Welcome back.
This is day four of the prep week.
Today,
We are speaking about harmful ingredients.
Let's first do a quick check-in with your progress.
How does it feel now that you've begun to reduce your eating window?
Does it come effortlessly or do you find it challenging?
If you are having difficulty,
Do not get discouraged.
Many items the food industry provides contain toxins,
Sugars,
And refined flour.
They want us to eat more because it makes them profitable.
This is not your fault,
But it's time to take control so this doesn't happen and you can optimize your health and start feeling better.
Challenge yourself a little more this week in preparation.
For example,
If you have three meals daily with multiple snacks,
Try sticking to only three meals.
By changing what we eat,
We can reduce the urge for various snacks and these blood sugar spikes also lead to afternoon tiredness and hunger.
More on blood sugar later.
Today,
I want you to start examining the foods you eat.
The worst offenders are bad oils,
Refined flour,
And carbohydrates and toxins.
Bad oils like partially hydrogenated and canola oils,
Refined flours like cereals and breads,
And toxins like artificial flavorings can all impact your blood sugar levels.
Start reading labels and avoid foods with ingredients you can't pronounce in your meals as they likely contain toxins.
Look out for red dye,
Artificial flavorings,
And artificial colorings.
By removing these man-made chemicals from your diet,
You can move towards a more natural way of eating similar to how our ancestors ate.
For example,
If you have cereal for breakfast,
Perhaps try replacing it with plain Greek yogurt and berries or if you had a frozen box meal that you heat up,
Try replacing it with a piece of protein with some vegetables on the side and good fats such as the oils.
If you currently use conventional oil,
Replace it with good oils such as avocado,
Olive,
Coconut,
Flax,
Pumpkin,
Or sesame oil.
Even switching one meal a day is a big step forward,
So do not get overwhelmed.
Remember,
This is a journey,
Not a short sprint.
As you start doing this,
You will notice your cravings go down.
I know that I thought I needed to always keep a snack with me and sometimes required to eat immediately.
I never thought this would change for me.
I thought it was built into me.
Since starting this lifestyle change,
This has completely changed.
Making changes like eliminating items may be challenging because food is costly,
But remember,
This is your health.
You do not have to buy everything.
Make small changes.
For example,
If you have three bad oils,
I will mention shortly,
Eliminate them and buy one new healthy oil.
You can slowly rebuild your pantry.
Doing these practices while we are at home when we have the most control will help us tremendously when we go out to eat.
As I said,
Switching meals when possible for healthier alternatives can help.
It does not need to be all or nothing.
I used to think,
What's the point when my chronic fatigue made it impossible to cook most days,
Then I committed to cook just three simple healthy meals a week.
Yes,
Only three a week,
Not a day.
That was a big commitment for me.
I usually ate frozen or delivered meals for my healthy meal.
I would put the protein and vegetables in the oven with healthy oil and spices,
So it took me minimum time,
But it was still difficult for me then.
Then as I began to get more energy,
I enjoyed eating at home and started trying new recipes as the changes in nutrients and fasting were repairing my gut.
Another way to help you is to ensure your blood sugar is not spiking throughout the day.
This can happen from what we put in our beverages.
When this happens,
We crave more food or become fatigued.
So if you drink sodas,
Teas,
Coffees,
Or other drinks,
Be careful what you put in them.
Instead of suppressing your hunger,
It can make you want to grab a sugary food or make you sleepy instead of giving you energy.
Start to eliminate sodas,
Including diet sodas,
Artificial sweeteners,
And obesogens are found in sodas.
Any sweet flavor in your beverage can cause a spike in blood sugar.
This can be difficult for some.
If you are moving away from them,
Start by only drinking them during your eating window.
Since diet soda spikes your blood sugar,
It takes you out of fasting,
So be mindful when you drink it.
If you have a few lattes or sodas a day,
You might create a rule such as,
I will only drink them at the office to keep you fasting while at home.
Try slowly removing these temptations from your home environment.
If you want to use sugar in your coffee or tea,
Stevia most likely will not break your fast.
However,
Monk fruit may also be an option.
If you already have them in your pantry,
You can experiment with them before removing them,
But I do not recommend erythritol or xylitol as they are not ideal for your gut health.
Go through your kitchen and pantry today and eliminate the worst offenders.
This will help your gut to start healing naturally.
Feel free to pause this talk and get out your journal as I talk about the worst offenders.
Eliminate these bad oils.
Canola oil,
Even organic canola oil.
Vegetable,
Cottonseed,
Corn,
Safflower,
Soybean,
Sunflower,
And less organic and cold-pressed,
And also margarine.
Then eliminate these sweeteners.
Sucralose,
Also known as Splenda.
Aspartame,
Also known as Equal and Allulose.
Then eliminate these refined flours and carbohydrates.
Commercial dressings,
Creamers,
Fried foods,
And baked goods including French fries,
Donuts,
Cookies,
Rolls,
Pastries,
Cake mixes,
Pizza dough,
Pie crust,
Waffle pancake mix,
Processed and packaged,
Including crackers,
Popcorn,
And chips.
Frozen dinners,
Processed meats,
Including sausage pepperoni,
Hot dogs.
Desserts,
Including ice cream,
Candy bars.
Remember,
Keeping these toxins out of our kitchen and being proactive will help us feeling healthier and balanced in both our mind and body.
It seems like a lot,
But it is essential for your health.
So before day five,
Examine your pantry and kitchen and see what you can eliminate.
Then make a list of what you will start to rebuild your pantry and kitchen with healthy fats,
Oils,
And sweeteners starting at your next grocery store visit.
Remember,
This does not have to be all at once.
Also,
Start examining your meals and consider how you can swap any of the worst offenders.
Finally,
Continue to document the time of your last meal tonight and when you start your first meal tomorrow.
Please let me know if you have any questions or share with me any struggles you are facing.
I am here to support you.
