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.
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Check out these Body Ecology Approved Recipes:
Certified Holistic Health Coach
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Massi R says
Thank you so much for all your posts. Very helpful. I have a lot of gut problems and just started doing research a bout this diet. I have a question, do you know if green plaintain and cassava are allowed food on this diet?
Ester Perez says
Hi Massi, I am glad that you enjoyed this post! That information is not in the book but in my opinion, if you are eating 20 percent starchy vegetables, 80% non-starchy vegetables, and fermented foods with your meal, then the beneficial bacteria will feed on the sugars of the starches. It is about moderation and balance. I hope this helps! Please stay posted because I am putting together a 30 Day Gut Glow Cleanse to improve digestion & health! Xoxo, Ester
Marina Gonzales says
Hi, did you ever post the 30 Day Gut Glow Cleanse? I can’t find it on your site but am interested. Thanks!!
Ester Perez says
Sorry I did not!
Ester Perez says
Hi Marina,
I did not. I would recommend The Whole 30 Cleanse or The Body Ecology Diet if you want to do a Gut Reset. I have done both with great results.
Warmly,
Ester
Deanna McFarlain says
Thank you so much for writing this post. Besides BEDROCK, its hard to find shared personal experiences on the web – unlike the GAPS diet. I have been looking into The BED for a long time & about to start with my son. My question is: How does one know for sure that the gut lining has been sealed & that it is safe to move into the full BED? I know my son will heal much faster than I & probably zip through it. I will likely need a longer period. Thank you again for your time and service!
Ester Perez says
It is my pleasure! Being sure the gut lining is sealed is an individual thing. For me, I felt SO MUCH better! I was extremely happy and had a sense of well being that I had not experienced before. Also, I was able to digest dairy and not getting eczema anymore. For my son, his immune system significantly improved. He did not have an asthma attack as often as before, his appetite for veggies came back. There were several signs that showed he was ready to move on to further stages. Also, I had set a time frame in my mind for how long we would do BED for. We had also worked up to it. Please keep me posted! Xoxo, Ester
Milena says
A great post. I’m also not allergic to gluten but I always try to avoid gluten as much as I can.
Ester Perez says
HI Milena,
That is great you are in tune with your body and eat what your body feels best with!
Xoxo,
Ester
Kat says
I love quinoa and buckwheat, my kids and husband not so much. We are trying to eat healthy as well. Quinoa has a protein similar to gluten though. Our family is not allergic to gluten, we just try to eliminate it. Gluten free food is better for brain health.
Ester Perez says
Thanks Kat! Your kids are lucky to have you as a Mom! I recently started the Whole30 cleanse which eliminates all grains and beans. I am feeling really great! I will share results!