The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates pulls the principles
from several natural wellness diet plans into one comprehensive plan.
On the one hand, the author should be applauded for
recognizing the benefits of all of the best available diets, and for creating a
plan that takes on several components of good diet and good nutrition… especially in a world of diets that typically
focus on only one or two aspects or principles.
On the other hand, however, in the process of compiling all
of the various components, Donna Gates has created the most restrictive and
regimented diet I have seen yet.
My intention is not to discourage anyone from following the
Body Ecology Diet. As with anything in
life, you get what you put in. The more
committed you are to something, and the more you devote to it, the better your
results will be. In fact, the author
(perhaps recognizing how daunting the diet is) spends a good portion of the
book reassuring the reader of the diet’s benefits, and inspiring the reader to
take on the formidable task of healing through food.
If you are very determined to regain your health; if you are
ready to make sacrifices at the promise of achieving optimal health, then this
just may be the diet for you.
I personally would suggest the Body Ecology Diet to anyone suffering
from a chronic illness, or those who are suffering from candida symptoms,
especially if they are coupled with thyroid and/or adrenal imbalance. Abundant toxins, digestive complaints,
chronic ailments, and inexplicable fatigue and/or weight gain may also be
addressed by this diet.
Donna Gates (following the ambitious trend of most authors)
claims that the Body Ecology Diet will benefit sufferers of: candidiasis, chronic fatigue
syndrome, cancer, AIDS, immune system deficiencies, food allergies, frequent
digestive problems, frequent skin rashes, constipation, PMS, headaches, muscle
or joint pain, fatigue, nervousness, depression, poor memory, sensitivity to
odors…
Here are the Basic
Tenets of the B.E.D.
1. Food
Combining to the Max. The author
focuses on food combining to facilitate complete digestion. However, her food combining goes further than
eating sugary fruits alone, and eating starches and grains separate from animal
protein. The author goes on to explain expanding
vs. contracting foods; and acid-forming vs. alkaline-forming foods; and asks
the reader to achieve a good balance of those in each day, if not each meal, as
well. You will also ideally eat 80%
vegetables at each meal.
2. No sugar.
At its roots, this is an anti-candida diet. The author posits that immune deficiencies,
digestive disorders, and therefore a host of health problems stem entirely from
candida overgrowth. You can expect to
eat absolutely no sugar (including fruit) for a large portion of the
program. After the most rigorous portion,
specific fruits are added in small quantities, at specific times, in accordance
with food combining principles.
3. Fermented Foods. Like many diets that focus on digestive
health, Donna Gates encourages generous portions of fermented foods. Probiotic supplements are also advocated (see
#4), but fermented foods and drinks are considered infinitely more valuable.
4. Supplements. The author recommends the use of specific
supplements (many of which are products that she herself markets but for which
there are viable substitutes), including digestive enzymes, probiotics, and
different powdered shakes. These are all
in an effort to improve digestion and provide maximum nourishment.
5. Food Restrictions. Finally, there are a number of food you just
cannot eat on the Body Ecology Diet, in addition to fruit and sugar (see #2). Some of the forbidden foods are beans,
certain fats, most grains (all except quinoa, millet, amaranth and buckwheat),
dairy, most nuts and all nut butters, alcohol, refined vinegar, and of course,
everything artificial. I may have missed
a couple no-no’s, but you get the idea.
HOWEVER, the author promises that by following this diet,
you will actually be able to eat more foods without consequence in the end than
you could before (many people with chronic illnesses already suffer from food
sensitivities and eat restricted diets).
She goes so far to say you can enjoy a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger
every once in a while when you’re done…
I really don’t want to deter anyone from this diet. Consider this fair warning that by following
this diet you are committing to big changes – in your diet and your
health!
Stay healthy and happy!
PS - I followed this diet for two months before adding natural sugar to my diet at the recommendation of my acupuncturist. I am an active mom of three young children, and long periods of time without a readily available energy source did not serve me well. I decided that it was actually more important to my health for me to focus on getting more sleep and stress-free rest than obsessing over my food... proving that there is no one miracle diet solution for every health complaint.
I will also say that after 2 months on this diet I went from a size medium to a size small at 5'7" - something that hasn't happened in about 2 decades. I need to buy new jeans. I was happy as a size medium (I don't own a scale since I think they're misleading), so weight loss was not one of my goals.
I will personally probably continue follow some of the food combining rules some percentage of the time because I believe in good digestion. I personally did not experience any side effects from the diet: no healing crises, or detox symptoms like the author warns. However, I already had not eaten any refined sugar for years, spent over a year not eating grains, and hadn't had any artificial foods, flavors or colors for years. I find now that sugar will give me more pronounced and immediate congestion, irritability, and headaches, so I limit it - but I have avoided it for years anyway.
I found that after 2 months the strict food restrictions and food combining became a psychological deterrent for me. The author argues that with practice it becomes second nature, and you hardly even think about it. In my opinion, if you're an obsessive, perfectionist, or high-anxiety type, this diet could put you over the edge :). Watch yourself!
As with any lifestyle or diet change, give it some time, and listen to your body. Be gentle with yourself.
What do you think? Have you tried the B.E.D., or any of the main tenets I listed?
