How to Get Started on the Maker's Diet: Step 4

Ok, so you're ready to go. You've read the book, you've committed to the 40 days, and you are ready to head to the store.

So what do you buy?

When I get started on the Maker's Diet, I couldn't find too much online help. I didn't know anyone who had done it, so I just took my book with me on about 100 shopping trips. In fact, it became quite a conversation piece, sitting in my cart. :)

Here's my tips for how to get started on Phase One- my favorite Phase One food recommendations.

#4 Tip for Getting Started on the Maker's Diet:

Make your shopping list, and plan out what you will eat one week at a time.

Ok, get out your copy of the Maker's Diet. The phase one food items are listed on page 201. There are also sample menus listed on page 210. I followed these recommendations very closely, just to make life easy.

Let me just say: phase one is HARD. It is especially hard if, like me, you are switching from processed food overnight. Your body gets out a lot of junk, and you realize how incredibly insanely dependent you are on bread. And crackers and cookies and sugar.

Here were some of my favorite Phase One Foods: (For a complete listing of acceptable phase one foods, see p. 201 of the Maker's Diet)

1) Wild caught tuna
2) Sprouted organic almonds
3) Lots of organic eggs!
4) Goat's milk yogurt (I would have shuddered at the thought previously, but it became suddenly AMAZING when you just want some dairy in phase one!)
5) Raw Almond Butter
6) Strawberries (Fresh or Frozen)
7) Raspberries (Fresh or Frozen)
8) And lots of grilled meats with steamed veggies, roasted chickens, salads, and lettuce wraps with organic turkey bacon, tomato, mayo, and avocado (My husband made that one up!)

For specific brand recommendations, we really enjoyed:

Meats:
1) Applegate Farms "The Great Organic Beef Hot Dog"
2) Applegate Farms Organic Pork Free Turkey Bacon
3) For other traditional cuts of meat, see the meat section of your local health food store. (All grass fed and organic are the best, for poultry, organic & free range, for fish, wild caught, must have fins and scales. Meaning, it originally did, even if they're gone now!)

Dairy:
1) Redwood Hill Farms Organic Goat's Milk Yogurt
2) Organic Valley Cultured Unsalted Organic Butter (Yellow package)
3) Organic Pastures Raw Butter

Condiments:
1) Spectrum Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2) Nutiva Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil
3) Thai Organic Coconut milk/cream
4) Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
5) Spectrum Naturals Organic Omega-3 mayonnaise
6) The Grain & Salt Society Celtic Sea Salt, or Real Salt sea salt
7) Frontier flavoring extracts: Organic vanilla (very tasty mixed in the goat's milk yogurt with some berries!)
8) For all organic spices (pepper, cumin, cinnamon, etc) I love the brand "Frontier"
9) Rejuvenative Foods organic salsa, or any other fresh organic brand (Better yet, make your own!)
10) Rejuvenative Foods raw almond butter (Maranatha also makes a good one)
11) Westbrae Naturals ketchup (sugar free)
12) Woodstock Farms organic mustard
13) Woodstock Farms organic tomato sauces
14) Barlean's Organic Flax seed oil

Fruits:

1) Frozen fruit: I like Cascadian Farms and Woodstock Naturals organic brands

Beverages:

1) Plain (no fruit juice added) kombucha
2) Sparkling water like Gerolsteiner
3) Spring water, I like Whole Foods 2.5 gal containers

Sweeteners:

1)Really Raw honey is my favorite! If your store doesn't carry it, you can order online, or look for honey at your store that says it is unfiltered, unheated, un- everything! :)

Well this is all I can think of for now. I hope this list helps you get Phase One onto a great start! For more details, be sure to see page 201 of the Maker's Diet.