SUGAR-WITHDRAWL REGIMEN by SWOONIST.COM Welcome. We designed a simple sugar-withdrawal regimen. This is essentially for a busy person who is typically on the go, so there’s not much cooking involved. There are enough meal options not to get bored and the meals are very basic. When you’re trying to change your palate, it is important to start slow and simple. The regimen is designed to help you reduce your cravings for refined sugar and low-nutrient fats. Often, we pursue awesome meal-plans only to discover that we don’t have a taste for our packed lunches once we arrive to work. That’s why we believe, first & foremost, cravings are the root issue. Once you’ve trained your body not to want lots of refined sugar, you can get fancier in the kitchen, but for now, it’s about baby steps. Here are some notes to help you complete this successfully and extend it if you desire. Read them thoroughly to ensure you’re not wasting food or eating too much or too little. FOOD SUBSTITUTIONS Feel free to substitute similar foods when you’re not able to find something at your grocery store. You’re encouraged to try out vegetarian or vegan meals whether or not you consider yourself either. BEVERAGES No juice, soda or energy drinks. You can have one 10-oz. cup of coffee in the morning and one around noon, with 1 packet of sugar or Stevia and 1 packet of cream or 2 tablespoons of nut milk. Coffee only becomes low-nutrient when it’s full of sugar, syrups, milks and cream. You may also drink hot brewed-leaf tea with 1 packet of sugar or Stevia. (continued...)

GROCERY SHOPPING It is common for many people to over-shop. When this happens, you risk food rotting or expiring, and thus being wasted. Check out the ingredient list on your groceries and observe how many servings are in cans, bags, packages, etc. When buying bagged greens or salad, two bags will typically make 6 personal salads. You won’t need 4-5 bags just because there are only 2-3 servings in one bag. While many people must reconcile grocery shopping with limited transportation, your best bet is to shop once per week. Even still, do what you can. Anything is better than nothing. Remember, this is about baby-steps. Vegetables from the grocery store often last 5-7 days, while farmer’s market veggies have lasted as long as 10-14 days. Eggs from the supermarket usually last 2-3 weeks, while farmer’s market eggs can last up to 6 weeks. Fresh meats are often good for 1 week. Cheese is dependent on the type, source and age. Always check expiration dates on everything you put in your grocery basket. PACKING You’ll need lots of containers if you plan to pre-prep your food once per week. Typically, you’ll have anywhere from 20-40 small containers or baggies in your refrigerator or kitchen once meal-prep is finished. Fortunately, containers are often inexpensive. You don’t need specialized Snapware or fancy glass. Plastic Gladware will take care of you. To ensure you don’t stress yourself out, take inventory of your containers before you grocery shop. Then, you’ll know exactly how many you need to pack your lunch, dinner and snacks. FAILURE You should expect to fail. This might make you wonder why you would even attempt to withdraw. Well, going through one week having “failed” and eaten 50 grams of refined sugar is an improvement from the average consumption of 756 grams of refined sugar, per week, for the average American adult. SOCIAL CHAT Did we leave anything out? We’re hosting a Sugar Withdrawal Chat on Saturday from 3-5 p.m., on both Facebook and Twitter, to answer any questions you might have about this regimen or sugar in general. We look forward to a fun, informative conversation. Swoonist.com Facebook.com/swoonist Instagram.com/swoonist Twitter.com/swoonist

breakfast/6-8am meat • 1 English muffin + 1/2 c. avocado • 1 turkey breakfast sausage • 1 bagel + goat cheese spread • 1 1/4 c. of smoked salmon

are you hungry? hopefully you are. go grab that yummy lunch.

lunch/11am-1pm

veggie • 2 organic waffles + 2 tbsp lite syrup • 3 scrambled eggs

meat • 1 c. turkey chili + 1 piece of toast • 1 c. steamed broccoli

• 1 low-sugar oats packet • 2 hard-boiled eggs

• 1 can prepped tuna + roasted squash • 1 green salad + 2 tbsp vinaigrette

vegan • 1 oats packet + 3 tbsp Hemp seed • 1 c. strawberry/blueberry mix

• 1 salsa verde chicken enchilada • 1 spring mix salad + 2 tbsp ranch

• 2 vegan waffles + 2 tbsp lite syrup • 1 vegan breakfast sausage

off to work. or school. or whatever. don’t walk out without your food.

snacky/8-10am choose one snack.

• • • • • •

1 fresh slice turkey + 1 cheese stick 1 rice cake + 2 tbsp nut butter (vegan) 1 boiled egg + 1 cheese stick (veggie) 1 serving Skyr + blueberries (veggie) 1 1/2 c. of trail mix (vegan) 1 low-sugar protein bar

• 1 c. beef stew + 1/2 c. rice • 2 c. steamed spinach veggie • 1 c. Gouda + meatless “beef” pasta • 1 Caesar salad + 2 tbsp dressing • 1 c. lentil + butternut + brie soup • 1 c. steamed broccoli • 2 vegan patties + mild cheddar • 2 c. garlic steamed spinach vegan • 1 Tofurky Italian sausage + brown rice • 1 tortilla salad + 2 tbsp ranch • 1 chickpea, quinoa, sweet potato salad • 1 c. roasted Brussels sprouts • 1 serving vegan Orange “chicken” • 4-6 roasted asparagus stalks

snack time already? if you want it. you should be just a little hungry.

snacky/2-4pm choose one snack.

• • • • •

1 c. fresh strawberry/blueberry mix 1 c. baby carrots + hummus (vegan) 1 c. celery stalks + guac (vegan) 5 Ritz crackers + salmon dip 1 1/2 c. fresh fruit (vegan) wait, the lunch options look similar. they sort of are. mix and match!

night/8-9pm choose one only if you’re very hungry.

• • • • •

1 1/2 c. plain Skyr + blueberries 3 Ritz crackers + avocado 1 serving of mozzarella 1 1/3 c. cottage cheese 1 1/4 c. almonds (vegan)

now that wasn’t too bad, right? get some rest. good job.

dinner/5-7pm meat • 1 serving pan-seared garlic salmon • 1 half baked sweet potato • 1 c. steamed broccoli • 1 can smoked oysters + • 1 green salad + 2 tbsp vinaigrette • 1 chicken, avocado + black bean wrap • 1 spring mix salad + 2 tbsp ranch • 2 slices fresh turkey breast + pasta • 2 c. steamed spinach veggie • 1 c. Gouda + meatless “beef” pasta • 1 Caesar salad + 2 tbsp dressing • 1 c. lentil + butternut + brie soup • 1 c. steamed broccoli • 1 c. basil pesto & tofu pasta • 2 c. garlic steamed spinach vegan • 1 chickpea + meatless “beef” wrap • 1 Asian corn salad + 2 tbsp dressing • 1 c. spinach + bean + butternut salad • 1 c. roasted Brussels sprouts • 1 serving vegan “chicken” tenders • 1 c. roasted cauliflower & peppers