On Monday, October 10th, a number of members and coaches will be embarking on a 21-Day Fall Wellness Challenge to track and hopefully improve markers in nutrition, hydration, sleep, and exercise levels. You can choose to focus on just one aspect, or all four! Check out the criteria and Score Sheets here, provided in two formats (Excel, PDF) depending on how you prefer to record your data.
Be sure to sign up on the whiteboard at the gym if you plan to participate. Buy-in will be $20 (billed through Wodify) and the highest scorers at the end of the challenge will be entered into a drawing to win the cash pot.
Our criteria and expectations for sleep, exercise, and hydration levels for this challenge are fairly straightforward and are described in the score sheets. On the NUTRITION side of things, we’ll be following the concepts and guidelines behind the established 21-Day Sugar Detox program, which we’ve done for previous challenges. If you’re new to the 21DSD, this post will give you some background information and link you to some resources so that you can better understand the program.
Why a “Sugar Detox” specifically?
BECAUSE SUGAR IS IN EVERYTHING, and IT’S TAKING OVER OUR LIVES.
However, the problem isn’t JUST the added refined, white crystals you might add into your coffee, or add in cooking and baking. It’s all of the refined, nutrient-poor carbohydrates that carry tons of calories and sugars, but no real nutrition. In our world, these are the easiest foods to grab on the go, but they leave us fat, sick, tired, and downright unhappy. Plus, until you start reading food labels more carefully, you might be surprised to find out that sugar is in foods you wouldn’t even expect. From bread to tomato sauce, it’s even in foods that are labeled as “healthy.”
The effect that sugar, “hidden” carbs, and refined, processed foods have on our bodies goes FAR beyond our waistlines. We can’t focus, we have trouble sleeping, we have irrational mid-afternoon cravings, and we can’t even make it through the day without wanting—or needing—to prop up our energy levels with caffeine or even more sugar! What can we do to break free from this cycle? The 21-Day Sugar Detox is here to help.
What you’ll experience on this program will be different from a lot of other “diet” programs out there that promote extremely restricted eating; encourage you to consume only shakes, juices, or smoothies; or rely heavily on supplements and very-low-calorie or very-low-fat diets to ensure success. The goal of any detox program should be to support your body in naturally cleansing itself of substances that create negative health effects—and that’s exactly what The 21-Day Sugar Detox does.
By focusing on quality protein, healthy fats, and good carbs*, this program will help you change not only the foods you eat, but also your habits around food, and even the way your palate reacts to sweet foods. You’ll likely complete the program and continue eating this way much of the time thereafter because you’ll feel so amazing. After changing your everyday eating habits, you will begin to gain a new understanding of how food works in your body—and just how much nutrition affects your entire life.
-content courtesy of BalancedBites.com
What exactly is The 21-Day Sugar Detox?
It is a whole-foods based program designed to help you bust sugar and carb cravings. The program includes a complete outline of included foods and foods that will be eliminated for the three weeks (Yes/No Foods lists). There are also a number of free resources, information, and recipes to help you along the way.
The 21DSD includes three different levels, so that you can ease in to a new way of eating depending on how you currently eat. Every level is effective, and it is not required that you complete the program at the highest level (3) in order to see and feel the amazing results and benefits of the program.
Check out additional FAQs here, straight from the 21DSD website.
How does it work?
Essentially, you’ll choose a level (Level 1, 2, or 3), as outlined in the 21-Day Sugar Detox book (there’s a self-assessment to help you with this), and will eat according to the Yes/No food lists for the full 21 days. As part of our Wellness Challenge, you’ll be giving yourself points for sticking to the plan and recording them daily on your Score Sheet.
We have a copy or two of the book at the gym for you to look at while you’re there, or you can purchase your own copy easily from Amazon. Selected pages from the book – including the Yes/No lists – are linked at the bottom of this page for your convenience!
*A note about (good) CARBS…
The pages linked below also include guidelines on the important ENERGY MODIFICATIONS that should be made based on a variety of circumstances, including for those who work out several times per week. We can’t underscore enough how critical it is to pay attention to these energy modification guidelines. Essentially, you want to ensure that you are not eating no- or too low-carb for the duration of the program, and especially on days you do CrossFit or another workout. If you look at the Yes/No food lists by themselves, it suggests that you should be limiting your starchy carbohydrates (e.g., potatoes, squash, beets, etc.). However, for those who are active, being too low-carb will be not helpful (at best), and more likely will be detrimental both to your performance in the gym and how you feel overall.
Your body NEEDS and WANTS good, nutrient-rich carbohydrates both to recover from exercise and to fuel you for your next workout. Don’t ignore the energy modifications.
Resources!
DROPBOX LINK to copies of some of the most important pages in the book (including self-assessment, Yes/No food lists, Energy Modification guidelines) as well as the Score Sheets referenced above
(If you want to purchase a copy of the book for yourself, you can find it on Amazon. We have a copy or two in the gym that you can flip through while you are there, but sometimes you just want to be able to go through all the information!)
FREE, PRINTABLE RESOURCES (including shopping lists, dining out guides, and more!) from the 21DSD program itself