Food Plan

Repair Your Gut-Brain

Connection

Naturally
 Hi There!

I 'm Laura Frontiero

"I help you fix your health so your
body can keep up with your ambition."

@Laura.Frontiero

www.LauraFrontiero.com
Table of Contents
Diversify Your Food 1
Phytonutrient Supplements 4
Rainbow Food Chart 5
Give Your Kitchen (And Habits) A Facelift 6
Understanding Food Intolerances & Allergies 8
Liver & Gallbladder Supporting Foods 11
What About Grains, Nuts, Seeds & Beans? 13
Going Gluten Free 15
Curbing Sugar Cravings 16
Healthy Fats 17
Clean Protein 20
What About Caffeine? 21
Meal Prepping & Planning 22
Traveling & Eating Healthy 23
Save Money While You Eat Healthy 24
Prebiotic Foods 26
Gut Healing Foods 27
Gut Healing Meal Tips 29
How To Reintroduce Foods 30
Food Reintroduction Log 32
Diversify Your Food
When it comes to your brain health, eating nourishing food is mission critical! Today’s food is not
yesterday’s food. What I mean by that is the nutritional content of food has changed over the last
100 years due to farming practices, environmental chemicals, and processing techniques.

The key to a heart-healing diet is eating organic unprocessed food and DIVERSITY of plants! That
means eating a wide range of plants so you can support more species of bacteria in your gut
microbiome...which ultimately leads to simultaneously supporting heart health.

In addition to eating high quality protein from plant and animal sources, I recommend a diet rich in
brightly-colored fruits and vegetables because they contain phytonutrients that act as
antioxidants to ward off free radical damage!

Here’s the problem, the western diet is rich in fat, sugar, processed grains and convenience foods….
and it’s not very diverse in plants! You might be interested to know that people from areas of the
world where more variety of plants are consumed, have more gut microbiota diversity and fewer
problems with autoimmune conditions, heart disease, cancer, weight regain, hormone imbalances,
and digestive issues. That’s because their mitochondria are healthy!

The bottom line, eating a diversity of plants matters to your health. Western cultures have a ten-
dency to eat these same foods over and over again: peas, carrots, potatoes, soy, wheat and corn...
with occasional servings of various greens. That’s not very diverse! In fact, there’s a whole rainbow
of plant foods that supports your health with phytonutrients. The more colorful the produce is, the
more beneficial it is to your body. Here’s some basic tips to be successful with adding DIVERSITY
into your diet.

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 1. GO FOR A MINIMUM OF 9 SERV-
INGS OF PLANT FOODS EVERYDAY.
Yes, I said minimum of 9 and you get bonus points
if you eat 12 or more! We need to consume this
much if we want to prevent chronic disease. A typi-
cal serving is only half a cup of cooked vegetables,
one cup of raw leafy vegetable, or a medium-sized
piece of fruit. Try to have about 3-4 servings of
plant foods per meal, so you can meet your daily
requirement.

2. KNOW YOUR PHYTONUTRIENT

SOURCES.
It’s fun to experiment with new foods, new colors
and new varieties. Sources of phytonutrients in-
clude fruits, vegetables, gluten-free whole grains,
legumes, nuts, seeds and herbs/spices.

3. EAT THE RAINBOW OF COLORS

Our western diets are full of brown, yellow and
white foods. For example at breakfast it is common
to eat waffles, pancakes, cereal, sausage, toast
and eggs. That’s NOT a lot of color! Take that same
breakfast and instead have a smoothie with blue-
berries, peaches, raspberries and now you’ve add-
ed some color!

4. GO FOR VARIETY
There are thousands of phytonutrients in nature.
Even if they are colorful, if we eat the same foods
over and over again, we may be missing a lot of im-
portant phytonutrients in foods. One thing you can
do is to try a new food every week to ensure that
you are getting variety. Don’t get in the rut of eat-
ing the exact same broccoli and cauliflower saute
every single day. How about trying some bok choy
and parsnips?

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5. COMBINE YOUR FOOD
Sometimes, there can be a “synergistic” result from combining certain foods. We may achieve a
better effect than if we just ate the foods by themselves. For example, putting turmeric with black
pepper together with olive oil could enhance the phytonutrient effects of all three foods on your
health. Adding lemon juice to spinach could help the iron become more absorbed by your body.

6. HAVE FUN WITH SUBSTITUTIONS

Some plant foods are just not that nutrient dense: like iceberg lettuce, white rice or white potatoes.
Instead of eating these every day, you can have fun substituting with a more nutrient-dense option.
For example, you could substitute iceberg lettuce for arugula, mashed russet potatoes with purple
potatoes or sweet potatoes, and white rice with brown, or black wild rice. See how that works?

7. GET A LITTLE SUPPORT

Sometimes we just don’t feel like cooking or we need to grab our nutrients on the go. For times like
these, I reach for 2 products: PaleoReds® and PaleoGreens™. Please see the next page for more
information.

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Phytonutrient Supplements
For lowest cost and free shipping, visit https://www.designsforhealth.com/u/laura/, to order supplements
directly from Designs For Health. Prices beat Amazon and shipping is free!!

PALEOREDS®
From polyphenols in apples to natural vitamin C from the Amazonian
acerola cherry, PaleoReds® combines over a dozen fruits and vegeta-
bles and their phytonutrients from the red/purple group to help support
optimal health. This great-tasting fruit and berry formula is ideal for
people who need antioxidants, yet are sensitive to synthetic vitamin C
made from corn.

• It contains 220% of the daily value of vitamin C

• It’s equivalent to the antioxidant capacity of 4 servings of fruit!
• Low in calories and sugar
• Contains an exclusive digestive enzyme blend
• Perfect for people who avoid or limit fruit consumption

PALEOGREENS™
PaleoGreens™ is a vegetable, fruit, and berry blend with brightly colored
and non-oxidized ingredients.

• These greens have a Paleo profile; they contain no grains, legumes,

alfalfa, corn, gluten, fructose or artificial sweeteners
• Unlike other greens products, no added inexpensive fillers or
bulking agents such as fiber, whole grasses, pectin, rice bran, and/
or flax, which account for 40% to 60% of the content of most other
greens products
• Proven ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity) value
• Great taste, with no added sugar

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RED FOODS BENEFITS

Apples Cranberries Pomegranate Rhubarb Anti-cancer Gastrointestinal

Beans (adzuki, Cherries Potatoes Rooibos Tea Anti-inflammatory health
kidney, red) Grapefruit (pink) Radicchio Tomato Cell protection Heart Health
Beets Grapes Raspberries Watermelon Liver Health Hormone Health
Beets Onions Strawberries
Bell peppers Plums Sweet red pep-
Blood oranges pers

ORANGE FOODS BENEFITS

Apricots Nectarine Squash (acorn, Tumeric root Anti-cancer Reduced mortality

Bell peppers Orange buttercup, butternut, Yams Anti-bacterial Reproductive health
Cantaloupe Papaya winter) Immune health Skin health
Carrots Persimmons Sweet potato Cell protection Source of vitamin A
Mango Pumpkin Tangerines

YELLOW FOODS BENEFITS

Apple Bell peppers Millet Summer squash Anti-cancer Eye health

Asian pears Ginger root Pineapple Anti-inflammatory Heart health
Banana Lemon Starfruit Cell protection Skin health
Cognition Vascular health

GREEN FOODS BENEFITS

Apples Bok choy Green peas Limes Anti-cancer Skin health

Artichoke Broccoli Decaf Green tea Okra Anti-inflammatory Hormone balance
Asparagus Broccolini Greens (angula, Olives Brain health Heart health
Avocado Brussels sprouts beet, chard/swiss Pears Cell protection Liver health
Bamboo sprouts Cabbage chard, collard, dan- Snow peas
Bean sprouts Celery delion, kale, lettuce, Watercress
Bell peppers Cucumbers mustard, spinach, Zucchini
Bitter melon Green beans turnip)

BLUE, PURPLE, BLACK FOODS BENEFITS

Bell peppers Carrots Kale Raisins Anti-cancer Cognitive health

Berries (blue, black, Cauliflower Olives Rice (black or purple) Anti-inflammatory Heart health
boysenberries, huckle- Eggplant Plums Cell protection Liver health
berries, marionberries) Figs Potatoes
Cabbage Grapes Prunes

WHITE, TAN, BROWN FOODS BENEFITS

Apples Jicama Nuts (almonds, Shallots Anti-cancer Heart health

Applesauce Legumes (chikpeas, cashews, pecans, Tahini Anti-microbial Hormone health
Bean dips dried beans or peas, walnuts) Naturally caffeine Cell protection Liver health
Cauliflower hummus, lentils, Pears free tea (black, Gastrointestinal
Coconut peanuts, refried beans/ Sauerkraut white) health
Dates low-fat) Seeds (flax, hemp, Gluten-free whole
Garlic Mushrooms pumpkin, sesame, grains (brown rice,
Ginger Onions sunflower) quinoa)

This list of food originates from the Institute of Functional Medicine’s Phytonutrient
Spectrum Foods - Elimination Diet. Visit www.IFM.org for more information. 5
 Give Your Kitchen
(and Habits) A Facelift
HERE ARE OUR SIMPLE SUGGESTIONS:

1 Set aside the processed snacks that are advertised as ‘healthy’: cassava chips, seed crackers,
granola, keto cookies, all of it! Plan to add in whole-food healthy snacks instead. If you want a
healthy protein bar option, then consider meat sticks from Paleo Valley or check out Designs
For Health Functional food bars by clicking here

Laura’s personal favorite is the cocommune bar. It tastes like a Mounds and full of
healingprebiotic fiber.

2 Consider this: exchange, reduce, or eliminate the caffeine. This is temporary and can be added
back once you are complete with a gut restoring protocol. If you want to go all out, you can
exchange coffee for yerba mate or green tea, which are rich in beneficial antioxidants. Note: a
cup of coffee a day from high quality mold free beans is NOT going to sabotage your success.
Laura still drinks her daily cup!

3 Clean the fridge of sugary drinks like iced tea, juices, energy drinks, soda and lemonade.
Replace these with veggie and fruit-infused waters and herbal teas. Make up a batch of
cucumber or strawberry infused water. Herbs like basil can be added too.

4 Ditch the processed pasta (even whole grain), rice, beans, processed plant-based ‘meat’
patties, and the unfermented soy (like tufu). Replace with zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash,
roasted portabella mushrooms, quinoa, and cauliflower rice. There are a few easily digestible
beans you can eat, such as mung, lentils and adzuki, but be sure to soak the beans to remove
the phytic acid.

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7 Replace butter with coconut oil and organic ghee. Ghee is butter fat with the solids removed.
Replace dairy milk with homemade or store-bought nut or coconut milk.

8 Make your own ketchup, or find an organic brand without high-fructose corn syrup such as
Primal Kitchen or Annie’s.

Note: If you have been diagnosed with candida, we highly discourage you from adding vinegar
to your diet. The exception is Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar. It is best to avoid vinegar and
make homemade salad dressing recipes.

9 Instead of soy sauce, use pure tamari or Bragg’s coconut aminos. Most soy sauces contain
gluten by the way.

10 Substitute table salt for pink Himalayan salt or sea salt.

11 Replace sugar with monk fruit or stevia.

12 Find great gadgets for your home that make eating veggies fun, such as zucchini spiralizers,
food processors or a mandolin for thin sliced carrots, cabbage, radishes and more.

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 UNDERSTANDING
Food
Intolerances
and Allergies
It’s important to be aware of potential
food intolerances and allergies, and how
they may affect your body and your gut
health. Did you know that most people
suffer from unknown food intolerances
without even realizing it?

When you consume foods that your body

is intolerant or even allergic to, it has
a negative effect on your gut and your
entire body, including your mitochondria!
To restore your gut health, you must
make yourself aware of potential food
intolerances or allergies. However,
it’s not always easy to identify food
reactions, as symptoms can occur as
fast as 10 minutes or as long as 72 hours
after ingestion, and can manifest in many
different ways.

Be on the lookout for the following signs, or anything else out of the
ordinary for you:
• White coating on the • Headaches or • Poor concentration • Fatigue
tongue migraines • Difficulty breathing • Poor sleep
• Acid reflux or • Racing heart or a cough • Water retention
heartburn • Bags under the • Sinus issues • Gas and bloating
• Bad breath eyes, otherwise • Weight gain or • Dry eyes, a sign of
• Constipation known as shiners weight loss liver congestion
• Foul-smelling stool • Canker sores or a • Clogged ears
• Joint Pain sore tongue • Rashes or hives

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If you experience any of these symptoms after eating a particular food, write them down in a journal
and practice the concept of an elimination diet— remove that food from your diet for a week and
reintroduce that food after your body has a chance to heal. If you experience the same reaction
when reintroducing that food, remove that food from your diet for at least a few more months before
reintroducing.

Keep in mind that once your gut health is restored, you may not experience the same food intolerances
or allergic reactions you experienced before. Therefore, you may decide to reintroduce that food
again in a few months.

Below is a chart of common inflammatory and allergic foods. Avoid the top 10 foods for the next
3-6months: cow dairy, gluten (wheat, barley rye), eggs, corn, peanuts, tomatoes, shellfish, sugar &
artificial sweeteners (stevia and pure monk fruit is ok), alcohol, and soy. Some may be introduced
back in one at a time once you are complete.

Some people are also sensitive to coffee, black tea, chocolate, beans (and other high lectin
containing foods) and oxalates (like chard and spinach).

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 The most common INFLAMMATORY & Allergic Foods

Cow Dairy Gluten Eggs Corn Peanuts

Tomatoes Shellfish Sugar & Alcohol Soy

Artificial
Sweeteners

Some people are also sensitive to the following foods.

You may consider eliminating them as well.

Coffee Black Tea Chocolate Beans / Oxalates

Lectins (like chard &
spinach)

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Liver & Gallbladder Supporting Foods
Your liver and gallbladder work in harmony to support a strong immune system, balanced mood,and
healthy digestion. Your liver is responsible for filtering and neutralizing harmful substances in your
body. It has hundreds of metabolic jobs, which it cannot perform when overburdened with toxins.
Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder.

A toxic and overburdened liver leads to impaired release of bile from the gallbladder, which affects
the breakdown of fats and overall digestion

For these reasons, consuming liver-loving foods should be a priority. However, it can be difficult for
those with digestive issues to add a lot of roughage into their diets. If you find undigested greens
in your stools, this means your body has trouble digesting them. Therefore, make it a point to puree
or cook them.

You can also blend your greens into a

smoothie or use a green powder such as
spirulina or wheatgrass. Add them to your
favorite smoothie.

When you work with me in any of my

programs, we support your liver so you
can detox faster, restore your gut health
permanently, and rebuild your mitochondria
energy production.

The more you support your liver, the faster

you will release toxins and heal your body.

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 List of Liver & Gallbladder Supporting Foods

Artichokes Asparagus Dandelion Garlic Nettle

Greens

Peas Kelp Bok Choy Swiss Chard Cilantro

Basil Parsley Chlorella Spirulina Mustard

Greens

Dulse Asparagus Wheatgrass Kombu Chlorophyll

Spinach Kale Beets

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WHAT ABOUT
Grains, Nuts, Seeds
and Beans?
My goal is never to classify any foods as good
or bad, but to determine which foods work for
each individual. While grains, nuts, beans, and
seeds are fine for some people, they tend to
promote inflammation in others. The resulting
inflammation can lead to problems including
weight gain, digestive issues, skin problems,
thyroid issues, aches and pains, and autoimmune
diseases.

One of the reasons grains, nuts, beans, and even

seeds (including flax and chia) causes problems
in some people is because they contain phytic
acid.

Phytic acid is a compound that comes from the

phosphorous found in plants. Too much phytic
acid can inhibit the thyroid, hamper digestion,
and leach vital minerals from the body, such as
zinc and iron.

Phytic acid also interferes with the natural

enzymes your body needs to digest your food.
If you have digestive issues, an autoimmune
disorder, chronic colds, thyroid issues, or acid
reflux, you may want to eliminate grains during
this program.

If you do decide to include grains, then we

recommend limiting them to one very small
portion per day.

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 Suggested portion sizes are: You can also try the following These grains, technically
grains and note any bloating considered seeds, are easier
• 1/2 cup cooked grains or reactions in your food to digest:
• 1/4 cup seeds diary:
• 1-2 tablespoons of seed • Amaranth
butter • Brown rice • Buckwheat
• Wild rice • Millet
• Gluten-free oats • Quinoa

When consuming
grains, beans, seeds,
or nuts, soak them
to reduce the phytic
acid.

HERE’S HOW TO SOAK:

• Add the grains, beans, seeds, or nuts

to a bowl of warm or room-temperature
water.
• Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
or Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar.
• Leave the bowl sitting on your
countertop for 12-24 hours
• Empty the grains, beans, seeds, or nuts
into a colander, and rinse at least 6
times to remove any remaining phytic
acid. You can also “double soak.” This
means you soak them again in fresh
water after the first 12 - 24 hour soak
• Cook the grains and beans as usual, or
store the seeds or nuts in your fridge
for 1 - 2 days.

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Going Gluten Free
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat,
barley and rye that is inflammatory to many
people. Have you ever touched a ball of dough
before? You know that elastic feel it has? That
is due to the gluten present in the grain that
was used to make the flour. Gluten is also what
makes bread chewy and soft! Additionally,
gluten is commonly used in a host of cosmetics
and hair care products.
The main grains that contain gluten are:
WHEAT
(including: durum, emmer, spelt, farina, farro,
Khorasan, and einkorn)
–used in foods like bread,cereal and pasta
BARLEY
–used in food coloring, malted products and
malt vinegar
OATS
–used in many cereals and breads
RYE
–used in cereal, bread and beer
SEMOLINA
–an ancient grain that was first thought to be
gluten-free, used in breads and pasta
Many of my clients have found that going gluten-
free is very supportive to restoring gut health,
faster.
Why? This protein is hard for some people to
break down and process which causes a host of
digestive and nutritional issues such as bloating,
gas, heartburn, intestinal permeability (leaky
gut), malnutrition,anemia, malabsorption, and
inflammation.
Many people who cannot process gluten suffer
from an autoimmune disease called Celiac
disease. These people experience severe
digestive issues, malnutrition, fatigue, and a
weakened immune system that can cause more
serious health issues in the future if not treated.
Though problems digesting gluten were once
believed to affect only those who suffer from
Celiac disease, it’s been proven that you do not
need to have Celiac disease to have a histamine
reaction or intolerance to gluten.
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ve
been glutened!” Those who have a gluten
intolerance may experience digestive problems,
inflammation, lethargy, and a lack of energy after
consuming gluten. Symptoms can last anywhere
from a day to a week or more!
Remember to talk to your doctor before making
any decisions about your health. There are
several allergies that cause symptoms similar to
a gluten allergy, but are not as broad. Examples
of this would be lactose intolerance, an allergy
to dairy, or a wheat allergy specific to the wheat
grain, not gluten.
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 Curbing Sugar Cravings
Sugar, which is eight times more addictive than cocaine, often
offers us a quick energy fix but not much else. In fact, after the
quick fix, we crash, which leads us to crave more. It’s an endless,
vicious cycle.

Not only is sugar addictive, it leaches minerals and nutrients

from your body, is massively inflammatory, and leads to mood
swings, fatigue, and of course, weight gain. We live in a stressful
world and can often find ourselves turning to sugar-containing
foods that take us away from our highest and best selves.

By eliminating sugar from your diet, you will find your cravings
are significantly reduced. I was able to break my own sugar habit
by substituting non-inflammatory sweeteners, eating when I was
hungry, upping my intake of healthy fats/proteins and learning
how to let go of stress.

Here are some simple tips that have helped me, and many of our clients,
kick sugar cravings to the curb:

1. Get in the mindset of giving up sugar and understand that it is simply an addiction, just like
anyother addiction

2. Eat healthy fats at each meal to sustain energy and combat sugar cravings

3. Consume amino acids, the building blocks for your cells, which are found in protein (whether
vegan,vegetarian, or animal)

4. Be sure to hydrate adequately; the body often craves sugar when it is dehydrated.

5. Replace “treating yourself” with sugar by enjoying:

• Nutrient-dense protein balls (see recipe guide)
• Some low-glycemic fruits like berries, green apples and grapefruit, or fruit with cinnamon
• A bowl of berries with coconut milk, flax meal and stevia or monk fruit

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1
• A baked apple
• A smoothie with unsweetened almond milk, a scoop of plant-based protein powder/stevia/ ice
• A cup of herbal tea, with stevia or monk fruit

6. You can also take advantage of these top non-food suggestions for combatting cravings:
• Find ways to destress - high cortisol levels lead to craving carbs and sugar
• Go within: find the self-love needed to give you strength to give up on sugar - use affirmations
• Write in your journal
• Call a friend
• Watch something that makes you laugh
• Take a walk out in nature to connect with the earth’s energy

Healthy Fats
Hopefully you already know this, but if not, hear me
when I say, “fat is not bad!” - at least, not the good
fats!

HERE ARE THE TRUTHS ABOUT

GOOD FAT:

• We need to eat fat to lose fat (that’s right, you

can’t release weight without it)
• Fat is an essential component to balanced blood
sugar and healthy brain-adrenal function
• Our digestive systems needs fat to help transport
nutrients across the cells
• Our body uses fat to activate hormones and
strengthen our immune function.
• When we are in between meals, our body uses
stored fat for energy
• Fat is an integral part of all nervous system
functions. Our myelin sheath, the protective
lining in our brain, is made up of 80% lipids (fats).

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 Adding fat to your diet is actually pretty simple.

Here’s a list of healthy cooking oils and quick superfoods you can add to any salad or smoothie,
toss them into your grain-free cereal (see recipe guide), or make a chia pudding:

Flax seeds: are high Chia seeds: contain Hemp seeds: contain
in omega-3 fatty omega-3 fatty acids all the omega fatty
acids and rich plus manganese, acids you need for
in alpha-linolenic calcium and a healthy body- 3, 6
acid (ALA). They also phosphorus. Just one and 9. You only need
supply other ounce of chia seeds one tablespoon per
nutrients such as contains 11 grams of day to get your daily
manganese and fiber. dose of omegas.
magnesium Plus, they are
and contain a high in protein.
lot of fiber.

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 Coconut oil: Its smoke
point is 400 degrees,
which means you can
use this oil for sauteing,
baking, frying, and
roasting vegetables. It’s
best to look for
unrefined, organic
coconut oil.
Ghee: Has been used for Avocado oil: Has a
centuries in Ayurvedic clean and fresh taste
medicine. It is lactose- and is ideal for roasting,
free and casein-free sauteing and even
which means it’s easily frying. Plus, it’s great for
tolerated by most dressings as well! This
people. Ghee is the oil has a smoke point of
perfect fat for cooking around 500 degrees!
since its smoke point is
450.

Sesame oil: Its fabulous Extra-virgin olive

to use as a finishing oil
for its amazing sesame
taste. The smoke point
is 450 degrees, and I
suggest using it at the temperature cooking and
end of a saute dish
where you desire that
Asian dish flavor, or use
it to make a dressing. A
little goes a long way!
oil: The smoke point
of this oil is around
370 degrees. Olive
oil is great for lower
to add after you have
finished cooking. It’s
perfect for dressings.

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 Clean Protein
Adding clean protein to your diet is also important for rebuilding
your gut. Here are the best animal and plant-based, clean protein
Meats: nitrate-free,
hormone-free, anti
biotic-free and
pasture-raised:
chicken, turkey,
bison, beef, lamb,
any wild game.
Fish and Seafood:
wild-caught fresh
is best: pacific
salmon, trout,
sardines, anchovies,
cod, butter fish,
mackerel, any wild
game, sole, catfish,
squid, shrimp,
scallops. If canned,
look for BPA-free
cans.
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Plant-Based
Proteins: Hemp
seeds, sunflower
seeds, pumpkin
seeds, pine nuts,
flax seeds, avocado,
nutritional yeast,
chia pudding with
an extra scoop
of plant protein,
spirulina, wheatgrass
(it doesn’t contain
gluten despite the
name!), green algae,
chlorella, spinach,
broccoli, kale, sea
vegetables, coconut
flour & meat, nut &
seed butters, protein
powders such as
hemp, pea. Beans
and legumes are
also a great source
of protein and I
recommend limiting
in the first 2-3 months
of gut healing due to
difficulty digesting.
What About Caffeine?
Do you love a good, warm cup of coffee? Most people do, including me! The big question, is, “Can I
drink coffee while I restore mitochondria function, detox my body, and heal my gut?” The answer is,
‘It depends.” Caffeine increases cortisol levels. It can also dehydrate your body .... which increases
appetite.

Finally, most coffee is contaminated with mold ... which adds to the toxic load in your body.
If you drink one clean cup of coffee per day, It’s probably NOT going to prevent you from successfully
healing your body. And you may benefit from the antioxidants coffee provides. If you drink multiple
cups throughout the day, or if you drink coffee that isn’t tested and cleared for mold toxins, you may
want to change your habit!

It’s a good idea to limit your coffee consumption to one cup of organic, mold-free coffee per day.
Also, if you usually use a dairy creamer, exchange it for unsweetened coconut or unsweetened
almond milk.

Alternatives for coffee include yerba mate and green tea which contain beneficial antioxidants.
These options do contain some caffeine, so consume in moderation and early in the day so your
cortisol levels have a chance to normalize before bedtime.

It’s ok to drink unlimited herbal teas like dandelion, nettle, peppermint, and chamomile. You can
sweeten herbal teas with stevia, monk fruit, or add lemon for enhanced detoxifying effect. You can
try substituting your coffee intake with seltzer water and infused waters.

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 Meal Prepping and
Planning
I tell all of my clients: “If you’re not already a home-gourmet,
you don’t need to fall in love with your kitchen, but you do
need a simple system in place for meal planning.” This
will prevent you from binging on junk food when you’re
hungry and save you from fast food when your schedule
gets too hectic.

HERE ARE MY TIPS:

• Choose a day to go food shopping and cook your

protein and vegetables when you come home.
• Make sure you take the shopping list that goes with
the meal plan for that week to the store.
• Alternatively have your food delivered from an app
like lnstacart.
• Plan ahead for the week and know what you can
batch cook-meaning cook once and eat three times.
• Roasting is easy. Toss your vegetables in avocado
oil and bake in the oven at 375-400 degrees on a
parchment lined cookie sheet until fork tender .
This is such a simple way to get the sweetness out
of vegetables and combat junk food cravings. If you
always have batches of roasted veggies in the fridge,
you can snack on them.
• Soups made in the crockpot or pressure cooker are
what I call one-meal wonders. These meals can be put
in the refrigerator and reheated for lunch the next day.
You can also make soup and freeze in portions.
• Easy ideas for lunches are ‘salads in a jar’ (I skip the
jar and use glass food storage containers). Pack your
favorite salad from the suggested meals, add your
dressing separately, and you are good to go for lunch.
• Pack simple organic lunch meats with a side of lettuce
leaves, olives, and mustard when you plan to go
somewhere.

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Traveling and Eating
Traveling also poses a threat to an individual’s new way of eating, but it doesn’t have to for you.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT TO PACK WHEN

TRAVELING:

• Hemp seeds or nuts in a packet

• Meat Sticks: my favorite brands are Paleo Valley and Epic
• Healthy protein bars, free of sugar and inflammatory oils. Try these bars from Designs For Health
• Kale chips if you need a crunchy salty snack
• Healthy snack mixes like homemade trail mix
• Hearty fruit like apples, oranges, bananas that can be thrown in a handbag
• Shredded coconut
• Protein powder to mix with water with a portable, battery operated and rechargeable blender.
Try these protein powders from Designs for Health
• Flax crackers or nut crackers
• Individual wrapped Nut butter packets

Also, when staying in a hotel, call them and let them know you have special diet needs. You can call
ahead and tell them you are dairy-free, wheat-free and egg-free and ask what meals could be made
for you. Ask for hot tea with lemon every morning to support digestion.

Find a local health food market near where you are staying and have a salad, a green juice or a
smoothie. Have food delivered to your hotel with Door Dash, Amazon Grocery, or lnstacart.

Ask the hotel to deliver a refrigerator to your room to store your food delivery.

Also, be sure to pack a probiotic and digestive enzyme. You are good to go! Safe travels.

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 Save Money While You Eat Healthy
Eating whole foods can be a bit more expensive than shopping from the dollar menu and tossing
98-cent ramen noodles in your shopping cart. But at the same time, your health is worth it! If you
avoid pre-made convenience foods and follow my tips below, you can save money eating healthy.
And even though it might not seem appealing to buy the $6 carton of strawberries now, your wallet
will seriously thank you down the road when you don’t have to shell out thousands in medical bills!
Plus, your quality of life will be exponentially better. Trust me! That being said, I still don’t expect you
to break the bank. After years of trying to find the most affordable route through the grocery store,
I’ve come up with a few key rules that will help you out as well:

1 BUY ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGGIES IF YOU’RE GOING TO EAT THE SKIN. While going
all organic is nice, you can save a lot of money by purchasing conventional produce when you
don’t plan to eat the skin. For example, apples and berries should be organic while oranges
and bananas can be conventional.

2 ADHERE TO THE ‘CLEAN FIFTEEN’ AND THE ‘DIRTY DOZEN’ from the Environmental
Working Group (EWG.org). Knowing which produce has the most pesticides will help guide your
shopping and help you save money on the ‘Clean 15’ which don’t have to be organic.

3 SHOP LOCAL. If you live in a warmer climate, you may be one of the lucky ones who have a
farmer’s market near you all year long. If you live in a climate that has all four seasons, you can
shop your local farmer’s market from spring to fall, excluding winter. This will help you save,
keep money in your community, and it supports your local farmers who grow clean food without
herbicides and pesticides.

4 STICK WITH ONE-INGREDIENT FOODS. Fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts and seeds. With all of
the fancy alternative flours, snacks, cookies, and even grain-free cookie dough out there, it’s
easy to spend a small fortune. Stick to the basics! Fancy pre-made snacks can break the bank!

5 BUY IN BULK. Instead of spending $10 on a little bag of cashews, scoop into the bulk bin and
snag four pounds of cashews for $15. You can find some amazing deals!

6 MAKE A LIST BEFORE SHOPPING. Going to the grocery store without a list is a recipe for
disaster, especially if you are hungry. Make a list and stick to that list.

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7 CLIP COUPONS. Many in-store flyers have coupons, and you can also search online for
coupons from the distributor. For example, the coconut milk yogurt you love so much may
be ‘5 for $5’ if you can grab the coupon. You can also join your favorite brands’ social media
pages and check them often for deals and coupons.

8 SHOP SALES AT MULTIPLE STORES. Sprouts or Whole Foods may have very different sales
going on, and you may be able to benefit from both of them.

9 PREPPING YOUR MEALS WILL ALSO SAVE YOU TIME. I love to bake my chicken on Sunday
and save it in the freezer or refrigerator depending on when I plan to eat it during the week.
This is great for adding clean protein to a salad for lunch or for dinner.

10 SAVE YOUR LEFTOVERS. Leftovers are great to toss into a soup mix. Don’t know what to
do with leftover chicken and veggies? Make some potluck soup with broth and get an extra
meal out of that food.

11 INVEST IN A WATER FILTER to avoid spending money on bottled water, which we all know
is not 100% guaranteed to be clean .

12 MAKE IT A POINT TO EAT AT HOME and avoid eating out as often as possible. When you
cook at home, you have the benefits of knowing where your food came from, how clean the
kitchen is, and you save money because you aren’t paying for the chef. If you don’t want to
slave over a stove all day, use a slow cooker or electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot).

13 EAT SEASONALLY. Pay attention to which foods are in season because they’ll be cheaper.
Buy in bulk, place in the freezer, and you can eat them all year long.

14 There are also some great websites that can help you save money. I shop on many different
websites for my staples. If you’d like to save even more online, check out retailmenot.com
and dealcatcher.com to search for online coupon promo codes. Some common websites to
shop and save are:
vitacost.com
amazon.com
herbspro.com
bulkapothercary.com
vitaminshoppe.com
iherb.com
thrivemarket.com

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 Eat More of These Prebiotic Foods

Okra Jerusalem Dandelion Garlic Leeks

Artichoke Greens

Onions Cooked/Chilled Green Asparagus Jicama

Potatoes Bananas

When probiotics ( good bacteria) feed on the prebiotics (non-digestible fiber foods), the byproduct
is postbiotics. So think of it like this: probiotics + prebiotics = postbiotics. Make sense? There are
several types of postbiotics produced by your good bacteria, most notably short-chain fatty acids,
such as acetate, butyrate and propionate which provide an energy source to your colon cells. Other
important postbiotics are lipopolysaccharides, enzymes, peptides and organic acids.

EATING MORE PREBIOTIC FOODS HELPS YOU REDUCE THE FOLLOWING

ISSUES:

• Inflammatory conditions like irritable bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Leaky gut syndrome, dysbiosis, or small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Joint pain due to inflammation
• Side effects due to exposure to environmental irritants
• Skin problems, including acne or eczema
• Allergic reactions, such as dermatitis or conjunctivitis

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Gut Healing Foods
BONE BROTH
Rich in collagen, minerals and gelatin, 3 components that are key for rebuilding the gut lining. Bone
broth can be sipped throughout the day or added to soups and stews. It could even be considered
a supplement because it is so medicinal when it comes to gut restoration and repair! The amino
acids in bone broth support the healing of your intestinal lining. The gelatin in bone broth also
supports your joints and skin health and reduces cellulite. It’s loaded with calcium, phosphorous and
magnesium, and is great for those who have suffered from mineral deficiencies or often feel weak.
You can add sea vegetables such as dulse or nori flakes to your bone broth, as this is another way
to add the vital minerals we do not get from our food and water source.

KOMBUCHA
Kombucha is a fermented beverage made from tea, and is loaded with B vitamins. You can make
this at home or buy at your local health food store. This drink is made by letting the tea ferment on
the countertop for about a week to grow beautiful bacteria and beneficial yeast. If you’re making
your own, I recommend buying a Kombucha starter kit from Cultures for Health.To find d etailed
instructions on the brewing process for Kombucha, refer to the directions included in your
starter pack from Cultures For Health.

COLLAGEN
Collagen should be on your list of gut-health foods because it helps heal your gut lining. In addition,
it’ ll boost your metabolism, increase your energy, diminish cellulite, support your bones & joints,
beautify your skin, and help detoxify your body. I love the collagen from Designs For Health which
you can find by clicking HERE. Add one scoop to your smoothies, a cup of water, your green juice
or even mix it into coconut or almond milk yogurt for a boost of protein.

WATER AND COCONUT WATER KEFIR

This is a fermented beverage made from water or coconut water with a kefir starter. It’s loaded with
good bacteria and can be sweetened and fermented with different j uices t o e nhance t he t aste.
Coconut water kefir is a fermented beverage made from young coconuts. It contains the following
minerals that support healthy digestion and a functioning thyroid: potassium, sodium, chloride,
calcium, and magnesium. Kefir also contains many strains of probiotic bacteria and yeast. To make
water kefir, I suggest visiting www.culturesforhealth.com to get a starter kit.

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 BEET KVASS
Beet kvass is a powerhouse blood and liver cleanser. It is made from fermenting beets with a salt
brine and is loaded with healthy bacteria, vitamin B, vitamin C, and folic acid. You can make your
own at home, or find it in your local health food store or farmers market.

CULTURED VEGGIES
I recommend building up your intake of cultured foods because they are easy to make, and are
loaded with natural enzymes and probiotics. Examples are kimchi, sauerkraut or whole veggie
ferments. Start with a tablespoon once a day and build up from there. Eating Cultured food benefits
you in the following ways:
• Restores good gut flora by supporting healthy bacteria colonization
• Improves digestion and aid in natural enzyme activity
• Reduces sugar cravings
• Cleanses the colon and intestinal tract, leaving your body free of toxic waste that hampers
digestion

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Gut Healing Meal Tips
Meals play a huge role in your gut healing journey. This is why it’s so important to understand some
basic mealtime principles.

1. CHEW YOUR FOOD WELL:

Your goal should be to make the food on your plate easy for your body to digest. Remember, your
stomach does not have teeth; therefore, you should chew until your food is near liquid before
swallowing it. By doing this, you’re boosting nutrient absorption and reducing your digestive
system’s workload.

2. SIMPLE IS BETTER:
When planning your meals, aim to keep them at or under five ingredients. The simpler your meal
is, the easier it is for your body to digest. Most people who suffer from digestive distress have less
stomach acid, and stomach acid is necessary for properly breaking down foods. So if your meals
are complex, you’re not chewing properly, and you have low stomach acid, your digestive system is
going to have to go into overdrive just to break down and assimilate your foods.

3. PROTEIN, FAT & VEGGIES:

A balanced meal should include a protein and a fat with your choice of above-ground vegetables
such as broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, kale, etc…and a side of fermented veggies! If you must
have a carb, have a complex-carbohydrate like quinoa or sweet potatoes.

4. COOKED VERSUS RAW:

If you’re seeing undigested food in your stools, reduce roughage foods or puree them into soups.
Also, cooking your veggies makes them easier to digest. You can try soft veggies instead, such
as butternut squash and carrots. Undigested food in your stools means your food is not digesting
properly and raw food may be harder for your body to break down. Once your gut and digestion
is restored, you should be able to digest raw food again.

5. EAT AT HOME:
In addition, fresh is always best from your own kitchen. If you are eating out, make informed choices.
Ask your server questions—is the meal made with gluten? Was it steamed, sautéed, baked, etc.?
Stick to the basics and stay away from sauces with unknown ingredients.

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 6. EXPERIMENT:
The amount of cool versus warming foods you should
eat depends on your state of gut distress. This is why
it’s so important to be best friends with your food diary.
For example, you may find that raw salads work great for
you. Or, you may find that you can’t digest salads well, but
you digest cool juices and cucumbers just fine. You must
experiment with your diet to find out what works best for
you.

7. TAME BLOAT:
If you’re bloated, consider eating a low FODMAP diet and
add ginger tea or Lemon Water Elixir in between meals to
naturally enhance your digestive enzymes.

How to Reintroduce Foods

After you have eliminated the main inflammatory foods outlined at the beginning of this guide for at
least 3 months, you can start to reintroduce SOME these foods back, one at a time. I recommend you
continue to avoid soy, artificial sweeteners, conventionally grown corn and wheat, conventional dairy,
and sugar. You can add the other foods back following the guidelines below.

Here is a refresher of the foods And maybe you also eliminated:

you should avoid for 3 months: • Chocolate
• Dairy products (lactose and casein) • Coffee
• Wheat (and other gluten-containing foods) • Black tea
• Eggs • Beans/Lectins
• Corn • Oxalates (like chard and spinach)
• Peanuts/Legumes
• Tomatoes
• Shellfish
• Sugar & Artificial Sweetener
• Alcohol
• Soy

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Steps to Add These Foods Back into
Your Routine
1 0nly re-introduce one food at a time every 4-7 days. Do not add more than two foods in a
week to avoid over-exposure to highly sensitive food.

2 Take note of food reactions. Keep a journal record of how the food made you feel after you
reintroduced.

3 If you experience old symptoms or new ones, stop eating the food. For example fatigue,
mental fogginess, sleepiness, achy joints, stiffness, gas, bloating, indigestion.

4 If a food causes symptoms, try introducing it again in 2 months. In the meantime, keep
following the principles for restoring your gut outlined in this guide. It can take a year or
more for some people to clear up food intolerances. Sometimes you just have to accept
there are certain foods you shouldn’t eat.

5 Caffeine and chocolate can be added back at any time.

6 Start with organic free range eggs. Document how you feel.

7 Next add organic dairy. Start with cultured dairy products like plain yogurt and plain kefir.
Avoid flavored dairy products because they will contain sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Document how you feel.

8 Next add non-GMO organic corn. Document how you feel.

9 Next tomatoes and any other nightshades you avoided. Document how you feel.

10 Next legumes/peanuts. Document how you feel.

11 Now Shellfish. Document how you feel.

12 Next add organic beans and lectin containing foods - pay attention to how you feel.

13 Now add organic oxalates like spinach and swiss chard. How do you feel?

14 And last wheat/gluten, non GMO and organic. Document how you feel.

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Food Reintroduction Log

Food Date Reactions/Symptoms

Caffeine

Chocolate

Eggs

Dairy

Corn

Tomatoes

Peanuts/
Legumes

Shellfish

Beans

Oxalates

Wheat

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 These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
Administration. This guide is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure,or
prevent any disease. It is recommended you discuss a new supplement
routine with your doctor or pediatrician before using.

i laura.frontiero
f LauraFrontieroNP
For additional information or support, contact:
Laura Frontiero
Support@LauraFrontiero.com
www.LauraFrontiero.com