All it takes is a celebrity.
When it comes to a diet plan being hailed as the next best thing, just one bold-faced name needs to see success for it to become a talking point. The most recent success story? A diet that’s light on lectin and pop star Kelly Clarkson’s 37-pound weight loss.
The singer recently went public with her experience following the regimen promoted by Dr. Steven R. Gundry in his book The Plant Paradox. The book espouses eliminating foods high in lectin, which is a protein found in most foods, primarily in the skins of fruits and vegetables.
The theory is that vegetables don’t want to be eaten. To defend themselves from the animals that would like to eat them (aka us) they produce toxic chemical compounds known as lectins. Interestingly, gluten is one of the most well-known lectins out there.
The diet recommends cutting down on starches like brown rice and potatoes, vegetables in the nightshade family like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, legumes, all fruit except for in-season berries and most dairy. The benefit of all of these eliminations is that it is said to cut down on inflammation in the body, which makes it particularly appealing to people with auto-immune conditions.
What’s great about this way of eating is that it really promotes eating healthy, whole foods — many from sustainable and organic sources. Choose leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, cooked sweet potatoes, asparagus, garlic and onions, mushrooms and avocados. Proteins should be grass-fed, pasture-raised or wild-caught. Any dairy products should come from goats, sheep or be organic and full-fat.
Regardless of what you choose to eat and choose to eliminate from your diet, we’re here to tell you there are always easy ways to make food delicious. And if you choose to go lectin-free, there are definitely ways to enjoy nutritious and delicious dishes.
For example, marinate mushrooms, like hen of the woods or maitake mushrooms, in garlic, rosemary and balsamic vinegar and grill them. They’re delicious as an appetizer, side or even a vegan main course.
Make your own nut butters with pistachios, pecans or pine nuts by mixing the nuts with coconut oil. Better yet, make a delicious and versatile tahini that can be eaten as a dip for vegetables, a sauce for meat and on its own.
You can even make a rich and delicious dessert. We’re making delicious “Power” truffles that combine nut butter with cacao, dried berries and seeds which are really tasty, rich in texture and don’t feel like you’re denying yourself anything.
