Hi Taz - I'm pretty sure you have the portions correct. I've pasted in the exact wording from the diet section.  I"ve always assumed that meat was part of the 1/4 protein.  As for snacks - I'm really not sure - I'm guessing that vegies are probably better than starch.
***Meals should be ¼ protein, ¼ starch and ½ vegetables. Breakfast may be ½ protein and ½ starch if vegetables are too difficult to consume for that meal.***
I'm so happy that you're still hanging around here.
Take Care,

Hi. I am a newbie and just started treatment 2 1/2 weeks ago. I've been good sticking to my List 1 diet, however, i was not aware of the proportion of protein/starch and veggies. I've been eating more veggies but my proportions have been more like 40protein/40starch/20veggies and inconsistent.
Do you know if that can badly effect my treatment protocoal or cause pain? 
I am also curious, i take my pills at 7:30 am, 1pm and 7:30 pm, however not always manage to take it before a meal, and sometimes without a meal. How do you guys manage it?
Thanks.
 
 

The posted diet is 1/4 meat, 1/4 starch, 1/2 veggies.  However, for some patients Matia says to do 1/3 of each (either she starts them at that, or has them on it for a while, or for a long time).  Part of it depends on if they've lost a lot of weight and need more protein, and/or need more starches for energy, things like that.  But since you're not a patient yet, you can't go wrong sticking to the 1/4-1/4-1/2 or doing somewhere in between that and all 1/3s.
 
As far as quantities of protein, I'd tried to pin her down many times on quantifying just how much we should be eating but she isn't precise with answers.  In general, using a normal-sized plate, I figure a quarter of it for meat. A regular serving of meat protein is supposed to be the size of a deck of cards, but for many of us who are ill & needing protein, the size will be larger.  My recollections of her guidance are that if you're very hungry and need more it's ok to eat a large protein (assuming we're not talking about insane amounts like 15-oz steaks!), just as long as the starch/veggie ratio stays consistent.
 
Re: snacks:  My understanding is it's better to have veggie snacks.  I highly recommend chopping them up at the beginning of the week and choosing the veggies you like most (or you're less likely to choose veggies for snacks).  However, if you need more food (as many of us do), there is nothing wrong with having protein/starch in your snacks, but follow Matia's direction on what you must pair them with (i.e. protein w/ carb or protein w/ veg), as it depends on each person & their stage of treatment. And it's important to follow b/c it affects how everything is absorbed/used in your body.  fyi--Do not have starch snacks alone! Over-snacking on starches seems to cause people the most snack-induced problems.  Also watch your quantities; it's so easy to eat too much.  :-(  A great tip is to plate it rather than eat mindlessly out of a bag.
 
To selichan-- Yes! Eating so little veggies and so much meat/starch can definitely adversely affect treatment not to mention your gut (which is what she's working on), even if you don't feel it.  Among many reasons, eating unbalanced like that can create over-acidity (just like eating too many veggies she says is a no-no b/c it creates over-alkalinity), and BALANCE is a key part of her treatment, reflected in the diet ratios.  If you keep eating this way, in the least, tell Matia that you're eating this way -- this info is critical to her doing her job well.  Also, re: taking pills with meals, it all depends on the pills.  Ask Matia if your protocol should be taken with/without food.