Last Day!!

You have made it through the entire challenge!! For today's bonus please reflect upon your goal and post to the group if it was accomplished or what changes you needed to make throughout the process to achieve your goal. 

Day Fifty Six

Just for reading this post you get a bonus point! Don't tell anyone! They need to see this in order to get the point!!

Day Fifty Five

Try a new recipe today and post your results (successful or not) to the group.

Day Fifty Four

This is a rewind challenge. We did this one near the beginning, now let's see if you can do better.

Physical Challenge: Complete 50 push ups in as few sets as possible. Post your number of sets to the group. Push-ups can be done from your toes or your knees. Be sure to keep your core tight and your butt down. One straight line from your shoulders to your toes. Chest must touch the ground at the bottom of the push-up.

Day Fifty Three

Watch the BBC Documentary Why Thin People Don't Get Fat. This is a long video so you will get 5 points for watching this interesting piece. 

Day Fifty Two

Read the article: Is Sugar Toxic?

Day Fifty One

Read the NYT article: Salt, We Misjudged You 

Day Fifty

I want you set aside 10 minutes for you. I want you to relax and just be mindful whether that is spent in mediation, prayer, silence, or listening to calming music the choice is yours. I want you to just relax and breathe. A purposeful 10 minutes for just you. 

Day Forty Nine

Read:  1985: The Year the Dough hit the Fan 

Day Forty Eight

Eat an extra serving of dark green leafies today! 

Day Forty Seven

Physical Challenge: 

8 min AMRAP
3 burpees
6 push-ups
9 sit-ups
12 squats

Post your score to the group.

Day Forty Six

Today's challenge is all about spreading the love. Find 5 people that you love, respect, or care for in one way or another and tell them each something nice!

Day Forty Five

Take a picture of your supper and post it to the group.

Day Forty Four

I want you set aside 10 minutes for you. I want you to relax and just be mindful whether that is spent in mediation, prayer, silence, or listening to calming music the choice is yours. I want you to just relax and breathe. A purposeful 10 minutes for just you. 

Day Forty Three

What's your favorite healthy breakfast option? Post your best ideas to the group.

Day Forty Two

Post a picture of your fridge to the group!

Day Forty One

Complete the 4 min of burpees. Post your score to the group. This bonus is worth an additional THREE POINTS! 

Day Forty

Get a head start on your week by prepping at least one meal for this week. 

Day Thirty Nine

Watch this video. It's worth SEVEN POINTS, so settle in and listen to K-Starr talk about the ins and outs of sitting. 

If the link doesn't work you can access it here: http://youtu.be/kfg_e6YG37U

Day Thirty Eight

Watch this clip from the movie Fat Head. Or watch it here: http://youtu.be/v8WA5wcaHp4.

Day Thirty Seven

Watch this MWOD video on Sleeping Shoulders and Pillow. Or go to: http://youtu.be/xnlDTyMRRGg.

Day Thirty Six

Post a recipe for your best "make ahead" clean eating meal.

Day Thirty Five

What's your go-to food/restaurant when you're in a rush and unprepared? Post your response to the group.

Day Thirty Four

Read "How to Keep Your Poop Where it Belongs". This is an interesting read to say the least...

Day Thirty Three

Recipe time! Post a new healthy recipe that you have made during the challenge to the Group!

Day Thirty Two

Sometimes in life in order to feel good about ourselves we have to help lift up others. Today's challenge is to complete a random act of kindness. This can be as small or as extravagant as you make it. Post your random act to the group!

Day Thirty One

Rewind! Today's challenge we have seen before! 30 burpees for time. Try and beat your time from last time. Post your time to the Google Group. 

Day Thirty

Read "7 Nighttime Rituals to Help You Unwind, Relax, and Chill Out (That Don’t Involve Alcohol)". 

Day Twenty Nine

Post to the group something new that you have learned over the past four weeks, this can be: food, exercise or health related. Be creative!

Day Twenty Eight

We are now half way through the challenge. I would like you to reflect  upon your goal. Have you already met your goal and need to establish a new one? Do you need a kick in the pants to get it started again? Spend some time thinking what you would like to do in the next twenty eight days!

Day Twenty Seven

Since no one did this last time. Let's try again! Take a picture of your lunch and post it to the group.

Day Twenty Six

Physical Challenge: Tabata squats (20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest for eight rounds). Post your total score to the group.

Standards: at the top hips and knees extended, at the bottom - hip crease lower than knees. 

Day Twenty Five

Read the article "12 Signs You Need to Eat More Protein".

Day Twenty Four

What’s for dinner? Take a picture of what dinner looks like for you on a Friday night and post it to the group.

Day Twenty Three

Read the article "Yogurt Mania" and post your comments to the group. What is your opinion on the article and yogurt?

Day Twenty Two

Physical challenge: Tabata sit-ups. (20 seconds on/ 10 seconds rest for eight rounds). Post your score to the Google group. 

Standards: shoulder blades touch the ground on the bottom, hands touch your toes at the top.

Day Twenty One

Post to the group - What, if any, apps or websites are you using to help you be successful in this challenge? Share your best tech secrets!

Day Twenty

Read the article Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century. The article is on the longer side but is a good read. It is written Loren Cordain, the world’s foremost authority on the evolutionary basis of diet and disease. Featured on Dateline NBC, the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, Dr. Loren Cordain is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading experts on the natural human diet of our Stone Age ancestors (i.e. the paleo diet). 

Day Nineteen

Physical Challenge: Complete 50 push ups in as few sets as possible. Post your number of sets to the group. Push-ups can be done from your toes or your knees. Be sure to keep your core tight and your butt down. One straight line from your shoulders to your toes. Chest must touch the ground at the bottom of the push-up.

Day Eighteen

Take a picture of your lunch and post it to the group.

Day Seventeen

Watch the TED Talk "Minding Your Mitochondria". The video is 20 min, so this bonus is worth FOUR POINTS.

Day Sixteen

Dark green vegetables contain loads of iron, calcium, folate, vitamin K, fibre, as well as other beneficial components for your body. Today’s challenge is to read the article Why We Should Eat Leafy Greens and then eat at least one serving of a dark green vegetable - spinach, asparagus, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, green pepper, zucchini, kale, etc.

Day Fifteen

Physical Challenge: Tabata plank hold.

Tabata = 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest.

You will hold a plank for 20 seconds then rest for 10 seconds and repeat 8 times.

Here's a tabata timer! Now you have no excuse!

Day Fourteen

We are two weeks into the challenge, a quarter of the way in. I would like you to reflect upon your goal and see what progress has been made. I would like you to also take 10 minutes for yourself again today. This time can be spent in mediation, prayer, silence or however you choose to spend that time. Just no distractions!

Day Thirteen

Watch the video Statin Nation!

Day Twelve

Wash and chop at least 4 different types of vegetables to have on hand for an easy grab and go snack or an addition to meals. Post picture to group.

Day Eleven

Take a read "13 Nutrition Lies that Made the World Sick and Fat."

Day Ten

Often times during the day we get hungry and need a snack. What healthy options have you found to get you through the day. Post your suggestions to the Google Group!

Day Nine

Today's bonus will get you three points if completed.

This is a crossfit style workout and can be completed anywhere. No equipment is needed.

8 min AMRAP (as many rounds/reps as possible)
4 push-ups
8 sit-ups
12 squats

You will then post your score to the Google Group. Your score will be home many times you complete the entire sequence plus reps. Example: 5 full rounds + 4 push-ups and 3 sit-ups = 5 + 7

Push-ups: from your toes or knees - full extension of elbows on the top, chest touches the ground on the bottom

Sit-ups: shoulder blades touch the ground then use you arms to throw your body up and touch your toes

Squats: Please see video

Day Eight

Post one of your favorite healthy recipes to the Google Group!

Day Seven

Please read the information below and consider if you have been getting enough vitamin D!

There has recently been a lot of hype and information surrounding Vitamin D. So I thought I would provide you a little information. Below is a brief primer on the subject that hopefully covers many of the bases with regards to this essential vitamin.

Please note: This is not medical advice. Always consult your family physician before taking any drug or dietary supplement.

So what is vitamin D? Surprise, it’s not really a vitamin at all.  It’s a prohormone or hormone precursor like cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone, it’s derived from cholesterol molecules.

How do I get it? Humans make vitamin D in the bottom two layers of the skin in a photochemical reaction driven by a narrow band of UV light. This means the most significant source is sunlight.

How do I become deficient? Generally, most people start healthy. Those of us in climates and latitudes with longer winters and the possibility of extended cloud cover (and 9-6 office jobs) can take a few months of darkness to become vitamin D deficient. It’s difficult to stay topped up in the midst of a Canadian fall, winter and spring (and summer?), especially if you spend seven days a week inside.

What’s the vitamin D sold in stores? When you take vitamin D orally, you usually take vitamin D3 as cholecalciferol. It’s absorbed in the gut, carried into the blood, and then makes its way to the liver.

Why should I be interested in vitamin D? First of all, it strengthens your immune system. It also decreases risk of serious and common autoimmune disorders like Type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.Vitamin D replacement improves insulin sensitivity, the ability to secrete insulin, as well as hypertension. Currently, while vitamin D deficiency does increase the likelihood of diseases of civilization, it’s not seen as a primary cause. A ton of studies show that exposure to UV light and in some cases vitamin D intake are inversely related to the risk of common cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, esophagus and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Where can I get some vitamin D? You can get more than 80 percent from sunlight. It’s the only natural source of any significance. General guidelines suggest that getting whole-body sunlight between 10 and noon for 20 minutes is equivalent to oral dosing with 10,000 IU.

How much do I need? The new guidelines recommend daily supplements of 400 to 1000 IU for adults under age 50 without osteoporosis or conditions affecting vitamin D absorption. For adults over 50, supplements of between 800 and 2000 IU are recommended. 

How much should I take? If you’re out in the sun a lot, then 5,000 IU daily should maintain. If you’re low, you’ll need to take much more. Get a test to know for sure, every 3-6 months.

Any other benefits? For sure! I’ll leave you with just two: some research shows that having optimal vitamin D levels may reduce your likelihood of getting sunburnt. And, vitamin D will help you with your gains in the gym. It has been shown as long ago as the 1950s that exposure to UV radiation increases strength. It was also noted that trainability and performance peaked in late summer and was lowest in mid-winter.

Day Six

Take a picture of your fridge (all the good and the bad) and post it to the Google group. Don't pose your fridge for the perfect selfie!

Day Five

Today's challenge is simple. 30 burpees for time. You can take as much time as you need...this time. Post your time to the Google Group. 

Day Four

We are now four days in and since we are trying to cut out the sugar from our diets you may have started to feel the effects.Feeling the effects of sugar cravings by now? It might just be your gut bacteria talking! Read the article Gut Bacteria Control Our Minds To Get The Food They Want 

Day Three

“Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.” ~Max Ehrmann

Life can be chaotic most days. Everyone knows that it is important to take care of your body physically and cognitively, however, often times we neglect the emotional and spiritual side. For today's challenge I want you set aside 10 minutes for you. I want you to relax and just be mindful whether that is spent in mediation, prayer, silence, or listening to calming music the choice is yours. I want you to just relax and breathe. A purposeful 10 minutes for just you.
 

Day Two

For today's challenge you are to keep a diary of everything that you ate from the moment you woke up till the moment you go to bed. If it was a bad day don't be ashamed and post your food diary anyways. Post today's food consumption to the google group. Once you've joined, you can email submissions directly to challenge-prc@googlegroups.com.  

Day One

And so it begins...

Today's goal is simple: I want you to set a goal for the next eight weeks. If able make this goal SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely), however, if that is not possible then feel free to set a personal goal. I want you to write the goal down and place it somewhere that you will see it everyday. 

Associated with this challenge is a Google Group and Google Doc, if you have not been granted access to these please email me at jdziad@gmail.com and I will send out the invite. 

 

Quick and Dirty: Clean Eating

The Eat-Clean principles are:

• Eat breakfast every day, within an hour of getting up, and include some form of protein this will help sustain you throughout the day longer
• Eat lean protein and complex carbohydrates at every meal
• Complex Carbohydrates Include: brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, nuts, seeds and legumes (lentils, chick peas and beans), fruits and vegetables
• Not: sugar, white bread, candies etc.
• Have two or three servings of healthy fats every day
• Healthy Fats Include: polyunsaturated fats in nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and oils such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, butter
• Not: margarine, vegetable oil, corn oil 
• Get fiber, vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes from fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Control your portions
• The foods to avoid:
• Over-processed foods, especially white flour and sugar
• Artificial sweeteners (This challenge will allow: a small amount of natural sugars including: honey, agave nectar, stevia however this should not be more than one teaspoon at day)
• Sugary beverages, such as soda and juice
• Alcohol
• Foods with chemical additives like food dyes and sodium nitrite
• Foods with preservatives
• Artificial foods, such as processed cheese slices
• Limit your salt intake: replace general table salt with sea salt 

What is this Challenge all about?

For those of you that completed the previous challenge, #chubbsnomore, this is a follow-up to get you kick started for 2015. Many people set New Years Resolutions: to be healthier, eat better and to exercise more. This challenge has been created to assist with these goals and to allow these goals to make it past the first week of January.

This Clean Eating Challenge (#CEC) will take place over 8 weeks (2 whole months or 56 days), starting January 7, 2015 and concluding March 4, 2015.

To "buy in" to the challenge, you will pony up a minimum of $20 at the start of the challenge. We will track points based on nutrition and lifestyle throughout the challenge (through use of a Google Doc). A maximum of 8 points are available each day. Average 4 points per day to get 50% of your buy in money back. Average 6 points per day to get 100% of your buy in money back. The surrendered money will be divided up by the two individuals that accumulate the most points over the eight weeks. 

Nutrition Points
0 – “Cheat Day”. The day you fall off the wagon but please don’t fall too hard. You consume junk food (cookies, pizza, fast food, donuts, etc) or if you consume more than two alcoholic drinks you automatically get zero points for the day. 

1 – You remembered that you were supposed to eat well however just didn't quite get there. You made decent meal choices however not the best. You may have consumed a few snack foods containing simple carbs but did manage to minimize your sugar intake. No more than one alcoholic drink.

2 – You had a fairly successful day, you consumed no sugar and snacks were healthy options. You may have strayed from the plan just slightly (this may include eating later in the evening or not eating a well-balanced meal. No alcohol.

4 – “Clean Eating Day”. A day free of junk food, no processed sugar. Eating 4 to 5 meals per day. Making healthy meal choices. No alcohol, eating good fats.

Other Points
1 point – a minimum of 7 hours of sleep
1 point – completing a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise this can include but not limited to      running, yoga, cycling, weight training, Pilates, CrossFit etc... 
1 point – consuming your recommended water intake for the day
     Body weight (pounds) divided by 2 = ounces of water you should consume per day (1             cup = 8 oz)
     Example: 165 lbs / 2 = 82.5 ounces = 10.3 cups per day
1 point – completing the daily bonus which will be released daily on the blog