We’ve finally created the long awaited Sweet Treat sections. This one is especially for folks who are ready to reintroduce some of the foods that are restricted earlier on in the program.

Hi folks,

Welcome to the recipe sections of the forums. Thank you to all of you who have contributed!

Recipe Coding:

The recipes are coded according to the healthfulness of their ingredients and preparation methods.

Thumbs up Icon – I considered it overall to be a healthy recipe.
Question Mark Icon - The recipe contains some questionable ingredients or method of cooking. I may or may not suggest an alteration.

If a recipe has been rated and or edited by me it will now have asterisk in the subject line (from approx. Nov. 2009 onwards.) These astrisks have a different meaning from the ones within the post that I explained above. For consistency, if possible I will try to find the time to go back in to earlier recipes and make sure they also display the asterisk.

Below I will describe what I mean by “questionable ingredients.”
* (Asterisk) – Ingredients marked with an Asterisk are considered questionable ingredients that may or may not be OK for you – see the post Considerations regarding questionable foods

QConsiderations regarding questionable foods This post dsecirbes the concerns about questionable ingredients and, in some cases, offers an alternative to them.


Many people feel so good on the stage I guidelines that they choose to maintain them for their whole program. There is no rule that says you have to bring the stage II and III foods back in (ever). The stage I food therapy approach can be healthfully sustained throughout the program and beyond and to do so, may in fact, enhance your healing capacity.

If you choose to introduce some of the stage II and III foods as are found in the following recipes, do take care to observe yourself carefully and make sure that you are ready to make the transition. Also keep in mind that when discontinuing a therapeutic diet many people discover that they've had hidden allergies that they may have suffered from for a long time. Stay in tune with how your body is responding to these foods as you eat them again and be sure to use your diet diary to help you keep track. If you make the transition prematurely, you can just start again at the previous diet stage.

The following treat recipes are a result of the accumulated hard work of many of our most creative members. There are some totally delectable dishes listed below. Yummmm! I can’t wait to try some of them! Many thanks to all of you who have contributed here.

Although the intro to the sweet section is a funny place to do this, I invite you to explore what life would be like without any sweet flavours. When we steer away from even naturally sweetened foods, our taste buds become acutely tuned to the subtle sweetness of vegetables and grains and many people find that they can even taste other flavours more fully – like savoury, salty, and tangy.

Abstaining from sweetness (and starchiness) in our foods for a time can also help us get in touch with a natural, effortless tendency towards moderation. Extreme cravings fade into the background. Avoiding all of the foods that tend to trigger allergic reactions will support the tendency towards moderation even further.

Even allergy free and moderate carb foods can can trigger serotonin release and too much of this hormone can make us feel sluggish and less sharp mentally. Also, some of the recipes include some not so healthy ingredients. Any ingredient that I have a concern about either has a suggested replacement inserted or has an asterisk beside it. Depending on the quantity and or replace ability of a questionable food in the recipe it I may still have flagged it as a “thumbs up” recipe.

If the recipe is largely based around a questionable food , contains a highly questionable food or if it contains several of these questionable ingredients it will be labeled with a question mark icon rather than a “thumbs up.” Let me know if you have questions about how a recipe has been rated, or if you feel I've overlooked something. Although I do the sorting of the recipes in shifts, often weeks apart, I do my best to be consistent.


Disclaimer:

For optimum immune function, cleansing capacity, inflammation control and a balanced appetite, I recommend the consumption of the foods in this section in small amounts and only occasionally. Also, try to choose them when you are in a strong state of mind and are not likely to binge on them. Remember “Nothing tastes as good as health feels!”



With love,

TLC

PS the Diet FAQ section has a thread called " Considerations regarding Questionable Foods on the Whole Approach diet." Via this post you can reference explanations about restrictions of some food ingredients.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tarilee,