Getting Ready for the LEAP!

The LEAP begins tomorrow. Here are some tips to help you get started. Be sure to post your progress, questions, and thoughts as they come up. This will be fantastic, but also an adjustment. Be sure to observe yourself, do your best and let it happen!

The Plan:

Each day you must strive to eat all of the foods listed below. You must also drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water. The foods on the list are among the most nutrient dense on the planet. That means high nutritional value and compared to the calories they contain. Eat them raw whenever possible. You will see the most benefits if you eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables whenever possible.

Green Vegetables - Eat at least 2 large servings of any green vegetable. The BEST are dark green leafy items like kale, spinach, Swiss Chard, and collard greens. Others like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus and beans are the next best, followed by starchy green veggies like peas and Lima beans.

Salad - Eat one very large salad full of dark greens - romaine, spinach etc. and other raw vegetables each day. You will benefit most if this is NOT HEAVILY DRESSED. Use a small amount of dressing or a good healthy oil like flax seed oil and some vinegar or lemon. 

Fruit - Eat three raw fruits every day. These can be frozen fruits as well if they are not in heavy syrup or cooked.

Beans - Eat at least 1/2 cup of beans everyday. These can be in the form of soup, in pasta, re-fried, as hummus or even in chili. Try to have them without added sugars or fats.

Nuts - Eat at least 1/4 cup of raw nuts everyday. 

Shopping List:

At least one shoe box sized container of either romaine, Spring mix or spinach. 

Several cans of low sodium black, pinto, kidney or white beans and chick peas.

Several cans of vegetarian baked beans. You can certainly get other kinds but watch the fat and sodium content.

Pick up dried beans if you have the time to prepare them. (Watch for help on that this weekend.)

Lots of good fresh fruit - apples, pineapples, bananas and all sorts of citrus. You can get frozen berries as well and use them in smoothies. Try to get the berries and apples organic whenever possible.

Raw nuts - pick up a bag or two of what you really like. Trader Joe's has great nuts at good prices. Raw almond butter or any RAW nut butter counts as well. One tablespoon is about all you will need.

Green Veggies - Look for organic dark greens at Whole Foods - the price is very good for what you get especially on collard greens and chard. You can find broccoli at any store now at a good price. You can also find lots of frozen vegetables that are very good - avoid sauces.

Buy yourself a nice big water bottle and keep it filled a lot. Drink it down, and fill it up all day!

More to come on meal planning etc.

Here is an idea for tomorrow:

How about a nice smoothie for breakfast? Use one banana, and another fruit of your choice. Add some greens and blend with a non-dairy milk, water and ice. Feel free to have your coffee and toast later, if you even still want them!

For lunch have a nice big salad with lots of veggies, or stuff it all in a wrap with some hummus. Dip a few more veggies in hummus as a side instead of chips.

For dinner have some chick peas on a nice size salad, and a big helping of broccoli or string beans along with your usual meat or fish. If you are a vegetarian add a baked potato or yam.

Before bed cut up another piece of fruit and enjoy it with some almonds and a nice cup of tea.

It's that easy. Add the foods you want along the way. You may find you don't need to. 

Your body will be thanking you!!!

That's it. I will elaborate more on each item and share ideas in blogs to come.

Join in the GUIDED LEAP for a customized plan with maximum results, weekly recipes, meal ideas, accountability and more. 

The cost for this program is $30. Contact me for details veggiecoach@gmail.com.

Tomorrow-

What to watch for as you begin...