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THE SPICE DIET PLAN PHASE 1: MAKING NICE WITH SPICE
You are committing to following the guidelines of Phase 1 for thirty days. During this time, you will begin to form healthy eating habits. Significant change happens when you make a radical shift in what you eat each day, as it did for me. Keep in mind that this is not a quick-fix, magic-bullet weight loss plan. I’m not promising that this will be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but if you’re willing to put in the work and dedication to change your habits and commit to immediate change, the architected spice blends and ingredients in my recipes—and those you will learn to create on your own—will propel you toward your goal.
You can expect to lose up to ten pounds in the first month eating The Spice Diet way, which is a healthy and sustainable loss of about 2.5 pounds a week. If your goal is to lose additional weight, you can stick with Phase 1 beyond the initial thirty days until you are close to your dream weight.
More important for the long term, as you enjoy the food on the plan, you will be retraining your taste buds to respond to flavor combinations that are more subtle than the sugar/salt/fat blast of the junk food you are used to eating. Not only do my recipes deliver megawatt flavor, but the functional blends of spices will work with your system to improve your health and metabolism from the inside. As the Fire Up sidebars have noted, the spices I use are medically proven to lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation, settle your digestive system, and provide a host of health benefits along with powerhouse flavor.
It’s time to fight and be the master of your fate. Put the power of spices to work for you.
PLAN AHEAD
When I committed myself to battling my weight for the long term, I knew from experience that the best way for me to take control of my eating was to plan my meals and snacks in advance. I was realistic enough to know I’d get into trouble if I was left scrounging around for something to eat when I was hungry. Talk about mindless eating! It helps when you control the foods that are available to eat in your immediate environment, and planning ahead will help you from being tempted to eat too much of the wrong things. At the beginning, not having too much choice will help you to stick with the program. It may seem limiting, but it works, and you will thank me later.
Turmeric
Research has found that when animals are fed curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, they lose more fat than those on the same diet without curcumin. Turmeric has been shown to:
Reduce inflammation, a leading factor in obesity.
Reduce fat accumulations.
Boost metabolism.
Use this brightly colored yellow spice as a seasoning in stews, soups, vegetables, and nuts. It’s a real fat buster!
As you start Phase 1 of the Spice Diet, I have included two weeks of daily meal plans in this chapter to take the guesswork out of what to eat. In preparing for Phase 1, you have already gotten rid of the foods you should avoid eating. Before I get to the nitty-gritty details of Phase 1, let’s get clear on what you should and should not eat in Phase 1.
THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS OF THE SPICE DIET
I have compiled lists of some of my top choices for foods you should eliminate from your diet, some you should limit, and the clean food you can enjoy guiltlessly. I call these lists the “Haves and Have Nots of Healthy Eating.” If you follow these food choice dos and don’ts and make the healthy core foods part of your lifestyle, I promise you will see change. You will lose weight, feel better than you ever thought you could, and glow with super-energy. Eating nutritious meals will not only fuel your body, but will lift your spirits as well.
Changing what you eat is a small price to pay for such great benefits. The recipes in The Spice Diet will deliver extraordinary flavor, mouth-watering aromas, decadent mouthfeel, and crunchy textures in the healthy meals you will be making.
Stay Away
The foods in the following list are toxic for you. It’s time for a Dear John letter to these substances in your life. It’s that simple. When you are tempted to eat anything on the list or food that contains one of these ingredients, remind yourself that they are poison for you and are obstacles on your path to a slimmer, more radiant, and healthier you.
Alcohol (beer and liquor)—Don’t curse me out under your breath!
Artificial sweeteners
Baked goods—breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, crackers—made with white flour
Canned fruits with added sugar
Canned soups
Canned vegetables
Fatty fried foods
Frozen meals
High-fat meats
High-fructose corn syrup
Hydrogenated oils
Ice cream
Junk snack foods (candy, salty chips, microwavable popcorn, pretzels)
Pastas made with white flour
Peanut butter
Processed cheese (cheese singles, cheese that comes in a can, cheese spreads)
Processed foods that come in a box, can, or bag
Processed meat (canned meats, hot dogs, bologna, salami, chicken nuggets)
Refried beans
Salad dressings in a bottle
Salted or smoked nuts and seeds
Soda or soft drinks
Sugar-free products
Sugary fruit drinks
Sugary sports drinks
Whole milk
Artificial Sweeteners Make You Hungry
Although sugar substitutes contain no calories, they can contribute to weight problems. Artificial sweeteners can interfere with your body’s natural regulating processes. Artificial sweeteners trick your body, which judges the number of calories in what you eat by how it tastes. When you drink a diet soda, for example, your taste buds communicate to your brain that energy is coming in in the form of sugar. Since there are no calories in the soda, your body does not get the expected fuel. When the expected calories don’t arrive, signals are sent to your brain that your body needs to be fed, leaving you hungry.
Sugar substitutes trick your body in another way. They are 200 to 13,000 times as sweet as sugar. The “feel good” hormones in your brain, such as the endorphin dopamine, respond in kind to such an extremely strong signal. As more endorphins are produced, your pleasure increases, which can lead you to eat more. As you know, the taste of sweetness can be addictive. You are getting a sugar high without the calories of sugar, which leaves your body craving the expected energy. “Diet” foods, most of which use artificial sweeteners, set off a vicious cycle that results in increased hunger and the increased food intake that follows.
Indulge
The foods on the list that follows are at the core of the Spice Diet. Make sure you stock your pantry with these staples and have plenty of fresh items on hand. You will be surprised by the variety of delicious, satisfying meals you can create with these ingredients. While you are following the meal plans, my advice is to buy three to five days of ingredients at a time.
Vegetables
Arugula
Asparagus
Avocados
Beans, dried or organic canned (black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans)
Beets
Bell peppers
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chiles (jalapeños, Thai chiles, habaneros, ghost peppers, chipotle peppers, poblano peppers, Fresno peppers)
Cucumbers
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger
Green beans
Herbs (fresh)
Kale
Lentils
Lettuces and greens (Boston, bibb, butter, endive, oak leaf, and romaine lettuces, collard greens, Swiss chard, rainbow chard, endive, radicchio)
Mushrooms
Onions (Spanish, red, sweet, scallions, ramps, leeks, shallots)
Parsnips
Popcorn, air-popped
Radishes
Spinach
Squash (acorn, butternut, calabaza, delicate, hubard, kabocha, patty pan, pumpkin, spaghetti, yellow zucchini)
Tomatoes
Watercress
Fruit
Apple
Applesauce, all natural, unsweetened
Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, goji)
Citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit, blood orange, orange, tangerine, clementine)
Melons (cantaloupe, Crenshaw, honeydew, watermelon)
Peach
Plum
Pear
Protein
Eggs
Fresh fish loaded with omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, lake trout, herring, snapper, cod, halibut, catfish)
Lean meat (pork tenderloin, filet mignon, flank steak, skinless chicken and turkey.
Protein powder, 100% plant based
Shellfish (shrimp, clams, oysters, octopus, squid, mussels, conch, crab)
Tuna (albacore, canned in water)
Oils
Coconut oil, 100% organic
Extra virgin olive oil
Grapeseed oil
Beverages
Coconut milk, light and unsweetened
Coconut water, unsweetened
Fresh vegetable and fruit juices, no sugar added. Limit fruit juices made from sweet fruit, including apples and tropical fruit to twice a week. It is better to eat the whole raw fruit.
Dairy
Milk (skim, 1%, and 2%)
Yogurt, low-fat
Nutmilks (almond and cashew), unsweetened
Condiments
Apple cider vinegar
Cocoa powder, unsweetened
Flavored vinegars
Mustard
Only in Moderation
These foods should not be eaten every day, but if you have them every now and then, it should not be a problem. I recommend limiting your consumption to once or twice a week, as long as they don’t put you over your calorie limit in each phase.
If you cannot get through a day without coffee, do not be alarmed to see coffee on this list. Recent studies have shown that moderating your coffee intake can boost weight loss. Animal studies have shown that drinking five or six cups of coffee a day caused increased fat storage and insulin resistance. On the other hand, drinking coffee in moderation, which means three cups or fewer per day, can reduce blood pressure, and prevent weight gain. The researchers believe that too much coffee might hinder the body’s ability to use and process fat. You can get by on three cups a day, can’t you? Maybe your dependence on coffee is an addiction you need to break. One other point, instead of whole milk, cream, or half and half, you should use only a little skim milk or unsweetened almond or cashew milk in your coffee; and avoid nondairy creamers or other flavored additives. Rich coffee concoctions will add too many calories to your daily intake. You might want to try using flavored coffee beans to satisfy your taste buds.
All-natural frozen fruit sorbets
Coffee—no more than 3 cups a day
Dark chocolate (70% cacao)
Dried fruit (dates, figs, apricots, raisins, cranberries, currants, cherries)
Honey
Mozzarella cheese
Nut and seed butters (sunflower, cashew, and almond)
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Pecorino Romano cheese
Pure maple syrup
Red and white wine
Tropical fruits (pineapples, mangoes, bananas)
HEALTHY SUBSTITUTES
After reading the “Have and Have Not” lists, you might be puzzled about how you are going to cook when some ingredients you use all the time are in the “Have Not” category. The fact is that there are healthy substitutes for just about everything. Some replacements might surprise you. I have collected a number of substitutes for simple carbs, sugar, fat, and salt as well as baking ingredients. Vegans, who do not eat dairy, refined flour products, refined sugar, meat, and fish, developed many of the substitutions. If you feel limited by the “have nots,” these solutions will open your eyes to a wide variety of possibilities.
Replacing Simple Carbs
Whole wheat for refined flour: Whole wheat flour takes longer to digest, and refined white flour is like eating sugar.
Brown rice for white rice: White rice is refined, removing the nutritious outer shell of the grain. Brown rice retains the husk and bran layers, providing lots of fiber and other nutrients.
“Zoodles” for pasta: You have most likely seen devices advertised on TV for cutting spiral strips from vegetables. Replacing pasta with strips of zucchini or other veggies creates guilt-free pasta. You can find vegetable “noodles” pre-prepared in some grocery stores and markets.
Spaghetti squash for pasta: Just scrape the inside of a roasted spaghetti squash into strands with a fork and you have a delicious pasta substitute.
Cauliflower or turnip mash for mashed potatoes: If you use spices and herbs for flavor or a little olive oil on steamed or roasted cauliflower and turnips and mash, you won’t believe you are not eating potatoes with these mashed vegetables.
Grated steamed cauliflower for rice: I love to make cauliflower “fried rice.” The textures are very similar.
Quinoa for couscous: Quinoa is a whole grain that is a complete protein. Couscous is made from processed white flour. Is there even a choice?
Nuts for croutons: Why eat toasted bread when you can substitute nutritious nuts for the crunch factor in your salad?
Ground flaxseeds for bread crumbs: Crushing flaxseeds or using flax meal (ground flaxseeds) is a low-carb substitute for bread crumbs.
Almond meal for bread crumbs: Ground almonds will brown just as bread crumbs do.
Rolled oats for bread crumbs: Try seasoning your rolled oats with any spice blend for great flavor.
Replacing Sugar:
Stevia for sugar: Now that you are off artificial sweeteners, try stevia, which is a natural sweetener made from the stevia plant. Liquid stevia can be three hundred times sweeter than sugar, so follow the instructions for use carefully. Powdered stevia is available that can be substituted for the same amount of sugar. Unless otherwise noted on the packaging, you can make a 1:1 substitution.
Cacao nibs for chocolate chips: Nibs are minimally processed crushed cacao beans. They are an excellent source of antioxidants, iron, and magnesium. A lot of sugar is added in the process of converting nibs to chocolate, so get back to the basics and still get the flavor of chocolate.
Cinnamon for cream and sugar in coffee: Just a sprinkle of cinnamon can complement the flavor of coffee so well you will not miss the sugar.
Unsweetened iced tea for juice: Fruit juice can be loaded with sugar. There are so many flavors of tea available now. Make your own and keep a pitcher in the refrigerator. Don’t forget the fresh mint!
Pureed fruit: I use pureed fruit in my smoothies and also as a sauce. There is no need to rely on sugary syrups.
Replacing Fat:
Unsweetened almond or coconut milk for dairy milk: Obviously, there is no animal fat in almond milk. I use it in smoothies all the time. You can use almond or coconut milk as you would use milk from cows.
Banana “ice cream” for ice cream: I have an extravagantly delicious recipe for banana “ice cream” on here. To make simple banana ice cream, all you have to do is freeze bananas and then puree them. A dollop can add creaminess to a smoothie.
Coconut milk for heavy cream in soups and stews: If you want a creamy texture without having to rely on fat, try coconut milk. It’s delicious and heart-healthy.
Greek yogurt for sour cream: I use Greek yogurt to top my chili and Mexican food these days, and don’t miss the sour cream at all.
Greek yogurt for mayonnaise: Just add some spice and herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice to make a terrific spread.
Mashed avocado for mayonnaise: As you know, in my previous life I could never have enough mayonnaise. Now I use mashed avocado, which is packed with healthy fats, and the texture is great.
Ground poultry for ground beef: When you want to cut down on saturated fat, use ground turkey or chicken. Because the fat content is lower than beef, ground poultry can get dry in cooking. Adding a little chicken stock will keep it moist.
White-meat skinless poultry for dark-meat poultry: There is a reason people fight over the juicy drumstick! The fact is, dark meat has a lot of fat. White meat is higher in protein and iron.
Bison for beef: Look for bison in your market. It’s low in fat and has more B vitamins than beef.
Prosciutto for bacon: Bacon is one of the most loved flavors. Prosciutto is a better choice, because it is aged and not processed.
Sauté in chicken or vegetable stock rather than oil: You don’t have to use oil to sauté. The broth won’t brown what you are cooking as well as oil, but it does boost flavor and lightens up the dish.
Replacing Salt:
Herbs or citrus juice for salt: Using herbs and spices can outdo the flavor that salt gives food. Citrus juice can make food sparkle in your mouth.
Garlic powder for salt: Garlic can provide a ton of flavor to what you are cooking. I use granulated garlic, a different product that you can also find in the spice aisle as well.
Homemade salad dressing for bottled: Bottled salad dressing is full of sugar, salt, chemicals, and preservatives. Making your own dressing will not only save you money, but will taste so much better.
Replacing Baking Ingredients:
Pureed black beans for flour: Drain and rinse a 15-ounce can of organic beans and puree them. The can is equivalent to a cup of flour. Pureed beans are a terrific swap for flour in brownies.
Vanilla extract for sugar: The rule of thumb when you are using vanilla extract as a sugar substitute is to cut the amount of sugar in half and add a teaspoon of vanilla. If the recipe already calls for vanilla, use the 1 teaspoon in addition to the amount called for. Substituting vanilla extract is a good way to cut back on your use of sugar.
Mashed bananas for baking fat: Creamy mashed bananas are a great thickening agent. One cup mashed banana = 1 cup fat.
Unsweetened applesauce for sugar: Applesauce substitutes for sugar in a 1:1 ratio. Because applesauce is practically liquid, reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup.
Unsweetened applesauce for butter: This substitution works well in muffins and sweet breads. To start, only replace half the fat with applesauce and use butter or oil for the other half. Experiment to find the right balance.
Avocado puree for butter: Avocado and butter have close to the same consistency at room temperature and they are both fats. Avocado works well in recipes with dark chocolate, like brownies. One cup pureed avocado = 1 cup (2 sticks) butter.
Prune puree for butter: To make a butter substitute that works for dark baked goods, combine ¾ cup dried prunes with ¼ cup boiling water and let soak for 15 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor.
Chia seeds for butter: You may have seen chia seeds used for pudding. When combined with fluids, chia seeds produce a gel. As a butter substitute, combine 1 tablespoon chia seeds with ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon water. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. The gel is a good stand-in for fat when you are baking. I don’t suggest totally replacing fat with chia gel. Use half the fat called for in the recipe and the equivalent amount of chia gel.
Chia seeds for eggs: Those chia seeds certainly are versatile. Mix 1 tablespoon chia seeds with 1 cup water. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes; the resulting mixture is equivalent to 1 egg. It’s not a good idea to replace both butter and eggs with a chia substitute in the same recipe.
Flax meal for eggs: Mix 1 tablespoon flax meal (ground flaxseeds) with 3 tablespoons warm water and whisk until combined. Refrigerate the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes; the resulting mixture is equivalent to 1 egg.
Buying, Using, and Storing Spices and Herbs
Spices and herbs are at the heart of your new way of eating, so I want to give you some background on the dry-versus-fresh question. Some people think that fresh herbs are always the best option, but that is not necessarily the case. Many spices, including pepper, allspice, and cloves, come into the height of their flavor only after drying, because enzymes are activated in the drying process. Most spices you will be using are grown in the tropics, which would make them difficult to get fresh. The fact is that the majority of spices are at their best when dried. Fresh spices get their flavor and aroma from volatile oils and oleoresins in the cell structure of the plant. Over time, the oils evaporate and the spice loses its flavor and aroma.
Remember that dusty spice rack in my mother’s kitchen? The spices had been sitting around for so long that the contents of those jars were probably useless. Don’t buy large quantities, unless you use a particular spice regularly, because the flavors of a spice dissipate and flatten over time. Make a point to not keep spices after the use-by date. You’ll be sacrificing flavor if you do, and flavor is what spices are all about. Your spice rack should be placed out of direct sunlight. Some dried spices and herbs, such as parsley or chives, have a very delicate cell structure. That is why spices should be kept in the pantry, away from heat, light, and humidity.
To test dried herbs for freshness, put a few leaves in the palm of your hand and rub them with your thumb. By the time the leaves turn to powder, the warmth from your hand and the rubbing should release the aroma. If what you smell is strawlike or musty, that spice is over. Throw it away. If you are using a whole spice or herb, break off a piece and grate it. Give it the sniff test. Again, if the aroma does not capture the essence of the spice, the punch of the flavor has been reduced. If you want great flavor, use spices that are at their peak.
When you are buying dried herbs and spices, pay attention to the packaging. Stay away from cardboard boxes or low-barrier plastics, which oxygen can permeate, causing the spice to degrade. As pleasant as the experience can be, I avoid buying spices that can be scooped from bins, because the spices may have been exposed to bacteria, bugs, and a lot of air. Spices are best stored in jars with airtight lids. High-barrier resealable plastic packaging, which gases and moisture cannot permeate, can extend the life of dried spices and herbs, especially if you squeeze the air out before resealing the package.
Do not shake or pour dried spices and herbs directly from the jar over a steaming saucepan. If you do, you risk steam condensation around the opening of the container. The moisture can cause mold to form and make the spice oxidize.
Fresh herbs that are soft such as parsley, tarragon, dill, basil, chervil, mint, and cilantro can last a week in the refrigerator. After washing the herbs, put them in a glass with an inch of water at the bottom and cover the leaves with a plastic bag. You can leave the herbs on the counter in a glass with an inch of water if you change the water every three days or so.
It can be frustrating to buy fresh herbs for a recipe that requires only a tablespoon of the chopped herb. There is no need to waste perfectly good herbs or have them go bad in your refrigerator. There is an easy way to freeze herbs for future use. Chop soft herbs finely. Fill an ice cube tray with the chopped herb until each section is about two-thirds full. Add water to cover the chopped herb and freeze. When the cubes are completely frozen, remove the herb cubes, put them in a plastic bag, and store the bag in the freezer. The herb will be available whenever you need it. For storing herbs with hard stems, like rosemary, wrap the stems in foil and place the packet into a resealable plastic bag. Freeze the bag until you need the herbs.
If you are lucky enough to be able to grow your own herbs, you can harvest them and dry them yourself when your plants are producing too quickly for you to use them up or the season is about to end. Herbs you dry at home will be far more fragrant and colorful than commercially dried herbs. You do not have to invest in a dehydrator to preserve your herbs for future use. You can air-dry your herbs or dry them in the oven or microwave. Air-drying is most effective with low-moisture herbs such as dill, rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, and marjoram. Herbs containing more moisture, including mint, basil, and chives, dry better in the oven or microwave.
When you are planning to dry some herbs from the garden, cut the herb stems mid-morning, after the dew has dried, to achieve maximum flavor. Remove any wilted, yellowing, or sickly leaves. If rinsing is required, make sure you pat the herbs dry very well. You can dry herbs by spreading fresh cut stems on a parchment-lined baking sheet and leaving the stems to dry at room temperature. It’s a good idea to turn the herb stems every few days to ensure even drying. Or you can tie the herbs in small bundles of five to ten stems with string or a rubber band and hang them upside down to dry indoors. Find a spot out of direct sunlight, because too much sun can cause flavor loss and color fading. Either way, your herbs might be dried and ready to store in as little as a week. It depends on the level of humidity.
To dry herbs in the oven, place the herb, seeds, or stems in one layer on a baking sheet. Put the herbs in an oven set on low heat (lower than 180ºF) with the door open for two to four hours. The herbs are ready when the leaves are crisp, dry, and crumble easily. Oven-dried herbs will lose some of their flavor because they cook a bit while you are drying them. You may need to use a little more of these oven-dried garden herbs when you cook with them.
You can also nuke the leaves in a microwave. In fact, using the microwave is a great way to preserve flavor and color. Microwaves specifically target water as they are heating. We’ve all had the experience of nuking something for too long and having it become completely dehydrated and turn into a rock. This works in your favor with herbs. Microwaving an herb can make the water content evaporate quickly and leave flavor compounds and pigments behind. And the process is fast. Simply remove the leaves from the stems and spread them in a single layer on two paper towels, which have been placed on a microwavable dish. Do not used recycled paper toweling, because recycled paper sometimes contains bits of metal that can explode or cause a fire. Cover the leaves with another paper towel or a clean dishtowel. If you are drying hard herbs, put the herbs in the microwave and cook them for about a minute, then do a few twenty-second bursts until the leaves are dry. Delicate or soft herbs will take about forty seconds followed by twenty-second bursts until completely dry.
Whether you air-dry, oven-dry, or microwave your herbs, the test for when the herbs are dry is the same: When the leaves crumble easily and small stems break when they are bent, the herbs are properly dried. If they are not dry enough, leathery or soft herbs will develop mold, so you want to be sure the moisture is removed. Strip the dried leaves from the stem and keep them whole to store in airtight containers. Crush the leaves when you are ready to use them. The dried herbs should last a year if stored correctly (see here). Taking care of your herbs and spices will ensure that they enhance your cooking with the layers of flavor you want.
You Can Thrive without the “Have Nots”
When I was about to start Phase 1 of the Spice Diet, I was nervous about dropping simple carbohydrates and processed sugar from my diet. I usually put two teaspoons of sugar in my coffee, drank at least three cans of soda a day, no meal was complete without bread, and then there was dessert. Before I took the leap, I tried to wean myself from my addictions. I wasn’t very successful. I started drinking unsweetened coffee, but my sugar cravings kicked in, and I ended up eating more cookies and candy. Since gradually cutting back wasn’t working, I knew I had to go cold turkey.
I studied Judson’s food Haves and Have Nots and jumped right into Phase 1. I made a promise to myself to stick to the guidelines. I decided to start on the weekend so that I could take it easy and focus on cooking and planning snacks and meals for the following week. My husband offered to plan a weekend of fun for the kids. He was delighted to have some time alone with them. So off they went.
During that weekend, I learned what withdrawing from drugs must be like. As the day went on, I was grouchy and developed a roaring headache. My energy took a nosedive. I had stocked up for the weekend, so I was able to stay in bed or lie on the couch most of the day. I figured it was a good time to binge watch a couple of shows I had missed. I also treated myself to a lot of old movies. All I could think about was sweets. The cravings intensified. I felt hollow, but I knew it would pass. When my family came home that evening, they found me in bed with the covers over my head.
I felt better the next morning. I was still edgy and had mild flu-like symptoms, but I knew I had been through the worst of it. If I made it through the previous day, I believed I could do it again. I did some cooking, and the food tasted great. I’m not saying that I didn’t crave a muffin and a rich coffee drink, but I didn’t feel as if I could eat the couch. I was so grateful to my husband for giving me the space to go through my withdrawal from sweets alone. I would have been a bear to be with.
I was still a bit shaky on Monday, but I had been through two days without sugar and the symptoms were much less intense. The distraction of work was a good thing. At the end of the third day, I was over the hump. It takes time to change habits, but the physical cravings had substantially subsided. After a couple of weeks, I had beaten it—at least for the near future. If I lost the battle and had to go through it again, I would know what to expect. Of course, the thought of another “lost weekend” made me increase my resolve. If I was going to lose a weekend, I wanted it to be a “get away from it all” treat. Sunning my slim self on a tropical beach in a tiny bikini was where I wanted to be!
—Melanie D.
PHASE 1 GUIDELINES
As you begin the Spice Diet, it’s important to keep track of the calories you are consuming. It might seem old-fashioned, but believe me, it works. It’s so easy to underestimate your caloric intake. Knowing the caloric value of what you eat is an important part of getting your weight loss program off to a good start and transforming your diet forever. The recipes in chapters 9 and 10 have calorie counts to make the task easier.
Keeping track of the calories you consume is so much easier than it used to be. There are many free sites online and apps for your phone. The calorie trackers that get the best reviews include My Fitness Pal, Lose It!, Fat Secret, Cron-O-Meter, Spark People, and Diet Hero. If you download an app for your phone, you can record your calories when you eat your meals so you don’t have to remember what you’ve eaten in order to record it later. Make keeping track of what you eat a habit.
Guilt-Free Snacks
You will not starve on the Spice Diet. Plan to have a midmorning snack and another midafternoon. Making a habit of drinking water is also part of the plan. Increasing your water consumption is a good way to suppress hunger. Although the amount of water you should consume is not one-size-fits-all, on average, men should consume thirteen 8-ounce glasses of liquid a day and women should consume nine 8-ounce glasses.
Building snacks into your day will keep your blood sugar level from dipping between meals and will satisfy your taste buds. Healthy snacks are important in your daily diet to keep your metabolism going throughout the day, which helps to manage your weight and balance your diet. Snacking with good-for-you choices can:
Prevent cravings and overeating.
Help to maintain mental and physical energy throughout the day.
Aid with portion control at dinner, when most people tend to overindulge in food.
I often eat a small portion of leftovers as a snack. Having a few healthy snack items on hand will make Phase 1 a breeze. Pack up a few non-perishables in suggested portions and take them to work. You can keep others in the refrigerator packaged as individual snacks. Some snacks you can enjoy in moderation that can satisfy your taste for something sweet, crunchy, salty, or creamy include:
Almond or cashew butter (1 tablespoon) on celery, slices of banana, apple, or pear
Almonds or cashews, raw, unsalted (6 to 12)
Apple, pear, plum, peach, nectarine (medium)
Avocado (half) with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette
Broth or clear soup (1 cup)
Cantaloupe, honeydew, or watermelon cubes (1 cup)
Cheese (1 ounce cheddar, feta, Swiss, Gouda, cottage cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano) on apple slices
Chef Judson’s “Peach Cobbler” Power Bar and Citrus Protein Bar (see here and here)
Crudités (carrot spears, celery, bell pepper slices, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower) dipped in:
bean dip (2 to 4 tablespoons)
guacamole (2 to 3 tablespoons)
hummus (2 to 4 tablespoons)
roasted red pepper dip (2 to 4 tablespoons)
salsa (2 to 4 tablespoons)
Fat-free or 1% cottage cheese/ricotta cheese (4 ounces) with herbs and spices
Fat-free or light cream cheese (2 tablespoons)
Hard-boiled egg
Kale chips (homemade; see here)
Marinated artichoke hearts
Olives
Orange or grapefruit (small)
Peanuts, raw, unsalted
Pickled vegetables
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt (6 ounces) with fresh fruit or homemade fruit puree added
Roasted vegetables
Roll-ups—a lettuce leaf or a slice of turkey filled with hummus, carrots, or leftover vegetables
Slice of turkey or roast chicken
Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, or a mix (1 cup)
Sunflower or pumpkin seeds, raw, unsalted (½ ounce)
Vegetable juice (fresh)
Walnuts raw, unsalted
TWO WEEKS OF MEAL PLANS FOR PHASE 1
Following are meal plans for the first two weeks of Phase 1 to assure you that you will not go hungry when you eat the Spice Diet way. Instead, you will look forward to every snack and meal, which will be bursting with powerhouse flavor. The recipes for the Phase 1 Meal Plans can be found in chapter 9. Feel free to shift meals and snacks from one day to another. You might be too busy to prepare a suggested recipe on a particular day so rather than go off the plan, substitute another recipe or one of your own. Go right ahead and customize your meals as long as you stay within the caloric restrictions and follow the Haves and Have Nots lists (see here). You will be more successful if you tailor the menu to your tastes and needs.
There is great variety in the meal plans, but you might find that you like one snack so much you want to eat it every day, or you might repeat a favorite meal often. If that is the case, you can make a big batch of the recipe so that it’s ready for you when you want it. For example, if you love the bone broth, you can double or triple the recipe and freeze the extra broth in individual servings. You can make a big pot of chili and eat it all week or freeze the extra to eat in the future. The only limitation is that you should try to avoid eating beef more than twice a week.
I love leftovers and have built them into the menus. You can recycle dinner as your lunch a day or two later, as I have done a few times in the meal plans. Look over the menus for the week. Make your shopping list and buy what you will be eating in the next three or four days. The pleasure of anticipation will make your transformation easier, and food cravings will fade as you fully satisfy your taste buds. If you have a plan and look forward to what you are going to eat, you will be much less likely to go astray.
Of course, I have included a number of indulgent desserts. I suggest you plan to have desserts two or three times a week. I always save mine for the weekend, but you might choose to finish a meal with something sweet after a hectic weekday. When you have your two or three desserts a week is up to you.
Although you can start Phase 1 at any time, most people want to start out fresh and begin something new on a Monday. This works well, because you can prepare some items in advance during the weekend, such as bone broth, Quiche without the Carbs individual frittatas, seasoned nuts, and Chef Judson’s “Peach Cobbler” Power Bar so that you have a supply on hand for the busy week ahead. I have designed the menus with that in mind.
When I suggest using a spice blend, you can replace it with any blend you would like to try. If you have not yet made the spice blend I recommend, feel free to use a commercial seasoning such as Cajun, Italian, or curry powder, as long as the blend contains little to no salt or sugar. Remember this important fact: If salt or sugar is among the first ingredients listed on the label, put that bottle down. Ingredients are listed by quantity in decreasing order. The first ingredient is the predominant ingredient in the product. You will undermine your efforts if your intake of salt and sugar increases, so read labels carefully.
You are about to make a very big change in your life. The Spice Diet will reward you by giving you a new way to approach food that will light up the pleasure center in your brain as it boosts your health and well-being. Enjoy! You have a lifetime of pleasurable eating ahead.
Day 1
| Breakfast | Scrumptious Savory Scramble (here) |
| Snack | Basic Bone Broth (here) |
| Lunch | Lemon-Pepper Shrimp and Kale Salad (here) |
| Snack | Sweet-and-Sour Dill Pickle Cashews (here; 18 nuts) |
| Dinner | Golden BBQ Chicken with Southern Collard Greens (here and here) |
| Dessert | Summer Day Sorbet (here) |
Day 2
| Breakfast | 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries or a mixture of berries, sprinkled with unsweetened coconut flakes. |
| Snack | Sliced apple with 1 tablespoon almond butter. |
| Lunch | Beef (80% lean), turkey, chicken, veggie, or fish burger with lettuce, tomato, sliced onion, and avocado. Don’t be tempted to use mayo; instead, swap in a quality Dijon mustard or pesto. |
| Snack | Popcorn seasoned with the spice blend of your choice (here). |
| Dinner | Tuna Poke Bowl (here) or any grilled, baked, or broiled fish with my pecan crust (here) with mixed roasted vegetables with spice blend of your choice. |
Day 3
| Breakfast | Any herb and vegetable combination two-egg omelet. |
| Snack | Chef Judson’s “Peach Cobbler” Power Bar (here). |
| Lunch | Leftover BBQ chicken with a cucumber dill salad with nonfat Greek yogurt dressing. |
| Snack | Sweet-and-Sour Dill Pickle Cashews (18 nuts; here). |
| Dinner | Rustic Chicken Sausage Stew (here). |
Day 4
| Breakfast | Quiche without the Carbs Individual Frittata (here). |
| Snack | Fresh cut veggies with Honey-Fig Hummus (here). |
| Lunch | The Ultimate Tuna Salad (here) on a bed of lettuce, wrapped in a lettuce leaf, or on tomato rounds. |
| Snack | Basic Bone Broth (here). |
| Dinner | Lip-Smacking Chicken Wings (here) with Sesame-Ginger Kale Chips (here). |
| Dessert | Tropical Sorbet (here). |
Day 5
| Breakfast | Everything but the Kitchen Sink Green Drink (here). |
| Snack | Mixed olives in brine with Moroccan Spice Blend (here). |
| Lunch | Leftover Lip-Smacking Chicken Wings with Sesame-Ginger Kale Chips (here). |
| Snack | Raw unsalted pecans. |
| Dinner | Broiled or grilled steak with garlic cauliflower mash and steamed green beans with almonds, tarragon, and a touch of olive oil. |
Day 6
| Breakfast | Guilt-free Pancakes (here). |
| Snack | 1 piece of fruit, your choice. |
| Lunch | Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup (here). |
| Snack | 1 low-fat string cheese or 1 ounce reduced-fat cheese. |
| Dinner | Quick-and-Easy Jamaican Red Snapper Escovitch (here) with steamed vegetable of your choice with lemon. |
| Dessert | Buttery Macadamia Nut “Ice Cream” (here). |
Day 7
| Breakfast | Bright Eye Juice (here). |
| Snack | Celery with 1 tablespoon almond butter. |
| Lunch | Coconut Squash Soup (here) with a spinach and mushroom salad. |
| Snack | Sesame-Ginger Kale Chips (here). |
| Dinner | Chinese Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Kebobs with Easy Relish (here) and steamed broccoli. |
Day 8
| Breakfast | Diced melon and mint mixed with plain nonfat Greek yogurt, sprinkled with 1 tablespoon chopped pecans or any nut of your choice. |
| Snack | Cajun Brussels Sprout Chips (here). |
| Lunch | Leftover Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Soup (here). |
| Snack | Popcorn with spice blend of your choice (here). |
| Dinner | Broiled shrimp with Chesapeake Bay Crab and Seafood Spice Blend (here) with steamed or roasted asparagus with balsamic vinegar and a crumbled hard-boiled egg. |
Day 9
| Breakfast | One-egg Southwest omelet with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and/or salsa with 1 turkey sausage link. |
| Snack | Chef Judson’s “Peach Cobbler” Power Bar (here). |
| Lunch | Leftover broiled shrimp with avocado and tomato. |
| Snack | Pistachio Nuts (49 nuts) baked in oil with the Jamaican Me Crazy Jerk Spice Blend (here). |
| Dinner | Salmon Cobb salad (4-ounce piece of broiled or grilled salmon, 2 tablespoons chopped avocado, 1 strip of low-sodium turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled, a hard-boiled egg, and up to 2 tablespoons low-fat dressing). |
Day 10
| Breakfast | Everything but the Kitchen Sink Green Drink (here). |
| Snack | Up to 2 cups watermelon cubes with mint. |
| Lunch | Romaine lettuce roll-ups with hummus, asparagus, carrots, cucumber spears, and thinly sliced low-fat, low-sodium, all-natural turkey, roast beef, or ham. |
| Snack | Guacamole with fresh cut veggies. |
| Dinner | Effortless Thai Fried “Rice” (here). |
Day 11
| Breakfast | Quiche without the Carbs Individual Frittata (here). |
| Snack | Popcorn with your favorite spice blend (here). |
| Lunch | Leftover Effortless Thai Fried “Rice” (here). |
| Snack | Honey-Fig Hummus (here) with raw vegetables. |
| Dinner | Grilled or broiled salmon, cod, red snapper, halibut, or tilapia with spice blend of your choice (here) and Basic Cauliflower Rice (here). |
Day 12
| Breakfast | Two eggs, any style, with 2 turkey sausage links. |
| Snack | A medium orange, pear, banana, or apple with 10 almonds. |
| Lunch | Beef (80% lean), turkey, chicken, fish, or veggie burger topped with slices of avocado, tomato, and red onion with mustard yogurt sauce (see here). |
| Snack | Chai Pumpkin Smoothie (here). |
| Dinner | Golden BBQ Chicken with Charred Moroccan Broccolini (here). |
Day 13
| Breakfast | Savory Turkey Bacon, Cheddar, and Cauliflower Pancakes (here). |
| Snack | Sweet-and-Sour Dill Pickle Cashews (18 nuts; here). |
| Lunch | Coconut Squash Soup (here) with a mixed green salad. |
| Snack | Pecan-Maple Shake (here). |
| Dinner | Rustic Chicken Sausage Stew (here) prepared using leftover Golden BBQ Chicken (here) from the previous night. |
Day 14
| Breakfast | Spice Diet Smoked Salmon Benedict (here). |
| Snack | Chef Judson’s “Peach Cobbler” Power Bar (here). |
| Lunch | South-of-the-Border Grilled Corn Bisque (here). |
| Snack | Brussels Sprout Chips (here) with Blueberry Pop (here). |
| Dinner | Grilled or broiled chicken breasts seasoned with the spice blend of your choice (make extra for leftovers) and Grilled Peach and Kale Salad (here). |
| Dessert | Tropical Sorbet (here). |
I’ve created this menu plan to give you a sense of how varied and delicious your life can be even while losing weight. After two weeks, you can repeat these menus or plan your own meals for the next two weeks of Phase 1. Feel free to mix it up for variety. At the end of the month, stepping on the scale should make you smile. You will be on your way to achieving your goals.
If you want to lose more weight, you can stay on Phase 1 indefinitely. When you hit a plateau, as most everyone does at some point, exercise more. You might try adding some aerobic exercise to your day. That would be any movement that gets your heart pumping. You don’t have to run on a treadmill forever to get results. Interval training, which is another form of high-intensity exercise, can help you when your weight feels stuck. It’s called 10-20-30 training.
10-20-30 TRAINING TO BREAK THROUGH PLATEAUS
The New York Times reported that researchers in Denmark have come up with a new approach to high-intensity interval training in a way that makes it less challenging. A complete 10-20-30 session lasts twelve minutes! This is how it is done:
Walk, ride a bike, work out on an elliptical or rowing machine gently for 30 seconds.
Speed up to a moderate pace for 20 seconds.
Sprint or work out as hard as you can for 10 seconds.
Rest for 2 minutes by walking slowly or standing.
Repeat sequence a total of 4 times.
That’s a total of forty seconds of hard work—less than a minute—for the entire session. It doesn’t get easier than that! When you have built up your stamina, you can repeat five times instead of four.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) should not be done on consecutive days, so you will be doing the 10-20-30 training three or four times a week in addition to your band workouts. Doing this interval training for twelve minutes every other day will rev up your metabolism and make you feel great. Adding interval training to your high-intensity band workouts will boost your fitness, build muscle, and turn your body into a calorie-burning machine.
MOVING ON
Congratulations! Once you have completed the first thirty days of your new life, snap a picture of yourself and put it next to your starting photo on your vision board or wherever you have your before photo. Can you see a difference? Are you looking better already? Is it easier to zip up your jeans? Check your BMI, waist circumference, and weight-to-height ratio and compare your new numbers with your starting measures.
You may decide to stay on Phase 1 for an additional thirty days to take off more weight. Once you have been preparing Spice Diet foods for thirty days, you should be feeling more at home in the kitchen and ready to get more creative with your spices and ingredients. When you want to add more variety to any dish, you can experiment more with the spice blends in chapter 11. After following Phase 1, you have formed healthier eating habits and are well on your way to reprogramming your taste buds.
When you are ready to move to Phase 2, you should be close to the weight you want to be. Now is the time to refine the habits you have developed and to shift into maintenance mode. In Phase 2, your goals are to keep the weight off, feel great, and live a life full of flavor.