Here is a list of the foods to avoid. The information has been taken from our Budwig guide which you can download here.
It is important that you are familiar with the kinds of foods that you should be eating and which foods to avoid when on the Budwig Protocol. Eating the foods below could set you back and hinder your progress.
NO Pork
Dr. Budwig encouraged a vegetarian food plan where no meat was permitted. Please be reminded that animal toxins are stored in their fat, which is why it is best to avoid pork and cold meats. Also, many types of cold meats contain chemical additives such as nitrates.
Dr. Johanna Budwig said that red meat contributes to swelling or inflammation and she was not in favor of eating pork due to the nature of the pig’s digestive system. Pigs eat everything in sight and digest their food in approximately 4 hours, leaving a large number of toxins, which end up in the fatty tissue of the animal. Ongoing consumption of pork products has been linked to inflammation of the joints (arthritis).
NO Seafood
Fish with fins and scales are recommended, but no lobsters, clams, shrimp, or any other fish with a hard shell.
Just as pigs (like flies and vultures) are the cleaners of the earth, shellfish are cleaners of the sea and retain a high quantity of toxins in their system, so by consuming them, you may also be ingesting heavy metals and other toxins. Eat fresh wild fish, not farmed fish.
Limit Consumption of Red Meats
Poultry could be eaten once a week however, make sure it’s free-range and organic. Avoid red meat that contains artificial hormones and antibiotics. Processed meats have several harmful preservatives. Obtain your protein mostly from plant sources (nuts and seeds and plant oils), organic free-range eggs, and fresh wild fish with fins and scales. Hemp oil and hemp seeds (cold-pressed) are particularly recommended because as well as containing all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary for human life, they also contain a rare protein known as globule edestin that is very similar to the globulin found in human blood plasma. Once a month some red meat from organic grass feed source would be acceptable.
NO Hydrogenated Oils and NO Trans-Fats
Regardless of the plant or seed, oils that have been refined cause our cells to suffocate. We should, therefore, avoid fried food (chicken, fries, chips, doughnuts, etc.).
Instead, cold-pressed sunflower seed oil or almost any cold-pressed oils (including olive oil) are acceptable. Virgin coconut oil is a good choice when cooking because it is one of the few oils that does not break down under higher temperatures (although if you steam your food there is very little need to heat it at higher temperatures). Those with pancreatic and liver issues may find coconut difficult to digest (Coconut oil is also helpful as skin protection when sunbathing).
NO Refined Grains
White bread, pasta, and all refined cereals are hard to digest. They do not contain the nutrients and fiber needed by the intestine, and worse still, they help increase glucose levels, which also promote Candida and fungus issues.
Buckwheat was Dr. Budwig’s favorite grain and other healthy options that are gluten-free are quinoa and millet. Most patients are able to digest organic oats and brown rice as well. Spelt bread and whole-grain Spelt pasta are a better choice than wheat as many ill people have an intolerance to wheat or gluten.
Our VEGA test can determine which foods you have an intolerance to. Look for sprouted Spelt or Rye bread, as the gluten is digested in the sprouting process making the bread easier for you to digest. You can also eat whole Rye, Oat, and Multigrain bread that does not contain sugar. Sourdough bread is also a good alternative, but sprouted bread is the first choice. Corn is discouraged because of mold and genetic modification issues.
NO Dairy Products
We do not use dairy products (including butter) in our diet because they contain animal fats that retain toxins and contribute towards Candida and fungus growth.
However, we do encourage consuming cottage cheese which is used in the Budwig Muesli. Occasionally some high-quality cheese (such as Emmentaler, Gesha, Gouda, Herb Cheese, Sbrinz, Camembert, Gervais, Brie) or goat cheese (2 oz) is allowed as a treat – but if you can cut it out altogether, so much the better. (For the most enzymes and nutrients, don’t heat the cheese and be sure not to buy processed cheese.)
NO Butter
Should be avoided, but is allowed in very small amounts on a special occasion – and on that basis, it is included in some of the Budwig recipes. Instead, make your own Oleolux.
NO chips (crisps) or Deep-Fried Foods
NO store-bought pastries (make your own with our recipes).
NO fizzy soft drinks
A fizzy (soft) drink can contain up to 10 teaspoons of white refined sugar. Similarly, avoid fruit juices from concentrate which also has high sugar content and no remaining vitamins. You can make a refreshing drink in the summer with sparkling water, fresh fruit juice, and ice.
NO Ice Cream
Make your own healthy Budwig Ice Cream instead. Many commercial ice creams today are simply chemical concoctions presented in appealing packaging designed to sell a product that is not fit for human consumption. Everything from hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and dry milk solids are used to produce something still allowed to be called ice cream.
Some pretty frightening sounding chemicals like carboxymethyl cellulose, butyraldehyde, and amyl acetate are additives in some commercial ice creams. Diethyl glycol a cheap chemical used in place of eggs is also used in anti-freeze and paint removers. Aldehyde C-17, flavoring for cherry ice cream, is an inflammable liquid used in dyes, plastics, and rubber. Piperonal, used in place of vanilla, is a lice killer. Ethyl Acetate, a pineapple flavor, can also clean leather and textiles and its vapor has been known to cause chronic lung, liver, and heart damage.
Other unsavory ingredients contained in many of the most famous grocery store ice creams include mono and diglycerides, disodium phosphate, benzyl acetate, monostearate, propylene glycol, sodium benzoate, Polysorbate 80, potassium sorbate, modified corn starch, and soy lecithin.
NO Sugar or Molasses
Dried fruit, fresh fruit in season, as well as raw honey, are all acceptable options of sweet-tasting food.
It does not take very long for the taste buds to stop craving sugar, but if you must have something sweet, Xylitol (only use Xylitol made from birch trees) or liquid Stevia are good options. (Stevia in powder form is sometimes mixed with other artificial sweeteners, so be careful).
NO Soy Milk or Soy Products
(Except for a little natural fermented soy sauce, or as a temporary solution if you are intolerant of cottage cheese in the Budwig Muesli). Many of the soy products available in the West have been treated with harsh shortcuts and are genetically modified. They can have suppressive effects on the thyroid and, by extension, the immune system. They contain significant amounts of glutamate and have effects similar to MSG.
Even traditionally-fermented soy products have a downside and are linked to various forms of neurological atrophy. Broad-based population studies in China have indicated an increased incidence of Alzheimer-related syndromes in populations with the greatest consumption of soy. In addition, the phytic acid in soy can chelate (remove) calcium from the system. Soy is also a thyroid inhibitor.
NO Processed Foods
They contain unhealthy quantities of salt, sugar, and preservatives.
Additional Reading:
- What is The Budwig Diet?
- The Budwig Diet – A Simple Approach to Healthy Eating
- 10 Reasons Why People Choose The Budwig Center
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Note: This post was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and clarity.
Thank youso much for the info, this site is great !!!!!
I have been following the Budwig protocol and diet for my husband since 2013, ever since he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. I have great faith in the flaxseed oil/cottage cheese mix and I believe that this has helped my husband to develop immunity. May the Diet continue to help him fight his disease!p
Thank you for all the wonderful information God Bless
Nazreen, I’ve also been diagnosed with bladder cancer. Glad to hear your husband is doing well. Did he have any conventional treatments as well as the Budwig diet?
You are such an amazing resource. Thank you so much for the generous help you provide. I was diagnosed with mixed clear cell endometrial cancer in August, which has a high recurrence pattern. I had surgery to remove the aggressive tumor, but declined the chemotherapy which based on numerous factors was a reasonable decision. From the day I learned of my condition I took massive action with my diet, eliminating all that you mentioned here and went to a strong plant based, on the most part, raw diet, added exercise, and have faithfully used the cottage cheese/flax oil Protocol. I am thankful to say that so far I am feeling great, and maybe better than ever. I am soooo grateful to have heard about this protocol in the book Outsmart Your Cancer a few years ago. It stuck in my mind and when I heard about my diagnosis, I knew that the Budwig protocol was one for me to follow. I would be so interested to know if you have any specific experience with others dealing with clear cell adenocarcinomas. Thanks once again for the resources you provide. I would love to visit your clinic in Spain someday.
Dear JoAnna,
Thank you for sharing your story and it is heart-warming to know that you are feeling better than ever. Dr. Budwig found that the protocol was suitable for all types of cancer since their “reasons” for appearing or being produced were all similar. We have found that to be true as well. We are treating the ill, not the illness. Although 2 people have the same diagnosis, their needs and what their body responds to can be very different. One might require more detoxing while another needs more help finding balance in handling his emotions and stress. The same goes for their response to natural, herbal remedies. We test these and personalize them too so that our patients only take the ones their body will respond the best to at that time.
Kind regards,
Kathy Jenkins
Thank you for this invaluable information. Where else would we find it ? I feel genuinely sorry for the millions of people who do do follow the Budwig protocol. They know not what they do.
John Kleber, Naples, Florida
Is plain kefir allowed?
Dear Delinor,
Dr. Budwig favored fermented foods but not dairy or animal fats and protein so if it is consumed occasionally and was low in fat, it would be allowed. But ideally, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut juice and pickles without sugar would be better.
Kind regards,
Kathy Jenkins
What about tempeh?
Dear Renee, I had to look up what that is. I see it is an Asian food and it is made with fermented soy. That would be ok then.
What kind of toothpaste would you recommend. I was told toothpaste without floride.
Dear Brenda, yes, without fluoride and now, more and more there are toothpaste available with more natural ingredients.
May I eat organic peanut butter on the Budwig Diet?
Peanuts are not really encouraged due to the risk of mold, but occasional organic peanut butter that is raw shouldn’t be a problem. It depends more on the person’s condition whether they should eat it or not. If they are on the diet just for maintenance, they are usually not as strict and allow these foods occasionally.
Hi Kathy, what’s your opinion on consuming raw milk during the treatment period? I personally have done a 100 day raw milk cleanse, and have done a fair amount of research on the benefits of the diet. However, when it comes to the budwig diet I see a lot of mixed answers on whether or not it’s okay to drink raw milk during the same time.
Dear Ryan, Dr. Budwig didn’t encourage her patients to have animal protein and the only time it was used was to mix with the flaxseed oil (the fat). I understand that raw milk is better than UHT, but for a cancer patient, our advice is to avoid animal protein and fat.
Does the Budwig formula suffer from not having unpasteurized ingredients? I notice Quark in Upstate New York that is unpasteurized and I’ve also read where the added milk sometimes necessary in the breakfast muslei, should be raw.
I can’t buy raw milk products and am not getting the results I expected, when I started on this diet.
Dear Ron, the quark we use is actually from pasteurized milk so the reason you are not getting the expected results might have to do with something else. Dr. Budwig found other contributing factors to disease in addition to diet. If you want to get in touch with us to see how we can help, please contact us by email: [email protected]
Can I drink coffee during the budwig protocol?
Dear Jane, Coffee is on the list of foods to avoid. We need to analize why a patient is drinking it. If it is for the taste and smell or the physical effect of waking up. That way we can find a healthy and acceptable alternative. Here is a video we made explaining more about avoiding coffee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yrfe00dDbg
If you are asking this question because you have a cancer diagnosis, please email us directly so we can tell you more about how we can help you individually: [email protected]
Just getting started on the program.
What can work for constipation
Diagnosis prostate cancer.
Dear Sandy, for constipation there are “light” solutions such as drinking more water, eating more fruit like kiwi or whatever is in season in your area. Then there more serious solutions like Cascara sagrada, Aloe, magnesium ec. At the cliic here we like to test our patients using the GSR scan to determine what is the most effective treatment for their body. Here you can read more about how it works: https://budwigcenter.com/gsr-vega-body-scan/
If you’d like to discuss further how we can help someone with your diagnosis, feel free to contact us by email directly: [email protected]
A friend of mine – has suggested I create my own cottege cheese – in an unpaturised way. Is there any research on this ?? – that is making homemade cottage cheese from raw organic milk? I do remember that the ‘low-fat’ requirement of the protocol. Not sure if there is any way to get ‘low fat’ raw organic milk that is not pastuerised by default. So question is – how important is (2) the fact that cottage cheese is ‘low-fat’ and (2) is ‘pastureisation’ a negative from the Budqig protocal perspective? – BTW – thanks for your website.
Dear John, to ensure our food is good quality, it is a great idea to make things ourselves. We do not have experience in making our own cottage cheese. The low-fat requirement is more important that the organic or pasteurization aspect of the ingredient. You are very welcome for the information on the website, we try and be as helpful as possible. If you are interested in this recipe for yourself or someone you care about that has cancer, please bare in mind that Dr. Budwig did more than feed her patients this mix. If we can help you at any point with your treatment, please get in touch with us by email: [email protected]
Thank Kathy for extending your attention to the general public through your website – (this outside the scope of your clinic) – many thanks for posting you offer of assistance via your email address – you should be commended
You are very welcome 🙂
Dear Kathy,
I just started budwig protocol March 24th, 2019; I’ve noticed that I get nauseous very often lately and wonder if you are familiar with that issue for people just starting budwig?
Also need to know if budwig diet would be beneficial to COPD/pulmonary fibrosis suferer? Could they be patients at your clinic or it is strictly cancer?
Dear Vesna,
Thank you for contacting us with your question. We do receive patients with all kinds of health problems and even just ones that want to prevent illness, do some detox and maintenance treatment as well as check ups. So in your case we would recommend a 2 week program if you were able to come to our clinic, yes. We have had patients not tolerate the recipe and it is usually related to the health of their liver or something else we can help them with. Once of the things we review is a patient’s tolerance to food and we do discover if preparing the muesli with out without seeds or honey makes a difference in your digestion. If you want more information about how we can help you, please email us directly to: [email protected]
I am adding scoop of moring powder to each serving. Is this OK<
Moringa is great! Adding it after blending the mixture is certainly a good addition.
I read on another Budwig Diet site (out of the UK), that Olive Oil is not recommended, because it has too much Omega 6 and will put healthy fats out of balance. You say it is okay. What are your thoughts about this statement?
Hello Jordan, good question, thank you for asking it. Dr. Budwig preferred flaxseed oil and sesame oil (cold pressed and organic) and she did warn about oils that were not good quality (hydrogenated and refined). She did say that if she was in Europe and was sure of the quality of the olive oil, that it would be a good oil to consume. Basically oils that are cold pressed and organic (except peanut oil) would be healthy fats. We need healthy balances of Omega 3, 6 and 9. Most fats provide us with omega 6 and 9 and this is why the Budwig muesli with flaxseed oil is so good for us, providing us the Omega 3 we are usually missing in our diet.
Eggs are forbidden on the Budwig diet. The only oil recommended is flax seed oil. For cooking one should be using coconut oil.
There is no reference in Dr. Budwig’s protocol to low fat quark/cottages cheese at all.
In the last 7 years I have used 40% quark. I once by mistake used low fat quark, It was impossible to properly mix the quark and the flaxseed oil.
Hello Billie, Dr. Johanna Budwig was vegetarian and taught her patients how to be vegetarian as well when dealing with illness. At the clinic we do not serve any meat or eggs since most patients have cancer or a chronic condition. We know this can be difficult for some to adapt to and we have had feedback from many that some small amounts of animal protien, such as mentioned in the article, has actually helped them stay strong. The Budwig diet is also followed by anyone striving for optimum health and looking to prevent a chronic condition. So the article is a general idea of how to avoid the most toxic food. When we are advising a patient, we do need to personalize the diet somewhat and do food and allergy testing. Patients often have intolerances to foods that are even considered healthy.
Dr. Budwig’s notes on oil said that she didn’t trust the olive oil usually available worldwide (this was many years ago) but that in Europe, a good quality olive oil that was cold pressed would be good. Her philosophy was very much that natural, unprocessed foods are what we were meant to eat. It is clear that her favorite oils were flaxseed oil and sesame (for raw consumption) and then coconut oil for cooking. The quark is part of the muesli for its proteins, not for its fat content, therefore the need for low fat. In fact, animal fat is where toxins are held. The low fat protein with the oil (healthy fat) is what works in this recipe and we have been doing this for years, testing it on our patients and finding it to be very positive for their organism.
We can’t say we’ve prepared it with full fat quark to test it because we were both instructed as well as have found additional references to corroborate that she used low fat quark. But if you have had good results using a quark with 40% fat, we prefer to trust that each body is intelligent and can show us what it “agrees” with.
I have a food sensitivity to all dairy, just had a blood test done which showed I need to avoid it. I’ve been following the Budwig diet for 6 months now and don’t want to quit. What do you suggest I do? Trying to keep breast cancer from recurring. Thank you!
Hello Elly, sorry for the delay in replying. It is often the case that one that doesn’t tolerate dairy well can tolerate the Budwig muesli because when we add the flaxseed oil, there is a change to the food that no longer reacts like an intolerance and it is good for the body. To be sure we would have to test you here at the clinic with the Vega test and GSR scan. Sensitivity to foods often has to do with our liver needing a detox and the digestive system needing enzymes and probiotics to digest better. As for preventing breast cancer, we have an excellent program that can be done in 1 or 2 weeks to evaluate all the contributing factors and be confident that we are maintaining optimum health. If you are interested, please email us at: [email protected]