ELIMINATE - GEAR 3

     Remember that this section of the program is where you want to consider the people, places, and things in your life that can stop, or detour, you from meeting your health goals. You may want to re-evaluate some of these categories in order to “draw a line in the sand” between yourself and your focused efforts for optimized health and other people, places and/or things which might work against your diligent efforts.  Some changes you make might be long term, while others, perhaps, may be temporary as you learn and adapt to new habits and gain self control.

Let's start with the PEOPLE

     In the second GEAR we focused on you, and on the awesome decision you made to take your health into your own hands!  During this GEAR let's focus on the people around us! Take stock of the people you surround yourself with. Identify those who brings positives to your life, and who, if anyone, brings negatives, criticisms, or lack of support and encouragement.

     You may want to consider  distancing yourself, at least temporarily, from these more negative people, until you become stronger and become more comfortable with all the positive changes you are trying to make in your life.  Negativity is toxicity, and has no good place in anyone’s life, especially when you are trying to make such positive and healthy changes in your own life for the good of YOU.  Remember?  Put YOUR oxygen mask on first!  Put yourself as your priority.

Next are the PLACES

     If you have places that are associated with poor health, then you need to avoid those places at all cost!

     For instance, is there a bar or restaurant that you frequent too often? Do you meet people there that influence you positively?  Do you drink too much alcohol or eat poor quality foods when you’re there? Do you forget to plan ahead, and then stop at fast food restaurants, merely out of habit or convenience?  These are examples of the kinds of activities that might be working against your new lifestyle habits.  Just think about it!

Don't Do It !!

Now for the "THINGS”

Lets talk about the foods to "Eliminate" at this point, and for now in your journey!

     In GEAR 2 we eliminated liquid, empty calories. We also eliminated some of the worst “so called” foods”, such as candy, bakery items, and other empty, highly inflammatory, sugary junk, void of nutrients.

     Now let's talk about the foods that are inflammatory. This is a big list but a very important one! There are many foods on this list that will need to be eliminated forever, and others, only for the time being. Some of these foods can be added back in at a later time, but, for now, please eliminate all of them!

Eliminate:

• Breakfast Bars & All Cereals, no matter how “Organic” or “Natural"

• Potato, Vegetable & Corn Chips

• All Crackers

• Fast Food Breakfasts

• Traditional High Carb Breakfast Foods like... Doughnuts, Pastries, Oatmeal, Muffins, Bagels, Toast, Pancakes, Waffles, etc...

   Eliminate all things containing rice:

• Rice crackers

• Rice cakes

• Rice cereals

• White, Brown or Long Grain Rice

• Cream of rice

Eliminate: all grains, including breads, cereals, and pasta, this includes all foods containing “gluten” (click here to read this important article on “Gluten" from Dr. Mercola)

 **It is always important to read product labels.  Some products, such as soy sauce and other seasonings and sauces contain wheat, and gluten.  Avoid those.

Eliminate all pastas:

• Fettuccine

• Spaghetti

• Macaroni

• Lasagna

• Egg noodles

• Penne

• Ramen noodles

• All other pasta

Eliminate all legumes and below ground veggies:

**These legumes (Beans) and root veggies, can be added back in after you go through the program. Just use them less often, I try for once a week.

As for the beans try to use dried beans and soak them yourself or use a pressure cooker.

 Beans (Not Green Beans) We are talking about the legumes, like ...

• All canned baked beans, with sauces. The sauces are where the real problem is. Avoid peanuts (peanuts are not nuts, but rather a legume more like a beans, but they are usually genetically modified and not very healthful).

• Other canned beans like those used in homemade chili, etc..., dried, bagged or boxed beans, peas, lentils, and bean hummus, are fine in small quantities.

• Root Vegetables : add back in after going through the program and use a few times a week, not every day!

• Potatoes, Potato Products, Sweet potatoes, Yams, Beets, Squashes. Again add them in after the program.

• Yellow and Green Zucchinis are ok always.

Eliminate:

• Corn & Corn Products ** Unless you can find them organic, then OK as a treat. Organic corn chips are ok as a treat, it’s the bad oils that make them unhealthy! So be careful.

(Not really a root veggie, but a “No No” ) Almost always GMO... *genetically modified organism

A word of caution here…

     Many of the products out there are labeled with catchy words and slogans to draw your attention. Like "low fat" and "sugar free". They are preying on your fears about “Fat" and they are misguided at the core. Yet, perhaps the worst part is that when they take away the fats (flavor) and the natural sweeteners, they then have to add back in things that give them flavor. That means artificial sweeteners, usually highly toxic to the body and brain. Then they will use poor quality oils and other fillers, even artificial colors. It is simply critical to avoid these at all cost.

      Some people get caught up in the idea that these products are “low carb" and therefore healthy, but this is most definitely not true. Don’t exchange low fat, low carb, low sugar, for toxic exposure!  DON’T DO IT!

Eliminate:

• Anything labeled "Light" "Low Fat"

• All store-bought, flavored yogurts

• All "Low Fat" Dairy (skim, 1%, 2% low fat cottage cheese, low fat sour cream, low fat or part skim milk cheese.

• You can use full fat (preferably grass fed, organic dairy) 1/2 &1/2 is fine in small quantities.

  Let’s make sure we have eliminated all the bad oils and fats from our kitchens! 

 The bad oils and fats include: 

• margarine

• vegetable shortening

• trans fats: (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils)

• all commercial “vegetable” cooking oils and spray, (including corn oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, flax seed oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, and wheat germ oils).

     None of those mentioned above are even real vegetable oils, as they usually come from highly processed grains, like corn and soybean. These are very inflammatory, and are usually chemically altered! Surprisingly, Americans get most of their fats from these sources.  

Do not consume these!  Even if they are “Organic,” they are NO GOOD.

     Also, stay away from non-fermented soy products, such as tofu and soy milk. Always look for “soy protein isolate” on labels. Avoid things such as: soy protein, soy cheese, soy burgers, soy hot dogs, soy ice cream, soy creamers, soy yogurt, and soy sauce. If you enjoy soy sauce, use “Bragg Liquid Aminos," instead.

     Watch out for salad dressings, mayo, ketchup, mustard, BBQ and other sauces that are served in restaurants. They usually use cheaper oils, and can ruin an otherwise great meal. Look in the "ADD" section for our home made sauce recipes!

WOW!! 

     We know this is a very long list, but these are the big inflammatory drivers! They need to be avoided for now. Once you begin to efficiently burn your body fat for fuel, you can bring back some of the foods you are eliminating. We will help you do this down the road.  Start new healthy habits now.