WholeGrain 31/LifeStyle Jump Start to Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness can mean many things. For me it means our spirits are in line with our bodies. That means that we are in harmony and we have learned to listen to what our bodies need and want to stay healthy. So often we don’t take the time to listen and we just move on creating problems with our own personal health and wellness.
I have to say that Health and Wellness is a personal journey and it is different for each and every person. What works for one might not work for another. So we need to take a good look at where we are personally and take the necessary steps to be in harmony.
Most of us get off track. I have found that it happens in my own personal journey. I have learned that when that happens we need to take drastic measures to get back on line, depending how far off track we get.
Weight loss it is a huge mulitbillion business in today’s world. We love to eat and the foods we eat are usually processed and filled with chemicals, devoid of any nutrition or fiber. This lifestyle often Leads to obesity and so many other health issues. Infact most of today’s health issues can be traced directly to what we eat.
I want to stress right up front that the WholeGrain 31 in not a fade diet. It is a tool to break your bad habits and a tool to help you learn how to use whole, WHOLE, grains in your everyday eating habits. This is a life style, not a diet.
My version came about after doing the standard whole 30 diet. I followed the plan and lost weight, but when I left the plan and started adding foods back into my life I gained most of the weight I lost. I do need to add that many have had success on the Whole 30 and I love what they are all about. I decided after doing Whole 30 to try it my way by adding whole grains. The whole 30 diet plan has you not eating any grains at all for 30 days. No breads, no pasta, anything with a grains is totally off limits.
I decided to try it with all the whole grains you wanted. Whole grains cooked and added to salads, soups, etc. I dropped the sugar and dairy completely and ate fruits and vegetables and I lost more weight faster and have never gained it back because I continued to eat the life style plan of WholeGrian 31/Lifetime that I developed.
Understand that I love the absence of sugar and dairy for the plan. It really breaks those deeply intrenched bad habits and additions that we develop and can’t see to break.
During my WholeGrain 31 not dairy or processes sugar products are allowed. There is so much wisdom in this. But don’t despair, you will love all the wonderful tasty options that I will share with you. It is life changing.
After the 31 day challenge you are ready to move slowly back into the world, but hopefully you will have learned so much that the coming back will be a wonderful experience like it was for me. I now live by the 80/20 princple 80% for higher foods that you will be taught on the WholeGrain 31.
I do eat dairy, and sugar, but in moderation. I use agave and coconut sugars a lot and make my own yogurt. I do eat a lot of whole grain breads, cookies, pancakes, waffles, etc, made with fresh ground flour and whole grains added. I have had so much success with this lifestyle choice. I have never put the weight back on. If I start gaining I take a good look at what I am doing and make changes quickly before it gets out of hand. So I have been able to really really enjoy this lifestyle change, unlike the constant dieting that most seem to do a lot.
The problem with dieting is that one is forever dieting and forever worrying about what they eat and it’s a constant battle with the scales. Life style changes on the other hand take away the worry and the work. We simply develop good habits and enjoy the Journey.
In this Blog I will outline my program. I will start with do’s and don’ts and from there I will give ideas on what to do. In conjunction with this blog I am doing a 5 week virtual course. You can go to chefbrad.com for information about how to join the course. The course will include 4 classes with recipes and menus for the each week starting with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, finishing up with desserts. Class one is an outline of the program and some really important starting tips.
WholeGrain 31 Do’s
Cooked whole grain All whole grains cooked in their whole grain form, from brown rice to quinoa, Whole grians will be mostly the protein you will need to stay strong and healthy.
Fruits and Vegetables Light on the fruits, remember you are working on breaking sugar addictions.
Good oils, from olive to coconut and ghee. Good oils are essential for weight loss and overall good health. Oils that are cold pressed, extra virgin, natural, unrefined, and chemical free are a go and offer top nutrition for your body.
Meats, chicken, fish, and some red meat. Pork should be avoided. It is hard to digest. Bacon in moderation, but only clean nitrate free bacon.
Nuts, from good nut butters to cashew creams and almond milks.
WholeGrain 31 Do not’s
No sugars, includes brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, processed sugars and sugar substitutes. The objective is to break sugar addictions. Once this is over you can add back in agave and coconut sugars in moderation.
No Beans and lugumes. Peanuts are included in this. Beans are wonderful and once this is over you will want to bring them back with caution listening to what your body is telling you. Beans are a huge cause of inflamation. And for this process you want to avoid inflamation causing foods.
No dairy. Dairy can be another inflamation causing food in your diet. Yogurts are packed with sugars and cheap unhealthy oils and fillers. Remember the whole goal is to break bad habits and learn that all food does not need to be buried in sour cream, cheese, ranch dressing, and other dairy products. Once you eliminate these foods for 31 days you will be able to take them back in watching close to how your body reacts. If it is negative you just stay away from that food.
No processed foods. Processed foods really are the big cause of health problems in America. Stay away from processed foods and you will be healthier and happier. All processed foods are filled with chemicals, bad oils, sugars, and cheap salts. One of the main designs of WholeGrain 31 is to break the processed food lifestyle in your life. Fast foods, junk foods, and packaged easy to make foods are at the top of the list.
Once you learn how to prepare fresh clean foods you will start to love just how good foods can taste. We have gotten used to processed foods and in the process we have forgetton how foods should taste
One thing many question is the cost of eating whole grains. You need to understand that cost per serving they are still the most economical way to eat. We will spend high dollars on meat for one meal and complain about the cost of a pound of quinoa that will last for many meals compared to what we get out of a pound of meat.
Health and Wellness is a journey. We have to plan and put effort into it, we cannot just sit back and let the world dictate what we eat and how we take care of our bodies. Work and effort is required, but the amazing thing is our bodies respond well when we take care of them.
Join me and together lets see what we can accomplish on this Health and Wellness Journey.
Chef Brad~America’s Grain Guy.