Does The Plant Paradox Diet Work For Everyone?

Last updated on : June 29 2021

 

What Is The Plant Paradox Diet?

It all started with the book "The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers In "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease And Weight Gain," by a former cardiologist, heart surgeon, and a New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Steven Gundry.

In the book, Dr. Steven Gundry wrote about lectins, a plant-based carbohydrate-binding protein that protects the plants from predators and potentially causes damage to human health. 

According to the book, not all plant foods are good for our health, and some can be detrimental. Most plant-based foods contain lectins, which can put more weight on our body and sometimes lead to severe autoimmune disorders, inflammation, chronic diseases, and several gastrointestinal problems. 

The diet advises people to cut out plant lectins by avoiding certain plant-based foods, including some vegetables, fruits, grains, and others, to prevent inflammation, improve gut health, and reduce body weight.

Plant Paradox Diet: What To Eat And What To Avoid?

The diet comes with a list of foods that you can consume and avoid while using it. Let's start with the foods that you can eat.

Foods To Eat:

Although the diet recommends cutting out on numerous plant-based food items, it focuses on whole and nutritious protein and fat sources. 

Following are the lists of foods you can consume,

In oils:

● Olive oil

● Coconut oil

● Sesame oil

● Rice bran oil

● Avocado oil

● Macadamia oil

 

In sweeteners:

● Insulin

● Xylitol

● Stevia

● Monk fruit

● Erythritol

 

In nuts and seeds:

● Walnuts

● Pecans

● Brazil nuts

● Hemp seeds

● Sesame seeds

● Chestnut

● Pine nuts

● Flaxseed

● Pistachios

● Macadamia

 

In flours:

● Coconut flour

● Hazelnut flour

● Almond flour

 

In carbohydrate-free products:

● Sweet potatoes

● Plantains

● Parsnips

● Rutabaga

● Paleo wraps

 

In dairy products:

● Milk

● Cheese

● Butter

● Cream cheese

● Sour cream

 

In fish and seafood:

● Whitefish

● Salmon

● Shrimp

● Crab

● Lobster

● Oyster

● Canned tuna

● Calamari

 

In fruits:

● Avocado

● Coconut

● Berries

● Bananas

● Mangoes

 

In vegetables:

● Cauliflower

● Broccoli

● Onion

● Carrot

● Beets

● Cabbage

● Spinach

● Garlic

● Mushroom

● Okra

 

In grass-fed poultry:

● Duck

● Chicken

● Turkey

● Quail

● Ostrich

● Goose

 

In grass-fed meat:

● Pork

● Lamb

● Beef

● Bison

● Elk

● Venison

 

Foods To Avoid:

Following are the food items that contain lectin and other compounds that the plant paradox diet advises avoiding since Dr. Grundy considers them harmful for our health.

In refined starches and grains:

● Rice

● Potatoes

● Pasta

● Bread

● Pastries

● Cookies

● Sugar

● Potato chips

● Tortillas

● Crackers

● Cereal

● Agave

● Popcorn

● Oats

● Wheat

● Barley

● Corn

 

In vegetables:

● Chickpeas

● Soy

● Tofu

● Green beans

● Bell pepper

● Peas

● Cucumber

● Tomatoes

● Zucchini

 

In oils:

● Soy oil

● Sunflower oil

● Peanut oil

● Corn oil

● Safflower oil

● Grapeseed oil

● Vegetable oil

● Canola oil

 

In nuts and seeds:

● Chia

● Cashews

● Peanut

● Sunflower

● Pumpkin

 

In fruits:

● All fruits except berries

 

In dairy:

All conventional A1 milk products, including

● Greek yogurt

● American cheese

● Cottage cheese

 

In meats:

Any grain or soybean fed

● Fishes

● Lamb

● Pork

● Beef

● Poultry

● Shellfish

If you have already decided to follow the plant paradox diet for your weight loss and other benefits, observing the foods list mentioned above would be the first step. 

To know how to cook plant paradox food, you can read the author's second book, "The Plant Paradox Cookbook."

Benefits Of Using Plant Paradox Diet

According to Dr. Grundy and his followers, the plant paradox diet comes with many health benefits, starting from improved bowel movements to increased energy levels. 

But more importantly, this diet has some significant effects on weight loss, digestion improvements, and inflammation reduction.

Plant Paradox Diet In Losing Bodyweight:

Most plant-based food items contain lectin, and it is present in lots of foods that we eat as a healthy diet, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and some nightshade vegetables. 

As a result, most physicians and doctors suggest feeding on plant-based foods because they are healthy as a group - ignoring the lectin concern. 

The plant paradox diet advises eating plant-based foods too but further recommends avoiding those plant-based foods containing lectin. 

Following the plant paradox diet will help you lose weight simply because it focuses on eating healthy plant-based food.  

Read More - These Health Benefits Of Chia Seeds You Should Know About

Plant Paradox Diet In Improving Digestion:

The improvement in your digestion is one of the most distinguishable benefits of using the plant paradox diet, as lectin can cause digestive problems. 

Since lectin protects plants from predators, consuming plant parts enriched with lectins is potentially unhealthy. 

Food items like tomatoes, several vegetables, fruits, beans, etc., are high in lectins. Plant paradox diets protect your stomach from getting damages from these lectin-rich foods. 

Most plant paradox diet followers have found fewer digestive problems, improved bowel movements, and better gut health after trying out the diet for a while.

Plant Paradox Diet In Inflammation Reduction:

According to Dr. Grundy, plant-based foods that are high in lectin can cause multiple human health problems through chronic inflammation. 

Foods like nightshade vegetables might come to your first choice of making a healthy diet, but they also cause problems to the immune system. 

When we consume lectin-enriched foods, they can come between cells, restricting them from communicating with each other. And as a result of this unwanted interference, sometimes the body goes through various problems like nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. 

But maintaining the plant paradox diet will remove these food items from your plate and help you avoid unnecessary inflammation and other issues. As a result, it can promote all-over health by letting you consume food with no or fewer lectins. 

If you search for some good quality lectin-free products to start your diet with, pop over to this website to get Gundry MD lectin-free products with a great deal.

Does The Plant Paradox Diet Work For Everyone?

The plant paradox diet is one of the trendiest diet trends worldwide, especially after the considerable weight loss of Kelly Clarkson and her public announcement of following the diet. 

The diet is perfect for lectin-sensitive people who suffer from lectin intolerance and are looking for a way to be healthy. 

But for people who are not sensitive to lectin, it might not be ideal because it restricts many food items that provide beneficial nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that keep the body strong and healthy. 

A close look at some of the food items on Dr. Grundy's 'No' list shows them to be nutritious and contain a relatively lesser amount of lectin if cooked well. 

Finally, maintaining a plant paradox diet can't be afforded by everyone. The food items on the 'Yes' list of Dr. Grundy are expensive, especially the grain-fed meats and other fruit items.

Conclusion

If you think that because the plant paradox diet worked on Kelly and other closer relatives or friends of yours, it will work on you, then you might be wrong. 

There is no evidence yet proving that lectins are health hazardous for us. And since our body requirements are different from one another, we cannot be sure that following the plant paradox diet will work on us as it might for another. 

The plant paradox diet is undoubtedly a great invention in diet and wellness, making it a buzz worldwide. But if you are willing to know if it will work for you or not, there is no particular answer. 

If you are lectin sensitive and can easily afford all the food items on Dr. Grundy's Yes list, it might be helpful. But consulting with a nutrition expert is highly recommended before opting for this diet, as many of the foods on the No list are nutritious and healthy too, and it might not be suitable to avoid them. 

Also, to note, you can eliminate lectin from your food items by soaking and cooking them well.

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