Summary
Highlights
The video begins by listing forbidden foods, which include all types of baked goods and pasta made from flour, such as traditional bread, flatbreads, croissants, cakes, pastries, pizza, pies, cookies, biscuits, and anything made with oat or corn flour. Carbonated drinks, including all types of soda, energy drinks, and even alkaline water with artificial additives, are also strictly prohibited.
A key permitted food is 'Rich Bake bran toast,' which can be consumed in various ways, including toasted with olive oil, butter, or even used as a base for pizza or waffles. The speaker also emphasizes that white rice, brown rice, basmati, and Egyptian rice are allowed in unlimited quantities, along with vermicelli and small amounts of orzo in soup. Stuffed dishes like mahshi (cabbage rolls, eggplant, zucchini) and mombar are also permitted. Additionally, all fats such as butter, ghee, and especially olive oil, are encouraged.
Potatoes in all forms (mashed, fried in oil, baked, chips) are allowed. Melted and processed cheeses (e.g., Roomi, flamingo, gouda, cheddar, kashkaval, Edam, Emental), as well as triangular or jarred cheeses, are permitted because they are easily digestible once melted. Sweets like jam, honey, white sugar, and caramel are allowed, alongside specific types of chocolates and halawa tahiniyah (darker varieties). Dried fruits and nuts like walnuts, cashews, and pistachios are also permitted.
All forms of dairy products (milk, white cheese, labneh, yogurt, cream, quraish cheese) are strictly forbidden. Eggs in all preparations (boiled, fried, shakshuka) are also prohibited. Raw vegetables and sautéed vegetables like zucchini, carrots, watercress, lettuce, cabbage, and broccoli are not allowed. Furthermore, peels and seeds, including psyllium husks and flaxseeds, are forbidden.
Meats are categorized by their benefit-to-harm ratio. The highest category (80% benefit, 20% harm) includes lamb, goats, pigeons, quail, and various types of liver (veal, lamb, camel, beef). The second category includes beef and veal, which should be well-cooked (boiled or well-done). The third category, which is considered less ideal, includes poultry (turkey, chicken, ducks, geese) and shellfish without meat like squid and crab, except for those with substantial meat like crab or lobster.
Vegetables are also ranked. Potatoes and taro are the most preferred, followed by zucchini and okra, then eggplant, green bell peppers, and cauliflower. Leafy greens like molokhia, spinach, grape leaves, and cabbage leaves are generally forbidden, though molokhia can be consumed rarely. Legumes, including beans, lentils, and white beans, are the least preferred and mostly forbidden, with a small allowance for yellow lentil soup in winter.
The core diet revolves around toast (with olive oil, za'atar, cheese, olives, butter, jam, or Nutella) and rice (with soup and optional vegetables or meat). Meat and fish are consumed a maximum of three times a week, with four days free from them. The consistent staples are toast, cheese, rice, and soup.