Dr. Steven R. Gundry - The Plant Paradox Quick and Easy: The 30-Day Plan to Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Live Lectin-Free

To my readers, listeners, and viewers:

Thank you for all your feedback on the life-changing moments you have experienced following the Plant Paradox program. We are a movement, and this book is the result of your requests to make this lifestyle easier to embrace.

Its been less than two years since The Plant Paradox was published. In this very short time, Ive seen and heard the results of dramatic reversals of diseases I once thought impossible to achieve without medical intervention. These are changes that we can observe quantitatively in blood tests, and qualitatively in the reports of thousands of people whose quality of life improves each day. Whether its reducing or throwing away medications for high blood pressure, diabetes, or cholesterol; resolving the painful symptoms of MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or standard arthritis; losing the excess weight that has caused them to become obese; or slowing the progress of cancer or dementiathe Plant Paradox program has been an agent of life-affirming change for many individuals.

Despite its popularity, however, I am also aware that The Plant Paradox is no easy read. It focuses primarily on the scientific background of my researchchronicling the reasons for removing certain foods (those that contain lectins or other harmful substances) and environmental toxins, and dissecting the effects these substances have on your physiology.

And so: my aim with The Plant Paradox Quick and Easy is to continue to help as many people as possible with a companion book that offers a simplified version of the program and focuses instead on more practical matters. I realize that it can seem impossible, or at least improbable, to overhaul your diet and lifestyle in the real world of two-job families, commutes, after-school practices, socializing, and likely not residing in Southern California as I do, where an abundance of fresh produce is available year-round. This book was designed with these challenges in mind, and with the goal of helping you making healthy and sustainable changes as quickly and as easily as possible.

If youve heard the buzz about The Plant Paradox but have been nervous about trying itthis book is the perfect bridge to the Plant Paradox lifestyle. You dont need to have read the original book or know anything about lectins! We will review the basic science behind the program (a brief discussion, I promise you!) before moving into its application in the real world: from food prep and cooking hacks, to snack lists, to menus for entertaining, to shopping tips and tricks. Ive also dedicated a chapter to special dietary considerations, offering modifications for those who are vegan or vegetarian, as well as those who follow a ketogenic diet or suffer from a serious illness. Moreover, if youve got kids, or just like to eat like a kid, Ive given special attention to kid- and family-friendly Plant Paradox meals.

And even if youre a Plant Paradox veteran, I encourage you to try the 30-day challenge. Yes, it means giving up a bit of freedom and going back to Phase 1but only for a week. I suggest you think of it like a cleanse or a reset: After going back to basics and detoxing completely from lectins, you will feel a renewed sense of energy and mental clarity. If youve been slipping up, are looking to lose some weight, or just havent been feeling your bestthe 30-day program will help you to achieve the same results you first experienced on the Plant Paradox program.

No matter what brings you to this book, my goal is the same: I truly want to make it as simple as possible for you to try out this program and reclaim your health. All it takes is a commitment to changing your diet and lifestyle for 30 days. You have nothing to lose (but a few pounds)and everything to gain.

These days, it sometimes seems as though our society is obsessed with healthy eating. Fad diets and food trends come and go, and new superfoods make headlines every day. Its not surprising, given the high incidence of disease and obesity in Americawe are all looking for solutions to heal what ails us. While much of the advice we receive about how to eat is conflicting, across all nutritional camps and ideologies, there is one fact that just about everyone can agree on: Plants are the cornerstone of a healthy diet.

I agree with this statementin fact, I eat a primarily plant-based diet. However, there is a caveat. What Ive learned over the past eighteen years as a clinician, researcher, and former medical school professor has led me to believe that the repercussions of eating plants are more complicated than many of us assume.

In fact, Ive determined that particular plantslike wheat, corn, soy, legumes, tomatoes, squash, and moreare actually harmful to your health. Thats because they contain a type of protein called a lectin. Lectins trigger a cascade of damaging effects in the body that lay the groundwork for illness. This is the crux of what I call the Plant Paradox: While many, if not most plants are beneficial, some can actually trigger disease.

Simply put, Ive discovered that eating a diet light in lectins supports gut health and can even reverse disease. And the results have been astounding. Hundreds of my patients and thousands more who have followed the Plant Paradox program have found that the symptoms of their illnesses vastly improve or disappear altogether when they eliminate lectins from their diet. These folks include those diagnosed with diabetes; autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, Hashimotos thyroiditis, and celiac disease; and gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohns disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Many have been able to reverse these diseases and are now living symptom-free.

As a cardiac surgeon and cardiologist, Ive had the opportunity to counsel my patients to change their diet before going under the knife. As a result, many of them were able to forego surgery altogether. The majority of these patients were able to stop taking their medications and, by closely monitoring their blood markers, Ive seen their inflammation abolished. Not to mention, theyve enjoyed the side benefit of naturally achieving a healthy weight. For someone who is used to helping heal patients on the operating table, I find healing through food to be miraculous.

Since its original publication in 2017, The Plant Paradox has been translated into twenty-seven languages and its nutritional protocol has been adopted by millions of people around the world. Once readers understand the why of The Plant Paradox, they naturally turn to the how: How do I do this? Lets face it, the book is a heavy read. Its loaded with research, references, and (thanks to my days as a professor) tons of nerdy science. Ive heard from a lot of people who are excited to try the program but are a little overwhelmed by the amount of information they first have to digest. Some have asked me for a version that can be understood easily and implemented quickly. Its like theyre saying, Okay, Doc, I get it. No more lectins. Now please just tell me what to make for dinner!

And so, here we are. I want to share this program with as many people as possible, giving everyone the chance to clean up their cells, repair their gut, quell inflammation, and even lose a little weight in the process. And now, with this quick and easy guide, its possible for anyone to jump right in.

As hard as it may be to imagine now, the Earth was once inhabited solely by plants. When insects arrived, about 340 million years ago, they shook the peaceful plant ecosystem to its core. In no need of defense prior to insects existence, plants suddenly needed to protect themselves, and their offspring, from being eaten. After all, plants have the same goals as the rest of us. Like insects and the animals that came after them, plants have an imperative to reproduce and to protect their young.