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Gruia Novac i would try keto. switching to fat as energy source fixes most issues. aim at <20g carbs="" of="" span="">
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To put it generously, I am not the intended audience for a book like this, and I would not normally seek out, let alone read, a diet book. Nonetheless, someone whose opinion and educated intellect I deeply respect recommended the book to me, and so I read it.
This book was, at the very least, easy to read, condensing scientific (and pseudo-scientific) terms and concepts into easily digestible chunks with cutesy analogies. Of course, for a fad diet to catch on, it has to be something that people can intuitively and easily grasp, and so the book succeeds on that count. It is definitely a book that intends to persuade, and it often comes at you with a feverish snake-oil pitch. Would you like to know how to cure autoimmune disorders, coronary artery disease, cancer, migraines, and even hair loss? Would you be willing to believe that only a few (extreme) dietary (and lifestyle) changes (plus maybe some supplements) could get you the perfect life all the way to age one hundred? Dr. Gundry, or perhaps writing partner Olivia Bell Buehl, loves to pack in the rhetorical questions promising shocking revelations just on the other page. This performance is repeated ad nauseum throughout, and information is only slowly fed out to the reader, often repeated amid more assurances of shocking success. Just to drive this home, the book is littered with alleged success stories of many pseudonyms and a couple special celebrity guests/friends; we are apparently supposed to accept vague anecdote as legitimate proof.
I actually started the book with an open mind--the recommending party's opinion is one I trust a great deal--but the above nonsense quickly soured me. Just as importantly, there are a couple elements regarding Dr. Gundry himself that make his opinion suspect.
First, this man is a cardiologist, and his focus on nutrition and the microbiome in the gut represents a fairly late-life shift guided by research he did as an undergraduate student. He sounds like an excellent cardiologist, well-respected and quite successful and even innovative in his field, but he does not appear to have any special qualifications as, for instance, a gastroenterologist or rheumatologist or neurologist, especially in the clinical research space, which is significant given (a) the number of claims he makes regarding those fields and (b) his insistence that his method is superior to the accepted field of knowledge of those specialists and that his advice has often proven superior to that of the relevant specialists.
Second, and far more troubling, Dr. Gundry is promoting a diet that he believes requires (or at least strongly benefits from) supplements. He makes and sells those supplements, and he promotes his own name-brand supplements in the book. While he is careful to offer alternative supplements and to note that supplements are not absolutely essential to at least some success under his diet plan, he harps on their great values and often casually highlights how some aspect of his supplements is superior to the alternative. In fact, Dr. Gundry repeatedly name-drops products (his own and others') throughout the book, and far more frequently than he name-drops celebrities.
In short, whatever legitimate insights Dr. Gundry may have to offer, they are highly suspect because of the above credibility issues.
Additionally, Dr. Gundry often cited interesting dietary research, but many of his most important or controversial claims lacked similar citations (or vaguely referred to multiple studies). He seemed to have a habit of dropping readily acceptable factoids with citations, only to culminate in a tangentially related conclusion that was not similarly supported.
For instance, Dr. Gundry discusses how some research has suggested that lectins can climb the vagus nerve to the brain, then points to another study that found lower incidences of Parkinson's disease in patients who had their vagus nerves surgically cut; he then summarily concludes that this "also explains why Parkinson's is more prevalent among vegetarians," claiming that it is because they consume more lectin-containing plants. This last alleged fact is not cited. I can find some claims out there that vegetarian diets do increase the risk of Parkinson's disease, but I can also just as easily find the hypothesis that, based on some general observations, a vegan diet may actually reduce the risk for Parkinson's disease (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...). Needless to say, if there is some evidence that vegan or quasi-vegan populations have a lesser incidence of Parkinson's disease, then highlighting plant-based lectins as the source of the problem seems suspect. I'm not a medical researcher, not a scientist, not a doctor, and I don't have ready access to a university to scour medical journals, but that's kind of the point: I have no easy way to verify the claim, and it's at best lazy and at worst dishonest to dish out a claim like this without any citation.
I also feel like Dr. Gundry is willing to play up risk factors and cherry-pick data points to make lectins seem like scary killers at the source of all our problems. At another point in the book, he bemoans the existence of severe food allergies, which he at points attributes to lectins, and says, "Peanuts didn't kill us back in 1960." For one thing, I think he is overemphasizing the really quite low levels of severe food allergies in the general population; a casual reader might nod in agreement, but the extent and severity of food allergies seems to have been over-extended in the public consciousness thanks to news media frenzies and the marketing of certain pharmaceutical products. Plus, from what I can tell, food allergies like peanut allergies have been around for quite a while, but it's only been in the past few decades that there has been more medical research (and resultant media attention) surrounding the allergies (https://www.princeton.edu/news/2013/0...).
I would stress again that I am not a medical researcher, a scientist, or a doctor. I have no qualified science background or experience in scientific research. So it would be very difficult for me to address the main thrust of Dr. Gundry's book, that lectins are bad and can outweigh the health benefits of certain plants. The few instances where I can detect an apparent flaw or lazy argument are therefore significant to me because they make me suspect flaws even in Dr. Gundry's larger (non-sourced) points. But there are a couple of people with the adequate experience who have written critically of Dr. Gundry's book, bringing up some of the same concerns I have. For instance, see https://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar... andhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/d....
Dr. Gundry does not just have a problem with lectins, though. He is also concerned about GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics, antacids, and the factory farm model. In most of these areas, I actually think he does a more convincing job of highlighting concerns, except for with GMOs. His argument is that GMOs alter produce by, for instance, adding more lectins to the products and are therefore bad. This once again requires the belief that lectins are, on their face, bad things that should be avoided. To the extent that he notes that GMOs are altered to allow for greater use of pesticides, I can get on board, I suppose.
I have probably derailed enough, so I'll try to quickly wrap up. If I had one final, large concern for why I thought this diet was overblown, it would be that Dr. Gundry never really convincingly addresses the dietary Blue Zones. It would seem that the minimal animal consumption would be an area of overlap that Dr. Gundry can get on board with, but he does not so readily explain, for instance, the presence of scary lectin-containing legumes in these diets (http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2...). I had heard about Blue Zones in passing before, although Dr. Gundry's book has prompted greater interest on my part in Dan Buettner's writings on the subject. Dr. Gundry's book has not made me particularly more interested in Dr. Gundry's diet, though.
It also annoys me that the diet is rather time-and-money-consumptive. Perhaps truly desperate people or those living in Palm Springs will be excited to throw more money at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, but I don't see how this does anything for lower-income people leaving in urban food deserts, for instance. Not every diet has to be for every person, but this diet smacks of privilege and does not offer real, sustainable solutions for a good deal of people, I would say. The number of appliances he expects one to regularly use simply would not work within my limited cabinet and counter space, for instance!
I do believe that Dr. Gundry may have found something very useful for individuals suffering from, for instance, severe autoimmune disorders. I think that, despite his credibility issues, he probably does have a number of success stories to point to and probably genuinely believes in what he is marketing. And his book did get me to think more consciously about the food and lifestyle choices I currently make. I certainly want to make a greater effort to eat more vegetables and to remove as much processed foods as possible, to replace desserts with fruit, to limit consumption of meats and eat a greater proportion of wild-caught fish as part of that more limited animal protein intake, and so on. But I do not have any intention of adopting Dr. Gundry's diet or ordering his supplements. (less)
This book was, at the very least, easy to read, condensing scientific (and pseudo-scientific) terms and concepts into easily digestible chunks with cutesy analogies. Of course, for a fad diet to catch on, it has to be something that people can intuitively and easily grasp, and so the book succeeds on that count. It is definitely a book that intends to persuade, and it often comes at you with a feverish snake-oil pitch. Would you like to know how to cure autoimmune disorders, coronary artery disease, cancer, migraines, and even hair loss? Would you be willing to believe that only a few (extreme) dietary (and lifestyle) changes (plus maybe some supplements) could get you the perfect life all the way to age one hundred? Dr. Gundry, or perhaps writing partner Olivia Bell Buehl, loves to pack in the rhetorical questions promising shocking revelations just on the other page. This performance is repeated ad nauseum throughout, and information is only slowly fed out to the reader, often repeated amid more assurances of shocking success. Just to drive this home, the book is littered with alleged success stories of many pseudonyms and a couple special celebrity guests/friends; we are apparently supposed to accept vague anecdote as legitimate proof.
I actually started the book with an open mind--the recommending party's opinion is one I trust a great deal--but the above nonsense quickly soured me. Just as importantly, there are a couple elements regarding Dr. Gundry himself that make his opinion suspect.
First, this man is a cardiologist, and his focus on nutrition and the microbiome in the gut represents a fairly late-life shift guided by research he did as an undergraduate student. He sounds like an excellent cardiologist, well-respected and quite successful and even innovative in his field, but he does not appear to have any special qualifications as, for instance, a gastroenterologist or rheumatologist or neurologist, especially in the clinical research space, which is significant given (a) the number of claims he makes regarding those fields and (b) his insistence that his method is superior to the accepted field of knowledge of those specialists and that his advice has often proven superior to that of the relevant specialists.
Second, and far more troubling, Dr. Gundry is promoting a diet that he believes requires (or at least strongly benefits from) supplements. He makes and sells those supplements, and he promotes his own name-brand supplements in the book. While he is careful to offer alternative supplements and to note that supplements are not absolutely essential to at least some success under his diet plan, he harps on their great values and often casually highlights how some aspect of his supplements is superior to the alternative. In fact, Dr. Gundry repeatedly name-drops products (his own and others') throughout the book, and far more frequently than he name-drops celebrities.
In short, whatever legitimate insights Dr. Gundry may have to offer, they are highly suspect because of the above credibility issues.
Additionally, Dr. Gundry often cited interesting dietary research, but many of his most important or controversial claims lacked similar citations (or vaguely referred to multiple studies). He seemed to have a habit of dropping readily acceptable factoids with citations, only to culminate in a tangentially related conclusion that was not similarly supported.
For instance, Dr. Gundry discusses how some research has suggested that lectins can climb the vagus nerve to the brain, then points to another study that found lower incidences of Parkinson's disease in patients who had their vagus nerves surgically cut; he then summarily concludes that this "also explains why Parkinson's is more prevalent among vegetarians," claiming that it is because they consume more lectin-containing plants. This last alleged fact is not cited. I can find some claims out there that vegetarian diets do increase the risk of Parkinson's disease, but I can also just as easily find the hypothesis that, based on some general observations, a vegan diet may actually reduce the risk for Parkinson's disease (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...). Needless to say, if there is some evidence that vegan or quasi-vegan populations have a lesser incidence of Parkinson's disease, then highlighting plant-based lectins as the source of the problem seems suspect. I'm not a medical researcher, not a scientist, not a doctor, and I don't have ready access to a university to scour medical journals, but that's kind of the point: I have no easy way to verify the claim, and it's at best lazy and at worst dishonest to dish out a claim like this without any citation.
I also feel like Dr. Gundry is willing to play up risk factors and cherry-pick data points to make lectins seem like scary killers at the source of all our problems. At another point in the book, he bemoans the existence of severe food allergies, which he at points attributes to lectins, and says, "Peanuts didn't kill us back in 1960." For one thing, I think he is overemphasizing the really quite low levels of severe food allergies in the general population; a casual reader might nod in agreement, but the extent and severity of food allergies seems to have been over-extended in the public consciousness thanks to news media frenzies and the marketing of certain pharmaceutical products. Plus, from what I can tell, food allergies like peanut allergies have been around for quite a while, but it's only been in the past few decades that there has been more medical research (and resultant media attention) surrounding the allergies (https://www.princeton.edu/news/2013/0...).
I would stress again that I am not a medical researcher, a scientist, or a doctor. I have no qualified science background or experience in scientific research. So it would be very difficult for me to address the main thrust of Dr. Gundry's book, that lectins are bad and can outweigh the health benefits of certain plants. The few instances where I can detect an apparent flaw or lazy argument are therefore significant to me because they make me suspect flaws even in Dr. Gundry's larger (non-sourced) points. But there are a couple of people with the adequate experience who have written critically of Dr. Gundry's book, bringing up some of the same concerns I have. For instance, see https://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar... andhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/d....
Dr. Gundry does not just have a problem with lectins, though. He is also concerned about GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics, antacids, and the factory farm model. In most of these areas, I actually think he does a more convincing job of highlighting concerns, except for with GMOs. His argument is that GMOs alter produce by, for instance, adding more lectins to the products and are therefore bad. This once again requires the belief that lectins are, on their face, bad things that should be avoided. To the extent that he notes that GMOs are altered to allow for greater use of pesticides, I can get on board, I suppose.
I have probably derailed enough, so I'll try to quickly wrap up. If I had one final, large concern for why I thought this diet was overblown, it would be that Dr. Gundry never really convincingly addresses the dietary Blue Zones. It would seem that the minimal animal consumption would be an area of overlap that Dr. Gundry can get on board with, but he does not so readily explain, for instance, the presence of scary lectin-containing legumes in these diets (http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2...). I had heard about Blue Zones in passing before, although Dr. Gundry's book has prompted greater interest on my part in Dan Buettner's writings on the subject. Dr. Gundry's book has not made me particularly more interested in Dr. Gundry's diet, though.
It also annoys me that the diet is rather time-and-money-consumptive. Perhaps truly desperate people or those living in Palm Springs will be excited to throw more money at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, but I don't see how this does anything for lower-income people leaving in urban food deserts, for instance. Not every diet has to be for every person, but this diet smacks of privilege and does not offer real, sustainable solutions for a good deal of people, I would say. The number of appliances he expects one to regularly use simply would not work within my limited cabinet and counter space, for instance!
I do believe that Dr. Gundry may have found something very useful for individuals suffering from, for instance, severe autoimmune disorders. I think that, despite his credibility issues, he probably does have a number of success stories to point to and probably genuinely believes in what he is marketing. And his book did get me to think more consciously about the food and lifestyle choices I currently make. I certainly want to make a greater effort to eat more vegetables and to remove as much processed foods as possible, to replace desserts with fruit, to limit consumption of meats and eat a greater proportion of wild-caught fish as part of that more limited animal protein intake, and so on. But I do not have any intention of adopting Dr. Gundry's diet or ordering his supplements. (less)
Not a big fan. The diet seems incredibly difficult to maintain. Plus, I think there's some contradicting information. He states that research shows that the longest living people are vegans, followed by vegetarians, and so on. Yet he says all of these fruits and vegetables are so bad for you. Well, those are the foods those vegans are eating! There were a couple of interesting things that I took away from this book, but it's incredibly wordy and something better left to skimming, rather than reading word-for-word. (less)
Jun 25, 2017Katherine Reay added it
Fascinating... Rethinking food and autoimmune diseases. Learning so much!
I enjoyed reading this book. I definitely learned a lot and have some great takeaways for myself, but I also remain skeptical about some of Dr. Gundry's recommendations. He shares very convicing scientific research and success stories, yet his program seems to be most successful for people suffering from serious health issues and autoimmune diseases. What I remain uncertain on is whether or not it's the best dietary approach for everyone. I would recommend reading the book with an open mind while also considering both sides of the coin on each topic he covers. (less)
Fascinating, I watch his videos and stopped eating a few of the foods he suggests (nuts, tomatoes and peppers) and am having better digestion and energy. Excited to read the rest of the book
May 11, 2017Robert rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: health-fitness, medicine
Impressive and convincing book. Dr. Gundry revisits his earlier diet recommendations but this time he does so based on some convincing biochemistry research. His work with thousands of patients over decades has validated his food recommendations but this recent book adds the information about the actual biochemistry underlying his recommendations. His earlier book relied on a "Paleo" argument which I found less convincing than the material in this book. His recommendations require a major shift in diet even for Vegans eating what they consider a "healthy" diet. The proof will be in whether it produces the results he suggests that it will. I have lost 100 lbs in the last 5 years following the recommendations from the book "Eat to Live". Dr. Gundry suggests that in addition to all the things I have had to give up eating (sweets, meat, pasta) to get where I am now, I have to give up grains, legumes, and fruit. I decided that I would give him the 6 weeks he asks for to become convinced of the health benefits he suggests that will result. If I can resume my weight loss (I want to lose another 50 lbs) and eliminate my Fibromyalgia and my Polymyalgia Romantica it will all be worth it. (less)
We’ve all heard the saying, “you are what you eat.” But in the era of Genetically Modified Organisms, this maxim can produce a lot of anxiety. That’s why world-renowned heart surgeon Steven R. Gundry, MD has written The Plant Paradox. Here he helps us navigate the world of food so we can eat better and live longer.
Dr. Gundry enlightens us with new thoughts about food consumption so we don’t bloat minutes after eating. Like so many Americans, I try to make sure my family eats healthy. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash are normal parts of our diet. Yet, when my husband eats them, he frequently feels bad afterward. I didn’t understand why until now. The answer is lectin.
“[Lectins] are large proteins found in plants and animals, and they are a crucial weapon in the arsenal of strategies that plants use to defend themselves in their ongoing battle with animals,” Gundry explains (pg. 14). Interesting little piece of information, right?
These proteins are considered “sticky” because they bind to the salic acid found in your gut and bodily fluids, which in turn interrupts the messages transmitted between cells causing inflammation. They can also bind very well with virus and bacteria, causing increased health problems and overall sickness. And last but not least, you gain weight from consuming them! Who knew? Certainly not me!
I couldn’t turn the pages of The Plant Paradox fast enough, eager to learn as much as I possibly could to gain a better understanding of how and why I need to change my eating habits. First, Gundry helps us fully understand the verbiage on various packaging labels, such as “gluten free,” “cage free,” and “all natural” (pg. 126-127).
Then he teaches us how to avoid lectins in the foods we already eat. Although the list is extensive, I am convinced that I can eliminate the foods that cause my husband the most trouble so he can lead a more fulfilling life, lose weight and ultimately feel good every day.
If you read one book to improve your health and well being this year, make it The Plant Paradox. Soon, you will discern the changes you can make to feel your very best.
This review was originally published at JathanandHeather.com. (less)
Dr. Gundry enlightens us with new thoughts about food consumption so we don’t bloat minutes after eating. Like so many Americans, I try to make sure my family eats healthy. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash are normal parts of our diet. Yet, when my husband eats them, he frequently feels bad afterward. I didn’t understand why until now. The answer is lectin.
“[Lectins] are large proteins found in plants and animals, and they are a crucial weapon in the arsenal of strategies that plants use to defend themselves in their ongoing battle with animals,” Gundry explains (pg. 14). Interesting little piece of information, right?
These proteins are considered “sticky” because they bind to the salic acid found in your gut and bodily fluids, which in turn interrupts the messages transmitted between cells causing inflammation. They can also bind very well with virus and bacteria, causing increased health problems and overall sickness. And last but not least, you gain weight from consuming them! Who knew? Certainly not me!
I couldn’t turn the pages of The Plant Paradox fast enough, eager to learn as much as I possibly could to gain a better understanding of how and why I need to change my eating habits. First, Gundry helps us fully understand the verbiage on various packaging labels, such as “gluten free,” “cage free,” and “all natural” (pg. 126-127).
Then he teaches us how to avoid lectins in the foods we already eat. Although the list is extensive, I am convinced that I can eliminate the foods that cause my husband the most trouble so he can lead a more fulfilling life, lose weight and ultimately feel good every day.
If you read one book to improve your health and well being this year, make it The Plant Paradox. Soon, you will discern the changes you can make to feel your very best.
This review was originally published at JathanandHeather.com. (less)
I have been waiting for this book for a long time. For as long as I can remember, I have had an intuitive sense that the micro biome in and on our bodies is intricately related to our health. The Plant Paradox finally articulates that connection with clarity and conviction. I will begin changing my diet and my habits immediately. Stay tuned for progress.
Dr. Gundry discusses lectins, which are present in many foods and which he says are responsible for a plethora of health problems. I was surprised by his assessment of foods which we think of as "healthful," and believe the book would be especially interesting to people with autoimmune disorders.
I approached this book with a lot of skepticism, since I have been a firm believer in the health benefits of whole grains and I always have baskets full of fresh fruit on my counters. However, the scientific arguments that he presents are quite compelling, and there were a few "aha!" moments for me where things that myself or my friends had experienced made sense. I haven't tried implementing the diet yet, but I'm willing to at least give it a try.
While Dr Gundry is fully convinced his new way of eating is superior to all other nutritionists discoveries, I remain a bit skeptical. The book is quite repetitive and I found it to be more of an infomercial for him than I would've liked. Still his plant based recommendations shouldn't be totally ignored and I agree that the nightshade veggies do pose challenges for some. It really is just another diet book to add to the hundreds that have gone before!
This was a very interesting read and the science was very enlightening. i however found a lot of inconsistencies. For example he cites that billions of Asians eat rice and have no significant levels of obesity and diseases yet his diet categorically excludes rice with no real explanation why. Also he offers no real advice of how to ease in and maintain his extremely restrictive diet. This is very off-putting. I will definitely take some of his advice to heart but I don't know if his anecdotal evidence is really that compelling (less)
This seems like the text of one diet and the recipes on f another. The first part is a collection of foldable like scare stories and confused science and the recipes contain many things you were warned off in the text.
Well written, easy to understand. Interesting and informative. Did not give 5 stars because of Gundry hawking his own line of supplements.
The principles seem sound. I found the continuous sales pitch tone to be tiring and the overall suggested program to be completely impractical.
I have read many health and diet-related books over the years, but never one like The Plant Paradox. Dr. Gundry combines history, chemistry, and biology to explain why and how certain plants were never meant for us to eat. However, don't let this dissuade you from reading the book because it does not read like a dry, academic journal piece. I also think it's important that his research has been peer reviewed, and his endnotes are extensive. Much of what he writes about he's known for years to be anecdotally true, but some of the science like "immune system scanners" is relatively new science: the description for these scanners won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2011 and the discovery of the receptors (G-spotters) was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2012. These new discoveries help explain the patterns Dr. Gundry has noted in the immune systems of his patients.
What's really disconcerting is how physicians and the media have erroneously encouraged the consumption of whole grains and other "super foods" that are not healthy at all. Gundry explains why these foods are dangerous to our immune systems, and he lists them so they can be avoided. But the good news is he's included a list of healthy options as well as recipes to get the reader started on a path to a healthier life. Also included in the book: anecdotes from patients who struggled with varying health issues and how changing their diet changed their health drastically for the better.
I don't mean to get off topic, but this book reminds me of my grandfather: He was one of the artists for Jenny Craig's "You Are What You Eat" campaign back during the 80s, and I can remember one of his drawings was a beautiful giraffe made entirely of leaves. While we may not literally be like the giraffe and look like or "become" what we consume, we can certainly be constrained by eating lectins found in so-called "healthy" foods. So instead of "You Are What You Eat," this book teaches us why "You're Sick Because of What You Eat."
I am currently purging our pantry and restocking it with the good choices found in the book. I truly believe that it will make all of us feel better, and I will update my family's progress from time to time here on the blog. I hope you will read this book, and I'd love for you to share your thoughts with me either below in the comments section or via email.
Disclosure:
I received a copy of The Plant Paradox from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. (less)
What's really disconcerting is how physicians and the media have erroneously encouraged the consumption of whole grains and other "super foods" that are not healthy at all. Gundry explains why these foods are dangerous to our immune systems, and he lists them so they can be avoided. But the good news is he's included a list of healthy options as well as recipes to get the reader started on a path to a healthier life. Also included in the book: anecdotes from patients who struggled with varying health issues and how changing their diet changed their health drastically for the better.
I don't mean to get off topic, but this book reminds me of my grandfather: He was one of the artists for Jenny Craig's "You Are What You Eat" campaign back during the 80s, and I can remember one of his drawings was a beautiful giraffe made entirely of leaves. While we may not literally be like the giraffe and look like or "become" what we consume, we can certainly be constrained by eating lectins found in so-called "healthy" foods. So instead of "You Are What You Eat," this book teaches us why "You're Sick Because of What You Eat."
I am currently purging our pantry and restocking it with the good choices found in the book. I truly believe that it will make all of us feel better, and I will update my family's progress from time to time here on the blog. I hope you will read this book, and I'd love for you to share your thoughts with me either below in the comments section or via email.
Disclosure:
I received a copy of The Plant Paradox from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. (less)
I thought this was going to contain some interesting history on the interactions between humans and foods, maybe some fun botany facts -- and it did, for about 50 pages. Thereafter, I found it to be a self-congratulating, Santa Barbara-style food fad book. I pretty much gave up after seeing the phrase, "My good friend, Tony Robbins" twice in 20 pages. Stop. Just stop.
People. Eat food that isn't processed, and try to keep it local and organic. Cook your food at home. Limit grain intake, possibly legumes if you find they upset your stomach or skin. Oh, and nightshades are kind of toxic. Now, pay me millions. (less)
People. Eat food that isn't processed, and try to keep it local and organic. Cook your food at home. Limit grain intake, possibly legumes if you find they upset your stomach or skin. Oh, and nightshades are kind of toxic. Now, pay me millions. (less)
The Plant Paradox by Dr. Steven R. Gundry focuses on "The Hidden Dangers in 'Healthy' Foods that Cause Disease and Weight Gain." It is quite an interesting concept, and I do see the logic in many of Dr. Gundy's claims which are backed by scientific research, as noted in the notes section. I like the fact that it includes sample meal plans and recipes for those ready to try Dr. Gundy's plans. Since I have not tried it myself, nor am I an expert, I can't provide claims of it's relevance or success. However, as a reader, I can say that I do find the material dry and not easy to peruse through. The real success stories are great since it provided testimonies. Without much variation in context and layout, it wasn't an easy read. It didn't interest me as much as I had hoped, since I love reading about nutrition and how food affects us, but I would say it can be a source for those suffering from certain diseases and can't explain it. One area seems to be a focus and may in fact be of help, and that's autoimmune diseases.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion. (less)
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion. (less)
Dr Gundry's diet is essentially a low carbs diet with a twist. He introduced lectins to us. Lectins are proteins present in certain plant seeds and husks, and they are bad for us, thus the 'Plant Paradox'. He introduced tons of anecdotes for miraculous cure for rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, diabetes and cancer. However, while the low carbs diet have been demonstrated in many studies to be safe and effective in weight loss and diabetes control, the low lectin diet has not been researched. Also I am just switched off when he mentioned that if we eat animals fed corns to be fattened, it is like we are eating the corn. That is just scientifically incorrect because all those stuff from corn are digested by the animal and become animal tissue. I am shocked that a cardiothoracic surgeon can write a book such as thia.
Nonetheless, the portions of the book about lectins and pesticides are useful. This saves the book from the fate of receiving a 1-star. (less)
Nonetheless, the portions of the book about lectins and pesticides are useful. This saves the book from the fate of receiving a 1-star. (less)
Love, love this author.
I've been anticipating the release of Dr Gundry's new book for a while. NOT a disappointment at all. This can be a life changing step to better health.
I've been anticipating the release of Dr Gundry's new book for a while. NOT a disappointment at all. This can be a life changing step to better health.
This book finally helped me see through the fog of food options. Thanks to it I've made some crucial changes in my life:
gave up sugar, gave up almost entirely to bread, carefully choosing the moments when I eat and how much I eat, and of course not to mention the lectin story - which I believe and study to see its effects in action.
Definitely, a must read!
gave up sugar, gave up almost entirely to bread, carefully choosing the moments when I eat and how much I eat, and of course not to mention the lectin story - which I believe and study to see its effects in action.
Definitely, a must read!
There are many similar findings with the Paleo Diet and Forks Over Knives. I'm calling this diet "Beyond Paleo."
Life changing!!! This is the first book ever to make the connection between the one to two advils I take every day for a bad knee and why I cannot lose weight. Following his plan all my chronic hunger has STOPPED! Be sure to get the prebiotic thrive, vital reds and primal greens. I started those and immediately felt so much more energy and so much better.
Apr 28, 2017Christine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: cooking-food-gardening, own-physical
Well, I just devoured this book in 2 days! Fascinating read! Now, I will see if I devour any of these recipes...
You are what you eat, ate!
I picked up this book by chance, not expecting to learn much more than what I thought I already knew about food. I was hooked from the first page! Its all very interesting and I must say very different from what we have been drilled with. All the "healthy" stuff like fruits, quinoa, lentils aren't so healthy after all.
I read every page and some over and over again because I couldn't get over some of the concepts he put out but also because I felt like I learnt again every time I reread it. I'm doing a pretty bad job of explaining it here. I enjoyed his case studies although I am pretty skeptical about some of them. Like how can a person be on the brink of death, needing an emergency heart transplant but being save by a magical diet on the spot, no heart transplant needed? How is that possible?!
The Dr also states China many times as a good example in the book of heart healthy nations which frankly I don't know how true this is but China isn't really a country I'd associate with the word healthy. About half way through the book, I was convinced to try this diet, until I read the line "once you start the diet you must see it through or your symptoms may be back with a vengeance."WHAT!! As a sufferer of many ailments, I am seriously glad I read that line before I embarked on this diet. It is crazy to think that starting a diet can cause more harm if you decided to stop it someday down the road.
Overall I thought the book was interesting and very readable for the layman. There are definitely concepts of this diet that can be added to my lifestyle now but the Plant Paradox Diet as a whole would be a total overhaul that seems too much work for now. Definitely doable for the proactive people though. (less)
I picked up this book by chance, not expecting to learn much more than what I thought I already knew about food. I was hooked from the first page! Its all very interesting and I must say very different from what we have been drilled with. All the "healthy" stuff like fruits, quinoa, lentils aren't so healthy after all.
I read every page and some over and over again because I couldn't get over some of the concepts he put out but also because I felt like I learnt again every time I reread it. I'm doing a pretty bad job of explaining it here. I enjoyed his case studies although I am pretty skeptical about some of them. Like how can a person be on the brink of death, needing an emergency heart transplant but being save by a magical diet on the spot, no heart transplant needed? How is that possible?!
The Dr also states China many times as a good example in the book of heart healthy nations which frankly I don't know how true this is but China isn't really a country I'd associate with the word healthy. About half way through the book, I was convinced to try this diet, until I read the line "once you start the diet you must see it through or your symptoms may be back with a vengeance."WHAT!! As a sufferer of many ailments, I am seriously glad I read that line before I embarked on this diet. It is crazy to think that starting a diet can cause more harm if you decided to stop it someday down the road.
Overall I thought the book was interesting and very readable for the layman. There are definitely concepts of this diet that can be added to my lifestyle now but the Plant Paradox Diet as a whole would be a total overhaul that seems too much work for now. Definitely doable for the proactive people though. (less)
Wow! This book effectively integrates many things I knew about food and LOTS of things that I didn't know. Yes, grains are bad but WHOLE GRAINS are much worse! We really haven't evolved enough to eat tomato seeds and other nightshade vegetables, so that tomato-cucumber salad that we thought was so healthy? Not so much. At a certain point when we've shot our gut biomes to hell, animal proteins are basically just like sugar. Is fruit good for you? Hmm, well if you're ready to pack on some pounds, fruit is the way to do it. Yeah, I'm sure it has some micronutrients that are really healthy, which is why I'm eventually keeping some fruit in my diet, but it definitely throws your body into fat-storage mode. This was an eye-opening read and was a nice sequel to the Bulletproof Diet reading that I've just finished. You will find a great amount of overlap between the books. (less)
Some good information regarding lectins and their effects, but a pretty restrictive diet. Also, I'm really bothered by the fact that animal protein is still advocated in this book, despite all the evidence that it adversely affects our health,so this taints my opinion of Dr. Gundry's work. My takeaways are that I will pressure cook my beans and seed & peel my tomatoes. But I will return to the Forks Over Knives approach, which respects vegan sensibilities and also offers a MUCH bigger selection of foods. Additionally, I ordered some of Dr. Gundry's supplements because I thought they would be very healthy, but discovered the Prebiothrive, Vital Reds and Primal Plants ALL contain MILK! So they're all being returned. Very disappointing. (less)
I found the conclusions in this book surprising and even, in places, startling. However, it is backed up with good references and with years of clinical work. I have been on the diet for 3 weeks (not a long time, I know), but I have seen some significant improvements in my health - sufficient to stay the course to see the longer term benefits. Written in a logical and engaging manner - thanks to Dr. Gundry for bringing this information to the fore.
This makes so much sense and I am already thankful to have found the science behind why I still have joint inflammation despite eating "healthy" (relatively low fat and low/no sugar) paleo. I've only just begun the first steps but I'm glad to have a new plan and can already feel some relief from two days of eliminating remaining traces soy and nightshades.
Very interesting read I would love to see what the world does with lectins in the future! The secret to aging well and healthy? Maybe! As far as the diet goes I wouldn't do it unless I was very ill and had no other options because it is very restrictive. But I will be eating more cruciferous vegetables and making a few other small changes to my diet after reading this.
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