What Happened When I Cut Out High Lectin Foods

cut out high lectin foods

If you missed my last post, catch up on the backstory here!

Ok so lectins. Literally never heard of them until about two weeks ago. Lectins are sugar-binding proteins that are found throughout the diet. They are mostly found in grains and legumes, but are also in other healthy foods. More info on lectins here! According to my nutritionist, there’s no way to cut out ALL lectins in your diet, and that’s ok because a lot of people tolerate them just fine! 

For ME, on my TRIAD test it showed my inulin was high, which can occur when there is lectin sensitivity. Because I am not digesting them well, they could be damaging my intestinal wall and contributing to all of my inflammation. So I cut out high lectin foods for ten days to see if it helped with my bloating. 

Below is a list of high lectin foods. Basically everything I eat in abundance. I mean, almond milk (drink it everyday), oats (you know my obsession with oats), hummus (I eat a tub a week) nut butter (kill me), pumpkin (perfect, it’s October). That being said, I’m on a mission to get my digestion working properly and my bloating reduced. So tell me to cut it out and it’s gone.   

 

High Lectin Foods

Grains: Barley, Bulgar, Buckwheat, Millet, Quinoa, Oats, Rye, Spelt, Wheat, Brown and white rice

Oils: Canola, Corn, Peanut, Grapeseed, Safflower, Cottonseed, Grape

Dairy: Milk, Kefir, Sour Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Cottage Cheese

Sweeteners: Agave, Artificial Sweeteners, Sugar, Sucralose

Legumes and Beans: Cacao beans, Mungbeans, Chickpeas, Peas, Peanuts, Kidney, Lentil, Soy

Vegetables: Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Pepper, Pumpkin, Squash, Zucchini, Tomatoes

Nuts: Almonds, Hazelnuts, Pine Nuts, Cashews

Seeds: Chia, Pumpkin, Sunflower

 

  

So what happened? I hate to say it but I noticed a consistent (being the key word) decrease in my overall bloating. Not like “I’m cured!” but enough for me to feel the difference. The problem is I can’t live my life (and enjoy it) never eating these foods again. And according to my nutritionist I shouldn’t have to! I’m going try to make more of an effort to reduce high lectin foods in my diet until I get my gut bacteria to where it should be (read more here). Then I can start adding these foods back in and see if my body can handle them better. 

She also mentioned that soaking grains and using a pressure cooker can actually lower the amount of lectins in foods. Never used a pressure cooker, but I’ll Amazon Prime that immediately. 

Again, I’m no lectin expert and this is not a “diet.” But if you have any questions email me and I can ask someone who is. 🙂

maria-signature

 

cut out high lectin foods

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *