Medical diet guides

18 therapeutic diets, each with how it works, food lists you can actually use, a three-day meal plan, the mistakes most people make, and where it bumps into other diets.

All therapeutic diet guides

A plate of seared steak, buttered asparagus, avocado and a soft egg

Epilepsy, metabolic health, weight loss

Classic Ketogenic Diet

Very low carb, very high fat — run the body on ketones instead of glucose.

Difficulty 4/5 PDF
A plate of grilled chicken, roasted broccoli, yogurt with blueberries and walnuts

Epilepsy in teens and adults, migraine, adherence

Modified Ketogenic Diet

The Modified Atkins approach — clinical-grade carb restriction without weighing every gram.

Difficulty 3/5 PDF
A plate of baked white fish with white rice, cauliflower and a glass of milk

Calcium oxalate kidney stones, oxalate sensitivity

Low Oxalate Diet

Cut the plant compound that crystallises into kidney stones.

Difficulty 4/5 PDF
A plate of poached chicken with carrots, zucchini and a small bowl of clear broth

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, bloating

SIBO Diet

Starve the bacteria in the wrong place, in phases, without starving yourself.

Difficulty 4/5 PDF
A plate of roast chicken, plain pasta, pear slices and green beans with a glass of milk

ADHD symptoms, hyperactivity, behaviour

Feingold-Style Elimination Diet

Remove synthetic dyes, three preservatives, and — in stage one — salicylates.

Difficulty 4/5 PDF
A plate of freshly cooked chicken with white rice, zucchini, carrot and apple

Histamine intolerance, MCAS

Low Histamine Diet

Lower the histamine bucket when your body can't clear it fast enough.

Difficulty 4/5 PDF
A plate of roast salmon with sweet potato, sauteed kale and avocado

Autoimmune disease, IBD, Hashimoto's

Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)

A strict paleo elimination aimed at calming autoimmune flares, then rebuilt through reintroduction.

Difficulty 5/5 PDF
A plate of grilled chicken over a quinoa salad with cucumber, pepper and orange

Irritable bowel syndrome

Low FODMAP Diet

The best-evidenced diet for IBS — and it is meant to be temporary.

Difficulty 3/5 PDF
A plate with a spinach omelette, cherry tomatoes and slices of gluten-free bread

Coeliac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis

Strict Gluten-Free Diet

The only treatment for coeliac disease — and it has to be absolute.

Difficulty 3/5 PDF
A plate of baked white fish with mashed potato, soft carrots, white toast and broth

IBD flare, diverticulitis, bowel prep, strictures

Low Fibre / Low Residue Diet

Reduce stool volume and gut workload during a flare, stricture or recovery.

Difficulty 2/5 PDF
A plate of grilled chicken with white rice, green beans, apple slices and a glass of water

Chronic kidney disease, dialysis

Renal (Kidney) Diet

Control potassium, phosphorus, sodium and protein when kidneys can't.

Difficulty 5/5 PDF
A plate of baked chicken with oatmeal, green beans and banana slices beside ginger tea

Acid reflux, LPR, oesophagitis

GERD / Reflux Diet

Fewer triggers, smaller meals, and gravity on your side.

Difficulty 2/5 PDF
A plate of grilled salmon with brown rice and a fresh green salad, plus yogurt and berries

Hypertension, cardiovascular risk

DASH Diet

The most evidence-backed eating pattern for blood pressure, full stop.

Difficulty 2/5 PDF
A bowl of smooth pureed soup with a nutrition smoothie and soft mashed potato

Delayed gastric emptying

Gastroparesis Diet

Small, soft, low fat, low fibre — because the stomach empties too slowly.

Difficulty 4/5 PDF
A plate of baked chicken with sauteed greens, avocado and olives

Recurrent yeast overgrowth (contested)

Candida Diet

A popular anti-yeast elimination — worth knowing what the evidence does and does not say.

Difficulty 4/5 PDF
A plate of grilled chicken with potatoes, greens and tomatoes beside coconut yoghurt, berries and gluten-free bread

Coeliac disease with dairy intolerance, eczema, IBS

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Diet

Two exclusions at once — wheat protein and milk protein — without losing calcium, fibre or the pleasure of eating.

Difficulty 3/5 PDF
A lentil and barley bowl with avocado, a leafy salad with walnuts, and blueberries with oats

High cholesterol, hypertension, cardiovascular prevention

Vegetarian Heart-Health Diet

A meat-free pattern built around fibre, unsaturated fat and much less salt — the combination with the best evidence for blood pressure and cholesterol.

Difficulty 2/5 PDF
A small portioned plate of grilled chicken, cottage cheese, broccoli and sweet potato with a glass of water

Weight management on GLP-1 medication

GLP-1 Plan: 1200-Calorie Minimum, Muscle-Sparing

A protein-first floor of at least 1200 kcal for people on semaglutide or tirzepatide — because the real risk on these medications is eating too little, not too much.

Difficulty 4/5 PDF