An easy answer would be to eat ONLY the foods listed in the diet plans. For maximum results, especially at the beginning of the diet, this is recommended. However, other foods not seen on our meal plans may work well in the diet as long as they fall under the categories of lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables, legumes, whole fruits, and healthy fats. For example, venison is not on the meal plans, but can be eaten as the animal protein at any meal, and black-eyed peas work are also fine as a bean substitution. There may be other non-starchy vegetables you like which can be eaten as well, jicama for example. The most important foods to avoid are high glycemic index starches (breads, cereals, crackers, pasta, potatoes, wraps, rolls, baked goods, oatmeal, granola, crusts, and pitas, etc.), sweets (candies, cookies, etc.) and sweetened drinks, like soft drinks*, as well as any food that might contain the allergens we eliminate in Phase 1: wheat, cow’s milk, soy, or peanuts. For example, while fish is allowed, you don’t want to eat a fried fish with breading. Also, while bleu cheese dressing might be your favorite and we allow other salad dressings on the diet, bleu cheese dressing contains cow’s milk and should not be consumed.

As medical professionals with years of combined study in integrative health and weight loss, we have found that the calories in/calories out approach to weight loss is often unsuccessful because there are many factors in your body that can influence that equation. While we developed our diets with an average of 1500 and 1800 daily calories in order to help you understand portions and give you a basic idea of caloric intake, ultimately, it is most important to learn what to eat. If you eat the right foods and avoid individual food allergens, our experience is that you can consume more calories and still achieve weight loss.

In the first two weeks (or for the duration of Phase 1 if you choose to do it for longer), you can weigh yourself as often as you wish. However, during Phase 2 food reintroductions, we recommend weighing yourself daily, as overnight weight fluctuations are a good way to measure tolerance or intolerance of certain foods. An overnight weight gain of 1-2 pounds may be caused from fluid retention due to inflammation which signals food intolerance.

Food sensitivities are potent sources of inflammation in the body, and therefore it is good to eliminate any food that could be a source of this type of inflammation. We did not eliminate eggs because other foods like wheat and cow’s milk are by far more problematic foods for the majority of people. That being said, if you have a known egg allergy, you should continue to avoid them while following the Metabolic Code Diet. Otherwise, if you would like to eliminate eggs simply because you would like to go further with your food eliminations and be thorough in discovering any food sensitivities, you can. Your Metabolic Code health coach can assign our MCD Egg Free Meal Plan for you.

*If you currently drink daily sweetened soft drinks or energy drinks, you will need to wean off them. See our Weaning Off
Caffeine pdf for more info.

An egg elimination should be considered if you:
• have a past history of multiple food allergies and/or have seasonal allergies.
• had a high score on the intestinal health section of your MCD questionnaire.
• have chronic sinus congestion, and/or heartburn.
• currently eat a lot of eggs (high exposure to foods increases our chance of becoming allergic or
sensitive to them).
• have tried wheat/cow’s milk dairy elimination or a very low carb diet before without results.
If you choose to eliminate eggs, you can use our protein shakes for breakfast and just eliminate any eggs you
may find in our other meals, like removing hard cooked eggs on a salad and choosing an egg-free mayo.

It is not recommended to start your program on a whey protein powder because it is a cow’s milk protein and some people react to it. We recommend starting with vegan protein powder and then treat whey

protein as an allergenic food reintroduction in Phase 2, as directed.

We recommend a whey protein trial so you know if you react to it. This could be important later for avoiding it as an ingredient in other foods, like protein bars. If tolerated, it can have some advantages:

• Whey is a very high biological value protein, and has a naturally sweet taste.
  
  
• Because it is highly absorbable and a good source of leucine, it helps support muscle building and muscle retention better than other sources of protein, like soy.

• Studies have found whey protein supports building of serotonin, so it could help support better mood and sleep, and reduced food cravings. This is a great advantage on lower carb diets.

If whey protein is tolerated, it could be rotated with vegan protein powders and used as part of a rotation diet (a strategy used to avoid becoming reactive to protein powder sources and other foods).

Remember, you will not get the benefits of whey protein if the immune system reacts to it. Immune reactivity occurs in the gut, which can not only break down gut linings themselves, but creates inflammatory chemistry in the body.

If you follow our food reintroduction process as guided in our diet portal, you will have eliminated wheat and cow’s milk dairy for about 2- 3 months, before reintroducing it in Phase 2. Occasionally, people will end up eating wheat or dairy before that due to a variety of circumstances. However, if you can at least avoid them for a minimum of 2 full weeks, that is typically long enough that if you do eat the food, you should be able to tell if it causes symptoms when you eat it. If the food does cause symptoms, you know that food has likely been causing a good deal of inflammation in your body. So, if you inadvertently eat wheat or cow’s milk dairy earlier than you should, make note of when you ate it and if you noticed any symptoms of reactivity, like runny nose after eating it, and then eliminate it again, until it is reintroduced in Phase 2.

Some people, may experience constipation on lower carb diets. Eating according to the MCD meal plans should help prevent that, because we use chia and flaxseeds in our protein shake recipes. Also, getting rid of food allergens can help reduce constipation and will result in great digestion long term. However, if you are following the diet and still experiencing constipation, here are strategies to try.

• Increase your water consumption.
  
  
• Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of high fiber seeds such as ground flax or chia seeds to your protein shake in the morning.

• Add magnesium and probiotics, both of which can help alleviate constipation. (Magnesium helps relax the smooth muscles in the intestinal tract and probiotics may help by promoting more optimal transit time.) Work with your health practitioner, or wellness coach or advisor on dosages, but typically 1 – 2 probiotic capsules per day along with 400 to 500 mg magnesium will be a big help.

• Be sure you are avoiding wheat, cow’s milk dairy, starches, and sugar. Consuming potential food allergens can result in constipation in some people.

• Make sure to eat a plentiful volume of non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, bell peppers, etc. The bulk (fiber) of vegetables will help with good stool formation.

• Within allotted fruit servings, choose ‘seedy’ fruits such as blackberries and raspberries, which have a higher fiber content (seeds = fiber).

• Make sure to eat the beans and legume servings allowed on the meal plans daily. Beans provide an average of 7–10 grams of fiber per half cup serving.

In our experience, artificial sweeteners may work against long-term weight maintenance and overall health. While we know many people that have used some saccharin, for example, and had no problems losing weight, it could cause problems for some people, so it is something to explore if weight isn’t coming off. However, this would be one of the last areas to explore. It would be less of an influence than eating sweets or allergens, for example. NutraSweet (aspartame) is probably the most problematic of the sweeteners, because it is thought to be an excitotoxin, which means it can affect brain cells. The most common side effect from it is headaches. When consumed in diet soft drinks, it seems to have an addictive quality. Splenda (sucralose) may also be a problem.

One of the biggest issues that has come to light is that artificial sweeteners, sucralose in particular, may kill off beneficial flora. Also, some studies suggest that artificial sweeteners can promote a hormonal response similar to real sugar and therefore lead to weight gain, while a recent study found they do not. However, artificial sweeteners may drive cravings for sweets and carbohydrates in some people, because they many times sweeter than plain sugar. Splenda is 600 times sweeter than sugar, for example. So, it’s thought that they can throw off taste receptors making healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables taste extra bitter. In addition, artificial sweeteners can cause side effects like headache or muscle pain in some people. While it was thought that artificial sweeteners just pass through the intestine and are not absorbed into the blood stream, a study of sucralose found that some of the sweetener does get absorbed /metabolized. So, you can see, there are plenty of reasons to try to remove artificial sweeteners from your diet as much as possible.

Stevia, or rebaudioside A, is a naturally sweet herb that is recommended in moderation if a sweetener is preferred. If you are currently consuming high amounts of artificial sweeteners, such as drinking multiple diet sodas daily, you should work to cut it down. If the drink is non-caffeinated, cut down by half, and then cut in half again every 3–4 days. For example, 2 sodas → 1 soda → . soda → . soda → off. This is to allow your taste for the natural sweetness in foods to return, and to remove any influence of the sweetener on your health and weight. If your drink is caffeinated, you will need to follow a slower weaning process to avoid headaches. See our Weaning Off Caffeine pdf for more details.

We recommend consuming organic foods as often as possible. Organic produce has not been sprayed with chemical pesticides and is not genetically modified (GMO). Organic meats are from animals that have been raised on pesticide-free foods and are not given growth hormones or antibiotics. Choosing organic foods lowers ingestion of chemicals which can cause metabolic disruptions that are bad for your health and can contribute to weight gain. By lowering your ingestion of chemicals on foods, it increases the body’s capacity to deal with other environmental toxins. In addition, some organic foods contain more antioxidants and vitamins and minerals when compared with conventional produce.

A great resource to help prioritize which produce items are the most important to buy organically is the Environmental Working Group’s “dirty dozen” list. Search www.ewg.org. Grapes, apples, strawberries, potatoes, bell peppers, celery, spinach, and leafy greens often make the list of the produce items most contaminated with pesticides. Aim to buy organic versions of these items as well as the highest quality protein (organic chicken, grass-fed beef, wild caught fish etc.) to reduce exposure to GMOs, pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics. We understand that it may not be realistic to eat a 100% organic diet. Do the best you can with your resources (shopping options and budget).

Sodium nitrite/nitrates are added to meat and fish to inhibit the growth of disease-causing microorganisms and toxins and to preserve the color and flavor of meats. It is ideal to avoid processed meats with the added preservative sodium nitrite and nitrate. These preservatives are found in lunch or deli meats, hot dogs, bacon, ham, sausage, and smoked fish. The concern with frequent consumption of processed meats containing nitrites/nitrates is their potential to convert into carcinogens called nitrosamines. Nitrates are now thought to be triggers for Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. Also, nitrates and nitrites can bond with hemoglobin, rendering it unable to carry oxygen.

The MCD uses some processed meats like deli turkey with the caveat to make them nitrate free at a minimum and to use organic versions if possible. Look for versions that do not contain nitrites/nitrates which may be advertised on the pack as “uncured,” “not preserved,” or “no nitrates or nitrites added.” If in doubt, look in the ingredient list where added nitrites/nitrates will be listed. Processed meats should be limited in the diet but may be included in moderation. For example, while you can control what you eat in your home, you may occasionally be eating out or in a work meeting where sandwiches are the only food available. We recommend removing the bread and eating the meat and vegetables only, and try to add extra vegetables and eat salad if possible. If a vending machine is available you could look for nuts or seeds to eat in addition, or if a piece of fruit is available, like an apple, so that you can get enough to eat from the foods you are allowed on your list of acceptable foods. This is also where it would come in handy to keep soup broth on hand, if possible, for example, in a work break room refrigerator.