Do I have to cut out carbs?
No, you do not have to cut out carbs. We will focus on protein, carbs, and fat in your diet.
What does “Whole & Unprocessed” mean?
-Fit our definition for real food – see below
-Does not contain any refined sugar, processed chemicals, or preservatives
-Has not been altered by significant human intervention
-Typically are perishable – they have a short shelf life
-Typically not come in a box or bag
-Typically found on the perimeter of the grocery store
-Something you could grow in your garden
High-quality foods are real foods: they have little to no human processing, being consumed in a form similar to how they exist in nature. This means real foods are perishable. They lay the foundation of healthy, capable, and fit humans primarily because of their nutrient density. Real foods contain the types and amounts of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) necessary for health and fitness. Additionally, they contain no refined sugar and are free from man-made substances that are not associated with health (artificial oils, chemicals, etc.). This is our baseline for “Whole & Unprocessed” foods.
Can I eat sugar?
Refined sugar results from processing foods to extract pure sugar and then it is added to a food to make it taste sweeter (why refined sugar is also called “added sugar”). For the purposes of this challenge, natural honey and stevia will not be considered “refined sugar” and are approved for consumption. Routine over-consumption of refined sugar is linked to chronic diseases such as obesity, metabolic disease, and diabetes; combined, chronic diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide.
What about xyz food?
In any type of challenge of this sort, there will always be food on the fringe. Is it in or is it out? We would ask you to exercise your best judgement in these cases. If you find yourself reading a list of ingredients you can’t pronounce, the food likely falls outside the bounds of the challenge. If you find yourself rationalizing the decision, the food likely falls outside the bounds of the challenge. If you find yourself googling whether sugar alcohols are sugar, the food likely falls outside of the bounds of the challenge. Use your best judgement here, and if there is any doubt whether the food is “whole & unprocessed”, the food likely falls outside the bounds of the challenge.
What about alcohol?
We will not monitor alcohol intake during this challenge. However, if you have weight loss goals or overall detox goals, eliminating or reducing alcohol during the challenge will likely prove beneficial. Although we will not monitor alcohol, we will be monitoring your food choices before, during or after any alcohol consumption. This means that the “poor decisions” that sometimes come along for the ride with a few drinks will forfeit your bonus points for the day.
If you want to imbibe, stick to simple drinks like wine, beer, and straight liquors. Most cocktails and some
liquors are loaded with refined sugar
Will there be a meal plan?
This challenge is really aimed at making conscious decisions around building your own meals so that you can learn what kind of foods to eat after the challenge ends. However, a meal plan that has been written by a registered dietician will be provided. You can choose to use it strictly as written, as a guide, or just to draw inspiration for new food choices/meals.