Individual Foods, Beverages, and Sweeteners

[Site Administrator]

What about miscellaneous food items that do not appear on the food lists?

Information about many unlisted foods can now be found within the archived forum “FOODS, BEVERAGES, and SWEETENERS.” You can usually figure out if a whole food is OK simply by following these rules:

1. All non-grain, non-potato, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables are allowed-- right from the get-go-- in unlimited quantities with the exception of avacado (1/2 fist per meal) and ackee (1/2 fist per meal). If slow progress is a problem, bananas should be limited and never eaten by themselves.

2. All meats, fish, and poultry are allowed in unlimited amounts provided the protein to fat ratio (in grams) is at least 4 to 1.

3. All nuts and seeds are allowed in limited quantities, up to half a cup per sitting, for a total of up to one and one half cup per day.



Is it OK to drink diet soda?

I'm personally EXTREMELY wary of artificial sweeteners; I was a big anti-aspartame voice in the late 90's (a lot of my articles are still available on-line) and I'm not convinced that Sucralose is any safer. I feel strongly that these chemicals will promote the very inflammatory processes that the TYT program was meticulously designed to combat. In addition, high levels of carbonation cause magnesium wasting and contribute to mineral imbalances.

If you're really craving that diet soda experience, I recommend drinking lightly carbonated sparkling water flavored with a dash of fruit juice. The taste is subtle compared to soda, but most people eventually come to prefer it.



I understand that you do not endorse any artificial sweeteners. Are there any alternatives that are program-compliant?

Stevia, Organic Zero, and agave nectar are all program-compliant alternatives to sugar and artificial sweeteners.



What should I look for in a whey protein?

Look for brands that are highest in protein relative to fat and carbohydrate. Out of a 25 to 30-gram serving, you should expect at least 20-23 grams of protein, no more than 3 grams of fat, and no more than 5-6 grams of total carbohydrate (including sugars.) Avoid products that contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose.



I started chewing a piece of gum today not really thinking about it when a few minutes later I realized it had sugar, aspartame, and soy products in it! Is gum something to be avoided or is it OK since you don't technically eat it? Does this mean I have to start over with the week 1 guidelines, or do I just pretend it never happened?

Don't worry-- chewing sugar gum will not derail all your efforts! If possible, and especially during the initial four weeks of the program, I recommend chewing xylitol brands. Some pharmacies carry them, though you may have to either buy them from your dentist (xylitol is good for your enamel) or order them on-line.



I know we're supposed to avoid drinking alcohol for the first six weeks, but I understand that cooking with wine usually burns off the alcohol and leaves the flavor. If this is true, could wine be added to the condiments in weeks 4-6 for cooking purposes only?

Two tablespoons of wine per serving for cooking purposes only are OK starting in week 4.



I've heard that salmon and tuna have mercury in them and should be eaten sparingly. How much is too much?

As long as you stay away from farmed salmon and tuna, you should be fine eating wild salmon up to three times a week. Farmed salmon are fed a meal made mostly from larger fish and, as a result, their flesh contains an especially high levels of cancer-causing PCBs and dioxins. Large fish, such as tuna, marlin, and king mackerel, have much higher levels of heavy metals and other toxins compared to smaller fish because they've been accumulating them in their flesh for many years. Tuna or farmed salmon consumption should be limited to once per week.