May 2016 Nutrition Challenge

May 2016 Nutrition Challenge

It’s time to reset for the summer, fill those nutrition gaps and get serious for the next 30 days with the DHCF  Nutrition Challenge!

Here are some of the details:

When: May 1 – 30 (30 Days)

What: A nutrition challenge following the principles of the Paleo Nutrition and Whole 30

Specifics:

• 30 Days of focus and self commitment
• Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever affects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects (stomach issues, skin problems like eczema or acne, sleeping issues, stress issues, etc)  of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.”
• These 30 days can CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
• For the first week of the challenge you’ll track your quality of food. You can do so in two ways, with good old paper and pen or with your smart phone or device. After first week you can choose to continue tracking or stop.
• Number of points earned, percentage of weight and inches lost as well as change in benchmark workout will determine the winner. The prize for top male and female will be one month free membership. T

If you’ve done a nutrition challenge before, this is a great opportunity to take what you have already learned and make 1 or 2 additional tweaks to jumpstart your engine again. If you haven’t done a nutrition challenge before, this is for you! 30 days of active healthy nutrition is going to give you a HUGE positive and life changing result. Sleep better, be less stressed, feel and look great. This is your life, take charge of it! If you want to join put your name on the board and have a coach weigh you in and take measurements. If doing measurements before class please come a 10-15 minutes early, if its before 5:30AM let coach know your are coming the night before by email, [email protected]. Also the benchmark workout will be done May 2nd in all classes.

This nutrition challenge lasts for 30 days.
There’s some basic rules to the challenge.

• For the first week, you’ll be responsible for writing down everything you eat. You can do this in two ways: with paper and pen or app on smart phone. This will help you to become aware of what you are eating.
• You will start each day with 5 points and depending on how day goes may have to subtract points. You will be able to earn bonus points.
• You’ll track those points by marking them down on the Nutrition Points board at DHCF.

Finally to the food!

Here’s what to Chow Down on: “REAL FOOD”  Meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re totally natural and unprocessed.”

For some specifics check out the food guide. The first part of guide gives info on best and better choices and then “Chow Down List” gives more specifics. The stuff that’s at the bottom, stuff to “not regularly have” is stuff that you can stay away from for 30 Days! It’s not a life time, or forever, it’s 30 days. Don’t panic.

Some other important notes:

• Read food labels if they have them.
• DO NOT CONSUME:
• Sugar artificial sugars of any kind or added sugars with the exception of honey, agave, pure maple syrup (not the fake stuff),and stevia. They are to be used in moderation for cooking or if in a paleo prepared food. This does not mean yay! I can put stevia or sweetener in my coffee or tea.
• Alcohol.
• Grains (including but not limited to: wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn (not technically a grain but were putting it in here anyway), rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa.)
• Legumes (beans of all kinds black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, chickpeas, lentils, includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and anything that says “soy” including lecithin).
• Dairy (Includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream) Only exception is whey protein in a protein shake 30-45 minutes post workout. Whey protein is not to be used as meal replacement in a shake or bar form.

 

The only way that this really works is if you’re true for 30 days. The “it’s Friday!” after work cocktail can wait. There will be plenty of other co-workers birthdays to have cake at. Just not during these 30 days. You’re stronger then your temptations and more committed to yourself. If this is a dramatic step away from your typical nutrition, you can expect that the first 2 weeks will be a big challenge. You might feel tired, hungry all the time, maybe even moody. That’s your body fighting to break its old addictions.

It WILL get better and you’ll see great progress after those potential initial feelings. Stick it out. It’s worth it and it’s only 30 days.

 

The Whole30′s program write up says the and it is amazing how true it is:“It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime.

Don’t even consider the possibility of a “slip”. Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of doughnuts, there is no “slip”. You make a choice to eat something unhealthy. It is always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. Commit to the program 100% for the full 30 days. Don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even started.

You never, ever, ever HAVE to eat anything you don’t want to eat.”

And YOU CAN DO THIS. You’ve come this far. You want and are ready to do this. It’s a challenge, but nothing good ever came without one.

 

Point System

 5 Points –Everyone will start the day with 5 points, if you eat something not on the “Chow Down” list, you lose a point, more than one item you lose 2 points. So yes every time you eat something not on list you lose points, so there is a possibility of negative points.

Bonus Points

• For Exercise you’ll earn 2 points each day for coming to DHCF
• For Exercise you’ll earn 1 point per day for doing some kind of workout. If YOU say it was “exercise” for you, then it counts!
• For Mobilization you’ll earn 2 points each day when you do at least 10 minutes of stretching or mobilizing. You can do any type you like – even a yoga class counts.
• For Supplements you’ll earn 1 point each day for taking 2 grams of Fish Oil.

For Hydration you’ll earn 1 point each day for drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces of water…per day.

 

 

Food Guide

Looking and feeling healthy and getting great results are created by a lifestyle you design for yourself to achieve your well-being. It is an active process of becoming aware of and making good choices. What you will read below is not the rules. They are guides to follow. If one thing you read does not work for you, for example buying all organic because of food cost, then don’t buy organic but it’s still better to buy real fruits then to buy “fruit” snacks, know what I mean?

Organic, Local, Grass-Fed…what’s most important?!? 
Our food world is becoming more and more tainted with dangerous chemicals, growth and feeding “techniques” and food that is masked to be healthy but really isn’t. The use of fertilizers, pesticides, food additives; such as dyes and preservatives has become so prevalent that “artificial ingredients” are now out numbering “natural ingredients” on many food content labels. Many believe that this wide and continuous increase of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and chemical additives has a direct correlation to the rise in cancer rates and other health problems. Organic foods have rapidly becoming recognized as a logical alternative in this chemical-laden world. In a perfect world, we’d be able to get everything organically and from our own backyard. But in the world we live in, we do our best with what we can.

Keep these factors in mind when thinking about organic.

• If you must peel off a thick layer of skin before being able to eat the food, organic vs. non-organic is a toss up in preference.
• If the food has a thin/porous skin (apples, berries, peaches nectarines, plumbs…you can eat the skin) better to go with organic if you can.
• High quality meat is worth the extra dollars.
• When thinking about beef, grass fed is the way to go. Humans store toxins in their fat, and so do cows. Conventionally raised beef with a higher fat content (also known as marbling when looking at the meat) has more toxins. If eating conventionally raised meat, choose the leaner cuts. With Grass-fed beef, there is never thick marbling, meat is naturally lean.
• Look for sales and stock up on cuts of meat you like when they are on sale.
• Wild caught vs. farm raised fish is another debate and recommendations are very much the same as for beef. Wild caught if possible.
**Cost of food matters, we know, make the decisions that you are able to. Getting farm raised instead of wild caught salmon is better then the alternative of a pasta dinner.

The main idea is to choose food that is close to home, natural and seasonal. If it’s the middle of winter and you’re eating an apple that doesn’t grow until summer, where did it come from? How long has it been since it was picked? What chemicals are on it to keep it from going bad and having it say like it was just picked? Use your head and think wisely!

 

The Chowdown List

 PROTEINS: if it used to swim, walk or fly or comes from something that used to swim, walk or fly – its a protein.

• Chicken (breast and/or thighs) (Best: Pasture + Organic, Better: Organic, Good: Store bought, skin removed)
• Beef (Best:100% Grass fed + Organic, Better: Grass fed, Good: Lean, fat trimmed/drained)
• Fish (halibut, salmon, tilapia, shrimp, etc.)
• Tuna canned in water
• Eggs
• Processed Meat – Bacon, Sausage, Deli Meat (Best: 100% Organic, Better: Organic, Avoid: Factory-Farmed, Added Sugar, MSG, sulfites, carrageenan)

VEGETABLES 

• Fresh Stuff! Not frozen, if possible
• Bok Choy
• Brussels Sprouts
• Beets
• Yams/sweet potatoes (depending on your current body composition and athletic performance you may or may not need these and it’s not a recommendation that everyone have these)
• Broccoli
• Green beans (the debate on whether these are “Paleo” or not continues…it’s green…don’t be afraid of it.)
• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Bell Peppers
• Cauliflower
• Lettuce and other leafy greens (kale, chard, bok choy, etc.)
• Squash (butternut, spaghetti, acorn, etc.)
• Onions
• Okra
• Mushrooms
• Lettuce (All types)
• Rhubarb
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Zucchini
• Spaghetti Squash
• Jicama

FRUITS

• All berries
• Apples
• Bananas
• Cantaloupe/honeydew
• Pineapple
• Oranges
• Grapes
• Mango/kiwi and other tropical’s
• Grapefruit
• Pomegranate
• Peaches
• Plums

FATS:

• Olive oil (Good to cook with and dress food)
• Coconut oil (Best to cook with)
• Avocado
• Raw Nuts & Nut Buttters
• Almonds
• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Macadamia Nuts
• Pistachios
• Cashews
• Sunflower Seeds

CONDIMENTS/SEASONINGS:

• All types of vinegars
• An array of fresh and/or bottled herbs and spices for seasoning
• Fresh Mint
• Lemons/limes
• Mustard (Not the honey mustard…read the ingredient label to see if there’s any unwanted stuff in it.)
• Mayo (you can make your own easily, or get olive oil mayo with minimal ingredients on the ingredient list)
• Green tea

WHAT FOOD SHOULD I NOT HAVE IN MY HOME ON A REGULAR BASIS?

Notice it didn’t say “never” it said on a REGULAR BASIS! 

• Anything with Hydrogenated oils
• Anything with High fructose corn syrup
• Margarine
• Sugar
• Fried or Frozen Fried foods
• Fruit juices
• Pasta/Noodles (even whole grain pasta!)
• Highly Processed Foods (if you can’t read the ingredients don’t buy it!)
• Cereal and Granola!!!
• GRAINS (YES! even whole grains are not the best choice, bread, rice, crackers, corn, bagels, English muffins, tortillas, granola, muffins, biscuits, pancakes, popcorn, rolls, taco shells, waffles)
• Dairy – As a staple, dairy has been found to effect more people adversely and cause harm without them even knowing. Try not having dairy for 2 weeks then having it again. Do a self test.
• No Chips, donuts, pastries, crackers.
• SODA!
• Candy
• Alcohol- get when you are having a social gathering not for regular use.

Beer especially! What is beer made from? GRAIN!