Dr. Leslie S. Emhof, MD

12/13/2019

Helpful article on sleep

The Recipe for Better Sleep
By Dr. Phil Roberts, M.D.


Are you getting your 40 winks every night? I hope so.

Some troubling new research shows the average American isn't... and it affects them as many as 300 days out of the year.

Sleep deprivation costs the U.S. economy a whopping $411 billion each year from accidents and lost productivity.

But a lack of sleep takes a far bigger toll than just on the economy.

Missing the Mark

Everything our body does requires time to recuperate. And not getting enough sleep leads to the following:
• Impaired memory
• An inability to learn new things
• Slower reaction time
• Increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease
• Weak immune system
• Increased risk of cancer
• High blood pressure and heart disease.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night in order to function properly and avoid developing sleep-related issues.

But millions of adults - nearly half of the country - aren't hitting that mark.

The American Sleep Association reports that nearly 40% of adults unintentionally fall asleep during the day at least once a month. That might not sound like a big deal, but "daytime sleepiness" has shown to increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 56%.6

Simply put, not getting enough sleep speeds up the aging process and increases the likelihood of death from any cause.7

But the typical solution isn't what this doctor orders...



An Epidemic

We're dealing with an epidemic of sleeplessness.

And it's caused many people to head to the pharmacy, seeking a quick and easy solution.

I get it. Not being able to fall asleep at night can feel like a helpless struggle...

But sleep-inducing drugs don't actually help the underlying causes of sleeplessness. They can, however, provide people with hallucinations, sleepwalking, amnesia and depression.

Researchers at the Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Center in California also found taking sleeping pills resulted in a 35% greater risk of developing cancer.8

All of that risk comes with the benefit of being able to fall asleep - on average - just 13 minutes faster and a total increased sleep time of 11 minutes.

That's nuts!

So here are a few tried-and-true ways to ensure a better night's sleep and feel more rested, refreshed and healthy.

Six Tips for Better Sleep

For starters, put away your phone. Our various screens are known to inhibit our ability to fall asleep. That's because the blue light they give off disrupts our circadian rhythm and convinces us to stay awake longer. So tuck your phone away at least an hour before bed.

On that same note, even the slightest bit of light (natural or otherwise) can disrupt your pineal gland's production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

So make your bedroom as dark as possible. Ditch the night lights. Turn the digital alarm clock away from you. Put blackout curtains on the bedroom windows. And if that's not an option, wear a sleep mask.

When it's time to sleep, temperature matters too. When it's too hot or too cold, the body isn't very good at shutting down for the night. You want to keep the thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees.

When we sleep, our internal temperature lowers. So mimicking the process by lowering the external temperature is more conducive to sleep.

That may be a bit cooler than you're used to - especially in the winter - but it will help you fall asleep quicker and get more restful sleep. Not to mention it'll save you a couple bucks on your energy bill in the process.

Set a sleeping pattern and stick to it. Going to bed and waking up at the same time - even on the weekends - will help your body establish a rhythm, making it easier to train your body to get the right amount of sleep.

Avoid eating and drinking at least two hours before bed. This will reduce the chance that you'll need to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

Relax with sound. Some people find that white noise machines or nature sounds help block out the chaos going on in our minds.

Once you have your environment as conducive as possible for falling asleep, here's my favorite trick to speed up the journey to the land of nod.

The Cherry on Top

Tart cherry juice is quite possibly the crème de la crème of nature's sleep aids.

It's rich in melatonin, which, as we mentioned earlier, is the hormone responsible for inducing sleep.

It also contains anthocyanins and tryptophan, both of which help the body create melatonin and extend its effects.

One study demonstrated that two 8-ounce glasses of tart cherry juice per day increased sleep time by an average of 85 minutes.9

Take that, Big Pharma and your sleeping pills!

Tart cherry juice was also found to be even more effective at reducing the symptoms of insomnia than taking just a melatonin supplement.10

If you want to double down on your sleep-inducing beverages, pick up some ashwagandha. This is a powerful herb with stress-relieving and antioxidant properties.

It can be found infused in teas, in supplements or as a standalone powder. If taken in powder form, you can try mixing just a half teaspoon with 6 ounces of warm milk, a hearty splash of cherry juice and a dash of nutmeg for a deliciously relaxing sleep aid.

Sleep Tight

Dealing with the occasional restless night is one thing.

But more and more Americans are waking up to the fact that they have chronic sleeplessness.

Because of how damaging this can be on our mind, body and spirit, it's unacceptable.

Sleep shouldn't be a chore. It's a necessity.

And persistent loss of sleep has seriously damaging effects on your health.

So if you're dealing with chronic sleeplessness, try some of these tricks to start waking up on the right side of the bed again.

To your health,

Dr. Phil Roberts, M.D.

Note: Get more natural health solutions like these by signing up for Practical Health Today. This free daily email newsletter is full of tips and tricks to conquer what ails you. Click here to be automatically added to the list.
References
1. http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3307962/
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197458014002036
4. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.328.2708&rep=rep1&type=pdf
5. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/sleep-deprivation/faq-20057959
6. https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=190718
7. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100607065559.htm
8. http://www.center4research.org/trouble-sleeping-pills-not-safe-solution/
9. https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.830.9
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20438325

Dr. Robert Stickgold describes studies that show the importance of sleep in memory consolidation after learning a new task.watch video

08/19/2019

The following article by Dr Pescatore is almost verbatim of what I have been saying.

Dear Reader,
I’ve never been one to buy into the cholesterol myth…ever.

In fact, for most people, I don’t think cholesterol matters one bit. Which is why I’ve long been a vocal opponent against the stringent guidelines that the powers-that-be enforce by overprescribing statin medications to virtually anything that breathes.

I’ve been a doctor long enough to see past the numbers. I’ve watched “normal” total cholesterol thresholds drop from 300… to 200… and now to 150—along with corresponding drops in thresholds for LDL (the supposedly “unhealthy” cholesterol).

I became particularly alarmed when that number bottomed out to 70. Because despite what conventional wisdom might have you believe, this is one department where lower isn’t always better.

In fact, it can kill you. And if you want proof, just keep reading…
Low LDL more than doubles stroke risk

A recent study of nearly 100,000 people has delivered even more evidence linking low LDL cholesterol to intracranial cerebral hemorrhage (ICH)—in other words, a stroke caused by bleeding in your brain.

I’m not talking about a weak association, either. The results of this study showed that subjects with an LDL below 70 mg/dL had 65 percent higher odds of ICH over the course of nine years.

And subjects with an LDL below 50? Well, they had a 169 percent higher riskcompared to subjects with LDL levels between 70 and 99.

So you know what that means? All of those statin medications can more than double your stroke risk, depending on how low your doc likes to keep your LDL cholesterol levels.

And get this: There was no significant difference in risk among those with LDL levels between 70 to 99 and those with LDL levels of 100 or greater. So these rock bottom targets aren’t just dangerous… they’re downright unnecessary.

Of course, there were also those subjects with cholesterol levels that were naturallythat low to begin with. And the truly scary part here is that results didn’t change significantly when researchers excluded patients taking statins or blood thinners.

Which means that low LDL cholesterol is an independent health risk, regardless of how you get there.

Even “bad” cholesterol does a body good

If this isn’t a wake-up call to cardiologists and patients alike, it should be.

Tell me this: How many times has your doctor told you that you need to have your LDL below 70, or even at 70? More times than you can count, I’m sure. So now you know: Listening to that advice will seriously increase your risk for a bleed into your brain—the worst type of stroke you can suffer.

At this point, you may be wondering, why? Well, the simple answer is that, despite mainstream medicine’s efforts to vilify it, our bodies need cholesterol to function. Not least of all because it plays a key role in the structural formation of your cell membranes—it literally holds your body together.

Lower it too much, and of course you’re inviting serious problems. That’s just plain common sense.

Source:

“Low LDL Means Higher Hemorrhagic Stroke Risk.” Medscape Medical News, 07/08/2019. (medscape.com/viewarticle/915359)

Low LDL cholesterol levels may raise the risk for intracerebral hemorrhage, say researchers who assessed more than 96,000 study participants.

07/26/2018

Another study emphasizing the incredible importance of adequate Vit D levels.

Greater levels of vitamin D associated with decreased risk of breast cancer

A combined data set from two randomized clinical trials with 3,000 participants and a prospective study with an additional 1,700 participants examined the association between serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels and female breast cancer risk. The data showed that women with vitamin D levels of 60 ng/mL or higher had an 80% lower breast cancer risk than women with vitamin D blood levels less than 20 ng/mL. The data was collected from 2012-2017 and participants were women ages 55 and older (average age, 65) who were cancer free on enrollment and followed for a mean of four years.

Of note: The National Academy of Medicine recommends vitamin D levels of at least 20 ng/mL solely to support bone health.


McDonnell S, Baggerly C, French C, et al. Breast cancer risk markedly lower with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations greater than 60 vs less than 20 ng/mL (150 vs 50 nmol/L): Pooled analysis of two randomized trials and a prospective cohort. PloS One 2018 June 15;13(6): e0199265. doi: 10.1371

07/25/2018

New study on hormones and Dementia

Neurology Advisor Contributing Writer
July 24, 2018
Hormone Replacement Therapy Associated With Reduced Dementia Risk in Postmenopausal Women
Individuals who underwent 2 to 5 years of hormone replacement therapy experienced the greatest risk reduction.

The following article is part of conference coverage from the 2018 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Neurology Advisor's staff will be reporting breaking news associated with research conducted by leading experts in neurology. Check back for the latest news from AAIC 2018.

CHICAGO — Postmenopausal women who undergo hormone replacement therapy have a lower risk for dementia than those who do not – an effect that was optimized with 2 to 5 years of therapy. Subgroup analysis revealed similar results for both vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease. This research was presented at the 2018 Alzheimer's Association International Conference, held July 22-26, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.
The study included data from 4,485,775 women between the ages of 40 and 84 in the Republic of Korea. Participants underwent both breast cancer screening and national health screening. Self-reporting was used to gather medical information regarding status of hormone therapy, gynecological history, and obstetric history. Multivariable logistic regression models and cross-sectional analysis were used to assess data.
Analysis revealed that postmenopausal women who underwent hormone replacement therapy were as much as 19% less likely to experience dementia than those who did not. Individuals who underwent 2 to 5 years of hormone replacement therapy experienced the greatest risk reduction (odds ratio [OR] 0.818; 95% CI, 0.79-0.85), followed by individuals who underwent less than 2 years (OR 0.861; 95% CI, 0.84-0.88), and lastly by individuals who underwent over 5 years (OR 0.881; 95% CI, 0.79-0.85). Similar effects were observed for vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease. These data were adjusted for parity, breastfeeding, smoking status, exercise practices, diabetes, levels of lipids, age, use of oral contraception, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and hypertension.
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The researchers concluded that “the use of postmenopausal [hormone replacement therapy] for less than 5 years greatly reduced the risk of dementia in the general population of Korean women.”
For more coverage of AAIC 2018, click here.
Reference
Koo Y, Han K, Baek M, et al. Hormone replacement therapy and risk of dementia in postmenopausal women: A nationwide cohort study. Presented at: 2018 Alzheimer's Association International Conference. July 22-26, 2018; Chicago, IL. Abstract 24221.

04/24/2018

Diabetes, Sweeteners May Have Link, Study Suggests

Diabetes and obesity could be linked to artificial sweeteners, a new study has found.
Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University believe that zero-calorie sweeteners could change the way the body metabolizes fat and gets its energy, Newsweek reported.
They also found that acesulfame potassium, a component commonly found in artificial sweeteners, accumulated in the blood and posed a harmful effect on the cells that line blood vessels.
Experts have blamed the over consumption of sugar as the main culprit behind the obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic in the U.S., The Guardian reported.
However, new research is finding that sugar replacements could pose just as dramatic health concerns as sugar.
"In our studies, both sugar and artificial sweeteners seem to exhibit negative effects linked to obesity and diabetes, albeit through very different mechanisms from each other," lead researcher Brian Hoffmann, assistant professor in the department of biomedical engineering at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University said in a statement.
The team fed rats large amounts of either sugar or commonly used zero-calorie artificial sweeteners. After three weeks, the researchers saw significant differences in the concentrations of biochemicals, fats and amino acids in blood samples.
"We observed that in moderation, your body has the machinery to handle sugar; it is when the system is overloaded over a long period of time that this machinery breaks down," Hoffmann said. "We also observed that replacing these sugars with non-caloric artificial sweeteners leads to negative changes in fat and energy metabolism."
The jury is still out on which is worse for health, sugar or artificial sweeteners, but these recent findings reflect what other experts have been saying in recent months.
A separate study presented in March at the 100th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Chicago noted that low-calorie sweeteners could put individuals at a greater disposition to developing prediabetes and diabetes, particularly if they were obese.
"Our stem cell-based studies indicate that low-calorie sweeteners promote additional fat accumulation within cells compared with cells not exposed to these substances, in a dose-dependent fashion--meaning that as the dose of sucralose is increased more cells showed increased fat droplet accumulation," Sabyasachi Sen, associate professor of medicine at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.
Another study published in the journal Nature suggested that the over consumption of artificial sweeteners could induce glucose intolerance by altering gut microbiota.
Despite these findings, Aisling Pigott, a qualified dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, told Newsweek that the results should be approached with caution.
"Overuse or excessive use of any products—including sugar or sweeteners—is not beneficial to health," Pigott said. "In summary, having sweeteners is absolutely fine, but vast amounts or not addressing the other areas of your diet will not be helpful to address concerns around weight."

03/25/2018

For those of you with gluten sensitivity, if reducing them has not seemed to make much difference, then you may be suffering from lectin sensitivity also. Here is an article that has a lot of basic information and helpful suggestions.

How to Reduce Lectins in Your Diet

Story at-a-glance
• Many lectins are proinflammatory, immunotoxic, neurotoxic and cytotoxic. Certain lectins may also increase blood viscosity, interfere with gene expression and disrupt endocrine function
• Among the most problematic lectin-containing foods are corn, corn-fed meats, casein A1 milk, peanuts, cashews and unfermented soybeans. These are best avoided altogether
• High-lectin foods such as legumes and grains can be made safe to eat by proper soaking and cooking. Sprouting, fermenting and removing skins and seeds will also help reduce lectins in your diet
By Dr. Mercola
Lectins1 — sugar-binding plant proteins that attach to cell membranes — may be a hidden source of weight gain and ill health, even in an otherwise healthy diet. In fact, since lectins are present in most plant foods, if you're eating a whole food diet yet find yourself still struggling with weight gain and/or stubborn health problems, lectins may well be a hidden culprit.
Many lectins are proinflammatory, immunotoxic, neurotoxic and cytotoxic. Certain lectins may also increase blood viscosity, interfere with gene expression and disrupt endocrine function.
The problem with recommending an altogether lectin-free diet is that this would eliminate most plant foods,2 which should ideally make up the bulk of your diet. Moreover, in small amounts, some lectins can be quite beneficial,3 so 100 percent avoidance is likely neither possible nor ideal. They key then becomes finding a happy medium where the worst lectins are avoided, and the effect of others are tempered through proper preparation and cooking.
How Lectins Can Wreck Your Health
Before we get into strategies to reduce lectins in your diet, let's review the reasons why. As explained in Dr. Steven Gundry's4 book, "The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in 'Healthy' Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain," some plant lectins can contribute to leaky gut by binding to receptor sites on your intestinal mucosal cells, thereby interfering with the absorption of nutrients across your intestinal wall.
As such, they act as "antinutrients," and can have a detrimental effect on your gut microbiome by shifting the balance of your bacterial flora. Among the worst culprits are wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), found in wheat and other seeds in the grass family.5
Compared to WGA, gluten is a minor problem. According to Gundry, WGA is actually one of the most efficient ways to induce heart disease in experimental animals. Lectins in general are strongly associated with autoimmune disorders, so anyone struggling with a dysfunctional immune system may want to seriously consider experimenting with a low-lectin diet.
Download Interview Transcript
One way by which lectins causes harm is through molecular mimicry. By mimicking proteins in your thyroid gland or joint spaces, for example, lectins can cause your body to attack your thyroid and contribute to rheumatoid arthritis. Part of these disease processes is the pe*******on of the gut wall by lectins and their co-travelers, lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), also known as endotoxins, which tend to elicit very strong immune responses.
Lectin-Rich Foods Best Avoided Entirely
While it may be near-impossible to avoid all lectins, seeing how they're found in most plant foods, your first step would be to eliminate the worst offenders. If you have any kind of health problem in which lectins are a suspected contributor, it would be wise to eliminate the following entirely:6
•Corn
•Corn-fed meats. This includes most meats sold in grocery stores. To avoid factory farmed, corn-fed meat, make sure the meat you buy is certified grass fed by the American Grassfed Association.
•Casein A1 milk. Casein A2 is the normal protein in milk, present in sheep, goats, water buffalos and some Jersey cows' milk. Unfortunately, most cows today are casein A1 producers. Most store-bought milk will be A1, even if it's organic. The A1 protein is metabolized in your gut to make beta-casomorphin, which can attach to the beta cell of your pancreas and incite an autoimmune attack.
Many who believe they're lactose intolerant are actually just responding to the casein A1 in the milk. If you're going to drink milk, make it raw milk from organic, grass fed casein A2-producing cows. Jersey cows may produce either A1 or A2 casein, so you'll need to confirm the type of milk produced with the farmer. Holsteins are A1 producers and should be avoided.
•Peanuts, cashews and unfermented soybean products. If you want to eat soy, make sure it's traditionally fermented.
High-Lectin Foods to Eat Sparingly
The following foods are also high in lectins, but at least here you have a choice: You can either avoid these foods or eat them sparingly, and when you do, make sure you prepare and cook them properly. Research demonstrates that by sprouting, fermenting, soaking and cooking high-lectin foods, lectin content is dramatically reduced, making them safe to eat for most people. This group includes:7,8,9,10
• Legumes (plant seeds in pods, such as peas and beans11)
• Grains, especially whole grains
• Nightshade fruits and vegetables (such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers and goji berries, just to name a few)
• Curcubita (gourd) family fruits such as squash, pumpkin and zucchini
Among the legumes, some beans are also lower in lectins than others, making them a safer bet.12 Among the moderate-to-low lectin varieties are rice beans, cowpeas, broad beans, lupin seeds, Great Northern beans and Pinto III cultivars. Among the lowest, and therefore the safest, are Polish pea varieties, cooked and raw green beans and lentils.13
High-to-moderate varieties best avoided if you're susceptible to lectins are white kidney beans and soybeans. Red kidney beans are among the highest of all. For comparison, white kidney beans contain one-third of the hemagglutinating units of toxic phytohemagglutinin found in raw red kidney beans, and broad beans contain just 5 to 10 percent of the lectins found in red kidney beans.
Beans — Proper Prep and Cooking Guidance
If you choose to eat beans, be sure to prepare and cook them properly. While absolutes are rarely called for, a warning is appropriate here: NEVER eat raw or undercooked beans, as they can have acute, toxic effects. As little as five beans can cause a reaction reminiscent of food poisoning. To make beans safe to eat, be sure to:
• Soak the beans in water for at least 12 hours before cooking, frequently changing the water. Adding baking soda to the soaking water will boost the neutralization of lectins even further.14
• Rinse the beans and discard the water used for soaking.
• Cook for at least 15 minutes on HIGH heat. Cooking beans on too-low a heat can actually increase toxicity levels up to five times or more.15 Avoid any recipe calling for dry bean flour, as the dry heat of your oven will not efficiently destroy the lectins. The best way to destroy lectins is to use a pressure cooker like the InstaPot.16,17
How to Optimize Health Benefits of Potatoes
The lectin content in potatoes (a member of the nightshade family) will also be reduced by cooking, although these lectins tend to be more resistant to heat than those in beans. In the case of potatoes, cooking will reduce the lectin content by 50 to 60 percent. You can also boost the nutritional value of potatoes by chilling them after cooking.
This increases the digestive-resistant starch in the potatoes — fibers that resist digestion in the small intestine and slowly ferment in your large intestine, where they act as prebiotics that feed healthy bacteria.18
As an example, roasted and cooled potatoes contain 19 grams of resistant starch per 100 grams, whereas steamed and cooled potatoes contain 6 grams and boiled, cooled potatoes contain a mere 0.8 grams.19,20 Additionally, since they're not digestible, resistant starches will not result in blood sugar spikes. In fact, research suggests resistant starches help improve insulin regulation, reducing your risk of insulin resistance.21,22,23,24
Safe Lectins
Of the plant foods that are the safest, in terms of lectin content, are asparagus, garlic, celery, mushrooms and onions. Other excellent choices that you can eat without restrictions are:
• Cooked tubers (root vegetables) such as sweet potatoes, yucca and taro
• Leafy greens
• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts
• Avocados (while avocados contain high amounts of lectins,25 these lectins are safe and healthy. Research26 shows that the specific type of lectin found in avocado, persea Americana agglutinin,27 is devoid of specificity for carbs; it interacts with proteins and polyamino acids instead)
• Olives and authentic extra-virgin olive oil
Other Ways to Reduce Lectins in Your Diet
Aside from eliminating the worst offenders and cooking certain high-lectin foods properly, other ways to reduce lectins in your diet include:
•Peeling and deseeding your fruits and vegetables, as the skin or hull and seeds tend to contain the highest amounts. For example, if you're on a lectin-restricted diet, you may be able to eat deskinned almonds, but not almonds with the skin on.
•Opting for white grains over brown. This tip, suggested by Gundry, does run contrary to most recommendations that say brown varieties are healthier than white, but in this case, white rice and white bread may actually be preferable.
Keep in mind, though that the only way to make bread safe to eat on a lectin-restricted diet is by raising the bread according to traditional methods, using yeast or sourdough, which effectively breaks down the gluten and other harmful lectins. You'd be hard-pressed to find this in your local grocery store, so you'd either have to buy it from a traditional artisan or bake it yourself.
You'll also want to make sure the grain is organic, as most non-organic wheat grown in the U.S. is desiccated with glyphosate. This herbicide, which is toxic in and of itself, also potentiates gluten in people who are not even gluten-sensitive and interferes with your liver's ability to manufacture the active form of vitamin D. It also chelates important minerals, disrupts the shikimate pathway, decimates your microbiome and increases leaky gut, which allows more of the LPSs into your bloodstream.
•Sprouting seeds, grains and beans will deactivate lectins, although there are exceptions. For example, lectin content is actually enhanced when sprouting alfalfa.28
•Fermenting will also effectively reduce harmful lectins.29 When it comes to soy, fermented soy products are the only ones worthy of consumption. Sourdough is another example of a fermented product that makes bread safe to eat, in part by deactivating lectins. Of course, all sorts of vegetables can be fermented, thereby boosting their health benefits.
•Using a pressure cooker. Plant lectins are most effectively neutralized when cooked in a pressure cooker, so this handy kitchen gadget may be a worthwhile investment. Many swear by the InstaPot,30 which is a multipurpose pressure cooker. Avoid slow cookers, as they will actually increase lectin content due to the low temperature used.
A study31 that compared the phytic acid content of soaked peas that were then either boiled regularly or cooked in a pressure cooker found pressure cooking reduced phytic acid content by 54 percent, compared to 29 percent through regular boiling. Pressure cooking may also preserve more nutrients than other cooking methods.
Limit but Don't Eliminate All Lectins
In summary, while I believe lectins have the potential to wreak havoc on health, complete avoidance is neither possible nor ideal. Conducting an online search for "lectin-rich foods" will yield lists that are so long, they basically encompass the entire vegetable kingdom. You cannot eliminate them all, and since SOME lectins have health benefits, you wouldn't want to, either.
The key is to identify the worst culprits, cut those out, and make sure you prepare and cook certain high-lectin foods properly to make them safer to eat. Naturally, your individual situation will determine just how strict you need to be. Many people, especially those with autoimmune disorders, tend to be particularly sensitive to specific lectins found in specific foods.
So, experimentation may be needed to identify them. As a general rule, I recommend paying particular attention to lectins if you are currently eating a healthy, whole food diet yet continue to have health problems. While not a guarantee for success, eliminating or reducing lectins just might be the missing key to your healing.