On May 31st I finished my trial of The One Ingredient Diet. If you aren’t familiar with this experiment, I set out to eat foods that contained only one whole ingredient for the entire month of May.

This experience was challenging, but very positive. It helped me gain an even better appreciation for health and nutrition on a deeper level. I covered some of the changes I was experiencing in my mid-trial update, and this will cover a few postmortem observations now that I am finished.

In terms of health benefits, I didn’t see many changes from this experiment. I lost about 2 pounds (much to my dismay, as I’m trying to gain weight). I also had slightly more energy and more clarity, but nothing major. This is probably because I was already eating fairly healthy and at my ideal weight. In other words, I didn’t have a whole lot to gain in terms of measurable results.

For me, the challenge was more about curiosity and the inner benefits of eating a diet that is more wholesome and natural. In those terms, I definitely noticed an improvement. Food was more enjoyable and by eating a more natural diet, my body and mind felt more “wholesome” as well.  Continue Reading →

This is day #8 on my 30-day experiment of The One Ingredient Diet and I wanted to give you an update on my progress and share some of my favorite recipes that I have been experimenting with over the past week. First, a quick recap of how this experiment is going:

Processed Food Withdrawals

Now on day #8, I feel pretty amazing on this diet. I experienced some withdrawal symptoms for the first 4-5 days, not as severe as giving up coffee, but still disruptive. I was more tired than normal, moody, and seriously craving a piece of bread or a brownie.

Even more severe than the physical withdrawals have been the mental/emotional habits. I never considered myself to be much of a comfort eater, but snap peas just don’t satisfy your cravings. After a meal, I would often have a piece of dark chocolate or a small ‘healthy’ dessert. No more of that.

It has been unnerving to finish eating a huge meal with plenty of healthy calories only to feel like something is missing. It’s not hunger, but more of a craving for something processed. I still feel this way, but it is getting better. I expect it to take another week or so before I break the habit and rewire my brain to be satisfied with healthy foods. This rewiring process is precisely why I committed to this plan for a full 30 days. Continue Reading →

UPDATE: This experiment morphed into something much larger… After I did this experiment, I launched an entire healthy eating movement and cooking blog called One Ingredient Chef. For more about The One Ingredient Diet, including many deliciously healthy recipes, please visit oneingredientchef.com »

Today I am starting an experiment of eating 100% whole foods for an entire month.

This experiment is based on an eating plan I developed called The One Ingredient Diet. In my experience, this is the simplest, healthiest, and most natural way of eating.

Before we get too far, The One Ingredient Diet has nothing to do with eating just one food (like grapefruit) all day long. The name is based on the idea of eating whole, natural foods that contain only one ingredient. The plan can be explained with just one single rule:

Everything you eat must start as one whole ingredient.

You can combine ingredients to form meals, but everything must start out as one whole ingredient that is right in front of you as you prepare it. For example, you could make guacamole with an avocado, a tomato, a jalapeno, cilantro, and juice from a lime. But you could not buy a package of preservative-laden guacamole.

Or, you could make a bowl of oatmeal with rolled oats, raisins and walnuts, but not a packet of instant Quaker oats with sugars, salts, preservatives, etc.

This rule is very simple to follow. When you scan food labels at the store, it should have just one ingredient or you don’t buy it. The label should look like this: “Ingredient: Almonds.” and nothing else. Continue Reading →