Top tips on getting started on the ED
Here is an excellent article from Dax Moy, creator of the Elimination Diet
Some very useful tips for helping you get off to the perfect start on the ED
Elimination Diet Day Zero: Preparation
Some very useful tips for helping you get off to the perfect start on the ED
Elimination Diet Day Zero: Preparation
Ok, so the fact that you’re here tells me that the ‘rules’ surrounding the Elimination Diet Plan haven’t put you off too badly.
Great!
That means that you’re raring to go and are ready, willing and able to commit to the plan 100%, yes?
You ARE ready to commit 100% aren’t you?
You see, this isn’t one of those ‘drop in- drop out’ kind of diets or one that allows for cheating during the program. You’re either on it or you’re not, there’s no in between. Detoxification simply doesn’t work that way. This is a 30 day commitment to doing it right. You up for that?
If you are, then you need to think about preparing for the diet over the next day or two so that things aren’t overly difficult for you. There’s not a lot you have to do to prepare but, without a doubt, if you don’t do these things you’ll run into problems later on.
So what are they?
Six things, just six.
1.Clear your cupboards, your fridge, your breadbin and anywhere else you store ‘banned’ foods at home. This means you should have no wheat in any form (including breads, biscuits, rolls, crackers etc), no gluten containing foods, no dairy whatsoever, no caffeinated products like tea, coffee, cola etc, no alcohol, no processed foods or those containing additives and colourings, no sugar (including agave, honey, brown sugar, molasses) and definitely no chocolate or candies which incorporate most of these ingredients in some form. It’s important that you recognize the simple fact that if you own it, you’ll eat it. Remove them from the house altogether and they won’t get consumed. And hey, this doesn’t mean spending the next 2 days eating all of your stock of these items in some form of twisted ‘pre-tox’ either :)
2. Stock up on plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, eggs, fish, meat and poultry. Ideally, these should be from organic sources as this will reduce the overall body burden of toxicity that pesticides, antibiotics and hormones place on your body, but if your budget is too tight to allow for organic then fresh foods well cleaned and prepared will still be better than the processed stuff you’ve probably been eating up til now. (Realise though, that the results will be a good deal better on organics and also, that once you stop buying the processed foods, you’ll have a lot more left in your shopping budget too) Make sure you get planty of sulphur containing foods that’ll help you to speed up the detox. Things like onions (esp. the red one), garlic, broccoli and other cruciferous veggies should feature highly in your shopping basket. Stock up 3-4 days worth, no more. If you’re stocking foods longer than this, they’re no longer truly fresh, right?
3. Stock up on herbs and spices that’ll help make your meals more interesting so that you’re less likely to succumb to cravings through boredom. Obviously, salt (sea salt) and pepper should feature highly but also include chili, paprika, turmeric, basil, thyme, coriander etc as well as any others you enjoy. Being on the elimination diet doesn’t (and shouldn’t!) mean eating mean, flavourless foods. In fact, you’ll probably find that you enjoy food a lot more than you have in ages during the next 30 days.
4. Consider purchasing a few supplements to help you through the next 30 days. You don’t have to have these but from my experience, you’ll accelerate your results faster and enjoy the process more if you do. Think about taking Milk Thistle (to aid the detox process and stave off those detox nasties), Magnesium Citrate or Malatate (for improved hormonal balancing and detox), Zinc Citrate (for improved immune function during the 30 days) and Vitamin C for overall immune system function. You may also want to think about the Ayurvedic supplements Ashwaghanda and Rhodiola which both help to lower cortisol and accelerate your fatloss naturally.
5. Get some teas in. Most people tend to drink a lot of caffeinated hot drinks in the form of tea and coffee and really miss these when they’re taken away. This often leads to cravings, hunger pangs and, often, cheating on elements of the plan. You can avoid this by planning ahead and getting some good tea varieties that are not only tasty but do the job of keeping those cravings at bay whilst at the same time supporting your health and improving results. Think about getting the following teas: Licorice tea – Taken in the morning and up til lunchtime only as it is a cortisol stimulant. Drinking it when cortisol is naturally rising is fine, but you want to avoid it later in the day when natural cortisol levels should be lowering. The benefits of licorice tea include aiding digestion, reducing inflammation of the liver and reducing and treating headaches, all of which will be of use to you during the first days of the program. Tulsi tea – Tulsi is another Ayurvedic herb more often known as ‘holy basil’ which has numerous medicinal and health applications that will benefit you massively over the next 30 days. These include the assistance to digestion, aiding liver function, strengthening the immune system and assisting with recovery from physical and psychological stress. As Tulsi has a cortisol lowering effect, it is best taken in the afternoon and evening to best match the natural hormonal cycle and aid in relaxation and deeper sleep. (Note: it doesn’t cause drowsiness or lead to sleep, it just enhances your natural rhythm) And, of course, you can also try various fruit and herbal teas too. Just make sure they’re naturally caffeine free.
6. Get a waterbottle. Ideally a ceramic or metal one but if it has to be plastic then a hard plastic bottle that is BPA free. As a general rule, the softer the plastic (like most drinking water sold in supermarkets) the more they leach their chemicals into the water and the more xeno-estrogenic they are. Xeno estrogens mimic naturally estrogen and can lead to fat gain, water retention, menstrual problems, fertility issues and much more. Instead, use your water filter to pour fresh, filtered water into your own bottle as much as possible. If you can’t do this then make sure you buy the hardest bottles from the store rather than the brand you like best. Glass is the best bottle to drink from but this is less and less common to find nowadays. So there you go. Six simple steps that’ll make your transition into the Elimination Diet much easier and much more productive too. It may seem a lot but remember, you’re expecting a lot by way of results from this program so a little time spent in preparation will be well worth it, right?
To your success!
Dax Moy http://www.eliminationdietchallenge.com
I will be posting about the supplements, I'll be taking, if any, later this week. With links to the places I would say do the best value and quality.
Great!
That means that you’re raring to go and are ready, willing and able to commit to the plan 100%, yes?
You ARE ready to commit 100% aren’t you?
You see, this isn’t one of those ‘drop in- drop out’ kind of diets or one that allows for cheating during the program. You’re either on it or you’re not, there’s no in between. Detoxification simply doesn’t work that way. This is a 30 day commitment to doing it right. You up for that?
If you are, then you need to think about preparing for the diet over the next day or two so that things aren’t overly difficult for you. There’s not a lot you have to do to prepare but, without a doubt, if you don’t do these things you’ll run into problems later on.
So what are they?
Six things, just six.
1.Clear your cupboards, your fridge, your breadbin and anywhere else you store ‘banned’ foods at home. This means you should have no wheat in any form (including breads, biscuits, rolls, crackers etc), no gluten containing foods, no dairy whatsoever, no caffeinated products like tea, coffee, cola etc, no alcohol, no processed foods or those containing additives and colourings, no sugar (including agave, honey, brown sugar, molasses) and definitely no chocolate or candies which incorporate most of these ingredients in some form. It’s important that you recognize the simple fact that if you own it, you’ll eat it. Remove them from the house altogether and they won’t get consumed. And hey, this doesn’t mean spending the next 2 days eating all of your stock of these items in some form of twisted ‘pre-tox’ either :)
2. Stock up on plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, eggs, fish, meat and poultry. Ideally, these should be from organic sources as this will reduce the overall body burden of toxicity that pesticides, antibiotics and hormones place on your body, but if your budget is too tight to allow for organic then fresh foods well cleaned and prepared will still be better than the processed stuff you’ve probably been eating up til now. (Realise though, that the results will be a good deal better on organics and also, that once you stop buying the processed foods, you’ll have a lot more left in your shopping budget too) Make sure you get planty of sulphur containing foods that’ll help you to speed up the detox. Things like onions (esp. the red one), garlic, broccoli and other cruciferous veggies should feature highly in your shopping basket. Stock up 3-4 days worth, no more. If you’re stocking foods longer than this, they’re no longer truly fresh, right?
3. Stock up on herbs and spices that’ll help make your meals more interesting so that you’re less likely to succumb to cravings through boredom. Obviously, salt (sea salt) and pepper should feature highly but also include chili, paprika, turmeric, basil, thyme, coriander etc as well as any others you enjoy. Being on the elimination diet doesn’t (and shouldn’t!) mean eating mean, flavourless foods. In fact, you’ll probably find that you enjoy food a lot more than you have in ages during the next 30 days.
4. Consider purchasing a few supplements to help you through the next 30 days. You don’t have to have these but from my experience, you’ll accelerate your results faster and enjoy the process more if you do. Think about taking Milk Thistle (to aid the detox process and stave off those detox nasties), Magnesium Citrate or Malatate (for improved hormonal balancing and detox), Zinc Citrate (for improved immune function during the 30 days) and Vitamin C for overall immune system function. You may also want to think about the Ayurvedic supplements Ashwaghanda and Rhodiola which both help to lower cortisol and accelerate your fatloss naturally.
5. Get some teas in. Most people tend to drink a lot of caffeinated hot drinks in the form of tea and coffee and really miss these when they’re taken away. This often leads to cravings, hunger pangs and, often, cheating on elements of the plan. You can avoid this by planning ahead and getting some good tea varieties that are not only tasty but do the job of keeping those cravings at bay whilst at the same time supporting your health and improving results. Think about getting the following teas: Licorice tea – Taken in the morning and up til lunchtime only as it is a cortisol stimulant. Drinking it when cortisol is naturally rising is fine, but you want to avoid it later in the day when natural cortisol levels should be lowering. The benefits of licorice tea include aiding digestion, reducing inflammation of the liver and reducing and treating headaches, all of which will be of use to you during the first days of the program. Tulsi tea – Tulsi is another Ayurvedic herb more often known as ‘holy basil’ which has numerous medicinal and health applications that will benefit you massively over the next 30 days. These include the assistance to digestion, aiding liver function, strengthening the immune system and assisting with recovery from physical and psychological stress. As Tulsi has a cortisol lowering effect, it is best taken in the afternoon and evening to best match the natural hormonal cycle and aid in relaxation and deeper sleep. (Note: it doesn’t cause drowsiness or lead to sleep, it just enhances your natural rhythm) And, of course, you can also try various fruit and herbal teas too. Just make sure they’re naturally caffeine free.
6. Get a waterbottle. Ideally a ceramic or metal one but if it has to be plastic then a hard plastic bottle that is BPA free. As a general rule, the softer the plastic (like most drinking water sold in supermarkets) the more they leach their chemicals into the water and the more xeno-estrogenic they are. Xeno estrogens mimic naturally estrogen and can lead to fat gain, water retention, menstrual problems, fertility issues and much more. Instead, use your water filter to pour fresh, filtered water into your own bottle as much as possible. If you can’t do this then make sure you buy the hardest bottles from the store rather than the brand you like best. Glass is the best bottle to drink from but this is less and less common to find nowadays. So there you go. Six simple steps that’ll make your transition into the Elimination Diet much easier and much more productive too. It may seem a lot but remember, you’re expecting a lot by way of results from this program so a little time spent in preparation will be well worth it, right?
To your success!
Dax Moy http://www.eliminationdietchallenge.com
I will be posting about the supplements, I'll be taking, if any, later this week. With links to the places I would say do the best value and quality.
I n some circumstances, awesome supplements aren't that expensive, but as with a lot of things, you get what you pay for, some cheaper supplements can be a completer waste of time
As I'm not working at present, money comes into my equations.
Which is why I'm also going to keep a running total of money I spend, over the 30 days on food.
As a lot of people think, you can't eat healthily and cheaply, so we'll see what happens there
Cr
aig :-) Cr
I'm going to give this a blast from Monday as well, done it last year and it is by far the best way to get healthy and drop the weight as well as being able to eat as much as you need to fell full! Good luck for the headaches :-)
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