Fruit or Vegetable – Why?
Have you ever considered what a fruit is vs. a vegetable and what that means for our nutritional health? I know that I had not until I started listening to a pod cast by a doctor that has shifted my thinking. A bit more about that later.
What is a fruit?
A fruit is a seed-bearing portion of a tree or a plant. It develops from the flower of the tree or the plant.
What is a vegetable?
A vegetable is the other part of the plant including the leaves, the roots and the stem.
Often identified incorrectly as vegetables are tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, squash, pumpkin and zucchini.
Why would this matter?
Dr. Gundry argues that fruits were eaten to fatten up before winter. The seeds are high in lectin proteins which are not healthy to eat routinely. If advises that if you must eat a tomato, he suggests that you remove the center seeded area and eat the exterior meat of the tomato. He also argues that a diet high in lectin protein causes increase cholesterol, weight gain and insulin spike. He states in one of his videos that he often recommends that his female patients removes cucumbers their diet as a strategy to reduce their cholesterol with great success.
I highly recommend that we check out his information. I cannot attest to the diet changes personally, at this point because I have not used them myself with success and tracked the changes. I suggest that we evaluate his information because (a) he is a highly regarded cardiologist (b) the personal doctor of several famous people whom have the means to choose anyone (c) over his career, he has changed his recommendation as he has found information causing his to refine his practices.
You have to respect a professional in any field who is a continuous learner at the top of his field and who will change his direction because he thinks it is the right thing to do. My intention it to move toward his recommended low lectin diet, evaluate the changes and blog about it to share with you my practical reality so that you too can benefit if you so choose.
Just like all things All Good Veg at allgoodveg.com, I will give you some simple tips after I have completed my evaluation. Please do share if you have used the low lectin diet with a whole food plant-based, vegan, vegetarian diet. I am interested in hearing your feedback. Thank you in advance for sharing.