The Plant Paradox Diet taught me to focus on eating food that is meant to heal my gut! This Lectin-Free anti-inflammatory food journey completely changed the way I approach food and maintain a healthy diet!
Picture this…
You have been committed to eating healthy and exercising daily but you still suffer from bloating, fatigue, and maybe even unexplained pain.
You step on the scale every day and just are not seeing that number on the scale move?
You are shopping at the grocery store and you realize that you have food intolerances that weren’t a problem just a few years ago.
Chances are, you need to heal your gut! And The Plant Paradox Lectin-Free Diet can help you do that!
Disclaimer: I am not a certified health professional. Any information presented here is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Read my full disclaimer here.
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What is The Plant Paradox?
What if I told you some of those fruits and vegetables that you picked up when you started your healthy lifestyle journey were causing you more harm than good?
Crazy, right?
All of that money you’ve spent on groceries, while they are nutritious, if your gut is damaged they may not be helping as much as you think.
That’s the paradox that Dr. Steven R. Gundry, a cardiothoracic surgeon, based this gut-healing program on in the book, The Plant Paradox, The Hidden Dangers in Healthy Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain by Dr. Steven Gundry.
The Plant Paradox Anti-inflammatory Diet completely changed my life! I lost 20 pounds, my skin cleared up, my energy levels soared and I felt better than ever!
Even after I finished the program I was still losing weight, and feeling energized WITHOUT working out!
So if you’re interested in trying out this food journey for yourself, here’s what you need to know.
What Led Me To Try The Plant Paradox Diet?
Right around the time I reached 25, I started to notice changes in my body that surprised me.
I was struggling with acid reflux, anxiety, TMJD, fatigue, bloating, and the dreaded excess weight gain!
I also noticed that I was not recovering quickly from exercise or alcohol.
By the lockdown of 2020, I decided to use the time to eat healthier and start an at-home workout plan.
I quickly realized that I was gaining quite a bit of muscle definition but I wasn’t making any weight loss progress. Not even progress in reducing my bloated tummy area!
I tried a few meal plans, calorie counting, intermittent fasting, and with each one, I was still stagnant.
By the time I discovered The Plant Paradox Diet, I was BEYOND frustrated.
I was out one day, working on my side hustle, and while sifting through the thrift store books, I discovered The Plant Paradox Cookbook.
Scanning through it, I learned that it was a cookbook focused on reducing inflammation by focusing on gut health.
So, with nothing left to lose, I decided to commit and even purchased the original book on Amazon.
Check Out My Resource Library for Books I Recommend Plus All My Free Printables!
The Plant Paradox Simplified
“Your health problems are not your fault.”
Steven R. Gundry, MD
This first point Gundry emphasizes in The Plant Paradox sums up why many of us don’t know how to eat “healthy”.
Throughout the book, he describes how the health foods industry markets food and products as healthy when they actually can be harmful if consumed too frequently.
Gundry also mentions that most diseases and ailments are caused by prolonged and excessive inflammation. He explains that our overall health begins in our digestive system.
He is the most relatable thought when he speaks about how even though he lived a ‘healthy lifestyle’ as a doctor, he still suffered from multiple ailments. Including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, excess weight, migraines, and more.
If you’re too lazy right now to read the whole book,
here is my simplification of the best points of The Plant Paradox.
The Most Important Points!
- Most inflammation is the result of poor gut health.
- Prolonged inflammation in the body leads to many common life-threatening illnesses.
- Plants create proteins called lectins that cause inflammation through consumption over time.
- A lot of lectins can be destroyed through cooking but some foods need pressure cooking
- The use of common drugs/chemicals causes weight gain, hormone imbalance, and digestive issues.
- Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics
- NSAIDs (painkillers like Advil, Motrin, Aleve, etc)
- Stomach Acid Blockers
- Artificial Sweeteners
- Endocrine Disruptors
- Genetically Modified Foods
- Glyphosate (The Herbicide Roundup)
- All-day long Blue Light exposure from technology influences digestive problems due to lack of quality sleep.
- The Modern American Diet relies too much on corn and wheat.
- You don’t need to cut out meat to be healthy, you just need better-raised meat.
- 100% Grass Fed
- Pasture-Raised
- Wild Caught
- Most fruits in the U.S. should be eaten in-season rather than all year.
The 3-Phases of The Plant Paradox Diet
If you’re suffering from any symptoms or signs of inflammation, I definitely recommend giving it a try.
Just make sure you check out my other post on 6 steps You NEED to take before starting The Plant Paradox Lectin-Free Diet!
Phase 1
Phase 1 is optional but probably the most challenging part of the plant paradox! It’s a 3-day detox where you focus your meals on the approved foods.
The point of the detox is to starve out all of the bad microbes that are currently living in your gut! Because they have overstayed their welcome!
After clearing out all the bad bacteria that have been holding you back from greatness, you can make room for the good bacteria that will fill it in Phase 2.
The Phase 1 Detox is a standard elimination diet that removes foods that have a chance of causing inflammation.
This is why after the 3-Day cleanse your body will feel better than it has in a long time! It finally got the chance to rest instead of over-working to reduce the inflammation that your diet causes.
While phase 1 is optional, I recommend at least trying it out because it definitely helps with breaking your sugar addiction and making the natural sweeteners way more tolerable!
I recommend creating an “Out Plan” which is just a backup meal with foods from phase two or even with food’s that you’re used to if you decide to move on together.
Gundry offers a meal plan for each phase but I recommend you still make your own each week.
Cause you know what you like best!
In Phase 1 and the beginning of Phase 2, meal planning is critical for success!
Receive A FREE Downloadable PDF of the “Yes List” or approved foods for Phase 1!
Read More: How to Conquer The Plant Paradox Phase 1 Detox!
Phase 2
Phase 2 is all about replacing the bad bacteria with good bacteria so that you will begin to heal from the inside out!
It is 6 weeks long, and it includes eating a variety of foods listed here!
A huge relief from the not-so-hefty Phase 1 List.
This is the phase where the magic happens!
You’ll see the most results in your body. Changes in energy levels, weight loss, reduction of painful symptoms.
It seals the deal! You’ll really start to feel like YOU again. After completing the full 6-weeks of phase one you will see long-term results from this gut-healing food journey!
Not just weight loss but less bloating, better tolerance for certain foods, more energy, and comfortable mobility.
Once you are accustomed to this phase (and after a few tasty recipes) you’ll be wishing you’d found it sooner!
I was able to reach my 20lb weight loss goal in this phase! Without exercise!
I also eliminated my acid reflux, reduced my anxiety, balanced my hormones, and reduced my aches and pains.
Convinced you my want to give The Plant Paradox a go? Download my FREE Meal Planner!
Phase 3
Phase 3 feels like graduation!
In this phase, your gut is healed and you’re feeling brand new.
There are way more foods available as you work your way back into a lifestyle that works best for you.
I promise after this journey the way that you cook and approach food will be completely different!
Even when you go back to your favorite foods. You’ll be better equipped to make the right choices for your body.
By the end of The Plant Paradox Diet, I was ready to tell the world my results!
That I was finally able to lose that stubborn weight and alleviate all of my digestive problems!
I even got a few bonuses, like clear skin, healthier hair, and nails! Not to mention some of the foods I couldn’t digest before (like lactose) weren’t even affecting me at all.
Even though I still can’t live without my Goat’s Milk Ice Cream!
Like or leave a comment if you’ve ever considered trying out The Plant Paradox Diet Program or you’re considering it now!
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