Favorite Recipes

There are many good recipes for all Phases. I was never at a loss for something good to eat. I will post my favorites here soon!

Favorite Foods for P3 and P4

I am no longer logging my foods on Phase 4. My eating style has definately changed from before HCG. I avoid sugar and starch whenever possible and absolutely do not eat foods with additives. I try to get in 400 gm of protein daily about twice what I had during Phase 1 but I am allowing fattier cuts of beef, Gwaltey Hardwood Smoked bacon (one of few that has no added sugar), salmon, and I eat the skin on the chicken and lots of eggs and Jay Robb protein shakes. One to two cups of vegetables round out each meal and I love the ones from Phase 2 which are staples now but I have added some new ones to keep it interesting - brussel sprouts, eggplant, zuchini, avocados.

I'm eating a little less fruit now just personal preference. Still love strawberries almost every day plus blackberries and an occasional apple baked with apple pie spice. I've added dairy too, any kind of cheese, cheddar, pepper jack, swiss, mozzarella, parmesan, bleu, feta. I only buy in block form and grate it myself to avoid the starch added to pre-grated packaged cheese (except the feta and blue.) I also have only whipping cream with my coffee. I don't drink any milk because of the sugar (skim, whole or any in between.) I am experimenting with coconut milk and almond milk but the jury is still out. I do have sour cream, butter, plain greek yogurt, Dukes mayonnaise (which has no sugar). Other fats I use are coconut oil and olive oil and raw almonds which I keep on hand to nibble at home and at work. I also have an organic chocolate bar in the fridge for when I must have chocolate.

I have had a few cravings, and did indulge in the leftover sugar cookies from Christmas, but I have satisfied them for the most part with healthier substitutes. For the Coldstone craving, I found a frozen treat at Publix called Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream. The Vanilla Bean over microwaved blackberries is amazing! For the bread craving which I have only had 3 times in 3 weeks, I toasted a slice of Ezekial bread and slathered it with real butter. Ezekial bread is flourless, organic, a complete protein and made from sprouted whole grain. For a quick nibble I dip a teaspoon in a jar of Artisana coconut butter which is pure heaven and full of healthy MCFA. Last but not least I have bought several kinds of liquid stevia to sweeten and flavor my coffee and desserts. I love the Sweetleaf  brand liquid stevia flavors of Vanilla Cream and English Toffee the best and I bought a cheaper brand of plain in a larger bottle. The 2 ounce bottle contains 300 servings so even at $14.99 its still a bargain. A tips for stevia: it is very concentrated so if you want to sprinkle it on fruit first dilute it with about 4-7 drops to about an ounce or two of water (to your desired sweetness, too much can be bitter) and then sprinkle the water over the fruit. I buy the bread, coconut butter, mayonnaise and stevia at the Whole Foods market.

All of these new healthy products I discovered by reading the posts in the HCGDieters yahoo group which is one of the best sources of information on the HCG diet on the web.