Week 21 of the Plant Paradox Program

Eating gluten-free is less of a focus. Many gluten-free flours and products I used to use before this program include potato starch and corn starch. Those are off the diet, so when I bake, I use casava and sorghum flour, with a very small amount of white rice flour since it doesn’t absorb liquids as much. Corn contains lectins and can trigger inflammation, and the potato is a nightshade plant high in lectins which can also trigger inflammation if your body is sensitive to that. Both foods can contribute to what’s called “leaky gut” where the lectin molecules break through the intestinal wall and wreak havoc in the gut. Plus, corn turns to sugar in your body and is not very digestible.

My mouth is healthier! This was a surprise for me when I saw the dental hygienist for a teeth cleaning yesterday. For years, I’ve had sensitive gums and needed a lot of numbing gel to get through a teeth cleaning. My teeth also usually had lots of scale build up despite my brushing regularly. This time, there was very little scale and minimal staining from coffee I drink in the mornings. And the experience was nearly painless.

In the past, just spraying cold water or using cold air to clean my teeth would create extreme pain despite the numbing and the sedation being used. In fact, the dental hygienist usually had to use a lot more sedation than was used this time to the point that I had to spend 5 minutes on pure oxygen afterwards and then sit in the lobby for 15 minutes or so until the wooziness dissipated enough to drive. This time, no oxygen was used, and I walked right out after settling the bill, feeling only a slight amount of wooziness. It’s possible that 6 months from now when I return for another cleaning, I won’t need the sedation at all.

I still get gas and bloating from eating too much fiber from cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli, but a couple of evenings having a mug of Peppermint Senna Smooth Move Tea by Traditional Medicinals, usually cleans me out and rids my body of the gas and discomfort. I also drink a capful of pure Aloe, unflavored, and that resolves the discomfort within an hour.

It’s called Ultimate Aloe which I buy on shop.com through Market America. Everything you buy online gives you cash back so you earn money when you buy everyday items, some of which may be your favorite brands. My consultant is Kathy Gaughan. Her website is kathygaughan.com. You can sign up through her. Just say Jeri Deniston referred you.

My bowel movements are small, firm, and less smelly. That’s an indication of a healthy gut biome, according to Dr. Gundry.

The pain from inflammation is nearly gone. It comes and goes depending on what I’ve ingested in the past 2-3 days.

The chronic sinus congestion is almost gone. The sinus headaches are as well. Now, I rarely need to use a sinus rinse. According to Dr. Gundry, stuffy sinuses are the body’s first line of defense against bad bacteria entering the system, so I know to consider what I’ve eaten when I start getting a stuffy nose.