Your gut is the main control center for your health. Your gut absorbs vital nutrients that are crucial to your health and wellness. Long-term consumption of caffeine, supplements, fast/processed foods, and high stress levels can have negative impacts on your gut health and cause inflammation.
The whole point of this week is digestive rest. This means a little lower calories, low to moderate protein, moderate to high fat and carbs. All foods will be on the whole foods spectrum and limited in processed food will be consumed.
Exercise will be limited to walking as much as possible. Again, the point of this week is REST in all forms to reduce inflammation in our gut.
This plan will help you “prime” your gut by consuming healthy whole foods, herbal teas, and reducing consumption of the items that contribute to inflammation. You can incorporate these recommendations for any duration you like, but it is best practiced at a minimum duration of 1 week up to 3 weeks for your reference in the future.
The use of a kitchen food scale will be helpful for accurate measurements of serving sizes. You may purchase any scale that will allow you to measure in ounces, fluid ounces, pounds, and grams that also includes a tare function.
The following plan is a recommendation and clients may participate at their own risk.
Daily Water Intake: 100oz.
Set water reminders and make a consumption schedule.
It is helpful to drink water at least once an hour in the amount of 10oz. As a minimum.
Ex: 8AM: 10oz water 9am: 10oz 10am: 10oz
DO NOT drink immediately prior to your meal ( less than 20 min) or during your meal. You may sip water during your meal to wash food down, but do not drink large quantities. This will impact your digestion negatively, cause bloating, blocking nutrient absorption, and making you feel fuller quicker.
You’ll want to cut off water consumption at least 2 hours prior to going to bed so you’re not up all night going to the bathroom!
Discontinue all elective supplements. This includes protein powder, vitamins, no prescription supplements, pre-workout, bcaa’s etc.
DISCONTINUE: Espresso/Caffeine/Energy Drinks
Replace with herbal teas such as chamomile, lemon, ginger, hibiscus and peppermint.
MENU SUBSTITUTIONS
You may make substitutions anywhere in the menu that fall into the following guidelines:
Lean Proteins: Chicken, Turkey, Tofu, Eggs/Egg Whites. (Try to consume animal proteins only once a day in this phase if you cannot do 100% plant based.)
Vegetables: Any
Starches: Sweet Potato, Purple Potato, Blue Potato, Red Russet Potato, Quinoa. (No bread, rice, processed pastries, waffles, added sugar, alcohol etc.)
Fruit: Any
EXCLUSIONS:
Caffeine, Dairy, added sugars, false/low calorie sweeteners, honey, red meat, pork, grains, refined flours, cooking oils (unless included in the recipe), supplements.
SPICES & SEASONINGS: Avoid adding salt and oil while cooking unless the recipes tell you to. You may use items like Nutritional Yeast and Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blends along with any other salt-free spices and herbs.
Reduce Consumption of these items:
☐ | 1. Caffeine: This includes coffee, sodas, and black teas. If you consume any of these items multiple times per day, decrease your consumption to one per day your first week and then none. If you consume one of these items per day, reduce your intake to none. |
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| 2. Fast Food/Processed Food/Frozen Dinners: This includes “drive thru” foods, desserts, candy, chips, and “heat and eat” frozen meals. Reduce your consumption to one per day your first week if you are consuming multiple items. If you consume one of these items per day, reduce your intake to none. |
☐ | 3. Added Sugar, False Sweeteners and Added Salt: Discontinue use of any added sugars, splenda, truvia, stevia etc. These items can contribute to digestive distress, headaches, fatigue, and hormonal imbalance. |
☐ | 4. Supplements: Discontinue use of any protein powder, creatine, unprescribed vitamins, fat burners, pre-workout, BCAA’s etc. Long-term use of these items is not good for your digestion. |
☐ | 5. Creamers, Oils and Dressings: Discontinue use of creamers in tea or coffee as well as any cooking oils and dressings you are currently using to marinade your foods, MCT oils etc. except what is included in the menu. |
Consume these items:
☐ | 1. In place of caffeine: Consume any herbal (caffeine free) tea such as peppermint, ginger, orange, red rooibos, chamomile or hibiscus tea 2-3 times per day (if needed), hot or cold. I prefer Traditional Medicinals brand which can be purchased at Publix, Target, Whole Foods and Amazon.1st cup: In the morning after consuming 10oz. room temperature water, consume 1 cup of peppermint tea. Wait 30 minutes before eating breakfast. 2nd cup: consume after eating your lunch. 3rd cup: consume after eating your dinner. |
☐ | 2. In place of Fast Food/Processed Food/Frozen Dinners: Consume Whole Foods only. Whole Foods are items that are not “heat and eat” or don’t come pre-prepared in a container. Whole Food items include Lean proteins (chicken, fish, turkey, shrimp, eggs, tofu), fruits, vegetables, ancient grains, beans etc. Frozen fruit and vegetable items are okay to consume so long as there are no added sugars, high sodium(+250mg/serving) or sauces. |
☐ | 3. In place of Added Sugars, False Sweeteners and Added Salt: Try using lemon juice, lime juice, or squeezing an orange wedge into food and drink for flavor. Also try using freshly crushed mint leaves, cinnamon sticks, and ground spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to flavor your food items. Use fragrant herbs like basil, oregano, garlic, rosemary etc. to flavor your meats and veggies. You can also use Mrs. Dash brand seasonings as they are low in sodium. |
☐ | 4. Ceasing Supplements like protein powder, pre-workout, creatine, BCAA’s etc. will help provide a break for your liver and your gut. Using these items long term can “clog up” your digestive system and vital organs and providing very little benefit from these items. Taking a 2-4 week break from these items can make a big difference in your energy levels and digestion. |
☐ | 5. Ceasing Creamer, Oil and Dressing use will help metabolic detox processes as well. The fat that these items add to your diet often-times go unaccounted for or “easily dismissed”. Oils and dressings contain fat and do not dissolve in water, so everything that you are cooking in oils/dressings is absorbing into its flesh, and that “little splash of creamer” adds up over 3-4 cups of coffee, therefore increasing your fat consumption. In place of oils/dressings, try using Red Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar on salads, meats, veggies etc. Using a small amount to cook with is fine, but must be measured and accounted for. |
Keep Your Meals Simple, Balanced, and Scheduled!
It's important not to over-complicate things! You can make nutritious food without spending hours in the kitchen.
Remember, that happy hormones open the door to more energy and fat loss! Keeping your meals balanced with a focus on higher protein every 3-4 hours within a 10-14 hour eating window is key.
Here's a sample schedule to get you started. You can tweak any way you like to suit your needs:
Breakfast: 8AM
Lunch: 12PM
Snack: 3PM
Dinner: 7PM
Exercise During This Phase:
Strenuous exercise is a contributing factor to stress levels. Some people find completing an intense work out as an outlet for stress, but your body responds to this very differently while under a state of distress.
This week, we will be focused on stretching, breathing, meditation and walking. Your goal will be to walk at least 5,000 steps per day (2.5 miles) and a maximum of 10,000 (5 miles).
No running, lifting, intense swimming, or other cardiovascular exercise is recommended.
Heather has been guiding individuals through lifestyle transformations using a holistic whole-body individualized approach for over 18 years.
She has developed a set of healthy lifestyle principles that encompass all of the crucial components of well-being: mindset, mindfulness, scientific education, preparation and planning, and healthy coping strategies that she includes within her wellness programs.
Though she does NOT provide prescription meal plans or Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) for management of disease, she is able to help individuals create healthy lifestyle habits with nutrition, fitness and healthy lifestyle behaviors that may indirectly improve ailments and symptoms associated with disease processes.
Heather is a graduate of Keiser University’s rigorous Radiologic Technology curriculum allowing her to be Nationally Registered as a Radiologic Technologist, also earning a special credential in Bone Densitometry. She has completed thousands of course hours surrounding holistic nutrition, functional wellness, Women's Hormones, Healthy Food Psychology with Behavior Coaching, and alternative treatment education and certification programs over the years.
Her experience and training in both traditional western medicine and eastern/functional medicine environments give her the ability to look at an individual's struggles from all angles and often work in-conjunction with other medical professionals as part of her clients' total wellness team.
She is also a published clinical researcher with a background in mental health and a true passion for human health and wellness.
She has two beautiful children, two sassy dogs and a loving husband.
