Spring Cleaning Challenge 2019
The Spring Cleaning challenge is all about making healthier choices for your nutrition and your lifestyle. You can choose a cleaning package based on your previous nutrition/diet experience, your desire for difficulty level and/or your desire for body composition and health change. Choose a cleaning package: Basic Clean, Deep Clean or Premium Clean (you cannot downgrade your cleaning package during the challenge time frame in order to earn points). Every day you have the opportunity to earn 5 points. Your daily points can be recorded at CrossFit Harpoon on the challenge board. At the end of 4 weeks (12am 5/28 – 6/25 12am), top 3 finishers with the most points will earn cash from the pot (50%, 30%, 20%), 1 month of nutrition consult, 50% off a 1 month of nutrition consult.
1 point – fruit and/or veggie with every meal
1 point – drinking 8oz of water in the morning before eating or drinking anything else
1 point – 30+ min workout or mobility session
1 point – 6+ hours of sleep
1 point – no cheats on your cleaning package
Basic Clean
No sugar
Deep Clean
No sugar
No gluten
Premium Clean
No sugar
No gluten
No dairy
Each cleaning package is described below:
Basic Clean:
No sugar! There is way too much sugar hidden in the average American diet. You are going to have to become a good label reader to buy many of products at the store. The shorter the ingredient list, the better! Be sure to read all the ingredients on packaging. There is no sugar allowed and there are many way that could make it into your body. You will even have to check the meat packaging! Processed meats are a common place for sugar to get inserted, especially when it comes to pork products and deli meats! Condiments can also be as issue: ketchup, dressings, mayonnaise, etc. There are some sneaky ways that sugar is hidden.
- Barley malt
- Beet sugar
- Brown sugar
- Buttered syrup
- Cane juice crystals
- Cane juice
- Caramel
- Corn syrup
- Corn syrup solids
- Confectioners sugar
- Carob syrup
- Castor sugar
- Date sugar
- Demerara sugar
- Dextran
- Dextrose
- Diastatic malt
- Diatase
- Ethyl maltol
- Fructose
- Fruit juice
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Galactose
- Glucose
- Glucose solids
- Golden sugar
- Golden syrup
- Grape sugar
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Icing sugar
- Invert sugar
- Lactose
- Maltodextrin
- Maltose
- Malt syrup
- Molasses
- Muscovado sugar
- Panocha
- Raw sugar
- Refiners syrup
- Rice syrup
- Sorbitol
- Sorghum syrup
- Sucrose
- Sugar
- Treacle
- Turbinado sugar
- Yellow sugar
Deep Clean:
You’ve got the sugar list above to reference AND you’re also cleaning out gluten. Those that have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant must completely abstain from eating gluten and the side effects can be serious and unbearable. Often times those people also have to be aware of ingredients of their skin products, shampoos and soaps as well. Gluten can be absorbed through the skin and cause issues as well. More commonly, people have gluten sensitivity. With a gluten sensitivity it is common to experience digestive issues such as bloating, gas or heartburn after eating gluten or also skin issues such as psoriasis, acne, or rosacea. Some of these things you may never realize are a response to gluten because you have always eaten gluten and/or never eliminated it for long enough to see the benefits of eating gluten free.
Gluten does not necessarily have negative effects on everyone, but very often it is in a processed food, accompanied by other ingredients that have sugar and/or is often not in its original raw and healthy form (stripped of the plants fiber and nutrients that would benefit us).
The following grains contain gluten and should be avoided:
- Wheat
- Wheat germ
- Rye
- Barley
- Bulgur
- Couscous
- Farina
- Graham flour
- Kamut Matzo
- Semolina
- Spelt
- Triticale
The following ingredients are sneaky names for gluten that should be avoided:
- Avena sativa Cyclodextrin
- Dextrin
- Fermented grain extract
- Hordeum distichon
- Hordeum vulgare
- Hydrolysate
- Hydrolyzed malt extract
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Maltodextrin
- Phytosphingosine extract
- Samino peptide complex
- Secale cereale
- Triticum aestivum
- Triticum vulgare
- Tocopherol/vitamin E
- Yeast extract
- Natural flavoring
- Brown rice syrup
- Modified food starch
- Hydrolyzed soy protein
- Caramel color (frequently made from barley)
Premium Clean:
You’ve got the sugar list above, the gluten list above AND you’re also cleaning out diary. This can be a difficult one to kick, but really makes a difference in health for the majority of people. Next are two items to think about. (1) There is an analogy that “you don’t see a squirrel drinking milk from a deer, so why do humans drink milk from a cow.” This comparison tries to get the point across that you are made to drink your mother’s milk (that being milk from your own species), not the milk from another animal. (2) There is a theory out there that most all people become lactose intolerant because it was supposed to be the milestone that indicated we should be done breastfeeding and move to solid foods…could make sense.
So now that the pretty picture of a squirrel sucking on a deer is in your mind, let’s chat about some of the effects that diary can have on your body. There are the health concerns of drinking the highly processed dairy products vs. the raw, organic version from your local farm: hormones, antibiotic residue, foodborne pathogens and pesticides. Then there are the positive benefits to your body of removing dairy from the diet: better digestion and weight loss due to less bloating, skin improvement, less congestion/phlegm in the nose and throat on a daily basis and during allergy season or cold season.
Dairy sources and sneaky names for dairy sources to avoid:
- Butter
- Cheese
- Cream
- Custard
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Ice Cream
- Pudding
- Cheese flavored snacks
- Casein
- Curd
- Ghee
- Hydrolysates
- Lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate
- Lactose, lactoglobulin, lactoferrin, lactulose
- Rennet
- Whey
Foods to look out for and definitely check the ingredient labels on:
- Au gratin dishes
- White sauces
- Baked goods
- Cake mix
- Cereals
- Chewing gum
- Chocolate and cream candies
- Coffee creamers
- Creamed foods
- Donuts
- Malted milk
- Margarine
- Mashed potatoes
- Processed meats
- Nougat
- Salad dressings
- Sherbert
Top ways people sabotage their nutrition points:
We’ve covered most of these in the rules, but here is a quick cheat sheet to keep you safe!
- Gum.
- Too much fruit. While there is no limit to fruit in this challenge and fruit is an EXCELLENT source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, sometimes when changing to a diet of more whole foods, people tend to go heavy on the fruit because it’s easy and sweet. Over indulging in too much fruit can keep your sugar levels high and slow weight loss (if that’s what you’re looking for) as opposed to having a good balance of fruits and veggies.
- Too much honey. Honey is a healthy, sweet choice that is meant to help wean you off of sugar, not as a sugar substitute. So, everywhere you were using sugar, you should not just insert honey.
- Too many nuts. There are no serving restrictions, but they are extremely fatty and can be detrimental to your results in you are over indulging and if you are looking to lose weight.
- Alcohol. Alcohol can be very detrimental to you progress by affecting your metabolism, immune system and by affecting decision making…the kind of decision making that end in eating more or something that you shouldn’t.
- BY NOT READING THE INGREDIENT LABEL! If it doesn’t have an ingredient label, that is usually an indicator that its safe (i.e. chicken breasts, apples, spinach)! Even though the name of the food is “Beef Jerky” doesn’t mean that all they use is beef or that in “All Natural Almond Butter” all they use are almonds. Nuts often use oils in their packaging, make sure the oil being used is compliant. Food companies want people to like their food and will often sneak sugars and oils into items that don’t necessarily need them. Don’t let the food industry trick you!
Why are we tracking sleep, workouts and morning water intake on a nutrition clean out?
Do you mop the floors before you’ve swept them? Do you eat food right after you’ve brushed your teeth? Aside from a couple forgetful moments the answers are most likely “no.” Those additional items to gain points from are the building blocks of a good foundation to help hold up your good nutrition. A common effect of lack of sleep is increased appetite due to lack of energy. Your lack of energy doesn’t necessarily come from a lack of food, but it can be perceived that energy in the form of calories is needed by your body. A workout or mobility session encourages good nutrition. Why would you put so much work into your workout sessions if you weren’t going to then provide your body with the proper nutrition it needs to function during those workouts and to recover from them? Also in the first week or so, sweating is a good form of body detox. Depending on what you have already been eating, your body may need to rid itself of residual nachos, donuts and beer. A morning glass of water will also help that detox that the workouts are doing too. Also, sometimes hunger can be associated with dehydration. Go for the glass of water before you eat to curb hunger cravings and make sure its food your body actually needs.
Suggestions for success:
- Set out a glass of water before you go to bed so it’s the first thing you go to in the morning. It is is recommended that you drink your water even before brushing your teeth as you do not want to be swallowing all the chemicals in the toothpaste you just used in your mouth.
- Make a plan for bedtime. Calculate more than enough time to get your 6+ hours. If you wake up for 5am everyday, you need to be asleep by 11pm, so you may want to plan to be in bed by 10 to account for delays and time it takes to fall asleep.
- Set aside time for a workout or mobility session and schedule out your week. Make yourself accountable by committing to (for example) 4 days at the gym, 1 day taking a run and 2 days of yoga or mobility. Obviously this will be based off of your work, family and friend schedule. Set the parameter for you week at the start and then you scheulde everything in appropriately.
- For those looking to make body composition changes, reach for the protein rich foods!
- Drink plenty of water (in addition to the water you start your day with). If you sometimes need some flavor or carbonation to your drinks, try lemon seltzer water with a slice of lemon or lime seltzer with a slice of lime. Crushed or squeezed fruit can add some good flavor to regular water or seltzers.
Protein shakes:
Protein shakes with a sugar from the list will be allowed as long as it is consumed within 30 min (anywhere from 30 min before your workout to 30 min after your workout) of your CrossFit or strength training workout. Other than that modification, all cleaning packages must follow their rules: no gluten and no dairy.
How to get going:
What do you need to provide in order to participate in the challenge? Put your right hand in the air: “I __________ (name) solemnly swear to put forth my best effort to improve my health, performance and overall lifestyle for the next four weeks. Commitment part: done! You need $25 cash, $5 of which will be added to the podium winners pot. You need a starting weight on a scale that you will consistently use throughout the challenge also at a time of day that you can consistently weigh yourself when you do. You need full length “before” pictures in a bathing suit or tight fitting clothes from the front, side and back. You need “before” measurements of your right and left arm half way between the elbow and the shoulder, your right and left leg at the thickest part, your waist at belly button height and your hips at their widest point. Don’t freak out about this! You can send them to me at kelsprendergast@gmail.com OR keep them for yourself, but PLEASE, PLEASE do it! These will never be shared without permission, I’m not doing this to examine you and check up on you, I want you to be able to look back on where you started at the end and do a “before and after” comparison of photos, measurements and weight. Sometimes all you need to stick through a rough day or pass up on that dessert is to remind yourself of where you started. Use these as motivation and gratification tools for yourself.
Let’s talk motivation. Why are you doing this? What if mid-challenge you realize you’re not in the running for a podium finish? What happens when the challenge is over?