Gundry's Perfect Health Diet Plan: What To Know

The Gundry diet is a food plan focused on avoiding lectins, which are found in a variety of foods and can increase inflammation and have a negative impact on your gut, according to Dr Gundry. The diet eliminates processed foods and encourages followers to focus on whole foods that are produced in healthy ways and result in maximum nutrients, such as in-season produce and grass-fed beef.

The benefits of the Gundry Diet

The Gundry Diet is focused on one major principle: avoiding lectins, which are found in a variety of foods and can increase inflammation and impact your gut in negative ways, according to Dr Gundry. The main benefit of the Gundry Diet is that it eliminates processed foods and encourages followers to focus on whole foods that are produced in healthy ways and result in maximum nutrients—like in-season produce and grass-fed beef.

The diet is gluten-free from the get-go, as gluten is a lectin. It also eliminates nuts and seeds such as pumpkin and chia seeds, peanuts, cashews, and grains such as quinoa, oats, brown rice and rye. Regular milk and yoghurt are also out, although a small amount of cheese is allowed, as is butter if it’s “French or Italian”. A2 milk is also a “yes” food.

The Gundry Diet also encourages the consumption of healthy oils such as olive and coconut. Fish, grass-fed beef, and pasture-raised poultry are on the table, as are in-season berries. Fruit, in general, is almost entirely out, as are legumes—no chickpeas, lentils, or black beans.

Foods to avoid

The Gundry Diet focuses on avoiding lectins, which are found in a variety of foods and can increase inflammation and have a negative impact on your gut.

• Nuts and seeds, such as pumpkin and chia seeds, peanuts and cashews
• Grains, such as quinoa, oats, brown rice and rye
• Regular milk and yoghurt
• Fruit, except for in-season berries
• Legumes, such as chickpeas, lentils and black beans
• Vegetables that contain lectins, such as tomatoes, aubergine, cucumbers and peas
• Gluten, as it is a lectin

Foods to eat

The Gundry diet focuses on avoiding lectins, which are found in a variety of foods and can increase inflammation and impact your gut in negative ways. The diet also eliminates processed foods and encourages followers to focus on whole foods that are produced in healthy ways and result in maximum nutrients. For example, in-season produce and grass-fed beef are encouraged, while nuts and seeds, grains, and regular milk and yoghurt are not allowed.

Some foods that are allowed on the Gundry diet include fish, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry, and healthy oils such as olive and coconut. A small amount of cheese is allowed, as is butter if it's French or Italian. A2 milk is also a "yes" food. Gluten is a lectin, so this diet is gluten-free.

Most fruit is forbidden, except for in-season berries. Vegetables that contain lectins, such as tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, and peas, are also not allowed. Legumes, such as chickpeas, lentils, and black beans, are also off the menu.

The role of lectins

The Gundry diet plan focuses on one major principle: avoiding lectins. Lectins are found in a variety of foods, including grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy, and certain vegetables and fruits. According to Dr Gundry, lectins can increase inflammation and have a negative impact on gut health.

Some of the foods that are high in lectins and therefore avoided on the Gundry diet plan include grains such as quinoa, oats, brown rice, and rye; nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, peanuts, and cashews; legumes like chickpeas, lentils, and black beans; and dairy products such as regular milk and yogurt.

Additionally, certain vegetables and fruits that contain lectins are also restricted on the Gundry diet plan. These include tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, and peas. While fruit is mostly eliminated from the diet, in-season berries are allowed in small quantities.

By eliminating lectins from the diet, the Gundry diet plan aims to reduce inflammation and improve gut health. It encourages followers to focus on whole foods that are produced in healthy ways and result in maximum nutrient intake. This includes in-season produce, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry, and healthy oils such as olive and coconut oil.

Gundry's credentials

The Gundry diet is focused on one major principle: avoiding lectins. Lectins are found in a variety of foods and can increase inflammation and impact your gut in negative ways, according to Dr Gundry. The diet eliminates processed foods and encourages followers to focus on whole foods that are produced in healthy ways and result in maximum nutrients, such as in-season produce and grass-fed beef. Fish, pasture-raised poultry, and healthy oils such as olive and coconut are also on the table, as is a small amount of cheese and butter if it’s “French or Italian”.

Dr Gundry is a medical doctor and has written a book on the topic of lectins, called The Plant Paradox. He also has a YouTube series called Gut Instincts, which covers which foods to eat and which to avoid.

The Gundry diet has been described as life-changing by some, who say it has helped them to break their addiction to “healthy fruit” and cows’ milk. Instead, they use coconut milk and Babybel cheese.

The diet has been criticised by some for being restrictive, with nuts and seeds, grains, regular milk and yoghurt, and almost all fruit on the “no list”.

Frequently asked questions