Stage 1 Grocery List for The Body Ecology Diet

This grocery list is for Stage 1 of Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.). This stage lasts about 3-6 months and when most people feel dramatic changes in how they feel. This is good! The body is cleansing, realigning, and most of all …. healing. How long you remain on Stage 1 depends on your individual health concerns and reasons for stepping into this diet.
The body is a self-healing organism, and this list is a tool to start feeling better! Ready to transition to stage 2? Here is the Stage 2 Grocery List.
The Body Ecology Diet was created by Donna Gates as a holistic and natural approach to address yeast, bacterial, or viral overgrowth (i.e., Candida, GBS+). By practicing this diet, your digestive system gets the opportunity to rest and repair and renew.
I practiced stage one for 3 years. A long time, yet that is what I needed for my own healing. I hit the bullseye every day and transformed my health (i.e., no more stomach pain, slow digestion, or bloating).
Jump-start your body to be the self-healing organism you are.
The foods below are the basics to get you started. These foods help your body “rest and repair” and get yeast or bacterial overgrowth under control and heal accompanying damage to the digestive/immune system.
Here is a quiz to see if yeast overgrowth is a part of your health issue(s).
Most of the foods listed can be found at a health food store or made at home. Organic is always best and is an easy way to avoid pesticides, herbicides, synthetic hormones, and antibiotic residues. Items listed are ‘gluten-sugar-yeast’ free, nutrient-dense, and easy-to-digest. As always, the geeky nutritionist in me reminds you of the power of food combining 🙂
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* Best to limit or avoid any food marked with an (*) if you have diarrhea, abdominal pain, or bloating. After 6 weeks of avoiding said ‘problem food’ then you might find you can once again eat that food within reason and moderation. Take your time when weaving foods back in so that your body does not see that food as a threat. Be patient. I often find the stronger the health issue, the longer the healing can take.
Stage 1: Grocery List for The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.)
Animal Protein
Choose free-range, grass-fed, antibiotic and hormone-free.
- Beef and Veal
- Cold-Water Fish (salmon, sardines, smelt, shad, anchovies) ~ fish to eat, fish to avoid
- Egg Yolks (omega 3-rich)
- Fish Eggs (Roe)
- Lamb
- Organs (kidneys, heart, liver)
- Pheasant, Pigeon and Quail
- Poultry
- Rabbit
- Tuna (opt for sustainably caught “light” tuna from the Atlantic or tested by a 3rd party, avoid Albacore/white tuna)
- Wild Game (bison, elk, venison)
Baking Products
- Glycerine-Based, Non-Alcohol Flavorings (vanilla extract, etc.)
- Lakanto (granulated form or liquid)
- Pure Vanilla Powder
- Stevia Extract
- Stevia Green Leaf Powder
Beverages
- Bone Stock*
- Coconut Kefir (homemade or buy)
- Green Vegetable Smoothies
- Meat Stock
- Pure Water (filtered, noncarbonated, high-mineral or catalyst-altered)
- Reishi Tea
- Tea without citric acid (esp. pau d’arco, ujido matcha green, ginger, echinacea, kukicha, raspberry leaf)
- Vegetable Broth
Dairy Products
Choose products made with organic, grass-fed cow or goat or camel or sheep milk.
- Butter (cultured, raw)
- Ghee (clarified butter)
- Kefir (non-pasteurized, unsweetened)*
- X-Factor Butter Oil (Green Pasture’s brand)
Cultured Food
Choose unpasteurized.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Coconut (dried, cultured)
- Coconut Milk (fresh, cultured)
- Natto*
- Unsalted Cultured Vegetables with Body Ecology Culture Starter
- Young Green Coconut Kefir with Body Ecology Kefir Starter
- Young Green Coconut Pudding
Fats
Choose organic, unrefined, cold pressed extra-virgin oils in a raw state as oils are the most fragile of all foods and sensitive to heat damage. Source from a trusted company, because oils can be blended with less quality oils (i.e. corn, canola) in order to cut costs. ‘Extra virgin’ means oil has been processed at low temperatures and without chemicals. Unfiltered is best. About olive oil … keep in dark, cool spot (not refrigerated) and use within 6 months of opening.
- Avocado
- Barlean’s Essential Man/Woman
- Coconut Milk (fresh, cultured)
- Coconut Oil, extra-virgin, cold-pressed
- Fermented Cod Liver Oil
- Flax Seed Oil, cold-pressed
- Hazel Nut Oil
- Hemp Seed Oil
- Macadamia Nut Oil
- Olive Oil (i.e. Jovial or SkyOrganics)
- Olives, rinsed if not water-packed*
- Pumpkin Seed Oil (raw or roasted)
- Red Palm Oil (100% virgin, source sustainable)
- Siberian Pine Nut Oil
- Sunflower Oil
Fruits
Choose organic, local, ripe fruit, and practice food combining (!!).
- Acai
- Apple, Sour Green
- Black Currants
- Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- Lemons/Limes
- Noni Juice
- Pomegranates
Grains
Soak (sprout if choose to) and cook accordingly.
- Amaranth
- Buckwheat
- Millet
- Puffed Millet Cereal
- Sorghum
- Sorghum Kernels* (mini pops)
- Quinoa
- Quinoa Flakes*
- Teff
Ocean Vegetables
- Agar Flakes
- Dulse
- Kombu
- Arame
- Hijiki
- Kelp
- Nori
- Sea Palm
- Wakame
Plant Protein
Choose raw, unpasteurized seeds and nuts and soak. To store long periods, dehydrate.
- Almonds
- Chia Seeds
- Hemp Seeds
- Lima Beans, Baby
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
Salt, Seasonings, Spices
- Herbs and Spices (especially anti-fungals: cinnamon, coriander, garlic, ginger, turmeric)
- Celtic Sea Salt, Original Himalayan Pink Salt, or REAL Salt
- Eden Raw Wine*
- Garden Herbs
- Herbamore
- Mustard and Horseradish (made with apple cider vinegar)
- “Sea Seasonings” (dulse/nori/kelp with garlic or ginger)
- Shiso Condiment
- Tekka
- Umeboshi Plum
- Umeboshi Vinegar
Vegetables
Choose organic, naturally grown vegetables preferably from small farms with healthy soil management techniques. Consume the bulk of vegetables in raw state during the heat of summer (if tolerated) and culture or cook vegetables during the cold of winter.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Bamboo Shoots
- Beet Greens
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Burdock Root*
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery & Celery Root
- Chives
- Collard Greens
- Cucumbers
- Daikon
- Dandelion Greens
- Endive
- Escarole
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Green Beans
- Jicama
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Lamb’s Quarters
- Leeks
- Lettuces
- Mushrooms (shiitake, maitake – dried only)
- Mustard Greens
- Okra
- Onion
- Parsley
- Radishes (red & daikon)
- Red Bell Peppers
- Scallions
- Shallots
- Spaghetti Squash
- Spinach
- Sprouts (except mung bean)
- Swiss Chard
- Turnips
- Watercress
- Yellow Squash
- Zucchini
Starchy Vegetables
- Artichokes, French (fresh/canned without citric acid)
- English Peas
- Jerusalem Artichokes
- Red-Skinned Potatoes (if not sensitive to nightshades)
- Sweet Corn (mild starch when cooked and non-starch when raw)
- Water Chestnuts
- Winter Squash (butternut, delicate, acorn, kabocha)
Supplements ~ commonly recommended on B.E.D.
- Ancient Earth Liquid Minerals
- Assist Dairy & Protein Enzymes
- Assist Full Spectrum Enzymes
- Assist Small Intestine Enzymes
- EcoClear Parasite Formula
- LivAmend Liver Cleanse
- Ocean Plant Extract
- Super Spirulina
- Just Thrive Probiotic
- Vitality Super Greens
Thank you for your help this morning! I feel buoyed reading this shopping list.
Lunchbox List for Kids (all ages!!) on The Body Ecology Diet
Proper Food Combining Chart
B.E.D. Support with Tara, NC.
References
Brown, S. & Trivieri, L. (2006). The Acid Alkaline Food Guide. Garden City Park, NY: Square One Publishers.
Gates, D. (2011). The Baby Boomer Diet. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc.
Gates, D. (2006). The Body Ecology Diet. Decatur, Georgia: B.E.D. Publications
McBride, N. M.D. (2010). Gut & Psychology Syndrome. United Kingdom: Medinform Publishing.
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May all bellies be happy!
24 replies on “Stage 1 Grocery List for The Body Ecology Diet”
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Hopefully now my comment is in the correct place. Thank you so much for the shopping lists and recipes, methods and tips. It is helping me get perspective and organized about being able to sustain this diet for good health and well being.
Nope, they are a nightshade, acidic-forming, on the inflammatory side of the scale, and are considered a fruit which means they don’t food combine well with much. This list is very thorough, if it is not here it is likely not on stage 1 ;(
Hi. Are canned tomatoes ok on the diet? Thanks
I am still not clear on this one. I believe wild rice is a grass, so it may be okay depending on your health issues. It’s high in protein and lower in carbohydrates compared to other rices, which is ideal for those healing yeast overgrowth (or gut dysbiosis), but still contains enough starch that most avoid for first few weeks on stage 1 of Body Ecology Diet. If you decide to try it, look for certified organic Canadian wild rice (which is grown in natural bodies of water) from traditional varieties.
hi there
may i ask your thoughts on wild rice please?
is that ok for stage?
thank you ?
Thank you for catching that! I was in there doing some editing recently and somehow left that sitting there. Have now placed potatoes under starchy vegetables 🙂
Awesome.
Thank you as it is listed under non starchy vegetables in the list above.
I was elated thinking fries all day every day…wait a tic. ?
Take care. ?
Red-skinned potatoes, and all potatoes, are considered a high starch food and best combine with vegetables of all kinds, fats/oils, and fermented foods.
Hi Tara, ?
Great list and blog.
I was wondering if i could please have clarification in regards to Red Skin Potatoes.
Do they count as a non starchy or starchy vegetable? ?
Thank you for your time. ?
Hi Kristine, raw egg whites tend to be more allergenic than cooked egg whites. The question about avoiding grains in the initial days on stage 1 of BED…everyone is different. I personally started off with the seed-like grains in my diet and did fine. Others need to start the diet leaning heavily on the animal protein, vegetables, and fat. See what works for your daughter. If she is struggling in her ability to digest and has skin issues, etc. then you may want to avoid the grains recommended on the diet for a couple weeks or so and bring them in one by one and observe her for a reaction of any sort. Hope that helps 🙂
Are the seed grains something I shouldn’t eat for the first 3 days? Isn’t that what the book says (I haven’t finished the book)? I’m going to this diet mostly for my speech, fine and gross motor, and ssensory seeking 4 year old. Although for myself, I’ve been grain free for 6 months because of IBS and chronic fatigue syndrome; it’s made a huge difference. I tried quinoa and buckwheat but they both bring back the stomach pain, fatigue, and swelling. Any suggestions? I’m also violently allergic to unbaked eggs, not sure why
I believe that they all are Heather. Is there one in particular you are not sure about?
Hi!! Are the body ecology fermented protein powders ok for stage 1?? thank you
Last I heard they were not okay for stage 1 of The Body Ecology Diet. Sea salt is where the seasoning is at 🙂
Tara,
Do you know if coconut aminos liquid aminos of any kind are allowed on phase 1? Thanks!
Hi Laurie, the list I have put together here is more extensive because I did a lot of digging into many different resources of Donna’s. I started this diet in 2011 and started making this list at that time; adding to it over the years. I recently added in the supplements because many people asked about the most common ones recommended for stage 1. Otherwise you should see a fair amount of consistency between this list and the one in Donna’s book. The few additional items listed here and not in the book list were most likely mentioned in articles, podcasts, workshops, and in her book ‘Baby Boomer Diet’. Hope that helps 🙂
Why is the above list more extensive than what’s in my copy of Donna’s book? I have the 10th edition of, “The Body Ecology Diet”. Has this list changed over the years? Should I stick with what’s in the book? Please let me know. Thank you in advance for your reply.
Jenneta,
If you can find raw, dried and shredded coconut then you can just add some coconut kefir to that with some water and let it sit in a warm spot for a few hours. Then drain and rinse and you can either use it as it is OR dehydrate it again. If this process is too lengthy than just hold off on using dried coconut until the gut flora is balanced and you can handle this sweet food again.
Tara,
Thank you for your reply. I did soak and dehydrate organic sesame seeds. I use them to make myself coco oil sesame seed candy that I like to have with my herbal tea. I grew up drinking tea throughout the day with sth sweet aside and I cant kick that habit no matter what I do. So I end up making candy sweetened with stevia and enjoying my afternoon detox tea or red raspberry calcium tea with it in the evening.
I have a question about dried coconut. How do you culture it? I make coconut milk out of coconut flakes and culture it with YCK. But I never tried culturing the flakes on their own.
Thank you again for all your help,
Jenneta
Thank you Shirley for your appreciation! It took me quite some time to make those charts and I am happy to know that others are benefiting from them 🙂
Jenneta,
I buy my raw almonds from a raw food supplier here in Vermont. You can also buy them online. Otherwise most “raw” almonds found in the bulk section in health food stores have been flash pasteurized and are no longer considered a live food. They will not sprout properly in this state.
Sesame seeds and tahini are not on Stage 1 of The Body Ecology Diet as they go rancid easily, especially in tahini form. Whole sesame seeds are also more susceptible to contamination by the mold aspergillus. If you are going to eat sesame seeds than it is best to soak them for 12 hours in warm water and a warm spot or until slightly sprouted. This way they can be made easier to digest and more nourishing for those with gut sensitivities.
May all bellies be happy!!
Tara
Hi Tara!
Where do you get your raw almonds? Also, I am sensitive to all BED seeds and almonds, too, except chia seeds and flax. How bad is it to use sesame seeds and/or tahini once or twice a week while healing the gut?
Thank you,
Jenneta
These Stage 1 & 2 lists are extremely helpful. I keep a copy of each in my B.E.D. binder and a copy in the car for trips to the grocery store. Thank you for making these up and for sharing them with us.