Dr. Gundry's Diet Evolution

Dr. Gundry is a cardiologist, surgeon, medical researcher, and author of Dr. Gundry’s Diet Evolution and many other books. Dr. Gundry’s diet evolution was created to help patients who were suffering from disease and headed towards surgery. These types of people have tried countless diets and failed to lose the necessary pounds in order to stay healthy. In an attempt to help patients lower cholesterol and prepare them for heart surgery Dr. Gundry made a discovery that nutrition had a profound impact on the health of his patients.

Gundry’s work relies mainly on epigenetics. Epigenetics is the thought that genes can be influenced without actually changing the genetic makeup or code. Gundry believes we can activate our longevity genes and turn off our genes that lead to disease. He believed the true cause of all modern day disease has something to do with poor diet and nutrition.

I highly suggest you purchase Dr. Gundry’s book dr gundry">here as it is full of real necessary information. Dr. Gundry dives deep and explains how our genes are working against us and not for us. If you do not purchase the book I have given a basic guideline to diet evolution below.

Diet Evolution Shopping list

Phase 1 (first 2 weeks and beyond)

Meat protein

*Meat protein should be grass-fed beef, antibiotic & hormone free range chicken and wild caught fish

Chicken

Beef (filet, flank, stew, ground sirloin, round steak, and jerky)

Lamb

Pork tenderloin, ham, Canadian bacon, prosciutto

Wild game, venison, and bison

Cornish game hen, duck, goose, and turkey

Turkey bacon

Wild poultry

Fish (anchovies, freshwater bass, salmon, sardines, trout, whitefish, and canned tuna)

Shellfish (crab, lobster, squid, calamari, shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels)

Fresh Cheese

Farmers cheese 1 c

Feta Cheese ½ c

Low Fat Cottage Cheese 1 c

Mozzarella cheese, water packed ½ c

Ricotta 1c

Aged Cheese

* 1 slice or oz. a day……use a vegetable peeler to shave the cheese and get more taste for less

Asiago

Bleu cheese

Cheddar

Goat Cheese

Gruyere

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Swiss

Dairy

Almond milk (plain or flavored unsweetened only)

Soymilk (plain or flavored unsweetened only)

Eggs (omega 3 free range)

Kefir

Yogurt (plain, unsweetened only)

Soy Protein

*Take caution with any soy product and eat in small amounts. I am not generally a fan of soy as 90% of soy crops are sprayed the with the herbicide roundup. For the same reasons you should limit grains and legumes you should also limit soy or avoid it altogether.

Black Soybeans

Edamame

Tempeh

Tofu (firm only)

Tofu Shirataki Noodles

Veggies

Leafy Greens

Arugula

Beet Greens

Chard

Collards

Dandelion

Endive

Escarole

Kale

Lettuce (Romaine, Boston, Red & Green lettuce)

Mustard greens

Spinach

Radicchio

Turnip greens

Watercress

Other Veggies

Artichokes

Bamboo Shoots

Brans (string, green, yellow)

Bean Sprouts

Beets (raw)

Bok Choy

Broccoli and broccoli rabe

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage (Napa, Chinese, green, and red)

Capers

Carrots (raw)

Cauliflower

Celery

Chayote

Chicory

Cucumbers (including pickles)

Fennel

Garlic

Ginger root

Herbs (cilantro, basil, mint, sage, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc)

Jicama

Mushrooms

Olives

Onions, shallots, scallions, and chives

Jalapeno Peppers

Sweet bell peppers all kinds

Pumpkin (1c a day)

Radishes

Sugar snap peas & snow peas (no shelled peas)

Summer squash

Water chestnuts

Oils

Canola oil

Grapeseed oil

Macadamia nut oil

Extra virgin olive oil

Sesame oil

Flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, walnut oil (*Do not heat, only drizzle on food for flavor and nutrients)

Condiments

Steak Sauce

Fish Sauce

Lemon & lime juice (fresh)

Mustard (no honey or sugar)

Salsa

Salt and pepper

Spices and herbs

Tabasco sauce and hot sauce

Tamari or soy sauce

Tomato sauce or paste

Vinegar (apple cider preferred)

Worcestershire Sauce

Nuts and seeds

*1/4 c 2 x a day as a snack

Almonds

Brazil Nuts

Cocoa Beans 70% or more

Coconut

Ground Flaxseeds

Hazelnuts

Hemp Seeds or powder

Macadamias

Peanut butter or nut butter

Peanuts (roasted only)

Pecans

Pine nuts

Pistachios

Pumpkin Seeds

Sesame Seeds

Walnuts

Meal replacement bars and powders

Think thin bar

Atkins bar

Pure Protein bar

Low carb protein shakes

Hemp protein powder

Soy Protein Powder

Whey Protein Powder

Beverages

*6-8 glasses of water daily

Water

Coffee

Clear broth

Red wine

Clear spirit or shot only (no mixed drinks)

Tea (black, green, white, and herbal)

*After the first 2 weeks you can introduce Friendly fruits and Brown Foods in week 3!

Fruits

Medium Apple

Apricots

Avocado (1/2)

Banana (green tips only)

Blackberries 1 c

Blueberries 1 c

Boysenberries 1 c

Cherries 1 c

Citrus- oranges. Grapefruits, tangerines

Cranberries 1 c

Grapes with seeds 1c

Kiwi

Mulberries 1c

Nectarine

Passion fruit

Medium Peach

Medium Pear

Medium plum

Pomegranate ½ c seeds

Raspberries 1 c

Strawberries 1 c or 6

1 medium Tomato

Brown Foods

Amaranth

Barley

Brown basmati rice

Buckwheat

Bulgur

Farro

Legumes (lentils, lima beans, garbanzo, navy beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans)

Millet

Oats (whole or steel cut only)

Quinoa

Rye

Spelt

Whole wheat berries

Wild rice

Phase 2 Week 7-12

Continue eating the same foods but reduce mat protein and increase veggies and salads. Continue with nut and seed snack 2 x daily. Be sure to cut down on cheese consumption, fruits, and brown foods.

*consider meat a brown food and do not eat at every meal

* Do not eat cheese every day

*limit grains and legumes to ½ c serving daily

Phase 3 and beyond

Continue eating as you did in phase 2

*Eat raw as much as possible (fresh salads, raw veggies, nuts, seeds)

*If you want to eat a bad meal make it 1 a day

*Try and fast if you eat badly one week

*Keep desserts to a minimum

Grundyisms to remember to help you make good food choices

Drink some red wine and you’ll be fine

Eat Extreme Greens

Bitter is Better

If you cut down on meat you’ll reduce your heat

A lot of greens plus a bit of meat make a meal that can’t be beat

The more greens you eat the more you’ll fit your killer jeans

To earn it you must burn it

If you lift weights you’ll lose weight

If you want to stick around cut back on brown

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy and wise

If its meat you get to cheat

If it’s green you’ll grow lean

Give fruit the boot

If it’s white it’s out of sight

If its beige best behave

When in doubt leave it out

Weight off fast will never last

Weight off slow your good to go

Eat oil for belly fat to recoil

Eat fake fat get a heart attack

I think you get it : )

Hints and tips

Dress salads in evoo, vinegar, lemon, salt, pepper, or a Gundry approved dressing

Fast every other day and eat 2 days’ worth of food on alternate days. Do this once a week or make it an every other day pattern for the rest of your life whichever works. You can drink water, tea, and coffee, water with lemon, vegetable juice or raw veggies or if you need to eat just eat very small meals. Fasting gives your body time to heal, repair, and detox as it does not need to burn energy to digest.

Supplements

*other supplements may be needed on a case by case basis

Winter means lack of sun so take a vitamin d supplement 1000-2000 iu (good for mood and immune system)

L carnitine- 125-500 mg (heart health)

Coq10- 60-250 mg (heart health)

Multivitamin- one a day and use a brand made from whole foods preferably

Selenium-200-400 mcg (good for sugar cravings)

Cinnamon- 500-1000 mg (good for sugar craving)

Chromium- 400-1000 mcg (good for sugar cravings)

Probiotic- take a capsule with at least 4 billion bacteria daily (I use jarrows)

Calcium and magnesium- (they sell as cal-mag supplement)* take additional magnesium for high blood pressure. 500-1000 mg per day

St John’s wort- (curbs hunger and increases mood) 300 mg daily

Blue bonnet brand Garcinia Cambogia- (All natural fruit extract that curbs hunger and improves weight loss and management) 500-1000 mg

Cod liver oil or fish oil – 1000-2000 mg

Exercise

Remember its 80 % nutrition and 20% working out so for the first 6 weeks don’t worry about it.

After 6 weeks please introduce light cardio and strength training.

*exercising after a meal not before. When you exercise after you have eaten your body will burn calories for energy instead of storing it. Never sit or lay down after eating.

Recommendations from Stay Sprouted

*These are not Gundry recommended but diet evolution came out some time ago in 2008 and food especially the study of nutrition is ever evolving. Remember to follow the rules and only introduce these recommendations in week 3 and beyond.

My recommended pasta alternatives would be noodles made from veggies, so spaghetti squash or other noodles made of approved veggies as there are no other ingredients and these are still whole food vegetables.

Brown rice pasta is also a great alternative. Brown Rice pasta is high in fiber especially insoluble fiber which takes longer for your body to metabolize. With Brown rice the outer layer is still intact making it more complex and adding extra effort for your body to break it down which in turn slows down your body’s glucose response. Releasing sugar into the bloodstream slower over a longer period of time helps the body with glucose levels. It is also gluten free and we’ve learned gluten isn’t really good for anyone as it cause inflammation and most inflammation causes disease.

A word about milk alternatives. Conventional store bought almond milk is usually full of sugar and only contains a handful of almonds. Please try to make your own whenever possible. They also contain carrageenan which is a controversial preservative. Trader Joe’s brand almond milk is one that I recommend as it does not contain carrageenan. I typically use coconut milk by the brand so delicious and have also used flax milk by good karma.

*remember to choose organic when possible. Use this list to determine whether you should spring for the organic or are safe with conventional options.