 If you're not familiar with the plant paradox plan, this probably looks like a pretty healthy spread of food, right? You know, it's mostly fruits and vegetables, some whole grains, and for people used to eating the standard American diet, this is definitely a step up. But there's a big problem with all of these foods, and it's not what they are. It's where they're from. Everything on this table is a new world crop, meaning it's not something your body knows how to deal with. None of us ate this stuff before Columbus crossed the ocean, and our bodies haven't evolved to process it correctly. So what are the problem foods? Well first we've got grains and seeds designed to fatten you up. Things like quinoa, barley, corn. Yes, I said quinoa. Contrary to popular belief, it's not the healthy, miracle grain people think it is. It's not even a grain at all, but a seed. And corn is one of the most problematic crops on the planet. Even if you don't consciously eat corn, there's a good chance you're still eating it. After all, it's used in so much animal feed to fatten animals up unnaturally that it's almost impossible to avoid. Second, we've got squash. And believe it or not, it's just not pumpkin and butternut squash, but zucchini, melons, even cucumber. You know, early in my work on people's cholesterol, I found that eliminating cucumbers from women's diet with high cholesterol made their cholesterol plummet. Yes, you heard that right. It's because cucumbers and all of these are actually fruits and fruits raise your cholesterol. Now, if you must eat food from the squash family, make sure to seed them, peel them, and if possible pressure cook them. That'll kill most of the lectins, making them safer to eat and easier for your body to process. And if you're one of those people who has been using spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles as a healthier alternative to pasta, please try miracle noodles instead or make noodles out of a sweet potato. Third, we've got the nightshade family. That includes eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, even potatoes. Before Christopher Columbus, tomatoes were not a part of Italian cuisine, believe it or not. Not only are nightshades highly inflammatory, but they're new to all of us. Our bodies just haven't evolved to handle them. And that's why Italians take such pains to process tomatoes before using them. They blanch them in boiling water, peel them, remove the seeds, and cook them down to a pulp before eating. To remove as many of the lectins as possible. The same goes for peppers. You'll notice the cultures who use a lot of peppers in their food either peel and seed their peppers, or they ferment them into a hot sauce to make them easier to digest. Last but not least, let's talk about legumes, including the world's most popular nut. Hint, it's not a nut at all. I'm talking about peanuts, of course, and along with being loaded with lectins, they're a new world crop. Just as are another nut, which isn't a nut, cashews. And here's the thing about peanuts. Like corn, they're hard to avoid because so much food is cooked in peanut oil in this country. But it's not just peanuts and cashews that are problematic. If you've been following my newsletter or my channel, you know that beans are problematic as well. They're full of lectins. And one American bean is especially dangerous to your health. Soybeans. Soybeans are used to fatten animals for slaughter. Why? Because they really make animals fat quickly. Plus, soybean is an estrogen disruptor. It's known to affect thyroid function and it changes your estrogen levels. So ladies, please beware. So when you're shopping, do your best to avoid new world crops like legumes, squash, nightshades, and corn. And when you do need to eat these things, make sure to prepare them correctly. Remove the seeds, peel them, and pressure cook them whenever possible. Please do this whenever you can because I'm Dr. Gundry and I'm always looking out for you. Thanks for watching. Click the circular channel icon to subscribe and make sure you don't miss a single video. Click on the left to watch another great video. And don't forget to visit my website for more of my best tips because I'm Dr. Gundry and I'm always looking out for you.