Dr. Mercola Total Health Cookbook
Dr. Mercola Total Health Cookbook
Dr. Mercola Total Health Cookbook
D R. M E R C O L A ’ S
150 Delicious
Grain-Free Recipes &
Proven Metabolic Type Plan
to Prevent Disease,
Optimize Weight and
Live Longer
“If you aren’t yet familiar with Dr. Mercola's widely proven program—and where have you been if you aren’t?—imagine the weight loss benefits
of the Atkins’ or South Beach Diet, but then also throw in avoiding disease and premature aging, and increasing your energy dramatically ...
That's what you'll get with Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Cookbook & Program.” – John Gray, Ph.D., author of a dozen bestsellers including Men
are From Mars, Women are from Venus
Prevent disease. Optimize weight. Increase energy. Look younger. Love the taste.
Over one million people per month visit Dr. Mercola’s natural health website for his dietary expertise. 200,000
people subscribe to his health e-newsletter. Tens of thousands have dramatically improved their health and weight
through his highly respected natural health clinic. Millions more have received his health advice through his
hundreds of major media interviews ….
Without any glitzy marketing campaign but instead driven largely by peoples’ word-of-mouth, Dr. Mercola’s Total
Health Program is taking the country by storm. Why? Because no matter what your health goals are, the program
has been widely proven to improve your health and weight—quickly, dramatically, and permanently.
Built entirely around a natural approach, this program will help you avoid and eliminate the underlying causes
of health and weight issues in an easy-to-follow manner. And now, for the first time, his entire Total Health Program
that took twenty years to develop—along with 150 delicious, nutritious, grain-free and easy to prepare original
recipes—is available to you in this single highly readable volume! You’ll learn everything you need to know to:
• Build your body’s immune system to its peak levels to prevent major diseases and common illnesses
• Reach your optimal weight—while actually enjoying and being satisfied by eating—and remain at your optimal
weight for life
• Maximize your body’s ability to restore the more youthful appearance you are meant to have while avoiding
any premature aging
• Boost your daily energy and your mental clarity by leaps and bounds
• Help eliminate the underlying causes for those currently challenged by diseases and conditions such as diabetes,
heart problems, chronic fatigue, allergies, and much more
Dramatically improve your health and weight for good, live longer and better, and truly love the foods you eat
while doing so … with Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Cookbook & Program.
here, but only you can choose to first commit yourself to the program. This deserves your careful
consideration, as it is not uncommon to hear people “wish” that they were healthier, had more
energy, or could permanently lose weight, but in the next breath complain that taking the real steps
toward doing so is “too costly” or “too time-consuming.” Some of these people will then slump
into their couches to watch TV for hours everyday, or they’ll waste thousands of dollars per year
on junk food, soft drinks, and other non-food stuff that merely satisfies an immediate urge. How
is it that spending so much time and resources on these pursuits and products is more important
than devoting them to health? It’s really a matter of getting priorities straight, of remembering that
you’ve just got this one life to live. To drive the point home, try this one question test:
Of these five things, which would you least want to have destroyed or eliminated:
1) Your car
2) Your TV
3) Your house
4) Your job
5) Your body
If you answered number 5, then you’ll realize that a central priority in your life should be
dedicated to ensuring that your body isn’t destroyed or eliminated prematurely. (And if you
answered anything besides number 5, turn immediately to the “Overcoming Emotional Barriers”
chapter of this book.) While the recipes in this book have been created to be as quick and easy as
possible, you should still recognize that they are not as quick and easy as unwrapping a Snicker’s
bar, nor are they as cheap. While you’ll find that the dietary plan, lifestyle habits, and emotional
tools covered in this book will make succeeding on this diet far simpler than you’re anticipating
right now, it still is not as simple as grabbing a Big Mac at McDonald’s drive-up window. But the
results in all aspects of your life will be infinitely more rewarding. It all starts with your choosing.
You can choose to keep wishing you were thinner, healthier, and younger looking but not
take the steps to actually improve your health. Or you can choose to make achieving optimal health
a true priority in your life, and dedicate yourself to achieving it through the proven advice, recipes,
and resources this book offers. Read on if your health and life are worth that effort.
PA RT O N E
D R . M E R C O L A’ S T O T A L H E A L T H P R O G R A M
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 7
1) No matter what your health challenge is, you should eliminate or at least significantly
reduce the sugars and grains, particularly the processed forms, in your diet, as you’ll find out
in the next chapter.
2) Despite what some of the fad diets out there have insisted, you need carbohydrates,
protein, and fat in your diet. None of these are evil as some “experts” have made them out to
be. The key is, first, understanding and choosing only the healthy type of each of these,
which you will learn in Chapter 3 and 4, and second, consuming the right amount of carbo-
hydrates, protein, and fat for your personal metabolic type, which you’ll learn in Chapter 5.
3) You have a unique biochemistry, or metabolic type, and certain types of “nutritious”
food are healthier for your metabolic type, while other types of “nutritious” food are
actually less so. You must know your metabolic type if you truly want to optimize your
health and fitness; Chapter 5 of this book provides you the means to do so, including the
crucial concept of “listening to your body” and fine-tuning your diet accordingly. Part Two
then provides further guidance on how to alter the recipes, and guide your eating toward
your metabolic type.
4) Your emotional and mental well-being is directly tied to your physical health and your
dietary success. Negative emotions such as cravings and addictions, low self-esteem, and
past traumas will impact your ability to overcome disease and overweight/obesity issues,
but there are solutions provided in Chapter 6 that will help you overcome these
emotional obstacles.
5) You will not need to consume a shopping bag full of supplements because the healthy
recipes and foods recommended in this book will typically provide you with most of the
nutrients you will need. The only exceptions are: A) the few supplements that nearly
everyone needs such as fish oil with omega-3, as detailed for you in Chapter 7, and B)
specific supplementation for those with special health challenges.
6) Making certain other lifestyle choices are essential to your health success. This includes
drinking plenty of pure water, getting proper sleep, exercising, and learning how to bypass
the influences of institutions fostering the overweight and chronic disease epidemics for
their own profit and power. You’ll learn about all these in Chapter 7, as well.
As you are reading this book, there are two important points to keep in mind. First, it is
crucial that you avoid becoming overwhelmed with all of the useful information or attempt to bite
off more than you can chew. Some people, when they encounter all the dietary and lifestyle
changes they should make toward optimal health and weight, become discouraged because they
believe they have to make them all happen at one time. Others become over-motivated and try
to make them all happen at one time. Both frequently lead to failure. The key with all the insight
offered in this book—and adopting positive changes in any aspect of your life—is to implement it
in manageable bites. That means establishing a plan for yourself over time, and implementing
the changes in phases into your life. Chapter 8, “Pulling It All Together,” will help you in this
regard by providing a simple approach and key reminders you can use to prioritize and build your
“manageable bites” plan.
Second, you will notice that the recipes in the cookbook include a wide range of foods.
While many of these foods can generally be found in your local grocery or health food store, the
cookbook includes specific brands of food items recommended for their superior health value.
A key point to remember is food quality is dramatically different depending on the source. For
example, one source of salmon, such as the Vital Choice brand that we offer through Mercola.com,
is from the pure waters of the Alaskan wilderness. We have had the salmon laboratory tested and
it is certifiably free of any harmful toxins. Meanwhile, though, the vast majority of salmon found
in supermarkets is contaminated with either mercury or PCB’s and is quite unhealthy for you.
Choosing quality foods and health products can make all the difference in the world to your health
and well-being.
Because this quality is essential, on my website and in my twice-weekly newsletters I have
always made it a point to research and recommend what I have found to be the highest quality
food and health products. In this book, I provide you the same detailed insight on the right types
of foods. With most of the foods I recommend, such as vegetables or nuts, you’ll be able to find
them in virtually any grocery or health food store. With others, particularly the right types of fish,
beef and other meat, you are not likely to find these in a typical grocery store. I encourage you to
first check your local health food store for these specific foods with my recommended guidelines.
Locally owned health food stores are a national treasure well deserving of your business, and they
are usually eager to listen to your input on the goods they should carry. However, if you can’t find
them elsewhere, or if time is an issue for you, you can easily access the “Recommended Products”
section on Mercola.com to learn how to obtain these products.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 9
narily small period in evolutionary time—that humans began ingesting large amounts of sugar and
starch in the form of grains and potatoes in their diets. Indeed, nearly all of our genes were set before
the advent of agriculture; so, in biological terms, our bodies are still those of hunter-gatherers.
While the shift to agriculture produced other indisputable gains for man, societies where the
transition from a primarily meat/vegetation diet to one high in grains show a reduced lifespan and
stature, increases in infant mortality and infectious disease, and higher nutritional deficiencies.
Keep in mind that these ancient societies used entirely unrefined and organic grains. Today over
90% of grains are highly processed, making the negative consequences of grains far worse.
The physiology of contemporary humans has not changed much from our distant ancestors, and
our bodies have never adapted to the excessive amount of carbohydrates from grains and sweets in
our present-day diet. In fact, in a nation whose diet is still largely based on the severely misguided
USDA Food Pyramid, which recommends an atrocious 6–11 servings of breads, cereals, rice and
pasta per day, this surplus of insulin-spiking carbohydrates is the main reason for the overweight
epidemic and the scourge of related chronic diseases like diabetes.
It is primarily your body’s response to the overindulgence of grain and sugars, not your
intake of fat, which makes you fat. Consuming sugar also impairs your white blood cell function
and thereby decreases your body’s immune system, making you more vulnerable to disease. Your
body has a limited capacity to store carbohydrates, but it can easily convert those excess carbohy-
drates, via insulin, into body fat, which means the more excess carbohydrates, the more body fat.
When a government recommends that its population consume 6–11 servings of grains per day,
plus four servings of fruit (which is high in simple sugars), an overweight epidemic is the logical
and inevitable result.
The fact is that any meal or snack high in carbohydrates from grains or sweets generates a
rapid rise in blood glucose. To adjust for this rise, your pancreas secretes the hormone insulin into
the bloodstream, which lowers your blood sugar. Insulin is essentially a storage hormone, devel-
oped over millions of years to help you store the excess calories from carbohydrates in the form of
fat in the case of famine. Throughout most of our biological history, and certainly in many areas
of the world today, there were frequent periods of mass starvation caused by droughts and other
natural occurrences that depleted the availability of vegetation (containing the complex carbohy-
drates that are the carbs you should eat) and therefore the game animals that relied on this vege-
tation. The body gradually developed defenses against this starvation so it could convert any excess
carbohydrates to fat so it could use its fat stores for energy over time. You are, in other words,
walking around in a body well designed to pull you through potential starvation. The problem is,
we live in a time and a place with the extreme opposite situation—we don’t experience times of
famine and instead we have an overabundance of grains, starches and sweets, and food companies
are marketing them endlessly to us.
To make matters even worse, high insulin levels also lower two other important hormones—
glucagon and growth hormone—that are responsible for burning fat and sugar and promoting
muscle development. In other words, insulin produced from consuming excess carbohydrates
found in grains and sugars promotes fat, and then wards off your body's ability to lose that fat and
build muscle!
Additionally, insulin also causes hunger, and it’s usually a hunger for sweets. As blood sugar
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 11
increases following a carbohydrate meal, insulin is secreted to lower the blood sugar. The lowered
blood sugar results in hunger, often only a couple of hours or less after the meal. If ignored long
enough, the hunger turns into feeling ravenous, shaky, moody and ready to “crash” as a result of
hypoglycemia or low blood sugars. In order to raise your blood sugars, your body will naturally
crave high sugar foods like sweets or grains, which leads to a vicious roller coaster ride of high and
low blood sugars. You progressively convert to a sugar and grain addict and this causes you to
become increasingly fatter, fatigued, depressed and sick.
But now back to the good news. You have this book, and it provides you with a practical
solution. By eating according to your unique and specific biochemistry, you’ll find the craving for
these unhealthy but tempting foods disappears. If there are any emotional barriers you encounter
when making the transition, you’ll learn in Chapter 6 about a powerful psychological technique
that is profoundly impressive in overcoming psychological resistance. Furthermore, you will have
all the healthy recipes to put your insight into action for every day of the year.
There are two more factors you should know about corn. First, corn is only second to
soybeans as the most genetically modified (GMO) crop in the U.S. GMOs, which were first
introduced in 1995, are a potential disaster waiting to happen, as no studies have been done with
humans to show what happens when genetically modified foods are consumed. The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) has assumed that these modified foods are equivalent to the original
foods, and therefore, does not require any studies to have them approved. This is despite the fact
that: 1) this technology has never before existed in the history of the world, and 2) the United
State’s track record on genetically engineered safety is terrible.
Second, as you can read in detail in Doug Kaufmann and Dr. David Holland’s book,
Infectious Diabetes, corn is one of the foods highest in mycotoxins (wheat and several other grains
are high as well), which are toxins from fungus that can lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes and
a wide host of other serious diseases.
Nevertheless, there is hope! One of the most profoundly important changes you can make
immediately in your diet is to switch to consuming healthy meat. Atop this list is choosing
nutritious and safe alternatives to corn-fed beef, such as grass-fed beef or grass-fed bison, which
are discussed in detail in Chapter 4 and used in some of the recipes in this book.
Sugars are simple carbohydrates processed by the body in the same manner as grains. That
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 13
is, any excess sugars in the body are converted by insulin into fat—and just like grains, we’re
consuming an enormous surfeit of sugar. In the past two decades in the U.S., sugar consumption
has increased by over 30%. In fact, the average per-person sugar intake is now 175 pounds per year!
That’s 300,000 calories per year, or 800 calories per day, from sugar! This is asking for serious
health trouble even by the ill-advised USDA standards, which states that the average American,
who should be consuming about 2,000 calories per day, can eat up to 10 teaspoons of added
sugars per day. The average American is consuming well over 3000 calories per day, including over
20 teaspoons of added sugars.
The majority of these added sugars are coming from soft drinks, which the average
American drinks an estimated 56 gallons of each year. That’s an average of 600 cans of soda pop
per year each! Just one can of this soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories, along
with 30 to 55 mg of caffeine. Soda also contains harmful additives including phosphoric acid,
which can interfere with the body's ability to use calcium, leading to osteoporosis or softening of
the teeth and bones. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which
can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to absorb nutrients. Eliminating soft drinks from
the American diet—a distant but noble dream—would alone vastly reduce the rate of obesity and
add years to our average lifespan.
Moreover, there are high-sugar culprits disguised as “healthy” by food marketers such as:
“fruit drinks,” “fruit beverages” and “fruit punch,” such as Snapple, which contain anywhere from
1% to 40% of fruit juice but which all contain loads of sugar, usually high-fructose corn syrup.
But even the sugars in 100% real fruit juice can quickly add up: real fruit juice, whether
store-bought or freshly squeezed, has about eight full teaspoons of sugar per eight-ounce glass.
This sugar is typically a fruit sugar called fructose, which is every bit as dangerous as the regular
table sugar sucrose since it will also cause a major increase in insulin levels.
This doesn’t mean that you should avoid fruit, just fruit juice. When the fruit is intact and
whole, its fiber will moderate the release of fructose and secondarily insulin into your bloodstream.
However, if you are overweight, have high blood pressure or high blood sugar levels, you would
be wise to avoid most fruits and just stick with vegetable carbohydrates until you have these prob-
lems under control. This is especially true if you are a Protein Metabolic Type. Carbohydrate types
are generally better designed to handle the carbohydrates in fruits, especially citrus fruits.
On a different note, sugar substitutes such as saccharin (Sweet-N-Low), sucralose (Splenda)
and aspartame (Equal and Nutrasweet) should be avoided. Their negative health effects can easily
exceed the sugars they are replacing. Some scientists, for instance, believe aspartame might cause
altered brain function and behavior changes. The FDA has also been inundated with consumer
complaints about aspartame, including fibromyalgia symptoms, multiple sclerosis symptoms,
dizziness, headaches, and menstrual problems. You can use the search engine on my site for fur-
ther details on aspartame and its brand names like Nutrasweet.
You should also avoid the latest sugar substitute rage, sucralose. First of all, few human
studies have been published on the safety of sucralose. Second, in animal research studies, sucralose
was shown to cause a decrease in the size of thymus glands, to cause liver and kidney enlargement,
reduce growth rate, decrease red blood cell count, and decrease placenta and fetal body weights—
and this is only a partial list. Sucralose also has the potential to contaminate your body with
pesticides, heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and more, as it has been found to contain small
amounts of these dangerous substances. Finally, if you are trying to lower your weight, there is no
clear evidence that sucralose—or any artificial sweetener—is even useful in weight reduction. In
fact, there is evidence that these substances may actually stimulate your appetite.
For many people, sugar is an authentic addiction, akin to cigarette dependency. And it is
affecting their health as severely as cigarettes would, if not more so. The real solution is not to keep
hunting for ways to “safely” maintain the addiction, such as artificial sweeteners, which are kind of
like the equivalent of “Light” and “Ultra Light” cigarettes—that is, equally as devastating to your
body. The solution is to overcome the addiction. Fortunately, you’ll find that by adopting this
dietary plan, including eating the foods meant for your metabolic type and utilizing the tools to
overcome emotional barriers described later in this book, you won’t have to “fight” the craving,
because it will naturally disappear. This has been the case for thousands before you, and if you stick
to the principles in this book, it will be the case with you.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 15
the breakdown of sugars into the bloodstream. Because most vegetables are high in fiber, low on
the glycemic index, and are packed with nutritional value, vegetables are an ideal way to meet your
daily carbohydrate requirements.
Vegetables contain the majority of the micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber and phyto-
chemicals) your body needs. However, there are essential macronutrients vegetables cannot
provide sufficient quantities of, including protein with all eight essential amino acids found only in
animal products, and certain fats such as omega-3 with EHA and DPA fatty acids. Vegetables also
contain a host of essential nutrients that are not found or replicated in any other type of food, and
certainly not in any pill or supplement. They contain phytochemicals, for instance, which are used
by the body to repair and build healthy cells, organs and tissues, thereby increasing your immunity
to disease and illness. They are also rich in fiber, which aids in digestion and also creates a feeling
of being full. Advocates of high grain-consumption, such as the USDA, often cite grain’s fiber
content when pushing the “need for grains,” ignoring all its harmful effects. Vegetables are a far
healthier choice than grains to obtain your fiber.
In short, vegetables provide tremendous health benefits. Vegetables’ health benefits include,
but are by no means limited to:
What’s more, vegetables can really taste incredible. My patients frequently tell me that soon
after they stopped eating junk food, they stopped craving sugar and looked forward to eating
vegetables and healthy protein. If you commit yourself to the dietary program according to your
metabolic type as described in the “Pulling it All Together” section of this book, it’s likely you’ll
have the same experience as many of my patients—that sugar tastes “sickeningly” sweet and that
you’ve grown to love the taste of nature’s bounty.
There are some important guidelines to consider in your vegetable selection, as not all
vegetables are created equal:
1) Vegetables rich in color generally indicate that they are higher in vital nutrients than
their pale counterparts. For example, dark green romaine lettuce, spinach or kale is much
higher in nutrients than nearly white iceberg lettuce, which has virtually no nutritional
value. Red onions are much higher in flavonoids and antioxidants than white or yellow
onions. The same is true for red grapes versus green grapes, and red, yellow and purple
bell peppers are higher in nutrients than green peppers and well worth the additional cost.
There are some exceptions to this rule such as cauliflower, which is white but which is still
a nutrient-dense vegetable.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 17
2) For purposes of your health, pretend that potatoes are not a vegetable but a grain. That
is because they are high in simple carbs and they act upon your body similar to grains and
sugars, promoting weight gain and disease. This is true whether they are baked, mashed,
boiled, or fried. Fried potatoes such as French fries are double trouble and you should avoid
them like the plague. French fries are high in dangerous trans-fats, which are fats damaged
by the heating process that contain a molecular conformation that causes heart disease and
cancer. In addition, fried potatoes contain the carcinogenic substance acrylamide.
Moreover, a Super Size French fry at McDonalds is 540 calories, 68 grams of carbohydrate,
and 26 grams of fat—enough carbs and fat for an entire day! You would have to run at a
fast pace for over an hour straight just to break even. In summary, I would not feed French
fries to a starving dog much less a human.
3) Limit your consumption of other root vegetables, such as beets and carrots, as they are
higher in carbohydrates than above-ground vegetables. If you do eat them, eat them raw as
cooking increases their glycemic index.
4) Organic produce is usually much higher in nutrients and you’ll also find organic
produce tastes better. Plus, organic farmers don’t use chemical fertilizers, pesticides or
herbicides, all of which can harm your health. If you can’t buy organic produce, don’t let
that stop you from buying produce at all, of course—just make sure you remove some of
the chemicals by soaking them for 10 minutes in a sink with water, vinegar and hydrogen
peroxide, or in a vegetable wash found at most health food stores.
5) Focus on eating your vegetables raw. Some people find raw vegetables difficult to digest
and will have to incorporate them slowly and in small amounts. The reason for eating raw
veggies is there are valuable and highly perishable micronutrients that are damaged when
you heat them. Recipes for raw foods, vegetable juicing, salads and cooked vegetable
dishes have been provided in this book to make eating vegetables easy for you.
mincing, chopping, and more, and while comparable juicers cost $800–$2,000, the Omega 8002
Juicer is a tremendous value at $260. I personally have used the Omega 8002 Juicer since 2000
and I love it.
Soy Untrue!
Soybeans are another legume, but deserve their own special mention because of the extreme
misperceptions of their supposed health value. There are a large number of companies seeking to
profit from the alleged health benefits of soy, such as soy milk, powders, cheese, breakfast bars,
cereals and nuts. The truth of the matter is that these products largely do more harm than good.
“But what about the link between soy and the low rates of breast, colon and prostate cancer among
Asian people, whose diets tend to be high in soy?” you may ask. Consider that Asians eat a diet
that includes significantly higher quantities of vegetables and much lower quantities of processed
foods, and a much better balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fat ratios. Asians as a whole are
consuming a far healthier diet overall, which provides relative protection from the harmful effects
of soy. It should also be noted that Asians eat a significant portion of soy in the recommended
fermented form such as natto, amakaze, miso and tempeh, which nullifies the negative effects of
soy. While an entire book will be available in spring 2004 on how soy harms your health, The Whole
Soy Story by Dr. Kaayla Daniel, here are some essentials you should know:
• Soybeans are high in natural toxins, also known as “antinutrients.” This includes a large
quantity of inhibitors that deter the enzymes needed for protein digestion. Further, these
enzyme inhibitors are not entirely disabled during ordinary cooking. The result is extensive
gastric distress and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake, which can result in pancreat-
ic impairment and cancer.
• Soybeans contain hemaglutinin, which causes red blood cells to clump together. Soybeans
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 19
also have growth depressant substances. And while these substances are reduced in processing,
they are not completely eliminated.
• Most soybeans are genetically modified, and they contain one of the highest levels of
pesticide contamination of all foods.
• Soybeans are very high in phytates, which prevent the absorption of minerals including
calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, all of which are co-factors for optimal biochemistry in
the body. Eating meat reduces the mineral-blocking effects of these phytates, and so it is
helpful if you do eat soy to also eat meat.
• Finally, in an effort to remove the antinutrients from soy, soybeans are taken through a series
of chemical processes including acid washing in aluminum tanks. This leaches high levels of
aluminum, a toxic heavy metal, into the final soy products. Many soy foods also have toxic
levels of manganese. Soy formula has up to 80 times higher manganese than is found in
human breast milk.
There are additional concerns about soy if you are pregnant or intend to be, as nearly 20%
of all infants are now fed soy formula. Visit the very popular and always-expanding article entitled
“Why Soy Can Damage Your Health” on Mercola.com, which will link you to over twenty-five dif-
ferent articles and their corresponding studies on the risks of soy, which far outweigh any benefits.
incredible and that you can get delivered to you year-round, check out the “Recommended
Ingredients and Products Locator” in the Appendix.)
On a final note, be especially careful about consuming hybrid fruits. Hybrids are foods
altered by humans to “improve” upon them, and they therefore can’t grow in nature. In the case
of fruits, “improve” usually has meant, among other factors, increasing their sugar content so they
taste even sweeter. Fruits that don’t contain seeds (but naturally should) are, for example, hybrids.
That means you should steer clear of seedless oranges, seedless watermelon, seedless grapes, and
other produce labels that boast of being “seedless.” It almost always indicates they have even
higher sugar content, which can impair your health.
high fat content of nuts is also, in my experience, an easy fuel for weight gain, so those with
weight issues may want to avoid them.
Walnuts, similar to flaxseeds, are relatively high in omega-3, an essential nutrient that most
Americans are sorely lacking in their diet but that has a profound impact on keeping cholesterol
levels in check, preventing heart disease and cancer, aiding in depression, and more. The best type
of omega-3 fats, EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), are found
in the oils in fish and are crucial to optimal health. DHA and EPA, for instance, are pivotal to
preventing depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and Alzheimer's disease. On the other hand,
the omega-3 in walnuts contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat that helps prevent
abnormal heart rhythms and has been shown to cut the risk of sudden cardiac death among
people who have already suffered a heart attack. Furthermore, walnuts contain ellagic acid, an
antimutagen, anticarcinogen, and cancer inhibitor.
Other types of nuts like almonds and pecans, while high in omega-6, can still be good if
used in moderation, as they also have heart disease- and cancer-preventing properties. Protein
Types in particular can benefit from eating a few small handfuls a week, either within recipes or
as a snack. Again, though, if you are trying to lose weight, rigidly restrict your consumption of
fattening nuts—at most, sprinkle them on salads or in recipes for enhancement.
As for the ever-popular peanut (actually a legume, but nutritionally much closer to nuts), it
is associated with reducing the risk of heart disease and is high in protein. But you must use be
careful not to consume excessive amounts of peanuts, as they are loaded with omega-6 fats.
Moreover, peanut crops can be contaminated with a carcinogenic mold toxin called aflatoxin, and
they have the highest pesticide residues of any crop. If you want the health benefits of peanuts
without the high level of risk, look for the “Arrowhead Mills” brand of organic peanut butter in
stores. The peanuts they use are grown in New Mexico, where aflatoxin has not been reported as
a problem due to the dry conditions, and their organic peanut butter is free of pesticides.
Additionally, when you open the jar, you can pour off the oil that has settled on top of the peanut
butter rather than stirring it in, which will lower the omega-6 content and further improve the
vitally important omega-3:6 ratio.
Selective Seeds
As with nuts, seeds can offer myriad health benefits, but if you are overweight you should limit
your seed consumption as they can contribute to weight gain.
One prominent exception to the weight issue is flaxseed, which has been shown to promote
weight loss, decrease cholesterol levels, and aid in digestion. Flaxseed can also lower the risk of
heart attack and stroke by helping to keep the arteries free of plaque and cholesterol.
Flaxseeds, which can be found in most health food stores, are exceptionally high in omega-3
with ALA, which enhances your immune system and protects against a variety of diseases. Please
remember, however, that you still need the omega-3 with DHA and EPA, found only in fish oils.
Flaxseeds can be ground in a coffee grinder or other types of grinders and used in a variety of
recipes. Be cautious, though, about consuming flaxseed oil, as it is relatively unstable oil that most
people don’t seem to tolerate well.
22 PLANT-BASED FOODS: MERCOLA’S GUIDE TO THE HEALTHIEST
Sesame, pumpkin and squash seeds are fair choices for snacking, but should be used in
limited amounts as they are relatively high in omega-6 fats and will alter the omega-3:6 ratio.
Additionally, those with weight issues should consume only very low amounts at best. Sesame seeds
are high in protein, B vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and zinc. Sesame
seeds, containing a variety of amino acids, are especially good for heart health and improving
endurance. Tahini, a popular spread made from sesame seeds and used in several recipes in this
book, can be found in most health food stores.
Pumpkin and squash seeds are high in iron, phosphorous, fiber, and protein. They also
contain high amounts of zinc that may offer some protection against the development of prostate
cancer. You are far better off choosing the raw variety of pumpkin and squash seeds, as roasting
seeds damages their delicate essential fatty acids. Fats that are damaged end up as the building
blocks for hardening of your arteries.
dangerous to the heart. Even at that time, though, many studies contradicted this assumption, and
other nations whose diets had a saturated fat intake higher than Americans were not experiencing
near the same rate of heart disease—but this information was largely ignored. The food manufac-
turers of margarine and corn, safflower, sunflower, and other monounsaturated oils took
advantage of the misperception, equating saturated fat with pure evil while promoting their
products as essential health foods. Wesson, for instance, promoted its cooking oil as good “for your
heart’s sake.” And as often happens with the onslaught of corporate marketing plus an inefficient
government pushed by the special interests, myth became reality and the general public embraced
the unsaturated and hydrogenated fats while shunning detrimental saturated fats. Of course, this
turn towards the omega-6 oils and hydrogenated fats has contributed to the skyrocketing cases
of heart disease and cancer, the number one and two killers in the U.S. respectively, and the
overweight epidemic.
Subsequently, I strongly encourage you to reduce or eliminate your intake of nearly all
vegetable oils, including corn, safflower, sunflower, canola, sesame and soybean oil, and related
products such as margarine and vegetable shortening. You most certainly want to avoid cooking
with these oils, as they are damaged by heat and turn into trans-fat; the only oil that is not damaged
by cooking at higher temperatures that I am aware of is coconut oil. In addition to the
trans-fat issue, these vegetable oils may suppress your immune system; in fact, vegetable oils are
emulsified with water and injected in patients who have had organ transplants specifically to
suppress their immune system. They can also cause oxidative damage, interfere with normal
thyroid function, and further disrupt most people’s already skewed omega-6 to omega-3 ratios.
Instead, the two best oils are coconut oil and extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil is a monoun-
saturated fat and contains major benefits because of its vitamin E and A, chlorophyll, magnesium,
squalene and a host of other cardio-protective nutrients. Unlike other oils, olive oil possesses these
health benefits because it is unrefined and unheated. Olive oil has also been shown to reduce the
risk of some cancers and rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, olive oil is an omega-9 fatty acid and
therefore it does not overload the body with omega-6 fats. However, a drawback to olive oil is that
it is more susceptible to oxidative damage than coconut oil when cooked since it is a monounsat-
urated fat. The best bet with olive oil is to use it on salads, and use coconut oil for your cooking.
Coconut oil is abundantly nutritious and useful. It is a saturated fat that is better for
cooking because it is stable at high temperatures. Coconut oil can also help you prevent and fight
many diseases and illnesses. And, despite being a saturated fat, it can actually contribute to weight
loss. Please refer to “The High-Standing Coconut” section earlier in this chapter, as all the
benefits of eating coconut apply to coconut oil, as well.
Coconut oil is particularly recommended for those with diabetes. It helps regulate blood
sugar, thus lessening the effects of the disease, and it also raises metabolic rate causing the body to
burn up more calories and thus promoting weight loss. Since 1980, researchers have also demon-
strated the benefits of coconut oil with Crohn’s Disease and IBS, acting as an anti-inflammatory
in the digestive tract. Its antimicrobial properties also promote intestinal health by killing trouble-
some microorganisms that may cause chronic inflammation.
What is more, applying coconut oil topically is exceptional for keeping your skin young and
healthy as it protects against destructive free-radical formation in the skin cells. I have even had
24 PLANT-BASED FOODS: MERCOLA’S GUIDE TO THE HEALTHIEST
patients rub it on the bottom of their feet to eliminate hard dry skin there. Coconut oil can help
to keep the skin from developing liver spots and other blemishes caused by aging and over expo-
sure to sunlight, and it also helps to prevent sagging and wrinkling by keeping connective tissues
strong and supple. In some cases it restores damaged or diseased skin.
There is really only one catch with coconut oil—you have to be very careful of the brand
and type you choose. From brand to brand there is a very wide variance in quality due to factors
such as the types of coconuts used, the manufacturing process employed to make the oil, and more,
which will have a major impact on its healthiness and effectiveness. Your coconut oil should meet
all of these standards:
If you can’t find high-quality virgin coconut oils meeting these standards in your local health
food stores, check out Mercola.com, as I have extensively researched this subject and I have found
an excellent brand meeting all of the standards above that can be shipped directly to you. Finally,
it is worth repeating that the excellent health benefits of coconut oil can also be achieved through
eating fresh raw coconuts, as covered earlier.
techniques to help standardize more consistent yields. Technically, anything that is allowed to sit
at room temperature in a salt solution to allow healthy bacteria to culture is fermented, but that’s
where the similarity ends, as each type of fermented food has unique requirements and production
methods. Refrigeration, high-heat pasteurization and vinegar’s acidic pH all slow or halt the fer-
mentation and enzymatic processes.
“If you leave a jar of pickles that is still fermenting at room temperature on the kitchen
counter,” explains Richard Henschel of Pickle Packers International, “they will continue to
ferment and produce carbon-dioxide, possibly blowing off the lid or exploding the jar—” which is
why, of course, all “shelf-stable” pickles are pasteurized.
It is probably not surprising that our culture has traded many of the benefits of these healthy
foods for the convenience of mass-produced pickles and other cultured foods. Some olives, such
as most canned California-style black olives, for instance, are not generally fermented, but are
simply treated with lye to remove the bitterness, packed in salt and canned. Olive producers can
now hold olives in salt-free brines by using an acidic solution of lactic acid, acetic acid, sodium
benzoate and potassium sorbate, a long way off from the old time natural lactic-acid fermenting
method of salt alone. Some pickles, meanwhile, are simply packed in salt, vinegar and pasteurized.
Most yogurts are so laden with sugar that they are little more than puddings. Unfortunately, these
modern techniques effectively kill off all the lactic acid-producing bacteria and short-circuit their
important and traditional contribution to intestinal and overall health.
You can still find some healthy traditional varieties of “lacto-fermented” (meaning the
lactic acid producing abilities are intact) foods, however. The stronger-flavored, traditional Greek
olives you are most likely to find on olive bars are not lye-treated and are still alive with active
cultures. Generally so are the barrel-fresh pickles made in local delis every few days. But to be sure
you are getting the great health benefits of these active, fermentation cultures, you should commit
to routinely making lacto-fermented foods on your own. Olives, sauerkraut, miso, and crème
fraîche are just some of the fermented recipes and ingredients you can find and easily make in Part
Two of this book.
If you are seeking a highly convenient way to get the full health value of lacto-fermented
foods, you should also consider a top-quality fermented food “kit.” While these are quite popular
in other parts of the world where the exceptional nutritional value of traditional fermented foods
are well understood, they are still difficult to find in North America. But I have found a premier-
quality “Kefir Starter” kit and “Culture Starter” kit that you can read more about in the
“Recommended Ingredients and Product Locator” in the Appendix and conveniently order
through the “Recommended Products” section of Mercola.com. Kefir, as you will read more about
in the Dairy section of the next chapter, is one of the healthiest and delicious forms of lacto-fer-
mented foods when made properly. Its taste and texture can best be compared to a more drinkable
form of yogurt, and the Kefir Starter product makes creating it almost ridiculously simple. The
“Culture Starter” product, meanwhile, is a very easy way to make cultured vegetables and even
sour cream (i.e., traditionally fermented foods, not the unhealthy “imposter” versions on almost
all grocery store shelves). Most fermented food kits like these are very economical; one box of the
Kefir Starter kit, for instance, can make over 40 gallons of healthy kefir!
researchers, including Linus Pauling, Russell Smith, George Mann, John Yudkin, Abram Hoffer
and Mary Enig have pointed out, your body actually requires moderate levels of saturated fat to
protect the arteries, process calcium, stimulate the immune system, and add structural stability to
the cell and intestinal walls. Dr. Enig, author of Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for
Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol, cites study after study supporting the
contention that saturated fats are not harmful but, instead, it is most vegetable oils that are.
One of the contributors to the misconception that red meat is unhealthy was a study
published in 1970 that reported that processed red meat, such as cold cuts, and charred red meat
was harmful to health. But then, any sort of processed meat or meat that is black and crusty is not
healthy, especially when it is raised in an unhealthy manner described above. To put the myths of
saturated fat and red meat to rest once and for all, consider this: populations that eat a diet rich in
fresh, natural red meat show far lower levels of high cholesterol and cancer, among other diseases.
For much more information, including sources of the research, just type in “saturated fats” on the
search engine of Mercola.com.
In terms of the red meats you can eat with confidence, grass-fed bison takes first prize as an
outstanding health value plus what most people agree is an incredible taste. Meanwhile, bison is
high in protein while containing fewer calories than an equivalent amount of skinless chicken or
turkey. Bison is increasing in popularity here in the U.S. for obvious reasons, and so you may also
be able to find it in finer grocery stores or health food stores, or you can find a great source for
bison on Mercola.com.
Ostrich is an increasingly popular red meat that runs a close second in terms of taste and
nutritional value, as it is also high in protein but has fewer calories than chicken and turkey.
Although the big bird is a red meat, it tastes just like chicken and you can use it in place of beef or
dark chicken meat in any recipe.
(Note: In the Bible, in Leviticus 11, ostrich is mentioned as one on a long list of animals
that should not be consumed. While it does not explain why, and suggested explanations from cler-
gy vary widely, it may refer to the fact that the wild ostrich's diet was unknown. Blackwing
ostrich—the brand of ostrich I recommend—are fed on a diet primarily of the very healthy alfalfa,
and free-range farmed in conditions far cleaner and healthier than the chicken, turkey and other
meat commonly found in grocery stores. From a clinical perspective, I can highly recommend their
ostrich as a very healthy meat. However, I personally believe the Bible is God's inherent word,
including the Old Testament, so I choose to avoid eating ostrich and instead choose the equally
healthy and delicious bison, and wanted to make sure others who may be concerned by this were
aware, too.)
Another great source of wholesome protein is grass-fed beef. Because it is raised on the
cattle’s proper diet of grass, it is leaner than grain-fed beef. While the flavor is different than the
fatty grain-fed beef many are used to, many of my patients come to prefer the taste of this lean
grass-fed beef. With beef labeled as “grass-fed,” though, you have to be careful as the cattle may
only be “finished” on a diet of grass but fed grains for a majority of their lives. Make sure the
grass-fed beef you choose is labeled as 100% grass-fed, and antibiotic-free. As a final point, lamb
meat, though higher in fat than the meats previously listed, is also a healthy red meat option. With
lamb and all other meats, you should ideally choose a grass-fed variety free of antibiotics, steroids,
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 29
and other chemicals. I personally buy my lamb from the discount chain Costco because it is raised
in Australia on green pastures of grass.
Meanwhile, the conventional white meats like chicken are not much better than the typical
red meats found in grocery stores. Most store-bought chickens are raised in conditions where they
can barely move throughout their entire lives. These inhumane conditions are not only heartrend-
ing, but also very unhealthy as they result in diseased chickens that are then given large doses of
antibiotics. The birds are also raised on growth hormones to get them to market faster, and injected
with moisturizing agents to make them taste “juicy.” Furthermore, the chickens’ diet consists of
grains that are genetically modified and high in pesticides and herbicides.
The best white meats are free-range and certified organic chicken and turkey that contain
no antibiotics, hormones or other chemicals. Turkey of this type can still be exceedingly expen-
sive as it is more difficult to find, but free-range organic chicken is becoming quite popular and
more affordable.
Wild game, such as venison, elk, rabbit, pheasant and quail, is another class of healthy meat
to consider. Obviously, because they are wild, they are raised on their natural diets and have no
artificial anything added. One drawback, though, is that there have been several cases of Mad Cow
Disease reported in several types of wild game animals, particularly elk, but statistically your
chances are still minute in encountering this problem. The other drawback is that many Americans
are not accustomed to the “wild” taste of wild game. If you love the taste of “typical” beef and
chicken, your best bets are the grass-fed bison and free-ranged chicken described above, which
you’ll find taste even better.
1) Avoid eating any fish unless you know it has been laboratory-tested and proven to be
free from mercury and other toxins
2) If you do eat fish that you are not sure has been laboratory-tested and proven to be free
of toxins, at least choose from among the following six safest fish:
3) Eat fish sustainably harvested from the wild (such as the toxin-free Vital Choice salmon
I discuss below), not “farm-raised.” Because it is economical to fish farmers, farm-raised fish
are fed grains like corn—obviously not their natural diet, as you don’t see many fish swim-
ming through Iowa’s cornfields. These grains do not form the beneficial fatty acids DHA
and EPA that are such an important reason to eat clean fish. Furthermore, farm-raised fish
may also be exposed to tremendously high pesticide levels resulting from the run-off of
nearby agricultural crops that are often heavily sprayed.
For the past 15 years, nutrition experts including myself, scientists, health organizations and
the FDA have issued particular warnings against consumption of the larger fish like tuna, bass,
halibut, swordfish, and marlin, which are higher on the food chain and therefore show the
highest concentrations of mercury. In addition, many health experts, myself included, are now
warning against any type of fish, as nearly all have toxic levels of mercury. In my own clinic, for
example, we find many patients have high levels of mercury in their system, and we advise them to
stop eating all fish except for those proven via laboratory testing to be safe. When they follow
this advice I see a considerable reduction of their mercury levels on their laboratory analysis. There
are other major causes of mercury toxicity, such as silver dental fillings and vaccines, but the
primary cause is now fish.
It is very likely that an enormous number of Americans—and those from any country where
fish is a routine meal—have dangerous levels of mercury in their system. The problem is, it’s
tasteless in fish, and does not “show itself” until it wreaks outright havoc on people’s health.
Mercury is easily absorbed and stubbornly retained by the body, and can result in damage to your
brain and kidneys. Trace amounts of mercury in the system have been linked to Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s, autism and several other neurological disorders. Fish consumption is particularly
hazardous to pregnant women and children as the mercury can cause birth defects and harm the
sensitive physiology of children.
Time for the good news! There are still some sources of fish that are safe from mercury and
other toxins. Through independent laboratory testing, my team and I discovered one such source
of wild Alaskan salmon, which you can find out more about and order through Mercola.com.
Increasingly, I suspect health food stores will also be searching for and offering fish proven to be
safe from mercury and other toxins, so you can also check with them. Again, your best bet is to
ensure the fish has been lab-tested and shown safe, and your second best option is to at least stick
to one of the six fish on the list above. Finally, though it’s not a delicious meal option like
mercury-free salmon, a convenient way to obtain the omega-3 with DHA and EPA fatty acids that
your body needs is with a safe, purified fish oil, which I discuss thoroughly in Chapter 7.
Eggs, while being one of the best sources of good protein and fat, are also one of the foods
that many people are allergic to. However, uncooked eggs have significantly lower allergic responses.
This is because heating the egg protein actually changes its structural composition, and this
distortion can easily lead to an egg allergy.
The typical concern about eating raw eggs is a fear of salmonella. But the risk of contracting
salmonella from raw eggs is actually incredibly low. A recent study by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture showed that of the 69 billion eggs produced annually, only 2.3 million of them
are contaminated with salmonella. The translation is that only one in every 30,000 eggs is
contaminated, which means that you are more likely to die in an airplane crash than contracting
salmonella from raw eggs. Nevertheless, here are some suggestions on how to purchase the
healthiest eggs possible.
Foremost, remember that healthy eggs come from healthy chickens, and unhealthy eggs
from unhealthy chickens. Whether you eat your eggs raw or cooked, try to buy free-range organ-
ically fed, omega-3 enhanced eggs, which may be available in supermarkets, health food stores, or
from local chicken farmers. Keep in mind that it is the conditions of commercial hens that are fed
unclean diets and raised in small cramped cages where disease can easily spread. This makes the
average supermarket eggs more likely to be infected with salmonella than eggs produced under
healthy conditions. The following are additional steps to select healthy eggs:
1) If you are getting your eggs fresh and un-refrigerated it is best to keep them on the
counter at room temperature. (This will not work however if the eggs have already been
refrigerated.) It is interesting to note that people do not refrigerate eggs in most other coun-
tries. One of the main reasons for keeping eggs at room temperature is that refrigeration
causes slight damage to the egg protein.
2) If there is a crack in the shell, don’t eat it. You can easily check for this by immersing
the egg in a pan of cool, salted water. If the egg emits a tiny stream of bubbles, don't consume
it, as the shell is porous.
3) Crack the egg open. A healthy egg has no foul odor, the egg white is gel-like (not
watery), and a healthy egg yolk is convex and firm (not runny or bursts easily). If the egg
does not have these characteristics, throw it away.
It is important to note that in the rare event that you do contract salmonella poisoning,
you may feel sick and have loose stools, but this infection is easily treated by using high-quality
probiotics that have plenty of good bacteria (discussed in detail in Chapter 7). You can take a one
tablespoon of probiotics every 30 minutes until you start to feel better, and most people improve
within a few hours.
Another concern is that raw egg whites contain a glycoprotein called avidin that is very
effective at blocking biotin, one of the B vitamins, leading to a possible biotin deficiency. The
solution to this is to consume eggs in their whole form (both egg yolks and whites) as the egg yolks
contain high amounts of biotin to counteract avidin.
I’ve discovered a number of ways to make eating raw eggs enjoyable. You can mix them into
any vegetable juice recipes you create. When you whip them up like a meringue, most people do
not object to the texture, especially if there is a flavor added. You’ll also find that by mixing
flavorings like butterscotch or vanilla extracts with the eggs, and then adding raw milk or cream,
you can create a delicious eggnog, and then you’ll actually enjoy and eagerly anticipate the treat.
Really! I have this eggnog for breakfast every day and I love it.
• Kills beneficial enzymes including phosphatase, which allows the body to absorb calcium
from the milk
• Destroys colloidal minerals, which are essential to absorb nutrients the milk would
otherwise provide
• Precipitates minerals that cannot be absorbed by the body, contributing to osteoporosis
• Precipitates sugars that cannot be digested and fats that are toxic
• Destroys beneficial bacteria and lactic acids that help to protect your body against disease
• Diminishes the cortisone-like factor in the milk that would otherwise help combat allergies
• Destroys vitamins B12 and B6 in the milk
• Promotes other pathogens in the milk
• Contributes to allergies, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, tooth decay, colic,
disorders of the female reproductive system, and weakened immune systems
Milk pasteurization is a product of a bygone era, when controls were not in place for ensuring clean
conditions for the cows, but the improved sanitation practices of the modern dairy industry have
made pasteurization unnecessary.
The alternative is raw, organic, grass-fed milk. This is milk straight from the udders of
grass-fed cows raised on their natural diets with no hormones. Raw milk is rich in glycol-sphin-
golipids (fats that aid in digestion) and conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), another type of fat that
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 33
protects against cancer. Because it comes from grass-fed cows, it is rich in omega-3, and far richer
than store-bought milk in the vitamins like A and D. Additionally, if infants are weaned from breast
milk to raw cow (or goat’s) milk, and they avoid fruit juice, most grains and sugars, there is a
strong likelihood that they will avoid dental cavities.
Raw milk is, however, still illegal in many U.S. states. Why? Because pasteurization became
mandatory law when cows were raised in unclean conditions. More so, it’s because the National
Dairy Council has a very powerful lobbying arm in Washington, D.C. and, because the powerful
corporations they represent are entirely built around pasteurization, and they don’t want raw milk
to become legal again—if the truth gets out too far, after all, so goes their profits.
Fortunately, organizations like the Weston A. Price Foundation with their “Campaign for
Real Milk” have been helping to promote the legalization of raw milk. As of this writing raw milk
sales through cowshare programs are allowed in Alaska, Arizona, California, Illinois, Kansas,
Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and
Wisconsin. All other states currently prohibit the sale of raw milk. The catch is, with the noteworthy
exception of California, where it can be sold legally in stores, in most of these states you have to
either find a small farmer who sells it, or join a cowshare program.
With cowshare programs, you become part owner of a cow and, on a routine basis, visit a
specified location to pick up your share of raw milk. I’m a member of one such cowshare program
in the Chicago area, and if you live in the Chicago area you can find out more by typing “raw milk”
in the Mercola.com search engine. If you live in any other area, the best way to begin your
search for raw milk and raw milk products is to visit the “Campaign for Real Milk” website at
RealMilk.com. They list raw milk contacts in every state and also provide further exceptional
insights on the issues and benefits of raw milk.
Other beneficial dairy products are unpasteurized butter, kefir, yogurt, and cheese from
grass-fed cows. The beneficial bacterial found in yogurt and kefir is excellent for enhancing the
digestive and immune system, but since yogurt and kefir found in most grocery stores has the same
problems as pasteurized milk, it is best to make your own yogurt or kefir from raw milk.
Even though it is an ancient health food, many people today may not be familiar with kefir—
but they should be. Traditionally lacto-fermented foods are an essential part of any diet as noted
in the previous chapter (also see the recipes in “Raw, Sprouted and Fermented Foods” in Chapter
12), and kefir is among the most exceptional of such fermented foods. Meaning “feel good” in
Turkish, kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly microorganisms that will help
balance your “inner ecosystem” and dramatically improve your immune system. Kefir’s tart,
refreshing flavor is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, but in addition to the gut-friendly probiotics
found in yogurt, kefir contains highly beneficial yeast. When used regularly, the naturally occurring
bacteria and yeast in kefir combine symbiotically to replenish the intestinal flora and provide you
major protection against illness. Furthermore, those who have a dairy allergy or intolerance may
be able to tolerate kefir as the fermentation process breaks down the lactose sugars in the milk and
makes it much easier to digest.
34 ANIMAL-BASED FOODS: MERCOLA’S GUIDE TO THE HEALTHIEST
While you can find prepared kefir in some grocery stores, it bears repeating that you should
use great caution with these brands. They are usually prepared with pasteurized milk and possibly
other health-defeating processes and additional ingredients. Instead, I strongly urge you to use a
“kefir kit” to quickly and easily make your own healthy kefir. I suspect such kits will be increasingly
easy to find as word of this tremendous fermented health food spreads, but right now there is one
kefir kit I highly recommend—the “Kefir Starter” by Body Ecology. You simply mix one packet of
their starter to milk (again I recommend raw milk) or the juice of a young coconut and it’s ready
to go! You can find out more about this Kefir Starter and order through the “Recommended
Products” section of Mercola.com, or ask your local health food store if they carry it.
And so finally, what about the dairy product so beloved in Western culture—cheese? Well,
cheese made from conventional milk has all the problems with contamination that milk does, so if
you eat cheese it is important to at least eat organic grass-fed cheese. Best of all, though, is raw
milk cheese from organic grass-fed cows. The good news is that raw milk cheese is regulated dif-
ferently than raw milk and is therefore relatively easier to find in health food stores. I strongly
encourage you to check out the “Recommended Products” section of Mercola.com, though, as
after much searching I have found an exceptional farm source for raw milk and organic grass-fed
cheeses that will ship directly to you. They offer a wide choice of cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella,
feta, brick and many more), and not only are they healthy, but they taste absolutely incredible!
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 35
relatively low level of carbohydrates (Protein Type). After taking the test in this chapter, you will
find that you fall into one of three general categories: Protein Type, Carb Type, or Mixed Type.
Your metabolic type is a general guide based on your answers from the metabolic typing
questionnaire. Your metabolic type is not fixed or permanent and may change over time. It is
important that you follow your MT recommendations as a starting place and pay attention to how
your body feels, then make changes based on your experimentation and “listening to your body”
to fine tune your food choices for optimal health.
The concept of using individual diets for individual people is certainly not new and has
surfaced in many civilizations throughout time. For example, the ancient Greeks and Romans
recognized that different people had different health requirements, thus leading to Lucretius’
famous proclamation that “One man’s food is another man’s poison.” Meanwhile, in the Far East,
Chinese medicine taught that everyone has different constitutions (and therefore different dietary
and treatment requirements) based on their unique characteristics and energetic imbalances. The
5,000-year-old Ayurvedic medicine of India identified three body types or doshas—pitta, vatta and
kapha—each with their own specific dietary needs.
The concept for individualized diets has persisted since then, but in 1956 Dr. Roger
Williams, a biochemist from the University of Texas, made a major advance in this concept with
his classic book Biochemical Individuality. In it he noted that individuality pervades every part of
the body, from how the organs function to the composition of body fluids. According to Williams,
individuality extends to the cells, including the speed and efficiency with which cells perform their
special functions. Furthermore, Williams noted that unbalanced or inadequate nutrition at the
cellular level is a major cause of human disease, and that individuals have genetically determined
and highly individualized nutritional requirements. Williams was the primary inspiration for Dr.
William Kelley, an orthodontist with degrees in biology, chemistry and biochemistry who refined
Williams’ ideas into the first form of metabolic typing in the 1960s and 1970s. Kelley next incor-
porated Francis Pottenger, M.D.’s work into metabolic typing. Back in the 1930s and 40s,
Pottenger had conducted research demonstrating that the autonomic nervous system played a
central role in determining what types of foods and nutrients different people need.
William Wolcott—author of The Metabolic Typing Diet, now considered to be the authorita-
tive book on the subject—then joined Kelly and together they experienced great clinical success at
actually using metabolic typing to help improve patients’ health. In the early 1980s Wolcott further
refined metabolic typing through the influence of George Watson, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and
author of the book Nutrition and Your Mind. Dr. Watson had developed his own nutritional
system based on people’s metabolic differences, but his metabolic approach was based on cellular
oxidation—the rate at which your cells convert nutrients into energy. Dr. Watson had noticed that
some people were “fast oxidizers” who burned foods and nutrients quickly, while others were “slow
oxidizers” who burned foods and nutrients slowly. Dr. Watson discovered that by prescribing
specific foods and nutrients to balance oxidative imbalances in patients, many of their clinical
problems were resolved.
Wolcott further refined the system by incorporating a host of other metabolic factors, the
most prominent among them the endocrine system. Based on his clinical findings from working
with thousands of patients, Wolcott designed an extensive questionnaire for determining metabolic
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 37
type. In fact, I use this questionnaire with all my patients who come to my clinic, The Optimal
Wellness Center. I have used metabolic typing with patients for the past two years. Before meta-
bolic typing my program was teaching patients to eat natural, whole foods—the right forms of
macronutrients—and to use techniques to improve their emotional well-being. Once I started to use
metabolic typing, I recognized an amazing improvement in the rate of healing, health and
vitality in my patients—and continue to witness it daily. Metabolic typing, I have come to realize, is
essential to optimal health.
Metabolic typing is primarily based on the interrelationship between the body’s autonomic
nervous system and oxidative system. The autonomic nervous system controls all your involuntary
muscles and functions, like heart rate, sweating, bowel movements, blinking and digestion, while
the oxidative system is involved in converting nutrition to energy. Whatever control system is dom-
inant in you determines your metabolic type.
If you are interested in a deeper analysis of the principles behind metabolic typing, I
highly recommend William Wolcott’s book, The Metabolic Typing Diet, available through the
“Recommended Products” section of Mercola.com and on the shelves of many bookstores
and libraries.
But the bottom-line is this: the answer to the right diet, right foods, and right nutrition for
you ultimately resides within your genes, and metabolic typing provides the roadmap. If you want
to optimize your weight, fight and prevent disease, increase energy and concentration, retain a
youthful appearance, stop wasting tons of money on ineffective products and programs, and just feel
better in general, a very effective and efficient way to do so is: 1) learn your metabolic type, 2) eat
the healthy forms of foods and adopt the other healthy lifestyle approaches defined in this book, and
3) learn to “listen to your body” to eat the right balance of healthy foods for your metabolic type.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
satisfies stimulates
2) When you eat a lot of red meat does it cause you to lose or gain body fat? Do
you look slimmer in the mirror or is it easier for your clothes to fit?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
gain weight lose weight
3) Do you constantly think about food and frequently look forward with eager
anticipation to your next meal or what you want to eat?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
no yes
breakfast...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
weaker stronger
lunch...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
weaker stronger
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 39
dinner...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
weaker stronger
5) Does eating something higher in fat and/or protein such as dark meats, avocados,
cream, butter or coconuts within an hour or two of bedtime help you sleep better?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
no yes
6) If you ate a large salad with some low-fat meat like chicken breast for lunch
(versus higher fat meat like a hamburger patty), how would it affect your produc-
tivity throughout the rest of the afternoon?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I’d have ample energy and feel satisfied I’d become tired and hungy
7) How often do you typically feel the need to eat on an average day? The
extremes here would be feeling good with one meal scored as a 1, while needing 5
or 6 meals a day would place you at a 10. If you felt good on three meals a day that
would be a 5.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1–2 times including snacks 5–6 times including snacks
8) How much do you enjoy sour foods like pickles, sauerkraut, or vinegar?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
love them can’t stand them
9) At Thanksgiving or a meal where you eat turkey, and assuming all the turkey
is moist, if you prefer white meat give yourself a 1, if you only prefer the dark meat
give yourself a 10, and if it doesn’t matter give yourself a 5.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
white meat dark meat
40 THE DIETARY KEY: EAT ACCORDING TO YOUR METABOLIC TYPE
Now add up each of the fourteen numbers you circled to get your total score, and your basic
metabolic type:
• A score over 60 indicates a Protein Type. The higher your score above 60, the more likely
you are truly a Protein Type.
• A score under 60 indicates a Carb Type. The lower your score under 60, the more likely you
are truly a Carb Type.
• A score between 40 and 70 indicates a potential Mixed Type. If you scored in this range,
you can begin fine-tuning your diet as explained below, but it is recommended that you take
the more sophisticated test in William Wolcott’s book, The Metabolic Typing Diet, to provide
yourself a more reliable starting point.
[NOTE: The quiz above provides a very rough estimate of your metabolic type. Ultimately you
will need to fine-tune whatever your results are anyway, but the advantage of the professional-level
test used in clinical offices is that it can save you a considerable amount of time. If you are
suffering from a serious health challenge like cancer or MS, you should seriously consider taking
the more accurate clinical test in conjunction with an individualized consultation. This may save
you up to six months of time in which your health may otherwise deteriorate significantly without
professional assistance. You can go to www.mercola.com/mttest.htm to learn how to take the
full clinical test easily and conveniently from your own home. The test consists of detailed questions
that take about an hour to answer, and results in 1) a 24-page customized report on the foods and
diet plan ideal for you and 2) a 45-minute one-on-one phone consultation with a trained
Metabolic Type Advisor who will provide further insight on your personalized diet and answer
questions you may have. At the time of this writing, though, this full clinical test and consequential
personalized plan cost $179. I wanted to let you know this is the best option, and the next-best
option is the 60-question test in Wolcott’s book The Metabolic Typing Diet, which is more
detailed than the test we have just provided.]
First of all, there are specific proportions of carbs/fats/proteins recommended for each
metabolic type. They are:
Use the percentages above as rough guidelines; occasionally you may want to calculate the
percentage of protein, fat and carbs in your meals to see how your meals compare to the recom-
mendations, but otherwise use the numbers above only in a general manner. If you are a Mixed
Type, for instance, just think, “To start my diet, the food I eat on a daily basis should be around
half good carbohydrates like vegetables and some fruits, with the other half as healthy proteins and
fats like meat and dairy,” (i.e., 50% carbs, 30% proteins, 20% fats.) And then do your best to aim
for those general levels. The recipes in this book provide excellent guidelines to help you in this
direction, but again, don’t get compulsive about hitting the exact range—it is the process of
listening to your body and fine-tuning, not following numbers on a page, that will be your primary
guide in the process of honing in on your proper macronutrient level.
So what does “listening to your body” mean, first of all? Listening to your body means
paying attention to how you feel, and for the purposes of fine-tuning your diet to determine your
ideal macronutrient levels this means paying attention to how you feel up to two hours after you
eat a meal. For instance, do you feel tired or mentally slow after a meal with your appropriate
metabolic type ratios? If you feel sleepy 30–60 minutes after you eat, this is a giant clue that you
ate the wrong types of food. This typically occurs when you eat too many carbs, especially grains.
If your body is telling you it doesn’t feel well after eating a meal you should experiment with
varying the amount of carbs, fat, and protein and see how you feel. If after that meal your symp-
toms are even worse, then at the next meal (or at the same mealtime the next day) try varying the
amount of carbs, fat, and protein in the other direction. This is the process of fine-tuning, and the
goal is to find the proper ratio and proper forms of foods that allow to you feel your best, as
defined in the following chart:
any disease symptoms you have are either if you have a disease or disorder, your symptoms
unchanged or improved are sharper, worse
42 THE DIETARY KEY: EAT ACCORDING TO YOUR METABOLIC TYPE
Paying attention to your body’s signals will require conscious effort and self-trust for the first
several days, but you’ll find it quickly becomes second nature. In fact, most people become so
adept at this that they are able to rapidly discern the proportions, volume and type of macronutri-
ents that are ideal for them at different points of the day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks).
To help guide you in learning how to listen to your body after eating and fine-tune your
diet accordingly, you can make copies of the “Fine-Tuning Your Diet to Your Metabolic Type
Table” that has been included in the Appendix of this book. You can also print this table out from
Mercola.com; simply enter “fine-tuning table” in the search engine there.
Carbohydrate Type
• For protein sources, emphasize low-fat, low-purine proteins such as chicken, ostrich,
Cornish game hen and turkey breast. Only eat red meats occasionally.
• Monitor your reaction to dairy. Dairy is not ideal for you because Carb Types need to
minimize calcium intake and dairy can throw your body out of balance. When eating dairy
products you should strive for low-fat versions. If you consume raw milk, pour the cream
off the top before consuming to reduce the fat content.
• Eat many vegetables, and focus on eating any vegetables that are not high in starch. High-
starch vegetables to avoid include: potato, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, winter
squash, carrots and beets. Include low-starch vegetables such as leafy greens, broccoli,
tomatoes, peppers, and cabbage.
• Eat high-starch carbohydrates like legumes only in moderation.
• All fruits are fine; berries and citrus fruits are particularly good choices.
• You can eat whole grains in moderation, around 15% of your daily carb intake if you do not
have overweight or obesity issues, diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.
• While your proportion of protein is lower than other types, try to eat some protein with
most meals to stabilize your blood sugar levels.
• Minimize your consumption of fats and oils. This does NOT mean a no-fat diet but simply
that Carb Types do better on a low-fat diet.
• Eat the vegetable part of your meal first, as this will speed up your metabolic rate and
oxidation, and then eat the protein and fat portion.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 43
low-fat,
non / low-fat low-starch all okay use sparingly use sparingly
low-purine
turkey breast yogurt (raw milk) cabbage citrus fruit pumpkin, squash olive oil
pineapple,
peppers peanuts
tropicals
Protein Type
• Concentrate on high-density, high-purine proteins. These proteins are the dark meats
of chicken and turkey and every protein that exists with the exception of: dairy, eggs,
soy protein, and light meats like chicken and turkey breast, Cornish game hen, pork and
lean ham.
• Salmon—as long as you know it has been laboratory tested and shown to be safe from
mercury and other toxins—is also a good choice.
• Avoid grains and potatoes completely.
• Emphasize the following vegetables: asparagus, fresh green beans, cauliflower, spinach, celery,
and mushrooms. These vegetables tweak your biochemistry in the proper direction.
• Limit the amount of fruits you consume because Protein Types tend to have blood sugar
problems; coconuts, avocados, black and green olives, green apples, and pears are the best
choices.
• Protein types tend to be hungrier than other types so be sure and snack as needed. Your
snacks should include a protein food. Nuts like walnuts or dairy snacks like grass-fed cheese
may work but if they leave you hungry or tired you will need to eat snacks with heavier
protein like pate, lamb, or grass-fed beef.
• Protein Types are able to better support their fast metabolism by consuming a liberal
amount of healthy fats and oils like butter, coconut oil, and olive oil, fats from animal based
foods, and nuts.
• Alcohol in any form is especially bad for your type; you might feel a temporary lift after
drinking it, but this will usually be followed by a major energy crash. Listen to your body
and carefully moderate your alcohol intake or avoid it altogether.
• Eat the protein part of your meal first to slow down your oxidation rate, and then eat
your vegetables.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 45
high- and
whole-fat very low-starch use moderately all okay all okay
mid-purine
livers, beef
grass-fed cheese asparagus avocados walnuts butter, cream
and chicken
green beans,
organ meats raw milk blueberries coconuts coconut oil
fresh
pumpkin,
grass-fed beef yogurt (raw milk) celery olives
squash
chicken,
spinach use sparingly sunflower
dark meat
turkey,
all okay other nuts
dark meat
Mixed Type
Mixed Types are a combination of the Carb Type and Protein Type and should obtain an equal
mix of the Carb Type and Protein Type recommendations. For example, Mixed Types should
obtain a balance between the high-purine meats from the Protein Type Recommended Foods
Table and the low-purine, low-fat proteins from the Carb Type Recommended Foods Table. In
addition, Mixed Types also need to pay careful attention to how foods make them feel to make the
necessary adjustments. If you are possibly a Mixed Type based on the test earlier in this chapter, it
is again highly recommended you take the more comprehensive start in William Wolcott’s The
Metabolic Typing Diet book to help you hone in more reliably, but you can start now by taking a
mixed approach to all the guidelines for both the Carb and Protein Types above, listening to your
body after eating, and fine-tuning in the direction that is best for you. For instance, start by eat-
ing about an equal amount of lighter meats like chicken and turkey breast and darker meats like
grass-fed beef and bison. Assess which generally make you feel better between and hour and three
hours after eating and edge your diet in the direction of eating more of those meats. The same goes
for the vegetables, fruits, oils, nuts, etc. defined above. In general you’ll always be able to eat some
amount of all the types of foods; by listening to your body and fine-tuning you’ll soon be able to
determine if you edge more in the direction of a Carb or Protein Type.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 47
low self-esteem, chronic high stress, depression and anxiety, dysfunctional childhood, mimicking
behaviors of parents, and self-medicating with food.
Over the years, my clinical staff and I have researched and practiced a wide variety of ther-
apeutic methods to address these blocks. The technique that we have had the greatest success with
is called Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, and it is remarkably easy to learn and do. When
people do EFT for the first time they are, though, sometimes a bit skeptical. At first glance it may
look strange as it involves tapping on specific acupuncture points while speaking affirmations of
self-acceptance aloud to acknowledge the issue at hand. But EFT really works because it heals dis-
ruptions in the body’s energy system. Everything we see, hear, feel, taste, and smell is transmitted
along our nerves to our brain through electrochemical messages in our energy system. If you touch
a hot stove, you feel pain due to the nerve endings in your hand sending instantaneous electro-
chemical messages through your nerves to your brain. Our body’s electrical system is essential to
our physical health and without it we die.
The electrical system of our body has been known about since the Chinese, 5,000 years ago,
discovered channels of energy flowing through the body. Chinese medicine refers to these channels
as meridians, and the energy that flows through them is called “Qi,” pronounced “chi.” The
Chinese discovered that by superficially inserting tiny needles into specific acupuncture points on
the skin, they were able to release blocked energy in the meridians and therefore restore a person
back to equilibrium.
EFT works in a similar manner; instead of using needles, EFT is performed by tapping with
fingers on acupuncture points at the end of the meridians. As people tap on these points, they tune
into their emotional problem by repeating affirmations about the problem such as, “Even though
I eat junk food to help me cope with stress, I deeply and completely accept myself.” Effective affir-
mations follow the same general format—they acknowledge the problem and create self-acceptance
despite the existence of the problem.
EFT is based on the premise that the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the
body’s energy system. When a person experiences an emotional trauma, the intense emotion caus-
es a short-circuit somewhere in the electrical system of the body. Picture what would happen to
the television screen of a show you are watching if you went behind the set and started to pull the
wires apart. The picture would eventually turn snowy because you short-circuited the TV. The
snowy picture is an analogy for a negative emotion. The same effect occurs when you experience
negative emotions—there is a short circuit somewhere in your body’s energy system. By tuning
into the problem and tapping on multiple points, EFT stimulates the meridians, sending pulses of
energy down the channels that heal the negative emotions that are blocking the energy flow in the
channels. The most common responses people have after doing EFT are an elimination of pain, a
feeling of peace and relaxation, and a feeling that their unwanted negative emotion no longer
affects them.
While it is easy to learn, though, the one drawback with the Emotional Freedom Technique
is that it can’t be easily learned by reading about it. On Mercola.com for a time, and in various
publications, the attempt was made to provide a “how-to do EFT” in the two-dimensional form
of screens and pages, but it’s something like learning the right golf swings from a page: not very
effective. We found that people frequently did not understand how to use the affirmations.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 49
Therefore, while you will find it is easy to learn and use once you see it, it is highly recommended
that you learn from a source where you can see it in action. The best options for learning doing so
are either with a trained EFT therapist or a live seminar or video training course. To find a quali-
fied EFT therapist in your area, go to the Mercola.com homepage and at the bottom click on
“Find a Health Practitioner in Your Area.” To locate EFT seminar information, you can enter the
keyword “EFT” on Google.com. The most inexpensive option is to watch my six-hour EFT
Training Course, available on DVD or VHS. This course can be ordered from the Mercola.com
homepage under the “Recommended Products” section. In this video course, I teach you step-by-
step all the information you need to use EFT for your emotional healing. I provide live demon-
strations of EFT with real people and show how long-standing emotional issues can disappear
within minutes with this wonderful tool. For those who are skeptical and think this sounds too
good to be true, the EFT Training Course comes with a full 12-month money back guarantee.
EFT is not the only way to overcome emotional barriers. Conventional one-on-one
therapy, acupuncture, group therapy and a host of other approaches have certainly helped people.
I have also heard that many people have experienced success with The Sedona Method, which is
available in an audio program by that name by Hale Dwoskin, and it may be worth your while to
explore it as well. But overall, EFT has definitely proven to be one of the most effective ways. If
you find yourself confronting cravings, addictions, depression, self-image issues or other barriers
to implementing a healthy diet and lifestyle, though, don’t let those barriers hold you back: seek
some form of therapy as soon as possible as it is fundamental to reaching your ideal health.
slowly performing low-impact movements to strengthen the body and calm the mind. When most
people think of meditation they imagine sitting cross-legged with closed eyes while chanting
“Om.” This is only one form of meditation among thousands that you could learn. However, the
basic principle is the same: the goal of meditation is to quiet the mind, to access the “gap” or the
place of no thoughts, to commune with one’s soul and with God. The basic practice is to sit
upright, close your eyes and focus on the breath. Reciting a word such as peace or love may help
in focusing. Anytime a thought enters your mind, gently brush it aside and go back to the breath.
The optimal amount of time to meditate is 20 minutes in the morning and in the evening.
In addition to the powerful health benefits of prayer and meditation, always remember that
any experience that positively engages your mind and warms your heart is very good for your over-
all health. Activities such as reading, for instance, have proven health benefits. This means not only
reading books like this one, which provide you with practical steps to take toward health, but also
reading stories and spiritual works that can expand your consciousness. When people read a quality
novel or spiritual book, they often feel a sense of elation that is indeed good for your overall health.
That’s why listening to your favorite music, going to art shows, and other such acts that engage the
mind and heart and produce a similar uplifting feeling are more than just entertainment—they
feel good because they are good for you. They actually generate a variety of neuropeptides and
hormones in your brain that can improve your health. The same goes for taking walks with a loved
one, playing games with children, pursuing hobbies and interests as a group, and any of the end-
less social activities available to us. We’re social beings, and engaging in positive acts together is
absolutely critical to nurturing your mind, spirit and body. Best of all, they are enjoyable. Really
living life, to conclude, is one of the most important steps you can take to live longer.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 51
lem with cooking, as the toxic substances are absorbed in the food, and with showering, as your
body absorbs chlorine and other toxic substances through the skin.
To ensure the safety of the water out of your tap, you should first have it evaluated and
tested. You can check your phonebook or call your town’s chamber of commerce to locate a serv-
ice that can do this, but for a higher level of assurance I recommend you contact an EPA-certified
laboratory to test your water. If you have any problem finding such a service, there is a free home
water evaluation available from the Water Safety Council through Mercola.com in the
“Recommended Products” section that will provide information on how your municipal water is
rated. The Water Safety Council also offers a series of EPA-certified water tests you can perform
on your own by mailing in vials of your water for a nominal fee. If you know your home water
supply is high in specific contaminants, you can appropriately choose a water filtration system
designed to eliminate those particular contaminants. This is important, as there are many filtration
systems on the market but not all are designed to eliminate all contaminants. To remove fluoride,
I recommend a reverse osmosis filter. Carbon-based filters are generally economical, but if you
choose to use them instead of a reverse osmosis filter, more expensive carbon matrix inserts are
required to remove fluoride.
Drinking distilled water should also be avoided; distilled water is, first of all, highly acidic.
Most people are far too acidic already and more acid will continue to push the PH of the body in
the wrong direction. And though distilled water is supposed to be free of contaminants, many of
the devices that distill the water are made of metal and actually add certain toxic metals like nickel
into the water. Another important point is that distilled water has an osmotic gradient because it
is a hypotonic solution. If a hypotonic solution (low in particles) interacts with another solution
that is hypertonic (high in particles, such as the bloodstream) then the particles will gravitate from
the high to the low solution. This means that distilled water can actually leach beneficial minerals
out of your bloodstream and out of your body. While some people have claimed distilled water
provides detoxification over the short term because of this, over the long run this is highly
counterproductive. Water also has a very delicate atomic structure that can be easily damaged when
it is mechanically distilled.
In addition to properly filtered tap water, bottled spring water is another option. It is not
my first choice though as the energy involved in transporting the water and in making the plastic
disposable bottles poses quite a significant burden on the environment. If you use spring (not
“drinking”) water it should be bottled in clear polyethylene or glass containers, not the one-gal-
lon plastic (PVC) containers that will leach plastic chemicals into the water. Also be careful that the
water comes from a real spring, as about forty percent of the bottled waters on the market are not
from a spring but a tap (including popular brands like Aquafina and Dasani.) Read the labels care-
fully. As the price of one bottle of Evian can equal what you’d pay for 1000 gallons of home tap
water, though, your most economical choice is definitely to have your tap water professionally
tested and to invest in an appropriate filtration system.
exercise. Exercise is essential to my total health program, and should be as high a priority in your
life as proper eating and sleeping. Here’s the first rule of thumb to remember—find the forms of
exercise you enjoy and do those. With so many options available, there’s no need to force yourself
to do activities you hate. You are far more likely to succeed at something you enjoy. The second
rule of thumb is this—no matter what your age, no matter what your current health condition,
there’s always a higher level of physical health to reach for, which is really a main purpose of life—
to constantly strive to grow and improve. Exercise is not a temporary pursuit to attain a certain
waist size or biceps width but a lifelong habit that, if pursued properly, will increase the quality and
length of your life. It in addition to helping you look and feel younger, it will improve your body’s
ability to fight and prevent disease, increase your brain functioning and energy, decrease depres-
sion, and help you sleep better. Pair it with proper diet and emotional health as outlined in this
book and you will feel the way you are designed to be, always full of energy and joy.
1) For most people, seven to nine hours is an ideal amount of sleep, with more people
requiring nine hours versus seven.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 55
2) You should try to get to bed before 11 p.m. Your body performs the majority of its repair
and recovery functions during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. For example, the gallbladder
dumps toxins during this period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver, which then
sends toxins into your bloodstream. It is interesting to note that prior to electricity, people went
to bed at sundown as they followed their instinctual biorhythms to arise and retire by the sun.
3) Seek to go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on weekends. This
will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up
in the morning.
4) Sleep in complete darkness or as close to it as possible. When light hits the eyes, it dis-
rupts the circadian rhythm of the pineal gland and production of melatonin and serotonin,
disrupting the quality of sleep. You can achieve this with blackout blinds, shades or draperies
over the bedroom windows, or with a sleep mask covering the eyes.
5) Avoid eating right before bedtime as the digestive process can impair sleep. Moreover,
eating grains and sugars can cause an eventual hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which can
cause hunger and sleep disturbance.
6) Avoid T.V. before bed. Even better, remove the T.V. from the bedroom. T.V. is
stimulating to the brain, which disrupts the pineal gland, making it harder to fall asleep or
sleep well. The same holds true for avoidance of reading materials that you find stimulat-
ing. If you read before bed, opt to read books that are relaxing and peaceful such as
spiritual literature.
7) Wear socks to bed. Due to the fact that feet have the poorest circulation, they tend to
feel cold before the rest of the body, which can disrupt your sleep.
8) Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on the body to awaken with a sudden
loud noise. Ideally, you should sleep until your body naturally awakens, making an alarm
clock unnecessary. If you need an alarm, use a dawn simulator, which gradually emits light
to full intensity over 45 minutes, much like the morning sun. It is a gentle awakening that
doesn’t startle the adrenals that would begin your day in fight or flight mode. Type in the
words “dawn simulator” on Google.com for the retailers who sell them.
9) Before bed, turn the alarm clock face down so you are unable to see the time. If you
have trouble falling asleep, it will only provoke worry and keep you awake when you keep
staring at the time.
10) If you lie in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful to keep a journal and write
down your thoughts before bed. This achieves the effect of downloading your disturbing
thoughts to paper to clear your mind.
11) Keep the temperature in the bedroom 60–70 degrees F, as anything warmer can
disrupt sleep.
12) Eat a high-protein snack, such as grass-fed beef jerky, several hours before bed. This can
provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and serotonin. Also eat a small piece
of fruit or a handful of berries around the same time. This can help the tryptophan cross the
blood-brain barrier.
13) Consider that both prescription and over-the-counter drugs may have negative effects
on sleep. Keep your drug use to only what is absolutely necessary.
14) Avoid caffeine and other stimulants, as they can have long lasting stimulatory effects on
the nervous system. Note that some medications, such as over-the-counter pain relievers
(e.g. Midol) and diet pills, contain caffeine.
15) Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make people drowsy, the effect is short-lived and
people will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep
you from falling into the deeper stages of REM sleep, where the body does most of its healing.
16) Avoid foods to which you are sensitive. This is particularly true for dairy and wheat prod-
ucts, as they may have a negative effect on sleep, such as causing apnea, excess congestion,
gastrointestinal upset, and gas.
17) If you tend to wake up at night to urinate, don’t drink any fluids within 2 hours of
going to bed.
18) Take a hot bath, shower or sauna for about 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Heat has a
relaxing effect on the body.
19) Don’t do work in your bed or bedroom. If you do, you may find it is harder to disas-
sociate from work activities when trying to fall asleep.
20) Exercise helps to burn off stress and clear the mind, but as exercise energizes the body,
don't exercise too close to bedtime.
21) Listen to white noise or relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or
nature sounds, such as rainfall or ocean waves, soothing for sleep.
22) Sleep in a comfortable bed. If your mattress is sagging, makes creaking noises, or if you
wake up with stiffness or back pain, it may be time for a new mattress. Chiropractors can be
a resource for helping you determine the type of mattress you should sleep on. Avoid
waterbeds, as they do not properly support the spine.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 57
normal omega-3 levels and to maintain normal levels; therefore, it is highly recommended to take
omega-3 oils on a daily basis for life.
There are a few important points to consider when choosing fish oil or cod liver oil. These
oils are very perishable and fragile and can easily oxidize; for that reason and more, quality assur-
ance is an extremely important issue with fish and cod liver oil. There is a great difference in the
quality from one brand to the next due to the manufacturing processes used, the source of the
fish and more. After carefully reviewing cod liver oils and fish oils over the years, including what
processes should be used in their creation, I most highly recommend Garden of Life’s “Olde
World Icelandic Cod Liver Oil” and Living Fuel’s “Omega 3 & E” fish oil capsules. The Carlson’s
brand of fish oil is also recommended. These brands contain no trace of toxins or heavy metals
and had very low levels of oxidized fats. Garden of Life’s cod liver oil is exceptionally pure and is
made with very minimal processing. Living Fuel’s fish oil capsules, meanwhile, contain
tocotrienols and tocopherols, which as you will read in “Vitamin E” below means you are getting
the necessary vitamin E right in the same capsule. You can find these brands of fish and cod liver
oils at some health food stores, and they are also available through the “Recommended Products”
section of Mercola.com.
As a rule of thumb, you should take fish oil during the months that you spend time in the
sun, and take cod liver oil in the cooler to cold-weather months. Even if it is sunny and warm,
there is not enough UVB radiation present to cause your body to make enough vitamin D in the
winter. Cod liver oil, unlike fish oil, provides the extra benefit of being high in vitamin D. On a
side note, I perform vitamin D testing on all my patients since vitamin D deficiency is widespread
and a major contributor to the cancer epidemic. Among other benefits, vitamin D aids in the
absorption of calcium. (If you have any concerns about your vitamin D level, you should have
your vitamin D level tested, as high levels can lead to osteoporosis and hardening of your arter-
ies. Many health care practitioners will not be aware of the importance of vitamin D testing, so
feel free to search for more on this important topic on Mercola.com, and watch the Mercola
newsletter for a forthcoming national resource that can perform this testing and more for you.)
The recommended daily adult dose of fish oil or cod liver oil is one teaspoon. Children
should take one ml for every ten pounds of body weight up to a maximum of one teaspoon.
Full-Spectrum Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an excellent anti-oxidant that protects cell membranes, defends fatty acids from oxida-
tive damage, decreases inflammation, assists with nerve and muscle function, and helps prevent
cancer and heart disease. It is especially useful if you are taking fish oils. It is important to read the
labels on vitamin E bottles, as you want to take vitamin E that lists “tocopherols and tocotrienols”
to obtain the full spectrum of biological activity. Avoid labels that list “dl-alpha-tocopherol,” which
is the synthetic form of vitamin E and grossly inferior to the natural form. Unfortunately, most of
the vitamin E on grocery store shelves is synthetic because it is cheaper to produce, but you should
be able to find full-spectrum vitamin E in most health food stores. For adults, I recommend
taking 400 IU of vitamin E daily.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 59
I advise using vitamin K1, a natural plant-based vitamin K, or K2, a bacterially based
vitamin K, versus the synthetic K3. I suggest a starting dose of 3000 mcg of vitamin K1 or K2 per
day. Since the body does not easily absorb vitamin K, it should be taken with meals that include
fat to increase absorption.
It’s made of all-natural food products that provide a wide range of nutrients and contains no genet-
ically modified organisms, pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals. You simply mix it with water,
so it’s also easy to use. Some of my patients take Living Fuel as a daily nutritional supplement while
others use it as a meal-on-the-run when they are pressed for time. If you can’t find it in your local
health food store, you can find out more about it in the “Recommended Products” section on
Mercola.com. Whatever brand of convenience “superfood” you choose, remember that they’re
excellent as back-up meals, but nothing can replace the nutritional value of healthy meats, vegeta-
bles, and all the other foods previously discussed.
doing more harm than good. I have reviewed the clinical benefits of a wide variety of supplements
for many years, and while there are certainly other companies out there with high-quality
products, there are a few companies whose supplement products I have personally come to trust:
Garden of Life, Living Fuel, and Biotics. This is not a blanket endorsement for every single
supplement they offer, as 1) I have not reviewed every single supplement they each offer and
2) I don’t want to give you the misimpression that I recommend bagfuls of supplements when
instead I urge you to first and foremost focus on your diet. But because of their focus on the high-
est-quality ingredients and processes, these are some of the companies I recommend you consider
if there is a specific supplement you are certain you require beyond those I covered above.
On a final note, there are possibly a few other supplements you may want to consider
depending on your particular health challenges and where you are on your journey to optimal
wellness. For instance, through my routine vitamin D testing some of my patients show severe
vitamin D deficiency and require more than the supplemental cod liver oil mentioned above;
I recommend Biotics vitamin D. My ultimate point is that some supplements are beneficial to take
if you remember what “supplemental” means, and if you remain vigilant about consuming only
the highest quality.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 63
1) If you fail to plan you are planning to fail, so create a plan to adopt the program in
“manageable bites” into your life.
2) As you are incorporating the program, refer to this section as needed for a quick review
of any of the key points. If something doesn’t make sense, go back and read the chapter in
this book providing full detail on the key point.
3) Continue to expand your knowledge in the area of health. One of the most efficient
ways to do this is to read my free twice-weekly e-newsletter, search for further detail on any
topic at Mercola.com, and delve into the other resources covered in the Appendix.
1) Use the test in Chapter 5 to get a basic idea of your metabolic type, or use the advanced
online test described in that chapter to get a finer sense of your type. Start by eating in the
general range of the macronutrient proportions for your type and, most importantly, begin
the process of listening to your body and fine-tuning your macronutrients to your body’s
needs accordingly. The recipes in this book will help you toward that end.
2) At the beginning of your plan, anticipate if there are any emotional barriers, as discussed
in Chapter 6, that will challenge your ability to implement this program. Do you already
hear yourself saying something like, “There is no way I can give up sweets?” Have you
encountered emotional barriers when trying to implement a healthy diet before? If you do
anticipate any such barriers, incorporate the extremely effective Emotional Freedom
Technique (defined in Chapter 6), or some other emotional/mental healing methodology,
right at the outset. If and when you encounter any emotional barriers at any phase of imple-
menting this program, pull out the “big guns” of EFT or some other approach as soon as
possible so you don’t abandon the program and your health, altogether. If you are not able
64 PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER: YOUR PERSONAL TOTAL HEALTH PLAN
to obtain the results you are seeking with EFT, I would strongly advise you to seek one of
the many well-trained EFT professionals that are out there to help guide you in this process.
3) As you’re fine-tuning the proportions of macronutrients that are right for your type,
you should also be abandoning the forms of those macronutrients that are unhealthy and
adopting the forms that are healthy. I’d recommend cutting added sugars and processed
grains, and cutting unhealthy meats and fish and replacing with healthy ones, first and fore-
most. You should establish a timeline for yourself and a list of small steps to reach your
bigger goals.
4) You should also begin incorporating the lifestyle changes covered in the previous
chapter and summarized below into your life. I recommend drinking clean water and
taking essential supplements such as fish oil should be among your very first priorities.
5) You should create a timeline with specific goals set in each period of time to work
toward, all the way through complete adoption of this program. This is the ideal plan to
integrate the program in stages.
A Sample Plan
It is well established that the very act of writing goals greatly increases your likelihood of
achieving them. Unfortunately less than 3% of people write out their goals. I can tell you personal-
ly that writing out my goals has been one of the most profoundly beneficial things I have done.
Once you have your goals, you will need to implement them, so I would also highly recommend
that you purchase a copy of the book Getting Things Done by David Allen. It is an incredible
collection of practical details that will help you clear up any “clutter” in your life so you will have
more room to implement the changes that are discussed in this book. You can order this book at a
discount through Mercola.com.
Below is an example of how you can establish a plan for yourself. I highly recommend you
write your plan out and place it somewhere where you’ll be reminded of it daily to help you stay
on track.
In this case, the plan is laid out on a monthly basis that seems to work well for many people,
but of course you can establish any increments of time that work for you. You should also consider
planning for the next three to six months at most, after which point you should create a new plan
incorporating new goals and any previous goals you didn’t achieve to your satisfaction.
While I do recommend the goals laid out in the first month below be among your first
priorities as well, you know best what health concerns you have for yourself and therefore what
goals you first want to achieve, so plan for yourself accordingly. You can use the key points in
the next section to help you plan, and of course if there are other health goals you have that aren’t
covered here, you can work those into your plan as well.
The amount of goals in each month below may seem just right, too minimal, or too
aggressive for you; only you know what “manageable bites” means to you, so plan accordingly. If
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 65
after awhile you find that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, or achieving your goals is too
easy, you can adjust it accordingly. And finally, you’ll notice that the top goal in every month after
the first is to work on completing any goals from previous months that have not been achieved to
your satisfaction. It is important to include this in your plan, as it is a reminder that you’re only
human, and it is only counterproductive to get frustrated or give up if you’re not being superhu-
man—success doesn’t mean you’ll achieve all of the goals all of the time on the first (or second or
third) go-around, but instead that you’ll keep trying to do so. To keep trying to improve, after all,
is how optimal health is achieved.
Month One
• After learning my metabolic type, start fine-tuning to determine my ideal level of macronu-
trients
• Start using Emotional Freedom Technique to address what I feel is an addiction to sweets
• Start cutting the added sugars and processed grains from my diet
• Start eating more of the right vegetables for my carbohydrate needs
• Use only healthy, naturally raised meats in my meals
• Start taking fish oil, vitamin E, and probiotics daily, eliminate the unnecessary supplements
I am taking
• Drink only clean water; have my tap water tested and appropriate filter installed
Month Two
• Keep working toward any of the goals from the previous month that are not at the level I
want them to be yet
• Get eight hours of sleep per night, and try to go to bed and awake at same time daily
• Start exercising by walking for thirty minutes per day
• Stop drinking pasteurized milk, start eating grass-fed organic cheese and try to find source
for raw milk
Month Three
• Keep working toward any of the goals from previous two months that are not at the level
I want them to be yet
• Cut whole grains from my diet
• Start using only coconut oil and olive oil in my recipes
• Start trying to buy organic produce as much as I can
• Increase my exercise to 45 minutes per day
Month Four
• Keep working toward any of the goals from previous three months that are not at the level
I want them to be yet
• Increase exercise to sixty minutes per day and incorporate weight training
• Start learning a meditation technique or some technique to manage my stress
66 PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER: YOUR PERSONAL TOTAL HEALTH PLAN
Knives
The most indispensable of the kitchen tools, knives are often the most neglected. For best life and
72 EQUIPPING YOUR KITCHEN, AND OURSELF, FOR HEALTHY COOKING
performance, and to prevent accidents, make sure your knives are kept sharp with a butcher’s steel
or knife sharpener. There is a knife for every job. A set of six quality, precision hard steel knives,
properly cared for, can last a lifetime. Proper care means frequent sharpening, drying immediately
after use, and storing in a knife rack or on a magnetic bar, not jumbled carelessly with other kitchen
tools in a kitchen drawer.
Juicer
One of the most convenient and delicious ways to get the maximum quantity and quality of nutri-
ent-rich vegetables and fruits is the vegetable juice extractor. You can use it to make fresh juices,
smoothies, soups and stocks in virtually seconds. Circulating blades extract or “squeeze” out the
valuable juice, leaving only the pulpy fiber, which can also be used to add bulk to healthy snacks,
confections and other recipes. In addition to juicing, many juicers can also chop and grind food,
so they are a great value. Hands down, the best juicer on the market is the Omega 8002 Juicer.
See the extensive juicer comparison table evaluating a range of brands and their features in the
Recommended Products section on Mercola.com, where the Omega 8002 came out a clear winner
in terms of ease of use and cleaning, durability, versatility and price.
Wok
One of the oldest and still one of the most useful of all cooking utensils is the wok, a large, heavy,
round-bottomed pan with a cover, used by the Chinese for centuries. The food cooks efficiently
because the wok sits on a ring over the burner, concentrating the heat. With it you can efficiently
and quickly sauté, stew, deep-fry, steam or get a meal on the table in only a few minutes using the
famous “stir-fry” technique. A flat skillet can be used for stir-frying, but the wok’s round bottom
and ring fit over the burner perfectly, concentrating the heat and allowing you to sauté foods in
stages, cooking everything in one pan. Purchase a cold spun-steel wok, at least 12” in diameter,
from an Asian cooking specialty store or restaurant supply house. Don’t even bother with the
cheaper aluminum, electrically-fired wok imposters.
Crockpot
Another inexpensive but truly timesaving kitchen appliance is the crockpot, which many people
come to appreciate especially during colder weather. This freestanding electrical appliance can be
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 73
invaluable for preparing soups, stews, casseroles and other winter meals, especially if you are work-
ing full-time outside the home. The preferred cooking insert is ceramic, which can be filled with
the makings for a one-dish meat and vegetable casserole or a stew that can simmer at a very low
temperature while you are away during the day, yielding a fully prepared meal, ready when you
walk in the door.
Dehydrator
Drying is one of the oldest ways to preserve food. A food dehydrator is a low cost, low-fuss
way to process and preserve fresh vegetables and other foods that can then be stored at room
temperature. A dehydrator works by removing excess water from food by continuously circulating
thermostatically controlled, low heat air over the food in the chamber. The thermostat range is
usually between 85ºF and 145ºF. Below 115ºF–118ºF, the food is not cooked, so you can
prepare vegetable-based crackers, sandwich wraps, fruit and veggie “leathers” that are healthy and
technically still raw. The dehydrator is an ideal and economical way to process large quantities of
fresh, local, organic or biodynamically grown fruits and vegetables you might acquire in season.
There are many available on the market, but the Excalibur is one of the best brands.
Spiral Slicer
The Spiral Slicer™ is a versatile, manual tool that performs a number of vegetable processing tasks,
including making various cuts, slices, half slices, strips, strands and decorative spirals. Its best feature
is its ability to make long, thin, continuous strands of vegetables like zucchini and kohlrabi, turning
them into authentic-looking pasta, a great treat for people following my grain-free dietary program.
freezer or cold storage area as soon as possible. Moist foods like lettuce and fresh herbs should be
washed, drained, sorted, and bagged before refrigerating, but do not wash mushrooms until you
are ready to use them. Dry foods like onions and winter squashes should not be refrigerated, but
kept at lower room temperature. Don’t remove food from the refrigerator until just before you are
ready to use it, and return immediately after use. When thawing foods, do so in the refrigerator or
in cold water in your sink, never at room temperature.
The best food storage containers are non-reactive, reusable ones, especially glass and ceramic
containers with tight-fitting lids. You can obtain reusable vacuum seal stoppers for removing the
oxygen from already opened bottles, which are very helpful for preventing oxidation and preserv-
ing the quality of raw oils and freshly prepared juices. Plastic is ubiquitous these days as a food
packaging and storage material, but is the least desirable storage material because it can leach into
your food. Try using more of the renewable materials for your food carting and storage, such as
wax paper, butcher and brown paper, glass, ceramic, enamel, wood and cloth, as they are healthi-
er for you (and the planet) than plastic. I personally put all my leftovers in bell jars and I seal them
with a canning device called the FoodSaver Vac 1050 (go to www.tilia.com) to remove the oxygen
that causes the food to oxidize (spoil).
Organizing Yourself
The key to reducing the time you spend preparing your meals is to invest more time up front in
planning. By taking the following steps, you will not only greatly reduce the amount of time you
spend in the kitchen, but you will also avoid the temptation of last-minute conveniences that often
leads to health problems.
By planning out your meals in this manner, you will spare yourself the daily stress of not
knowing what to eat or how long it will take you to prepare it, and from caving in to eating
unhealthy fast or prepackaged foods. If you are traveling, you’ll also want to plan accordingly, per-
haps including a healthy convenience food like Living Fuel (see Chapter 7 or Recommended
Ingredients and Product Locator in the Appendix) in your plan, or at least proactively planning
what type of food you will eat at a restaurant.
When you plan your shopping list each week in this manner, you’ll also be able to plan
what foods you need to stock and therefore shop for only the foods you need. This intentional
shopping will save multiple trips to the store and help you avoid impulse purchases of junk food.
• The main recipe that appears on the page is always a Mixed Type or “MX” recipe.
• Protein Types (PT) and Carb Types (CT) need to look under “Cooking Tips” on each
recipe page for specific instructions for varying the recipe to fit Protein and Carb Types.
• Many main recipes contain no meat or can be prepared without adding animal protein. You
will also find some “No-Meat Mains” geared to vegetarians in the Main Dishes chapter.
• All of the recipes have been developed with busy people in mind. The recipes average 15
minutes preparation time or less.
• If you can’t find a particular food, check the Appendix of this book for recommendations
on how to obtain it.
78 HOW THESE RECIPES ARE ARRANGED
MX = Mixed Type
PT = Protein Type
CT = Carbohydrate Type
Many of these recipes are actually three recipes in one. The main recipe you see on the page is
always the Mixed Type (MX) recipe. If you have determined that you’re a Protein or Carb Type,
though, you’ll find specific instructions for adjusting and varying the recipes to your needs in the
“Cooking Tips” area of each recipe.
To help you learn and perfect this fine-tuning and eating properly for your metabolic type,
the “Notes and Suggestions” section of each recipe contains 1) ideas for creating metabolically
balanced meals and menus; 2) suggestions to help you listen to your body, monitor your reactions,
and work on fine-tuning the proportions for your specific type.
These are starting benchmarks for the amount of macronutrients you should generally try to
consume daily, but instead of getting hung up on these numbers, it is much more important to
listen to your body—your own natural feedback mechanism that will tell you if what you consume
is right or not—to determine your ideal macronutrient ratios.
This whole process of fine-tuning is about becoming more aware of what your body is
telling you. You’ve got an excellent starting point by knowing your basic metabolic type, and by
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 79
understanding what foods you should be eating and avoiding, so now—because only you are in
control of your own body—the rest is up to you. Since your goal is total health, do not be afraid
to experiment with these recipes, or any aspect of your daily food intake. Adjust the levels and even
types of ingredients and assess how you feel up to two hours later—when you feel great as
discussed in Chapter 5, you are doing something quite right for your body. Throw out the “rules”
about eating certain kinds of foods at breakfast versus lunch and dinner and instead adopt
the recipes that make you feel best for any meal of the day. Who said you can’t eat soup in the
morning anyway? That said, enjoy!
Aegean Salad
An authentic Greek salad, especially good with summer’s fresh garden bounty.
2 combine with parsley, marjoram, shallot, sprouts, radishes, and seed CT: Add 1 cup peeled and diced broc-
coli stems and increase parsley to 11⁄ 2 cups.
mix in a large serving bowl.
Reduce oil to 11⁄ 3 Tbsp and seed mix to 1 Tbsp.
3 drizzle with oil, sprinkle with pepper, and spritz with Bragg’s.
Toss and serve. Notes and Suggestions
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes. A crunchy, colorful vegetable salad, ideal
for CT, this variation on the Southern
favorite “chop” salad can be served as a side
dish with just about any meat entrée. Or
combine it with a soup like Blended Broccoli,
Asparagus and Artichoke, or Creamy
Avocado, and add additional protein, such
as turkey bacon, cooked leftover turkey for
PT, fresh mozzarella, lowfat farmer or cot-
tage cheese, if you are a CT.
84 THE RECIPES: SALADS
1⁄ 2 lb med eggplant
1 tsp sea salt
1⁄ 2 tsp poultry seasoning or thyme leaves
Nutrition Facts
1⁄ 2 tsp dried basil or oregano
calories total fat carbs protein
1 large head leaf lettuce
Mixed Type: 209 10g 18g 18g 1 med cucumber, shredded & patted dry
Carb Type: 134 4g 13g 13g 1⁄ 2 cup cooked turkey cubes
Protein Type: 279 15g 18g 221g 2 tsp capers, drained
1⁄ 4 cup Sunny Seed Salad Dressing (page 237)
Cooking Tips
PT: Substitute fresh baby spinach for most 1 turn on broiler. Cut eggplant into 1⁄ 4” slices. Place eggplant slices
of the lettuce, adding 2 cups torn leaf let- on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt, poultry seasoning, and basil.
tuce. Increase dark meat turkey to 3⁄ 4 cup
and salad dressing to 1⁄ 3 cup. 2 broil approximately 3–4 minutes per side, until eggplant slices start
to brown. Remove from heat.
CT: Increase cucumber to 2, reduce salad
dressing to 1 Tbsp. 3 meanwhile, tear washed lettuce into large serving bowl. Add
cucumber to salad along with turkey cubes. Cut up broiled eggplant
Notes and Suggestions into chunks and add to salad with capers.
This is a quick and delicious mini-meal 4 pour dressing over salad and toss.
salad with unique flavors and textures. This
can become a main meal salad by adding Serves 2. Preparation time: 15 minutes.
more of the appropriate type of light or dark,
cooked poultry meat, so it is a fast way to fix
lunch when you have leftover roast turkey or
chicken (or even pheasant) after the weekend.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 85
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Carb Type: 211 13g 9g 16g
Protein Type: 260 20g 7g 16g
2 arrange cherry tomato pieces and sprigs of fresh basil on cheese. PT: Use whole milk, fresh mozzarella
cheese, the small round white balls in tubs of
3 sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Drizzle delicately with olive oil. Serve. water, usually found in deli or better cheese
section. Try using 3 cups fresh, cooled,
Serves 4. Preparation time: 5 minutes. steamed asparagus instead of cucumber.
CT: Use lowfat mozzarella. Increase cucum-
bers to 3. You might want to add a small jar
of drained, roasted red peppers to this
antipasto-type plate.
Cooking Tips
PT: Could substitute spinach for half of the 1 wash, drain and tear lettuce. Place in large serving bowl.
greens. Use 8 slices of turkey bacon and 8
2 sauté turkey bacon in skillet over medium until crisp. Remove and
eggs. How about spooning warm Hollandaise
sauce (page 176), 1 Tbsp per person, over the sprinkle over greens.
gently cooked egg, instead of drizzling salad
3 add sliced scallion to skillet and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat.
with vinaigrette?
CT: Might find it more appealing to use 4 whisk olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to blend. Pour
lemon juice instead of vinegar. Use only 4 over greens. Toss.
eggs in this recipe.
5 heat two fingers of water to boiling in medium pan. Add a dash
of vinegar and reduce to medium low. Break eggs, one at a time
Notes and Suggestions into small cup, then carefully slip eggs into simmering water.
This is a standalone main dish salad that Poach 3–4 minutes only.
could be served at almost any meal. PT’s
should monitor level of satiety or satisfac- 6 divide salad onto individual serving plates. Remove lightly poached
tion and increase protein, if still hungry eggs with slotted spoon and place atop each serving. Serve immediately.
after eating.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 87
Greek Cucumbers
A traditional cucumbers and cream side dish as an accompaniment to a
lamb, fish or meat entrée.
3 med cucumbers
1⁄ 2 tsp sea salt
1⁄ 2 tsp celery seed
Nutrition Facts
1⁄ 4 cup sour cream
1⁄ 2 calories total fat carbs protein
cup plain yogurt
1 tsp red wine vinegar Mixed Type: 143 5g 16g 6g
1 peel, seed and slice cucumbers into wing cuts in serving bowl.* Cooking Tips
2 add salt, celery seed, sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, and minced PT: Not really a PT salad, unless you want
to exchange 3 cups of cauliflowerettes for
garlic. Mix well. Garnish, sprinkled with parsley flakes or dill weed.
cucumbers, use 1⁄ 2 cup sour cream, and 1⁄ 4
Serve immediately. cup plain yogurt. Serve 3.
Serves 2. Preparation time: 10 minutes. CT: Just your kind of salad, but add
another cucumber and substitute 3⁄ 4 cup
lowfat yogurt for the dairy.
*You can create wing cuts by cutting a
peeled cucumber in half lengthwise, scooping
out the seeds and slicing halves crosswise.
Mixed Type: 256 17g 24g 7g 1 med red pepper, seeded and cut into quarters
Carb Type: 204 11g 26g 7g 1 small red onion, trimmed, cut into rings
Protein Type: 295 22g 24g 7g 1⁄ 4 lb Roma or plum tomatoes, halved
4 med Portabella mushrooms, cut into halves
4 whole garlic cloves
Cooking Tips
1 4 oz can black olives, drained
PT: Double the amount of mushrooms and Tbsp dried oregano
decrease eggplant to 4 slices.
CT: Decrease olive oil to 2 Tbsp. Use a
1 brush eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, onion rings,
sprayer or pastry brush to lightly coat veg-
etables with oil. Skip all but 2 black olives tomatoes, and mushrooms with olive oil.
per serving.
2 grill vegetables over gas grill, charcoal, or even under your oven
broiler, 3–5 minutes on a side, until translucent and partially black-
Notes and Suggestions ened. Cool slightly. Cut into large chunks and arrange on large plat-
In addition to being a perfect partner for a ter or shallow serving bowl.
barbecue, this delicious grilled vegetable dish
3 cut garlic and olives lengthwise into slices and then slivers. Mix with
could easily become a whole antipasto-type
meal salad, with the addition of protein oregano leaves and sprinkle over arranged salad. Serve slightly warm
such as organic buffalo or beef summer or at room temperature.
sausage for PT, leftover grilled or BBQ
chicken breast for CT. Serves 4. Preparation time: 20 minutes.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 89
2 sprinkle with olive oil, lemon juice, and vegetable seasoning. Toss and serve.
Cooking Tips
PT: You can make this more for your type Serves 1. Preparation time: 5 minutes.
by substituting or adding spinach for part
of the parsley. This will not have enough fat
for you, so you will probably want to add at
least 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
CT: Use 1 tsp oil. This is your kind of dish,
perfect as a salad accompaniment to soup or
main entrée such as a stir-fry or stew.
Cooking Tips
1 wash vegetables and pat dry. Peel, where appropriate and cut up
PT: Will need to add more protein such as
into equal size sticks. leftover meat or cheese. Double the celery
and add whole green beans to optimize this
2 arrange on a large platter with a small bowl of Sunny Seed Gomasio
for your type.
topping in the center.
CT: Once again, this is an ideal type of
3 or divide up vegetables and serve a mixed selection of sticks with dish for you, although minimize the amount
about 1 Tbsp Gomasio each (or more as desired). and frequency of the gomasio, ground seeds.
The savory, lightly toasted flavor goes a long
4 serve, encouraging guests to roll or dip their veggie sticks into the way, so you won’t need much.
dry topping. Unusual, but good!
celery cut into appropriate size chunks. Use 1 cut vegetables and cheese into equal size cuts, about 1⁄ 2” each.
10 oz cheese.
2 in large mixing bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, green pepper,
CT: Too high in fat as is, you can decrease cheese cubes, black olives, cucumber, onion, and basil leaves.
the olives to 8 or so, cut in half. Use only half
3 quickly whisk olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together to blend.
the cheese and use lowfat mozzarella. Add
another cucumber to your recipe and serve 4. 4 pour over salad and toss lightly to coat. Serve immediately or cover
and marinate 1–2 hours in refrigerator.
1 wash and chop broccoli heads and peeled, tender parts of stems into
Cooking Tips large mixing or serving bowl. Mix with minced red onion and minced
PT: Use 1 head broccoli and 1 head cauli- dried cranberries.
flower. Use 8 strips turkey bacon and
2 sauté turkey bacon strips over medium heat in 8” skillet until crisp,
increase walnuts to 1⁄ 3 cup. Substitute cur-
rants for dried cranberries. but not burnt. Remove and crumble over broccoli.
CT: Reduce bacon to 2 strips. Use 1⁄ 4 cup 3 mix mayonnaise and yogurt together in measuring cup. Pour over
mayo and 1⁄ 2 cup plain nonfat yogurt. salad. Toss to mix. Mix in chopped walnuts. Serve.
Reduce walnuts to 2 Tbsp chopped, sprinkled
on top. Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Sea Salad
Brimming with important trace minerals your body likely needs, this unusual look-
ing Asian-inspired recipe will kick up the flavor and nutrition of your mini-meals.
Spinach Salad
Spinach and mushrooms, two of the Protein Type’s most recommended veg-
etables, coexist happily in this popular salad with a savory seed topping.
2 Tbsp Basic Herb Vinaigrette or Sunny Seed Salad Dressing (page 237) Carb Type: 123 7g 7g 9g
Protein Type: 178 10g 11g 14g
1 drain spinach and pat dry with paper towels or spin dry in salad
spinner. Place in serving bowl or on individual salad plates. Cooking Tips
2 arrange mushrooms, cucumber slices, and egg halves on salad. Top PT: Can increase seed mix to 1⁄ 4 cup and
double the mushrooms. Substitute celery for
with Savory Sunny Seed Mix and Basic Herb Vinaigrette or Sunny
cucumber, if desired.
Seed Salad Dressing.
CT: Since spinach is not one of your highly
Serves 4. Preparation time: 5 minutes. recommended greens, replace at least half of
the spinach with a mixture of bok choy,
Napa cabbage, parsley, watercress or other
greens. Increase cucumbers to 2. Top with
Basic Herb Vinaigrette. Skip seed mix and
add 1⁄ 2 cup mung bean sprouts.
8 baby zucchini
8 small cucumbers
Nutrition Facts 3⁄ 4 cup Sesame Miso Spread (page 221)
calories total fat carbs protein 1⁄ 2 cup chopped curly parsley
3 flavor is improved, if refrigerated for at least 20 minutes before serving. CT: Add 1 large zucchini, shredded. Use
11⁄ 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil. Reduce seed mix to
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes. 1 Tbsp or use 2 tsp Sunny Seed Gomasio,
sprinkled on top.
Watercress Salad
A delightful spring-into-summer salad that goes well with almost any salmon
or light chicken dish.
Cooking Tips
PT: Can add 2 cups torn spinach and 1 1 in jar or glass measuring cup, combine lemon juice, mustard, olive
cup asparagus cuts to make this salad more oil, tamari, and pepper. Whisk to blend.
in line with your type. Increase oil to 1⁄ 4 cup.
Use 2⁄ 3 cup jicama sticks. Increase nuts to 3 2 wash and stem watercress. Place in large serving bowl. Drizzle on
Tbsp and feta cheese to 3 oz. desired amount of salad dressing and lightly toss to coat.
CT: Can increase jicama to 11⁄ 2 cups. 3 divide salad onto serving plates. Top with jicama sticks, almonds,
Reduce oil to 1 Tbsp. Reduce or eliminate
and feta cheese. Serve immediately.
almonds and substitute sliced waterchestnuts.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
4 add cut up greens and stir-fry over high heat, stirring constantly for
Notes and Suggestions about a minute. Add water, cover and steam for about 2 minutes.
This is a quick and easy standalone meal or
mini-meal for fall or winter, when dark
5 add seasonings and taste. Serve immediately as a side dish or on its
leafy greens are plentiful. This can be paired own as a satisfying mini-meal.
with dark meat turkey cutlets or a bison
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
meatloaf for a PT meal. CT’s could use it
with Crunchy Chicken Casserole, white
meat Roast Chicken, Ostrich Meatballs. Or
add 2–3 oz of turkey ham cut into match-
sticks and another vegetable such as Sautéed
Cabbage with Dill.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 103
Broccoli-in-a-Hurry Curry
Almost everyone likes this simple, yet slightly exotic-tasting vegetable dish. Fast,
easy, and elegant, even if you’re preparing for a special gathering or entertaining.
1 head broccoli
1⁄ 3 cup Curry Mayonnaise (page 238)
Nutrition Facts
1 wash broccoli and cut off woody ends. Cut broccoli into spears.
calories total fat carbs protein
2 steam broccoli over boiling water in a steamer basket or colander Mixed Type: 184 15g 10g 5g
for 7 or so minutes until bright Carb Type: 140 10g 10g 5g
Protein Type: 228 20g 10g 5g
3 spoon Curry Mayonnaise over hot broccoli in serving dish or serve
on the side. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
PT: Use 1⁄ 2 cup Curry Dressing.
CT: Use 1⁄ 4 cup reduced fat Curry Dressing
(use 1⁄ 2 lowfat yogurt and 1⁄ 2 mayonnaise).
Cooking Tips
1 turn on broiler. Brush or spray eggplant slices lightly on both sides
PT: Eggplant is not really a PT type of veg-
etable, so you’ll probably want to skip this dish. with oil. Sprinkle with salt, poultry seasoning, and oregano or basil leaves.
CT: Reduce the pesto and Parmesan cheese 2 broil eggplant slices for 3–4 minutes on each side, until they start to brown.
to 2 Tbsp each for the whole recipe.
3 remove from oven. Place a thin slice of tomato on each eggplant
slice and spread with Basil Pesto.
Notes and Suggestions
4 sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over top and broil for 1–2 more
This could be served as a vegetable side
minutes until warmed through, and pesto and cheese start to bubble.
dish with a Marinated Italian Salad, Fresh
Mozzarella Plate, or Fennel Parmesan and a Serve immediately.
salad. Or increase portion size by serving to 2
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes.
only, and serve with Horseradish Buffalo.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 105
1 heat a wok or deep, heavy porcelain-clad pan with a cover over high heat. Cooking Tips
2 add oil and garlic, stir for a few seconds. Then add leek slices. Stir- PT: Adapt this more to your type by substi-
tuting spinach for kale, using half green
fry, stirring constantly, for about 2–3 minutes or until leeks start to wilt.
beans and half Brussels sprouts, added at the
3 add Brussels sprouts and rosemary and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. same time.
Reduce heat to medium, add cut up kale and water, stirring to com- CT: Reduce oil to 1 Tbsp.
bine. Cover and steam for 3–5 minutes, until fork tender.
4 remove cover, stir in Dijon mustard to coat. Remove to serving dish Notes and Suggestions
and serve immediately. This fast, cold season vegetable could be
made into a mini-meal by serving it with
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
sliced turkey ham, Beef ‘n Beer Stew or
Ground Turkey and Gravy on a frosty, mid-
winter evening.
106 THE RECIPES: VEGETABLES
Mixed Type: 113 4g 17g 5g 1 place a steamer basket or strainer into the bottom of a large covered
Protein Type: 173 8 23g 8g kettle. Add 1–2” of water and bring to a boil.
2 working from the back of the cauliflower head, remove leaves and
Cooking Tips stem in one piece by pulling back leaves and cutting stem through at
PT: This is an ideal PT vegetable dish. the base of the head. Place base plate on platter or flat serving dish.
Double the amount of black olive-nut paste.
3 being careful and using a sharp knife, break cauliflower into 2–3”
CT: Broccoli, cabbage, turnip or summer flowerettes, cutting deep gashes in stems to shorten cooking time.
squash could be substituted for the cauli-
flower. Try a small portion of the Tapenade, 4 steam cauliflowerettes over boiling water on medium high, until
but if you find it’s too rich, you could also barely tender, for approximately 8–9 minutes. Remove from heat.
try a Basil Pesto (page 239) or Red Onion
Cilantro Relish (page 245) topping instead. 5 reassemble cauliflowerettes to look like original head on top of their
leaves on platter. Spread or mound olive tapenade over top and serve.
Or serve accompanied by a small bowl of the rich olive-nut paste.
Notes and Suggestions
Another vegetable that’s sophisticated 6 if you have the luxury of more time, this can be prepared by steam-
enough to serve for company or as an extra ing the whole head of cauliflower intact as above. Or rub with extra
special family meal. You don’t have to fuss virgin olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and roast in 350°F oven, 35–40
with the presentation, if you don’t want to.
minutes, covering with tapenade the last five minutes, for a more
Pair this with Roast Chicken, Grilled Bison
Steaks, or Mustard Tarragon Salmon. flavorful dish.
1 if not already cooked, boil spaghetti squash, cut in half, in large pan
with water over medium heat until fork tender. Remove from pan, Cooking Tips
cool slightly and scoop out spaghetti strands with fork. PT: This is not your best recipe, unless you
serve a minimum 1⁄ 2 cup as a base for No-
2 in large pan, melt butter over medium heat and add minced shallot.
Pasta Primavera Vegetables, and add protein
Sauté lightly for about a minute until flavors are released. like meat balls or Ground Turkey and Gravy.
3 add cooked spaghetti squash and stir to mix. Stir in chopped red CT: Reduce butter to 1 Tbsp.
and green peppers. Add seasonings to taste and continue cooking
until vegetable is heated through, about 2–3 minutes.
Notes and Suggestions
4 remove to serving bowl. Garnish with Savory Sunny Seed Mix, Serve this, if you are MX or CT eater, with
Sunny Seed Gomasio or Parmesan cheese, as desired. a fresh tomato sauce and lowfat Parmesan
cheese and lean, ground, seasoned ostrich
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes. as a standalone recipe for a quick and easy
weeknight meal.
108 THE RECIPES: VEGETABLES
Fennel Parmesan
A tasty accompaniment for fish, chicken or lamb.
Cooking Tips 2 when water is gone, melt butter in skillet. Stir fennel to coat and
cook 2–3 minutes more.
PT: While fennel is not one of your highly
recommended vegetables, you might try 3 Sprinkle on salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Heat for 2–3 more
this recipe with a whole head of celery and
minutes or place under broiler, until cheese starts to turn golden.
half a bunch of asparagus spears, sprin-
kled with 1⁄ 2 tsp Spike vegetable seasoning Serve immediately.
or Mrs. Dash before cooking. Use 3⁄ 4 cup
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Parmesan cheese.
CT: Reduce Parmesan cheese to 1⁄ 3 cup
reduced fat cheese.
2 place vegetables in steamer basket and lower into pan. Cover and
steam for 5–8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Cooking Tips
3 remove to serving bowl and pour Asian Dressing on top. Serve PT: Reduce cabbage to 1⁄ 2 head. Increase
immediately. celery to 5 large stalks and green beans to
2 cups. Could also add 2 cups spinach leaves.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Increase dressing to 1⁄ 2 cup.
CT: Reduce dressing to 1⁄ 4 cup.
Grecian Spinach
This spinach with Greek flair is easy to make as an everyday vegetable on its
own, or as a special dinner partner for lamb, chicken or fish.
1 heat a large pan with a lid over medium high heat. Add oil and
Cooking Tips sliced red onion. Sauté until onion starts to wilt.
PT: Increase feta cheese to 1⁄ 2 cup. 2 add spinach and quickly sauté for 2–3 minutes. Add lemon peel, salt
CT: Decrease oil to 1 Tbsp. Decrease spinach and pepper. Cook a few seconds more to release flavors.
to 1 lb. Add 11⁄ 2 lbs other dark leafy greens
such as chard or beet greens. Increase lemon 3 add crumbled feta cheese and stir to incorporate. Transfer to serv-
peel to 1 tsp. For cheese, use 1 Tbsp feta mixed ing dish and serve immediately.
with 1 Tbsp nonfat cottage cheese.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking Tips
1 preheat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients except toppings
PT: You’ll be happy to know this is just your
together in oiled casserole. Cover. type of vegetable dish. You can even increase
mushrooms to a 12 oz pkg. You can choose
2 bake for about 45 minutes until beans are tender. Remove cover
the Savory Sunny Seed Mix topper or use
and sprinkle with topping of choice. Return to oven for ten more min- both toppings!
utes, increasing heat to Broil, and broiling top, if desired.
CT: Even though green beans are not your
3 this dish can be made quickly for everyday consumption, by steam- most recommended vegetable, you can
enjoy this as a special treat, following the
ing the green beans and mushrooms over boiling water in a steamer
recipe as listed.
basket or colander for 8–9 minutes. Reserve water for soup stock.
Cooking Tips 1 in large heavy skillet over high heat, stir-fry green beans in butter or
PT: Definitely a PT vegetable dish. You can coconut oil and garlic until crisp tender.
use coconut oil or butter, increasing to 2 Tbsp.
2 reduce heat to medium, add lemon juice, lemon peel, pepper, and veg-
CT: Instead of green beans, you could etable seasoning. Cover and let steam for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
make the same dish with broccoli, zucchini
or summer squash, Brussels sprouts or dark 3 transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately
leafy greens.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Mashed Fotatoes
You might be surprised how much this “like mashed potatoes” dish simulates
the taste and texture of the “real” thing.
2 in food processor, blend cauliflower, butter, cream, sea salt and pep-
Cooking Tips
per, until smooth.
PT: This creamy dish is right for your type.
3 transfer to serving bowl. Serve immediately. You can increase the butter to 1⁄ 4 cup.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes. CT: You will want to substitute lowfat
buttermilk for the cream and reduce the
butter to 1 Tbsp.
Mixed Type: 205 3g 18g 9g 1 small yellow pepper, seeded, cut into strips
Carb Type: 171 9g 17g 9g 1 cup broccoli flowerettes
Protein Type: 250 17g 19g 11g 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3–4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed, or 3 Tbsp dried
Cooking Tips
1 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley
PT: Omit yellow peppers. Substitute 2 cups 3 Tbsp tamari soy sauce
asparagus for zucchini, 1 cup green beans 1⁄ 4 cup Parmesan cheese
for broccoli, increase celery to 5 stalks. Add
3 Tbsp Savory Sunny Seed Mix, optional (page 215)
1 more Tbsp oil and increase seed mix and
Parmesan cheese to 1⁄ 3 cup.
CT: Follow recipe as is or vary by omitting 1 wash and cut up vegetables. Once you master this recipe, you’ll be
celery and increasing broccoli to 2 cups. able to cut up the vegetables while the pan is heating.
Reduce oil and Parmesan cheese to 2 Tbsp.
Omit seeds. 2 heat one large, heavy, porcelain-clad Dutch oven or wok over high
heat. Add olive oil and garlic slices. Stir-fry 1–2 minutes.
Notes and Suggestions 3 add zucchini, yellow squash, celery, broccoli, and stir-fry, stirring con-
stantly, for 7–8 minutes until vegetables start to soften and brighten.
The co-author’s quick, prize-winning recipe,
adapted from the classic Italian dish, is a 4 add red and yellow pepper strips, basil leaves, and parsley and 2⁄ 3 cup
staple that you probably will find yourself
water. Cover. Reduce heat to medium high and steam 3–4 minutes.
using regularly, varying with vegetables in
season and adding different protein foods, 5 remove from heat. Add tamari soy sauce and stir. Serve immediate-
such as dark meat of chicken, turkey, beef or
ly as is, or sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of Savory
fish for PT eaters. It could stand on its own
as a main meal for CT or MX, but could Sunny Seed Mix, if desired.
also work with ostrich or chicken breast. Add
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes.
chunks of uncooked meat with the garlic or
add leftover cooked meat at the end.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 115
Roasted Asparagus
This is a delicious vegetable, quickly roasted in a pan or slow-roasted in the oven.
2 lb fresh asparagus
3 Tbsp coconut oil or organic or raw butter
1 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or tamari soy sauce
Nutrition Facts
1 if oven roasting, preheat oven to 500°F. Wash, pat dry and cut off calories total fat carbs protein
woody ends of fresh asparagus.
Mixed Type: 124 9g 9g 6g
2 mix coconut oil and Bragg’s in frying or baking pan. Roll asparagus Protein Type: 169 14g 9g 5g
3 roast on stovetop for 7–9 minutes over medium heat, shaking pan Cooking Tips
several times to prevent sticking. Or bake at 500° for 8–10 minutes, PT: Another optimum PT vegetable.
stirring occasionally. Serve. Increase oil or butter to 4 Tbsp.
CT: Vary the recipe by using other veg-
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes.
etables, including turnips, okra, cabbage
chunks or baby onions, but decrease oil to
1 Tbsp or less.
Cooking Tips 1 heat butter or coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat.
PT: Not an ideal vegetable for your type. 2 add cabbage chunks and dill seeds. Sauté cabbage over medium
Try this recipe with 2 lbs green beans or high, stirring frequently, until cabbage is translucent and starts to wilt,
asparagus.
approximately 6–7 minutes. Okay if it gets a little browned.
CT: Reduce the butter or oil to 1 Tbsp.
3 remove from heat, Stir in sea salt, fresh black pepper and dill weed.
Serve immediately.
Notes and Suggestions
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cabbage can be delicious served this way
as a vegetable side dish with a hearty soup
or stew, or as the complement to a small
portion of roasted Cornish hen or breast of
chicken stir-fry.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 117
2 heat medium skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and add
smashed garlic.
Cooking Tips
3 add squash and stir to coat. Cover and simmer for 5–7 minutes. PT: Substitute half asparagus cuts and
cook the same way. It’s OK if you find you
4 sprinkle with vegetable seasoning. Serve immediately.
need to double your portions.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes. CT: Reduce the butter to 1 Tbsp.
2 add coconut oil, fennel and minced red onion. Steam-sauté, stirring
frequently, for 5–6 minutes.
Cooking Tips
PT: Fennel is not one of your highly recom- 3 stir in snow peas. Cover, reduce heat and steam 3 minutes more.
mended vegetables. You could, however, do a
4 add chipotle sauce and stir to coat. Serve immediately.
similar treatment with celery hearts instead.
Use 2 Tbsp oil. Serves 2. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
CT: Reduce oil to 1 Tbsp.
2 heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and add zuc- Carb Type: 107 9g 7g 3g
Protein Type: 195 18g 9g 5g
chini. Stir to coat.
1 tsp dried marjoram leaves Protein Type: 354 12g 30g 18g
Mixed Type: 335 28g 17g 11g 1 Tbsp basil leaves, dried
Carb Type: 298 18g 26g 13g 2 cups chopped spinach, kale, turnip greens, collards, Swiss chard
Protein Type: 382 31g 20g 12g or other dark leafy greens
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups coconut milk
Cooking Tips
1 tsp sea salt or kelp seaweed
PT: Select spinach as the additional greens, 2 dashes hot pepper sauce
increasing to 4 cups. Use only 1⁄ 2 head broccoli.
CT: Reduce coconut oil to 2 tsp. Increase
1 in large soup pan, melt coconut oil and sauté green onions and gar-
greens to 3 cups. Reduce coconut milk to 1 cup.
lic for 1–2 minutes, until translucent.
2 add chopped broccoli and stir. Cook over medium heat, stirring,
Notes and Suggestions
until broccoli turns bright green.
This blended soup can be made into a whole
meal for CT by adding a mixed green or 3 add basil and additional chopped greens. Cover and steam-sauté for
vegetable salad, plus a little protein, perhaps 3–4 more minutes.
nonfat cottage cheese flecked with chopped
chives. PT’s will need to serve this with meat 4 transfer vegetables into food processor or blender. If using blender,
or poultry, such as Crunchy Chicken Salad / process in two batches. Add a little liquid and process until vegetables
Casserole or Roasted Tomatillo Turkey
start to be smooth.
Salad. It could also be nice served with
broiled lamb chops and Mashed Fotatoes. 5 add remaining liquids, salt and hot pepper sauce. Process on high
until smooth. Taste. Reheat gently, if necessary, to bring back up to
temperature. This is usually not necessary. Serve.
Notes and Suggestions 1 in a large sauce or soup pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add
This unusual, creamy soup would be excel- garlic, onions, and ginger root, and sauté, stirring frequently, until
lent served with a venison or beef stew meal onions turn translucent.
for a PT or MX. While CT’s should mini-
mize nuts, this soup could be served once in 2 add sea salt, curry, cumin and allspice. Simmer for less than a
a while with Ostrich Stir-Fry or combined minute. Add cauliflower and greens, cooking for 3–5 minutes.
with an extra large portion of Northwoods
Broccoli Salad or Rainbow Cabbage Salad 3 stir about 3⁄ 4 cup of stock gradually into peanut butter until
for a satisfying meal. smooth. Add remaining stock to vegetables. Stir in diluted peanut
butter and heat for 3–5 minutes or until heated through.
2 quarts clean, filtered water, vegetable or Protein Type: 348 16g 30g 21g
Cooking Tips
1 in a large skillet over medium heat, melt oil. Add garlic and onions, PT: Can use chicken stock instead of veg-
and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add mushrooms and etable stock. Use 2 medium onions. Serve
cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender, 2 to 3 more with 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese and 2
Tbsp Savory Sunny Seed Mix (page 215), or
minutes. For more flavor, if you have time, sauté onions until they
both, if desired.
start to caramelize.
CT: Use vegetable stock. Omit mushrooms.
2 stir in thyme and marjoram leaves, 1 Tbsp wheat-free tamari. Sauté
a few seconds more to let flavors develop.
Notes and Suggestions
3 add water and bring soup back up to the boiling point. Reduce heat
Making traditional French onion soup is
and simmer 5 more minutes. Add remaining tamari. Serve. usually a laborious process of slowly sautéing
the onions until caramelized and brown,
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes.
then thickening and simmering for a long
time. This fast version, using high-quality,
wheat-free tamari soy sauce, produces an
amazingly good soup. Regular commercial
soy sauce will not produce the flavor this dish
depends upon, in lieu of the traditionally
long cooking time. This soup could become a
meal with the addition of grated cheese such
as Parmesan or Swiss, Savory Sunny Seed
Mix and a hearty mixed green or spinach
salad with cooked, leftover chicken to satisfy
a PT. For a CT meal, sprinkle with either 1
tsp Parmesan cheese or Sunny Seed Gomasio
(page 215), and serve with a mixed green
salad, or pair with an Egg Salad and
Artichoke Roll-Up.
Gazpacho
The quintessential cold summer soup, popular in Spain. Refreshing on a
hot night, but even nicer, it’s quick, healthy and raw. And there’s no need
to go near the stove.
Cooking Tips
1 in large saucepan, heat chicken broth and butter over medium.
PT: Use 2 Tbsp butter. Use 4 eggs.
Reduce heat.
CT: Follow as is.
2 add onion powder, salt, lemon juice, and oregano. Stir to blend well.
3 break eggs into small bowl. Whisk with a wire whip until blended, Notes and Suggestions
but not frothy.
This traditional soup is a light accompani-
4 while soup simmers, ladle out about 2⁄ 3 cup hot broth and stir into ment to salads, Grilled Herbed Salmon or
chicken or lamb for a PT. Add a vegetable
beaten eggs to temper or raise temperature of eggs.
like Lemon Pepper Green Beans and enjoy a
5 gently pour egg-broth mixture slowly back into soup in saucepan, satisfying meal. CT could make a balanced
menu combining a larger, double portion
whisking constantly. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat, ladle into
with a Middle Eastern Salad and a little
bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley. extra feta or lowfat farmer cheese.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
130 THE RECIPES: SOUPS
Maestro’s Minestrone
This classic Italian supper soup is a rainbow of garden colors and flavors in a bowl.
Nutrition Facts
1 heat water. Place miso in soup cup or small bowl. Add hot water calories total fat carbs protein
gradually and stir to dissolve.
38 1g 5g 2g
2 add onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme to pan and sauté until
translucent. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce.
3 add carrots, celery, kohlrabi, and mushrooms. Stir to coat and sauté
a few minutes. Add browned beef, water, stock, and beer.
4 reduce to low and simmer, covered, for several hours, until beef is
tender. Ladle into bowls and serve, sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Beef Fajitas
Fajitas, a popular Mexican entrée these days, can be enjoyed on this eating
plan by selecting the optimum meats and vegetables for each type.
2 Tbsp fajita seasoning made with: Carb Type: 280 8g 25g 30g
2 Tbsp chili powder, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp each Protein Type: 395 21g 11g 40g
2 add beef slices and sauté until pink is gone. Add reserved vegetables
and bring back up to temperature. Notes and Suggestions
A natural meal-in-one recipe, fajitas can
3 serve with salsa or Green Olive Tomatillo Salsa and Chunky be adjusted to fit your type by varying the
Mockamole, along with 2 Parmesan Crisps, recipes you can find in the vegetables, meat and condiments. PT and
Condiments & Extra’s and Quick Snacks chapters. MX might want to serve these with
Parmesan Crisps. CT, with less protein and
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes. more carbohydrate requirements, could add
a tossed salad with Basic Herb Vinaigrette
(page 241) for a balanced menu.
1 tsp coarse sea or celtic salt Protein Type: 315 18g 2g 35g
Cooking Tips
1 take steak out of refrigerator at least 1⁄ 2 hour before serving. PT: This is a PT kind of entrée. Serve 4.
Preheat oven to Broil. Set oven rack 6” from broiler unit.
CT: Beef is not a recommended meat for
2 rub both sides of steak with coconut oil. Mix Dijon mustard and CT, so skip this or use the recipe, substituting
ostrich strip steaks and reducing oil to 2 tsp.
horseradish together. Spread evenly over both sides of meat. Place
meat on lightly greased broiler pan.
Notes and Suggestions
3 in small cup, mix thyme leaves, ground celery seed, onion powder,
coarse salt and ground pepper. Divide mixture, sprinkling half on each PT’s, with the highest protein requirements,
will still need to add vegetables and/or a
side of meat.
salad to make this a balanced meal. A
4 broil steak 3-4 minutes on each side, or until browned on top. Caesar-type salad made with more than
half spinach or a Middle Eastern Salad
Remove to serving platter, let rest 1 minute. Slice and serve.
could serve the purpose.
Serves 5. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
142 THE RECIPES: GRASS-FED BEEF
Notes and Suggestions 3 pour reserved marinade into pan and bring back up to boil. Cook
for a couple of minutes, then pour over steaks. Remove to platter and
You could serve this quick meal with Brussels
serve immediately.
Sprouts Trio or a simple steamed broccoli or
a salad. CT’s might want to serve both a 4 if you don’t have time, simply heat marinade ingredients together
vegetable and salad with a smaller portion
in a small pan for 2–3 minutes, while searing steaks in butter, as direct-
of meat.
ed. Remove from pan.
Steak Tartare
The classic raw gourmet presentation, Steak Tartare originates with the
nomadic Tartars, who were so busy, with no time to cook, they pulverized their
meat under their saddles. You can use a food processor.
3 line serving plates with romaine or butter lettuce. The classic pres-
Notes and Suggestions
entation consists of a raw ground steak patty with a spoon-sized hol-
If you’re not used to the raw egg yolks, you
low for a perfect raw egg yolk, topped with raw onion rings and sprin-
can combine them with the rest of the ingre-
kled with a few more capers. dients in Step 2. If the raw meat doesn’t
appeal to you, you can broil it like a burger.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
To balance this as a meal, PT could serve it
with Fast French Onion Soup and a Caesar
Salad. CT could opt for the soup and a sim-
ple green salad or a platter of fresh vegeta-
bles like Kohlrabi and Side Kickers.
144 THE RECIPES: GRASS-FED BEEF
1 mix minced garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and rice wine
vinegar in medium mixing bowl or covered container.
2 cut steak across the grain into thin slices or strips with a sharp knife.
This is easier to do if the meat is partially frozen. Add meat strips to
marinade in bowl and stir to coat beef. If using flank steak, marinate
several hours to help tenderize. If using more tender cuts of steak,
long marinating is not required.
3 have all vegetables cut up and close at hand. When ready to cook,
drain meat from marinade and reserve both. Heat spun steel wok or
large, heavy frying pan over high. Melt coconut oil, add drained beef.
4 sauté, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, till meat loses some pink-
ness. If using wok, pull meat up the sides of wok, or remove from skillet
and keep warm. Add stock and juices from bamboo shoots and water
chestnuts to marinade in bowl. Add celery and onions to wok, stirring
for 1–2 minutes. Pour 1⁄ 4 cup stock over to create steam. Add shredded
cabbage, chard and stir-fry until these veggies start to wilt. Pour over 1⁄ 4
cup more stock to create steam and shorten veggie cooking time.
Buffalo Chili
This might be a good recipe for trying bison meat, to discover that it tastes a
lot like beef, only better.
3 pour salt, tomatoes, and salsa into pot. Cover, reduce heat and
simmer for a minimum of 1 hour. Crockpot on low can simmer for Notes and Suggestions
quite a few hours. This is a popular winter favorite that can be
made healthier by using bison or buffalo
4 serve in bowls or over tiny steamed cauliflowerettes.
meat and varied for type with appropriate
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes. vegetables and meats. Excellent accompani-
ments are traditional coleslaw, Sunny
Rainbow Cabbage Salad, or Northwoods
Broccoli Salad.
Cooking Tips
1 heat large skillet over medium high heat. Brown lamb chops on
Since this is basically a meat recipe, adjust
the menu with vegetables and other foods to both sides.
fit your specific metabolic needs.
2 combine lemon peel, herbs, lemon juice and tamari in small bowl.
PT: Can increase portion size and serve Pour over chops in pan. Cover and simmer over medium low for
3–4 with this recipe, instead of 4.
20–25 minutes, or until tender.
CT: Lamb is not one of your recommended
meats. Try making this recipe with chicken 3 this could also be used as a seasoning “paste” or pesto for broil-
breast or fish instead. ing loin lamb chops. Simply reduce lemon juice in herb mixture to
1 Tbsp, making a paste. Spread on loin chops and broil 3–4 minutes
per side, depending upon thickness. Do not overcook.
Notes and Suggestions
Serve the lamb chops with Greek Egg-Lemon Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Soup and a healthy portion of Braised
Brazilian Greens, or Grecian Spinach for a
traditional Mediterranean meal. Or pair
them with Grilled Ratatouille Salad or
Middle Eastern Salad.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 147
Cooking Tips
PT: Ostrich is a lower fat meat, not as rec- 1 marinate ostrich steak filets in vinegar and grated ginger for 20–30
ommended for PT. Substitute 12 oz grass- minutes, up to 2 hours, while preparing other ingredients.
fed beef or bison filet. Add 1 Tbsp sesame
seeds and 2 Tbsp Asian Dressing. 2 grill ostrich steaks over lightly greased grill or ridged grill pan on
medium, 1–2 minutes per side, until medium rare. Remove from heat
CT: Ostrich is ideal for your type. Use 12 oz
ostrich filets, omit or reduce sesame seeds, and transfer meat to cutting board to rest 5 minutes. If using filet, slice
substituting 1⁄ 4 cup sliced waterchestnuts. steak thinly across the grain.
Crème Fraîche
1 lb ground ostrich (page 253)
Nutrition Facts
1 tsp dried onion flakes
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley calories total fat carbs protein
1 combine ground ostrich with onion flakes, parsley, 1 tsp thyme, and Notes and Suggestions
egg. Shape into 1” to 11⁄ 2” meatballs. Serve this over Zucchetti Pasta or Mashed
Fotatoes for some healthy winter comfort food.
2 heat medium skillet over medium high. Melt coconut oil, add
onions, add meatballs, 1 tsp of the thyme leaves. Sauté quickly, just
until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and
remaining thyme leaves, and sauté 1–2 minutes more.
3 add flour and stir to coat, heating for 20–30 seconds. Stir in water
and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened. Remove from
heat and stir in soy sauce, bitters and sour cream. Ready to serve.
Ostrich Stir-Fry
Ostrich’s lower fat content and quick cooking time make it ideal for a veg-
etable stir-fry supper. Cook quickly and DO NOT overcook.
2 add ostrich meat and sauté for 1–2 minutes. Remove meat from pan
Notes and Suggestions and hold, covered. Remove ginger slices.
Lowfat ostrich and vegetables are a great 3 add Chinese cabbage and mushroom halves to pan and stir-fry until
combination for a CT. You could also serve cabbage starts to wilt. Add red pepper strips and snow peas. Stir-fry
a salad with this, or a soup such as Fast
for 1–2 minutes more. Add already cooked ostrich.
French Onion.
4 remove from heat. Add soy sauce and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
1 crush peppercorns with back of spoon or in grinder. Mix with sea Cooking Tips
salt and lemon zest. Press mixture all over steaks. Let marinate with PT: You could substitute cauliflower for
this coating for at least a few minutes. More flavor, if allowed to pen- cabbage and serve 3 with this recipe.
etrate for 30 minutes. CT: Bison or buffalo is not a recommended
meat for your type. But you could use this
2 sear steaks by broiling in oven broiler, over the grill, or in heavy cast recipe, substituting ostrich steaks, reducing
iron skillet on medium high heat, 3 minutes on a side. If frying, quantity to 12 oz.
remove steaks from pan. Add shredded Chinese cabbage and garlic to
pan drippings and stir-fry until wilted.
Notes and Suggestions
3 meanwhlile, blend roasted red peppers in blender with 1 tsp tamari This is a timesaving version of the classic
soy sauce or Spike vegetable seasoning. pepper steak recipe. These steaks go well with
Mashed Fotatoes or Roasted Asparagus.
4 to assemble, pile serving platter with braised cabbage, top with
steaks and pour red pepper sauce over top. Serve immediately.
Venison Stew
Lower fat wild or organic meats like venison are especially good in stews where
they can be cooked in liquid.
3 add venison meat and sear or cook until browned and sealed. Add
Notes and Suggestions thyme leaves, cinnamon, orange peel. Stir to distribute. Add cranberries,
kohlrabi, sautéed vegetables and stock.
Serve this hearty stew as a special treat over
Mashed Fotatoes or Braised Fennel. 4 heat until mixture starts to bubble. Cover and simmer at medium
low for 45–50 minutes or until venison is tender. Serve.
4 broiler-fryer halves
11⁄ 2 cups Cornell BBQ Sauce (page 242)
Nutrition Facts
calories total fat carbs protein
1 marinate broiler-fryer halves in BBQ sauce, turning occasionally, for
Mixed Type: 260 13g 1g 33g up to 8 hours.
Carb Type: 239 10g 1g 35g
Protein Type: 275 16g 1g 31g 2 heat up grill or preheat broiler. Grilling is definitely the best. Cook
chicken, liberally and frequently basting with BBQ sauce. Turn halves
routinely, on outdoor grill for approximately 11⁄ 2 hours until tender
Cooking Tips
and dark brown.
PT: Choose 5 oz. dark meat portions. Use 2
cups BBQ sauce. 3 cut each half into 2–3 portions, depending upon eating plan. Four
broiler-fryer halves will generally feed 8–10 of all except the biggest
CT: Use 1 cup BBQ sauce. Serve 3 oz white
meat portions. eaters. Serve immediately.
1 cup winter squash, peeled and cubed Carb Type: 254 4g 44g 15g
1 cinnamon stick
1 16 oz can tomatoes
Cooking Tips
2 cups water or free-range chicken stock
PT: Increase celery to 4 stalks. Substitute
1 cup lentil or mung bean sprouts
kohlrabi for squash. Use dark meat turkey
such as legs and thighs.
1 place turkey pieces, skin-side-down, into crockpot set on high, and CT: Use 1 lb turkey breast meat. Use 1-28 oz
sauté to release fat. Turn turkey pieces and add leeks and celery. can tomatoes. Reduce cooking time to 1 hour.
Sprinkle on thyme, oregano and vegetable seasoning, and sauté until
leeks start to become translucent.
Notes and Suggestions
2 add squash cubes, carrots, cinnamon stick, tomatoes, water or This is close to a one-dish-meal, but you
stock, and simmer covered, for 2–3 hours on medium or up to 6–8 could easily pair it with a quick vegetable
hours on lowest setting. like Sautéed Cabbage with Dill or Braised
Brazilian Greens to have dinner on the
3 a few minutes before serving, add lentil or bean sprouts and remove table in a few minutes.
cinnamon stick. Serve immediately.
Caribbean Jerk Rub — Mix together: calories total fat carbs protein
2 Tbsp allspice
1 Tbsp dried ground chipotle or red pepper,
Cooking Tips
2 Tbsp Hungarian paprika,
1 packet SteviaPlus alternative sweetener Or PT: Select dark meat portions.
1 Tbsp dried organic cane juice CT: Select white meat portions. Serve 6.
2 Tbsp thyme leaves, CT’s may want to remove skin just before
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground nutmeg
cooking is done, as it is high in fat. Sprinkle
additional Jerk Rub over meat to increase
11⁄ 2 tsp ground habeñera,
flavor, if desired.
ground zest or peel of 2 lemons (no white)
Store in covered container in refrigerator, for up to a month.
Notes and Suggestions
1 heat up grill or preheat broiler. A quick, no-fuss chicken preparation for fast
supper or backyard grilling. Combine with
2 rub broiler-fryer halves lightly with oil and then all over with Jerk Rub. a Grilled Ratatouille Salad or a tossed gar-
den vegetable salad with crunchy toppings
3 broil or grill, turning routinely, until chicken is tender, approxi- for a whole meal.
mately 1 to 11⁄ 2 hours.
CT: Use 2 Tbsp capers, 2 Tbsp salad dressing 3 add remaining ingredients, except for 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, and
and 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese. toss until coated. Top with broiled chicken pieces and remaining
Parmesan cheese.
Notes and Suggestions Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
An excellent summer meal salad to make with
leftover grilled or broiled chicken. PT’s could
also accompany it with Parmesan Crisps.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 159
PT: Choose dark meat. If you prefer, you 2 cups coarsely chopped chestnuts or sliced water chestnuts
can omit the fruits and add 11⁄ 2 lb sliced 1 Tbsp black currants
mushrooms at the end while cooking the 2 Tbsp poultry seasoning or
vegetables. 1 Tbsp thyme leaves, 2 tsp sage leaves, 3⁄ 4 tsp crushed rosemary
CT: Choose breast meat. Choose water 1 tsp sea or celtic sea salt
chestnuts instead of chestnuts for stuffing. 1⁄ 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Serve smaller portions to 24.
1 remove giblets and neck. Rinse turkey inside and out. Rub with 1
Notes and Suggestions tsp butter or coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat oven
Yes, it’s also possible for you to enjoy the tra- to 350ºF.
ditional Thanksgiving and/or Christmas
2 in large kettle or pot, melt remaining butter or coconut oil. Add
turkey dinner with the trimmings—even the
stuffing—and still maintain your eating minced garlic and onions and sauté until vegetables are translucent.
plan. Just watch your portions. Those who Add celery, carrots, kohlrabi, and apple and sauté until vegetables start
have diabetes or obesity may wish to forgo the to soften. Remove from heat.
stuffing due to high carb count.
3 add chopped parsley and chestnuts or water chestnuts, currants,
poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix together well.
5 turn bird breast-side-up and and roast for an additional 2 hours and
45 minutes or until internal temperature of thighs reaches
160–170ºF. Remove bird from oven. Increase oven temperature to
400ºF, remove foil and return bird to oven for an additional 10 min-
utes until thigh temperature reaches 170ºF. and breast skin is brown.
6 remove turkey from oven and allow to rest on cutting board for 20
minutes before carving. Scoop out stuffing and put into serving bowl,
covered, until it’s time to eat. Slice turkey and serve.
2 stir lemon juice into green olive salsa. Pour over salad. Toss to CT: Substitute white meat turkey and
reduce to 2 cups. Omit olives.
combine. Serve on butter lettuce leaves.
4 reduce heat, add half and half or buttermilk, cooked chicken meat,
and additional curry to taste.
1 tsp sea salt or Spike vegetable seasoning Carb Type: 218 4g 16g 29g
3–4 grinds fresh black pepper Protein Type: 242 5g 14g 36g
Stir-Fry Turkey
This is the basic recipe for the fast Oriental wonder, Stir-Fry. In traditional
wok or heavy skillet, over gas, electric or open fire, this is the mother of all fast
and healthy meals in a minute.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 5 minutes. CT: Increase zucchini to 3⁄ 4 cup and red
onion to 1⁄ 2 cup. Add another teaspoon of
Dijon mustard.
Eggplant Cheeseburgers
These “burgers,” though not as dense, look and taste good, like their original
counterparts.
3 heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt coconut oil and tilt pan
to distribute evenly. Sauté eggplant slices 4–5 minute, or until they Notes and Suggestions
start to brown.
You could pair this with KISS Salad in a
4 carefully turn slices with spatula. Top with tomato and red onion Flash, or a light soup for a whole meal.
Mushroom Burgers
These hearty burgers are surprisingly tasty AND satisfying, without meat.
Notes and Suggestions 2 shape by hand into patties. Coat both sides with ground seed
Serve these patties with a tossed salad and Gomasio in a small bowl.
some Vegetable Crispers for a healthy, “fast
3 heat a medium skillet over medium. Melt coconut oil. Pan fry “burgers”
food-like” meal.
3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Serve immediately.
No-Pasta Primavera
This updated version of the classic, seasonal, Italian vegetable pasta can be
ladled over spaghetti squash or zucchini “pasta” for a satisfying summer meal.
Cooking Tips 1 boil water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add eggs, return
to boiling and reduce heat to simmer. Cook lightly, 5–6 minutes. Pour
PT: Opt for some of the high purine meat
fillings like anchovies or herring, dark meat off hot water and replace with cold water to cool eggs.
turkey ham, etc.
2 when cool enough to handle, peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise.
CT: Lean toward including more of the Remove egg yolks to small bowl. Place white halves on serving
lower fat vegetable, herb and condiment
or dinner plate.
ingredients.
3 mash yolks with fork until smooth. If they are hardcooked, you can
push them through a fine sieve, but don’t use a food processor, as they
Notes and Suggestions
will become gummy. Add mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk
Deviled or Stuffed Eggs remain a classic
briefly to blend and fluff mixture. Add any desired fillings at this point.
today, open to the addition of anything from
ham to caviar. These old favorites can be 4 fill the egg halves with a teaspoon, mounding the fluffy yolk mix-
simple or elegant, but offer a host of oppor-
ture decoratively. Sprinkle every other stuffed egg with dillweed or
tunities for healthier ingredients. They are
great snacks. Use them as the protein compo- paprika. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate.
nent for a meal, combined with some fresh
Serves 6. Preparation time: 20 minutes.
vegetables—especially for a CT—either on a
large salad platter, or with spring or sum-
mer green salads. They could also add inter-
est to a Spinach Salad for MX or PT, but variations
opt for incorporating some additional meat Classic Devils
or fish protein like turkey ham or bacon,
anchovies, or caviar into the fillings or the meal. add 2 Tbsp finely chopped turkey ham and 1 more tsp mustard.
Remoulade
more variations use Dijon Remoulade (page 238) instead of mayo.
Crustless Quiche
This amazing quiche makes its own crust, updated here with a little low-carb,
no-grain magic.
Add chopped parsley and basil and stir to combine. Turn off heat.
3 beat eggs in bowl with milk, flour, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Notes and Suggestions
Place in small, greased casserole. Top with cheese. Bake for 15–18 This egg dish would be nice served as a main
minutes, until set. entrée for brunch or supper with Spinach
Salad or Middle Eastern Salad.
4 remove from oven, cut in wedges and serve.
3 into small bowl, break eggs. Add soy sauce and arrowroot, whisk-
Notes and Suggestions
ing with a wire whisk to blend. Pour egg mixture over vegetables
These flat egg pancakes are easier and in large bowl.
faster to make than a large omelet. Besides
being a good way to incorporate lots of 4 return skillet to fire. Coat skillet with a little more oil mixture and
fresh, healthy ingredients, they are a clever scoop veggie-egg batter, 1⁄ 4 cup at a time, into mounds in skillet.
wrap or base for fillings—even cold, spread
Cook for 2–3 minutes, until brown on one side, then turn over care-
with mayo, fresh spinach and sliced tomato.
Tote leftovers filled with sprouts and fully with spatula. When moisture has congealed, remove pancakes to
spreads for “sandwiches.” While eggs are serving platter.
considered a quality protein, PT’s should
also incorporate some meat. 5 if sauce is desired, thin 1⁄ 2 cup organic mushroom soup with water
and heat slightly. For more of a “sweet ‘n spicy” sauce, mix 1 Tbsp
arrowroot or bean flour with 1⁄ 2 cup spiced or Chai tea and 1⁄ 2 cup
water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.
Use 1 Tbsp per two egg foo yung servings.
Spinach
1 tsp organic butter or coconut oil
3 med scallions, sliced
Nutrition Facts
6 oz turkey ham or turkey bacon
calories total fat carbs protein
2 10 oz bags baby spinach
Mixed Type: 251 16g 8g 20g Hollandaise
Carb Type: 188 14g 2g 13g 2 Tbsp organic butter
Protein Type: 268 17g 8g 22g 11⁄ 2 tsp fresh lemon, juice
1 large whole egg, divided
1⁄ 2 tsp water
Cooking Tips
Eggs and Assembly
PT: This is an ideal dish for PT, with a
4 large eggs
good balance of egg and meat protein, and
spinach, which is an excellent vegetable for
you. Increase meat to 8 oz. Spinach
CT: Reduce meat to 4 oz. Reduce the
1 preheat oven to 375°F. In large skillet or ovenproof ceramic casse-
Hollandaise sauce to 1 tsp per serving, driz-
zled over the eggs. role over medium high, sauté scallions in butter for 1–2 minutes. Add
chopped turkey ham or bacon and sauté 2 or 3 minutes longer, until
meat starts to crisp and/or brown.
2 add spinach to pan and stir-sauté until it starts to wilt. Season with
salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Transfer spinach to pie plate or
ovenware, if applicable. Cover and place in oven.
Hollandaise
1 melt butter with lemon in small saucepan over medium low heat.
Separate the egg, saving white to add to the 4 whole eggs.
2 beat egg yolk with 1⁄ 2 tsp water, just to blend in small cup or cus-
tard cup. Stir in a little of the hot butter, stirring with a wire whisk to
blend and “temper” or elevate temperature of egg yolks. Blend yolks,
stirring constantly, with the rest of the lemon butter to make a smooth
sauce. Put pan off and on burner, three or four times, to avoid over-
cooking. When thick, remove from heat.
1 take casserole with spinach out of oven. Remove cover and break
four eggs over top of spinach, making little nests or indentations for
eggs to rest, if necessary. Add the remaining egg white.
2 replace cover and return to oven for 4–5 minutes, just until whites
start to firm. Remove from oven, remove cover and pour or spoon
warm hollandaise over top of eggs. Replace cover.
Vegetable Frittata
A frittata is like an omelet with no flipping and a quiche with no crust—a
fast egg dish that can be made with a variety of vegetables, meats and cheeses.
4 sprinkle all over with Spike. Cook 3–4 minutes, just until eggs start
to set. Remove from heat and decorate top with a few drizzles of
Parsley Vegetable Essence.
Vegetable Quiche
Quiche is a classic French egg presentation, with almost limitless possibilities
for incorporating high-quality, healthy ingredients.
Crust
1⁄ 2 cup organic flax seeds, ground in coffee grinder or blender
1⁄ 2 cup organic sesame seeds, ground
Nutrition Facts
1 Tbsp raw or organic butter, cold
calories total fat carbs protein 1⁄ 2 cup Swiss or cheddar cheese, grated
Mixed Type: 292 22g 12g 14g 3⁄ 4 tsp allspice
Carb Type: 292 22g 12g 14g 1⁄ 2 tsp Spike vegetable seasoning or Mrs. Dash
Protein Type: 304 22g 12g 17g Filling
2 tsp coconut oil
6 slices turkey bacon, chopped
Cooking Tips
1⁄ 3 cup red onion, chopped
PT: Instead of turkey bacon, 1⁄ 2 cup left-
2 cups broccoli, broccoli rabe or cauliflower, chopped
over cooked meats or salmon can be used as
a variation. 2 tsp dried basil
Custard
CT: Follow recipe as is.
4 med eggs
1⁄ 2 cup whole milk
3⁄ 4
Notes and Suggestions tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
Another classic vehicle for adding vegetables
1⁄ 2 tsp pepper
of all kinds. Seasoned with herbs, spinach or
broccoli, this dish creates a good camouflage
for Swiss chard, beet greens, kale, some of
those “less popular” vegetables. Note: at Crust
times broccoli rabe can be somewhat bitter
tasting, but is very healthy. 1 Preheat oven to 370ºF. In food processor workbowl, add ground
flax, ground sesame seed, cold butter, shredded cheese, allspice and
Spike. Pulse for 5 seconds, only until mixture starts to come together.
Do not overprocess.
Filling
1 heat medium skillet on medium high heat. Add coconut oil, a layer
of turkey bacon and onions, broccoli, sautéing for 3–5 minutes until
onions turn translucent and broccoli color brightens. Sprinkle with
basil, remove from heat, and pile into crust.
Custard
1 break eggs into bowl, add milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir
with a fork to blend. Pour over vegetable or vegetable/meat filling.
2 bake in preheated 375º oven for 12–15 minutes, only until crust is get-
ting brown and eggs have started to set. Middle will still be slightly soft.
Cooking Tips 1 mix tamari, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and chives together.
PT: An ideal dish for you.
2 place salmon filets in flat pan. Cover with marinade and lemon
CT: This is not a good dish for your type, slices. Marinate, turning occasionally, for 20–30 minutes. Remove
since salmon is not a recommended fish.
lemon slices from fish and place around pan.
Prepare with another fish like tilapia, which
is relatively low in mercury. 3 broil salmon with rack set 6” under broiler unit for 3–4 minutes.
Turn salmon carefully and continue to broil another 3 minutes, or
Notes and Suggestions until brown and fish flakes easily.
Serve this simple-to-make dish with Grecian 4 remove to serving platter. Place lemon slices on top of fish. Pour
Spinach or Broccoli-in-a-Hurry Curry. any remaining marinade over. Serve immediately.
4 6 oz wild, red Alaskan salmon filets, cut in half (page 251) Protein Type: 382 16g 6g 52g
Cooking Tips
1 preheat broiler. In small bowl, whisk soybean paste with tamari,
PT: This dish is a good one for you, with a
apple juice, ginger, allspice, and 1 Tbsp water. larger portion, so serve 3.
2 place salmon fillets in a shallow baking pan rubbed lightly with oil. CT: Salmon is too high fat a fish for you.
Spoon miso mixture evenly over salmon. Substitute with tilapia.
3 broil 8–10 minutes, basting two or more times with marinade, until
fish flakes with a fork. Do not overcook. Notes and Suggestions
This fast and easy salmon dish could be a
4 remove to serving platter. Sprinkle with chopped chives.
lifesaver after a busy day. Pair it with a Hot
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes. and Sour Soup, Sea Side Salad, or simply
some fast Braised Brazilian Greens for a
speedy supper. Miso is one of the healthier
forms of soy, a salty, fermented, soybean
paste that is available in Oriental or natu-
ral foods section and keeps indefinitely in
your refrigerator.
1 can wild, red Alaskan salmon, drained and chunked (page 251)
2 quarts romaine lettuce leaves, torn
Nutrition Facts
1 cup artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
calories total fat carbs protein 8 black and green olives
3⁄ 4 cup jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
Mixed Type: 396 27g 17g 26g
Protein Type: 463 33g 17g 28g 1 cup clover or broccoli sprouts
1⁄ 4 cup pepperoncini peppers
4 anchovy filets
Cooking Tips 1⁄ 2 med avocado, peeled and cut into cubes
PT: Can substitute at least half spinach for 1⁄ 3 cup Dijon Remoulade Sauce Or Caesar salad dressing (page 238)
romaine and add semi-hardcooked egg halves lemon wedges, garnish
to the plate. Have more olives.
CT: Not your recommended fish, substitute
1 arrange lettuce on large serving platter. Arrange mounds of the col-
tilapia for salmon. Omit anchovies. Substitute
2 tsp capers per serving for olives. Use 1⁄ 4 cup orful ingredients over the platter. Spritz with a splash of lemon juice.
dressing and 1⁄ 4 cup lowfat yogurt. Use only
1⁄ 2 avocado. 2 serve immediately with a small bowl of Dijon Remoulade Sauce or
Caesar dressing.
2 rinse off salmon. Sprinkle with Spike. Slip filets into simmering
water and steam gently for 5–8 minutes.
Cooking Tips
3 remove to serving dish or platter. Serve topped with or accompa- PT: This is a good dish for your type.
nied by Dijonnaise Sauce.
CT: Substitute tilapia for salmon.
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
6 wild red Alaskan salmon filets, rinsed and patted dry (page 251)
Nutrition Facts
1/2 cup Basil Pesto (page 239)
calories total fat carbs protein 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp coconut oil
Mixed Type: 338 18g 16g 30g 1 small shallot or 2 small green onions, minced
Carb Type: 330 22g 18g 18g 2 10 oz pkgs baby spinach leaves, washed
Protein Type: 368 18g 20g 30g sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cherry tomatoes (optional) or
6 Tbsp Red Onion Cilantro Relish, optional (page 245)
Cooking Tips
PT: Use 2⁄ 3 cup Red Onion Relish.
1 preheat oven to 400°F. Spread 2 Tbsp pesto over salmon filets.
CT: Salmon is not a recommended fish, so
substitute another kind like tilapia. You 2 in ovenproof skillet over high heat, melt 2 tsp of the coconut oil. Sear
could substitute another dark leafy green the salmon, pesto side down, 2–3 minutes. Gently turn over filets with
such as bok choy for variety. long spatula. Place in oven for 5–6 minutes until lightly cooked through.
Salmon Crépes
This upscale but easy entrée folds a vegetable-fish filling into No-Grain Crêpes
for a special meal from foods you may already have in your pantry.
1 tsp Braggs Liquid Amino’s or Spike vegetable seasoning Carb Type: 393 27g 23g 18g
1 14 oz can wild, red Alaskan salmon, drained (page 251) Protein Type: 546 34g 34g 32g
Cooking Tips
1 prepare crêpes or pull already-prepared portions from your freezer. PT: An ideal PT type dish. You could also
If crêpes are frozen, moisten slightly with water or brush lightly with make this with lox or smoked salmon,
oil. Preheat oven to 350°F. about 10 oz.
CT: This dish is not well suited to your type
2 in medium skillet over medium low, melt butter and sauté minced
with these ingredients. However, you could
shallot or garlic until translucent. If using fresh asparagus, add it at this substitute another fish such as tilapia or
point and sauté until it starts to brighten. If using canned or frozen even light meat chicken, or use 3 semi-
asparagus, add it with the artichokes. hardcooked eggs. Replace the vegetables
with dark greens and others more suited to
3 add spinach leaves and sauté until spinach starts to wilt. Add your type.
remaining vegetables and sprinkle with Bragg’s or Spike. Add drained
canned salmon chunks and heat through.
Notes and Suggestions
4 divide mixture among 8 crêpes. Place about 1⁄ 4 cup filling on each This entrée has both protein and vegetables,
crêpe, topping with a 2 tsp portion to start of Remoulade Sauce but you may find that you want to add a
before rolling up. Place filled crêpes, edges down, in lightly buttered green salad with sprouts and Sunny Seed
ceramic or glass casserole. Place in preheated oven for approximately Salad Dressing or a vegetable side. If this is
not enough to make you PT’s feel satisfied,
5–6 minutes, until heated through.
trying increasing the protein in the dish. Or
5 remove from oven to hot pad on table. Serve immediately, two use 2 Tbsp Remoulade Sauce per serving.
Again, these are to be considered suggestions
crêpes per serving.
or starting points for modifying recipes and
Serves 4. Preparation time: 15 minutes. meals to achieve your optimum balance.
Many of the recipes represent minimums, so
listen to your body and see what works for you.
186 THE RECIPES: SALMON
Salmon Seviche
In South America, Japan, and other regions, seviche or ceviche is served as a
marinated raw fish appetizer. It is another popular way to preserve flavor,
nutrition, and digestibility of fresh seafood.
Cooking Tips
1 skin fish and chop into 1⁄ 4–1⁄ 2” pieces. Combine salmon, chopped
PT: A good summer dish for you, but
reduce the tomatoes to 1⁄ 2 cup and add 1⁄ 2 red onion, lime juice, pepper, and salt. Marinate for several hours
cup finely chopped celery. or overnight.
CT: Salmon is not a recommended fish for 2 ten to fifteen minutes before serving, add chopped tomatoes and
your type: substitute tilapia for salmon.
cilantro and/or parsley, and stir to combine. Serve accompanied by
butter lettuce or other leafy salad greens.
Notes and Suggestions
Serves 4. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
This adaptation of the South American
favorite raw fish salad is traditionally made
with other high purine fish like mussels or
clams. It is often served as an appetizer, but
could become the main protein in a meal
salad platter like Nouveau Salmon Nicoise
or a light summer antipasto.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 187
4 spoon into large glass or bowl. Eat with a spoon right away.
Serves 2. Serving Size: 13⁄ 4 cup per serving. Preparation time: 5 minutes.
190 THE RECIPES: JUICES & SMOOTHIES
4 whole eggs
1 cup raw cream
3 cups whole raw milk
1 into blender container add cream, milk, vanilla, nutmeg and fruit
concentrate. Blend on high until creamy and frothy.
2 add raw eggs and pulse a few times until just blended and creamy.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with nutmeg or cinnamon.
Pineapple Elixir
For a special occasion or holiday treat, indulge yourself with this sumptuous beverage.
2 throw in chopped ginger root and mint extract, if desired. Blend on high.
2 place soaked/sprouted seeds, ginger and fruit concentrate in You might want to strain this through a
fine sieve before drinking. CT’s will want to
blender container. Turn on blender and start to add water, gradually
watch the amount of seeds they consume, but
at first, to allow seeds to chop and blend. sprouting reduces the carbs and makes them
more digestible for you, as well. See
3 add remaining water and alternative sweetener. Blend on high until
Sprouting in Raw, Sprouted & Fermented
drink is smooth and frothy. Drink immediately. Foods chapter (page 225).
Cheese Bread
An alternative non-grain bread you can use for sandwiches.
2 pour into prepared No-Flour Crust Pie shell. Bake until custard is
set and crust sets up, approximately 15–18 minutes. Remove from
oven. Place on wire rack to cool slightly.
1⁄ 2 cup almonds
2 egg yolks
3 Tbsp maple syrup
5 spread torte with nut cream. Top with blueberries and raspberries.
Drizzle with blueberry concentrate. Serve immediately.
3 add sunflower sprouts and blueberry syrup and process until mix-
ture forms a dough.
5 allow to dry for at least one hour. Can be eaten as is for maximum
nutrition, or dehydrated for 2–3 hours at 110°F in a food dehydrator
(page 73) or “baked” for 11⁄ 2 hours at lowest setting of oven.
Savory Crust
3 bake in preheated 375°F. oven alone for 7–10 minutes, only until
crust is getting brown. If using crust for quiche or other filling,
baking temperature will depend upon recipe.
Sweet Crust
No-Grain Crêpes
Crêpes are thin, flat unleavened pancakes the French have rolled around veg-
etables, meats, eggs, and desserts for centuries.
3 heat a crêpe pan or heavy flat skillet over medium high until hot.
Grease with a dab of oil, then pour 1⁄ 4 cup batter over hot pan, rotat-
ing pan to distribute a light coating of batter evenly. Cook crêpe until
golden on the bottom and starting to dry on top, about 1–2 minutes.
4 flip crêpe with metal spatula and cook less than 1 minute more.
Remove to plate to cool. Repeat procedure until all crêpe batter
has been used.
Serves 16. Serving Size: 16–6 inch crepes. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
204 THE RECIPES: BAKED GOODS & DESERTS
Nutaroons
Reminiscent of macaroons with bits of fruits and seeds, these little confections
are surprisingly tasty, especially since they have no flour or oil.
2 add dried blueberries and process for 30–40 more seconds, until
fruits are chopped. Whir in baking soda, salt, and nutmeg to mix.
Turn off machine.
2 process for 45–60 seconds until well blended, but not mushy.
Quick Halvah
Halvah is a Middle Eastern candy traditionally made with sesame seed but-
ter. This quick and tasty version with alternative, low-carb ingredients and
NO sugar is a real treat.
2 add coconut milk and process just until mixture comes together.
Scoop by tablespoons into balls, half rounds or press into small pan
and cut into diamonds or triangles. Can serve immediately or sprinkle
with coconut shreds.
5 place in dehydrator (page 73) at 105°F. and dry for 8–12 hours or
until crisp for “live” crackers. Or bake at lowest setting of oven for 4–6
hours, or until desired crispness. Let cool. Cut or break into pieces.
Zucchini Muffins
You might be surprised to learn that it is possible to make good-tasting
muffins without grain flour.
Snack Pack
An excellent strategy is to assemble and maintain a “Snack Kit” to carry with you, containing a store
of the ideal foods for your specific metabolic type. These might include small single serving con-
tainers of nut butters, trail or fuel mixes, vegetable and fruit leathers, cubes of cheese, meat, sprouts,
and/or leftovers from meals. Here is a list of snack ideas. Some of these are recipes in this section,
others are recipes elsewhere in this cookbook, and some (those where not all words are capitalized)
are simple snacks you can create in seconds, like celery & cheese. These snack ideas are presented
from those most ideal for Protein Types to those most ideal for Carb Types.
Stuffed mushrooms
Celery & nut butter
Celery & cheese
Celery & dark turkey
Jicama & bison summer sausage
Crunchy Sprout Mixes
Roll-Ups
Marinated Italian Salad
Basic or Savory Sunny Seeds
Avocado and Sesame Spread
Roll-Ups
“Life without bread? What am I going to eat instead of a sandwich for lunch?” This is probably
one of the biggest challenges to embracing and incorporating a no-grain, low-carb lifestyle. The
Fourth Earl of Sandwich undoubtedly hit upon a popular totable when he stuffed meat between
two slabs of bread, but there are lots more varied, interesting—and healthy—things to eat for your
meals and snacks. And your body will love it.
The term sandwich is actually a verb, as well as a noun. “To sandwich” also means to “insert
or squeeze between two other things,” and the definition includes “something that resembles a
sandwich.” Even though typical, there is no requirement that a sandwich has to be made from
wheat or rye. Instead try these:
Types of Wrappers
Butter lettuce leaves
Boston lettuce leaves
Red and Green leaf lettuces
Romaine lettuce
Cabbage leaves
Collard leaves
Kale leaves
Wide, thin Zucchini Strips
Wide, thin Cucumber Strips
Steamed Eggplant slices
Celery stalks
Stuffed Cukes and Zukes
Pickled Grape leaves
No-Grain Flat breads
No-Grain Dehydrated Wraps
No-Grain Crêpes
No-Grain Waffles
No-Grain Pie Crusts
Thin Omelets
Egg Foo Yung
Nori Seaweed Sheets
Slices of Meat
Slices of Cheese
Parmesan Crisps
Vegetable Leathers
214 THE RECIPES: SNACKS & HANDHELDS
Rolled: Lay wrapper flat, fill or spread with about 2–3 Tbsp filling, then fold wrapper over filling,
rolling up tightly jellyroll style.
Burrito style: Lay wrapper flat, spread or fill with desired filling; fold opposites sides inward
one-fourth to one-third of the way on each side, fold wrapper over filling, rolling up tightly into
“bundle.” Place edge side down on plate or pan.
Cones: Roll Nori or square wrapper into a cone, with one wide-open end. Moisten narrow end
edge with water to seal. Spoon or place base filling into cone, then press around and up the sides
to cover inside, making room for additional vegetables, meats, sprouts etc.
Flat, Tostada-Style: For crisper or less flexible wraps, simply lay wrap or crisp on plate, spread with
topping, additional vegetables or sprouts, condiments and or garnish and serve.
35 3g 2g 1g
1 combine seeds.
Serves 32. Serving Size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 5 minutes.
in heavy dry, cast iron skillet over medium heat, lightly toast Basic
Sunny Seed Mix, stirring constantly, until pumpkin seeds start to pop
and aroma of lightly toasted sesame appears. Remove from heat.
add 1⁄ 3 cup dry mixed vegetables (soup mix) that have been whirred
to powdery in blender, 11⁄ 2 Tbsp poultry seasoning, 11⁄ 2 Tbsp
debittered nutritional yeast, and 1 tsp Spike vegetable seasoning or
Mrs Dash. Stir, cool, and store in container with lid in refrigerator for
up to six weeks.
place Basic Sunny Seed Mix in glass jar. Cover with water. Cover with
mesh screen or cheesecloth and secure with rubber band or screw lid.
Soak 5–8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse. Let seeds “sprout” for
3 hours. Rinse and drain again. Use as salad, snack, or base for Roll-
Up or sandwich filling.
216 THE RECIPES: SNACKS & HANDHELDS
4 can be enjoyed cold, or let stand a few minutes and warm slightly
on stovetop for a “hot” cereal experience. Flax seeds will thicken mix-
ture as it sits. Nutrition at peak served cold.
Nori Bruschetta
A hybrid of Italian and Japanese tastes, this unique, colorful, appetizer snack
is as stunning as it is healthy and delicious.
Parmesan Crisps
These simple, yet innovative crisps can substitute for taco shells, crackers and
flatbreads in a variety of applications.
Nutrition Facts
1 preheat oven to 375°F. On cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
calories total fat carbs protein
or silpat liner (reusable silicon), spread about 1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan
54 4g 1g 5g
cheese evenly into circles about 4–5” each. Sprinkle with paprika.
PT’s Cruiser
This quick, hearty salad could be a real pick-me-up for a PT’s afternoon snack.
Cooking Tips
1 in small mixing bowl or storage container, combine finely chopped PT or MX: The name says PT, but MX could
celery, asparagus, artichoke hearts, sardines, anchovies, capers, olive also enjoy this, perhaps for a lunch salad.
oil, and lemon juice. Stir to combine ingredients evenly.
2 this could also be prepared fast in a food processor, if you are care- Notes and Suggestions
ful not to overmix. Start by adding celery and processing until finely This fish and vegetable salad could easily be
chopped. Turn off machine, then add asparagus and artichoke hearts, a mini-meal or the protein complement for
pulse with a few on and off bursts to chop. Stop machine. Add sar- a lunch meal for PT or MX. Add a Basic
dines and anchovies, capers, olive oil, and lemon juice. Pulse one or Vegetable Soup or Cream of Mushroom Soup
for a whole meal.
two more times. DO NOT overmix.
3 makes 2 servings. Or serve half for a snack today and half for next day’s
lunch. Store what’s left in covered container. Refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Nutrition Facts
calories total fat carbs protein 1 spoon yogurt into serving cup or dish.
Cooking Tips
1 preheat oven to 300°F. Melt butter in small saucepan over low.
While PT’s can enjoy nuts as a snack or pro-
tein food, CT’s will want to limit their use, Combine soy sauce, ginger and wasabi paste (fiery, green sushi condi-
since they are proportionately too high in fat ment) in small bowl.
for your metabolic type or anyone focused on
weight loss. Note the 1 Tbsp serving size. 2 spread nuts over cookie sheet or 9”x13” baking pan. Pour on but-
ter and stir to coat. Bake for about 15 minutes.
Serves 64. Serving Size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 223
Vegetable Crispers
These baked or dehydrated vegetable “chips” may not be as fancy as those com-
mercial potato or perfectly-shaped grain chips, but they’ll give you snacking
satisfaction on a low-carb budget.
setting of oven for 3–4 hours, until vegetables are dried and crunchy,
leathery or chewy-crunchy. Zucchini or thicker slices may require Notes and Suggestions
7–10 hours in dehydrator.
A variety of vegetables can be used to make
4 cool. Remove to tight-fitting covered jar. Store at room tempera- these “snackers”, which can be served as
snack chips or crackers with dips or spreads,
ture for 3–4 weeks.
or to accompany soup or salad. S for dehy-
Serves 8. Preparation time: 20 minutes. drator manufacturers. These, by no stretch
of the imagination, are like commercial
crackers and/or snack chips. But they are
flavorful and nutritious and can fill a need
for occasional snacking. But if you’re “crav-
ing” junk food, take it as a sign that you’d
best try some EFT first.
Vegetable Leathers
Like fruit leathers, vegetable leathers made by dehydrating blended, leftover
vegetables or even gazpacho soup can be a nutritious, on-the-go snack.
Nutrition Facts
To dehydrate vegetable leathers in food dehydrator:
calories total fat carbs protein
25 0g 4.5g 0g
1 pour about 4 cups fresh vegetable purée onto plastic wrapped
screens or Teflon/Teflex lined trays. Dehydrate at 135°F. for 5–6
hours until somewhat glossy and no longer sticky. Remove. Cool. Snip
Notes and Suggestions into quarters. Roll up and wrap tightly. Store in dry place.
See page 253 for suppliers of dehydrators and
other recommended kitchen equipment. To dehydrate vegetable leathers in oven:
1 grease cookie sheet very lightly with coconut oil. Spread 3–4 cups
thick vegetable purée or soup evenly over surface, a little thicker at edges.
Sprouting Guidelines
Sprouting is a simple, low-cost way to obtain high-quality, live food, regardless of the season. It is
an easy process that can literally explode the life-supporting nutrition of the original seed, which
contains all the genetic material and initial food the plant needs to start its life. Obviously sprouting
is a highly beneficial practice. It is the cornerstone of a raw food diet, and one you need to learn
so you can regularly enhance your own.
The Chinese discovered the value of sprouting seeds, which they used as life-giving food,
and to avoid scurvy on long ocean voyages. Germinating seeds not only yields the vitamin C that
prevents this disease, but neutralizes anti-factors such as phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that
interrupt the absorption of nutrients. Starchy carbs are reduced, nutrients become predigested and,
along with enzymes, are dramatically increased from seed to sprout.
Some of the most popular sprouts are alfalfa, almond, broccoli, clover, flax, garbanzo, lentil,
mung bean, pumpkin, onion, radish, sesame and sunflower. Actually any raw seed, nut or bean
can be sprouted alone or mixed with others. Alfalfa is the most popular commercial sprout, and
probably the one with which you are most familiar. But don’t restrict yourself or your tastes. Many
sprouts have much more interesting flavor and higher nutrition than alfalfa. In fact, some
nutritional authorities recommend avoidance of alfalfa sprouts due to the presence of toxins.
1. Place seeds in glass jar and cover with clean, fresh, filtered water, preferably with cheesecloth
or mesh screen secured over opening. In a quart mason jar, add 11⁄ 2 Tbsp seeds or 1⁄ 4 cup
beans or 1⁄ 2 cup nuts, and about four times that volume of water. In a gallon jar, add 11⁄ 2
cup seeds or 1 cup beans, legumes or nuts, with twice their volume of water.
4. Rinsing is the key. Twice a day, morning and evening, rinse and drain.
6. For long sprout tails and nutritious green tips, place the jars in the light for 2–5 days,
depending upon seed. Most are best after 2–3 days. Sprout times for the various seeds are
as follows: clover, radish, broccoli, onion seeds: 3–4 days; beans: 3–4 days; legumes like
lentils: 2–3 days; nuts and crunchy bean mixes: 3 hours. Seeds such as sunflowers with large
hulls should be immersed in water so the hulls can be removed as they float to the top, or
eat one at a time and manually remove hulls. If you buy commercial sprouts, rinse immedi-
ately and eat within a day.
7 0g 2g 0g
1 wash and drain cabbage. Be sure to slice thinly with a sharp knife,
including core. Place in large bowl and mash or pound with a heavy
cup, pestle or mallet until cabbage starts to release juice. Notes and Suggestions
2 sprinkle with seeds and mix. Pack tightly into 2 quart mason jars. This pickled vegetable and its variations
Stir salt into water and pour over cabbage, adding more water to bring can be made and stored for months in
refrigerator or cold cellar. Use for flavor
level up within 3⁄ 4” from top of jar. Cover with lid. Store at room and nutrition as a vegetable side dish,
temperature for at least 3 days, then place in refrigerator. condiment, addition to stews and casseroles
such as Beef Pot Roast with Sauerkraut.
Serves 32. Serving size: 2 quarts, 1⁄ 4 cup per serving.
The fermentation process makes the vegeta-
Preparation time: 15 minutes. bles more digestible for all types. Recipe
adapted from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing
Traditions, one of the most authoritative
sauerkraut variations sources of information on the benefits of
traditionally fermented foods.
Veggie Sauerkraut
Japanese Sauerkraut
Crème Fraîche
The French use this expensive, ultra silky “clotted cream” like sour cream in
recipes, but it’s easy and much healthier to make your own at home.
Nutrition Facts
1 use local, raw or organic unpasteurized cream. Place into clean glass
calories total fat carbs protein
or ceramic container, not metal or plastic.
52 6g 0.5g 0.5g
2 add buttermilk, cover and place container in a warm, room tem-
perature place for about 24 hours. Chill.
Notes and Suggestions
Serves 32. Serving size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 5 minutes.
This healthier dairy product can be used
interchangeably with sour cream, whipped
cream or mascarpone in recipes. Recipe
adapted from Sally Fallon and Mary Enig’s
Nourishing Traditions, a highly recom-
mended source for more information on
traditional foods.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 229
3 drizzle sprout mixture with olive oil and toss to mix. Serve immediately. Use as a finger food snack, a salad
ingredient on lettuce-lined salad plate or as
Serves 6. Serving Size: 1 cup per serving. Preparation time: 10 minutes. a Roll-Up filling, rolled into butter lettuce
or cabbage leaf. Recipe suggestion courtesy
The Sproutpeople. See page 252 for ordering
organic seeds and sprouting equipment
from this reliable source.
Cooking Tips 1 in blender or food processor, blend bean sprouts with avocado,
PT: Experiment to see how you feel eating cucumber, miso, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and jalapeño until smooth.
this dip, with higher than normal protein Add salt to taste, if desired.
for a snack, but increase portion size by serv-
ing 10 with this recipe. You may still need to 2 serve as dip or pile with other ingredients into low-carb wrap, cabbage
eat some meat protein to feel satisfied. or lettuce Roll-Up.
CT: Try eating this as a snack, reducing 3 can use 11⁄ 2 to 2 Tbsp Mexican or taco seasoning to replace cumin,
avocado to 1. You may find that it suits
garlic, chili powder and jalapeño.
you fine.
Serves 12. Serving Size: about 1⁄ 4 cup per serving. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Nut Cream
Use this creamy concoction as pudding, sauce or “whipped” topping on fruit
or other “sweet” treats.
Seed Cheese
A creamy, non-dairy “cheese” spread can be made simply from a combination
of soaked and sprouted seeds.
Serves 32. Serving Size: 2 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 233
1 soak Sunny Seed Mix in covered bowl of clean, filtered water. Allow Cooking Tips
to soak at room temperature for 6–12 hours. Drain, rinse thoroughly, PT: This is an ideal snack for you. Increase
and rinse again. celery to 2–3 stalks.
2 add soaked, drained seeds and red onion, celery, tamari, herbs, CT: The sprouted seeds are more digestible,
but still high in fat for your type. Use only
Spike, and pepper to food processor workbowl, fitted with a metal
half of the sprouted seeds, add 1 coarsely
blade. Process until smooth. grated carrot and 3⁄ 4 cup chopped parsley.
3 edible right away, but much better if refrigerated for at least 1 hour
before serving. Keeps up to 3 days, covered in refrigerator. Notes and Suggestions
Serves 16. Preparation time: 10 minutes. Serving suggestion: Spread on cabbage or
lettuce leaves, top with chopped tomato and
roll up as a sandwich alternative. Or serve
as a dip with raw vegetable crudité.
234 THE RECIPES: RAW, SPROUTED & FERMENTED FOODS
Zucchetti Pasta
This amazing angel hair “pasta” is made from raw zucchini or yellow squash
with a special Spiral Slicer you can find on page 253.
Asian Dressing
This zesty, piquant dressing can be used for salads, vegetable pasta, meat
marinade, or dipping sauce.
1 place nut butter, tea, apple juice, chili, garlic, tamari, and ginger in
blender container. Cover and blend on high until smooth.
Serves 16. Serving Size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 5 minutes.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 237
Serves 12. Serving Size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 5 minutes.
variations
add 2 Tbsp Savory Sunny Seed Mix and 2 tsp tamari soy sauce.
Blend in food processor or blender until smooth.
Tomato Vinaigrette
add 2 tsp tomato paste to Basic Herb Vinaigrette and stir to blend.
238 THE RECIPES: CONDIMENTS & EXTRAS
2 egg yolks
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Nutrition Facts
1 Tbsp lemon juice
calories total fat carbs protein 1⁄ 2 tsp salt
Serves 16. Serving size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 5 minutes.
Basil Pesto
The French classic pesto or “paste” of pine nuts, garlic, and herbs can also be
made with walnuts, macadamia or other nuts, producing intense flavor and
nutritional benefits in one potent spoonful.
Serves 24. Serving Size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 5 minutes.
240 THE RECIPES: CONDIMENTS & EXTRAS
1 in food processor fitted with steel blade, combine nuts and garlic,
process until ground. Add shallot or scallion, spinach, parsley, thyme
leaves and salt. Process until ingredients are chunky and start to come
together, 1–2 minutes.
2 add olive and lemon oils and process until mixture becomes a paste,
but not smooth. Transfer to covered glass jar. Refrigerate for several
weeks. Serve as dip, spread, snack or topping.
3 notes: Fresh herbs are definitely preferred, but 2 Tbsp dried thyme
leaves can be substituted for fresh, if mixture stands before serving, so
flavors can meld. Traditional pestos are usually made with Parmesan
cheese, but lemon oil can give a tangy flavor boost without the dairy.
Serves 24. Serving Size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 241
Chunky Mockamole
This amazingly authentic version of guacamole uses chopped vegetables to
lower the calories.
Notes and Suggestions 1 in heavy saucepan, combine oil, vinegar, salt, poultry seasoning,
and pepper.
The family will suddenly appear in the
kitchen, noses sniffing the air when this 2 bring just up to the boiling point, reduce heat and simmer for 5–7
vinegary sauce is simmering on the stove.
minutes. Remove from heat. For a thicker sauce, quickly whisk in
This unique, piquant sauce is its outstand-
ing best on BBQ chicken marinated and beaten egg. Let cool.
then cooked over a charcoal or gas grill. You
3 store extra sauce, not used for BBQ, in glass jar with lid in refriger-
can use it as a marinade for chicken or
turkey done in the oven, it just won’t be ator. Keeps for up to two months.
as outstanding. Recipe courtesy Cornell
Serves 48. Serving Size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Co-operative Extension.
DR MERCOLA’S TOTAL HEALTH COOKBOOK & PROGRAM 243
3 med tomatillos
2 med green tomatoes, finely chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced
Nutrition Facts
2 med garlic cloves, minced
1⁄ 2 calories total fat carbs protein
cup chopped red onion
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 23 2g 2g 0g
2 coarsely chop green tomatoes and add to skillet with pepper, garlic,
onions, and olive oil. Sauté gently for 3–4 minutes, until tomatoes
start to soften. Remove from heat.
Serves 16. Serving Size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 10 minutes.
244 THE RECIPES: CONDIMENTS & EXTRAS
Serves 24. Serving Size: 1 Tbsp per serving. Preparation time: 5 minutes.
246 THE RECIPES: CONDIMENTS & EXTRAS
Notes and Suggestions 1 pour water over dry seaweed in bowl. Set aside to rehydrate.
Serve this tasty, nutrient-rich, seaweed 2 while seaweed is soaking, cut carrot into slices, then into matchsticks.
salad as a vegetable condiment to add color,
flavor and nutrition to salads like Sea 3 heat medium skillet, sauté garlic and onion in oil and tamari 1–2
Salad, or to spark up a dinner plate. minutes, then add carrots and sauté until carrot sticks start to soften,
2 minutes.
5 remove from heat. Let cool slightly. Store in covered glass contain-
er in refrigerator up to 1 week.
Vegetable Essences
These magical, nutritious elixirs are intensely-flavored, brilliantly-colored
infusions of vegetables and herbs, meant to be drizzled in tiny quantities over
the finished plate.
Carrot Essence
Juice 4 large, organic carrots, about 11⁄ 2 cups. Transfer to small Notes and Suggestions
saucepan and simmer very gently over medium low heat until juice has Used by only a few select, high-end chefs,
reduced to 1⁄ 2 cup. these brilliantly colored oils can add a bright
burst of color, flavor, and nutrition as a
Blend with 1 garlic clove, 2 tsp lemon juice, 3–4 drops lemon oil or garnish, especially for calorie and fat
zest of 1⁄ 2 lemon, and 11⁄ 2 cups olive oil in blender or food processor conscious CT’s. Drizzle tiny quantities in a
decorative crosshatch or swirl pattern over
until smooth. Transfer to squeeze bottle.
the finished plate. Simply prepare them
Parsley Essence during a batch session to have on hand for
adding interest to a plate or dish that might
Blend 2 cups chopped, stemmed flat-leaf parsley with 1⁄ 2 tsp salt, 1⁄ 2 otherwise call for higher fat/calorie cheese or
shallot, and 1 cup olive oil in food processor or blender. Transfer to nuts. These will keep for about two months
squeeze bottle. Refrigerate. Drizzle over vegetables, salad, or as edible in tightly covered squeeze bottles or jars in
your refrigerator.
saucy garnish over serving plate.
Beet Essence
Juice 4 large beets in juice extractor, yielding about 11⁄ 2 cups juice.
Transfer to small saucepan and simmer gently over medium low heat
until juice is reduced to 1⁄ 2 cup.
Remove from heat and cool. Blend beet reduction with 1⁄ 2 tsp salt, 1⁄ 8
tsp cloves, several grinds of freshly ground black pepper, and 11⁄ 2 cups
olive oil in blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to
squeeze bottle and refrigerate.
Serving Size: 1⁄ 8–1⁄ 2 tsp drizzle per serving. Preparation time: 30 minutes
Appendix
Recommended Ingredients and Products Locator
Most of the foods used in this book’s recipes, and the foods and health products recommended in
Part One, can be found in health food stores or grocery stores. If you can’t find them there,
though, or if you want further insight on the best forms and brands of these foods and products,
you can consult these lists below.
The first list contains all the foods and other health products and services that I have
researched extensively, that are typically more difficult to find in stores, and that I offer through
the “Recommended Products” section of Mercola.com. Some of these will be shipped directly
from our own fulfillment center while others will be shipped to you directly from the farms and
other suppliers.
The second list contains some specific foods and kitchen equipment that you can order
direct from the suppliers or other online stores.
Beef, Grass-fed
100% Grass-fed beef high in CLA and omega-3 and containing no antibiotics or steroids.
Blueberries, Organic
An exceptional fruit for their high antioxidants, blueberries are also low in sugar so they are
not likely to stimulate severe insulin swings. These organic blueberries from Eastern Canada
are smaller and sweeter-tasting than store-bought blueberries, and are shipped frozen to you.
Chlorella
The highest quality and purest chlorella available, produced by Yaeyama, this natural food
supplement is superior in total nutritional value to any man-made vitamin. High in many of
the essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes—including all eight essential amino acids—and
many micronutrients, chlorella will help build your immune system, detoxify the heavy
metals and pesticides in your body, improve your digestive system, increase your energy and
mental concentration, balance your body’s pH, and much more.
Ostrich, Free-Range
Ostrich is an exceptionally healthy red meat that tastes like chicken, but is lower in fat, calo-
ries and cholesterol than even skinless chicken or turkey. It can be used in place of virtually
any meat, such as beef, chicken or pork, in your favorite recipes, and is even available in an
omega-3-rich variety.
Vitamin D
Many people do not get enough sunlight—the best source of vitamin D—and are therefore
deficient. I highly recommend you get tested for your vitamin D levels, and if you are defi-
cient, strongly encourage you to check out the Biotics brand of vitamin D available here. It
is an emulsified form that makes it easier for your body to absorb than other forms on the
market, and you’ll see it is also quite economical.
Vitamin K
Proven to help build your bones and help your heart, most people do not get enough vita-
min K from their daily diet and should consider supplementing it. This is a full five-month
supply of the natural vitamin K I highly recommend available at an excellent price.
Foods—Other Suppliers
Almond Flour
Grain-free thickener or flour
Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, 1-800-349-2173, www.bobsredmill.com
Arrowroot Flour
Grain-free thickener or flour
Frontier Natural Products, 1-800-669-3275, www.frontiercoop.com
Bean Flour
Low-carb bean flour mixes
Kitchen ET Cetera, Inc., 1-877-655-1415, www.beanflour.com
Stevia
Non-carb, non-glycemic, non-synthetic, alternative sweetener
Available in liquid concentrate and baking powder
Body Ecology, 800-511-2660, bodyecologydiet.com
Tahini
Raw, hulled & unhulled organic sesame paste
Oskri Organics, 1-800-628-1110, www.oskri.com
Whey Powder
Dairy by-product that aids digestion, natural culturing
Frontier Natural Products (see Arrowroot Flour),
Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods (see Almond Flour)
Food Dehydrators
Excalibur Dehydrator®
Excalibur Products, 1-800-875-4254, www.excaliburdehydrator.com
Juicers
See “Juicer, Omega 8002 Model,” under “Recommended Products on Mercola.com”
Spiral Slicer™
Manual slicer & processor for creating pasta from vegetables
Joyce Chen Products, 1-800-333-0208, www.joycechen.com
Sprouters
Sprouting equipment and seeds
The Sproutpeople, 1-877-777-6887, www.sproutpeople.com
Books
These highly recommended books and more, including full and original reviews, are available
through the “Recommended Products” section of Mercola.com. Most are also available at book-
stores and your local library. When you purchase them through Mercola.com, you will get them
at the lowest prices at Amazon.com, BN.com or other online stores. Mercola.com receives a small
percentage of each of these sales that goes toward both being able to keep the “eHealthy News
You Can Use” e-newsletter described below free, and toward expanding all the other free offerings
on the site.
The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
Cause Heart Disease
Dr. Uffe Ravnskov
Dr. Ravnskov is the author of numerous articles published in major medical journals. This
book elaborates on the lack of connection between diet, blood cholesterol levels and heart
disease and questions the widespread use of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Physicians and
other health professionals, as well as those facing cholesterol-lowering treatments, would be
both enlightened and better able to resist worthless treatments by reading this book.
Healing Words
Larry Dossey
A classic work on the proven link between spirituality and health by a leading physician.
Provides both documented evidence and real-life examples to show that prayer and spiritu-
ality can indeed be a valid healing tool. A compelling read no matter what your reli-
gious/spiritual background.
Know Your Fats: Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils
and Cholesterol
Mary G. Enig, Ph.D.
This book, by a leading dietary fat and oil researcher, dispels the myths about saturated fat
and oils previously thought of as unhealthy, and pinpoints those that truly are. It also pro-
vides an in-depth guide to the critical relationship between dietary fat intake and health and
disease prevention. Written broad enough to appeal to the general public, but with suffi-
cient detail to serve as an excellent reference to medical practitioners as well.
Living Well with Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You, What You
Need to Know
Mary J. Shomon
If you are challenged by hypothyroidism, or suspect you may be, this book is one of the most
insightful, unbiased and useful resources you can read on the subject. Mary Shomon is a
nationally respected thyroid expert who presents her information in a highly readable format.
The Metabolic Typing Diet: Customize Your Diet to Your Own Unique Body Chemistry
William L. Wolcott, with Trish Fahey
After reading the book you now hold in your hands, this book, by the leading metabolic
typing expert of our time, is an ideal follow-up. It provides a full understanding of meta-
bolic typing and offers extensive and highly practical information on how to fine-tune your
diet for your specific biochemistry. It also provides a more comprehensive test to determine
your metabolic type (if, via the metabolic test in this book, you determined that you are a
Mixed Type, I strongly urge you to take the test in Wolcott’s book, as it will provide a more
succinct answer to your type.)
The UV Advantage
Michael Holick, M.D., Ph.D.
This important book focuses on a crucial but little-known fact: the sun is one of your great-
est allies when it comes to fighting disease, feeling great and living longer. “Your overall
well-being depends in part on developing an appropriate relationship with the sun,” says Dr.
Michael Holick, M.D., one of the foremost authorities on vitamin D, a full Professor of
medicine, dermatology, biophysics and physiology at the Boston University School of
Medicine, and author of this groundbreaking book. If you’ve been hiding from the sun
because of “expert” warnings to avoid it, find out the truth in this must-read book.
Newsletters
In addition to my free e-newsletter listed below, there are a number of other excellent newsletters
that provide insights you can really use in your journey to optimal health and wellness. This short
list provides a representative sample.
H.S.I. e-Alert
Subscribe at www.hsibaltimore.com
Another excellent e-newsletter providing news of urgent medical issues and health solutions,
including breakthroughs in complementary and alternative medicine.
Websites
www.Mercola.com
My website, with 30,000 pages of useful articles and information on virtually any health
topic you are interested in, is now the world’s most visited natural health website, and one
of the world’s six most visited health websites overall as of this writing. Whenever you have
a question about any health or dietary topic, simply go to Mercola.com and enter the phrase
in the powerful—and free—search engine. Also visit the “Find a Health Practitioner in Your
Area” link at the bottom of the homepage for lists and contact information to EFT and
other therapists.
www.bodyecologydiet.com
To improve your health in general, and especially if you have an immune disorder or
candida-related imbalance, I strongly recommend you check out this website. Founder
Donna Gates is renowned for her program’s success in helping people overcome candidiasis
and other immune-related disorders, and her program provides a particular focus on the
powerful health benefits of fermented foods and probiotics that anyone seeking to be
healthy should not miss.
www.eftupdate.com
For comprehensive insight on EFT, the “Emotional Freedom Technique,” this is a highly
useful and informative website. Founded and directed by Dr. Patricia Carrington, this site
includes her own effective EFT learning courses.
www.emofree.com
For comprehensive insight on EFT, this is another highly useful and informative website,
founded and directed by Gary Craig, the EFT pioneer. It also includes his highly effective
EFT learning courses.
www.mothering.com
An excellent website for parents with a focus on natural approaches in terms of children’s
health and more.
www.realmilk.com
A fantastic resource by The Weston A. Price Foundation providing everything you need
to know about healthy raw milk. Includes detail on why raw milk is so nutritious, if its sales
are legal in your regions, and where specifically to find cowshare programs or suppliers in
your area.
www.redflagsdaily.com
A compelling and expansive website that provides straightforward and unabashed insight on
all the healthcare issues facing you today.
FOOD INTAKE
FINE TUNE YOUR DIET
list all foods & drinks consumed
breakfast
have desire for
do NOT have sweet cravings
something sweet
lunch
(circle one)
Index of Recipes
Aegean Salad - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 82 Cheese Bread - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 198
Artichoke & Asparagus Soup - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 122 Classic Cornell BBQ Chicken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 154
Basic Sunny Seed Mix Plus - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 215 Crunchy Herb Sprout Snack Mix - - - - - - - - - - - - 229
Greek Egg-Lemon Soup - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 129 Ostrich Meat Balls with Mushroom Gravy - - - - - 149
Herbed Lemony Lamb Chops - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 146 Quick Beef Steaks with Mushrooms and Wine - 142
Hot Wings, Thighs and Things - - - - - - - - - - - - - 160 Quick Turkey Cutlets - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 161
Kohlrabi and Side Kick Dippers - - - - - - - - - - - - - 91 Red Peppery Buffalo Steaks - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 151
Lickety Split Chicken Soup - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 130 Roast Turkey with Vegetable Chestnut Stuffing - 162
Mexican Live ‘n Kickin’ Bean Dip - - - - - - - - - - - 230 Roasted Tomatillo Turkey Soup - - - - - - - - - - - - 136
Oriental Hot & Sour Mushroom Egg Drop - - - - 134 Steak Tartare - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 143
Content Index
acupuncture, 48 No-Pasta Primavera Vegetables, 114 Kohlrabi and Side Kick Dippers, 91
agriculture, 9–10 Roasted Salmon with Pesto Crust, 184 Lickety Split Chicken Soup, 130
Allen, David, Getting Things Done, 64 Sundried Tomato Wraps, 209 Maestro’s Minestrone, 131
almonds batch cooking, 75 Oriental Hot & Sour Mushroom
almond flour, 252 bean flour, 252 Egg Drop, 134
Almond Nut Milk, 188 bean sprouts Oriental Ostrich Salad, 148
Chewy Nutsy Cereal, 216 Crockpot Turkey Stew, 155 Ostrich Stir-Fry, 150
Nut Gems / Cake, 204 Egg Foo Young, 174 Red Peppery Buffalo Steaks, 151
Piña Colada Chewies, 206 Crunchy Herb Sprout Snack Mix, 229 Sauteed Cabbage with Dill, 116
Snazzy Gingered Nuts, 222 beef Steaming Chicken and Vegetables, 165
Seed Cheese, 232 Beef and Beer Stew, 138 Sukiyaki with Beef, 144
Sunny Almond Shake, 194 Beef Fajitas, 139 Sunny Rainbow Cabbage Salad, 99
Watercress Salad, 100 Beef Pot Roast with Sauerkraut, 140 Watercress Salad, 100
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), 21, 57 beef, grass-fed, 249 Carbohydrate Type, 42-43
aluminum, 71 Herb Seasoned Steak Broil, 141 carrots
Amazon.com, 72 Quick Beef Steaks with Mushrooms Basic Vegetable Soup, 123
amino acids, 27 and Wine, 142 K.I.S.S. Salad in a Flash, 90
antibiotics, 27 Steak Tartare, 143 Sunny Rainbow Cabbage Salad, 99
Arrowhead Mills, 21 Sukiyaki with Beef, 144 cauliflower
arrowroot flour, 252 berries Cauliflower Tempeh Curry, 168
arsenic, 51 blueberries, 19, 249 Cauliflower with Tapenade Crown, 106
artichoke Fruit and Nut Torte, 200 Chop Chop Garden Salad, 83
Artichoke and Asparagus Soup, 122 bison, 28 Curried Peanut Soup, 126
Egg Foo Young, 174 grass-fed, 249 Mashed Fotatoes, 113
Nouveau Salmon Nicoise, 182 Black and Decker, 72 Vegetable Frittata, 177
PT’s Cruiser, 219 blood glucose, 10 celery
Salmon Crepes, 185 blueberries, 19 Basic Vegetable Soup, 123
Vegetable Frittata, 177 organic, 249 PT’s Cruiser, 219
asparagus Breakfast Slurpy Pudding, 189 Quick Crunchy Cado, 95
Artichoke and Asparagus Soup, 122 broccoli Celiac disease, 9
Chunky Mockamole, 243 Blended Broccoli Soup, 124 cheese
PT’s Cruiser, 219 Broccoli-in-a-Hurry Curry, 103 see also feta, mozzarella
Roasted Asparagus, 115 Chop Chop Garden Salad, 83 Cheese Bread, 198
Salmon Crepes, 185 Crustless Quiche, 173 grass-fed, organic, 249
Vegetable Frittata, 177 Kohlrabi and Side Kick Dippers, 91 chestnuts
aspartame, 13 Northwoods Broccoli Salad, 94 Roast Turkey with Vegetable
avidin, 31 No-Pasta Primavera Vegetables, 114 Chestnut Stuffing, 162
avocado Vegetable Frittata, 177 Chi Kung, “Qigong”, 49
Chunky Mockamole, 241 Vegetable Quiche, 178 chicken
Creamy Avocado Soup, 125 brussels sprouts Basic Roast Chicken, 153
Mexican Live ‘n Kickin Bean Dip, 230 Brussels Sprouts Trio, 105 Classic Cornell BBQ Chicken, 154
Quick Crunchy Cado, 95 buffalo Crunchy Chicken Salad / Casserole, 156
Ayurvedic medicine, 36 Buffalo Chili, 145 free-range organic, 250
barbeque Horseradish Buffalo Burgers, 147 Grilled Caribbean Rub, 157
Cornell Barbeque Sauce, 242 Red Peppery Buffalo Steaks, 151 Grilled Chicken Caesar, 158
Classic Cornell BBQ Chicken, 154 cabbage, Hot Wings, Thighs and Things, 160
basil Basic Sauerkraut Plus, 227 Lickety Split Chicken Soup, 130
Basil Pesto, 239 Gado Gado Vegetables, 109 Slowdown Crockpot Chicken Curry, 164
Fresh Mozzarella Plate, 85 Hot Asian Shiitake Slaw, 89 Steaming Chicken and Vegetables, 165
Maestro’s Minestrone, 131 K.I.S.S. Salad in a Flash, 90 Chlorella, 60, 252
Do you want to take control of your health without letting it consume your entire life? Do you
want all the latest health and dietary news that can really help you prevent disease, optimize weight,
look and feel younger, and live longer—without having to spend your valuable time tracking it all
down on your own? And you want all this for FREE?
Then simply go to Mercola.com and enter your email address to subscribe to Dr. Mercola’s
“eHealthy News You Can Use” e-newsletter. That’s it. That’s all. On a twice-weekly basis, you
will now receive one of the world’s most respected health and dietary sources filled with articles
providing you crucial insights such as:
• Six steps you should take right now to have younger-looking skin
• The most successful secrets to losing weight and keeping it off permanently
• The five foods that provide a powerful boost to your intelligence
• Real solutions to end the pain from common illnesses and health disorders
• Why healthcare costs keep rising, but how you can save thousands of dollars
• How to overcome depression and feeling “down” once and for all
• The ten most toxic foods that you definitely should not eat
• What vitamins and supplements you really need, and those you don’t
• The top foods that hold the real key to help you live longer
• The most dangerous pharmaceuticals to avoid, and real solutions that you can use
to fight and prevent the underlying causes of disease instead
• How to find the best medical practitioners for you, from doctors to emotional
therapists to chiropractors
• Six ways to prevent the flu and colds—and the flu shot isn’t one of them
• The sugars and sugar substitutes you must avoid, and what you should use instead
• How to win the battle against specific diseases and health challenges, from diabetes,
heart disease, and cancer to back pain, stomach problems and depression
• The five deadliest household tragedies, and how you can avoid them
You’ll find insight like this and much more contributed by Dr. Mercola and a wide host of other
leading health care experts in every free edition of “eHealthy News You Can Use.” Plus, entirely
free as well, you can use the powerful search feature on Mercola.com—now one of the world’s
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So go to Mercola.com. Enter your email address. And change your life—for free.
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