N E W YO R K TI M E S B E S T S E LLE R

The Plant Paradox

The Hidden Dangers in “Healthy” Foods
That Cause Disease and Weight Gain

By Dr. Steven Gundry

 The “Yes” List
ALCOHOL ENERGY BARS
• Champagne (6 oz /day) • Adapt: All flavors approved
• Red Wine (6 oz./day) • B-Up (made by Yup): Chocolate Mint,
• Dark Spirits (1 oz./day) • Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Sugar Cookie
• KETO: Almond Butter Brownie, Salted Caramel,
CEREAL Lemon Poppyseed, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Arrowhead Mills Natural Puffed Millet Cereal • Marigold: Choconut, Pure Joy, Espresso, Ginger Coconut
• Magic Spoon; all four flavors • Primal Kitchens: Almond Spice and Coconut Lime
• Quest: Strawberry Cheesecake, Double
CHOCOLATE Chocolate Chunk, Maple Waffle, Mocha
• Cocoa powder (non-alkalized only) Chocolate, Peppermint Bark, Chocolate Sprinkled
• Dark chocolate (72% or greater; 1 oz./day) Doughnut, Cinnamon Roll
• Stoka: Vanilla Almond and Coco Almond
DAIRY
(1 oz. cheese OR 4 oz. yogurt/day) FISH
• Buffalo butter (wild-caught) 2 - 4 oz./day
• Buffalo mozzarella and other cheese • Anchovies
• Cow butter (A2 from France, Italy or Switzerland) • Bass, freshwater
• Cow cheese (A2 from France, Italy, or Switzerland) • Calamari/squid
• Cow milk (A2 only; creamer or cooking; not for drinking) • Clams
• Cow ricotta (A2 only) Cow yogurt (A2 only, unsweetened) • Crab
• Cream cheese (Organic) • Halibut, Alaskan
• Ghee Goat Butter • Kippers
• Goat cheese • Lobster
• Goat milk (creamer or cooking, not for drinking) • Mackerel
• Goat yogurt (unsweetened) • Mahi-mahi
• Goat/sheep kefir Heavy cream (Organic) • Mussels
• Sheep cheese • Oysters
• Sheep yogurt (unsweetened) • Salmon, Alaskan
• Sour Cream (Organic) • Sardines
• Whey protein powder • Scallops
• Shrimp
EGG REPLACERS • Tuna, canned (only small tuna;
• Bob’s Red Mill no albacore or yellow fin)
• EnerG • Whitefish: includes cod, haddock, hake, herring,
monkfish, mullet, plaice, pollock, sea bass, skate, sole,
swordfish, turbot, and whiting

1 THE PLANT PARADOX | YES LIST

FLOURS/STARCHES HERBS & SEASONINGS
• Almond (blanched) • All except chili pepper flakes
• Arrowroot • Avocado mayonnaise
• Cassava, aka Yuca • Coconut aminos
• Chestnut • Curry paste
• Coconut • Extracts (all)
• Grape seed • Fish sauce
• Green banana (raw only) • Miso
• Hazelnut • Mustard
• Millet • Nutritional yeast
• Sesame (and seeds) • Sea salt (ideally iodized)
• Sorghum • Tahini
• Sweet potato • Vinegars (any without added sugar,
• Tapioca but balsamic is fine)
• Tiger nut • Wasabi

“FOODLES” ICE CREAM

(my name for acceptable noodles) • Killer Creamery: Chilla in Vanilla,
• Cappelo’s almond flour pasta Caramels Back, No Judge Mint
• Kanten pasta • Mammoth Creameries: Vanilla Bean
• Kelp noodles • Rebel Creamery: Vanilla, Strawberry,
• Korean sweet potato or yam noodles Butter Pecan, Salted Caramel, Raspberry
• Hearts of palm noodles
• Millet pasta MEAT (Grass-fed and finished—4 oz./day)
• Shirataki, aka konjac noodles; two brands are • Beef
Miracle Noodles (and rice) and Pasta Slim • Bison
• Sorghum pasta • Boar
• TJ’s cauliflower gnocchi • Elk
• Lamb
FRUIT • Pork (humanely raised)
(limit fruits to in-season and • Prosciutto
in moderation only, except for avocado) • Venison Boar
• Apples • Wild game
• Apricots
• Avocados NON-ALCOHOL BEVERAGES
• Blackberries • Coffee
• Blueberries • Kombucha (Kevita brand low-sugar only, e.g., coconut,
• Cherries coconut Mojito)
• Citrus • Tea (all types)
• Crispy pears (Anjou, Bosc, Comice)
• Dates NON-DAIRY MILKS/CREAMS, ETC.
• Figs • Almond milk (unsweetened, blanched)
• Jackfruit • Almond ricotta (blanched)
• Kiwis • Almond yogurt (unsweetened, blanched)
• Nectarines • Coconut milk/cream (unsweetened)
• Peaches • Coconut water (in a product; not for drinking)
• Plums • Coconut yogurt (unsweetened)
• Pomegranates • Hemp milk
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

2 THE PLANT PARADOX | YES LIST

NUTS & SEEDS PLANT-BASED ‘MEAT’
(nuts 1/2 cup a day except Brazil nuts) • Hemp tofu
• Almonds (blanched) • Quorn: Grounds (contains barley malt extract) and the
• Baruka nuts new gluten-free line, Fillets and Pieces only (contain a
• Brazil nuts (two) small amount of sugar)
• Coconut • Tempeh (grain-free only)
• Chestnuts
• Flaxseeds POULTRY
• Hazelnuts (Pastured; no corn, soy, or
• Hemp protein powder and seeds gluten-grain feed— 2-4 oz./day)
• Macadamia nuts • Chicken
• Nut butters (from compliant nuts, unsweetened, • Dove
almond must be blanched, 1 tbl./day) • Duck
• Pecans • Eggs (up to 4 yolks and 1 white;
• Pine nuts pastured or omega-3)
• Pistachios • Goose
• Psyllium • Grouse
• Sesame • Ostrich
• Walnuts • Pheasant
• Quail
OILS • Turkey
• Algae oil (Thrive culinary brand)
• Avocado oil, extra virgin RESISTANT STARCHES
• Coconut oil (Phase 3 only) • (One small serving per meal)
• Flavored cod liver oil • Barely Bread bagels and bread
• Macadamia oil • Baobab fruit
• MCT oil • Cassava, aka Yuca
• Olive oil, extra virgin • Celery root (celeriac)
• Perilla oil • Coconut
• Red palm oil, aka palm fruit oil and palm oil • Glucomannan (konjac root)
• Rice bran oil • Green bananas
• Sesame oil • Green mango
• Walnut oil • Green papaya
• Green plantains
OLIVES • Jicama
• All (pimento-filled are Phase 3 only) • Julian Bakery Paleo Wraps
(made with coconut flour)
• Millet
• Parsnips
• Persimmon
• Rutabaga
• Siete Tortillas (only those made with
cassava or almond flour)
• Sorghum
• Sweet potatoes
• Taro root
• The Real Coconut coconut
cassava-flour tortillas and chips
• Tiger nuts
• Turnips
• Yams

3 THE PLANT PARADOX | YES LIST

VEGETABLES • Radicchio
• Algae • Radishes (all)
• Artichokes • Raw sauerkraut
• Arugula • Rhubarb
• Asparagus • Romaine
• Bamboo Shoots • Scallions
• Basil • Sea vegetables
• Beets • Seaweed
• Bok choy • Spinach
• Broccoli • Swiss chard
• Brussels sprouts • Tarragon
• Cabbage (green and red) • Water Chestnuts
• Carrots • Watercress
• Cauliflower (including TJ’s gnocchi)
• Celery SWEETENERS
• Chicory • Allulose
• Chinese cabbage • Boca Sweet
• Chives • Erythritol (Swerve is my favorite as it also contains
• Cilantro oligosaccharides)
• Collards • Inulin
• Dandelion greens • Just Like Sugar (made from chicory root [inulin])
• Dill • Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup
• Endive • Luo han guo (the Nutresse brand is good)
• Escarole • Monk fruit
• Fennel • Stevia (SweetLeaf is my favourite)
• Fiddlehead fern • Xylitol
• Garlic • Yacón
• Ginger
• Hearts of palm
• Jerusalem artichokes (sunchoke)
• Kale
• Kimchi
• Kohlrabi
• Leafy greens (all)
• Leeks
• Lemongrass
• Lettuce (all)
• Mesclun (micro greens from any of the Yes list
vegetables)
• Mint
• Mizuna
• Mushrooms
• Mustard greens
• Napa cabbage
• Nopales cactus
• Okra
• Onions
• Parsley
• Perilla
• Purslane

4 THE PLANT PARADOX | YES LIST

 The “No” List
Items with an asterisk can be reintroduced in Phase 3 if the skin and seeds
are removed, OR if they’re pressure cooked. Vegetarians and vegans can
reintroduce legumes (beans and lentils) in Phase 2.

DAIRY NO GRAIN OR SOYBEAN FED FISH,

• Non–Southern European Cow’s Milk Products SHELLFISH, POULTRY, BEEF, LAMB OR PORK
(these contain casein A-1)
• Butter GRAINS, SPROUTED GRAINS,
• Cheese PSEUDO-GRAINS and GRASSES
• Cottage cheese • Barley (cannot pressure cook)
• Yogurt (including Greek) • Barley grass
• Brown rice
FRUITS & VEGETABLES • Buckwheat
• All lentils* • Bulgur
• Beans* • Corn
• Bean sprouts • Cornstarch
• Bell peppers* • Kashi
• Chickpeas* • Oats (cannot pressure cook)
• Chili peppers* • Popcorn
• Cucumbers* • Quinoa*
• Edamame • Rye (cannot pressure cook)
• Eggplant* • Spelt
• Goji berries • Wheat (cannot pressure cook)
• Green beans • Wheat Einkorn
• Legumes* • Wheat Kamut
• Lentil pasta* • Wheatgrass
• Melons (any kind) • White rice (except basmati from India)*
• Pea protein • Whole grains
• Peas • Wild rice*
• Pumpkin*
• Soy NUTS & SEEDS
• Soy protein • Cashews
• Squashes (any kind)* • Chia
• Sugar snap peas • Peanuts
• Textured vegetable protein (TVP) • Pumpkin
• Tofu • Sunflower
• Tomatoes*
• Zucchini*

5 THE PLANT PARADOX | NO LIST

OILS
Canola or Vegetable “Partially hydrogenated”
• Corn
• Cottonseed
• Grape seed
• Peanut
• Safflower
• Soy
• Sunflower

REFINED, STARCHY FOODS

• Bread
• Cereal
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Flours made from grain and pseudo-grains
• Pasta
• Pastry
• Potato chips
• Potatoes*
• Rice
• Tortillas

SEASONINGS
• Chili pepper flakes
• Ketchup
• Mayonnaise
• Soy sauce
• Steak sauces

SWEETENERS
• (Acesulfame K)
• (Aspartame)
• Agave
• Coconut sugar
• Corn syrup
• Diet drinks
• Honey (1 teaspoon per day
local or Manuka)*
• Maltodextrin
• Maple syrup
• NutraSweet
• Splenda (Sucralose)
• Sugar
• Sweet One or Sunett
• Sweet’n Low (Saccharin)

6 THE PLANT PARADOX | NO LIST