Yet another pseudoscientific diet fad fueled by alarmist scaremongering. The generalization that all lectins are harmful is uninformed. Dr. Gundry makYet another pseudoscientific diet fad fueled by alarmist scaremongering. The generalization that all lectins are harmful is uninformed. Dr. Gundry makes wild claims with little supporting evidence. For instance:
"Eating shellfish and egg yolks dramatically reduced total cholesterol.¹"
"During each test period for each subject, shellfish, equivalent in weight of protein to the protein in the animal-protein foods (meat, cheese, and eggs) in the basal period, replaced the animal-protein foods of the basal period.”
During this phase test subjects were not allowed to eat meat, cheese, or eggs. Shellfish, low in cholesterol and fat, replaced these high cholesterol foods. As a result, serum (V)LDL cholesterol decreased and HDL increased. Dr. Gundry appears to have missed the part about not eating eggs.
"Half of the foods you have been told to eat for good health are actually New World plants that most of mankind had no prior exposure to, meaning your body, your gut bacteria, and your immune system are ill prepared to tolerate them."
Basically, Dr. Gundry is claiming that explorers to the New World brought back foods that the Old World (Africa, Asia, Europe) population had little or no ability to digest. That's absurd. Lectins are found in all plants and animals, only the types and concentrations differ. Lentils, chickpeas, broad beans, soybeans and wheat are among the oldest cultivated Old World crops. Legumes and whole grains were, and continue to be, a staple throughout the world and are prominent in the diets of long-lived Blue Zone populations. New World potatoes, maize, corn, tomatoes, quinoa, amaranth, and squash are formed from the same components as other plants, there's nothing new or foreign about them.
"wheat germ agglutinin contributes to the development of nephritis"
The paper cited doesn't even relate to this claim, it only mentions that certain lectins will stain kidney tissue.
"Some lectins disrupt transmissions between your cells"
One lectin you should be aware of is phytohemagglutinin, which is toxic to humans and other mammals. Phytohemagglutinin acts as an insecticide in legumes. Eating raw or improperly cooked legumes can result in lectin poisoning. Raw red kidney beans contain the highest levels, from 20,000 to 70,000 hemagglutinating units. Boiling raw (fresh or dried) legumes for a minimum of 10 minutes destroys phytohemagglutinin. The lectin content of safe, properly cooked red kidney beans is 200 to 400 hemagglutinating units.
The levels of lectins used in animal experiments are much higher than those present in a normal diet. There is little scientific evidence that avoiding lectins is beneficial. There is, however, evidence that replacing meat and highly processed foods with vegetables, legumes and whole grains promotes health, aids weight loss, and prolongs life.
Merged review:
Yet another pseudoscientific diet fad fueled by alarmist scaremongering. The generalization that all lectins are harmful is uninformed. Dr. Gundry makes wild claims with little supporting evidence. For instance:
"Eating shellfish and egg yolks dramatically reduced total cholesterol.¹"
"During each test period for each subject, shellfish, equivalent in weight of protein to the protein in the animal-protein foods (meat, cheese, and eggs) in the basal period, replaced the animal-protein foods of the basal period.”
During this phase test subjects were not allowed to eat meat, cheese, or eggs. Shellfish, low in cholesterol and fat, replaced these high cholesterol foods. As a result, serum (V)LDL cholesterol decreased and HDL increased. Dr. Gundry appears to have missed the part about not eating eggs.
"Half of the foods you have been told to eat for good health are actually New World plants that most of mankind had no prior exposure to, meaning your body, your gut bacteria, and your immune system are ill prepared to tolerate them."
Basically, Dr. Gundry is claiming that explorers to the New World brought back foods that the Old World (Africa, Asia, Europe) population had little or no ability to digest. That's absurd. Lectins are found in all plants and animals, only the types and concentrations differ. Lentils, chickpeas, broad beans, soybeans and wheat are among the oldest cultivated Old World crops. Legumes and whole grains were, and continue to be, a staple throughout the world and are prominent in the diets of long-lived Blue Zone populations. New World potatoes, maize, corn, tomatoes, quinoa, amaranth, and squash are formed from the same components as other plants, there's nothing new or foreign about them.
"wheat germ agglutinin contributes to the development of nephritis"
The paper cited doesn't even relate to this claim, it only mentions that certain lectins will stain kidney tissue.
"Some lectins disrupt transmissions between your cells"
One lectin you should be aware of is phytohemagglutinin, which is toxic to humans and other mammals. Phytohemagglutinin acts as an insecticide in legumes. Eating raw or improperly cooked legumes can result in lectin poisoning. Raw red kidney beans contain the highest levels, from 20,000 to 70,000 hemagglutinating units. Boiling raw (fresh or dried) legumes for a minimum of 10 minutes destroys phytohemagglutinin. The lectin content of safe, properly cooked red kidney beans is 200 to 400 hemagglutinating units.
The levels of lectins used in animal experiments are much higher than those present in a normal diet. There is little scientific evidence that avoiding lectins is beneficial. There is, however, evidence that replacing meat and highly processed foods with vegetables, legumes and whole grains promotes health, aids weight loss, and prolongs life....more
The 12-Bottle Bar has good recommendations for selecting each of type of spirit. The recipes are spot on as well. I usually prefer a wee dram of ScotcThe 12-Bottle Bar has good recommendations for selecting each of type of spirit. The recipes are spot on as well. I usually prefer a wee dram of Scotch, but I also enjoy vintage inspired cocktails. You won't find any sickly sweet, corn syrup abominations in this book. I've made around a dozen of the recipes in this book, and all have been super tasty.
The Cuban Old Fashioned is the one I make most often. It's so versatile, you can use nearly any spirit and you'll end up with a fine cocktail. Skip the adulterated Diplomatico, Ron Zacapa, Plantation, and El Dorado rums. This cocktail is delicious with unsweetened dark rum; Panama-Pacific 23 year old, Foursquare 2o04 Ex-bourbon cask, and Barbancourt 15 are all excellent choices. They pair nicely with Peychaud's bitters and a demerara sugar cube, garnish with a Luxardo cherry and an orange wheel. Cocktail perfection.
I also make it using Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond Rye or Pikesville Rye, a white sugar cube, 1 dash Angostura, 1 dash Angostura Orange, and a Luxardo cherry. Either way, it never fails to garner hearty mmms all around.
I'm not sure why I borrowed this ebook from the library. I don't diet. I guess I was curious about the recipes, especially any vegan or egg-free vegetI'm not sure why I borrowed this ebook from the library. I don't diet. I guess I was curious about the recipes, especially any vegan or egg-free vegetarian recipes.
If I was rating this book by the recipes alone, I would have given it 3 or 4 stars. Part of the reduced rating is due to the author making claims and referring to scientific studies, but failing to include citations.
The bigger issue is the repeated misuse of the words toxin and detox. It is alarmist and the author never names any of these 'toxins'.
A toxin is a poison produced by a living organism. Examples include: • botulinum toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria • snake, bee, jellyfish, and other venoms • certain phytochemicals, such as nicotine in tobacco, and the naturally occurring insecticide, phytohemagglutinin, present in many species of beans. When cooking dried beans, especially kidney beans, it is important to boil them for 10 minutes to deactivate this toxin.
Neither synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides and food additives, nor natural inorganic chemicals, such as mercury and asbestos, are toxins. Some synthetic chemicals can be toxicants, and some inorganic chemicals can be toxic.
A toxicant is a toxic (poisonous) substance that is produced by human activity. Examples include industrial waste products, bisphenol, and pesticides.
The author is confusing toxin, toxic and toxicant, they are not interchangeable. If he can get that wrong, how can I trust any of the other claims he makes? Some further examples:
Chapter 1, Section 2: The Fat Burn Factor Claim: “Another way is to periodically detox (which you’ll do on this plan), because detoxing helps cleanse your liver—your body’s primary fat-burning organ—allowing it to function more efficiently.”
Response: There is no scientific evidence supporting detox diets. The liver does not need cleansing. It does not store toxins. The liver processes harmful chemicals, making them water-soluble, and releases them for excretion.
Chapter 2, Section 7: Mussels Claim: “Mussels are one of the cheapest and tastiest forms of animal protein available, and because of their natural filtration system, they are virtually immune to toxins in the environment.”
Response: Mussels, along with other filter feeding shellfish, such as clams, oysters and scallops, absolutely do accumulate toxins. In fact, mussels accumulate toxins more quickly than other shellfish, and are used as an indicator species. These toxins can be produced by dinoflagellate algae, diatom algae, and cyanobacteria during harmful blooms. Cooking does not deactivate or destroy these toxins, which can cause shellfish poisoning.
Chapter 7, Breakfast Citrus Salad with Cucumber and Basil Claim: “cucumber is a detox vegetable that flushes toxins from your body.”
Response: Ok? When I'm hiking in venomous snake territory, I will be sure to pack cucumbers in case I'm bitten. Also, please provide citations for these crazy claims.
Chapter 15, Using Negative Calorie Cleanse Claim: “When you infuse your body with whole, nutritious foods it will begin to purge toxins naturally—and burn fat, where toxins are often stored.”
Response: 100% myth, toxins are not stored. Synthetic compounds, such as organochlorine pesticides and PCBs, are stored in fat. One study found that reducing fat increased plasma and subcutaneous adipose tissue concentrations of these compounds. Another found that at least some of these toxicants are reabsorbed after release. A third study concluded that more research is needed to determine long-term effects on overall health.
If you want to cleanse your body, Michael Pollan sums it up nicely.
There are plenty more examples of shoddy pseudoscience and terminology fail. Zero stars for the non-recipe chapters. If anyone wants additional citations for my responses, I'm more than happy to provide them.
Moving on to the book's better half, the food. The recipes are broken down into the following sections.
Smoothies Like: Most recipes use a variety of green veg (kale, spinach, brassicas), apples, celery, berries, citrus, almond milk, fresh herbs and spices. Some of the combinations are fresh and unique, such as the Apple-Lime-Cilantro Smoothie and the Sangria Tomato, Orange, and Red Pepper Smoothie.
Dislike: Every recipe calls for two processed ingredients; Renew Life acacia fiber and Rocco's protein powder. A one month (30 scoops) supply of Rocco's protein powder is $79, quite the upsell.
Conclusion: I'm not a big smoothie fan, but I do make them when it's too hot too cook. I would definitely try these recipes without the processed ingredients.
Breakfast Like: Simple recipes that use quinoa, fruit and green veg. There are a few egg based recipes too, including a frittata and an omelet.
The Avocado Toast with Spinach and Tomatoes (with a poached egg on top!) looks amazing. I have something similar nearly every day, without the egg (thanks, allergy). I top it with leftover massaged kale salad, fresh ground Szechuan peppercorn, and sea salt. So, so, good!
Dislike: Nothing.
Conclusion: Quick, simple recipes. I would have liked a bit more innovation and variety, beyond the usual food-blog and Yummly fare.
Soups and Salads Like: More fresh fruit, veg, and nuts. Chickpeas, red meat, seafood and tofu make an appearance as well. Bonus points for only recommending seafood that is fairly sustainable, see Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch.
I made the Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Warm Toasted Garlic, Almond, and Lemon Dressing, and the Seared Tuna Salad with Citrus, Tofu, and Watercress, I subbed tamari seared tofu for the tuna, and omitted the coconut aminos since I used tamari on the tofu. For both recipes, the seasoning is well balanced, but for typical American paletes the recipes may seem bland or lacking in sweetness and salt.
Dislikes: Again, most of the recipes could use some innovation; the Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Almonds and Basil and the Leafy Green Salad, for example.
Conclusions: Most of the recipes are familiar, but have been tweaked to be more nutrient dense and lower in fat, salt, and sugar.
Mains Like: Most of the recipes take 30 minutes or less from prep to table. There are 17 recipes in this section, 5 are vegetarian/vegan.
Dislike: I really wasn't interested in any of the vegetarian recipes. This summer, I might try the Grilled Shrimp with Marinated Cucumber, Kale, and Cauliflower, subbing roasted chickpeas or grilled tofu for the shrimp.
Conclusion: Meh. Maybe the meat, poultry, and seafood recipes are more appealing. I'm vegetarian, so I didn't try any of them.
Snacks Like: The Thai Amond Butter Sauce (again, subbing tamari for coconut aminos) is so good. I usually add Shark brand Sriracha. I prefer Shark because of the simple ingredients: Chilli, water, sugar, garlic, salt, vinegar. The Rooster (Huy Fong brand) sriracha that is ubiquitous in nearly every restaurant contains too much junk (ingredients: Chili, sugar, salt, garlic, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite as preservatives, and xantham gum).
The Eggplant and Almond Dip is basically baba ghanoush with almond butter instead of tahini. You get a bit more protein, 7 grams for almond butter versus 5 grams for tahini, but almond butter is 2-3 times more expensive than tahini so I'd probably just use tahini and eat a few almonds instead.
Dislike: Nothing, although some of the ingredients may not fit into everyone's budget; such as PB2 peanut butter powder, almond butter, and coconut nectar.
Conclusion: A nice assortment of easy to make, slightly healthier snacks.
Desserts Likes: The photos make everything look amazing. If you like chocolate, there are 3 recipes that use chocolate or cocoa powder. The only recipe I want to try, Almond Cake, contains eggs (still a like, even if I can only look at it).
Dislikes: This section was the slimmest, with only 6 recipes. Two of them are just barely recipes; Chocolate Dipped Strawberries with Crushed Almonds, and Citrus and Mixed Berry Bowl with Whipped Topping (fruit topped with whipped yogurt). Again, for those on a budget, almond butter, coconut nectar and almond meal might be too expensive.
Conclusion: I didn't try any recipes in this section. If anyone makes the Almond Cake, I'd love to hear how it turned out....more
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