28 Day Diet Challenge - Day 0 - Prep Day (Sponsored by Whole Foods Market)

Ahhh you thought you'd be reading recipes and jumping straight in huh? Nope. One of the most important things you can do before starting any program is to spend a day or two to “Get Ready”. Getting ready means:

• Find your motivation: You must get very clear with yourself why you want do the program. Ask yourself TWO important questions: 

• What are your weight and health goals? Be specific! Do you want to lose weight, have more energy, better skin, sleep better, reverse diabetes, etc.? Get clear on what you want to achieve for yourself and WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN! I mean physically write them down with a pencil and paper...the power of action starts here!
• Why do you want to achieve these goals? Go deep! Are you trying to be a better role model for your kids, feel better about yourself, have more energy to enjoy life, get into a bathing suit and look amazing, etc.? Knowing your true reason for doing the program will help you stay on track.

• Find a Buddy: Find someone in your life that will support you in your goals, celebrate your success and hold you accountable. This is a very important step! You're going to need someone to lean on when you are craving that Snickers bar!
• Clean out your pantry and go shopping: A healthy lifestyle starts with what you have access to, on a day-to-day basis, so go shopping and get ready to cook and eat healthy!

Your Action Plan: Clean out your pantry: Get rid of the bad foods in your pantry that will even temp you to go astray from this program...do it now!

• Remove foods that have more than 200 mg sodium per serving If you need a kick in the butt, read my article on Salt here
• Remove foods that have flour or sweeteners (e.g. sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) in the first five ingredients listed.
• Remove foods that have words you cannot pronounce in the first five ingredients listed.

 Your General Nutritarian Shopping List (Print this portion and take it with you)

• Bulk Beans, soak and dehydrate – use a variety
• Fresh greens – great as a bed for salad
• Frozen Vegetables – peas, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, etc.
• Frozen Fruits – blueberries, strawberries, etc.
• Lots of low-sugar fruits – strawberries, kiwis, oranges, grapefruits, melons, apples, lemons.
• Vinegars of your choice -- will enhance the flavors of many different foods. (Red wine, Balsamic)
• Fresh vegetables to be eaten raw – carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, lettuce, snow pea pods, avocado. Pre-washed vegetables are an easy snack.
• Lots of fresh vegetables for cooking – eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, string beans, kale, spinach, onions, garlic cloves.
• Ingredients for homemade soup – celery, dill, parsley, carrots, leeks, zucchini, dried beans.
• Dehydrated vegetables and mild (salt-free) seasonings that taste great sprinkled on salad or added to soups or vegetable dishes.
• Make your own dressing – lemon, vinegars, sliced fruit, frozen fruit - nothing store bought!
• Raw nuts and seeds such as walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds – on salads or blended to make nut dressings for salads.