What is the Body Ecology Diet?

Being gluten free, and having suffered from many digestive issues, I have tried several detox and gluten free diets out there.  One in particular that I really benefited from, was called The Body Ecology Diet.

After doing this diet for 3 months, I did not catch a cold for almost a year, my lactose intolerance disappeared, some of the white patches on my skin caused by Vitiligo began to regain color, my daughters dry cough cleared up, my son had no sign of asthma for a long time and both of my kids warts completely disappeared.  I know...weird huh, but that was a nice side effect.

I don't follow the diet strictly anymore, but I do follow several of the principals in my regular eating habits.  At times, I will do it for a few weeks just to reboot my immune system.  So you may be wondering, what does this fabulous diet entail???

I summarized below the 7 Principles of The Body Ecology Diet and who may be a good candidate for this type of detox and rebuilding diet.

The Body Ecology Diet is a way of eating whose purpose is to restore the gut, stomach, adrenals, thyroid, cleanse the blood, and most importantly, restore the good bacteria in the gut.  The gut is 80% of the immune system so it is really the first place to start in restoring ones health.  I will do my best to map out the basic points of the diet.

The Body Ecology Diet is based on 7 Principles.

• #1-The Principle of Expansion and Contraction- Foods such as animal protein and salt are contracting and make our bodies feel uptight or closed, too much will cause constipation. Foods such as sweet raw juices, are expanding and too much will make one feel open and crave more sweets.  An example of neutral foods are raw vegetables, salads, green vegetables and soaked almonds and Body Ecology approved (properly soaked) gluten free grains: quinoa, millet, amaranth and millet.  These neutral foods bring balance to the body.

• #2-The Principle of Acid and Alkaline- Too much acidity in the body leads to yeast, viruses, cancer, parasites, allergies, and other atrocities.  Alkaline foods do not feed yeast or parasites and rebuild the immune system.  Some alkaline foods are ocean vegetables, most land vegetables, millet, quinoa, amaranth, seeds (except sesame), lemons, limes, black currant, unsweetened cranberries, raw apple cider vinegar, cultured vegetables, kefir, soaked and sprouted almonds, good quality sea salt, organic herbs and mineral water.

• #3-The Principle of Uniqueness- Everyone's body is different and it changes over time so listen to how it feels on the diet.  Reflect on what is working and what is not.  Several candidates can do this diet: raw foodists, vegans, vegetarians or omnivores.  This diet can be accommodated to fit ones individual needs.  Some people need to have berries and Granny Smith Apples on Stage 1 and that is okay, but it is best to be eaten with a fermented food such as cultured vegetables or kefir.  It is always a wise choice to get additional support on a diet because we have unique dietary needs and an experienced coach can tailor any diet to ones specific needs.

• #4 The Principle of Cleansing- Cleansing the colon is a must! One must get out the old waste in order to let new nutrients be absorbed into the body.  In order for the pro-biotics to attach themselves well onto the colon wall and for nutrients to be absorbed into the body, one needs clean colon walls!  Do not skip this step!  Cleanse the colon when starting with the diet, whether they are herbs (short term), flax tea, colon hydrotherapy or enemas.

• #5 The Principle of Food Combining- When one has a weak digestion, eating improperly combined foods causes fermentation that produces alcohol and sugar.  This will in turn feed yeast and create toxins.  Food must be combined properly to heal the digestive system.  Eat fruits alone on an empty stomach, eat protein with non-starchy vegetables and/or land vegetables, and eat grains or starchy vegetables with non-starchy vegetables, salads or ocean vegetables.  Protein fats such as milk kefir or soaked almonds can be combined with acid fruits such as berries and lemons/limes and non-starchy vegetables.

• #6 The Principle of 80/20- Eat until your stomach feels 80% full, leaving room for digestion. 80% of your plate should be land and/or ocean vegetables and the rest either a grain/starch OR protein.

• #7 The Principle of Step by Step- Understanding that the body takes time to heal will help toward recovering ones immune system.  Just how it took small increments for the body to become ill, it will take small increments for the body to become well again.  Be patient and give the diet the time it needs to heal the body.

It is recommended to go through Stage 1 of the diet for 3 months and then slowly increment other foods into the diet.  The first few months, the only gluten free grains allowed are buckwheat, quinoa, millet and amaranth. Good quality eggs, poultry, fish, meat and game are allowed.

No high glycemic vegetables such as sweet potatoes or beets are allowed and no medium or high glycemic fruits are allowed.  Winter squashes are fine.  Berries (optional), Granny Smith apples(optional), limes and lemons are fine.

Milk kefir, butter and ghee is the only dairy allowed once the mucosal lining in the gut is healed.  Currant juice, unsweetened cranberry and pomegranate juice are allowed.  Also, soaked almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds are allowed.  The allowed sweeteners to use are Stevia and Lakanto because they do not feed candida, bacteria or viruses.

The core program of The Body Ecology Diet are cultured vegetables, coconut kefir pudding and coconut kefir water.  These are a part of every day's diet for help with healing the immune system.  These are the magic behind the curtain, they eat toxins, give vitamins, restore the immune system and remove heavy metals from the body!  They colonize the gut with goodness!

If you or your family are suffering from constipation, allergies, asthma, eczema, candidiasis, chronic colds, or any other auto immune disorder, consider starting with cultured vegetables and making kefir.  It is always best to get the support of an experienced Health Coach, Registered Dietician or your Holistic Doctor to guide you through a change of diet.  I have supported several clients through The Body Ecology Diet and taught them how to make homemade fermented foods.  You can read my client testimonials and contact me for my availability on health coaching.  I take a limited amount of clients each month.

The Body Ecology Diet Approved Food List

Stage 1:

Animal Protein:

(organic, free-range, grass-fed, wild & sustainable are best choices)

• eggs

• beef

• poultry

• fish

• shellfish

Grains:

(soak all grains 8-24 hours to remove phytic acid)

• amaranth

• quinoa

• buckwheat

• millet

Fruit:

(choose organic whenever available)

• lemon

• lime

• fermented young Thai coconut meat

• unsweetened cranberries

• black currants

• avocado

• black currant juice

• pomegranate juice

• pure cranberry juice

• acai juice

• noni juice

• mangosteen juice

Nuts & Seeds

(choose organic whenever available)

• soaked almonds

• raw sunflower seeds

• raw pumpkin seeds

• flax seeds

Starchy Vegetables

(choose organic whenever available)

• red potatoes

• corn on the cob

• winter squash : acorn, butternut, kabocha, spaghetti

• water chestnuts

• artichokes

• Jerusalem artichokes

• English peas

• Black eyed peas (if you can digest them)

• Lima beans (if you can digest them)

Leafy Green Vegetables

• Turnip greens

• Kale

• Collards

• Beet greens

• Lamb's quarters

• Lettuce

• Dandelion greens

• Spinach

• Endive

• Escarole

• Swiss chard

• Mustard greens

• watercress

Ocean Vegetables

• Agar

• Arame

• Dulse

• Hijiki

• Kelp

• Kombu

• Nori

• Sea palm

• Wakame

Non-Starchy Vegetables

• Cultured Vegetables

• Asparagus

• Bamboo shoots

• Bok choy

• Broccoli

• Brussel sprouts

• Burdock root

• cabbage

• carrots

• Cauliflower

• Celeriac

• Celery

• Celery root

• chives

• Cucumber

• Daikon radish

• Fennel

• Garlic

• Green beans

• jicama

• red radish

• kohlrabi

• Okra

• Red bell pepper

• Scallions

• Shallots

• Sprouts (except mung beans)

• leeks

• Onions

• turnips

• Zucchini

Oils

• Unrefined organic Coconut oil (cooking)

• Cold pressed organic Olive oil

• Unrefined safflower oil

• unrefined sunflower oil

• cod liver oil (supplement)

• flax oil (cold pressed)

Dairy

• Homemade Kefir (if tolerated)

• Butter (cooking low heat)

• Ghee (cooking)

• raw butter

Herbs

• cilantro

• parsley

Sweeteners

• stevia

• Lakanto

Take The Candida Quiz to see if you if you have candida overgrowth and if this diet is for you.

To read more about The Body Ecology Diet click HERE.

For more delicious healthy gluten free/Paleo-ish meals, please subscribe below.  You will get my free Paleo Breakfast E-Book as my gift to you and new recipes straight to your inbox! 

Check out these Body Ecology Approved Recipes:

How to Make Coconut Kefir

Fermented Dill Pickles

Coconut Kefir Smoothie

Certified Holistic Health Coach

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Ester Perez

I’m a devoted wife, proud mama, health coach and naturopath passionate about helping others feel their best. Here I share nourishing recipes and simple wellness tips for more energy, balance and vibrant living. Every recipe, photo and video you see is created by me—with love, intention and a whole lot of real food.

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