A few people have asked questions regarding the 21 Day challenge Nutrition. We thought we would post the answers here for everyone to see. If you have a question, just send it to us.

Some people seem reluctant to try a different approach to eating. Our plan has you eating mostly protein, healthy fats and fruits and

Fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients and fibre

vegetables which are high in nutrients and natural fiber. Comparatively grains are low in nutrients and high in calories (when comparing calories and nutrients between the two).  This eating plan has produced amazing results for any of our clients who have stuck with it. Now on to the questions.

Q: Can I have the 0% fat Greek style yogurt on this challenge or is no dairy allowed?

A: For this challenge its no dairy. Allot of people have dairy sensitivity, and eliminating it is the only way to find out. Sensitivity is not always allergy. Sensitivity can just cause digestive stress which leads to bloating and water retention and adds to your overall stress profile. When the 21 day challenge is over you can add eliminated items such as dairy and grain back in but do it only one on each day so you can see how you feel. many people notice a lack of energy when having wheat or other foods they may have a minor intolerance for.

When having dairy you actually should eat the full fat as weird as that sounds. Otherwise on a % basis the % of sugar goes up and it spikes your insulin. The fat prevents the blood sugar spike. When having dairy always organic (too many weird hormones otherwise, cows do not produce milk all year without drugs….) and always full fat for dairy.

Q: If I do not have a gluten sensitivity, why must I cut it out? I thought whole grains are part of a well balanced diet.

A: Most people have some level of sensitivity but may not be aware of it. We recommend to remove it and see how your body reacts  when the challenge is over and you re-introduce it.This will give you a better idea of your sensitivity level. If you have a  minor sensitivity you are unaware of,  it  may add to your overall stress profile , causes water retention and bloating, low energy and ties up valuable fat burning resources. Grain products are also relatively low in nutrients compared with fresh fruits and vegetables. The idea is to substitute fruits and vegetables instead of grain. You will experience better digestion and have more energy.

Q:  I am naturally a grazer. Should I no longer be snacking?

A:Snacking is great, make sure snacks are balanced: protein, carbs and healthy fats.  See nutrition pamphlet for food lists.

Q: Is standard grocery store milk and yogurt considered “processed?” I have a very high calcium diet (especially when in combination with gluten), and I don’t know how to replace those calories to keep a healthy intake. Are there meal plan suggestions?

A: Non-organic milk is “processed” . There are meal plan suggestions in the 21 day challenge manual. Green vegetables are high in calcium. There are many other ways to get quality calories besides dairy and gluten such as: nuts, seeds, avacados, vegetable oils etc.

Q: Must I submit the plan for every meal I eat (63-105 meals)?

A: The food log is not mandatory, however to be eligible for prizes you must submit a food log at the end. Many people find the writing down of what they eat really adds focus and accountability.

Q: Why is Dairy not allowed but goat milk allowed?

A: Goat products do not contain lactose which 85% of the population has some form of intolerance to. Goat products are more digestible and there fore you get more nutrients.

Craig Boyd- Precision Athletics Vancouver

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, boot camp instructors, CrossFit coaches and Nutrition coaches. Craig enjoys coaching people of all levels of fitness that want to improve. His company provides one on one personal training , partner and small group training as well as group classes such as boot camp, crosstraining and fitness and complete soccer conditioning.

Check his websites are http://www.precisionathletics.ca/and http://www.precision-bootcampvancouver.com/ .  Feel free to email him your questions at Craig@precisionathletics.ca

Challenged to Pass the POPAT

With her regular workouts and active participation on a hockey team, Danna considered herself to be in pretty good shape. She enjoyed Crosstraining & Fitness classes, as well as personal training sessions over the past four years.

A really fit Danna with Pepe.

One of her first fitness goals was to lose weight (she lost 15 lbs) and to improve her overall level of fitness. Then she decided she wanted to pursue a career in the Vancouver Police Department—and part of the applicant screening process for admission involves a physical abilities test called the POPAT (Police Officer Physical Abilities Test).

Danna gave herself a year to prep for the test, which includes:

• 1.5 mile mobility and agility circuit run
• controlling 80 lbs of resistance
• doing a squat-thrust-and-stand with a three-foot vault rail
• carrying a torso bag over 25 feet

In order to pass, participants had to perform all activities as per protocol and complete the timed portion in 4:15.  Two months before her test, Danna felt confident enough to run through the practise POPAT at a facility. She was shocked with the results: “I could barely breathe and was just scraping by!” She turned to Pepe, her personal trainer, to significantly change her training program. And, more importantly, to push her to succeed: “I thought I could achieve it on my own, but I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough.”

They worked on specific techniques such as pushing pulling, vaulting and stairs, as well as metabolic conditioning and interval running. In August, Danna passed the POPAT and was really happy with her results. With that hurdle out of the way, she is now going through the other steps required to gain admittance to the training program. Pepe notes, “Danna was very motivated…with each goal attained, her confidence in her abilities grew. We’re at the point now that there’s no question whether she can repeat her performance – but by how much would she beat her personal bests.”

No matter what law enforcement training program you are after, each one has a physical abilities test: municipal police have POPAT, RCMP have PARE (Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation) and sheriffs have SOPAT (Sheriff’s Officer Physical Abilities Test). Firefighters have CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test). Most of the tests appear to be easy…but don’t be fooled. Give yourself time to prepare—on your own, with a personal trainer or through a specific program. Then practise the test, as many times as you need to, through an organization such as LEPAT who has all the testing equipment and certified assessors.

Three questions for Danna:

What motivates you? “Once I saw the results, I wanted to work harder…And now I really want to keep this level (of fitness) that I worked so hard to get. If I miss my workout, it doesn’t feel right.”

What do you like about working out with a trainer? “A trainer pushes me way harder than I’d push myself…he gets me to do things I wouldn’t do on my own.”

Your advice? “Accept help (to achieve your goal)—even if you don’t think you need it. Sometimes another person can inspire you to go farther than you ever imagined you could go.”

Recently I got my hands on a copy of Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. After hearing all kinds of reviews about the book I thought it was time to see what was so special about another take on the dangers of wheat. 

For years I’ve been an activist on the low-grain/wheat/gluten type of eating. Wheat products always come in processed form: breads, wraps, cookies, pastries, crackers, cereal, etc.—all of which increase the fat storage hormone insulin. Wheat and gluten also cause a very large inflammatory response that wreaks havoc on your digestive system, causing a series of stress-related side effects that lead to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, diabetes, low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides…to name a few. This is all covered in the book.

William Davis’ tagline from the book is, “This is not the same grain your parents ate”. He covers the genetic alterations of the grain over the years to unveil how today’s wheat is unlike any wheat that we used to eat in the past; how it’s much more dangerous and less nutritious than we think. He also gives you plenty of guidance as to how to reduce and remove wheat from your day-to-day life with tasty recipes and even a wheat-free one-week eating plan!

I highly recommend picking this book up if you are interested in improving your health and waistline. It would also make a great gift for the health and fitness folk on your Christmas shopping lists.

Related reading:

Wheat Belly blog

Maclean’s interview with William Davis “On the Evils of Wheat”

Jade McClure is Precision Athletics’ Holistic Nutritionist, Lifestyle Coach and Fitness Trainer.