Week 1

January 11th – 17th

Welcome to the 1st week of your 28-Day Refresh.  As a reminder, this week we are going to eliminate some foods from our diet that are common allergens and/or toxins.  For us, this includes:  all grains, dairy, legumes (beans, lentils, etc), alcohol, and refined sugar.

At this point you are either thinking:  “whoa! what the heck, how am I going to LIVE!!” or “yeah, whatever, I got this.”  Whichever category you fall into, we encourage you to think about what you CAN eat, versus what you are eliminating.  This week is all about focusing on fresh, whole foods.  Lots of fruits and vegetables, satisfying proteins (meat, fish, etc), and healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts).

Tips for the week

Drink LOTS of water.  We’re talking more than you ever thought you needed.  Depending on what your typical diet looks like, this week may include some symptoms of detox:  headaches, fatigue, irritability, cravings, bowel changes (yep! we went there), and even skin breakouts.  Drinking water will help flush out the yucky stuff (that’s totally a medical term).

DON’T make yourself crazy over this process. If a slip up happens, it happens! Take it as a learning experience and see how your body feels from that food, and then get back to the plan after that. We promise, it’s not the end of the world.

Feel free to personalize this program to meet your individual needs.  We encourage you to set your own goal, and to keep it simple.  For example:  commit to bringing lunch to work every day this week, challenge yourself to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, or cut back from two cups of coffee to just one.  In addition, if there are elements of our suggested program that don’t work for you, then give yourself permission to ignore them.

Recipes and Meal Planning

Take some time to sit down and plan out your meals for the week.  Think about what foods you enjoy, and be sure to stock up.  Below are some simple meal ideas.  Many of them can be prepared ahead of time to help keep you on track when life gets hectic.  For each of these ideas mentioned below we have provided a link to a simple recipe.  You can also check out our Pinterest Boards for more inspiration

  • Breakfast
    • We love chia pudding.  This is a simple make-ahead breakfast idea.  Top with fresh fruit, nuts, or whatever sounds best to you.  The formula is simple:  1 1/2 cups of almond milk (or coconut milk, hemp milk, or any non dairy milk) + 1/3 cup chia seeds.  Shake it all together, add a little honey or maple syrup if desired, and refrigerate overnight.   If you wanna be fancy make this recipe for coconut-lime chia pudding.
    • Baked sweet potatoes make a satisfying and warm start to the day.  Bake a batch of sweet potatoes over the weekend (prick with a fork, 400 degrees for 45 minutes), then reheat in the microwave to enjoy on a busy weekday morning. We like them topped with a little coconut oil, a squeeze of orange, some chopped nuts, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Martha Stewart likes hers with pomegranate, lime & coconut (she would).
  • Lunch
    • Get a salad strategy.  Over the weekend, get a jump on prepping some salad ingredients.  Check out our recent blog post for ideas.  Or, if you have a lot of patience…try that whole salad-in-a-jar-situation.
    • Blender Soups.   They are quick, simple and require very little prep time.  Cook your vegetables, tip them into your blender, add chicken or vegetable stock, blend, boom, done!  Below are 3 of our favorite variations.  Check out this link for more ideas, and don’t miss out on this simple way to clean your blender.
      1.  Butternut Squash.  You can find this peeled and cubed.  Roast with a pinch of cayenne, salt & pepper.  Blend with vegetable stock.
      2. Cauliflower.  Roast with whole cloves of garlic.  Blend with chicken stock.
      3. Peas.  Saute an onion, add a bag of frozen peas, pour in enough chicken stock to almost cover.  Simmer, blender, done.
  • Dinner:  For our customers who received meal kits this week, we’ve already handled a few nights for you!  In addition to that, and for everyone else, we are sharing 4 complete dinner recipes.  Click here to download and/or print all 4 recipes and a complete shopping list.    Each recipe is designed to serve two, so if you are making for yourself, you’ll have leftovers for lunch.  If you’re cooking for a family (or a couple who likes leftovers) simply double the recipe.
    1. Spicy Steak Fajitas in Cabbage Cups
    2. Lemon-Garlic Shrimp / Roasted Broccoli
    3. Turkey-Stuffed Portobello / Tomato Checca / Sauteed Green Beans
    4. Chicken Sausage Patties / Roasted Sweet Potato / Cabbage Salad
  • Snacks:  Fresh fruit is always a great snack.  Need some stuff you can stash in your desk, or keep in your car?  Pick up some dried fruit and nuts to make your own trail mix.  Just be sure to look for dried fruit that doesn’t have added sugar.

Reminder

As always, we’re here to help where we can, so let us know if you have any questions. And have fun with this! This is meant to be a way to explore your body and diet, not to make you hate meal time.  Happy Prepping!

Leave a comment or question below, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.