Kitchen Makeover

Take a few days to set yourself up for success with the following steps. Then proceed to your recommended food plan. 

Kitchen items

Recycle: 

  • Plastic food storage containers

  • Plastic water and other beverage containers

  • Teflon (or other nonstick) cookware

  • Nonstick and spray oils

  • Antibacterial kitchen soap.

Replace with:

  • stainless steel, glass or ceramic

Pantry guide

Clean out your pantry by removing hidden sugars and preservatives.

Foods to remove

For the next month, you'll be excluding the foods listed below. I've found it's best to go all in by eliminating all these trigger foods at once. This cleans the slate and gives you valuable information about the impact food is making on your health. 

Quality whole-food guidelines

Below you'll find a reference area for terms and foods in each food plan. For produce purchasing, refer to the EWG's clean fifteen and dirty dozen guidelines. 

 Meat, poultry and fish

Opt for organic whenever possible. Fish should always be wild and low-mercury. Beef 100% grass-fed. Poultry organic and free range. Eggs pasture raised. 

Examples include: 

Beans and legumes

If buying in a can be sure the liner is BPA free. Preferably, soak beans/legumes overnight or up to 24-48 hours to improve digestibility. 

Least inflammatory: 

  • Garbanzos

  • Lentils

Additional choices; 

  • Adzuki

  • Black beans

  • Kidney beans

  • Lima beans

  • Pinto beans

  • Split peas

  • White beans

Grains and grain-like seeds

Emphasize slow burning carbohydrates in their whole form

Whole grains: 

  • Brown rice

  • Oats

  • Millet

Grain-like seeds: 

  • Quinoa

  • Buckwheat

  • Wild rice

  • Red, pink, and black rice

Nuts and seeds

Choose raw, dry-roasted or nut/seed butters. Be sure to check that the nut butter you're eating does not contain palm oil, added oils or sugar. 

  • Almonds

  • Brazil nuts

  • Cashews

  • Coconut

  • Flaxseed

  • Hempseed

  • Pecans

  • Pine nuts

  • Pumpkin seeds

  • Sesame seeds

  • Sunflower seeds

  • Chia seeds

  • Walnuts

Energy vegetables

The starch in these vegetables help feed healthy gut flora. Limit to 2 servings per day. 

  • Beets

  • Parsnips

  • Sweet potatoes

  • White, yellow, purple potatoes

  • Winter squash (Butternut, delicata, acorn, spaghetti)

Leafy green vegetables

You'll want to add 4 cups of leafy green veggies daily. 2 cups with lunch and 2 cups with dinner. 

  • Arugula

  • Bok choy

  • Broccoli

  • Brussels sprouts

  • Cabbage (all types)

  • Cauliflower

  • Chard

  • Collard greens

  • Dandelion greens

  • Kale

  • Lettuce and salad greens

  • Mustard greens

  • Spinach

Rainbow veggies

These provide a colorful array of antioxidants and nutrients. Rotate them by what's available in each season. 

  • Asparagus

  • Carrots

  • Celery

  • Green beans and snow peas

  • Onions

  • Purple broccoli

  • Red cabbage

  • Red, yellow and green peppers

  • Tomatoes

  • Eggplant

  • Summer squash and zucchini

Oils and fats

Be generous with high quality olive oil. Each meal should include a healthy fat. 

Healthy fats include: 

  • Extra virgin olive oil

  • Coconut oil

  • Ghee

  • Olives

  • Sesame oil

  • Walnut oil

  • Avocados

Fruit

Eat fruit seasonally and in-between meals as a snack. 

Examples include:

  • All berries

  • Apples

  • Kiwi

  • Lemon

  • Lime

  • Oranges

  • Pears

GUT building foods

Try to include 1-2 TBS of a fermented food daily. You can make your own or purchase a raw lacto-fermented version. 

  • Coconut yogurt or kefir

  • Kimchi

  • Sauerkraut

Spices

Use spices liberally. These will fight inflammation and add tons of flavor. 

My favorites: 

  • Garlic

  • Ginger

  • Turmeric

  • Parsley

  • Oregano

  • Rosemary