I will never forget my gut being so bad that I could barely eat because everything I ate caused my indigestion, bloating and fatigue. An amazing acupuncturist in Philadelphia told me about The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates. During my studies at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Donna was one of my teachers. Can you believe it? She is truly a rockstar when it comes to gut rebuilding and immune health.
I began The Body Ecology Diet and slowly rebuilt my gut health and immune health. I added cultured vegetables, low glycemic fruits, the approved grains and made the commitment to restore my core, my digestive system.
I bought The Body Ecology Book and read it so many times. I ended up making a cheat sheet for myself. Today, I use many principles of The Body Ecology Diet. I wanted to share with you how easy it can be for you too.
Here is a basic breakdown of the diet and the foods allowed on the program.
Animal protein foods:
It is suggested you eat a plate with 20% animal protein and the rest of your plate filled with vegetables and cultured foods to support healthy digestion. Make sure you are buying hormone free meats. I suggest starting with 2 tbsp cultured vegetables and then increasing to 1/4 cup. Fish is preferred simply because it is easy to digest compared to animal protein. Ideally, you want to make soups that are easy to digest and add your favorite protein.
Eggs:
Eggs are an extremely healthy food but not for me. I realized by doing the elimination diet, also know as a detox, that I was allergic and then it was confirmed officially when I did an allergy test. Donna suggests eating the whole egg and I have to admit, I agree, if eggs are good for your unique body. Make sure you add a cultured vegetables for optimal digestion and dulse sprinkles to your eggs to alkalize the acid nature of protein.
Understanding your Meals
1. Add cultured vegetables to each meal to aid in digestion.
2. Consume digestive enzymes, if needed or drink water with 2 tablespoons RAW Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar 20 minutes before a meal. Many have found add warming spices to enhance digestive fire such as cumin, cayenne, paprika, ginger or turmeric support optimal digestion. Just add a sprinkle to your food.
3. Properly combine foods. You can combine vegetables and proteins, or vegetables and low glycemic grains but not fruit and grains/protein. It is suggested to eat fruit by itself, on an empty stomach.
Nuts and Seeds:
It is suggested to soak all seeds and nuts for optimal digestion. You can soak nuts and seeds in water with 1 tablespoon brag g’s raw apple coder vinegar for 6-24 hours, then rinse at least 3 times and put in a bowl in the refrigerator. Soaked or sprouted almonds are an ideal food plus flax, pumpkin, hemp seeds and sunflower are fabulous as well.
Grains:
The grains permitted on The Body Ecology Diet are amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa and millet. It is important too soak grains as well to remove phytic acid, which inhibits the thyroid and disrupts digestion.
Vegetables:
Consume low glycemic vegetables and ocean vegetables, high in mineral content to support the immune system. Consume cultured vegetables daily. Since beets and carrots are high in glycemic index, it is best to consume them in a cultured state, lowering the sugar content and loaded with healthy live enzymes and good bacteria.
Ocean Vegetables:
Consuming these ocean vegetables each day boosts your immune system and supports your thyroid, since they are rich in Iodine,
- Arame
- Dulse
- Hijiki
- Kelp
- Kombu
- Nori
- Wakame
Fruit:
Lemon, Limes, Cranberries and Green Apples are permitted on the diet but make sure you adhere to proper food combining. Lemon and lime will support cleansing of your liver and eradicating unwanted toxins daily. You can make cranberry concentrate water with lemon and consume 2-3 times a day. Take 2 tablespoons cranberry concentrate and add to 20 ounces of water with the juice from one lemon.
Oils
Coconut oil, olive oil and ghee are fabulous oils to use while you are on The Body Ecology Diet. Coconut oil is anti viral and anti bacterial. Coconut oil is also great for weight loss, thyroid and adrenal health and loaded with sautéed fats needed for healthy cellular renewal.
Juicing:
Juicing all vegetables will not feed yeast during this program. If you juice celery, cucumber, kale, lemon and lime, you will be alkalizing your body and cleansing unwanted toxins.
Remember, you need to learn what works for you when it comes to your health, your body and your own level of toxicity.
