Doug Kaufmann Phase One Diet Foods

Although Doug Kaufmann’s diet is technically anti-carbohydrate, it’s not intended as a weight-loss program. Kaufmann’s Phase 1 plan is the first step of a two-step process intended to improve your health. His theory is that fungi have managed to invade your body over the years, through your skin and in your food, and when you consume sugar and carbs that covert to glucose, you feed these fungi. Kaufmann indicates that fungi love sugar and glucose and his diet aims to literally starve them to death and rid your body of them. He says you’ll feel better for it.

Proteins

Protein foods are an integral part of Kaufmann’s plan, but don't simply go to your supermarket and stock up on hamburger. Depending on what cattle have eaten and if they have been corn-fed, beef may ingest fungi and pass them on to you. The purpose of the diet is to kill the fungi inside you, not replace them with more, so Kaufmann recommends eating only grass-fed beef. You may also eat fish, poultry and eggs during Phase 1.

Fruits and Vegetables

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Fiber is also important to Phase 1 because as you starve the fungi, you need to pass them out of your body through waste. Fungi also produce mycotoxins, which are poisonous. As the fungi die off, Kaufmann advises getting rid of their mycotoxins too. Fiber makes your bowels move more regularly and helps this process along. Kauffman suggests eating only fresh vegetables and that you aim for those with high fiber content. Acceptable fruits in Phase 1 include:

• coconut
  
• berries
  
• green apples
  
• grapefruit
  
• lemons
  
• limes
  
• avocados

Kaufmann also suggests psyllium hulls to keep your bowels moving. The diet forbids mushrooms because they are a fungus, as well as vegetables such as potatoes that have a high carb content.

Dairy

Dairy products are acceptable in Phase 1 of Kaufmann’s diet, but these, too, should be organic. A study in the November 2012 issue of the "Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture" states that organic dairy products are higher in protein and omega-3 fatty acids than conventional products 2. You can also eat real sour cream, cream cheese and unsweetened whipping cream in small quantities. If you can find milk from range-fed cows, this is preferable.

Sweeteners and Seasonings

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Although you can’t have sugar on Kaufmann’s diet, artificial sweeteners are fine. Kaufmann suggests stevia or Stevia Plus, or xylitol, a birch tree extract.

Tips

Kaufmann’s diet allows no grains or yeast products. Grains are high in carbohydrates, which your body will convert to glucose to feed the fungi. Yeast can introduce more fungi into your system. You can eat walnuts, pecans and almonds if they’re fresh, but not pistachios or peanuts. Storing nuts can produce mold. Kaufmann recommends staying on Phase 1 of his diet plan for two weeks; this is the amount of time required to move the fungi out of your system, according to the diet's philosophy. Then you should move into Phase 2; don’t go back to your old diet or you’ll likely introduce fungi into your system again.