Lesson 1: Diet Guide

Eat regularly and do not allow yourself to become overly hungry—stabilizing blood sugar is a primary aim to avoid the stress of low blood sugar.

Foods to Avoid for the 12 weeks

1) ALL sugars and sweeteners. Use only organic monk fruit Powder or organic liquorice root.
2) High-glycemic fruit juices particularly non organic juices.
3) Grains: wheat, rice, barley, corn, etc.
4) Dairy: milk, cream, cheese, butter, whey, etc.
5) Eggs or foods that contain eggs (such as mayonnaise)
6) All Meats
7) Alcohol and coffee
8) Processed foods such as pastas, cakes, crackers, biscuits, cereals
9) Canned foods

*After 3 months on this Program and after review of the blood results, some of these food groups can be added back into diet.*

Foods to Include

When confronted with this guide the first thing people ask is what can they eat. In fact you’ll be eating the way people ate for most of human history—there’s plenty of food that doesn’t come from a factory or an industrialized farm.

1) Vegetables: asparagus, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, carrots, celery, artichokes, garlic, onions, zucchini, squash.
2) Fermented foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled ginger, fermented cucumbers, coconut yogurt, kombucha, water kefir and tempeh.
3) Slow cooked porridge using sprouted whole oat groats or buckwheat groats
4) Low-glycemic fruits: apricots, plums, apple, peach, pear, cherries, melons, grapes and berries
5) Coconut: coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut milk, coconut cream
6) Herbal teas
7) Olives and olive oil
8) Green Juices, Wheatgrass juice, sprouts and other vegetable juices
9) Tumeric Milk from nut and seed milks
10) seaweeds such as spirulina, kelp, dulse and nori.
11) Brazil Nuts, sesame seeds, tahini, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
12) Vegetable soups with miso
13) Plenty of salads including avacados, olives, tomatoes, greens, tempeh, sauerkraut, sunflower cheese.
14) Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds,( you can use the seeds, seed milks and seed oils for omega 3, 6 and 9)
15) Medicinal Mushrooms such as Shitake, maitake, reishi, cordyceps, chaga, oyster to make teas and soups

How To Thrive Long Term 

1) Note * In any form of diet it is important to bring awareness to including all colors of foods into our diet such as yellow and red peppers, greens, purple brocoli, red cabbage, black olives, blue berries, cauliflowers etc. Each Color will deliver a completely unique set of nutrients and healing benefits .*

2) For those on a strict Raw food Diet , it has imerged with great evidence in those who are thriving in a long term raw vegan diet that they have included items such as wide range of nuts and seeds ( walnuts, pumpkin, almonds, sunflowers, chia, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, etc), Seaweeds and algae ( Chlorella, Spirulina, nori, dulse etc) , Mushrooms and medicinal mushrooms ( Portabello, Shitake, Maitake, reishi, chaga, lions maine etc) wide range of greens( each green will also deliver a unique mineral and nutrient profile such as asparagus, broccoli, parsley, kale, chard, spinach etc).

3) As Important Juices are and in particular green juices, it is also extremely important to maintain good fibre in our diets as it is a powerful detoxifier and will pull heavy metals from your body. This is where smoothies come in and including chia seeds into smoothies is a fantastic way to include great fibre into your diet. A smoothie example of ( Nut mylk, Spirulina, chia seeds soaked, soaked dates or date paste and bananas )

4) Ensure you are adding into your food plan the following , herbs ( herbal extractions, teas, tinctures to support and boost organ function and immune health), medicinal mushrooms, seaweeds, green juices, fermented foods ( Yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, kefir) and fruits.

Supplementation

There are number of Suppliments listed below that can be of great help, I encourage you to try the program for two months without supplementation in order to evluate blood tests. The Diet above is very therapeutic in itself. If needed at that point you can add specific supplements into your daily routine as necessary or if you wish to further support this diet with various nutritional and botanical compounds to tame inflammation and facilitate repair of the gut lining. My favourite must have supplements are B12, D3, B complex, Calcium and Astaxanthin, Vegan Dha & Epa. One of my favourite brands is Garden of life because they are very clean without fillers , they are organic and raw, plant based and high dose. There are many other really good ones and many listed below, it is best to see supplementation as adjunctive and therefore trying best to get the most nutrients from foods. Follow the rainbow !

Nutrients to Support the Gut Lining

1) L-glutamine

2) Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice

3) Aloe Leaf Extract

4) Tillandsia

5) Marshmallow Extract

6) MSM

7) Gamma Oryzanol

8) Slippery elm bark

9) German Chamomile

10) Marigold Flower extract or tea

Probiotics to Repair Gut 

1) Saccharomyces Boulardii

2) Lactobacillus Sporogenes

3) DDs-1 Lactobacilli acidophilus

4) Arabinogalactan

To Deal with Yeast and Bacteria Overgrowth

1) Undecylenic Acid

2) Caprylic Acid

3) Uva Ursi Tea or extract

4) Cats claw Tea or extract

5) Pau d’arco Tea or extract

Dealing with Parasites in conjunction with Terminator 2 Zapper 

1) Wormwood Extract

2) Olive Leaf Extract

3) Garlic Extract

4) Black Walnut Extract

5) Tincture of Clove, Black Walnut & Wormwood

Dealing with H.pylori and Bacterial Overgrowth

1) Berberine

2) Yerba Mansa

3) Oregano Extract

Balancing Blood Sugar

1) Eat Breakfast of high quality protein and fats

2) If you have Hypoglycemia. eat small amount of protein and/or health fat every two to three hours

3) Find your carbohydrate tolerance, if you feel sleepy or crave sugar after you eat, you have eaten too many carbohydrates

4) Never eat high carb foods without some finer, fat or protein

5) Never eat sweets or starchy foods before bed.

6) Avoid commercial fruit juices and sodas

7) Avoid Coffee

Nutrients to Support Low Blood Sugar (Hpoglycemia)

1) Chromium

2) L-Carnitine

3) CoQ10

Nutrients to Support High Blood Sugar (Insulin Resistence)

1) Banana Leaf Extract
2) Maitake Tea or Extract
3) Bitter Melon
4) Chromium
5) Magnesium
6) Niacin
7) L-Caritine
8) Zinc
9) Vitamin E

Nutritional Compounds to Help Manage Stress

1) Phosphatidylserine extract or topical
2) Gingseng Tea or Extract
3) Rhodiola Tea or Extract
4) Herbal Adrenal Adoptagens such as Licorice Root Tea
5) Ashwagandha Tea

Nutritional Compounds to Improve Brain Circulation 

1) Feverfew Extract
2) Butchers Broom Extract
3) Ginkgo Biloba
4) Huperzine
5) Vinpocetine

Nutritional Compounds to Tame Brain Inflammation and Leaky Brain

The Most important steps to reducing brain inflammation are to address food intolerances, blood sugar imbalances , gut infections and inflammation, unmanaged autoimmune disease, poor brain oxygenation, chronic stress, hormonal imbalances and deficiencies and more. While addressing these factors you can use flavonoids that have been shown to dampen the microglia cells and brain inflammation. They include:

1) Apigenin ( Parsley & Celery)
2) Luteolin ( Celery, Thyme, Green Peppers, Chamomile)
3) Baicalein ( Chinese Skullcap)
4) Resveratrol ( Red Grapes, Raw Chocolate & Blueberries)
5) Rutin ( Apples, Figs, Buckwheat, Black Olive, Asparagus)
6) Catechin ( Brewed Green Tea, Apples, Black Berries, Apricots)
7) Curcumin ( Turmeric)

Nutritional Compounds to Dampen Neurological Autoimmunity

1) Vitamin D 5000 to 10,000 iu per day ( Blood Level should be between 50 – 100 ng/ml)
2) Glutathione ( Avacados, Cordyceps, Gotu Kola, Milk Thistle, L-glutamine)
3) Resveratrol
4) Turmeric

Compounds to Support Acetycholine Neurotransmitter (Improve Memory, Mental responsiveness, spacial orientation and creativity)

1) Tofu
2) Sunflower or soya letichen
3) Huperzine A
4) Galantamine ( daffodil extract or Tea)
5) Panothenic acid as Calcium pantothenate

Compounds to Support Serotonin Activity 

1) 5-HTP
2) Tryptophan ( oats, bananas, chickpeas, dates, pumkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
3) St. John’s wort Tea
4) SAMe
5) P-5-P
6) Methyl B12
7) Folic Acid (Leafy Greens)
8) Magnesium Citrate (Nuts, Seeds & Tofu)

Compounds to Support GABA ( help with feelings of anxiousness, panic, dread, inner tension, overwhelm and disorganised attention)

1) Valerian Root Tea or Extract
2) Passion Floer Extract or Tea
3) L-theanine
5) Taurine ( Algae)
6) p-5-P, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese

Compounds to Support Dopamine Activity 

1) Mucuna Pruriens
2) Beta-phenylethylamine (PEA) ( Cacao, Almonds, Chickpeas, Tahini)
3) Blueberry extract, Selenium
4) Vitamin B6 ( sweet potato, Spinach, Banana) – Water Soluable
5) N-acetyl L-tyrosine ( seaweed, spinach, avacado, banana)

The Importance of Iodine in Thyroid Health

Iodine is one of the two building blocks of your thyroid hormones. Your thyroid converts tyrosine (the other building block) into thyroglobulin and attaches between one and four iodine atoms to create T1, T2, T3, and T4 respectively. Without enough iodine, your thyroid simply can’t produce its hormones. Healthy iodine levels can be maintained by eating seafoods such as seaweed. It is very important to maintain sufficient levels of iodine to reduce the risk of iodine displacement, where other chemicals with similar structures (namely fluorine, chlorine, and bromine) are absorbed and stored by your thyroid in place of iodine.

The Importance of Selenium in Thyroid Health

The enzyme that converts T4 (the inactive form of thyroid hormone) to T3 (the active form), is a selenium-dependent enzyme, so without enough selenium your thyroid hormones are stuck in their inactive state, causing hypothyroidism symptoms. Sufficient levels of selenium also help prevent and reverse autoimmune thyroid. When your body converts iodide (the form iodine that you ingest, such as table salt, which is sodium iodide) into iodine, the process produces hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidant and damages thyroid cells, which can trigger an autoimmune response. Selenium acts to neutralize the hydrogen peroxide, and research has shown that increasing selenium levels in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease reduces their level of thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb). There are many foods that are naturally rich in selenium, most notably brazil nuts.

The Importance of Zinc in Thyroid Health

Like selenium, zinc plays a role in the enzyme needed to convert T4 to T3. Zinc is also necessary to trigger your hypothalamus’ thyroid hormone receptors, meaning that without enough zinc, your hypothalamus can’t accurately gauge thyroid hormone levels to increase production when levels are low. Because of these two factos, studies have linked zinc deficiency with decreased thyroid production and hypothyroidism. Pumpkin seeds is great source of dietary zinc, and, as with iodine and selenium. if Supplimenting with zinc, Zinc can actually deplete your body’s copper levels, so it is also advised to pair your zinc supplement with a copper supplement.

The Importance of Iron in Thyroid Health

Iron contributes two key steps to thyroid hormone production. First, the enzyme that converts iodide to iodine (so that it can combine with tyrosine to become thyroid hormones) is dependent on iron. Second, like selenium and zinc, iron is required to convert T4 to T3. Many women are deficient in iron, specifically ferritin, the protein that stores your iron, since they are menstruating monthly. It is particularly common among women following a vegetarian or vegan diet, but I see it frequently in those following a paleo diet as well. Wheatgrass and all leafy greens such as spinach are all great sources of dietary iron. You can also supplement your iron intake from food with an iron supplement.

Eat Organic 

Eating organic food will significantly reduce your risk of exposure to toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, you can never 100% eliminate your risk of mercury and perchlorate contamination because even certified organic farming practices don’t account for public water sources being contaminated through runoff. But, if you use all of these strategies in conjunction, then the trace amounts that might get passed on through your organic food is not likely to have a large effect on you. To further reduce your risk of mercury exposure, it is best to avoid eating fish that are particularly high in mercury, such as tuna, and instead stick with fish with lower levels of mercury, such as salmon. To reduce your nitrate exposure, purchases nitrate-free cured and processed meat products, or avoid them altogether.

The “Dirty Dozen” These 12 produce items are what the Environmental Working Group (EWG) calls the Dirty Dozen because they have the highest concentration of pesticides. I highly recommend always buying these organic. Apples, Peaches, Nectarines, Strawberries, Grapes, Celery,  Spinach,  Sweet Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, Snap Peas (imported), and  Potatoes.

The “Clean Fifteen” These 15 produce items are what the Environmental Working Group (EWG) calls the Clean Fifteen because they have the lowest concentration of pesticides. I still recommend buying these organic whenever possible, but there is less risk associated with these than the Dirty Dozen. Avocados, Sweet Corn, Pineapples, Frozen Sweet Peas, Onions, Asparagus, Mangoes, Papayas, Kiwi, Eggplant, Grapefruit, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower and  Sweet Potatoes.

Addressing subconscious beliefs about food

For those battling a history of weight issues or an eating disorder, this diet can be filled with emotional triggers. In these cases I highly recommend support for underlying subconscious beliefs about food, eating, and your body. Use the twice weekly psychotherapy sessions to address these underlying beliefs and patterns of thinking. Subconscious beliefs aside, many are pleasantly surprised to find cravings and obsessions with food diminish or disappear once they remove immune reactive foods, stabilize blood sugar, eat a nutrient-dense diet and maintain great hydration with plenty of hydrating fluids such as herbals, teas, nut milks and water throughout the day. Make sure you don’t allow yourself to get too hungry or hypoglycemic by including sufficient fat and protein in your diet. Also, cravings are often a disguise for thirst, so stay hydrated and add electrolytes to your water if need be. For this diet to be successful it’s extremely important to pay attention to blood sugar symptoms, keep blood sugar stable, and be aware of which foods trigger your symptoms. These are always good basic guidelines with which to start whether you are waiting to work with a practitioner or are going it alone.

More about Lectins 

What are lectins?

Lectins are a type of protein that can bind to cell membranes. They are sugar-binding and become the “glyco” portion of glycoconjugates on the membranes. Lectins offer a way for molecules to stick together without getting the immune system involved, which can influence cell-cell interaction. Lectins are abundant in raw legumes and grains, and most commonly found in the part of the seed that becomes the leaves when the plant sprouts, aka the cotyledon, but also on the seed coat. They’re also found in dairy products and certain vegetables. While lectin content in food is fairly constant, the genetic altering of plants has created some fluctuations. Lectins in plants are a defense against microorganisms, pests, and insects. They may also have evolved as a way for seeds to remain intact as they passed through animals’ digestive systems, for later dispersal. Lectins are resistant to human digestion and they enter the blood unchanged.

Why are lectins so important?

Lectins are thought to play a role in immune function, cell growth, cell death, and body fat regulation. Because we don’t digest lectins, we often produce antibodies to them. Almost everyone has antibodies to some dietary lectins in their body. This means our responses vary. Certain foods can even become intolerable to someone after an immune system change or the gut is injured from another source. The presence of particular lectins can stimulate an immune system response. There are some lectins that no one should consume. Ever wonder why you don’t see sprouted red kidney beans?
It’s due to phytohaemagglutinin – a lectin that can cause red kidney bean poisoning. The poisoning is usually caused by the ingestion of raw, soaked kidney beans. As few as four or five raw beans can trigger symptoms. Raw kidney beans contain from 20,000 to 70,000 lectin units, while fully cooked beans usually contain between 200 and 400 units.

Beneficial lectins

While many types of lectins cause negative reactions in the body, there are also health promoting lectins that can decrease incidence of certain diseases. Furthermore, the body uses lectins to achieve many basic functions, including cell to cell adherence, inflammatory modulation and programmed cell death.

What you should know about lectins

Ingesting lectins can cause flatulence. Consuming legumes and grains in their raw form can even result in nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Indeed, researchers speculate that many apparent causes of bacterial food poisoning may actually be lectin poisoning.

Lectins and the intestinal wall

This GI distress happens because lectins can damage the intestinal lining. As food passes through the gut, it causes very minor damage to the lining of the GI tract. Normally the cells repair this damage rapidly. Since the purpose of the gut lining is to let the good stuff past and keep the bad stuff contained, it’s important for the cellular repair system to be running at full efficiency. But lectins can blunt this speedy reconstruction. Our cells can’t regenerate as fast as they need to in order to keep the intestinal lining secure. Thus, our natural gut defenses are compromised after the damage occurs and the gut can become “leaky,” allowing various molecules (including stuff we don’t want) to pass back and forth amid the gut wall. We may also not absorb other important things, such as vitamins and minerals, properly. When enough lectins are consumed, it can signal our body to evacuate GI contents. This means vomiting, cramping and diarrhea. It’s similar to consuming large amounts of alcohol, which can damage the GI lining and cause GI evacuation.

Lectins and immune response

When lectins affect the gut wall, it may also cause a broader immune system response as the body’s defenses move in to attack the invaders.
Symptoms can include skin rashes, joint pain, and general inflammation. Other chronic disorders may be correlated with leaky gut — for example, researchers have even noted that children with autism have very high rates of leaky gut and similar inflammatory GI tract diseases. When someone suffers from Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome, the gut lining seems to be more sensitive to food lectins. This might be due to the high turnover of cells and greater population of the immature variety. These immature cells have plenty of spots for lectins to attach. The effects of dietary lectins only extend for as long as they are in the body, and the effects can be reduced by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables (rather than high amounts of one type) and foods with beneficial bacteria (e.g., fermented foods).

Lectins and grains

Unrefined grains are more nutritious than refined versions because they contain more nutrients. However, they also provide more lectins (and other anti-nutrients). While this was likely never a problem when we grew and harvested our own grains, we now have access to MANY whole grain products. Before the invention of modern agriculture, grains were a minor and seasonal crop. Now we can go to the market for 15 minutes and have a cart full of whole grain pasta, bread, rice, quinoa, kamut, amaranth, oats, barley and chips. The average North American diet is highly grain-based: bread, pasta, rice, cereals, etc. are everywhere, especially in processed foods. Was the body ever equipped to deal with that type of grain onslaught? Our ancestors grasped the concept of “survival of the fittest,” and found a solution to the problem of lectins. Soaking, fermenting, sprouting and cooking will decrease lectins and free up the good nutrients. The content of lectins in foods differs year to year and crop to crop. Grain, cereal, dairy, and legume (especially peanut and soybean) lectins are most commonly associated with reports of digestive complaints. Legumes and seafood are the most abundant sources of lectins in most diets.

How can we reduce or neutralize lectins?

Sprouting:

Sprouting seeds, grains or beans decreases the lectin content. Generally, the longer the duration of sprouting, the more lectins are deactivated. In some cases the lectin activity is enhanced by sprouting (like alfalfa sprouts). The lectins in some grains and beans are in the seed coat. As it germinates, the coat is metabolized – eliminating lectins.

Soaking and cooking:

Even wonder why grandma bothered with the long soak, rinse and boil session when preparing beans and grains? Lectin reduction. This is probably the most classic method of preparing beans and grains. Soak beans and legumes overnight, and change the water often. Drain and rinse again before cooking. Adding sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) to the soaking water may help neutralize the lectins further.

Fermenting: 

Fermentation allows beneficial bacteria to digest and convert many of the harmful substances. This might be why the healthiest populations stick with fermented soy products like tofu, miso, tempeh, tamari and natto. Even some vegetables, such as cabbage, may have fewer antinutrients when fermented. Cultures with a history of grain eating traditionally have used some form of fermentation to treat grains. If you’ve had sourdough bread or beer, you’ve had fermented grains. Not all lectins are completely destroyed by these methods, and some particularly stubborn lectins in beans remain no matter how lengthy the treatment. Thus, these techniques don’t totally reduce the negative effects for everyone. Some have argued that since agriculture is a relatively recent invention, humans did not evolve to tolerate grains nor beans well in any case. For some susceptible people, consuming a “Paleo-style” diet, where carbohydrates come from fruits and vegetables, rather than grains and beans, may be beneficial.

Summary and recommendations

Since lectins are so widely distributed in food items commonly consumed by humans, and have been for many centuries, most nutrition experts assume they don’t pose a significant risk to human health. Still, it does appear that chronic ingestion of untreated high-lectin foods may warrant further consideration. If you consume a diet with plenty of lectin-rich foods, try to reduce the amount by soaking, fermenting, sprouting and/or cooking. However the latest research by Dr. Datis kharrazian shows a link between lectins and leaky gut disease and Autoimmunity so it is best to avoid these foods for the duration of the program if you are suffering with gut problems or autoimmunity.