It’s not how much money you have or how expensive the things you have are that matter.
It’s your effort…your gusto…your heart…your smile…your forgiving nature…the kindness that makes you special.
Anyone can buy new and better things but a soul cannot be bought.
MwsR
This is a summary and individual interpretation of the protocol outlined in Dr. Steven Gundry’s book The Plant Paradox. Please read the book for more in depth info on the Plant Paradox diet. Nothing in this article replaces medical advice from a licensed professional. Consult your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes.People start the Plant Paradox DIET to put chronic disease in remission. They adopt the Plant Paradox LIFESTYLE to keep it in remission.Click To Tweet
The Plant Paradox diet is an eating protocol that eliminates certain dietary lectins, limits sugar in any form, and curbs high intake of polyunsaturated omega-6 fats. The diet kick-starts with a 3-day cleanse, wherein one repopulates the gut bacteria with leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, clean protein, and good fats. Beyond those three days, there is a second phase where one eats only from the list of approved foods for at least six weeks.
–> Read more in depth about:
Lectins are a type of protein found in almost every living thing. They serve multiple functions, the most relevant theory maybe that they protect a plant from predators (humans). Lectins have demonstrated that they are capable of something called molecular mimicry. This is a term for when the sequence of peptides on a dietary lectin mimic those of human molecules, thereby causing the immune system to cross-react, triggering autoimmune disease.
So, which lectins are capable of inciting our body to attack itself? Unfortunately, that will take decades and decades of research and trials to prove in a lab. Fortunately, there are researchers and theorists, like Dr. Gundry, who are already treating patients for disease by prescribing a diet that eliminates the biggest culprits. Hence, the “Plant Paradox” diet. Foods we thought were healthy are actually triggering inflammation and disease.
The following items are on the No list because they contain lectins that have, in clinical patient studies, demonstrated an ability to trigger inflammation:
Fruits (Culinary Vegetables)
The milk of most American cows contains a lectin-like, inflammatory protein called A-1 beta casein.
Not only can the meat of feedlot raised animals contain residual lectins, but the nutritional profiles of feedlot raised animals lack antioxidants and promote inflammation:
–> Click HERE for a printable list of high lectin foods to avoid.
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The Plant Paradox diet is not the first diet to curb sugar intake. It is, however, a first to lay claim that fruit–especially year-round–is not healthy. The days of “fruits & vegetables” occupying the same category on a food pyramid are over. In contrast, artificial sweeteners that are zero calories have made the No list because of their ability to incite an insulin response and alter gut bacteria.
Some items on the following list could be there for more than one reason, such as breads, crackers, and cookies made from wheat flour, for example. Due to the fact that grains are listed separately on the No list for lectin content, I’ve chosen to place some things on this High Sugar list.
Some things on this list may not contain lectins. Rather, they are listed because they spike blood sugar or–in the case of nonnutritive sweeteners–alter the gut bacteria (in a bad way).
The following foods are all refined, starchy, or both:
Those following the Plant Paradox diet treat fruit as seasonal candy. It may contain vitamins and nutrients, but it packs a lot of sugar. Because of this, fruits out of season–and some altogether–make the No list.
–> Click HERE for a printable list of high sugar foods to avoid.
Fat is only bad if you’re eating the wrong kind of fat (with a lot of sugar). Also, different fatty acids perform unique & necessary functions within the body’s cells. Furthermore, studies show that a near 1:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is associated with a decreased risk of almost any chronic disease. For this reason, The Plant Paradox diet prohibits the western diet seed and vegetable oils to make way for crucial inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids.
The following oils are on the Plant Paradox diet No list. Even more if they are expeller-pressed (may contain residual lectins):
Get my Plant Paradox pantry checklist HERE.
Above all, the most important part of the Plant Paradox diet is eliminating the foods on the No list. However, there is an additional No list of substances in our everyday environment that can be detrimental to our long-term health. Certainly, those who go above and beyond to eliminate these substances adopt the Plant Paradox lifestyle of bodily and environmental healing.
The following items are major culprits in destroying good gut bacteria and disrupting the endocrine system. If it seems like these things are impossible to eliminate because they’re everywhere, don’t get overwhelmed. Start by making small changes to your environment. Maybe consult with your doctor about gut and hormone-friendly alternatives to the following:
–> Click HERE for a full printable list of endocrine disruptors to avoid.
The reward is in the long journey, not the quick fix. The Plant Paradox lifestyle calls for us to continue to make additional tweaks. As a result, we reap long-term health benefits that prevent disease and promote longevity. These are:
Thank you for all your support.
MwsR
“Yoga can be a good source of exercise,” said Jorianne Numbers, MS, an exercise physiologist with Northwestern Medicine. At the most basic level, she said, yoga is a form of movement that helps you burn calories, which is a major part of losing weight (though your exact amount burned will depend on your height, weight, and gender).
But there’s more behind yoga’s relationship with weight loss than first meets the eye. An effective practice also fosters a mind-body connection that makes you more mindful in every facet of your life. “Yoga brings you into a heightened state of awareness,” explained Lara Heimann, physical therapist, yoga instructor, and founder of LYT Method, a yoga certification program. Moving through different poses and holds increases your awareness of your body, and that can translate to other effective weight-loss habits, like eating healthy, which is key for losing weight no matter what exercise you’re doing. (Try this two-week clean eating plan to get started.) “The congruency between mindfulness on and off of the mat is what can make yoga more effective for weight loss than other forms of exercise,” Lara told POPSUGAR.
Yoga has long been regarded as an effective way to relieve stress, and that on its own can be a weight-loss tool. “Having a less stressful life, and fewer stress hormones such as cortisol, can help anyone lead a healthier lifestyle,” explained Liza Janda, a certified yoga instructor at Yoga Janda. Cortisol is an appetite stimulant, hence why we tend to eat (and overeat) when we’re stressed out and to crave unhealthy foods in particular. A relaxing yoga practice can help you deal with stress in a healthier way and even avoid it, and the related weight gain, altogether. (Try this relaxing yoga sequence or one of these stress-busting yoga videos to see for yourself.)
If you’re looking for pure calorie burn, our experts agreed that fast-paced Vinyasa yoga is the practice to choose. “A good Vinyasa class will take you through a variety of movements, with a focus on integrating your core and weight-bearing on your hands and feet,” Lara explained. Imagine a classic flow from plank to tricep push-up to upward facing dog – you’re getting a core burn, working your triceps, then using your arms to hold up your bodyweight as you stretch. This kind of weight-bearing move “increases heart rate and builds muscle,” Liza told POPSUGAR. The more muscle you build, the more calories you’ll burn even after you’re done exercising.
Power yoga is another good choice, Jorianne told POPSUGAR, though it’s more intense and better suited for people who are already in good shape. “In power yoga, there is less meditation and more of a focus on standing poses and faster-paced movement,” she explained. Your heart will pump even harder than in a Vinyasa class, which is good news for losing weight; Liza recommended aiming for a heart rate that’s 55 to 85 percent of your maximum to get the most calories burned out of a class. (Use this guide to calculate your max heart rate and find your target zones.)
And what about hot yoga? “Vinyasa classes burn more calories than the hot yoga,” Lara told POPSUGAR. “Hot yoga makes you feel like you’re working harder than you actually are because your body is just trying to thermoregulate.” Basically, sweating more doesn’t mean you’re burning more calories. “The sweat you produce should come simply from physical exertion,” Liza said, not from temperature.
A more gentle yoga class, such as Hatha, won’t burn as many calories. But it can benefit your mental health and decrease stress levels while helping you be more mindful, all of which have weight-loss benefits as well.
For the best weight-loss results, Liza recommended doing yoga three times a week. Continue to stay active and get your heart rate on the other three to four days as well, whether through cardio, weightlifting, or HIIT workouts of 45 minutes to an hour. (We recommend this dance workout for cardio, this Nike weightlifting workout, and this belly-targeting HIIT circuit, all 45 minutes in length.) And keep your nutrition in mind, too. “Exercise alone without dieting makes losing weight hard,” Jorianne said. “Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume.”
When you walk in the light, you have a shadow.
Although the shadow doesn’t define you, you still have it.
Just like a shadow,we each have something that follows us. It does not have to define us.
We can choose to stay in the “light” and learn from our shadows.
Learn. Live. Love.
MwsR
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