Phytonutrients are super healing substances only found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and beans.
Phytonutrients are the substances that help protect the plants, but they also protect YOU, the plant-eater. They act as super anti-aging antioxidants and play an important role in reducing inflammation in your body. Phytonutrients are ultra-healers and super fat burners too. They actually help to activate genes in your body that help you burn body fat faster and age slower. Through a variety of mechanisms phytonutrients fight disease and obesity. And they play a critical role in how you age, look and feel.
Unfortunately most people eating a modern day diet are severely lacking in phytonutrients. The more phytonutrients you can consume and the more variety, the better!
More Plant Foods = More Phytonutrients
Phytonutrients are not found in processed foods and they are not found in animal foods such as eggs, chicken, beef, milk, and cheese. The phytonutrients found in plants are a major contributing factor to why plant foods play such an important role in Clean Cuisine. And, for whatever it’s worth, most people who eat the standard modern-day diet are in less than optimal health, so it’s not surprising that their diets are exceptionally low in the phytonutrient-rich foods that form the foundation for Clean Cuisine.
We are not the only ones who are praising the powers of phytonutrient-rich plant foods either. The American Heart Association Nutrition Committee, the American Cancer Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Dietetic Association, the Division of Nutrition Research Coordination of the National Institutes of Health, and the American Society for Clinical Nutrition all agree that we should eat more phytonutrient-rich unrefined plant foods and less animal food.
Phytonutrients offer tremendous health, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging benefits independent of their nutritional value. These plant-based superstar antiagers help cells repair themselves by stimulating the release of protective enzymes. In other words, flooding your system with phytonutrients can help you stay looking and feeling younger by providing your body with the raw materials it needs to repair damaged cells. Your body’s ability to repair damaged cells on a regular basis is a key factor in staying youthful. Without a sufficient supply of phytonutrients, your cells age more rapidly, and they lose their ability to remove and detoxify waste products, increasing the risk for disease.
A phytonutrient-rich diet is also an essential component of preventing the development of degenerative diseases. Research shows populations with low death rates from such diseases and populations with low obesity rates consume upward of 75 percent of their calories from unrefined phytonutrient-rich plant foods. Scientific evidence supports the idea that phytonutrients play an important role in preventing and even treating some of the most deadly diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
It is believed phytonutrients inhibit cancer-producing cells. Cancer starts out as a cell growing out of control and it is now believed some cancer cells are probably formed in every person every day. If you have a strong immune system, your body recognizes these cancer invaders and attacks. Almost always the healthy body with a healthy immune system wins this combat so cancer cells either never have a chance to develop or are destroyed before they have a chance to spread or cause damage. Phytonutrients from a wide variety of plant-based foods help fight cancer on many levels and help keep your cells healthy and strong. A review of 206 human population studies shows raw vegetable consumption to offer the strongest protective effect against cancer among the phytochemical-rich fruits and vegetables.
Pass the Phytonutrient-Rich Fruit & Veggie Platter
Throughout the Challenge we will be showing you numerous ways to increase your phytonutrient intake, but one of the best and easiest ways is to simply eat more fruits and vegetables.
One of the most consistent findings in the epidemiological and nutritional literature is that as fruit and vegetable consumption increases in the diet, chronic disease and premature deaths decline. The CDC, the National Cancer Institute, the American Heart Association, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture all recommend adults eat 7 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables every day for better health. One of the reasons fruits and vegetables are so important to eat in abundance is because they offer such incredible nutrient and phytonutrient bang for such a teeny-tiny calorie buck.
Vegetables in particular offer big nutrient package for basically zero calories. It is just impossible to overeat vegetables. For example, eating 1 cup of raw spinach delivers hefty amounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients for a paltry 10 calories. Yet, while spinach is great, you can’t eat only spinach for optimal health. You need to eat lots of different colored vegetables and fruits, and the more variety in color you get, the broader the protection. This is because each fruit and vegetable contains its own unique set of phytonutrients. Red fruits and red vegetables have different phytonutrients from green fruits and green vegetables. Even red strawberries have a different phytonutrient profile from red tomatoes.
Jennifer Rice says
Could you please send me a different link for the Week 1 Meal Plan?
I can’t get it to load from either of my two different browsers.
Thanks!
Ivy Larson says
Hi Jennifer, we’ve been having problems with people not being able to get the meal plan, not sure why though? I will email it to the “ricefam7” email…
Please let me know if you have any other issues while doing the Challenge! And good luck =)
Joanne McGuire-Chan says
Hi Ivy,
I am excited about increasing my intake of anti-inflammatory foods.
I really like the idea of a green smoothie but I don’t do well with cold foods or drinks (big time GI discomfort). I have learned to avoid salads and have cooked veggies instead.
What do you think about making the smoothies and then microwaving for 30 seconds to take the chill off? Or do you have any better suggestions?
Thanks,
Joanne
Ivy Larson says
Hi Joanne! I am SO happy you found us and thrilled you are starting the 8-week Challenge. I also totally understand your GI issues. I have had them in the past myself (we finally decided it was irritable bowel syndrome that acts up ONLY when I get stressed—but when it does act up it can be a real issue and I find the only thing I can tolerate is pureed veggies / fruits. I haven’t noticed the issue with cold food, although I DO know what you mean about salads. However, one thing that has REALLY helped me is to take digestive enzymes. Have you tried this? Chewing your food SUPER well also helps a lot, but the digestive enzymes do wonders. As for heating the smoothie in the microwave for 30 seconds, sure! I think that would be just fine if you want to just take the chill off. It’s true that heat can destroy some enzymes and certain nutrients in fruits and vegetables, but as long as you don’t overdo it I think it’s ok. Plus, it’s still MUCH BETTER that you are getting the fruits and veggies rather than not, you know? Please keep me posted on how things go!! Wishing you the best of luck =)
Beth says
Day 1: I am excited, nervous and some say, a bit crazy, for trying this. I actually am following the AIP diet, but will eventually use the clean cuisine once I reintroduce foods. I have many severe food sensitivities that are getting worse each year and I have recently developed severe asthsma (at age 40) and joint pain. I look forward to your daily challenges and will focus on phytonutrients this week!! Thank you so much!!
Ivy Larson says
Hi Beth, Please do keep me posted on how things go! The asthma & joint pain should definitely get better on the anti-inflammatory diet. The multiple food sensitivities could also even improve once you totally eliminate them and reduce inflammation in your body (if you work closely with a knowledgeable doctor, you might be able to even start reintroducing some of the foods later on—I know some people have been able to do this successfully, but you need to totally eliminate them and anything else causing inflammation for a period of time before trying to introduce them again.) I wish you the best of luck! Please be sure to let me know how it all goes…
Diane Hornsby says
Hi Ivy, I think I’ve asked this before, but not sure I got an answer. I was diagnosed with MS in 2013 and bought your Clean Cuisine book then. I have been following your posts and wondered about the coconut oil content of some of the foods. Isn’t coconut oil a saturated fat? I’m trying to keep my sat fat level to below 15 g /day but some of the recipes with coconut oil or milk in them will blow this out of the water. Grateful for your advice on how you manage this aspect. Best wishes Diane
Ivy Larson says
Hi Diane,
Oh we get this question a lot! I know it can be very confusing, but here’s the deal–the saturated fat in UNREFINED coconuts is totally different than the saturated fat from animal foods, such as the fat found in beef, butter or bacon. The 15 grams a day thing really does not apply to unrefined coconut foods (but it is super important that the coconut be unrefined! For example, coconut oil is only good if it is extra virgin—organic is even better, but it must be extra virgin.) We actually did an article explaining all this a while back. And we talk about it in more detail in our most recent Clean Cuisine book too. But for now, please check out the article in the link below and let me know if you have any other questions. https://cleancuisine.com/is-the-saturated-fat-in-coconut-harmful/
Diane Hornsby says
Hi Ivy, thanks for the information. I have your book published 2013 ( not sure if this is the latest edition) and I’ve read it twice ( perhaps not well enough!). I’ve just gone to the index at the back and can see several entries for coconut oil, so I’ll read them again and look at the link you’ve suggested as well. Thanks for replying – you have been an inspiration to me since I was diagnosed. A real light at the end of the tunnel, and I go to your website and book whenever I’m having a bit of a crisis – I always come away feeling positive again,, so a big thank you for that. Xxx
Ivy Larson says
Oh Diane, you are so sweet. Thank you so much for your kind words. You just totally made my day 😉 Please do let me know if you have any other questions. xoxo
Pat says
I am on day 1. I am going on a 700 Kilometer hike at the end of September and hope to lose some weight and get fitter before I go. This seems like a healthy and sensible way to do it. Hope I’m up for the challenge!
Ivy Larson says
Good Luck Pat!!! Keep us all posted on how it goes =) Wishing you great success!!
Cathy says
Hi Ivy,
I bought the Clean Cuisine cookbook as soon as it came out, and try to eat your clean, anti inflammatory diet as much as I can. My challenge is that I suffer from ideopathic gastroparesis, and there are times when my stomach can’t handle all of the fiber. There are also certain things that I just can’t eat because they cause my sensitive tummy great distress (cruciferous veggies unless cooked to mush, kale, oatmeal, etc.). Sometimes I can only manage to eat white pasta and rice. I often have to get a lot of fruits and veggies in my smoothies, or eat them cooked rather than raw. Any advice on modifications for those of us who are having a gastroparesis flare up??
Ivy Larson says
Oh Cathy, I completely understand. You know, the first thing I would start is a probiotic supplement and also start incorporating NON-DAIRY probiotic-rich foods into your diet (such as REAL saurekraut, miso soup, Kombucha, etc.) this should help for sure. Also, you want to increase your intake of fiber slowly….so just try adding a bit more fruits and veggies every 4 or 5 days or so. Taking digestive enzymes can also be very helpful! Try these things first and then let me know how it goes in a few weeks. Good luck!!
Alana says
Do you need Vitamix for this cleanse? I have a Ninja and know it’s not as good as Vitamix. Will that suffice or do I need a food processor also?
Ivy Larson says
Hi Alana, No, you don’t need a Vitamix, the Ninja will work fine for the Challenge—but, if you decide to get really “into” it, then you will definitely want to pick up a good quality high-speed blender such as a Vitamix (did you know you can get a certified reconditioned one for $379 (including free shipping & 5-year warranty) This is what I did actually and mine works amazing! You can read more about it here: https://cleancuisine.com/cooking-with-a-vitamix-enabled-me-to-truly-eat-clean/ –Good luck with the Challenge!!!
Jim says
Hi Ivy –
Single guy, working tons of hours a week. I have been grabbing rotisserie chickens from the grocery store for convenience sake – I tried to look at the label because I fear these are high in sodium but there are no labels. I emailed the store for nutritional facts but they have not responded. What are your thoughts on rotisserie chickens?
Thanks
Jim
Ivy Larson says
Hi Jim,
I wouldn’t worry so much about the sodium in the rotisserie chicken as I would how the chicken was raised / what the chicken itself was fed (because ultimately the health of the chicken will affect YOU –the chicken eater!) We talk a lot about this in our Clean Cuisine book in the protein chapter, but here is a short little article explaining a bit more about what to look for when buying animal foods below:
https://cleancuisine.com/clean-cuisine-challenge-day-52-super-clean-protein-sources/
Hope this helps? –ivy
Kirsten says
With the amount of pain I feel on a daily basis, and the number of meds I need just to feel like I can function, I finally decided I’d had enough and was ready to try an anti-inflammatory diet; however, I’m running into many problematic recipes. I just looked over the Week 1 menu and saw so many nuts! I am allergic to nuts. No walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamias…I’m not sure how to customize all of this to my needs while avoiding allergies. I would really appreciate any help!
Ivy Larson says
Hi Kirsten, Oh my gosh not to worry, you can absolutely eliminate the nuts. How about hemp seeds? Are you allergic to hemp seeds? Typically this is a food that very few people are allergic to and it is a great one for making a lot of non-dairy creamy sauces, shakes, etc. and for the most part you can substitute hemp seeds for the other nuts without having to change the amount used, liquid, etc.
Chella says
Hi Kristen….today is day one for me and I am a little nervous!!! I have tried every diet, diet pill, out there……My main goal is to “restart” my metabolism and lose weight. Not counting carbs, fat, calories makes me apprehensive a little, but I tried it all and still not at my goal weight ….so I am doing something different and putting all faith into your challenge!!!
Chella
Kristen says
I made the veggie soup on Saturday and it is wonderful…I’ll be eating it all week.
Ivy Larson says
oh good! so happy to hear you like it Kristen. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!