Let me begin by saying, this journey of yours will look different from everyone else. You may have a personality that drives you to be all in and never look back. You might be like me and you are skeptical. I was at first. Cliff was crazy skeptical. We looked over our previous blog from when we first watched Forks over Knives in 2012. Incredibly amusing how "half in" we really were at first. How hard it was for us to push through. How many questions we thought we had answers to. We were uneducated, biased to our own theories and really wanting to find fault so we could go back to the time before we watched the documentary that shook our belief that chicken was good for us. Hello? Chic-fil-a people! Who wants to give that up?? And I finally found the best burger at Mugshots! I LOVE it! Why must I say farewell and trade it in on a veggie burger? That's not what Weight Watchers makes me do! So for two years we floundered around trying to eat plant based when we felt like it, continuing to read and understand more about what the documentary was talking about and finally in 2014 I settled in to really find the truth. Strip away my bias, admit that I really don't know everything and just simply look at the evidence. What does it really say? What sacrifice am I willing to make, what am I willing to take out of my daily life to achieve the best health possible? That's when I started this blog. I went all in to find the truth and I did. The best, healthiest, environmentally friendly lifestyle for a person to follow is the whole food plant based diet. The evidence is just too strong. The revolution is coming it's huge! If you want to try it and see what the fuss is all about here is your chance!
So what is it??
- Two groups - Spud Starters and Plant Warriors. Spud Starters begin the challenge with a 21 day Spud only diet to keep the rules simple, get "off food" long enough to reset their taste buds and break some bad habits. Plant Warriors dive right into a whole food plant based diet with guidelines and weekly challenges that stair step them into the lifestyle. Each challenge builds on the next one so everything doesn't have to change all at once unless you want it to.
- Shared recipes and support
- Accountability - Daily check in for the first 21 days and weekly check in thereafter. Each month is a different phase analyzing our relationship with food and practicing meditation for a healthier mind. It's all connected!
Start date: 3 month challenge starting January 9th. Additional challenges to follow throughout the year.
How to join: Do a search on Facebook for the group "Journey to Incredible Health" and request to join. Once approved you can go on the group page and locate the post that invites you to join the challenge and declare your group. If you have any trouble, friend me so I can help you. Search for Denise Robuck Arceneaux.
Who are the Team Leaders?
Denise Arceneaux - experienced in nutrition and weight loss since it has been her life's passion for the last oh 30 years. She has led many Weight Watcher groups and people are begging her to come back so I guess she helped a few people. She has been plant based for 2 years with her own share of hills and valleys. She brings experience in the psychological understanding of our relationship with food and weight loss.
Cliff Arceneaux - resident Physician's Assistant who will be involved in the science and helping people understand how this is affecting their health. He will also be involved in helping us to remain safe with the various health concerns you may have. He will not replace your doctor but can help you bring what you need to your doctor if you feel you need his permission to go further.
Shelly Jernigan - if you have read this blog you know her background a little. She has been playing around with a plant based diet and has focused her research on the high carb plant based lifestyle. She started with the Spud Fit challenge that lasted 4 months and has since moved over to include plants, much like the way we will running this challenge. She is the leader for the Spud Starters and is paving the way before you!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Phase 2 for Spud Starters - start adding in plants. Potatoes can still be a good center to the diet but fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains get to be added in. Weight loss is common in the first 21 days and it makes it hard for people to add in other foods because they are scared they will gain it back so much support will be given in this phase as well. We will continue to attack the relationship with food as we start journaling when and why we eat. Check in is required at least 3 times a week in this phase to remain eligible for the prize.
Phase 1 for Plant Warriors - the first 21 days are spent cleaning up the diet one meal at a time. Each week attacks a different meal. You can go at a slow pace if you are new to the wfpb life. You can change just your breakfast the first week and continue eating what you want the other two meals. Week 2 you keep a clean breakfast and start cleaning up lunch. Week 3 you keep clean breakfast and lunch but start changing dinner. If you have already been eating wfpb you would continue with your meals the way you have been but you follow the guidelines we set forth in cleaning up breakfast during the first week and so forth.
Phase 2 for Plant Warriors - Continue cleanup of our weekly meals, snacks and habits. We will continue to attack the relationship with food as we start journaling when and why we eat. Check in is required at least 3 times a week in this phase to remain eligible for the prize.
Phase 3 for both groups - Both groups should be on the same path by this point. Journaling continues so we are continuing to analyze why we choose food when we do. Meditation will begin this month to help us understand stress and how it affects our life and food choices. Check in is required at least 3 times a week in this phase to remain eligible for the prize.
Phase 1-3 for both groups - weekly discussion and challenges include the following topics:
- Analysis of our relationship with food and diets
- How to get family to understand or, at the very least, accept your decision
- Setting proper expectations for long term success
- How stress affects our diet and how to get a handle on it
- Science behind the reversal of diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease
- Meditation and being present in the moment
- Brain training and much more!
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