Amino Acids/Electrolytes? Pre/intra/Post Workout drinks can be used however, 99% of pre-workout blends have some artificial sweetener in them so beware.

Creatine? Go for it!

Protein Powder/Shakes? Protein is great for you. However, some powders and shakes have a high calorie count so be mindful of what your putting into your body. Also, most protein powders contain high amounts of ADDED sugars.  For the sake of this challenge, please only use powders that contain no artificial ingredients and have >1g of sugar per serving.

Protein Bars? No bars. 99% of bars have added sugars, even its just a few grams. Any added sugars will nullify your Detox point.

Condiments? To be safe, stay any from any added condiments, sauces, rubs, dressings etc.  Herbs and spices are ok as long as they are all natural. The goals is to eliminate the need for these additives, not find ways around the rules to fall back into old habits.

Sweeteners? Only source of sweetener can come from whole foods. AKA Fruit. No molasses, maple syrup, table sugar, coconut sugar, stevia or other artificial sweeteners. Again, the goal is to eliminate all sweetness, not find alternatives.

What about eating out? We understand that these cases do come up. For 28 days, we are asking you to prepare all of your meals at home or through a service to the best of your ability. If you eat out, do your best to portion the meal out and eat within the guidelines. Unless you know EXACTLY how that meal was prepared you cannot get full points for it. This is called a challenge for a reason. While it is definitely not sustainable in the long term, we are looking for maximum results in this 4-week time span.

What if I’m still really hungry? You should never be “starving.” Work on timing out meals strategically to help keep you from going too long without eating. You can also save some of your “meal” for a snack.

Snacks? Again, try to eliminate snacking. Try a green smoothie or protein shake if need be. See above.

Coffee/Tea? These are okay, but need to be unsweetened, and no milk. Almond milk is ok but only almond milk- no additives or sweeteners.

Alcohol/Wine?  NOPE. Its 4 Weeks, try not to have a drink and see how good you feel. No wine either.

Soda? Get rid of it! A soda generally costs between $2-$3 when you buy it at a fast food restaurant. Again, that doesn't seem like a lot of money, but that nominal cost adds up to $730-$1,095 over the course of a year. Wouldn't it be great to have that money to spend on other things?

 

Diary? People vary in their ability to digest and tolerate dairy, whether because of genetics, age, or digestive health and intestinal microbiota. Additionally, folks may choose (or avoid) dairy depending on taste, food preferences, culture and heritage, choices about consuming animal products, sanitation, or a variety of other criteria. Therefore, during this challenge we are trying to remove dairy from our diet to see if we actually feel better without it. It’s possible that “normal” while eating dairy feels a lot worse than not eating it. Now this doesn't mean you can't have dairy! You are not penalized for having it. However, most diary products have large amounts of sugar, therefore you will miss out on your Detox point! So best practice would be to just avoid diary for the length of the challenge.

 

Nut Butters? Most store bought nut butters (just about all the major Peanut Butter Brands) contain high amounts of added sugars.  For this challenge you will be allowed ONLY Nut Butters that have NO ADDED ingredients other than salt and >2 G sugar per serving. Avoid brands like Skippy, Jif, Peter Pan, Smuckers etc. Beware of the "All Natural" Label too as most still have extra ingredients and added sugar.

Hopefully this section answers some questions you have about certain foods and how to approach them.