Protocol Phase 01 — The Gut Reset

What is the purpose of Phase 01?

Begin a gentle food based detox, while rebalancing the gut and hormones. Some people feel amazing…while other people experience some bummer detox symptoms. Some health challenges might get worse or flare but that should pass, keep going and remember, you are eating whole healthy foods. Your body loves extracting information from the food you eat, there so many amazing cofactors in food that supplements just can’t touch.

What can I expect in Phase 01?

Cravings & Taste Memories

A lot can come up in the first 4 weeks of the protocol. You might feel restricted, unhappy, and you might have crazy sugar or caffeine cravings. Totally natural. For most, food is one of the only things we have total control over, or it has total control over us. Bumping up against this is part of the healing process. Take the energy out of it. This protocol is about food as medicine. Is it boring? Sure, maybe and that’s ok. Resetting the body starts with resetting them Asshole tastebuds. 

Pro Tip: Celebrate small victories

How long will I be in Phase 01?

Phase one can last for 2 weeks or 3 months, just depends on how you are feeling and how your body is responding. Healing takes patience and time. Relax into it. 

Remember, you are opting into this crazy ass protocol. I called it the desperation diet in my book for a reason. LOL. It’s crazy and amazing. This is your reset. This protocol is the foundation of my health and well being to this day. I pretty much live it 80/20 and sometimes 100%. I hope you consider making this part of the foundation of your health too. My health and vitality has only gotten better over the past seven years.

Where do I start?

Chances are, your health has been out of balance for a long time.  I know this is hard to hear, but healing is a marathon, not a sprint. The body heals at the rate of cellular turnover, and not at the rate of our frustration or expectations. Healing with food takes time and patience.

Take a deep breath and try to relax into your journey; healing occurs in a relaxed parasympathetic state. True story. And remember, mastication is critical for healthy digestion. Chew well. Eat slowly. Try to be the last person eating instead of the first person done.

The Basic Rules

Why do we separate beans from fats? Fats bind up the soluble fiber. We want soluble fiber to bind with our bile and not our healthy fats. You want beans away from fats for two reasons:

1. In phase one, we will separate beans and fats to help your liver and excess hormones detox. When you combine beans and fats, they won't efficiently bind up enough bile for healing.  When your hormones and health feel balanced, combining beans and fats is all good (and I often do now), and yep, your beans will still bind up a negligible amount of your bile. But that's for later when you hit the longevity plan. 

2. Another great time to combine beans and fats is if you are an underproduced of hormones or constipated, but that's another story. So, to recap. Beans, aka your soluble fiber, binds with the bile your body drips and squirts and ushers out the fat-soluble toxins and excess hormones that have been recycling in your body and messing up your system. If you are trying to balance an overproduction of hormones or fix leaky gut stuff, you'll want to separate beans from fats multiple times a day. If you are struggling to get your bean snacks, you can eat bean snacks 20-40 minutes apart. It's only the fats you have to keep 90 minutes away.

HORMONE BALANCING

If you are trying to balance the overproduction of hormones you want to separate beans from fats multiple times a day. Why? So, your soluble fiber binds with the bile and ushers out the fat-soluble toxins and excess hormones that are messing up your amazing system.

General Rules:

Eat beans 90 min away from fats. Cooking with some of olive oil is fine for most protocols and if making a BIG ass batch of beans or soup. Working on severe hormonal issues? Cook mostly fat free. 

You can do the first few days by integrating beans slowly by doing them 2 tablespoons at a time, or if you are doing well with beans, go ahead and start with 1/4 cup. Don't feel the need to get all the suggested servings in at first. Listen to your body and hit up the symptom checker for your health imbalance and recommended amounts.

Some people get constipated when they have a lot of fiber. I suggest going with the smaller dose and going slow. Allow your body to adjust before increasing beans. DRINK LOTS OF ROOM TEMP OR WARM WATER.

See symptom checker for the right amount of beans for you! Feel free to play around with it. I honor and cherish the fact that we are all bio- individuals, and listening to our bodies is a crucial element to healing.

Please eat at least 1/2 cup of mixed veggies with each meal, and have more if you are having a salad or just love some veggies. Beans can make you feel pretty full. Fiber does that.

TIP:

You can also try blending them with broth or water and sip them all day long if on a high volume of beans.

WORKOUTS

Are you working out? Keep your workouts, low to moderate. Don't push it during this Protocol, it can work against your progress. Hiking, yoga, walking, pilates, weight training. No CrossFit, Orange Theory, F45, etc.

Final Words:

Please remember that healing is a wave. We don't heal in a straight line. You might start off feeling amazing on this Protocol and then hit a wall, have a flare or plateau. Part of you will want to quit. I mean, you miss pizza, sugar, and caffeine, right? Fuck this bean shit. Breathe, be in the bean shit storm, work through it. Why might this happen? So many factors at play. Stress shifts hormones, and shifted hormones can cause setbacks. It just happens, try to chill more and do less. Keep going. Ride the waves.

If you feel something is wrong, please see your doctor or go to the emergency room.

Removed for healing. Some of these items are not “bad.” But they might interfere with healing and thus are removed from this program. Once healthy, contemplate what works for you and your body.

Sweets: cakes, pies, cookies, doughnuts, chocolate, candy, ice cream, gelatin desserts, pudding, muffins, sweetened breads (such as pumpkin bread, zucchini bread), etc. 

Natural Sweeteners: honey, jam, jelly, syrup (even 100% pure maple syrup), molasses, etc. 

Artificial and Natural Artificial Sweeteners: Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, agave nectar, sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol, erythritol, mannitol, etc. 

Sweetened Beverages: Lemonade, flavored drinks mixes, hot chocolate, sports drinks, energy drinks, sodas (diet or regular, caffeine-free or not), etc. 

Caffeine: Coffee; black, green, orange pekoe and other caffeinated teas; over the counter caffeine pills including headache preparations that use caffeine. 

Fragrances and Perfumes: Including scented laundry products, soaps, shampoos, hair products, deodorants, body lotions, scented candles, aromatherapy (essential oils), etc. 

Dairy: Milk, cheese, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, buttermilk, kefir, ghee, etc. 

Note: This applies to all mammal milk/milk products not just cow’s milk/milk products. So, no dairy such as goat cheese, sheep milk, etc. 

Saturated Fats: fatty meats such as bacon, sausage, bratwurst, hotdogs, etc., butter margarine, lard, shortening, palm oil such as coconut oil, etc. 

Gum: Regular or artificially sweetened. 

Beverages Except for Water or Unsweetened Nut Milk: Such as almond or cashew, etc. 

Note: No coconut milk. 

Supplements: Vitamins, protein drinks, herbal preparations, minerals, oil supplements, etc. 

Soy Protein Products: Tofu, tempeh, miso, soy nuts, soy milk, etc. 

Note: Soy sauce and soybean oil are allowed. 

Fruit and Fruit Juice

Cinnamon- removed or minimized.

Alcohol

On Medications?

First and foremost, always consult with your Doctor or Pharmacist as I am neither.

For thyroid meds, they need to be taken 60-90 min away from fiber like beans - A lot of other meds can be taken with meals but if unsure, maybe take them with a fat snack vs. fiber to ensure fiber isn’t binding up any of your meds. If taking fat-soluble vitamins like D, or fish oils, definitely take them with a fat snack.

Symptoms Checker

Find your symptom, slowly work up to the desired amount of beans, hold that amount until results are reached, and then head to The Longevity Plan.

Healthy & wanting to be healthier:

Head to The Longevity Plan! Enjoy your fantastic health, you badass.

Mild acne / mild hormonal imbalance:

Start with 2 tbsp 4x a day and work up 1/4 or 1/3 cup beans 4x a day or do protocol as suggested. If you are 120lbs or more 1/3 cup, if under 1/4 cup. Eat your beans 20-40 min apart so you can get in all your beans, and create a 90 min window for a fat meal or snack. Some like to eat beans all morning and have a fat snack and meal at night while others like to start their day with fat and beans rest of day. 

Severe acne / Severe hormone imbalances:

Under 120lbs? Start with 2-3tbsp. beans 8-12x a day. Over 120lbs? Start with 1/4 cup beans 8-12x a day. Cystic acne? 2 tbsp. beans 10-12x a day, 20 min or more apart. Pay attention if nuts cause a flare and if so, use other fats like seeds, avocado, olive oil, hemp seeds, etc. Beans are the star of this program.

PCOS:

1/3 cup 6 separate times a day. Bean snacks can be 20 min apart and 90 min from fats. Beans are the star. If taking Metformin consider speaking with your Dr. About replacing it with Berberine. All natural and effective.

IBS-D:

Start with 2 tbsp 6x and slowly work up to 1/4 or 1/3 cup. Eat all simple steamed veggies like green beans, carrots, squash, white rice, lean protein, and cut fats till firm. Fats can increase motility and cause loose stools. Once loose stools have been resolved, slowly add in fats. Olive oil is an excellent way to start. Drizzle some on your steamed veggies. You are now free to hit the next Protocol if you have other imbalances. If not, head to the Longevity plan.

IBS-C:

First, try the protocol as is. If that doesn't help move things along, do this shift. Start with 1/2 cup of beans 3x a day combined w/ meals and fats. You will need about a cup and a half of whole salted nuts or 1/2 cup salted nut butter or 1/4 cup salted oils. If you don't do well with nuts, have seeds, avocado, olive oil etc. Drink 3-4 liters of hot or warm water all day long. When your constipation has resolved, you can separate beans from fats and continue working on other health imbalances or follow the Longevity plan. If this doesn't help, drop beans and just eat veggies, protein and fats. If that doesn't help, take Mag citrate in AM and PM till things are moving and then slowly decrease amount-slowly.

Don’t see your symptoms? Set up a coaching call for personalizations. Or email me: unique@youregreat.com

Notes for The Protocol

Feel free to shift portion sizes as needed. Try to do beans, as suggested. Need more food? Eat more Protocol, friendly foods. Feels like a lot of food? Eat less, but do try to eat the beans, proteins, and veggies. Let your body be your guide. Oh yeah, chew well and eat slowly.

The 1/2 cup serving size is for individuals who weight between 120-190 pounds. If under 120 pounds, reduce the serving size to 1/3 cup. If over 190 pounds, increase serving size to 2/3 cup. Palm-size of lean protein 3x a day.

I know that 100% right off that bat is not for everyone. Feel free to find your balance. 80/20? 90/10? 

Weightloss:

If wanting to lose weight you can do the less amount and replace some bean servings with husk if you do well with it. Husk serving is 1tsp for 1/4 cup and or 1/2 tsp husk for 2-3tbsp of beans. Gluten and grains are fine- unless trying to lose weight, allergic or celiac.

Fat snacks:

If eating your fat snack after dinner is hard due to not having enough time before bed, have it during the day 90 min from beans. Drop a bean snack or have one before bed. Some people crash late afternoon and like to have a fat snack 2-4 PM.

CAFFEINE:

For some giving up caffeine will be very hard, please feel free to wean off. Your hormonal health will thank you for getting off caffeine but feel free to take it easy. Cold turkey can be super hard. I suggest dropping down slowly and adding in more warm milk until you are having a warm cup of calm in the AM instead- see recipe in Beany Recipes on the blog. 

While you are weaning, please don't consume coffee till you have been up in the morning for at least 90 min. This will give time for your natural cortisol to rise.

What will I eat in Phase 01?

The Meal plans for Weeks one—four are shown below

Download the full meal plan, here.

Troubleshooting

Don't do well with beans?

Replace your beans with 1-2 teaspoons of husk 3x a day 90 min away from fats. Mix quickly and slug down fast. It gets nasty quick.

Sleep troubles?

Eat beans at night. Yet, I said that. Karen had me do it while I was healing myself. I worked, or at least I stopped waking up. I think it's because I didn't want to eat beans, but she swears it helps pull down the adrenaline that can wake us up at night or make it hard to fall asleep. I suggest blending beans and putting them in a hydro flask, making it easy to drink beans in the dark. Or take 1tsp of husk. Don't turn on lights; don't make a fuss. Drink beans, rinse and repeat if it feels like you have been awake for a while. Get morning and evening light to help set your internal sleep clock.

These days if I can't sleep I meditate with a mantra, or listen to some yoga Nidra or use the Reveri app to help with stress and sleep. I am not affiliated. Download it! https://www.reveri.com/the-neuroscience

Constipated?

If constipated. Drop husk, add olive oil on your veggies with every meal. Eat other fats with meals too. Drink warm water all day long to help relieve constipation. Increase your water. Go to 1/2 cup beans 3x a day with meals, and include 2tbsp of olive oil with meals. Eat fat snacks with or between meals. If that doesn't help, try adding in Mag Citrate in. Have before bed and in the Morning. Once pooping well, slowly ease off - slowly. Once constipation is relieved, try the protocol again. Eat all approved veggies.

Single and dating?

DON'T, I repeat DON'T talk about The Bean Protocol... unless you'd like to cut the date short. Also, eat beans before you go out. Have one glass of wine instead of the entire bottle or, better yet, don't drink. Otherwise, make healthy choices and enjoy yourself!

Loose Stools?

Eat super soft steamed veggies—green beans, carrots, peas, and squash. NO oils. White rice, lean protein, and 2 tablespoon of beans 6 x a day and slowly work up to 1/3 cup. After a few weeks of normal poops, slowly add in more cooked veggies and fats. Once resolved, try Protocol as suggested for your other symptoms. No spicy, and no tomatoes.

Trying to lose weight?

Cut all grains and cut down on starchy veggies.

Trying to gain weight?

Add 1/2 cup or more of whole grains to each meal. Brown rice, white rice etc. Also enjoy more healthy fats, nuts, olive oil, avocado etc. Increase starchy veggies. Rest.

Yeast or Mold issues?

Eat 2-3 tbsp of cooked garlic daily. If tolerated. 

UTI?

1 1/2 cup baking sodas in 2 inches of warm water. Sit for 20 min. Drain water and repeat. Drink a ton of water. Do this for a week, and make sure that nasty fucker is GONE. Don't stop. Listen to a podcast. Chill. If your UTI has not been resolved within the week or is severe, please see your Doctor.

Hungry while on the protocol?

Add some veggies to your bean snacks. Still hungry? Add a little protein. Still hungry? Have a fat snack like salted nuts 60- 90 min away from legumes. Drop a bean snack if need be.

Acid Reflux?

No spicy, no tomatoes, and for some, no nightshade veggies either. If reflux is bad, drink 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 4oz warm water.

PMS Strategies?

Drop your bean serving to 2 tbsp and have them 8-12 times a day starting three days before your cycle (or whenever your PMS symptoms begin), about 20-40-60 minutes throughout your day. After the 2nd day of your period, go back to Protocol.

An easy way to get in a lot of beans is to blend them with some broth and just drink all day.

Cystic Acne?

Use a baking soda splash for your face. Do this once daily. 1 tablespoon baking soda into 1 tablespoon water and mix creating a paste. Pat into your acne areas and let dry. Leave on for 20 min. Some stinging is reasonable, but if it causes acute irritation to discontinue.

Chronic Fatigue?

REST. No seriously. When you feel energized, resist the urge to drain that battery. It only feels full. It is not. Chill. This might take a while.

Low on Iron?

Cook in a cast iron skillet, eat animal protein, eat legumes, eat pumpkin seeds, spinach, and eat Vit C rich veggies to help absorb the iron.

Note:

Your cycle might shift, change in length, and move around in general. Super common. It should settle back down as you go on TBP. Also, note that the ovulation/cycle can cause a signifificant hormonal shift and cause a flare of your symptoms. Bean up!

Client Transformations from The bean Protocol™