Tri-Valley Psychotherapy

For nearly a decade now, I've been encouraging my clients to challenge their diets. It's amazing how much we can learn about ourselves, our health, and our lifestyle by challenging ourselves in this way, which is why I created 1-Week Dietary Challenges.  Each challenge is designed to teach you about the foods you eat as well as empower you to take one small step in the direction of improved health. 

TAKE ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME. By taking one challenge at a time, you'll be more likely to complete it and you'll learn specific information about your diet and health.

WARNING: It is important to speak with your medical doctor before making any changes to your diet.

Take the No Meat Challenge for 1-Week

Most people believe if they don't eat meat everyday, such as beef and poultry, they will feel sick. However, the opposite is true and people generally report feeling healthier and more energetic. The other concern I hear is, "Where will I get my protein?" Protein is not just in meat products, it is also in whole grains, eggs, beans, tofu, and nuts. 

Research shows that meat is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which is associated with heart disease, weight gain, colon cancer and autoimmune disease.

Meat is also much harder on the digestive system than vegetables or beans and can cause irritable bowel syndrome, stomach cramps, prolapsed colons, hemorrhoids, and constipation. In addition, meat carries a high risk of bacterial contamination.

For 1-week, try replacing meat products with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy, eggs, baked tofu, beans, and nuts. Add these foods to your diet a little each day.

DO NOT GO OVERBOARD. If you are not used to eating vegetables, fruits, baked tofu, beans, and nuts, you might have some digestive issues initially such as gas, so go slow.

TIPS FOR THE CHALLENGE: Make gradual changes to your diet. Day 1 of the challenge consider the following meal plan and begin a gradual change. 

• For breakfast try eating whole wheat toast with scrambled egg whites and fresh fruit. 
• For lunch try a cheese and veggie sandwich with potato salad.
• For dinner consider bean and rice burritos or taco salads. NOTE: If you are not used to eating beans, try refried beans instead of whole beans, which are easier to digest. 
• For snacks have apples and a handful of mixed nuts. 
• Avoid eating processed meat substitutes, which can cause digestive issues such as gas, if you are not used to them.
• Later in the week, try my simple recipes for Spinach & Tempeh "Bacon" Salad, Scrambled Tofu, and Lentil Stew.

Take the No Dairy Challenge for 1-Week

Like meat, most people are worried about eliminating dairy products for 1-week from their diets. People usually tell me they cannot live without milk, cheese, and ice cream for even one day! The other concern is, "Where will I get my calcium?"  

Surprisingly almonds and dried figs can have as much calcium as milk. Spinach, broccoli, arugula, soybeans, tofu, white beans, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds also have calcium. For more information check out this article in the Huffington Post.

Eliminating dairy products from your diet for 1-week can be even more challenging than eliminating meat. Mainly because you will not be able to eat some of your all time favorite comfort foods like cakes, pasties, ice cream, milk chocolate, or pizza.

But don't get depressed just yet. My list below gives you some fantastic options.

Note: Many people are fearful of replacing dairy products with soy products due to concerns of developing soy allergies. However, soy allergies only affect 1% of the U.S. population. If you are someone who is worried about soy, my list below gives you non-soy options.  

• To get you through this tough time, try my dairy-free recipe for Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes. You might also like my recipe for Creamy Cashew Smoothies, you can use Almond Dream instead of Soy Dream if you prefer.   
• Replace milk with non-dairy milk alternatives. My favorite brand is Soy Dream, Almond Dream, Rice Dream, and Coconut Dream. Try the plain versions in your favorite cereal. If Plain Non-Dairy Milk is boring for you, try Chocolate Non-Dairy Milk (You can find it at Trader Joe's in Livermore and Pleasanton.)
• There is also an interesting cheese alternative called Daiya Cheese, which is free of soy products. It is the only cheese substitute my family enjoys. (You can find it at Nob Hill Grocery Store in Livermore and Whole Foods Market in San Ramon.) Melt it over nachos or try it at Amici's East Coast Pizzeria in Dublin.
• If you enjoy yogurt, you can try Trader Joe's Soy Yogurts or So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurts. (You can find it at Nob Hill Grocery Store in Livermore and Whole Foods Market in San Ramon.) 
• To replace butter, try Earth Balance Margarine. (You can find it at Trader Joe's in Livermore and Pleasanton.)

By embracing this challenge, you will learn that dairy is in almost everything we eat, you will also learn  a lot about yourself and how "addicted" you might be to dairy products. The downside to dairy is that it is full of saturated fat and is linked to heart disease, digestive problems for the 75% of the population with lactose intolerance, and contributes to health problems such as allergies, sinus difficulties, ear infections, and chronic constipation. 

Take the No Gluten Challenge for 1-Week

Humans have been consuming grains for almost 10,000 years so why are foods containing gluten such as wheat, barely, and rye suddenly bad for us? The answer is simple, we consume it to excess and it is in everything we eat. Try eliminating wheat products for 1-week and you will be absolutely shocked how hard it is.

I never gave much attention to the anti-gluten propaganda until I suddenly experienced gluten intolerance due to my pregnancy. A women's body works a lot harder while pregnant and I suddenly noticed that I had difficulty digesting breads and pasta, some of my favorite foods!

It was amazing to see how much my digestion improved after I eliminated all gluten products from my diet. Gluten consumption can cause inflammation and is associated with digestive difficulties such as bloating, cramping, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea or alternating constipation and diarrhea. In addition, people with diabetes who eliminated gluten from their diet had better outcomes than people who continued to consume gluten suggesting that gluten free living might stabilize blood sugar. If you know anyone with Type 2 diabetes, I'm sure you've heard them say when they stopped eating bread they felt better and their blood sugar improved.

I learned a lot by going on a no gluten challenge and so will you!

Here are some of my favorite Gluten-Free Products:

• Udi's Gluten Free Foods: This is an amazing brand. Try their "white" sandwich bread and frozen pizza crust (You can find it at Trader Joe's & Fresh & Easy in Pleasanton) And check out my blog on Gluten Free PB&J
• Deboles Gluten Free Pasta: I love their lasagna noodles. It bakes just like regular lasagna noodles- no need to boil them before baking. (You can find it at Nob Hill or Raley's Grocery Stores in Livermore and Pleasanton.)
• Glutino's Gluten Free Foods: To die for chocolate and yogurt covered pretzels and other great snacks. (You can find it at Nob Hill or Raley's Grocery Stores in Livermore and Pleasanton.)
• Bob's Redmill Gluten Free Flours: I love their biscuit and baking mix, which is great for making pancakes. Try my recipe for Healthy, Gluten Free Pancakes. Bob's Redmill also has Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, which is great in cakes. Just follow their recipes on the back of the bag. (You can find it at Nob Hill or Raley's Grocery Stores in Livermore and Pleasanton.)
• Amy's Gluten Free Frozen Meals (You can find it at Safeway, Nob Hill and Raley's in Livermore and Pleasanton.).

Take the No Sugar Challenge for 1-Week

Did you know that the average American consumes
156lbs of sugar per year? And when the typical slightly overweight person eats sugar,
5% is stored as energy, 60% is metabolized, and 35% is stored as fat.

Sugar consumption has increased dramatically over the years. As a result, diabetes is on the rise and has increased 70% among 30-year-olds in the past 10 years. In addition, 66% of our community is overweight or obese.

Added sugar is in everything we eat from crackers, yogurt, ketchup, and peanut butter -- often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. Many of my clients complain that they are "addicted" to sugar. When they decrease their sugar intake they report  symptoms of withdraw similar to a drug.

If you decide to challenge yourself and eliminate added sugar from your diet for 1-week, you might struggle with strong sugar cravings and possible withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, headaches, and lethargy. Sugar is not our friend and does not help us in anyway. Discovering that you have an "addiction" to sugar can be an eye-opening experience that sets you on the path to improved health.

Don't be surprised if this is the most difficult dietary challenge for you. Sugar is a big part of our lives and eliminating it can be very difficult.

To start the challenge you will need to:

• Check labels to see if the foods you purchase have added sugar such as high-fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane sweetener, or sugar. 
• Eliminate sugar containing drinks from your diet. (I do not recommend substituting with artificial sweeteners during the 1-week challenge because artificial sweeteners have problems of their own) instead drink water. But if you have coffee or tea, do not add sugar.
• Focus on eating unprocessed, whole foods such as meat, dairy, grains, beans, nuts, vegetables, and fruits.
• Avoid fast foods, microwavable foods, convenience foods, and processed foods, which most likely contain added sugar.
• Eliminate desserts, candy, sweets, and treats. This can be very difficult when we look to foods like ice cream, cakes, cookies, and chocolate for comfort and enjoyment, even my recipe for healthy chocolate cupcakes are off limits this week. 

Take the No Eating Out Challenge for 1-Week

Americans eat out on average 5 times per week. Many of my clients who want to lose weight or take control of their health complain of the large portions at restaurants, which tend to be 3 - 5 times more than what we need to eat. At our local Chili's restaurant in Livermore, Dublin, and Pleasanton a Southern Smokehouse Burger with Fries has 2,290 calories add a 8oz Classic Margarita and a Molten Chocolate Cake for dessert and you are looking at 3,580 calories for one meal! 3,500 calories translates into 1-lb.

I loved eating out when I was in college and ate at Chili's as well as other restaurants at least 5 times per week. I could not figure out why I gained 15-lbs in one semester. When I eat-in, my entire dinner had about 400 - 600 calories not 3,580!

When we eat out, we eat more, eat high calorie high fat foods, and spend more money. It does not benefit us in the least and we also feel more disconnected from our food. When we eat-in we think about what we are eating. We need to plan our meals, shop, and cook. This process, although time consuming, is very important for helping us take control of our food choices.

It can he very challenging preparing our meals for the week but it is well worth the time and effort. I love to empower my clients to do this and then check in with them each week to see if they were able to follow through with their goal. Most people have difficulty because they complain they are too busy. But making time in this area will benefit you more than you can believe. That's why I am challenging you to take the 1-week No Eating Out Challenge. 

Here are a few tips to help you through the challenge:

• Make a Menu for the Week
• Create a Shopping List and Purchase Food for the Week
• Prepare your Lunch for Work or School the Night Before
• Enlist Help from your Partner or Friends
• Plan for Desperate Dinners.  Sometimes the unexpected happens and derails the dinner plans.  Rather than running through the drive-thru, have a few healthy frozen meals on hand.  
• Create a Restaurant Atmosphere at Home. Bring out the tablecloths, candlelight and music.

Take the No Caffeine Challenge for 1-Week

Caffeine is a fixture in our society. Coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate drinks abound. The popularity of energy drinks has grown incredibly in the past decade. Many of my clients drink at least one or two Red Bulls each day plus a Latte.

Coffee houses like Starbucks and Peets are on every corner and in most grocery stores. It is hard to get away from the temptation of caffeine. Even looking at this image of coffee beans in the anti-caffeine symbol brings back fond memories of when I was able to drink caffeine before my pregnancy.

Sadly caffeine can have negative effects on our bodies. One day I was at the doctors and I was drinking my favorite Chai Tea Latte from Peets. The nurse went to take my blood pressure and it was almost 20 points higher than normal! I said to her why is my blood pressure so high? She said its because you are drinking caffeine.  I told her I only drank 6oz of a 12oz cup. She said, it does not matter, the caffeine caused your adrenal glands to release more adrenaline, which caused your blood pressure to rise. I was shocked that caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in blood pressure, even if I don't have high blood pressure! 

Caffeine can also cause heart palpitations, nervousness, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, and headaches. It affects the kidneys, increasing urination, which can lead to dehydration.

Most surprisingly, caffeine can induce psychiatric disorders. For example, I have diagnosed clients with caffeine induced anxiety disorders, caffeine induced mood disorders, and caffeine induced insomnia. In addition, just like any drug, people can experience "caffeine withdrawal" 12–24 hours after the last dose of caffeine. Caffeine withdrawal will resolve within 24–48 hours but the most prominent symptom is headache. People also report anxiety, fatigue, drowsiness and depression.

• TIPS FOR THE CHALLENGE: If you don't like the idea of going "Cold Turkey" from caffeine, I recommend weaning yourself off caffeine the week before you take the 1-week challenge.

I find that whenever I eliminate caffeine for even one week I sleep better. This is huge when you have a busy schedule. So try it and see if you notice any improvements in your health.