What foods does Dr. Gundry recommend? Overall, Dr. Gundry recommends a diet that relies on pasture-raised meats and eggs; fermented foods like sauerkraut; limited fruit; foods high in resistant starches, such as green beans; vegetables that are not in the nightshade family; and healthy fats such as olive oil.
Gundry says to avoid? He recommends avoiding grains like wheat and corn found in bread and pasta, undercooked legumes and beans, and sweeteners or high-sugar foods, such as cookies.
Dr. Gundry also recommends some fruits that are always in season, including bananas, mangoes, papayas, and avocado.
FOODS HIGH IN LECTINS INCLUDE:
Certain vegetables, especially nightshades such as tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant. Certain nuts and seeds including cashews, peanuts, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds. Grain-fed and farm-raised animal proteins. Beans and legumes.
What You Eat. Whole, unprocessed foods are key, starting with low-lectin vegetables such as greens, carrots and cauliflower, in-season berries, and avocado. Fish, grass-fed beef, and pasture-raised poultry are on the table, as are healthy oils such as olive and coconut.
The Problem With Lectins
They contain phytohaemagglutinin, a type of lectin that can cause red blood cells to clump together. It can also produce nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, and diarrhea. [2] Milder side effects include bloating and gas.
While bananas do contain lectins, they are not considered to be a major source of lectins. Bananas are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are also low in calories and fat. Lectin is a protein that is found in the pulp of ripe bananas and plantains.
Does oatmeal have lectins? Yes, oats and oatmeal are high in lectins. But don't worry, there are plenty of delicious lectin-free alternatives to oatmeal. You can make porridge with millet, sorghum, teff, and fonio.
Eggs Eggs too are included in the lectin-free way of life, but must be pasture-raised.
Still, there are some fruits and vegetables that contain only some amount of lectin-like: apples, arugula, artichokes, asparagus, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, chives, collards, kale, leafy greens, leeks, lemons, mushrooms, okra, onions, ...
Because of their precise carbohydrate specificities, lectins can be blocked by simple sugars and oligosaccharides.
Damage to the Digestive System
Certain types of lectin may bind with the walls of your digestive system which can lead to serious problems. Eating one particular lectin, phytohemagglutinin, can lead to severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
The best ways to mitigate the toxic effects of lectins are traditional food preparation methods, which include soaking, sprouting, and fermenting grains and legumes. You can ferment flour before cooking with it. Sourdough bread and a traditional flatbread from India called dosa are both made from fermented flours.
Due to their high lectin content, excessive potato consumption could lead to digestive difficulties. Despite being a healthy source of vitamins and minerals, potatoes are actually one of the most problematic lectin-containing foods.
Lectin is a carbohydrate-binding protein that can be found in varying amounts in most plants, including beans, pulses, grains, fruits and vegetables (eg, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, berries, watermelon), nuts, coffee, chocolate, and some herbs and spices (eg, peppermint, marjoram, nutmeg).
Lectins are also associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Almonds, cashews, pine nuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds are all high in lectins. Coconut, chestnut, macadamia , pecans, pistachios, walnuts, flax, hemp, pumpkin and chia are low in lectins.