Ready to make a fresh, new start? Try my month-long “diet cleanse” that focuses on removing four diet categories that have the ability to make a HUGE impact on your health, energy level and waistline.

Read on to learn which four food groups to avoid. And to brush up on the basics of the plan or see which foods you can enjoy, click the links below:

Foods to Lose: White Starches

FOODS TO LOSE: WHITE STARCHES

“White starch” includes all refined carbohydrates or products that are made using refined carbohydrates. Instead, your goal is to consume whole grain versions. Whole grains contain 100% of the original grain kernel, and therefore, retain the fiber and nutrients found within. Refined versions, on the other hand, are stripped of most of the fiber and nutrients (making them subpar selections).

When it comes to packaged goods, the first ingredient MUST be a whole grain in order to be “on plan.” If any of the following refined grains occupy that first ingredient spot, put it back on the shelf: all-purpose flour, bleached flour, degermed corn flour, enriched flour, enriched wheat flour, semolina flour, wheat flour, white flour.

  • Bread, white
  • Breakfast cereal, refined
  • Cakes
  • Cookies
  • Cous cous, refined
  • Desserts
  • Muffins
  • Pasta, white
  • Pastries
  • Rice, white and yellow
  • Rolls
  • Refined flours (see list above)
  • Wraps, refined
  • Tarts

Foods to Lose: Fatty Meats

FOODS TO LOSE: FATTY MEATS

Fatty cuts of meat come packaged with extra calories and saturated fat, and plenty of research has shown we’d be better off without them. For the next four weeks, avoid the fattiest offenders, which include:

  • Chicken wings
  • Fatty beef: flap steak, New York strip steak, porterhouse, prime rib, rib-eye steak, rib roast, sausage, skirt steak, T-bone steak
  • Fatty pork: bacon, Boston butt, pork belly, riblets, sausage, side ribs
  • Fatty deli meats: bologna, ham, pastrami, pepperoni, salami, sausage
  • Ground meat or poultry with more than 10% fat
  • Hot dogs
  • Poultry skin
  • Turkey wings

Foods to Lose: Sugary Drinks

FOODS TO LOSE: SUGARY DRINKS

Americans get 7% of their daily calories from sugary beverages, which can wreak havoc in the body. This includes beverage sweetened with sugar (see below) or artificial or natural non-caloric sweeteners in any form (see below). The following items are not allowed on this plan:

  • Energy drinks (regular and diet)
  • Fruit juice (see Foods to Choose: Beverages for diluted fruit juice)
  • “Fruit” drinks
  • Soda (regular and diet)
  • Sweetened coffee
  • Sweetened milk and milk alternatives
  • Sweetened teas (regular and diet)
  • Tonic water

 

How to Sleuth Out Sugar and Other Sweeteners

There are many names for sugar, so flip the package over and look for any of these on the ingredients list: Agave, brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, fructose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses, and, of course, sugar.

Non-caloric sweeteners are also off the plan. Be on the lookout for the following items on ingredients lists: aspartame/Equal, monk fruit, saccharin/Sweet-n-low, stevia/Pure Via/Truvia, sucralose/Splenda.

Foods to Lose: Salty Foods

FOODS TO LOSE: SALTY FOODS

It’s easy enough to remove the saltshaker from the table, but with so many hidden sources of sodium (AKA salt) lurking in food products, it’s nearly impossible to cut it out completely. (We need some sodium to maintain blood pressure, keep fluid balance, and transmit nerve impulses, but most of us consume way more than necessary.) In an attempt to be realistic as possible, these are the limits on sodium we are enforcing for this meal plan. Note that these are based on the serving sizes specified on the nutrition panel, so be mindful of portions.

No more than 200 mg per serving for:

  • Bread
  • Canned vegetables
  • Cereal
  • Cheese
  • Condiments
  • Nuts
  • Pasta sauce
  • Prepared sides
  • Pre-seasoned grain and pasta mixes
  • Salad dressings
  • Snacks
  • Vegetable juices

No more than 300 mg per serving for: 

  • Canned soups
  • Deli turkey or chicken

No more than 600 mg per serving for:

  • Frozen entrées

Foods to Lose: Miscellaneous

FOODS TO LOSE: MISCELLANEOUS

A few extra items to avoid during the Ultimate Diet Cleanse:

  • Anything fried (including French fries, chicken nuggets, potato chips, etc.)
  • Candy
  • Flavored yogurt (with more than 17 grams sugar per single container)
  • Milk chocolate

 

For a refresher on of the plan, review the Diet Cleanse: The Basics. To see which foods you can enjoy, check out Foods to Choose. And for a sample three-day menu plan, click here.

Intro

Ready to make a fresh, new start? Try my month-long “diet cleanse” that focuses on removing four diet categories that have the ability to make a HUGE impact on your health, energy level and waistline.

Read on to learn which four food groups to avoid. And to brush up on the basics of the plan or see which foods you can enjoy, click the links below: