Three recipes, each built around a different body system from the TDG framework. Not health food. Not punishment. Food that does something specific — and tastes like it was worth making.
A note on the philosophy here: these recipes are not designed to replace therapeutic interventions. If you have confirmed liver dysfunction, active gut inflammation, or insulin resistance, food is part of the picture — not the whole picture. But within a broader protocol, eating in a way that actively supports the system you're working on matters. These are what I would eat. They're not complicated.
Rocket, radicchio, dandelion greens, and walnuts over warm lentils — built around bitter compounds that stimulate bile flow, glucosinolates from the brassica family, and sulphur-containing foods that drive phase II liver detoxification.
Bitterness drives bile flow. Bitter compounds — found in rocket, radicchio, and dandelion — stimulate bile acid secretion via cholecystokinin release. Bile is how the liver exports processed fat-soluble toxins into the gut for elimination. Bitter greens before or with meals are one of the oldest functional medicine tools — every traditional culinary culture includes them for a reason.
Broccoli and the glucosinolate pathway. Brassica vegetables (broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage) contain glucosinolates that, on chewing, form isothiocyanates including sulforaphane — one of the most studied inducers of Nrf2, the master transcription factor for phase II liver detoxification enzymes. Lightly steamed is better than raw for sulforaphane bioavailability in most people; boiling destroys it.
Sulphur from garlic and walnuts. Phase II detoxification (glucuronidation, sulphation, glutathione conjugation) requires sulphur-containing compounds. Garlic is one of the most concentrated dietary sulphur sources. Walnuts additionally contain glutathione and ellagic acid, a polyphenol that supports both liver cell protection and phase I enzyme activity.
Turmeric and curcumin. Anti-inflammatory at the liver level, with reasonable human evidence for liver enzyme improvement in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Absorbed better in the presence of fat (olive oil here) and black pepper (add if you have it).
A proper therapeutic broth — not from a cube. Collagen, glycine, glutamine, and probiotic miso combined with prebiotic leek. Gut repair food in the most literal sense.
Collagen and glycine for tight junction repair. The collagen extracted from bone during long cooking breaks down into gelatin and amino acids, particularly glycine. Glycine is the primary amino acid used in the synthesis of collagen in the gut lining, and research suggests it plays a direct role in tight junction integrity — the cellular "mortar" between enterocytes that, when disrupted, produces intestinal permeability. This is gut repair in the most literal, structural sense.
Glutamine from the meat proteins. L-glutamine is the primary fuel source for enterocytes (the cells lining the small intestine) and is consistently used in gut repair protocols. Slow-cooked meat and bones release glutamine alongside glycine. This is why clinical practitioners have used bone broth therapeutically for gut repair long before the research caught up.
Leek as prebiotic fuel. Leeks are rich in fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin — fermentable fibres that selectively feed Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species in the colon, supporting microbiome diversity. In active gut inflammation, introduce leek gradually — the fermentation can initially increase gas in a highly dysbiotic gut. Build up over weeks.
Miso for live culture input. Unpasteurised miso is a fermented food with measurable probiotic content — primarily Lactobacillus and Bacillus species. Adding it post-heat preserves the cultures. It also contributes glutamate and mineral content. White miso is mildest — tolerated better by most people with gut sensitivity.
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High protein, high fibre, low glycaemic impact. A proper meal built to keep glucose stable, support mitochondrial function, and actually keep you full. Done in one tray.
Protein first, every meal. The egg plus lentils combination delivers approximately 30–35g of protein per serving — which is in the range that maximises muscle protein synthesis per meal and, critically, drives GLP-1 secretion (see the GLP-1 post for the mechanism). Protein also has the highest thermic effect of feeding of any macronutrient — roughly 20–30% of its caloric content is used in its own digestion. This matters for metabolic rate.
Low-glycaemic carbohydrate load. Lentils have a glycaemic index of approximately 30, compared to white bread at 75 or white rice at 70. The fibre and protein content of lentils significantly blunts the glucose response to the carbohydrate they contain. The roasted vegetables add additional fibre (particularly the aubergine and courgette) and polyphenols from the tomatoes and peppers — lycopene, quercetin, vitamin C — that support endothelial function and glucose metabolism.
Cinnamon as insulin sensitiser. Human studies — including a Cochrane review — show that cinnamon supplementation modestly reduces fasting blood glucose and improves insulin sensitivity markers in type 2 diabetes. The dose in these studies (1–6g daily) is achievable through generous seasoning. It's not medication, but it's not trivial either, and it's in this recipe for a reason rather than just flavour.
The fat from olive oil slows gastric emptying. Fat delays gastric emptying (it's part of the GLP-1 mechanism), which extends satiety and reduces the rate at which glucose from the carbohydrate enters the bloodstream. Extra virgin olive oil's polyphenol content additionally has direct anti-inflammatory effects at the gut epithelial level.
More body systems coming — hormones, immune, cardiovascular, neurological. One recipe per month. Sign up to the newsletter to get them as they land.
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