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Challenges

Clean Eating 30 Day Challenge

30 Day Clean Eating Challenge – The Rules

Are you ready to get healthy for the New Year? Join me on a Clean Eating 30 Day Challenge starting  Tuesday 2nd January 2017. Here’s what we are going to do:

  1. Cut out highly processed foods and all foods that contain refined white sugar and refined white flours. Click here for a more detailed list of foods to avoid.

  2. Eat a variety of whole, natural, real food that comes from nature. Click here for a more detailed list of foods to eat.

  3. Combine lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats in all meals. Use the above list for ideas of proteins, complex carbs and healthy fats.

  4. Keep hydrated by aiming to drink approximately 2 litres of water daily.

  5. Take 3 optional Flexi Days and still end the 30 days with a 90% clean eating success rate. (6 Flexi Days will give 80% clean eating success rate).

Flexi Days

If you are new to Clean Eating then the idea of cutting out certain foods might seem a bit overwhelming but I promise you it is very simple to do. There are clean versions of most refined and processed foods so it’s just a matter of swapping your white rice for wholegrain, your sugary cereal for hearty oats and your biscuits and treats for fresh fruit or smoothies. I promise this is doable and to help you I am giving you the option to take 3 Flexi Days.

These 3 days can be used as you wish. You can decide to eat some healthy but not 100% clean treats or meals on these day, you can enjoy a piece of birthday cake or a meal out on one of these days or you can even write a whole day off that didn’t go to plan. If you use all of your 3 Flexi Days then you will have achieved Eating Clean for 90% of the time, which is a great achievement and helps you to adopt the clean eating lifestyle into your life forever. This is not a one time diet. This really can be the way you eat forever.

So now you know the rules, you might be wondering how you get started. Well, luckily for us we have access to thousands of clean and healthy recipes, meal plans and shopping lists at our fingertips here on the internet and this blog contains a good amount of ideas and information that can see you through the next 30 days.

Shopping Lists/Meal Planners/Tailor Made Eating Plans

I would have loved to have been able to put together meal plans, shopping lists, graphs, charts, diagrams, videos etc, etc, for everyone of you but what I do have and what I am passionate about sharing with you are the tools you need to complete this challenge and adapt a clean eating lifestyle to fit your own individual needs and situation.

My weekly meals are varied and flexiable. In just one day I can eat a paleo breakfast, followed by a vegan lunch and then a regular everyday clean eating dinner. I like to change it up a lot and there are lots of recipes that can fit each of these categories and more right here on the blog as well as all over the internet. Find the recipes you like, adapt them to fit yours or your families needs and you will have all the control. It’s a great feeling!

During this challenge I will share my meals, tips and recipe ideas on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so be sure to like and follow those pages but to give you a head start here are some useful links that should help you get some great ideas.

  • Clean Eating Cupboard Essentials This list might help you get an idea of the kind of foods you will want to stock up on during the challenge.

  • Clean Eating UK Shopping Lists Remember that on this 30 day plan it is useful to limit (you don’t have to cut out entirely) wholewheat and white potatoes. Use a variety of other grains instead of relying on wheat every day and swap white potatoes for sweet potatoes for the most part.

  • Clean Eating Meal Plans Some of these also rely on wheat, so swap some of those recipes out for a more varied and nutritious experience.

Meal Planning

I have quite a few different meal plans here on the blog. They are not necessarily designed to be followed exactly, more as an idea or point of reference for you to use to build your own personal meal planner. You can check them out here: Clean Eating Meal Plans.

Click HERE to subscribe to my free newsletter and receive your free weekly meal planner template (blank for you to fill in) and then fill it with whatever recipes fit in with your family and lifestyle. Here are a few ideas:

I have always lived on a budget so most of the recipes you find here will be budget friendly and adaptable to feed 1, 4 or 6 people. Don’t forget to check out these blogs and websites for more recipes and ideas too.

Accountability and Staying Motivated

One of the hardest things about starting something new is staying motivated. I struggle with motivation every single day! It’s not something that just goes away but it can be made easier by feeling a sense of accountability. By physically commenting under this post with the words ‘Im in!’ You will have made a small but powerful step of holding yourself accountable for this challenge and so you are far more likely to succeed. Check out this post I wrote about How To Stay Motivated To Eat Clean.

Here are some other ways to stay motivated during your 30 Day Challenge:

  • Take ‘Before’ pictures of yourself as well as weighing and measuring your body so that you can see how your hard work has paid off after the 30 Days.

  • Create a motivational board like my one here and keep it somewhere that you can see it. Write words of encouragement to yourself and find pictures or quotes that remind you of why you want to complete this challenge.

  • Talk to your friends and family. Let the people around you know that you are participating in this challenge and that you need their support and understanding. If they know about your commitment then they can check up on you and ask how you are doing or even better, do it with you!

  • Talk to me! Stay connected with me daily by commenting here on the blog, tweeting me, posting on the facebook page or tagging me in pictures on Instagram. I DO NOT MIND AT ALL!! If you want to upload your days meals on facebook for me to see, then go for it. I will be your accountability partner. If you are having a bad day, let me know and I can send you some words of encouragement.

  • Keep a diary and include your meals, exercise for the day and your general mood. It will be great for you to look back on and will help keep you focused.

  • Preparation is the key to success. Prepare your meal plan for the week, keep snacks and packed lunches at the ready to ensure you never get caught out without food.

Detox and Side Effects

Switching to a healthier clean lifestyle is easy to do but depending of what your diet was like before, you may experience some detox symptoms and general side effects from a change in diet. These effects can last anywhere from a few days to more than a week, but in my experience they have never lasted more than 2-3 days (although I do not drink any alcohol or caffeine).

Some symptoms may include:

  • headaches

  • dizziness

  • mood swings

  • tiredness

  • body aches

  • bloating

  • wind

  • more frequent bowel movements or constipation

  • feeling shaky

  • spots

  • ‘brain fog’

  • just generally not feeling yourself

If you are cutting out sugar, caffeine and alcohol then you will in no doubt experience some symptoms but keep hydrated and allow your body to rest and adjust whist you ride it out.

Disclaimer
If you are currently taking any medication or have been diagnosed with a medical condition, please speak to a doctor before you make any radical changes to your diet or lifestyle. I am not a doctor or a dietician and I can only share with you what works for me. We must all take care of our bodies according to our own needs and situations.

Good luck! I know that you are as ready for this challenge as I am. I know you can succeed. I will be here with you every step of the way to motivate and encourage you via all of my social media pages so don’t forget to get connected using the hashtag #thekitchenshed30

You can email me, message me or comment with any questions or concerns you may have or if you need some quick inspiration or ideas to help you on your journey. Don’t forget to download and print out your free meal planner template by subscribing to the newsletter and get meal planning! You can do it! I believe in you!

Charlie xox

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