30 Day Transformation
With uncertainty still ahead, here is your
chance to 'clean up' your eating habits. May is a transformative month on its
own. Spring is in the air and we feel the end of winter more and more. Below, I
have laid out for you 3 levels of challenge. You may feel like you want to ease
into an elimination or perhaps you're ready for a full diet overhaul.
Before I continue I want to note that this and future posts are an effort stay positive and make healthy lifestyle changes. If you need mental health assistance you could read my blog posts: Finding Balance or Making It Through Tough Times, or please reach out for assistance.
Continuing with my article.
From beginner to advanced, you can jump in at any level. If it's not working for you then move into a different level. Make sure it's right for you.
Keep in mind this is not a 30 day diet. You may end up losing weight but the true intention here is to give your body whole nutrients and allow your cells to function properly, creating a healthier body. It's a chance to break free from dieting and make lasting changes in your daily routine. Before you start. Write down the last 3 days of meals. Also make note how much water you drank, alcohol, coffee etc. Really look it over to decide where you want to begin.
There are potentially toxic foods in our everyday meals. I am not going to go into detail as to why you should remove these foods, but you may want to research them.
Here are the top 10 foods that you should reduce or eliminate and a healthier alternative.
Sugar. Replace white refined sugar with raw sugar, or unpasteurized honey.
Salt. Replace white table salt with rock sea salt.
Whole wheat. Replace whole wheat with Ezekiel bread or rye bread.
Margarine. Replace margarine with real whole butter (buy the good stuff) or olive oil.
Packaged frozen meals. Replace with home cooked meals.
Packaged nut bars or store bought granola. It's so easy to make your own.
Alcohol. Reduce or eliminate alcohol, replace with water.
Fruit juice. Always eat whole unprocessed fruit.
Soda. Drink water.
Deli meats. Replace with real meat.
Level 1 - The Beginner - Elimination
Week by week you will be eliminating 1 or 2 unhealthy foods and replacing them with healthier options. By the end of 30 days you should be ready to move into the intermediate level 2.
You should have already written down your daily eating habits. This will help you identify what foods need to go first. The first week you should eliminate the most toxic food and replace it with a healthier option. For example:
Remove candy bars - replace with sweet fruit (not fruit juice). Also, be mindful of portion size; one large orange is 2 portions.
By replacing the candy bar with fruit you will be getting loads of nutrients, fiber and water. There is no benefit to your body to eat candy and candy bars. I know they taste good, that's the sugar factor and our brain's need for the 'sugar high'.
Trust me those unhealthy foods will always be there. If you really need a cheat meal, go out and have all of your favorite foods, have dessert then let it go, but do not bring any unhealthy leftovers home. You are not punishing or depriving yourself by eliminating unhealthy foods, you are simply acknowledging that you are taking control and want better health. It is in your hands.
Keep a journal. This will help you identify when you have crashes during the day and how you are feeling. Be prepared with snacks so that you don't allow your body to go longer than 5 hours without food. This will keep your blood sugar more stable and your energy consistent throughout the day. At night try not to snack, this is where many people fall off track. Make sure you have eaten enough for dinner to get you through to the next morning.
You should be planning your meals, either the night before or in the morning. If you don't have a game plan you are more likely to make bad food choices. This transformation is all about making smarter choices and creating a healthier body.
During your time in level 1 you can start practicing with whole food meals. Try to be prepared before you go to the grocery store. Find a recipe or just write down the meal you want to explore. That way when you shop you know exactly what you're looking for, always be prepared.
If you're doing well eliminating and want to move into a higher level before the end of 30 days that's terrific, you will start your count back at day 1.
If you stay in level 1, after 30 days you should move into level 2. Try not to fall back into your old habits, these are changes for life.
Level 2 - Intermediate - Whole Food Cycling
I would like to be clear that whole food does not mean raw food only. That's a whole other beast. Whole food cycling means you commit to days of whole foods only, cooked or raw, and other days will be combined with other types of food; packaged, canned and so on. On the days you incorporate other foods you should try to make the best choices possible. Read your labels. Packaged foods with 5 or less ingredients are your best options. If a packaged food has more than 5 ingredients read carefully. Chemical additives add to the shelf life of the food but you want to avoid toxic overload in your system; salt and sugar are big ones. To learn more about salt and sugar you could read my article Busting Diets.
When selecting your food buy fresh. Some frozen fruits and vegetables are fine but fresh is often better. When selecting meat try to avoid processed, these meats are loaded with other items and often chemicals. Again, buy fresh as often as you can.
If you are cooking your food try steaming your vegetables. You could also combine vegetables and meat in a baking dish and oven cook.
Smoothies are fine as long as you measure ingredients and use fresh fruits and vegetables.
Here is a smoothie example:
* 8 oz water
* 1-2 cups spinach or kale
* ¾ cup fruit
* 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
* 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
The above is just one example, you can adjust it however you like. Just keep in mind you are trying to load your body with as many nutrients as possible. It's best to remove dairy, alcohol, juice and grains on whole food days. The only exception is rice, as it is a seed not a grain. No more than ½ cup of rice in your meal, once on your whole food days. Your body may need time to adjust. I want you to really tune in to how you are feeling. Keep your journal with you and note your hunger throughout the day. It's ok to feel hungry. If it's not meal time drink a glass of water, if you're still hungry have a snack.
Here's the layout for level 2:
** Week 1 - two (2) days whole foods only
** Week 2 - three (3) days whole foods only
** Week 3 - four (4) days whole foods only
** Week 4 - five (5) days whole foods only
By week 5 you may want to move to the advanced level 3 which is 5 days of whole food with a few added tweaks.
You can eat raw, unsalted seeds and nuts often to help stave off hunger. Just be mindful of portions (¼ cup = 1 portion). Try to incorporate plant based protein daily; beans, nuts and lentils are great sources of plant based protein.
You can use spices and herbs to spruce up the flavor of your meals, but avoid seasonings as they are sodium based and typically not a good idea. If you need some recipes please use the Contact Me page and let me know.
Level 3 - Advanced - 85% Whole Foods Only
So you moved through the other levels and are now in level 3; or you were really gung-ho and jumped right in. Either way, welcome to hell.... Just kidding.
If you didn't read through level 2 scroll back to get some of the instructions. The only difference is you will be eating whole foods only 5 days a week. Level 3 has a 2 day leeway. Seven days a week of whole foods only can be very intensive, but if you want to try it go ahead.
Here's the layout:
Five (5) days every week you will eat whole foods only. Every day (7 days) you will replace one meal with a protein shake, example recipe in level 2.
You have 2 days of leeway to make other choices. You can use one of these days to do a cleanse day. This means liquids only. You can do homemade clear broth, tea, water or protein shakes. The other day you could incorporate other food items, just make sure you are selecting the very best quality of food. It's best if you separate the leeway days.
At the end of the 30 days you can ease back slightly as this may become difficult to maintain so give yourself a break once in a while and incorporate other foods, packaged etc. Just remember you have to be diligent not to fall back into your old habits. Making lasting changes means you have jumped in with both feet and you've made a commitment for health.
Some Additional Tips:
Stay hydrated. As you may be increasing your fiber intake you need to make sure you are drinking enough water. Soluble fiber soaks up water from your digestive tract. To ensure you are staying hydrated you need to increase your fluid intake. Clear herbal teas are fine but coffee does not count as water intake. The average person should drink 1 - 2 litres of water per day, if you are exercising you need to drink more.
Exercise. The body is meant to exercise every day; however if you are in level 3 be careful not to over do it on your liquid only days, no more than a 30 minute walk as your calorie intake may be low.
Be prepared. When you shop load up on whole food items so that you can easily prepare your meals.
Stay busy. We often eat when we are bored, this typically will happen in the evening. Ensure you have something to do to keep your mind off food. Go out for a walk, call a friend, take up a craft etc.
Remember you are making lasting changes for a healthier body. You can do anything you set your mind to. If you need help ask a friend to do the challenge with you.
I am open to any feedback. If you have questions/comments, or need help with recipes please use the Contact Me page to send me an email.
I would love to hear how you are doing.
Good luck!!