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Modified Stone Age diet
We recommend this diet as the basis of a healthy balanced diet to many of our patients, though we make modifications for the individual as needed, and also make changes according to a patient’s response to the diet. In addition, we sometimes use this diet as a starter in patients with food allergy problems, though we may also use more restricted food elimination and rotation diets when needed. When making significant dietary changes, it is important that you know how to obtain the nutrients you need. Our patients all receive personal advice about this, and the following information is given here as a reference source for our patients. Any food below to which sensitivity is suspected is also omitted.
This diet is:
- Additive free
- Dairy free
- Yeast free
- Low GI
- Wheat, oats and corn free
- Includes healthy fats
- Low saturated fat
- Sugar free
Foods to include:
- Any green or leafy vegetables including: spinach, kale, cabbage, spring greens, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, asparagus,
- Salads and other vegetables , including: lettuce and a wide range of other raw leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, peppers, onions, grated raw carrots/ celeriac/ beetroot, aubergine, artichoke, avocado
- Higher GI/starchy vegetables in moderation (better evening): potatoes (boiled/steamed in skins best), sweet potatoes, yam, pumpkin, swede, cooked carrots and beetroot
- Sprouted beans
- Mushrooms
- Any fruits (higher GI fruits such as banana, grapes, melon, avocado should be in moderation)
- Dried fruits: These are high GI (except for apricots), so have in moderation
- Seeds: Sunflower, pumpkin, flax, quinoa, amaranth, poppy, sesame, hemp
- Nuts: Brazil, hazelnut, cashew, pumpkin, walnut, macadamia, almond etc
- Nut and seed butters: peanut, cashew, brazil, walnut, tahini, sunflower seed, or combination nut/seed butters – a wide range is now available.
- Oils: flax, olive, avocado, sesame, safflower (you can also find margarines made from these, though use sparingly, and note that some ‘sunflower’ margarines may contain milk powder. A wholefood shop should stock a choice).
- Grains or grain-like products (for meat eaters, best in evening, for vegetarians needed as part of protein source through the day): Millet, buckwheat, sago, tapioca, quinoa, amaranth, brown long grain rice, brown basmati rice, occasional risotto rice, red rice, wild rice
- Flours : gram, rice, potato, hemp, tapioca, arrowroot, buckwheat, amaranth, wheat free baking powder. Note: even wheat free flours are higher GI, so use occasionally
- ‘Milks’: soya, rice, quinoa, tiger white (sedge)
- Pulses: butter beans, chick peas, lentils, peas, cannelloni, kidney (use for dips, spreads, sauces, as well as whole)
- Soya products: soya milk, tofu – silken for dips/desserts, plain, smoked or Japanese style, tempeh, soya cream, miso, soy sauce
- Quinoa products: milk, quinova (chunks or mince)
- Flavourings: Use a range of spices, herbs, sea salt, pepper, brag liquid aminos; wheat free soy sauce (e.g. tamari) and vinegars (except for some patients with candida/gut dysbiosis)
- Vegan pesto: so useful for vegetarians, I’ve given it its own category. Some contain vinegar, so choose non-vinegar one if candida/gut dysbiosis problem, or make your own pesto from ground pine or brazil nuts, a little oil, and basil plus or minus other herbs such as parsley or coriander.
- Dips, dressings, sauces: You can make a very wide range from the list here. We recommend ‘The Saucy Vegetarian’ by Joanne Stepaniak for some excellent and varied ideas. Health food shops may stock sauces and dressings which comply with this list.
- Pastas: Health food shops (and some supermarkets) may stock: brown rice noodles, vegetable pasta, rice pasta, millet pasta. You can make your own gnocchi from pumpkin
- Pancakes: These can be made from gram, buckwheat and other flours, see ‘cooking without’ type of cookbooks for details. Yorkshire Hemp produce a ready made hemp pancake mix made from black eyed peas, hempseed and grape pips
- Breads: Health food shops may sell speciality breads made from the flours listed above, or you can make your own. See specialist allergy cookbooks for recipes. These breads will still be high GI, so use sparingly, and preferably in the evening. Rice cakes can be used as crackers, again they are still high GI. (The Japanese version is worth trying for those who think the standard ones are like eating polystyrene).
- Yoghurt: Live soya yoghurt, or kefir. Make your own.
- Eggs: hen, duck or quail
- Fish fresh, frozen or tinned (avoid dyed fish)
- Meat (go for organic meats, and avoid cheaper sausages which contain rusk/grain fillers)
- Drinks: filtered or bottled (in glass) water, herb teas, green tea, occasional diluted apple/pear/grape/tomato juice (but beware high GI of fruit juices).
- Sweeteners: If you need to use a ‘sugar’, use fructose (a fruit sugar), fruit juice, or the herb stevia. NB fructose can be substituted for sugar but only 2/3rds of the amount is needed.
Foods to avoid:
- Dairy (milk, cream, butter, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais)
- Wheat (cakes, bread, pasta, etc), corn, maize, oats, rye
- Sugar, artificial sweeteners, sweets, most cakes, biscuits, sweets
- Tea, coffee, chocolate (apart from occasional treats or 70% dark chocolate if you are not allergic to it)
- Sugary drinks, alcohol (except for occasional treats- go for wine, as some spirits are grain based)
- Ready meals
- Processed foods
- Ready made sauses
- Any foods containing artificial additives, preservatives, flavourings, colourings, lactose/corn fillers.
- Patients with candida/gut dysbiosis problems may also need to avoid vinegars, miso, soy sauce, tempeh, alcohol
Recipe books and meal plans:
There are so many recipe books catering for different needs now, that there really has been no better time for following a healthy low allergen diet. The diet is more straightforward for meat eaters, but for vegetarians we have recommended some cookery books to give you ideas.
The Saucy Vegetarian, Joanne Stepaniak 2000. No cook sauces, dressings, dips. Enable you to quickly turn a plate of steamed veggies and grain or tofu into something altogether more interesting.
The Glucose Revolution Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook, Kate Marsh with Philippa Sandall 2006. Does contain some dairy, corn and wheat, but some vegan recipes.
Low-GI Vegetarian Cookbook, Rose Elliot 2007. Some dairy and wheat recipes, but a useful book nevertheless, and a great chick pea flour pancake recipe.
Vegan, Tony Weston and Yvonne Bishop 2004. An intelligent cookbook which pays attention to omega 3 fats, seaweeds and general nutritional content. Does use wheat and sugar in some recipes, so you have to pick and choose, and substitutes as needed.
You Are what you Eat cookbook Gillian McKeith 2005. Generally low GI, nutritionally sound, wheat free, does include some meat/fish receipes, but mostly vegetarian. Some healthy dessert options.
Vegetarian Cooking Without,Barbara Cousins 2000 (There is also a non veggie version for those so inclined). Recipes without gluten, sugar, yeast, dairy, saturated fat, meat and fish. Useful resource for how to use non wheat flours, how to substitute in standard recipes.
Food Watch Alternative Cookbook, Honor Campbell 1995. Another useful book for recipes using alternative flours and substituting.
To get you started here is an easy favourite, good hot or cold, so you can make enough for 2 days, or take it to work in your lunch box. If you do too many veggies, you could put them into a blender for a tasty dip.
Roasted Mediterranean vegetables and quinoa (serves 4-5)
Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water until the water has been absorbed (about 30 mins).
Meanwhile roast in a warm oven (approx 180 degrees or in our case however warm our Aga happens to be!) for about 30 minutes a combination of the following on a tray and drizzled with olive oil :
1-2 red or yellow peppers in large strips or chunks
2-4 tomatoes, chunks or cherry
1-2 sliced courgettes
1 sliced aubergine
Chunks or 2 red or white onions
Chunks of 1 fennel
After 10 minutes add cubes of 1 packet of smoked tofu and some mushrooms. When the veggies are roasted to taste, mix in a large bowl with the quinoa and a few tablespoons of vegan pesto. Enjoy.
We have tried this with various other veggies too, and it has always worked well, so experiment with what you have to hand.