, do not eat seed oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, or the like.
We highly recommend certain foods for their micronutrients. These include liver, kidney, egg yolks, seaweeds, shellfish, fermented vegetables, and bone broths.
We also recommend augmenting the diet with certain supplements. See our Supplement Recommendations page. These nutrients are deficient in modern diets due to removal of minerals from drinking water by treatment, depletion of minerals from soil by agriculture, or modern lifestyles that deprive us of vitamin D by indoor living.
We recommend tweaking the diet for certain diseases. Neurological disorders often benefit from a diet that is ketogenic; other conditions may benefit from lower carb diets. These variations are discussed in the book:
See the “Buy the Book” page for other purchase options.
via this link:
I have mild to moderate insulin resistance. While eating VLC paleo, my fasting blood sugar was around 80 in the morning. Do you address how to adjust the diet for IR?
Hi Kate,
One way to increase insulin sensitivity is to eat more carbs; also to avoid deficiencies in nutrients involved in energy handling, such as vitamin C, magnesium, B1/B2/B5/biotin, and others including minerals such as chromium, zinc, and copper.
However, fasting blood glucose of 80 is not indicative of IR.
I am surprised to see you say that INCREASING carbs will increase insulin sensitivity…Aren’t high carb diets what cause Type II diabetes, which is essentially poor insulin sensitivity at the cellular level…did you mean decrease the carbs?
Thanks for any info!
Hi Susan,
No, you’re mixing a pathological process (diabetes) with the normal physiological response, which is to become more insulin sensitive as we eat more carbs in order to dispose of the carbs, and more insulin resistant as we eat fewer carbs in order to conserve glucose.
Diabetes has a variety of causes, and high carb diets can contribute to it, but they aren’t a primary cause.
Why do we need to conserve glucose? If we eat few carbs won’t we start to use ketones as energy?
Ketones don’t fully replace glucose needs.
Thank you for your response. My NP told me due to the 65.4 (3.0-25.0 range) 2 hr. post prandial insulin test that I was IR. I had eaten pumpkin bread, fruit, and some honey for the test meal. Was she mistaken? For my weight to stay where I’d like, I have to abstain from dairy, grains, starchy/root veggies, legumes, sugars, and fruit. The NP told me it was the IR that was causing this. Any thoughts? I like the results of my weight, but it’s a crazy maker in terms of my limitations of food. Thank you.
I am new to the diet and just now reading he book.
What about brown rice? Can you have it? Abd foods made with brown rice such as brown rice pastas?
Hi Janice,
Brown rice is discouraged but not forbidden. There are white rice pastas and noodles, eg pad thai noodles and spring roll wrappers. But it is true that brown rice pastas are easier to find. Buckwheat is a good substitute for brown rice.
I’m confused, how 900g carb heavy fruits and veggies comes out to be 600 carb calories? And how ~300g of meat is calculated to be 300 protein calories? How are you calculating this?
You can look up foods in the USDA nutritional database, eg at nutritiondata.com, to see their calorie content. Fruits and veggies are mostly water by weight, so their grams of carbs are much lower than their grams of weight. Meat tends to run about 300 protein calories per pound — water and fat make up the rest of the weight.
While I love the diet and have experienced significantly increased energy/mood and better digestion, I do think it’s made me (and several others I know who are on it) far more sensitive to gluten, so that now, if I have even a bit (which I do maybe once every two or three weeks), I’ll invariably experience some slight stomach upset, which I never used to when I ate gluten. For this reason, I’m wondering if it’s possible that some exposure to gluten or other “prohibited” foods might be good in the same way in which some exposure to viruses is good — it heightens the body’s immunity and capacity to deal with mild toxins/pathogens. If you live in a bubble your whole life, you’re going to get very sick very quickly if you ever come out, in other words. Just like physical exercise strains the body but makes it more resilient as a result (while too much exercise/”overtraining” is damaging), isn’t it possible that some “digestive exercise” might heighten our resilience to the kinds of mild toxins certain foods carry? This is just a theory, of course, but I’m curious to hear if you have any thoughts in response.
Hi Alex,
It’s possible, low level exposure to some antigens can generate immune tolerance.
ihave also read (probably Natasha Campbell Mcbride) that your body produces a mucus to coat things you are reacting to (such as gluten). When you stop eating them, it doesn’t need to do this anymore, so when you eat it again, it is uncoated and causes upset. I think the chronic mucus-coating is bad for digestion/health. This is just paraphrasing … I can’t remember the exact details, but you can read more of her stuff … she’s the author of the Gaps diet healing program.
i just received a second colonoscopy over the last 12 months. both times, my GI doctor saw inflammation in my terminal ilium. he says it doens’t look ‘horrible’ however it doesn’t look normal either. my bioposy was inconclusive the first time– just came back as general ‘inflammation’ and i am waiting for results on this 2nd test. my dr. thinks i have the beginnings of crohn’s disease however my biggest complaint would be joint/muscle pains as well as eye/sinus inflammation/irritation.. so possibly more arthritis.
i would like to try an elimination diet to investigate if i have any food sensitivities.
is there any harm in doing an auto immune protocol for 4-8 weeks? or a VLC for a short time?? is there a benefit to trying VLC?
I have also been toying with the idea of trying SCD or similar for long-term. I don’t like the idea of going low carb long-term because i just feel better with safe starches in my diet. i am also think i might have a histamine intolerance as well.
what would be the best approach to experiment with diet-wise??
correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t rice a grain?
I spoke too soon! You claim this is a safe starch. What is a safe starch? Or, why is rice okay but not other grains?
Toxins are destroyed in cooking.
White rice does not have the level of some anti-nutrients (eg., phytates or phytic acid) of wheat and other grains. That said, some in the know claim that much of these anti-nutrients are already bound to minerals in the food/grains and so can’t bind to other consumed dietary minerals.
You still spoke too soon. If you’re not planning on reading the book, why not read the site before asking questions?
Here’s a search you could try using the search in the upper righthand corner:
http://www.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-4512995658587905:4215347163&q=rice%20safe%20starch&oq=rice%20safe%20starch&gs_l=partner.3…21664.25486.0.25813.18.17.1.0.0.0.341.2643.8j2j5j2.17.0.gsnos%2Cn%3D13..0.0.3769j1139913j18..1ac.1.ZlS0Grhoe88#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=rice%20safe%20starch&gsc.page=1
If that was not a rhetorical question, my answer is simply that asking questions is less time-consuming.
I did end up reading the preview on amazon before your reply. Thanks anyway Peter!
Less time consuming for you, perhaps, but it wastes everyone else’s time when you don’t make the effort that they are making to read the book or at least research the site, Princess.
Edward, you also are also wasting everyone’s time by making useless posts as if you are the admin of this site and dictator of what is a valid question or not.
I don’t agree, but that’s okay. Perhaps it gave bliss something to think about…
Nasty. First time I’ve read meanness here.
Chill Edward, chill!
Hi Paul, After eating a very large sweet potato with dinner, I became extremely sleepy quite quickly.what would cause this? I do have adrenal fatigue and Hashi’s. Thanks for taking the time to answer all the questions you get inundated with! Regards, Kim
Hi Kim,
Some ideas for you here: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/01/what%E2%80%99s-the-trouble-with-sweet-potatoes/
Kim, this happens to me too… and (I think) it happens more when consuming carb’s in-general versus fat and protein. Not sure if that’s my imagination or not, but is seems to happen more pronounced when I consume carb’s and not just potatoes. A theory I have is that it’s somehow related to the insulin spike created when eating a carb heavy meal and/or perhaps a subsequent drop in blood glucose due to the effect of insulin removing the glucose. I’m interested what other think about this.
Paul, I wonder something similar to Kim’s question above. I think you recommend that fruit be eaten separately, as a snack perhaps. Why is that? Wouldn’t fruit raise one’s blood sugar (like any carbohydrate eaten without accompanying fat/protein)?
Thanks for your response!
Hi Kathy,
Fruit has a low glycemic index even when eaten alone, thanks to its fructose content. Starch should only be eaten as part of a meal, but fruit can be eaten any time.
Paul, I don’t understand this. The GI of fruit can vary greatly depending on the type, from a grapefruit (30) to a watermelon (70), banana (58) to dates (103). Why would fructose have anything to do with it? The fructose gets metabolized by the liver while the glucose gets digested normally impacting blood sugar and insulin. A banana has a GI approximately equal to white rice.
Hi Brad,
I should have said glycemic load. Watermelon has only 100 calories of glucose per pound, so it’s not likely to be problematic, even with a GI of 70. The presence of fructose lowers the glycemic load.
There is a biological process where fructose content is reducing the resultant insulin spike from ingesting the sucrose and glucose in fruit?
Yes. First sucrose is half fructose. Fructose doesn’t generate insulin so x calories of sucrose reduces insulin compared to the same number of calories of glucose. Second, fructose is directed to the liver where it is converted to glycogen but also depletes liver ATP. This means the liver has more leeway to burn energy to dispose of excess carbs and more leeway to release glycogen to prevent hypoglycemia. Overall it leads to better glycemic regulation, but only at low intakes of fructose. High intakes are damaging.
Hi Paul,
I’ve been searching to find whether your 1 pound of safe starches is the uncooked weight or cooked weight?
Cheers,
Felicity
Hi Felicity — cooked white rice; for others it is the same uncooked or cooked in water.
Dr. Jaminet,
I know we should try to eat grass fed, organic and free range meats but what about safe starches? Should we try to get organic potatoes and organic white rice?
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Mike,
I think that’s worthwhile as a way to support local farmers but I don’t think that’s necessary for health. Organic produce is often of higher quality but you can find safe conventional produce. Be sure to rinse non-organic produce before use.
Dear Mr. Jaminet,
I like your recommendations, as I have never been able to feel sane on a very low-carb diet, which made me feel sluggish, gave me IBS, and aggravated my psoriasis. I find that I feel best with between 300 and 600 g of starch-based carb per day. I am a normal weight 28 yo female.
I’d like to get away from wheat and heavy reliance on yogurt. I find I eat too much yogurt bc it is difficult for me financially and time-wise to eat healthy meats. I also still enjoy wheat in the form of cracked whole wheat, which I boil and eat like rice (aka bulgur wheat). I feel good when I eat wheat. But I read that it is bad for me. I have trouble digesting sweet potato, rice makes me feel sluggish, and those other tubers you suggest are hard for me to get regularly. Any suggestions?
PS My nonagenarian grandparents and (now deceased) great grandparents seem/seemed fine with the wheat too.
Hi Anon, well, if you don’t like our recommended foods I guess you have to eat some of our non-recommended foods. I would recommend making more time for potatoes, eg boil a large batch, store them in the refrigerator, and then warm them in the microwave when you need to eat them.
I’ve been eating PHD for a few months and when I started I found that eating safe starches 3 x day was too much and I would bloat tremendously. Now after about 3 months, I am able to eat huge amounts of them, together with butter, sour cream, cheese, beef, eggs and a little fruits/vegs. I’m drinking more milk than ever in my life – something I found amazing since giving up wheat I realise I’m not actually allergic to milk, but the wheat that I would eat with milk. Anyway, my potato, rice intake is bigger than before, and my weight has begun to decrease. I’ve lost 3 cm from my waist and 1 kg of weight. So I think I’m now digesting my food very well, and I don’t think I have that leaky gut anymore. My panic states have gone, I sleep well and I’m much more ‘peaceful’ if you know what I mean. Anyhow, the point of this post is to tell you that it took a little time for my body to go back to digesting starches effectively. I know now how Asian cultures eat so much starch and not put on weight, the trick is not to damage the gut with wheat, industrial oils and high fructose intake.
Thank you. 😀
Also when I say “huge” starch intake each meal, I mean each standard serving for me would be 2 fist size potatoes, or 1.5 cups of rice (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
I make sure I’m full when I leave the dining table. Also, I’m 5’2″ and now weigh 75 kg.
Dr. Jaminet,
I know oatmeal is considered a grain, however, what if someone has no noticeable digestive issues consuming organic gluten free oatmeal. Could it be used as a carbohydrate source?
Thanks,
Mike
Dr. Jaminet,
I know you have mentioned that you cook potatoes by boiling them, however, what are your thoughts about baking them in the oven?
I usually peel them, slice them up, pour a little olive oil on them with some cinnamon then wrap them in tin foil and cook them at 400°F for 30 minutes.
Is this an acceptable way to cook them? Should I worry about aluminum leaching into the potatoes?
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Paul,
What exactly is your stance on milk? When it’s well-tolerated, it seems to be a pretty ideal food–good source of protein and saturated fats, extremely low PUFA, lactose digests into glucose and galactose, rich in micronutrients…but I’ve noticed that you don’t typically recommend it as a regular part of the diet. Is there a reason for that?
Hi Jeremy,
Yes, it’s so close to being the perfect food … but, effects of pasteurization and homogenization, potential infectious disease transmission risks via milk, potential issues from natural hormones or dead microbes, potential food sensitivities, make me think that fermenting prior to use (or separation out of many of the risky compounds, as in butter/ghee) is a low-risk way to get most of the benefits of milk.
Hello Dr. Jaminet–
This feels like a foolish question so I apologize in advance.
I am a naturopath and frequently recommend your book to people. What people are struggling with is the actual implementation…Do you recommend weighing everything? Carefully reading labels and researching carbs/fats/protein in everything. Logistically how do people track intake? For people who are really striving to lose weight, build muscle, lower cholesteroI (where just a general 3/4, 1/4 idea is too general), how do I counsel them on really doing the diet in the real world? I would greatly appreciate any advice I can pass on– Thanks so much– Love the book!
This was one of my first thoughts as well. Even if we know what the perfect diet is, it’s extremely difficult to implement. I suppose yes, you have to weigh and measure everything?
I have been on a low carb moderate protein and fat diet with lots of produce for years & have stayed at a healthy weight (I am 53 now) however in the past 7 years I have noticed that whenever I consume olive oil, coconut oil or nuts, I will get a couple of blemishes on my face. It happens about 12-18 hours after consuming the fats. Is this my gallbladder or my liver not being able to handle the fat? I have used Total EFA which is an oil that has a combination of Flax, Primrose & Borage and I do not get blemishes from this oil but don’t understand why I break out from the other fats?
Can you shed some light on this for me?
Also, I get fresh raw goats milk from a farmer and drink about 1/3 cup a day in my organic decaf coffee; is this something you think is ok? I have noticed my hair is fuller since I have been drinking it.
I’ve read the Perfect Health Diet book and searched this website, but am still left wondering…
Is white rice necessary for, or at least contribute to, good health, or simply permissible as an enjoyable and relatively benign addition to an otherwise more nutrient dense diet?
Hi Beth, Carbs / starch are necessary I think but rice is not. You can choose whatever “safe starch” sources you like best.
How does rice compare to potatoes or other tubers for resistant starch in it’s hot or cold state?
I am 46 years old, 5’6, and 250 pounds. I have dense muscle tissue and inflammation issues. High cholesterol, prediabetic, sweat all the time, and my sex drive is very low. I’m tired all the time and need naps during the day.
My doc says my testosterone is okay but it is converting to estradiol (or something like that). My insulin level is 15. I am low on glutathione and pantothenic acid or something like that.
I want to get to 150 pounds. In fact, 25 years ago I used to lie about my weight to the upside, as I was closer to 140. I suspect I am leptin resistant. I am going to cut my meals to 3 per day, to have a quality protein for breakfast, try and follow my circadian rhythm. I will eliminate all grains and dairy (I am allergic to gluten). I am going to start walking every day. I am also going to start lifting weights, which makes me hungry, but not over train.
I will have plenty of healthy fats. I will eat lobster twice a week, grass-fed beef, lamb, and pastured eggs. I will also make the bone broths and eat as much salad and veggies as possible, but avoid sweet potatoes and rice until I really startdropping weight. I will eliminate all diet drinks and splenda and switch to water only and some coffee. I also will try and keep my fructose levels at or below 25 grams per day. I will have a 3 tablespoons of Carlson’s fish oil per day, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and olive oil with my salads. I will also eat plent of Kerrygold unsealed butter.
It seems to me after reading about this way of eating and other paleo type recommendations, they key to losing weight is to keep insulin in check to prevent fat from being stuffed into my cells and/or from preventing fat from being released.
Two questions: is there an insulin goal number that will allow my body to starting burning fat instead of sugar? If so, how long will it take the average person in my fat condition to get to that fat burning stage?
Is there anything else I should be doing to lose weight and get healthy?
Thank you!,
Hi Paul,
I think you should read our book. The keys to weight loss are not carb restriction but balanced nutrition (see Chap 17), circadian rhythms (see Chap 42), minimizing omega-6 fat, and dealing with infections. Reducing carbs to 30% or less will probably help, but don’t go too low carb.
You will know you are fat burning when you can do intermittent fasting comfortably.
How do you know when you have an infection exactly?
Do you have recommendations for people with Type 1 or 2 diabetes?
Usually starches like potatoes and rice sky rocket my blood sugar levels.
Thanks!
Hi Jennifer,
Diabetics should reduce carbs and increase protein a bit. How much is an individual matter. Potatoes and rice have to be eaten as part of a balanced complete meal with fat, vinegar, and fiber. See the post “How to Minimize Hyperglycemic Toxicity” (Google custom search box).
Hi Paul, reading your book I have a question about the carbs. Specifically in recommended doses. For example, 0.6 pounds of white rice, I have to weigh it cooked or raw? It”s 272 gr of raw white rice.
Hi Ivan,
That’s cooked white rice, equal to about 0.2 pounds raw white rice.
Hi Paul
I have a similar question about the meat/fish recommendations. Are these to be be weighed before cooking or after? Proteins get a lot lighter/smaller during the cooking process so that 1/4 lb raw burger looks a lot smaller once it’s cooked. Thanks – I love your book and am eagerly awaiting your cookbook.
Hi Michelle, meat and fish weights are before cooking.
Bone broths and eating organs from animals? You are kidding right? Id pass thanks.
Nope not kidding. You must be a vegan. This is . not a vegan diet.
Ask your ancestors if they were kidding.
Adam and Eve ate fruit in the garden of Eden.
Hi, wouldn’t post this here, except you mentioned Adam and Eve; suggest reading 1 Timothy Chapter 4, verses 1-5.
(It supports eating meat.)
Hello can anyone advise me pauls thoughts on salt choice as i cant find online or in book
Do i choose sea salt or sodium restricted/potassium chloride table salt which i have been using on the grounds that i have hypertension
thanks marcus
Paul, I would appreciate your comments on the short video from NutritionFacts.org that details that there has been a gov’t ruling (US Court of Appeals) that the claims about the safety of eggs are patently false, and a product of an egg industry sponsored multi-million $ campaign to promote egg consumption despite research supporting that they are not heart healthy.
Jul 03, 2013 07:25 am | Michael Greger M.D.
Eggs and Cholesterol: Patently False and Misleading Claims
Read More
Probably propaganda from an environmentalist wacko vegetarian wacko group. If you go to westonaprice .org you can read about a study that involved consumption of nothing but eggs for weeks and all blood markers actually improved.
Yep. Nutritionfacts .org is a highly biased anti-meat site. In the transcript of the video he basically says that the AHA sued the Egg Board because they think that eating eggs lowers health due to raising cholesterol. There is nothing new here. The AHA’s position is wrong because it’s never been shown in studies that increased dietary cholesterol hurts health. At least not that I’m aware of. Paul?
Ok, so here’s the thing with eggs:
While that website is a bit anti-meat biased, an average large egg yolk contains 185 mg if cholesterol. The daily recommended intake for cholesterol is 300 mg.
That being said, there are a lot of health benefits to eating eggs, but it can also be argued that they are a bit unhealthy due to the cholesterol content.
Regardless: Berkeley has a site about the egg dilemma that may actually be a bit of an interesting read for you here.
But the PH Diet recommends 3 eggs per day (and 6 if pregnant!!). The Jaminets’ view that that many eggs a day are good is unique to say the least, yes?
Dietary cholesterol has little to no effect on your cholesterol levels. Their view on eggs is not unique. They are one of the most healthy and nutritious foods there is ( besides liver ). Contrary to conventional wisdom Cholesterol is not bad for you!
Hi, Paul, I just start now to read your book. I have some questions: are potato flakes acceptable, may I eat them? I like to eat something dry… 🙄
And bread or muffin baked from rice flour?
Is it necessary to soak them before baking?
Thank you for your book and answers! 😛
Hi Anna,
Those are certainly acceptable, but flour based products are not as good as whole foods. For one thing the lack of water impairs digestion (unless you drink water with it); for another, if they are industrially produced, the industrial high-temperature dry preparation methods increase toxicity.
Soaking and especially fermentation as in sourdough preparation can be helpful but is not necessary.
Hi Paul,
Thank you, I uderstand, you’ve helped a lot.
Moreover, industrially produced potato flakes may contain antioxidans, emulgeator,colouring agents, etc.(E 474, E 304).
I like your book 😛
Have a nice day!
@Lisa:Not vegan, but fruitarian. 😉
@Jessica: The Mucessless Food Choices are listed in Professor Arnold Ehrets work. Here is a short blog about it, but you can read his book free online, see the 2 links below:
1. Mucus Forming Foods:
*Cereals
*Rice (The great wall of china was built using sticky rice water)
*Legumes
*Meat
*Eggs
*Fats
*Milk
http://www.arnoldehret.us/2013/02/15/list-mucus-forming-foods-arnold-ehret-prof-spira/
2. Mucessless Foods: Read his book here:
http://curezone.com/upload/PDF/Save_Your_Life_/Arnold_Mucusless_Diet.pdf
Amazing stuff.
@julie_Groenwald: all that fructose from your fruitarian lifestyle must be impairing your brain. Mucus is used throughout the body and you would die without it. All of those supposed mucus forming foods you list are healthy if prepared correctly. But hey, if you want to live on only fruit go for it. Just don’t try to convince us with fully functional high omega-3 grey matter.
Brad, is this is how your diet affects your attitude and general kindness / respect for others? – just because people differ from you! Try eat some fruit next time so the glucose (the only fuel for the human brain) can start making better choices and being a little more friendly 😉
In peace,
Julie
It’s not about kindness or respect. It’s about truth and not spouting unsupported junk science and irrelevant, inconsequential subjects like a fruit focused diet and concerns about mucus. You need to go do more research and reading as your education in this area is severely lacking. Another example… Glucose is not the only fuel for the human brain. “Ketones” is one of two others that I know of. Have you even read any of Paul’s book?
Paul,
Just a quick question. I had radiation for Graves’ disease 15 years ago. I just found out I have active Graves again and a condition called Common Variable Immunodeficiency, which I have never heard of. I read that this condition is strongly linked with gastrointestinal problems and certain viruses, bacteria and parasites easily live in the intestines. I am going to ask my doctor for the metametrix profile, My question is that profile the best for this condition? I”m doing my best to stick with this diet, but without being pregnant, I have what can only be describe as bad morning sickness. I dont like food until late in the day and when I do eat I get abdominal pain and migraines. Im taking anti nausea and migraine meds daily. so when I asked for tests, I want to make sure I cover everything.
The doctor believes I have had this condition since I was a kid. And for everyone else’s knowledge, it can be genetic and make you more susceptible to autoimmune disease. My daughter is 4, I had her tested and she doesn’t produce significant immunoglobulins either and has suffered from UTIs and recently had adenoids and tonsils out for chronic sinusitis and tonsillitis. Had I known she had the issue before, I may have not gone forward with the surgery and treated the problem instead.
Thank you,
Amy
Hi Amy,
I like that profile because it is reliable — if it flags something, you know you have it. A lot of other tests, like antibody tests, are harder to interpret.
Sorry to hear about your genetic disorder. I hope the test turns up some treatable microbes and you feel better soon. I agree that diagnostic testing is the most urgent priority.
I have been on a low carb moderate protein and fat diet with lots of produce for years & have stayed at a healthy weight (I am 53 now) however in the past 7 years I have noticed that whenever I consume olive oil, coconut oil or nuts, I will get a couple of blemishes on my face. It happens about 12-18 hours after consuming the fats. Is this my gallbladder or my liver not being able to handle the fat? I have used Total EFA which is an oil that has a combination of Flax, Primrose & Borage and I do not get blemishes from this oil but don’t understand why I break out from the other fats?
Can you shed some light on this for me?
Hi Linda,
Bacterial cell wall components are fat-soluble (because they are part of lipid membranes) and can be carried into the body with dietary fat, especially if you have a leaky gut or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (fat is absorbed in the small intestine). Once in the body they are inflammatory and often cause skin blemishes.
The flax/primrose/borage modulate inflammation so the response is less strong.
I would focus on general gut health. You may need more carbs, collagen, and vitamin C to support gut barrier integrity; more salt and iodine for stomach acid production; more vitamin C and taurine for bile production; more vitamins A and D for mucosal immunity (liver and sunshine); zinc for antioxidant function. It is hard to say exactly what is the issue because this is a subtle but very common problem, many factors can help cause it.
Thank you VERY much for your feedback Paul; you have a wonderful site and I have told many about your book.
How quickly should you expect to see reductions in inflammation on the perfect health diet? Since reading your book, I’m close to the diet (just trying to figure out how to add in organ meats and bone broth) and feeling and looking better than I have in years. This has inspired my mom to start. She’s pre-diabetic and has arthritis, and just hasn’t been feeling good. After a week on the diet, she feels a little better. She took a hs-CRP test, and it came back at 34 (yes, in which >3 is considered high-risk). From everything I’ve been reading, the perfect health diet should help her lower her inflammation levels, but how long should it take? 2 weeks? 1 month? 2 months? 3 months? Thanks.
Hi Jenny,
It’s impossible to say because we don’t have enough experience and don’t know what specific condition (usually some sort of chronic infection, probably in the small intestine/pancreas/liver since she’s prediabetic) is causing the high CRP. The good news is that PHD with intermittent fasting and circadian rhythm tactics, including good nutrition such as liver and vitamin D from sun or supplements, should help her body fight the infection and improve things considerably.
Keep me posted on her progress, we’re learning together with our readers!
sorry just found your diagram in colour,so now i know,but as the red appears grey in your paperback you def do need to do a colour or diferent diagram for the buyers of the paperback
Can you have brown rice and brown rice pastas?
Hey Paul,
I’ve gone back and forth from this site from time to time and have often wondered about the principles you mention here.Starches and higher fats with lower protein.
For the last few years, well since April 2010 I’ve been primarily low carb high fat/protein and have toyed with the idea of this type of diet as I love rice but haven’t eaten it in a while.
I work out with weight training and conditioning about 6 x’s a week, and I’ve managed to get really lean via six pack abs.
But things I have noticed is no consistent morning erections and when I do get one their not as full as before? I have horrible insomnia @ times unless I eat some carbs ( usually on weekends). I also practice Intermittent fasting as well. My question is do you think this diet can help and do you think I will be able to remain lean with lower protein and higher fat/ carbs? As you probably can tell I’ve become a carbophic mess? Btw.. I’m 37 yrs old. 5’5′ and weigh 150 lbs. Mostly muscle?? Thanks for any direction you can give..
Sorry but also forgot to mention that I’m such a moody person now.I seem to deal with crazy mood swings ( depression, irritability,etc.) People close to me say I’ve changed quite a bit.. I’m really starting to wonder if my low carb diet could be part the reason for this??
Hello Paul,
Can we consider coconut sugar as a safe source of carbs ? As you used to recommend having rice syrup instead of classical safe starches, can coconut sugar be a good candidate for such unusual replacement ?
Thanks !
Best, July
Hi July, No, coconut sugar is high in fructose, similar to table sugar. For sweeteners try either dextrose powder or a safe starch syrup like tapioca syrup; or, if some fructose is OK, use honey.
I am just starting the diet and I have a lot of weight to lose. Can I eat the 0% fat Greek yogurt to help cut down on fat? I am having trouble keeping my fat calories down. And also when you say limit fructose to 10 grams per meal and 25 per day, is this the same as the sugars listed in food nutrient breakdowns?
Thanks, I really enjoyed your book!
Hi Ainslie,
You can eat low-fat yogurt, though dairy fat is fairly healthy. Re fructose, I would say don’t worry about sugar in natural fruits, vegetables, and roots, but avoid added sugar.
Thank you.
Fruit is most certainly not the same as table sugar. ALL studies done at universities have proven this.
Table sugar is refined and void of water, fibre and nutrients. 100% unlike fruit. If you are going to teach people about health – please let it be the truth.
In peace,
Julie.
Julie, fruit may not be *the same* as table sugar but it contains the same sugars. If you eat a lot of fruit you will ingest a lot of sugar. Period. A large amount of sugars as a percent of dietary calories is unhealthy regardless of the fiber and nutrients in the fruit. A small amount of fruit is healthy. A large amount, no. The dose makes the poison as they say.
Hello Paul,
I was wondering if you could possibly answer my questions from above please? I know you receive many but would be greatly appreciated.Thank you!
Hello Paul
You advise eating one pound of oily fish per week.
Can this be consumed over 5 days or is it safer to consume all the omega 3 in one meal.?
Thanks for getting my health back on track.
Marcus
Hi Marcus,
I don’t think it matters whether it is consumed in one meal or in small bits.
Hello Paul,
I had a question about the diet. I was reading someone else’s question earlier about having to lose a significant amount of weight, and I do as well. I was wondering if I will still be able to lose weight by eating the fats you recommend eating? Such as meat fats, and butter mainly? If I work out, should I still be able to lose weight successfully eating these high fat items? Thanks 😎
Hi James,
You should restrict fats to lose weight, but be sure to keep nourishing fats like egg yolks, seafood, and organ meats. Use butter in moderation, for example flavor potatoes with vinegar, salt, and a small amount of butter rather than the larger amount you might use if not trying to lose weight.
You can certainly lose weight eating some fats. Nothing needs to be completely removed from the diet.
Dr. Jaminet,
I have “read” the book via audible and am now reading it. I am having a lot of trouble figuring this out.
I was VLC Paleo for almost a year prior to this. I became concerned about the large amount of protein and fat so started doing alternate day fasting- which lead to binge eating, reintroduction of processed food and gluten. I gained 6 pounds of my 30 pound weight loss back.
No matter how I try PHD the best day I have with it I am still hungry, ill as a hornet, and go to bed with a headache. I am still consuming too much protein and not enough carbs I think. I suppose old habits die hard, bc I reach for protein- but my percents look okay..Idk- that is why I am here.
I become ravenous with carbs.
Today’s numbers were: Fat 102/59%; Carbs 63g/16%; and Protein 94/25%. I am hungry and moody and got on here to try and find answers.
I have been following PHD for 2 weeks on Friday. I have gained 7 pounds, I am swollen- and not a real happy camper.
The book sounds great, so it has to be something I am doing!
Thanks so much.
Hi Cyndi,
It sounds like you messed up your gut bacteria on VLC Paleo. When you eat carbs the bad gut flora become more active and make you hungry and inflamed.
As far as carbs go, you have to feel your way — try quick-digesting carbs like dextrose, or white rice.
But the key is to fix the flora. Be sure to optimize vitamin D (sun/supplements), vitamin A (liver), and iron (blood donation); make fermented vegetables for probiotic flora; do intermittent fasting; follow circadian rhythm tactics; and eat collagen-rich foods and supplement vitamin C for gut barrier integrity.
Also, be sure to eat plenty of vegetables, liver, shellfish/seafood, seaweed, egg yolks, and other nutrient dense food.
Let me know how things progress.
Hi,
Would you mind giving me a quick explanation as to why I should avoid eating legumes? Lentils and chickpeas are a huge part of my diet and I would be so sad to give them up. I plan on reading your book but was just hoping you could give explain this to me before. Thx!
I had the same question. Read pg 212 of the book.
Thanks Alana.
I actually live in Spain and it will take a while for the book to arrive. I was just hoping to get a quick answer in the meantime, since I eat hummus daily 🙁 What brought me to this page actually was my search to try to find help for my debilitating OCD and I’m wondering if my diet is playing a role in this and am now concerned that what I thought was a healthy habit (eating legumes daily) may actually be harming me.
Hi Carol, I am not Paul, but I am someone who used to eat hummus, chickpeas and lentils quite regularly. I do think that stopping eating them has helped me mentally. I have always suffered anxiety and depression and OCD type problems, but when I improved my diet by avoiding sugar, legumes and grains I feel so much better and am much more productive!
When I tried eating some lentils again after stopping them for a while, I noticed I felt much more emotional and unable to deal with life again. So I think it’s a definite possibility they could be making your OCD worse too.