And now, for the details...
So, who remembers the low-fat craze of the 90s? How about the low-carb craze of the 2000s? If you lived through those times or followed those times, then you may remember the love of humongous bagels (fat-free) or Snackwell's cookies (fat-free...but full of sugar) or double bacon cheeseburgers, no bun (carb-free) or candy made with sugar alcohols so it had "no net carbs," but may or may not have left you running for the toilet if you had a few too many.
If we can learn anything from our history it's that fads come and go and extreme eating will never last. Yes, you may lose weight, but is it maintainable? Can you always live without bread? It can be tempting to jump on the next diet or fad when you see someone who has lost weight by doing something extreme (HCG anyone?), but the reality is, it's not always the most healthy for your body. Diets don't work, they never have and they never will.
They put your mindset in a "lightswitch" mentality...you're either "on" or your "off." There is no in between. If you messed up and ate a cookie, then you might as well have 5 more because you'll just start again on Monday, or at the beginning of the next month, or at the new year. Sound familiar? This can lead to a lifestyle of yo-yo dieting that isn't good for your body or your mental health.
So, how do we combat this mentality? Stay away from labels...not food labels...but labeling food or food groups, i.e. "Carbs are bad." Are they? All of them? If that label sticks in your head and you know you shouldn't be eating them because they are "bad," then what do you always want to eat? Carbs. What are you always thinking about? Carbs. It's like if I told you not to think about the color red. What color are you thinking about? (Well, being a BYU fan...okay, nevermind...you get my point) Human nature is that we want the things most we can't have.
Through participating in this challenge, I want you to form healthy habits...habits you can sustain for a lifetime. Sure, you may need accountability (don't we all?), but I want you to finish this challenge drinking more water, eating more produce, eating more frequently, and not eating late at night, because you feel better when you do and you can sustain the changes your body has made by doing so.
Back to the challenge...
Whole grains are good for you.* Processed crap is not. A bowl of oatmeal for breakfast will not make you fat. Eating a trough of pasta from the Olive Garden at 9pm will. When it comes to carbs (starch/grains), portion and timing matter. They are not all bad. And this is why I cannot join the paleo bandwagon which is so popular with the CrossFit culture.
The paleo diet in a nutshell is no grains, no sugar, and no dairy with a focus on fruit, veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats from whole foods. There are parts of paleo that I love, and you can probably guess what those are. The "no dairy" is neither here nor there and not a dealbreaker for me, although I do love me some Greek yogurt, but it's the "no grains" that is the kicker.
No oats, no whole wheat, no brown rice, no quinoa, no beans. That's a "no-can-do" for me and a "don't-think-you-should-do" either. Getting rid of all the processed garbage, the white-refined flours, added sugars and sweeteners, and anything made with them...I'm all for that plan...which...funny enough...is this week's plan. :)
This is the plan you should be following on a regular basis....'cause Harvard says so. As for how much of those good whole grain carbs?...just a quarter of your plate. Maybe 1/2 -3/4 cup per meal for ladies and 1-1.5 cups for some of you big guys.
The reality is, most of your meal should come from fruits, veggies, and lean protein a la paleo. But don't count out the amazing, disease-fighting, constipation-preventing, energy-boosting, cholesterol-lowering, cancer-preventing power of good whole grains.
So, what does a whole grain mean? It means that the first ingredient is "whole wheat" or "whole oat" or "whole grain." If there is "wheat flour" or "enriched wheat flour" somewhere on that list...that's not going to work for this week. The reality is white flour IS wheat flour, right? Flour comes from wheat. "Enriched wheat flour" is the wheat kernel that they strip to smitherines and take out all nutrition; therefore, they need to "enrich" it by adding some vitamins back in. Definitely doesn't replace the nutrition from the whole bran kernel.
So, what's allowed?
Oatmeal (unflavored, preferrably slow-cook or steel-cut)
Beans
100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain breads
Quinoa
100% whole wheat or whole grain cereals
Brown rice
Bulger
Buckwheat
Amaranth
Whole wheat or whole grain crackers (Ak-mak or Triscuit are some faves)
Popcorn (without a bunch of added garbage)
Whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas
100% whole wheat pasta
Here's a good guide for when you are looking at the ingredient list:
Have I left anything out? Leave a comment if you have a question.
Q: What if I have more than 2 treats this week?
A: Not only will you lose your full 10 points for the "treats," but also the 10 points for Part 1 of this challenge.
If all your grains/starches this week are whole, then you earn 10 points.
*There are those (about 5-10%) of the population that suffer from gluten insensitivies and/or celiac disease where anything made with gluten (wheat) is, in fact, not healthy for them. It causes the microvilli in their intestinal track to become flat which prevents any nutrition from being absorbed, not to mention horrible digestive side effects. For anyone who suffers from this condition, it is best to avoid gluten...which leaves rice, beans, quinoa, corn, and really expensive oatmeal.
Part 2
No starch after lunch...including treats.
Have you ever heard it said eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper? While you shouldn't be just having crackers and water (that's what paupers eat, right?), you should definitely eat more during the day, when you are most active and need the energy, and less at night, when most people are winding down for the day.
Carbohydrate is our body's preferred source of fuel. Carbohydrate is found in starchy foods, fruit, milk, vegetables, yogurt, and anything with sugar. Our brain can't use any other source besides carbohydrate. Our muscles and liver store carbohydrate as glycogen.
If our muscles and liver are at their capacity for glycogen storage and we eat a large amount of carbohydrate (typically starch or sugar) without having any plans to exercise, then that extra carbohydrate will get stored as fat.
When it comes to achieving a healthy body weight or a very lean body fat percentage, eating starch later in the day may be hurting more than helping...and this will be a good challenge to find out.
Q: What counts as a starch?
A: Bread, cereal, rice, pasta, quinoa, oatmeal, white potatoes, corn, peas, and sugar (NOT ALLOWED after lunch)
Sweet potatoes, squash, and beans are allowed after lunch.
Q: What if I want to have one of my "treats" for the week?
A: If you would like to earn all your points for this week, you will need to have your treat no later than lunch, so plan accordingly.
Q: What if I workout at night?
A: You can still get in your re-fueling carbs from fruit, milk, or yogurt.
Your afternoon snack should also be starch-free. Some options I like:
berries (fresh or frozen) & yogurt
just yogurt (loving Liberte brand of Greek yogurt...lemon & strawberry are my faves)
apple or celery & peanut butter (watch portion)
veggies & hummus
grape tomatoes & cottage cheese
string cheese wrapped in deli meat wrapped in lettuce (and a dab of mustard)
fruit & nuts (watch portion)
protein shake/green smoothie
If you go out to dinner, restaurants will easily substitute the starch for double veggies.
If you complete this part of the challenge, you will earn an additional 15 points
**For those who are under 18 years old, you just need to have a starch-free dinner, but may include starch in your afternoon snack if you prefer.
If you made it to the end of this post, congratulations! If you have questions or comments, please post here.
