Where Do I Start?

While on the Kaufmann 1 Diet, we avoid all grains – including corn, which is a grain rather than a vegetable. Seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and chia seeds are permitted. Also, moderate use of certain “pseudo-grains” is allowed, such as quinoa, buckwheat or amaranth.

One has to question whether or not milk is what it was 50 years ago. Today, cattle are fed or injected with antibiotics and hormones. Whereas the industry claims that we should not worry about this, others offer caution. Dairy foods are lactose (milk sugar) containing and mucous producing foods and as such should be avoided on our Kaufmann 1 diet. Having said this, the benefits of good bacterial cultures that exist in foods like kefir and yogurt, and the CLA we get from butter, often persuade us to dabble just a little when on this diet.

Optimally, you would not dabble at all and all dairy products would be excluded during your tests with the Kaufmann 1 diet. For those of you who have requested occasional dairy consumption, you will note that our recipe books do offer some dairy products like kefir, yogurt, cream cheese and butter, but if you must imbibe, please do so sparingly as dairy products are common causes of allergies and fungus thrive in the presence of any sugar, including lactose.

Graduating to Kaufmann 2 is very subjective. The Kaufmann 1 Diet truly is a lifestyle diet. Many people feel so terrific on Kaufmann 1 that they never desire anything else. But for those, whose symptoms have resolved and want to experiment with Kaufmann 2 menu items, feel free to try it and see how you feel. Generally, though, we recommend tending toward Kaufmann 1 as a lifestyle, as it has the greater chance of limiting our exposure to mycotoxins and discouraging fungal overgrowth.

There are mixed reports regarding the consumption of mushrooms, brewer’s yeast, and kombucha tea. While some studies report their nutritive qualities, other studies speak to their risks. We always monitor the latest research, and our current conclusion is that when one is dealing with fungal issues, it is wise to remove anything from our diets that has fungal components. Therefore, we avoid consuming mushrooms, kombucha, brewer’s yeast, and the like.

You’ll find that some of the permitted foods on the Kaufmann 1 Diet, such as carrots, are moderately high on the glycemic index. The Kaufmann 1 approach isn’t about glycemic index, however.  It’s about choosing foods that discourage fungal overgrowth. In cases where a Kaufmann 1 food is permitted in spite of its glycemic index, it is because its antifungal components are so impressive. Carrots, for example, contain a powerful antifungal called “falcarinol”, and berries contain high levels of antifungal “phenols”. These natural antifungals are crucial to this lifestyle.

Coffee can be antifungal, depending on how it’s processed. However, we’ve found that many coffees contain worrisome levels of mycotoxins because of inexpensive processing methods.  We’re also interested in breaking intractable food addictions, and coffee is one of America’s greatest addictions. If you’re someone who has no addictions to coffee and have found one of the few coffee brands that is serious about limiting mycotoxins in their end product, you should be fine with moderate coffee consumption. Otherwise, we feel that it is better to avoid coffee altogether and recommend avoidance while on the Kaufmann 1 diet..

Motivated by the singular desire to reduce calories, many popular diets permit the use of artificial sweeteners. The Kaufmann 1 Diet, however, isn’t primarily about calorie reduction. We believe that the best health strategy is one that discourages fungal overgrowth while nourishing the body.  Nourishment simply isn’t found in artificial foods. Moreover, there have been mixed reports about the safety of some artificial sweeteners. Therefore, Kaufmann 1 does not contain any of the popular artificial sweeteners.

Stevia is a plant that has a sweet taste. We like it because it doesn’t contribute to fungal overgrowth. The whole plant does contain bitter principles; so many brands deal with this either by removing bitter components or by adding other sugary sweeteners, like maltodextrin or fructose. Our first choice would be whole stevia leaf extracts. If a product adds sugary sweeteners, however, it is not permitted on the Kaufmann 1 Diet, as those sugars will feed fungus.

Xylitol is a natural, sweet, antifungal component of many foods, such as berries and some vegetables. Xylitol can be extracted from foods and used as a natural sweetener. Kaufmann 1 permits the use of moderate amounts of xylitol. However, some people have found that over-use of xylitol can cause some mild stomach upset.

Raw nuts are a terrific snack, but some nuts have been found to contain an inordinate amount of mycotoxins, (fungal poisons). Therefore, peanuts and pistachios are not permitted on Kaufmann 1.

Coconuts contain some of nature’s most powerful natural antifungals, including caprylic acid and lauric acid. Raw, unrefined coconut oil has high levels of these antifungals, and is permitted on the Kaufmann 1 Diet. However, when coconut oil is refined, fewer healthy components remain in the end product. Therefore, we recommend that if you use coconut oil, choose the least processed, unrefined versions for maximum benefits.

Sugar and sulfur are often added to dried berries, and in those cases they would not be a Kaufmann 1 food. However, if the berries are unsweetened and unsulfured, they are acceptable as a Kaufmann 1 snack.

 DIETS

The Kaufmann 1 Diet truly is a lifestyle diet that may help you ease some health problems. We always recommend that you get a good physical exam and tell your doctor about your wish to begin the diets that we refer to. Many people feel so terrific on the Kaufmann 1 Diet that they never desire anything else. But for those whose health problems have resolved and want to experiment with Kaufmann 2 Diet menu items, feel free to try it and see how you feel. Generally, though, we recommend tending toward Kaufmann 1 as a lifestyle, as it has the greater chance of limiting our exposure to mycotoxins and discouraging fungal overgrowth. There seems to be a fine line between the Kaufmann 1 Diet and the Lifephase Diet, in that many find that more fruit or beans within their diets do not provoke health problems, even though those foods are on the Kaufmann 2 Diet. The diet that we end up feeling the most comfortable with, yet that continues to fend off microbial invasion, is referred to as the “Lifephase Diet.”

WEIGHT PROBLEMS

Most Americans spend decades wondering why their weight is fluctuating. This is because our healers are unaware that the same germ that makes bread rise can also make people rise! Yeast is so often the culprit! Yeast is a type of fungus or mold. One mold, Penicillin, has been documented for 50 years as making our livestock gain weight. Wouldn’t logic dictate that what makes one mammal overweight might have the same consequences for another mammal? Yet the reason for obesity in America eludes our scientists. Fungus is known to be a human parasite and once on board, needs sugar to thrive. The diets mentioned above avoid foods that may be impregnated with fungus (a very common phenomenon) and foods that feed fungus. These diets have helped untold numbers of people to not only lose some of their health problems, but also weight. Challenging the very foods that are avoided on the diet, like alcohol, pasta, breads and sugar, cause the weight to come right back on.

GRAINS/SUGAR

While on the Kaufmann 1 Diet, we avoid all grains – including corn, and sugar, both of which are grains. Seeds are different than grains and sometimes seeds are called false grains, or “pseudo-grains.” Seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and chia seeds are permitted on our Kaufmann 1 diet. On Kaufmann 2, moderate use of certain grains like oatmeal of flour tortillas is allowed while continuing to eat pseudo-grains like buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa-again, in moderation.

MILK: Cow or Goat?

Milk is not what it was 50 years ago. Today, cattle are fed or injected with antibiotics and hormones. Whereas the industry claims that we should not worry about this, others offer caution. Dairy foods are lactose (milk sugar) containing and mucous producing foods and as such should be avoided on our Kaufmann 1 diet. Having said this, the benefits of good bacterial cultures that exist in foods like kefir and yogurt, and the CLA we get from butter, often persuade us to cheat just a little when on this diet. Goat milk and cheese is different than cow milk in many ways; it is easier to digest, has less lactose, is less allergenic and because it lacks added hormones and antibiotics, it is favorable over cow milk when dairy in reintroduced.

Optimally, you would not cheat at all and all dairy products would be excluded during your tests with the Kaufmann 1 diet. For those of you who have requested occasional dairy consumption, you will note that our recipe books do offer some dairy products like kefir, yogurt, cream cheese and butter, but if you must imbibe, please consider goat milk products over cow.

SOYBEAN

Like cow milk, soybeans are not what they used to be. Soy is a bean and therefore OK to challenge on the Kaufmann 2 diet, but based on it being one of the most common GMO (genetically Modified Foods) today, one must exercise caution when choosing it as part of the Kaufmann 2 diet. Modifying the seeds of common foods is purportedly a safe way to avoid the use of pesticides on them, but we are less concerned about bugs than we are the quality of nutrition provided by GMO’s. If you challenge soybeans on the Kaufmann 2 diet, try to find soy products that are not genetically modified (no GMO). This is currently difficult to do, because labels indicating genetic modification are not necessary in America. Health food store are often your best bet.

MUSHROOMS/YEASTS/KOMBUCHA

There are mixed reports regarding the consumption of mushrooms, brewer’s yeast, and kombucha tea. While some studies report their nutritive qualities, other studies speak to their risks. We always monitor the latest research, and our current conclusion is that when one is dealing with fungal issues, it is wise to remove anything from our diets that either is a fungus, or has fungal components. Therefore, we avoid consuming mushrooms, kombucha, brewer’s yeast, and the like. Many contend that certain mushrooms have medicinal qualities and to a certain extent, this is accurate. We have found that a diet laced with fungus is one that requires the need of medicines. Additionally, there are many supplements that have medicinal qualities without being fungus.

GLYCEMIC DIET

You’ll find that some of the permitted foods on the Kaufmann 1 Diet, such as carrots, are moderately high on the glycemic index. The Kaufmann 1 approach isn’t about glycemic index, however because we contend that some sugars are not problematic. It’s about choosing foods that discourage fungal overgrowth. In cases where a Kaufmann 1 food is permitted in spite of its glycemic index, it is because its antifungal components are so impressive. Carrots, for example, contain a powerful antifungal called “falcarinol”, and berries contain high levels of antifungal “phenols”. These natural antifungals are crucial to this lifestyle.

COFFEE

Coffee can be antifungal, depending on how it’s processed. However, we’ve found that many coffees contain worrisome levels of mycotoxins because of inexpensive processing methods. We’re also interested in breaking intractable food addictions, and coffee is one of America’s greatest addictions. If you’re someone who has no addictions to coffee and have found one of the few coffee brands that is serious about limiting mycotoxins in their end product, you should be fine with moderate coffee consumption. Otherwise, we feel that it is better to avoid coffee altogether.

CALORIES

Nicolas Clement defined the word “calorie” in 1824 and for almost 200 years it has remained the primary focus of nutritionists. We would rather move on rather than count calories. Motivated by the singular desire to reduce calories, many popular diets limit calorie intake and permit the use of artificial sweeteners. The Kaufmann 1 Diet, however, isn’t primarily about calorie reduction. We believe that the best health strategy is one that discourages fungal overgrowth while nourishing the body. Nourishment simply isn’t found in low-calorie artificial foods.

SUGARS

There have been mixed reports about the safety of some artificial sweeteners. Therefore, the diets do not contain any of the popular artificial sweeteners. Stevia is a plant that has a sweet taste. We like it because it doesn’t contribute to fungal overgrowth. The whole plant does contain bitter principles, so many brands deal with this either by removing bitter components or by adding other sugary sweeteners, like maltodextrin or fructose. Our first choice would be whole stevia powder, followed by stevia extracts by make certain that the ingredient list says only STEVIA. If a stevia product adds sugary sweeteners it is not permitted on the Kaufmann 1 Diet, as those sugars will feed fungus.

Xylitol is another natural sweetener that has antifungal component of many foods, such as berries and some vegetables. Xylitol can be extracted from foods and used as a natural sweetener. Kaufmann 1 permits the use of moderate amounts of xylitol. However, some people have found that over-use of xylitol can cause some mild stomach upset.

NUTS

Raw nuts are a terrific snack, but some nuts have been found to contain an inordinate amount of mycotoxins, (fungal poisons). Therefore, peanuts and pistachios are not permitted on Kaufmann 1.

COCONUT

Coconuts contain some of nature’s most powerful natural antifungals, including caprylic acid and lauric acid. Raw, unrefined coconut oil has high levels of these antifungals, and is permitted on the Kaufmann 1 Diet. However, when coconut oil is refined, fewer healthy components remain in the end product. Therefore, we recommend that if you use coconut oil, choose the least processed, unrefined versions for maximum benefits.

DRIED FRUITS

Sugar and sulfur are often added to dried berries, and in those cases they would not be a Kaufmann 1 food. However, if the berries are unsweetened and unsulfured, they are acceptable as a Kaufmann 1 snack.

For more up-to-date information on the Kaufmann Kaufmann 1 diet please refer to our getting started page.