The Plant Paradox

This book is life changing. A must for everyone who wants improve their life situation. I'm 66 years old and have always been in pretty good health, but always knew something was not right. Have taken supplements for decades, and was still not feeling 100%. Have been buying and eating a so-called healthy diet most of my life. My Dad lived 84 years, and my Mom 97 years. Two years ago I got DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in my left leg, and started to research this condition and found a book on prevention and reversing it. Vegetarian diet totally with lots of beans, legumes, fruit, no eggs, no fish, no oil especially extra virgin olive oil, whole grains, no nuts except walnuts, no avocados, and no coconut. Well, I adhered to this as much as possible, but my entire gastro-intestinal system was still a mess, and to be quite honest, the food did not taste that well. I got introduced to Dr. Gundry with an infomercial about his PrebioThrive powder with an attached email. Sounded interesting, so I clicked on the link and watch. Like what he said so I bought a 3 month supply. This was back in February. As soon as I started taking this product I notice a change right away. I have been battling basal cell carcinoma for over 40 years, and when I hear anything related to skin issues, I get very interested. What I noticed with his powder is that my skin started to feel smoother. Very impressed, so when this book came out, I ordered it immediately. I haven't even got through the first part (Part I), but I got a list of the foods I needed to start his diet, and the results are a miracle for me. Still taking the powder and have been on this diet for a week now. The following is a list of observations so far. Some of this is graphic so I hope not to offend. 1. My stools used to have lots of deposits of mucous attached when looking into the bowl as it flushed. Those are totally gone and my stools have never looked better, and no more mucous. 2. My urine used to be a very deep and dark yellow in spite of drinking many fluids throughout the day. That is completely gone as well. Now when I look into the bowl, it is a very light yellow. 3. On the old diet, the food did not taste that well. Now my taste buds are in absolute heaven. Food has not tasted this good in a very long time. 4. On the old diet, which included a lot of grains, I was craving food all day long, and never felt satisfied, with a slightly upset stomach. Now, I don't crave food all day, and when I eat, I really enjoy it. Have noticed that the food is so enjoyable that I'm actually chewing it longer. 5. For most of my life, my muscles tighten throughout the day with an activity, so I started doing stretching over 40 years ago. The old diet contributed to a lot of inflammation that if I did not stretch before I went to bed, I would wake up with cramps in my left leg and would not sleep well the rest of the night. Now that I'm on this new diet, I can really tell that a huge portion of my inflammation is going away. I really notice this in the morning when I first wake up. Before this diet, I could really feel the inflammation. And now, I hardly notice it. And that is only one week folks!!! For the first time in my life so far, I have found the answer to restore my health. This book is an eye opener and will change your life only for the better. I highly recommend this book, and I also recommend his PrebioThrive powder. Everything that affects your life starts with what you put into your mouth. I am still in shock how all of this has changed so dramatically in just one week.

My initial exposure to Dr. Gundry was watching an interview that was conducted with him by a well-known and respected doctor in this country. This video made me want to purchase this book, so that I would have the complete information at hand, to easily locate material at any time. His book mirrors his interview, in terms of how the information that he gives the public is arranged. For example, during the first and second parts of the book, Dr. Gundry clearly, and at times, with a sense of humor, lays out his professional and personal background, which drove him to set the groundwork for using his professional knowledge of scientific and medical research into the human body and lectins to write this coherent book. He also includes some interesting case studies, making what he says come to life. During the third part of the book, Dr. Gundry goes into meal plans and recipes. At the end of the book is the Notes section, which contains 13 pages. Following that section is the Index, which also has 13 pages. From a general reader’s standpoint, this book is very interesting, especially at the beginning, because the author presents the information in a relaxed, informal, and sometimes, personally-engaging way; this type of presentation guarantees that the general audience will keep its interest and not get hung up and bogged down unduly with too much science or medical jargon. For those of us who do love the science and research aspect to this book, the Notes section will satisfy our cravings. For those readers who want to skip around, I would suggest that they DO NOT do this because the material is laid out in such a way that the reader may not understand a concept that may have been discussed at an earlier time in the book. One last thing that may not be noticeable: Unfortunately, from an editing/ publishing perspective, the page numbers seem to employ multiple fonts and sizes - together in 1 number, which is not at all standard or even accepted in properly-published materials! His editor should have corrected this before the book was published. For example, on page 232, the page is published as 232 (with the 3 raised up to several different font sizes), while on page 233, it is published as 233 (with the 33 raised up several different font sizes). There is no reason why this publishing problem could have occurred unless the editor was rushed and made some last-minute additions, which threw the entire numbering and font systems off. I have never seen anything like this in a professionally-printed book from a major publisher before. (Hopefully, one day, this 1st edition will become a '1st edition collector’s item'!) I’m sure that Dr. Gundry, the editor, and the publisher, Harper Wave, a division of Harper Collins, a well-known and respected company, know this and will have it corrected in the second edition of the book when it comes out. The general public probably won’t notice it, and it doesn’t obstruct what the author says in this book in any way. Dr. Gundy has a private practice, and he understands that most people won’t be able to visit him for a consultation, so this book is especially written for them. After reading this book and practicing what the Dr. says, those people who can visit him professionally may be compelled to do so. For the rest of us, we have a great book on health and diet (with the science to back this up) to add to our bookshelves, written by a very interesting person. I highly recommend this book (even for people who only want to buy it for the recipes or as a '1st edition collector's item')!

good

Five easy stars from me for quality of content, ease of reading, arrangement of information, and quick and easy recipes using ingredients found in the average grocery store (with possible minor exceptions to the latter). My typical diet is plant based and includes brown rice, oatmeal, and other whole grain foods -- foods I had thought to be "healthy." I noticed, however, that when I ate brown rice, the following day I experienced discomfort in my knees. While doing some online research, I came across this book and purchased it after reading some sample pages. What an eye opener! I never would've guessed that whole grains are the culprit! ABOUT THE BOOK ITSELF: The author's voice/style is relaxed and easy to follow. And I LOVE the fact that he's given a list of "Yes" foods and a list of "No" foods in the book. Also, when he refers to something, he typically gives the page number right there in the text so you can easily find it. The BEST PART is the recipe section. It's very well laid out. The author gives the name of the recipe/meal, the components (chicken, dressing, salad, etc.) followed by how to prepare each part. And the recipes are quick and easy! For vegans and vegetarians, he includes simple alternatives. The meals are CREATIVE, REASONABLY PRICED (although some can get pricey), and DELICIOUS, consisting of things I've never thought of, such as cauliflower rice, cabbage steak, cauliflower steak, etc. I really like the cauliflower steak. Dr. Gundry's plan to rid your system of "aliens" is set up in three stages. You can skip the first stage if you like, but he says your results will not be as rapid. I'm doing all three stages because I LOVE the looks of the recipes in the first phase, which is the cleansing phase, and am well familiar with the positive effects of eating foods like these. I've had good results by eating a plant-based diet (lost 20+ pounds, lowered cholesterol by 30+ points, lowered blood pressure, etc.) -- until recently when the knee pain kicked in. The author's explanation of why this happened is easy to understand. I'm almost through the entire book. It's so easy to understand and will help you to "stay the course" because you will have an understanding of what's going on inside you that you cannot see -- until it manifests with some disorder/sickness. DISCLAIMER: I'm NOT a physician, nutritionist, nurse, etc. But I do know what has worked for ME. I'm 72 years of age and take zero prescription drugs, zero over-the-counter antacids, and zero over-the-counter pain killers/medications of any kind. I'm active, strong, and in excellent health -- until the recent knee discomfort, which has eased considerably already and will be completely gone as soon as all the aliens are out of my system. And I'm just following the easy instructions in this book. Too bad the one reviewer who said it would require too much of a change wouldn't at least give it a try. It is NOT that expensive (give it to the grocer or give it to the doctor) and can be controlled. Going by the copyright date of this work, this information is quite recent. Certainly, I've never heard of it. So, it's time to adapt my diet to the most up-to-date information. I could say a LOT more about this great find, but . . . BOTTOM LINE: BUY THE BOOK! UPDATE: Phase 1 of this clean-out-your-gut program is very inexpensive. The remainder can become a bit pricey if you use certain of the author's recipes and follow ALL of his advice. The fact is, though, you'll either spend it on foods that are genuinely healthy for you, or you'll give it to the doctors when you become sick/diseased in some way. I tend to take the "all things in moderation" approach. So, I suggest reading the entire book and learning what and what not to eat. Pay attention to what your body tells you. It's definitely advisable to buy the pure inulin, Just Like Sugar and/or Sweet Leaf Stevia, the fish oil, and the glucosamine with MSM that he suggests. Those items are not pricey and will prove to be very helpful in obtaining and maintaining a healthy gut. You can adapt the must-have items to your situation. If at all possible, buy beef from grass-fed animals and chicken from free-range birds. Otherwise, what was fed to them or shot into them will end up in you. Price shop also. All things considered, this IS a must-have book for those who want to live a long and healthy life.

I picked this up thinking I was going to learn a few things about healthy eating. Instead, I started looking at my refrigerator like it was hiding evidence. The book is interesting, thought-provoking, and definitely gives you plenty to think about when it comes to food choices. Some of the ideas made me stop and reconsider what I was eating, while others had me thinking, “Well, there goes my grocery list.” I don't agree with every single thing in the book, but that's part of what made it interesting. It definitely gets you thinking and gives you plenty to research for yourself. Four stars because after reading this, I can no longer walk through the grocery store without judging my own cart.

Firstly I must say that I have been listening to audiobooks for 20+ years and have never encountered a narration even close to being this bad. My wife didn't even believe it was a real person reading it but instead thought it was synthesized. Be aware of that if you're thinking of buying the audio version it's very tough to get through. The book though has some fascinating content and if what Dr Gundry is saying is even half true about the negative effect a protein called lectin are having on our gut, brain, joints etc, then it is indeed groundbreaking. He acknowledges the problem that gluten (which is a lectin) can have but points to other lectins that cause even more disruption higher up in the gut where there are harder to see. I loved the fact that is was packed with medical research rather than opinions, but didn't like the amount of repetition and it feels as though he was writing to a word count rather than just delivering the message. I also wasn't keen when Gundry says this is nothing like Paleo. yes it is, it's very similar to Paleo in many respects, BUT it approaches it from a different scientific point of view. Gundry makes the sweeping statement that Paleo encourages meat and saturated fat eating. It really doesn't, it says they are ok if they are pastured animals but it really encourage green leafy vegetables and some fruits. Having said that, The Plant Paradox really discourages most fruit eating except organic in-season fruit and even then nothing that contains a seed in it. He is also dead against any fruit that we tend to think of as veg such as tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini etc. It's interesting how more and more people engaged in this kind of work are turning against fruit because of the sugar content (and lectin content in this case). It's kind of hard to get your head round the fact that something we have been told for decades is good for us, may not be. It's easy to dismiss this kind of opinion because we are so invested in our current beliefs. I have read reviews where people have slammed the book because it's hard to stick with the diet changes it calls for. Well come on, that isn't the books fault. If you try it and it doesn't work, then sure, slam it, but otherwise just admit you haven't got the commitment. I cannot make my mind up about Gundry. I hate the hard sell he engages in for his supplements, but you cannot ignore the guys credentials and the fact that he supports all of his claims with plenty of scientific data. As a layman I have no way of knowing if that data is accurate and/or relevant, but that is the gamble you take. He's either due a Nobel Prize or needs locking up and I'm leaning toward the former. I'm going to try it out as I did get great results on the Paleo and because it cannot do any harm I'd suggest anybody with autoimmune issues, IBS, brain fog, arthritis, high BP or cholesterol, heart problems, acid reflux .... and the list goes on, do the same. The reality is this book should really be either 5 stars because it's genius or 1 star because it's quackery. I'm hedging my bets and going for 3 stars.

The truth and wisdom of Hippocrates' words has been born out time and time again as more and more allopathic practicing doctors discover there is much, much more to health and wellness than mere drugs and surgical intervention. In fact, with the advances in the area of cellular health, we may be rapidly approaching an era where traditional allopathic medicine as we know it today, will be considered quite primitive. As we learn more and more about the intricacies of how our bodies work and respond to diet, supplements and our environment, the more we realize the ancients knew more than we ever gave them credit for. Here is one such revolutionary discovery by an eminently qualified physician, a heart transplant surgeon no less, who has returned to these words of wisdom by his ancient predecessor in his own practice. Drawing on data he has kept on 10's upon 10's of thousands of patients, he has made a correlation that defies commonly accepted theories of nutrition, diet and wellness. For example, I had wondered why I felt better eating white bread than I did whole wheat bread. Isn't white bread supposed to be bad for you - less nutritious and on the high glycemic list (easily turns into sugar in your body)? Then why do I feel better when I eat it? Now I know. Lectins. The bran, and so whole wheat, is loaded with lectins, but white bread, missing this component, is not. So I put this idea to the test. I at the same foods with whole wheat bread for a couple days, then with white bread, and I found, counter-intuitively, that not only did I feel better, but my blood sugars were easier to control! That certainly doesn't match current wisdom about nutrition and diet. But it does match up very well with Dr Grundy's claims in this book. What really caught my attention was the section on Mitochondria (what he affectionately calls "Mighty Mouse") - the power plants of our cells. It described me to a "T" . I already knew something was wrong with how my mitochondria functioned and had already seen remarkable things taking a supplement called Niagen (nicotinamide riboside based on Dr Sinclair's research at Harvard - astounding research by the way, which is about the rock our world with an aging reversal drug to market in just 3 years) but I had no idea what was causing this mitochondrial dysfunction. Could it really be something as simple as this - as simple as having overloaded my mitochondria all my life because, based on our government's recommendations, I had been ingesting a diet heavy in carbs - and lectins, and lower in fat than it should be? (By the way, good fats do not make one fat or cause heart disease or high cholesterol if you didn't already know this.) Could the fix really be something as simple as this diet plan? One way to find out! :) This looks to be one exciting journey. UPDATE: **** An aside - The book is full of information, but even so, the more I dig into it, the more I find myself with many questions that I think could have been answered, explanations given for statements that are simply presented as fact. For instance, Dr Grundy states that you can deactivate lectins with pressure cooking, but that you can't do so with gluten and lists foods such as wheat, rice, oats. Why can't you deactivate gluten with pressure cookinig? When I went online, I found several sites with gluten free recipes using oats in pressure cookers. So do oats have gluten or not? I found that oats don't have gluten according to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, and in another source that the problem with gluten and oats arises because they are commercially processed in the same plants that process wheat, barely and rye, so one must obtain uncontaminated oats. But none of this is explained in the book. Oats are simply lumped in together with these other foods and claimed to have gluten, and though in some places he does state that "some" oats have gluten there is no explanation. That may be for simplicity's sake, but for someone who really wants to understand, and does their research, it becomes obvious that such information in the book, taken at face value, is technically incorrect and creates confusion. Was it really that difficult to explain that one can avoid gluten in oats by making sure it's uncontaminated, and then oats are back in the good foods list? And I still don't know why gluten can't be deactivated in a pressure cooker like other lectins can..... This book is indeed great for what it is - a jumping off place; but as I have just learned it is by no means complete or completely authoritative. One must do their own research to get to the bottom of things. Never use one source as your guiding light.

My introduction to this book came at a time when my white count dropped to 2.7 from 3.5 ( which was below normal for the last 15 years). My doctor said it was nothing to worry about until my physician assistant sent me to an oncologist which started my own personal research into not only the low white count but extreme fatigue, poor sleep, body aches all of the time, arthritis in 2 joints, brain fog, and of course GI distress. I felt like I was 90 y/o. I felt no joy in life. I would even had mild depression. My weight was normal but I was also pre-diabetic and what I considered consumed a very healthy diet and regular exercise. Since the oncologist had no answer as all of my tests were negative for any auto-immune disease, cancer, virus, infections, I like many others headed to the internet. I entered "causes of low immune system". As we know there are many causes but since I did not have any other likely causes I focused on nutrition and Plant Paradox came up. I had already figured out on my own about 5 years ago that I had a gluten intolerance - nausea, bloating, constipation as well as lactose intolerance. Many of my symptoms resolved but I thought it was okay to eat oatmeal and quinoa which I ate daily in healthy amounts for years. After reading the Plant Paradox and stopping all grains, legumes and oats, I felt normal! No fatigue and no brain fog. After 2 weeks I lost 7 pounds. My weight is now stable at a healthier wt than before. No belly fat and I'm 57! If it had not helped so quickly and clearly, I would not be sitting here writing this review or sharing with friends and family. By the time a returned for a 6 week f/u with the oncologist my white count had increased from 2.7 to 3.5. My Hgb A1c which is an average blood sugar level for the last 30 days dropped from 5.9 to 5.5. Back to normal! So despite all the negative reviews, I tell my friends and family - try it and if it helps then great. If not, then keep researching because the answer is not in a pill. My doctors have NEVER once asked my to look at my diet - they just prescribed pills and tests...endoscopy, colonoscopy, labs and more labs. They don't know what else to do? Thank goodness for the internet and for trained and appropriately educated professionals who have taken the time to do the research. I do like how Dr. Gundry did do some research on other cultures to help understand why some ethnic groups have survived on high lectin foods. One has to take the time and read the book to help better understand the reasoning behind it. All I can say, is I don't feel 90 any more...and my arthritis is gone. Absolutely no pain or swelling which used to wake me up at night. I did not do his recommended diet plan for 3 days. I just stopped eating the oatmeal and quinoa and I do enjoy occasional white rice with my sushi rolls, and decreased using corn tortillas as I love Mexican food. Not easy to give up completely. I did purchase his "anti-lectin" capsules and carry with me as it can be challenging when eating out. I also decreased my fresh fruit consumption and enjoy healthy salads with avocado and nuts. My new snack is pistachios instead of popcorn which I consume in large amounts daily. I'm a great full customer.

Très bon livre sur un sujet important. Ce livre apporte des informations très à jour et pertinentes sur l'alimentation et santé. Une des meilleures œuvres de ce genre. Comment faire une alimentation saine et équilibrée tout en mangeant des délicieux nourritures qui nous plaisent. Et les dangers des lectins et quels aliments éviter. Conseillé fortement pour ceux qui veulent rester en bonne santé.

Esta genial!! Muy informativo!! Gracias gracias!!

Ottimo

A well thought thro book. Bit wordy and self praising but once this wordy noise is removed the content is good. This is especially about the format and removal of many misconceptions that we carry about our dietary habits.

got it for the kindle reader and as you know somethings and sometimes you start to read and get so far into the book...'s with a kindle yes it'll save where you've read to.. the furthest point. and as often as not, the thing will lose charge in the times i'm not using it so when you open it up after re-powering it'll take you back to the book list and as you scan through you'll see a title and think did i finish that story.. let's have a look. As is the case with this book got well into it it was interesting yes even if it is from an American standpoint it still applies here in the uk as we seem to have adopted most if not all US farming practices the very worse of animal husbandry and with crop growing systems on an industrial scale most of these have been imported from the land of the so called free. so this book was an eye opener to the truth of the failure of the American diet(dream) and the fat epidemic. but also it shines a light on other little known causes for chronic ill health and still in practice here, most touted as healthy eating by the nhs with nothing changed from the low fat is good for you and no fat is even better lie. and the lies about heat refined vegetable oil being good for the body and sugar is not harmful or addictive fib. and how it is next to impossible to escape from it as their all used in everything with deceptive names and clauses so it doesn't have to be declared on the ingredient list even when they say it is free from those nasty bad ingredients how the big stores allow it all to be in the product just to keep making large profits from the sugar addicted ignorance of their consumers Any how back to the book, it will open your mind to all the things you need to be aware of if you want to have a healthy pain free life, it'll show you the truth. things that you really should know that are not taught anywhere, not in schools or ever on the tv. and defiantly never offered by your private/general practise doctor pill pusher with the, take a couple of these you'll feel better drug med philosophy makes them seem Hench-gentleman/lady's and zombie droog's of the big pharma corporate monster. though i didn't need the book as i'd seen a few of the authors vlogs on youtube that go into greater depth and detail on all the subjects in this book And much much more he introduces other and varied health and life ideas by medical specialists world wide. a vast knowledge base to be explored at leisure pick and chose what you think you might follow and get round to being as and when the penny drops and understanding seeps in helps your aim in banging that nail home beat the flab and beat the aches and pains what to avoid or limit so much you didn't know, you didn't know.