As we enter week 2, I started thinking more seriously about the schedule of adding certain foods into the regimen. One goal I wanted to hit was eating Raw for the first month. Raw is important because when food stays below 200º F the natural occurring enzymes stay in their most active form. These enzymes help break down and digest food. The idea is that eating vegetables packed with active enzymes make it easier for you to digest food which allows your gut to divert the energy normally used to create and release enzymes to more important things, like healing. Rawesome! Everything in weeks 1-4 will be raw and uncooked (preserving the enzymes) except for 2 things: herbal tea, where heat releases the flavor and attributes of the herbs into the water and Bone Broth, where heat similarly releases the nutrients from the marrow into the broth.
Another important factor is calories! I lost too much weight too quickly in week 1 (7 lbs!) and I need to make sure there are good energy sources in the early weeks. That is why I am planning to add seeds in week 3. I think I’ll start with Hemp seeds, but I could easily switch to chia or pumpkin. The point is to only add one at a time, eat them raw, and track how the body responds. These are a good early addition because they don’t break the RAW rule and they are high energy. If I keep losing weight I’ll have to add sweet potatoes back in earlier than scheduled. Week 8 is just before my birthday… so I’m thinking of adding wine back in as a present. Hopefully I make it that far!
Schedule
- Week 1:: Only fresh raw fruits and veggies, no nightshades, no avocado. Nothing in a can or a box. No caffeine, alcohol, chocolate etc. + Celery juice {16 oz} first thing every AM.
- Week 2:: Week 1 + avocado and bone broth (homemade only)
- Week 3:: + chili pepper and and seeds (one type at a time//hemp)
- Week 4:: + olive oil + tomato + carob powder
- Week 5:: + sweet potato + fresh fish + start cooking a few meals per week.
- Week 6:: + pasture raised meat + sesame seeds
- Week 7:: + eggs + wine??
- Week 8:: + additional seeds (pumpkin, chia)
- Week 9:: + legumes (black beans, lentils)
- Week 10:: + nuts (one type at a time//almonds) + coffee??
A Word on Additions: Each time a new food is added, eat it several times over the course of three days. Only add one new food at a time. Monitor for any unwanted reactions in your body. If your body responds negatively, then cut that food out for a while and adjust the plan.