Day 20: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

Happy Halloween, fall is in the air and it’s a perfect day to talk about squash! Today I wanted to feature spaghetti squash in my publishing.

According to Wikipedia, squash is a part of the fruit family and can range from orange to yellow in color. The orange squash cantains more carotenoids than the yellow colored squash. The center of the squash contains large seeds, similar to pumpkin seeds. When the flesh is raw, it is solid. When the flesh is cooked, it falls in strands like ribbons similar to spaghetti. 

To prepare the squash, I cut it in half (long ways), removed the seeds and put in the oven in a casserole pan (with 1/2 inch, or so, of water) covered the pan with aluminum foil and baked at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 45 minutes to an hour. 

Spaghetti squash is relatively easy  to grow and contains many nutrients, including folic acid, vitamin A, potassium and beta carotene. This squash, when cooked, is a healthy alternative to eating regular pasta. This leads me to my food log for the day. Since we are discussing spaghetti squash, I’ll go right into my dinner for the day. 

Today’s dinner included a bed of spaghetti squash, topped with homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs. The meatballs were made with ground beef, rice flour, arrowroot flour, an egg, dried basil, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt. For the sauce, I sautéed onion and garlic in olive oil. I added tomato paste, tomato purée, bay leaf, basil, anise seed, Rosemary, sea salt and pepper. I topped the squash, sauce and meatballs with Pecarino Romano cheese. 

For my afternoon snack, I had a kiwi. For lunch, I had a bowl of homemade chili with a dollop of kefir cheese. My morning snack consisted of fruit, which included grapes, honeydew, pineapple and papaya. For my cheat, I had some lemonade with sugar, infused with basil and anise oil. Breakfast was homemade granola and goats milk.

Day 19: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

For breakfast, I had homemade granola and goats milk. I also had some fresh papaya slices for breakfast. For my snack, I had two hard boiled eggs with sea salt. For lunch, I had a barbecued hamburger patty with a 1/2 of an avocado. For my afternoon snack, I had granola with goats milk and a kiwi. For dinner, I had mushroom rice pilaf, seasonal vegetables, which included: cauliflower, broccoli, snap peas and carrots. I also had barbecued salmon, seasoned with salt, pepper and doused in butter. 

Kiwi fruit are the talk of today’s post. The kiwi is an edible berry of a woody vine, similar to that of a grape vine. Kiwi are generally the size of a large hen egg. The fibrous, dull greenish brown skin contins a bright green flesh or golden with tiny, black, edible seeds. Kiwi fruit has a soft texture and a sweet, unique flavor. In California, kiwis are available November to May, but can be commercially available in other parts of the world year round.  

The color and flavor can vary depending on the variety: there are about 60 different kiwi species. The skins of the kiwi can range in color, hairiness and shape. The flesh can vary in color, juiciness and texture.

Raw kiwi fruit contins actinidain which is used in the commercial meat industry for a tenderizer. Kiwi is an excellent source of vitamin C, dietary fiber and vitamin E. The skin of the kiwi is edible. Kiwi fruit seed oil contains an one omega-3 fatty acid, beneficial to our health. 

Day 18: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

For breakfast, I had two coconut oil, pan-fried eggs. I also had some ginger tea with a fresh squeezed lemon for breakfast. For my morning snack, I had two stuffed mushrooms, the ingredients can be found on the post from day 17 or in the Microbiome Diet book. For lunch, I had homemade chili beans and a dollop of kefir cheese. The kefir cheese is a good substitute for sour cream, but I think it tastes better and has more flavor. For my afternoon snack, I had a smoothie which I found in the Microbiome Diet book. The smoothie is shown in the picture above. I know I’ve posted about many different smoothies in previous posts, so rather than boring you with the same ol same ol. I’ve decided to feature one of the main ingredients in this smoothie. 

First of all, the “Sunrise Smoothie,” was given its name by Dr Kellman, author of the book. I think this smoothie tasted great, the recipe includes: 4 strawberries, 1 orange, 1/2 an apple, ice cubes, 1/2 cup unsweetened apple cider and 1 teaspoon almond butter. The recipe also called for 1/2 teaspoon ginger root. This was an optional ingredient but since I’d had ginger tea already today, I decided to leave it out. Also, included in the recipe were 2 tablespoons of pea protein powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Lakanto. 

Side note: most of the smoothies in the book call for either pea protein powder, Lakanto, or both. I haven’t tried any of the smoothies with pea protein powder or Lakanto because I have tried both of these ingredients before and didn’t care for them. They taste fake and leave a horrible aftertaste taste in my mouth, so I decided to omit both. 

So, to mention the ingredient that I’ll talk about today: strawberries. I’ll try to keep this post short and sweet (no pun intended) as I’ve been noticing my posts getting exponentially longer everyday. 

Technically, a strawberry is an aggregate accessory fruit, which means that the fleshy part derives not from the ovaries but from the receptacle that holds the ovaries. Each visible “seed” on the outside of a strawberry is actually one of the ovaries of the flower, with the seed inside of it. Wow, that was something I’d never heard. 

Interestingly enough, strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin c, manganese and others. They are also known for warding off inflammation, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. You know what they say about fruits that look like certain body parts? That’s what they are benifical to. Which makes sense. If you think about it, a strawberry is red like a heart and is even shaped as a heart. Similarly, carrots look like eyes when chopped in half and are scientifically proven to improve eye sight. The picture are the top of this post, Is proof to the natural deep red color of strawberries. I thought the smoothie was  beautiful color and wanted to share it with my readers. Hope you enjoyed the facts about strawberries in today’s post. 

Last, but not least, I will mention what I had for dinner. Today was simple, I ended my day with a barbecued hamburger patty, regular  mustard and 1/2 of an avocado. For my veggie, with dinner, I had spaghetti squash. Yum. All is good in today’s food log.  Tomorrow, I will focusing on eating less fruit and more vegetables. Stay tuned. 

Day 17: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

Today I am going to talk about mushrooms in my post. I thought it would only be appropriate since I made the “Stuffed Mushroom” recipe from the Microbiome Diet book. 

I know when I was in High School we weren’t able to use Wikipedia as a source because it wasn’t cross referenced, but honestly I think it is one of the best sources out there. In college, I found out that Wikipedia is now cross referenced and is better known as a semi-reliable source. Therefore, you will notice that a lot of my information in my posts, comes from Wikipedia. 

With that said, Wikipedia states that a mushroom, or toadstool, is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus. The standard name for “mushroom” refers to the the white button mushroom, like I used in this recipe. The term mushroom is most often applied to the fungi that contain a stem, cap and gills. The gills are produce microscopic spores that allow the fungi to spread and reproduce. Sometimes mushrooms, depending on variety, will contain no stem depending on the variety. Some mushrooms that are not edible can also be grown under groun direction. What I am talking about in this post is the edible mushroom, specifically. 

Edible mushrooms are defined as mushrooms that are not poisonous to humans and desirable in taste and aroma. Edible mushrooms are defined as not being typically used for medicinal purposes, but rather nutritional consumption. 

Mushrooms contain high amounts of many different vitamins but to name a few: riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (B3) and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). The minerals that are high in mushrooms are selinium, copper, phosphorus and potassium. From my understanding, the nutritional value in mushrooms can change a bit – depending on the specific variety. That sums up then main points about mushrooms, nowo discuss my daily food log. 

For breakfast, I made the “Nectarine Kiwi Smoothie” from the book, which consisted of a pear, a kiwi, 1/2 cup apple cider, 1 teaspoon almond butter and 3 ice cubes. The recipe in the book also called for 1/2 teaspoon Lakanto and 2 tablespoons pea protein, but I  omitted both of these. For breakfast, I also had two home-raised, coconut oil pan fried eggs. For my morning snack, I had three stuffed mushrooms that I had from the book. The ingredients in this recipe include: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup finely chopped onions, 7 large mushrooms, 2 cups of kale (spines removed), 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, salt and pepper to taste and top the mushrooms with 2 tablespoons sheep cheese. For more information on the recipe, I would recommend buying the Microbiome book or comment on the post below and I’ll try to get back to you. For lunch, I had a lefover basa fish filet seasoned with garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, corriander, turmeric and fresh lemon juice. With lunch, I also had barbecued asparagus, coated with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, for flavor. For my afternoon snack, I had a few homemade flaxseed crackers. The recipe for the crackers is on the post from day 11. For dinner, I decided to keep it light so I had a salad with spinach, butter lettuce, romaine, carrots, avocado and Pecarino Romano cheese, served with a homemade Cesar dressing. 

Day 16: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

Today, I am going to be discussing the health benefits of asparagus. Upon deciding what food group to talk about in today’s post, I noticed that there is a lack of posts that talk about vegetables. So, today I decided to write my post about one of my favorite vegetables: asparagus. This vegetable is very special and contains many nutritional benefits that are vital to our health. 

Asparagus is a flowering plant; it was once part of the lily family but is now cultivated as a vegetable crop. The asparagus plant is native to the Western coasts of Europe. Asparagus has been used for the use of medicine, due to its diuretic properties. Historically, the ancient Greeks named asparagus as a benifical herb in the second century AD. A piece of writing celebrates its aphrodisiac power, a supposed virtue that the Indian Ananga Ranga attributes to “special phosphorus elements” that also counteracts fatigue, according to Wikipedia. The finest texture and strongest, yet most delicate taste is in the tips, also known as “love tips”- served as a delicacy. 

Additionally, asparagus became available in the United States, to the New World around 1850. Shoots are prepared and served a number of ways throughout the world, typically as an appetizer or side dish. Asparagus shoots are best eaten when they are young. Once buds start to fern out, the shoots turn woody and don’t taste good. 

Water makes up 93% of asparagus’s consumption, the other 7% is made of Vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc and others. Asparagus is also a good source of fiber, protein, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium. Asparagus contains chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. The amino acid asparagine is how asparagus got its name, which it is relatively rich in this compound. 

Asparagus is interesting to me because it is known as a companion plant. Which if you have not heard of a companion plant before, it means that asparagus is a type of plant does well with other plants, either to: increase production, ward off bugs, pollination, maximizing space, benifical creatures, etc. Companion gardening is a ployculture. It’s used by both farmers and gardeners in industrialized and developing countries for various purposes. 

Now you can see why, besides having exceptionally good flavor and nutritional benefits that I love having asparagus in my fridge. With that said now I’ll discuss my food log for the day. 

For breakfast, I ate homemade granola and goat’s milk. For my morning snack, I had some blueberries. Lunch consisted of two home raised, coconut oil pan-fried eggs. For my afternoon snack, I had a salad with butter lettuce, spinach and romaine. Also, on the salad I added quinoa, beets, avocado and homemade Cesar dressing. Dinner consisted of barbecued asparagus, coated with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with sea salt. For my protein, I had three pork ribs and leftover basa fish fillet. 

Day 15: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

I started my day with homemade granola and goats milk. For breakfast, I also had a plum and a tangerine. For my morning snack, I had grapes and papaya. For lunch, I had two coconut oil, pan fried eggs. For my afternoon snack, I had homemade chili beans with kefir cheese. For dinner, I had baked basa fish filets, seasoned with garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, corriander, turmeric and fresh lemon slices. For my vegetable with dinner, I had zucchini pan sautéed in onions and extra virgin olive oil. For dessert, I had pineapple slices. 

Today I am going to talk about papaya, which originated from Mexico. Papaya is a large, tree-like plant with large leaves, classified as a type of berry. There are two types of papayas: the first type has a sweet, red or orange flesh and the second type has a yellow flesh. When ripe, papaya feels soft (like an avocado) when it is ripe and the skin contains an amber, orange hue. Both, the papaya fruit and the tree’s latex are rich in papain, a protease used for tenderizing meat. Papayas ability to break down tough fibers was used by indigenous Americans for thousands of years. Because of this, papaya is now a component in powdered meat tenderizers. 

Nutritionally speaking, papaya fruit is a significant source of vitamin c and folate. Papaya skin, pulp and seeds, contain a variety of phytochemicals, including carotenoids and polyphenols. Sometimes the unripe, green papaya can be cooked and used for stews or curries. Other times, papaya can be eaten raw or used to make jellies, due to the high amount of pectin found naturally in papaya. Some also use the seeds as a black pepper substitute, due to its sharp spicy flavor. The leaves can also be consumed after steaming, similar to that of eating cooked spinach. 

Day 14: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

Today I started my day with a big fruit salad, which contained of blueberries, honeydew and pineapple. I also ate 3 eggs, pan sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and two corn tortillas. For my snack, I had sweet potato chips and a plum. My lunch consisted of pho. The pho I ordered contained of steak and meatballs. There were rice noodles, bean sprouts and basil leaves on the side. The broth was a traditional pho broth, which consisted of a dark-bone broth, seasoned with herbs and fresh green onion. 

For my afternoon snack, I had a few grapes. I also had a jalapeño flavored, dried seaweed snack. For dinner, I had leftover pho and a peach. For dessert, I had coconut milk ice cream which was vanilla bean flavored. The ice cream was my last cheat for the week. I was pretty excited that I found some coconut milk ice cream in the grocery store. In fact, I found the ice cream at Wal Mart, which was even more surprising to me since coconut milk seems like a health food item. I haven’t been able to find coconut milk ice cream anywhere else. Wal Mart also had cashew and almond milk ice cream. And of course the sugar in the ice cream was my cheat, but all the other ingredients are allowed in Phase 2 so I thought it wasn’t too bad. 

I’d like to talk a little more about Pho at this time. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup, consisting of broth, linguine shaped noodles, a few herbs and meat. Pho originated in the early 20th century in northern vietnam and popularized throughout the rest of the world by refugees after the war. Because pho’s origins are poorly documented, there is a disagreement that led to its development in Vietnam, as well as the entymology of the word itself. For example, the Hanoi and Saigon styles of pho differ by noodle width, sweetness of broth, and choice of herbs. The spices, often wrapped in cheesecloth to prevent them from floating all over the pot, usually contain: cloves, star anise, coriander seed, fennel, cinnamon, black cardamom, ginger and onion. Garnishes include green onions, white onions, Thai basil, fresh Thai chili peppers, lemon or lime, bean sprouts, and cilantro. Fish sauce or a hot chili sauce can be added at the end for extra flavor. 

Day 13: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

Today, I am going to discuss some questions that I have about Phase 2. I mentioned in a post during Phase 1, that there are some discrepancies in the book. I’ve been taking notes of things that are unclear to me and I’d like to share them with you. Maybe someone who is reading the book and is trying to get a better understand of the Diet, will also read Thai post and have the same questions I do. 

First of all, I would like to know if corn is allowed in Phase 2. Corn, is made up of a grain, which are technical “seeds” called kernels. Corn is used in cooking as a starch and does not contain gluten, per say. Corn does contain a form of gluten called: zein. Zein is slightly different from other types of gluten. Maize kernels were first used by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica, during prehistoric times. Kernels gained popularity all around the world because of it’s ability to grow in diverse climates. According to Wikipedia, a study done in 2009 shows that 85% of corn grown in the United States is a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). 

Although corn doesn’t hold the best reputation in America, due to its GMO’s and high levels of starch, corn does have some nutritional value. Corn is full of iron, Vitamin B6 and magnesium. And granted corn is full of carbohydrates, 1 cup of corn contains 32% of protein for the Daily Value (DV). It’s no wonder why animals are fed corn in America today: it’s packed with calories. 

Another food that I am unsure is allowed in Phase 2, are potatoes. There is a recipe in the book that has potatoes in it for Phase 2, but it doesn’t ever mention adding back potatoes on the “foods to add back” list. This confuses me a little. I do know that sweet potatoes are allowed in Phase 2,  as well as yams but there is no mention about adding regular potatoes back, except for one recipe. Maybe Dr Kellman meant “sweet potatoes” in the recipe, rather than regular potatoes as mentioned in the Microbiome Diet book. 

The last food item that I’ve been wondering about since Phase 1 are grapes. There is no mention about grapes in the book. Well, I found out that grapes are a part of the berry family. Berries are allowed in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 on the Microbiome Diet, so my best guess is that grapes are okay even in the beginning of Phase 1! Let me share with you what I found after doing a little research on grapes. Grapes contain many benifical nutrients, one benefit includes phytonutrient: these are believed to play an important role in longevity. The top phytonutrient on the list is called resveratrol: which is found in the grape’s skin, but also can be present in the flesh. Resveratrol contains psychological benefits. 

Grapes also contain anthocyanins, the main polyphenols, providing grapes the purple color. Anthocyanins pack grapes with an antioxidant punch. Polyphenols, called catechins, are abundant in white grape varieties. Although, both white grapes and purple grapes contain antioxidants, the content is greater in the purple skins. 

Grape seeds, not the actual grape but rather those annoying seeds we tend to spit out, also contain procyanidins. These indicate potential anti-cancer effects. Grape seeds also presume high levels of Vitamin E, phytosterols and polyunsaturated fatty acids. So next time you spit out the seeds while eating a bowl of grapes, think again. With that said, I’ll go on to talk about my food log for the day. 

Today, I started my day with homemade granola to make a cereal. I used goats milk for my liquid. I also had a pear for breakfast. For my snack, I had a few barbecued sweet potatoes. For lunch, I had a few pork ribs and pulled pork. For my afternoon snack, I had a kiwi, a few strawberries and some raw macademia nuts. For dinner, I had a salad that contained: butter lettuce, spinach, romaine, raw red onions, an avocado, beets and quinoa all tossed with wonderful homemade Cesar dressing. After dinner, I had some ginger tea with a fresh squeezed lemon. 

Day 12: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

 Do you remember the advertisement campain, “the incredible, edible egg?” It’s a well known slogan made by the American Egg Board. You may also remember the fad where eggs whites were used for consumption and the yolk was thrown away because it was “too fatty” or had too much cholesterol. 

Fact is, egg yolks contain only about 5 grams of fat and although a certain percentage of that is saturated fat, eggs also contain healthy fats, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Additionally, both egg yolks and egg whites contain high amounts of protein and choline. Eggs also contain Vitamin A and Vitamin D, which are benifical. 

Due to the high amount of protein content of eggs, the USDA categorized eggs as “meats” within the Food Guide Pyramid. Eggs are laid by female animals of many species, including birds, replies, amphibians and fish. Eggs from birds contain a protective shell, white and yolk. Chicken eggs are the most popularly consumed egg. 

The variation in color of an egg is one of the most common misconceptions: the color of the shell is not dependent on the color of the chicken, as most think. The shell color is cosmetic and has not been proved toeffect the quality or taste. In fact, it is only a coincidence that white eggs happen to be the more commonly know as the commercially raised eggs. This is due to the chicken breed used for mass producing eggs. Brown eggs are also coincidently more popularly found to be sold as free range or farm raised chicken eggs, due to the chicken breed used in small egg productions. The chicken breed is not the same as the breed used for commercially raised eggs.

I wanted to talk a little about eggs today because, I feel so thankful to be able to raise chicken (for laying eggs) at home. I say for laying eggs because there are also meat chickens that are used for the consumption of meat and are also a different breed than laying chickens. I love being able to go outside into the chicken coop and grab a few, newly laid eggs. These eggs are so fresh and hold their shape, they contain vibrant colors and have strong shells. Once I started eating home raised chicken eggs, there was no going back to store bought eggs. The eggs from the store have just been “laying” around longer (no pun intended). The white is more runny with store bought eggs and the color is more of a dull yellow, as opposed to the deep orange color contained in the yolk from the eggs I grab from my back yard. It’s obvious, the eggs from home raised chicken are more fresh and haven’t been on a truck stored in the grocery store for days at a time. 

As far as the Microbiome Diet goes, eggs are not allowed in Phase 1 because people with leaky gut have a hard time digesting eggs. It’s not that eggs are bad in any way, it’s just that we need to detox in Phase 1 for eggs to be allowed in Phase 2. Some people also suffer and range from mild to severe egg allergies, but it is the detoxification process of Phase 1 that could help determine the sensitivity when adding back foods in Phase 2.  

It would only be appropriate to start my day with eating eggs, especially because that is what my post is about today. So, I started off with eating two coconut oil, pan fried eggs with sea salt. My morning snack was a “Blueberry Kale Smoothie” from the book. The recipe contained: 1/2 cup kale, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/4 avocado, 1 teaspoon almond butter, 3/4 cup kefir, 5 ice cubes and 2 tablespoon pea protein powder (which I didn’t add). I didn’t care for this smoothie, the only thing I could taste was the kale. I also tried a bite of a homemade brownie that my Mom made and wanted to me to try. 

For lunch, I had homemade granola and goat’s milk. For my afternoon snack, I had a few homemade crackers, chèvre goat cheese and a plum. I also had ginger tea and fresh squeezed lemon juice for my snack. Dinner consisted of homemade stew. The stew ingredients include: stew meat, pan sautéed with brown rice flour, arrowroot flour, extra virgin olive oil, chicken broth, carrots, sweet potatoes, Italian seasoning, white pepper and sea salt. The stew was served over steamed white rice.  

Day 11: The Microbiome Diet (Phase 2)

I’ve been looking for a good cracker since I started Phase two of the Microbiome Diet. All the crackers that I’ve found in the grocery stores, at health food stores or even specialty stores, contain either soy, wheat or preservatives that are not allowed. Finally I got tired of looking around and decided to make homemade crackers. 

Upon looking for cracker recipes, I stumbled upon a “Gluten-Free Garlic Crispy Rice Cracker” recipe on a blog I found called, Naturally Loreiel. This recipe contains: 1 cup of white rice flour (I used brown rice flour), 1/4 cup sesame seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon sunflower oil (I substituted grape seed oil), 1/3 cup water, plus half of a 1/3 cup water. Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the wet ingredients. Knead dough on parchment paper and roll with a oiled, rolling pin. Score dough or use a cookie cutter to desired size for cracker. Bake at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. After baking, cool the crackers and break apart. 

I really liked this recipe, the only part is that the dough started falling apart when I rolled it out with the rolling pin. It is important to make sure the rolling pin has oil on it and the dough contains the proper amount of moisture to hold it together. This particular cracker recipe has an immense amount of savory flavors with the garlic powder and sesame seeds. It also has a hint of sweet, which I really liked. I plan to make this recipe again. 

The second cracker recipe I made was called: “Homemade Flax and Hemp Seed Cracker Recipe (Grain-free and Gluten-free)” by Gourmandeinthekitchen.com. This recipe contains, 1/2 cup almond meal (I used brown rice flour), 1/2 cup flax seed meal, 2 tablespoons hemp seeds (I substituted sunflower seeds), 1 tablespoon coconut flour, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1 large egg white. Mix dry ingredients together and then add the melted butter and egg white to try dry mixture. Knead dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll with a rolling pin. Use the pizza cutter to cut small squares and bake in the oven at 300 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes. After crackers are baked, cool on cookie rack and enjoy! 

The third cracker recipe that I made is a recipe I got from elanaspantry.com, called “Rosemary Crackers.” This recipe contains: 1 1/3 cups blanched almond flour, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped, 1 tablespoon olive oil and an egg. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk the olive oil and eggs in a separated bowl. Stir the wet ingredients in with the almond flour mixture until throughly combined. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, with a rolling pin. Once dough is about 1/8″ thick, remove parchment paper from the top, cut dough into 2 inch squares and bake in the oven for 15 minutes on 350 degrees fahrenheit. Let crackers cook on baking sheet. Yum was this recipe yummy, I can imagine it with soft goat cheese. That will have to be my snack for tomorrow. 

I started my day with a breakfast smoothie called the “Apple Cider Smoothie,” located in the Microbiome Diet book; the recipes and additional information on smoothies is posted on Day 9, Phase 2’s publishing. I felt like I needed protein after the smoothie, so I made two coconut oil fried, home-raised chicken eggs. For my snack, I had a few of the crackers that I made: I snacked on both the sesame seed crackers and the flax seed crackers. I also had some ginger tea with my morning snack.

For lunch, I had one leftover Korean style short ribs, seasoned with: garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, white pepper and sea salt. For my afternoon snack, I had “Curried Roasted Cauliflower,” a recipe under the snack section of the book. This recipe contains 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 head of cauliflower, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds. 

For dinner I had ground beef, formed into a hamburger patty; I pan fried the patty in red palm oil and topped it with avocado. For my vegetable, I had broccoli florets pan fried in olive oil. 

If anyone is wondering, my weight has been the same since I lost the intitial five pounds at the beginning of Phase 1. This means that the a Diet is working, Dr Kellman claims that there should be no weight gain between Phase 1 and 2. Although the I am eating all this delicious foods, you would never know the difference by what the scale is telling me.