THE STONE-AGE DIET

by Dr Allan Lieberman 

This information is provided to Dr Lieberman's patients who have been asked to undergo the Stone Age Diet.  

The Stone Age Diet is one way for us to determine:

  1. if food hypersensitivity is contributing to your problem

  2. which foods are the culprits

  3. what specific symptoms these food are causing.

The best way to determine this would be to take you off all foods for four to five days, and then add them back, one at a time.  The Stone Age Diet is an alternative to doing this.  Instead of taking you off all food, we eliminate the foods we have found to be the most frequent offenders, and foods which you crave or eat three or more times a week.  Obviously, if you have a food related problem, the foods which you are eating are causing the problems.  Therefore, when your normal diet is changed, your symptoms are likely to clear.  After five days of clearing the system, we begin to challenge the suspected foods and the foods which you eat most often to determine if they cause symptoms.  Six additional days are designated for challenging foods - bringing the total number of days needed to complete this process to 11.

To begin planning for the diet, please find a sheet titled "Stone Age Foods (Rare Foods) Are Allowed for the First Five Days."  Circle those foods on this sheet which you eat three or more times per week.  Also circle those foods which you suspect are offenders to you and cross off those foods which you already know are offenders (if you also already know the symptoms they cause).

The foods left on this list which have not been circled or crossed off are the foods which you can choose from to eat the first five days of the diet.

Schedule the diet at a time which is convenient for you; a time which will allow for the flexibility needed to complete it successfully.  If you are beginning a yeast eradication program and/or allergy extracts, do not consider scheduling this diet until you have been on your program(s) at least three weeks.  You may continue using your allergy extracts and yeast eradication medications while on the diet.

Before beginning the Stone Age Diet be sure you have all the following items available:

  1. pure water source (glass bottled water, well water, or a water filter)

  2. allowed foods (per the "Rare Food.." list)

  3. baking soda

  4. sodium potassium bicarbonate or calcium potassium bicarbonate

  5. instructions for any medications or supplements to be taken during the diet

We usually request that you temporarily discontinue all oral vitamins, minerals, and over-the-counter medications (including aspirin) during the 11 day diet.  Please check with us on any prescription drugs you are taking.  You may continue Nystatin Powder.

The first five days of the diet consist of meats, fishes, fruits, and vegetables that you do not eat three or more times a week (i.e. those foods on the "Rare Foods" list which have not been circled or crossed out). Remember: if it's not on the list, you cannot eat it.  Select fresh fish if available.  If not, choose frozen with no sugar or preservatives added.  Avoid canned foods as the can lining and soldering may cause symptoms.  By eating only these foods you will have eliminated the foods which frequently provoke symptoms.

On the second or third day of the diet, you may feel worse than before you started.  These are withdrawal symptoms and a good indication that certain foods are definitely problems for you.  The worse you feel, the more important it is that you continue.  To help minimize withdrawal symptoms, use the sodium potassium bicarbonate- 1/4 teaspoon of the powder in 6 ounces of water should alleviate the symptoms.  (If your blood pressure tends to be high, it is recommended that you use the calcium/potassium bicarbonate rather than the sodium).  You may use this as often as necessary, up to eight times a day.  The withdrawal symptoms would pass by the fourth day of the diet.  AT the end of the five days you should feel better than you did before you started.  Any withdrawal symptoms that were provoked should have cleared.  If they have not cleared, please call us.  For these 5 days, please deep a diary to all you eat and drink so that this may be reviewed later, if necessary.  If you are still feeling bad on the fifth day, please call the office before you begin the challenge portion of the diet.

Preparation of food during the 5 day elimination:

  1. Wash fruits and vegetables in baking soda and spring water

  2. Eat fruits and vegetables raw, steamed, boiled in spring water or microwaved.

  3. Meats should be baked, broiled (not charcoaled), boiled or microwaved.

Sea salt is the only seasoning you may use.  You can also flavor foods with broth from allowed meats and vegetables and, if lemon and lime are not circled, you can use them for flavoring.

All beverages will have to consist of pure water or an unsweetened juice of an allowed fruit.  We ask that you have a source of chemically uncontaminated spring water or well water to use to reduce your chemical exposure (particularly chlorine).  Bottled spring water is commercially available and can be delivered to your home.  Brands such as Mountain Valley, Perrier, etc., may be purchased at your local grocery.  Be sure it is bottled in glass rather than plastic.  Not all patients will be able to tolerate all waters.  Should symptoms develop almost immediately after drinking water (such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), try another source of water.

It is very important that your bowels functions normally during the Stone Age Diet.  You may use unflavored Milk of Magnesia, a glycerin suppository, or a warm water enema as a laxative if needed.  As long as an offending food is in your body in any form, it can cause problems.  Constipation would prolong the time it takes to clear food related symptoms. 

SUMMARY:  Days 1 - 5 eat any quantity and combination of foods on the Rare Foods list which you have not crossed off or circled.

STONE AGE DIET FOODS (RARE FOODS) ARE ALLOWED FOR THE FIRST FIVE DAYS

DAY SIX - BEGIN CHALLENGING FOODS