Welcome to Day 2 of the 5 Day Carb Challenge

Hey there!   It is Day 2 of your 5 Day Challenge to End Carb Cravings and I'm so excited that you are reading this lesson because that means you made it through Day 1!  Hopefully, the high-fat high-protein breakfast was something you enjoyed and you found yourself feeling full further into the day than you normally do after breakfast. 

You should DEFINITELY have noticed a difference in the afternoon when it came to carb cravings and energy levels, and any other "carb crash" physical feelings.

Okay, Day 2 is all about grains.  We are focusing on cutting grains from our last meal of the day, our dinner/supper -- and we're doing this for a couple of reasons. But let me start this by saying that I'm not 100 percent against grains and I don't think you can never have grains in a healthy, well-balanced diet.  That is not the case at all!

We Rely On Grains Too Much -- And Here's Why That Might Not Be A Great Thing

However, there's a couple of things with grains that make them more of a treat than an everyday staple.  The first thing with grains is that people tend to create a meal around the grain instead of just adding a little bit of a grain into a meal.

For example, when we traditionally make pasta, we make a big pot of pasta and make a little bit of sauce -- and to serve it, we grab a big plate of pasta with a little bit of sauce on it. So now, that meal is predominantly a grain (keep this in mind for later when I explain why that's not such a great thing).

That's one example. Another one is when you make a stir fry with a huge serving of rice or noodles and then a bit of veggies and protein on top.   Again, you hand out a big plate of rice, then some veggies and meat and a little bit of sauce. Once again, that grain just took over the whole plate. 

We don't like this for a couple of different reasons. Number one is that grains are not what we call nutrient dense -- which means you're not getting much nutrient bang for your buck, so to speak.  Grains take up a lot of space. They don't have a ton of vitamins and minerals in them. They're not all that exciting from a health point of view.

So, compare that to a nutrient dense food like vegetables which have a ton of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients squeezed in per square inch. Meat is crazy nutrient dense as well with lots of fat-soluble vitamins. Fats are really nutrient dense as well, so things like egg yolks are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. 

Nutrient-Dense Foods Should Have a Higher Priority

When it comes to filling our bodies with good quality items, grains just aren't very high up there.  The reason for that, is that grains are mainly made of starch, a carbohydrate, which breaks down very quickly into sugar.

I think you can see where I'm going with this?  If your dinner meal is predominantly a grain and grains are predominantly breaking down to sugar quite quickly, then that same blood sugar roller coaster we talked about at breakfast time is going to happen again at dinnertime. 

By cutting out grains, you're forced to add in nutrient-dense foods like meat, vegetables, and eggs.  These are foods that fuel your body in more ways than just quick energy, don't result in excess fat stores (for the most part) and don't result in the blood sugar rollercoaster that's causing the carb cravings later.  So, your challenge tonight is to avoid grains completely.

You're focusing on the dinner recipes options given to you in the manual.  You got three dinner options in your manual so pick one that looks good to you and if you need to substitute out a few things go ahead and do that. Again, it doesn’t have to be exact. We’re just trying to stop the carb cravings.  We’re trying to stop that automatic reliance on grains.

Put On Your Scientist Hat... And Observe What Happens

For the next three days, you're going to eat that one dinner, or you're going to try one of each, or you're going to have one twice and try one of the other options. Whatever you want.  And I want you to really notice the difference you feel later on in the evening. By not having that carbohydrate-heavy dinner, your carb cravings, later on, will be way less intense.  A lot of people also feel like they are going to sleep better and wake up feeling well rested in the morning. 

Don't forget to post in the group to let me know how it's going and to let me know your challenges, let me know your successes and anything else you want to share.  Take pictures of your meals because I want to see it all!  

Enjoy your grain-free dinner and I’ll see you for Day 3 tomorrow! 

~Coach Suzanne