Dallas Chef Delivers HCG Diet Gourmet

by Steven Doyle     photos by Robert Bostick

As we all contemplate our vows for the new year many of us are looking to drop at least a few pounds. So for at least the next few weeks we will actually use the new gym membership, cut back on whatever it is we need to cut back on, and possibly look to a diet plan that might make the whole process simpler.

The diet business is a $40 billion enterprise, so there are at least a few of us looking for a simpler way to being thin and healthy. 

In the past few months we have been hearing more about the HCG diet plan. This is a seemingly quirky diet based on a 50-year old discovery by a Dr. A.T.W. Simeons as he worked to cure malnutrition in undeveloped villages. Simply put, the doctor discovered that while observing women during pregnancy he noticed that as soon as the child was born the mother’s health began to rapidly deteriorate. The doctor discovered the hormone HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, a naturally occurring hormone is created by the body to nourish and protect the fetus by taking the stored fat reserves and changing to nutrition for the placenta.

The thought now is that if these hormones could drain fat cells and transform to positive natural energy, it might actually help people with obesity.

We will not discuss the medical pros and cons to this diet, but instead we wish to introduce you to someone locally that is offering his chef services to this very niche market.

On the HCG diet under a doctors care you administer the hormone in one of three fashions. During phase one you are subsisting on less than 550 calories each day. Phase two doubles the caloric intact. The trick would then be to create a meal plan that adheres to the strict guidelines of what may or may not be consumed, and the correct quantities.

Enter M. Wade Doerr, a local chef who has started making meal plans and a delivery service for this diet. Chef Doerr is a local Cordon Bleu graduate and has worked Popolos, Mondos, Craft and more recently at Ocean Prime. Chef Doerr owns a service called HCGourmet.

We recently visited the chef’s kitchen to sample some of the fare and to see how he was able to deliver quality food that actually tasted good.

Doerr is quick to note that he does not prescribe the plan to anyone, nor can he administer the hormones. He simply provides the food you eat each day in their proper portions without using any fats.

“We want you to start eating in a healthier way, and we can lead you in that direction,” said Doerr, “we are not able to sauté on this diet, so everything must be prepared in such a way that brings the most flavor to each bite.” And the chef does exactly that by using a series of reductions to replace the fats, be it chicken stock or in the case of his very lean steak, an extreme reduction of balsamic.

Doerr also uses sauces, which is virtually unheard of for people on this diet.

“We offer a faux demi-glace. I have to get the acidity from somewhere so we use fruit juice instead of wine. It tastes enough like wine that it is passable.”

Doerr works with a variety of doctors and clinicians in the Dallas area and delivers the meals directly to their offices and also can make personal home deliveries of his freshly prepared meals each day, meaning, while we sleep he is in the kitchen with his staff.

Some of the offerings include a Southwestern Meatloaf, Arugula Stuffed Chicken and Baked Seasonal Fish. There are also numerous soups to sample like his extremely flavorful French Onion and a Turkey Chili. He also has numerous sides and salads available.

We sampled most of the menu items this week and found them surprisingly flavorful.

The HCGourmet website is easy to maneuver for quick ordering, and surprisingly the meals are inexpensive.

However you decide to lose weight, we recommend consulting with your physician.