The Diet Where More Is Better

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Super7 Challenge The diet where more is better.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART 1: WHAT ARE SUPERFOODS?

• What are Superfoods?

• Superfoods get Super Results

• Top 7 Reasons to Complete the Super7 Challenge

• The Super7 Superfoods

• The Super7 Not-So-Superfoods

PART 2: THE SUPER7 CHALLENGE

• The Super7 Quiz

• Chose Your Level

• Decide the Best Time to Complete the Challenge

• 7 Ways to Track Your Progress (None of them are WEIGHT!)

PART 3: SUPER7 RECIPES AND IDEAS

• Put the FAST in Breakfast

• Pack a Lunch with a Punch

• Dinners for Winners

• Snacks on Snacks on Snacks

MORE RESOURCES

Introduction

We all love to talk about nutrition. We are fascinated by the next fad diet, wondering what the hot new trend is. And the food industry, media, and many big health companies feed off of this. They pump us with quick fixes, promote processed “diet” foods, and send an over-simplified and confusing message, that leaves us wondering, “So, what SHOULD I eat?!” On top of that, some of our nation’s experts are still telling us that all foods fit, that it is just about the calories, and you can enjoy anything you want in moderation. First, just because it is edible, doesn’t mean it should be considered food. Second, it’s NOT just about the calories. It’s about the quality. Finally, what the heck is moderation? With a surplus of nutrition information out there, it can be difficult to differentiate nutrition tabloids from nutrition truth. We’re here to help set the record straight.

It has been reported that nearly 80% of the “food” found in grocery stores today did not exist 100 years ago. Our food supply has changed drastically, no doubt. No one can argue that we have messed with Mother Nature, and she is not happy about it. We now genetically modify plants, literally changing the genetic makeup of these organisms. We change how we farm with the use of pesticides and insecticides. We change how we raise animals by changing their living conditions, pumping them with antibiotics and hormones, and feeding them unnatural diets. Plants don’t need chemicals to grow. Cows were meant to eat grass, not corn. Chickens were healthy and happy on the range. Fish was caught in the sea. Yes, it’s true.

Think about this: Only a century ago, virtually ALL fruits and vegetables were organic. ALL beef was grass-fed. ALL chickens were free of antibiotics. ALL fish were wild-caught. Now, these foods are an exception to the rule, and difficult to access. What is “conventional” now was very, very unconventional (or non-existent) during our great grandparent’s lives. People ate real food. That’s all that was available to them. And things were great.

Now, a lot of what we define as “food” would never have been considered as such a century ago. When deciding what is actually food and what is fake food, ask yourself if your great-grandmother would recognize it if you put it on her plate. Would she know what a Twinkie was? Flaming Hot Cheetos? What about Kraft Singles cheese product?

Let’s go back to the original definition of food—a source of naturally occurring nourishment—not just anything technically “edible” and “safe” that food companies encourage us to consume in large amounts. Just because a food is edible does not mean it should be eaten. If it is a new product within the last century that has been manipulated and goes against nature, then it is not REAL FOOD no matter what any commercial or advertisement tells you. The FDA just ruled on banning trans fat from our food supply. Real food doesn’t get BANNED! Real food is food that has been around for

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge more than 100 years (even better if it has been around for 1000s of years!). It will never have a “NEW!” label on it.

Alongside a change in our food supply, we are obviously seeing a change in the health of our nation in the last century. These changes in our food have only now affected a few generations. A study done in 2005 suggested that the current generation of children, for the first time ever, is predicted to have a shorter life expectancy than the previous generation. And whether or not that proves to be true, we do know that there is a rise in chronic diseases as well as autoimmune conditions, infertility, allergies, dental issues, and food sensitivities. While these new conditions may not shorten our lives thanks to modern medicine, they certainly decrease the quality of our lives. (Note: This won’t be the first time that you should be thinking about quality over quantity!)

Ever talk to a couple struggling to get pregnant?

Or a mother of a son with severe food allergies?

Or a friend heading back to the dentist for another root canal?

They will tell you…it stinks! These new, modern diseases should make you think, “Maybe it’s the food?”

So now you’re thinking…”But it’s hard to be healthy!”

Yes, it’s tough to eat healthy in the world we live in now. We are inundated with marketing countless times per day. It is estimated that 90% of food advertisements are for processed foods or alcohol. These big food companies have a big interest in (and a big budget for) marketing their foods in such a way that they should be put on every plate in America. More profit for them, less nutritious food for us. Furthermore, high quality, clean food is sometimes impossible to access. It is more expensive, and even worse, under-valued. Ugh.

Keep in mind, our food supply is complex and there are many reasons for why it has become the way it is. There is no easy fix. Change must happen in government policy, food regulations, farming standards, and nutrition education.

On the bright side, you have three opportunities each day to change our food situation- breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Think about it this way: As consumers, we choose which companies that we want to stay in business. If a fast food restaurant had no customers, they would be forced to go out of business, right? While it may not seem like you are making a huge impact, if it is a group effort, change will happen. We’ve seen the gluten-free industry double in the last 5 years, with no signs of

Where do you start?

Start by focusing on the content of your food. Content is king! The front of the box should not entice you to buy the food and—surprisingly—the amount of calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrates should not, either. What you are really looking at is the ingredients. What is this food MADE of? What is its content? If you can’t recognize the ingredients, put it back. If it is more than five ingredients, it is probably too processed. Put it back. If it’s hyping the addition or lack of a certain hot nutrient (“now fortified with calcium!” or “no added high fructose corn syrup!”), don’t be tricked into thinking it is healthier. It could very well have other artificial ingredients. Put. It. Back. In choosing foods, select those with minimal ingredients. And among those ingredients, you should know how to pronounce them and recognize them. Ever read an ingredient label on a carton of eggs? It says “Ingredients: Eggs.” Look at what your food is actually made of!

How will the Super7 Challenge help?

The Super7 Challenge is designed to help you value the true definition of food, and become immune to the marketing of food companies pushing their food-like substances. You’ll be armed with the unbiased truth on nutrition and the best ways to incorporate real superfoods into your diet.

The Super7 Challenge e-book will explain why apple cider vinegar may be just what the doctor ordered, why the best fat to cook with is not olive oil, and what enzymes do for every function in your body. You might also learn a few things you wish you didn’t know. You’ll read that milk protein solids are added to skim milk to make it look white (otherwise it is clear liquid), salt water is pumped into chickens to make them appear big and juicy, dyes are added to cereal to make them look appealing, and flavor enhancers (and neurotoxins) like monosodium glutamate (MSG) are added to food products that without it would taste like cardboard! Wait, they are allowed to call this “food”?

And after the 21 days are through, we predict your trips to the grocery store to go a little something like this…

• You will see right through the marketing fluff. When you are flooded with new food products, sales, and marketing tactics telling you to buy certain foods, you will hold up your hand and say, “No, Tony. Frosted Flakes are not grrrreat.”

• You will make your grand sweep around the perimeter of the grocery store, where you will find fresh whole foods.

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• You will divert your eyes from the interior aisles filled with packaged foods that can sit on their shelves for weeks on end.

• You will be shopping by the rule: If it can spoil or rot, I should buy it a lot!

• You will know every ingredient you are putting in your cart. Gone will be the days where you can’t pronounce or recognize ingredients on your food labels. Heck, most of your food doesn’t even have a label.

• And the only time you will see a cartoon face on your food is if you personally draw one on there.

After completing the Super7 Challenge, you are going to finally experience how your food should make you feel…. Grrrrrreat.

What are Superfoods?

Superfoods are the superheroes of nutrition. They are the best possible plants and the best possible animals available to us. They contain a high amount of nutrients per serving, packing a powerful punch without using up a lot of space in your diet. BOOM! POW! POW! They save the day, always.

Superfoods can be used as shortcuts to increasing the nutritional content of your diet, adding more value to each calorie you are consuming. You can be creative when trying to fit as many as possible into your meals and snacks. All superfoods are found in nature and never have to be processed or refined. Remember, nature never messes up.

They range from fruits (especially berries) and vegetables (especially dark leafy greens) to animal proteins, nuts, and even fresh herbs! Salmon, blueberries, green tea, and dark chocolate are tasty examples of superfoods. The omega-3s found in salmon are known to reduce your chances of heart disease. Blueberries contain high levels of potassium and vitamin C and have anti-inflammatory qualities. Green tea has a high number of antioxidants. Dark chocolate is known to lower blood pressure and is packed with antioxidants as well. Those are some impressive food super powers!

With so many choices available, how do you determine what is a superfood?

Simple…has a few ingredients, or less Unrefined…minimal to no processing Pasture-raised….animals able to eat off the land, enjoy sunshine Energizing…with vitamins and minerals needed to function Real…not a “food like” substance Fresh…living, enzyme-containing food that will rot or spoil Organic…grown without genetic modification (GMO) or pesticides Originates in dirt…not in a factory or laboratory Detoxifying…helps body remove toxins and stay “clean”

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Let’s break down superfoods in food terms…

Eat SUPER PLANTS that did not have to go through a processing plant to be made:

• VEGETABLES o Organic non-starchy vegetables (Spinach, squash, broccoli) o Organic starchy vegetables (Potatoes, sweet potatoes)

• FRUIT o Organic fruit (Apples, berries, melon) o Avocadoes o Olives

• FERMENTED FOODS o Fermented fruits and vegetables (pickles, Kim chi) o Apple cider vinegar o Kombucha

• NUTS, SEEDS, AND OILS o Sprouted nuts and seeds (properly prepared) o Coconut oil o Olive oil and other cold-pressed oils –NEVER HEAT!

Eat SUPER ANIMALS that were treated like animals and were fed the right diet in clean and sustainable living conditions.

• MEAT AND POULTRY o 100% grass-fed and finished beef and bison o Pasture-raised chicken and pork o Pasture-raised, Certified Humane eggs o Organic bone broths

• SEAFOOD o Cold water wild fish o Sockeye wild salmon, canned

Superfoods are the best possible plants and the best possible animals you can eat.

Superfoods Get Super Results

1. Because it worked before “new food” came along. Our access to food has changed drastically in just a short time compared to how long we humans have been roaming the earth. Within the last century, we have seen a boom of industrial food production. For example, in 1911, Crisco (cottonseed oil, originally an industrial waste product) was marketed as a health food. In the 1970s, soy lecithin (another industrial waste product, this time from soybean oil) was introduced. Think about margarine, Cool Whip, Egg Beaters, Velveeta cheese, and Wonder bread! These are all quite new to us humans. Our diets have evolved, although many scientists believe that our bodies have not. This trend is not slowing down, either. If you stroll the aisles of your neighborhood grocery store, you will find many new products sprouting up.

The food industry’s new processing technology allows food to be readily available and stable on the shelves, but is this in your best interest or the best interest of the company? The motivation for more shelf stable food products was actually so that food companies would not lose money by having their products spoil before they could be sold. A longer-selling period meant better sales and less profit lost due to spoilage. Now we have an overload of processed, disease-promoting foods that are readily available. Is it too much of a “good” thing? While you cannot easily change the country’s food supply, you should be aware of food industry’s influence over your food choices. Weed out the junk and make your own decisions on what is the best food for you, not what will make the food company the most money. Remember, all superfoods have already been invented. Old food is superfood. New food is (most of the time) fake food.

2. Because it has awesome stuff we can’t even explain. Superfoods are Mother Nature’s way of showing off. She is obviously trying to impress us. And it’s working. Scientists are still exploring all the intricate pieces that make them so beneficial in our bodies. Have we really figured out every single vitamin and mineral that exists in these foods? Probably not. Beyond having a lot of vitamins and minerals, superfoods are also packed with enzymes and cofactors. First, enzymes are catalysts of every reaction in our body. They make things go. Consuming enzymes in our food is key to making our cells function and complete necessary processes such as carrying away toxins, reducing inflammation, producing energy, and slowing the aging process. Those are pretty important, eh? Well, we know that enzymes are important, but they also need cofactors to work. Cofactors are components that are needed for a nutrient to work properly. Without this link, the nutrient’s function suffers. There are many complicated relationships among nutrients, which is why you should focus on getting as many as you can from superfoods. Here are some examples of how one nutrient makes the introduction for another.

• Zinc is a cofactor for protein digestion and insulin activity. • Vitamin C is a cofactor for iron absorption.

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• Magnesium is a cofactor for calcium absorption, as well as more than 300 other reactions. • Copper is a cofactor for iron utilization. • Carnitine is a cofactor for iron, vitamin C, B3, and B6. • Iodine is a cofactor for oxidative reactions in thyroid functioning. • Manganese is a cofactor for protein synthesis. • Protein, magnesium, zinc, B6, and B12 are cofactors for metabolic utilization of essential fatty acids.

Each nutrient may have it’s own job to do, but also helps another nutrient do their job. Molecules that we can’t even see are fueling all of the reactions that happen in our bodies. Most of these reactions we are still trying to understand. Our body is much wiser than us, which is why we should listen to it always and give it what it wants.

3. Because it helps control cravings. Whether it’s ice cream, chocolate, pickles, or chips, almost everyone gets cravings. So how do cravings work and why do we get them? Much of having a craving has to do with hunger, stress, or particular triggers. The sensation of a craving is considered to be a sensation of “need” that we experience or as a “have to have it” feeling, arising from the midbrain area. The hormone dopamine is released when we eat foods we crave. Once dopamine is released it makes the body feel good, so obviously we want more of that food to keep feeling good.

By giving in to a craving, you are likely not addressing the underlying cause of it—which is that something is off, most likely your blood sugar. Instead of giving in to cravings, use superfoods to your advantage in the following strategies: (1) Add nutritious foods that contain blood-sugar stabilizing minerals like chromium and zinc (found in cinnamon, almonds, or grass-fed beef). (2) Avoid processed sugars and excessive starchy foods that will promote high insulin production and cause insulin resistance leading to more cravings from poor blood sugar control. (3) Eat regular meals and snacks to control hunger, including balancing each meal with enough fat and protein, so what you eat does not cause a blood sugar crash and lead to cravings. (4) Avoid trigger foods and keep these foods out of your kitchen. If you don’t buy ’em, you won’t eat ’em. (5) Finally, control your stress, as physical responses to stress include sugar cravings! Set yourself up for craving control with superfoods.

4. Because it strengthens your first line of defense. One of your immune system’s biggest jobs is protecting you from unwanted visitors and keeps you from getting sick. Duh, you learned that in the fourth grade. What you might not know is that 60 to 80% of your immune system is housed your digestive tract. Making sure that your digestion is strong is key to keeping out invaders that could lead to sickness, chronic inflammation, food sensitivities, and autoimmune conditions.

You can boost your immune system with food, of course! Fermented foods like kombucha will boost immunity because of their probiotics. Probiotics are the good bacteria hanging out in your gastrointestinal tract that keep digestion (and therefore your immune system) in check. And garlic, which contains allicin, also fights infection from bad bacteria. Finally, listen to your great- grandparents who believed chicken soup was the best medicine. I am not recommending canned chicken noodle soup, but rather homemade chicken soup, made with nourishing homemade bone broth (a SUPER superfood).

Stress, poor diet, alcohol, lack of sleep (perhaps from a poor diet), medication, inactivity, obesity, and dehydration are the most common ways to depress your immune system. Addressing your own immunity downers is the first step in protecting your health. Who enjoys having a cold for weeks on end? Not I. So get your immune system in check ASAP. It’s your first, and most important, line of defense.

5. Because it gets your digestion on track. Not everyone is able to digest all types of food. For example, people who suffer from Celiac disease or gluten sensitivities are unable to digest gluten well. Gluten can trigger an immune response in which your body attacks itself and creates damage in the digestive tract. This damage results in inflammation and decreases the body’s ability to digest properly. It may also do damage in other organs and tissues such as the brain, pancreas, and thyroid, and may trigger autoimmune disorders. Another example is lactose intolerance or dairy sensitivities. Lactose intolerant individuals have difficulty digesting milk products because they have insufficient lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the sugar in dairy. Individuals may also be sensitive to whey or casein proteins found in dairy.

Further, it is stressful to digest common antinutrients such as lectins and phytates. Lectins are found in grains, nightshade vegetables (e.g. tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers), soy, legumes, and nuts. Overconsumption may cause gastrointestinal distress by interacting with gut epithelial cells and causing damage. It may also cause leptin resistance, a precursor to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Phytates (found in grains, nuts, and seeds) decrease bioavailability of minerals. So, although whole-whole grains (e.g. rice, quinoa) and real food like nuts and seeds have vitamins and minerals, some people may not be able to absorb them. But wait, there’s hope! You can soak, sprout, or ferment these foods to decrease their lectin and phytate content, or buy already fermented foods and nuts and seeds that are already sprouted. The key here is to choose foods that do not put added stress on your body, are easy to digest, and whose nutrients you can assimilate.

Note: The Super7 Challenge is a time to get your digestion back on track and avoid common irritants. You may find that you feel a lot better when you remove ingredients like gluten and dairy from your diet for 3 weeks. On the other hand, you may feel no different at all. Food sensitivities, intolerances, and digestive health vary widely from person to person, so to play it safe, we did not include gluten, dairy, corn, soy, or grains in the Super7 superfood categories and believe that

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge everyone can benefit from avoiding these foods during this challenge, and processed forms of these ingredients are not-so-super anyways.

6. Because it burns more calories The thermic effect of your food is, put simply, the amount of calories that are burned just to digest the food. Yes, we burn calories to digest calories! Protein, for example, has a higher thermic effect than carbohydrates. What’s even more interesting is that the thermic effect of eating whole foods is much higher than if you ate the exact same amount of calories from processed foods! A study, published in Food & Nutrition Research, found that the processed meal decreased the thermic effect of food by nearly 50% compared to the meal made with whole foods. This means that eating whole foods meant your body burned more calories digesting it. This increase is due to the amount of energy required by your body to break down food, produce enzymes, and perform the metabolic responses to get the nutrients where they need to be in the body.

Equally significant is the fact that the participants who ate the processed food meal had their metabolic rates drop below their average resting metabolic rate (RMR)—the average energy needed to keep the body functioning at rest—during the sixth hour after eating, while the whole food meal group never fell below the RMR. Also, the amount of time required for the body to digest the whole food meal lasted an hour longer than the processed food meal, which also contributed to the greater amount of calories burned. What!!!

This rise in metabolism (thermic effect) caused by whole foods might account for about 10% of a typical person's daily calorie expenditure. Early indicators show that whole foods may offer a real metabolic advantage. No surprise there!

Foods with the highest thermic effect include whole food protein (20-35% of calories burned through processing) such as chicken breast, eggs, grass-fed lean beef, salmon and tuna. Complex and fibrous "colorful" carbohydrates, like spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and apples lead the carbohydrate sources in thermic effect. The foods with the lowest thermic effect include the damaged fats found in commercially baked goods (cookies, crackers, cakes), fried foods (doughnuts, French fries), shortening and margarine. Simple carbohydrates, like all forms of refined sugar, have a very low thermic effect – about 3%. Lame.

7. Because it causes a positive hormonal response. Let’s understand the science behind this “hormonal response”. First, there is insulin, a pro-storage hormone that helps get sugar from our blood into our cells. Processed snacks, refined sugars, cereals, and bars are quickly absorbed by your system and shoot up your blood sugar levels. When blood sugar goes up, insulin is released. Again, insulin is a pro-storage hormone. It promotes storage of the sugar into the cells. It ALSO blocks fat from being burned. Essentially, you are locking fat in your cells while your insulin is high. Following the spike in blood sugar, there is a dramatic fall

© CJK Foods 2013 in blood sugar. This leads to false feelings of hunger shortly after—another craving. The rise and fall of blood sugar throughout the day will create feelings of hunger as well as swings in both mood and energy. Insulin receptors will start to become less “sensitive” to the sugar, and your body will think you need more than you really do. Hormones trump your will power and you are left victim to the endless snacking and cravings…while never REALLY feeling satisfied. Have you ever finished a whole bag of pretzels and never felt full? P.S. That was a super simplified way to explain how insulin works, but hopefully you get the point that you should keep blood sugar stable and avoid foods that spike it like refined sugars and processed foods!

While the type of food can determine insulin response, the amount of food we eat can determine ghrelin and leptin response. Many people try to “eat less” when eating healthy. Don’t take this “eat less” message too far because eating too much less than what you need long-term can alter ghrelin and leptin, two key metabolic hormones. Studies have shown that calorie restriction leads to higher levels ghrelin (a hormone that stimulates hunger) and lower levels of leptin (a hormone that suppresses hunger and boosts fat burning). Wait…so eating less means feeling hungrier and burning less fat? That doesn’t sound too great. I don’t blame people for wanting to get off their diet the first day they start it! The best diet is the one you don’t know you’re on, my friends. And don’t eat less…eat better!

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7 Reasons to Complete the Super7 Challenge

1. You’re done calorie counting because it is not working. While we have to pay attention to our caloric needs and portion sizes, eating the right foods for our bodies is so much more important (and will get better results!). Nutrient density is defined as the amount of nutrients per calorie in a given food. Thirty-five calories of carrots and 35 calories of Cheetos have a much different nutritional makeup yet provide the same number of calories. Which is more nutrient dense? The carrots, of course. When it comes to eating, make each calorie count, and focus on the quality of what you eat. What should you really be eating to nourish yourself?

Eating all your calories in the form of a Red Bull, donut, Wendy’s Spicy Chicken and fries, and pizza may be within your calorie needs, but won’t get you very far in terms of body composition, energy, sleep, skin, health, and so on. You need to focus on meals that have high nutrient density and provide a solid base of quality nutrients, whether they are deemed high or low calorie. Consume both high-calorie nutrient-dense foods (such as nuts, avocados) and low-calorie nutrient-dense foods (vegetables). Avoid foods with low nutrient density, whether they are high calorie (fast food) or low calorie (diet snack packs). What’s the lesson here? Nutrition quality is not determined by calories. Rather, nutrition quality is determined by content. Superfoods have the right content! So, let’s focus on adding those to our diet, rather than counting, controlling, and restricting calories.

2. You want to focus more on what you can eat, not what you can’t. The focus of this challenge is on adding high nutrient-dense foods, as opposed to eliminating low nutrient-dense foods (although that will help too!). You might also find that the side effect of adding superfoods is that there is less space for the not-so-super foods. That’s the point! Know that it is more manageable to start getting those beneficial nutrients on board, which will help decrease cravings for the junk, rather than make you feel like you are deprived of all the foods you are used to eating. Focusing on the positive will always trump focusing on the negative. Plus, you can do this challenge at different levels, and push yourself as fast or as slow as you’d like to make your new habits permanent.

3. You want to change your eating behaviors for life. There is an initial uncertainty when starting a new way of eating. You may decide to change your diet and are unsure about how to proceed with this new lifestyle. For example, a New Year’s resolution, a new goal for the month, a pledge to “eat healthy,” sound like great

© CJK Foods 2013 plans, but the actual implementation and process can be more difficult. It takes time to learn and master your diet changes. You will make mistakes along the way, no doubt. However, by listening to your body, adjusting your approach, and continuing to strive for more superfoods, you will take what would likely be a temporary “diet” and create a lifestyle change . . . for LIFE. Keep it simple (and super), stupid ;)

4. You want to improve your vitality, energy, and health. Essential nutrients are essential because our body needs them but cannot make them on their own. Therefore, we must take responsibility and eat them. Essential nutrients include macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and water. Macronutrients provide calories or energy and are needed for growth and metabolism, among other body functions; these substances are needed in larger amounts than micronutrients. Micronutrients such as zinc and iodine are necessary for the healthy functioning of all your body’s systems, from bone growth to brain function. Water is considered an essential nutrient because it is needed for the digestion of food; it makes up most of the blood plasma, helps body tissues absorb nutrients, and helps move waste material through the body. Nutrition science continues to evolve and identify new compounds that are deemed essential to life. All of these essential nutrients are found in the food we “are supposed to be” eating…the mighty superfoods.

Real, whole superfoods are designed to support your energy and vitality as a human being, mainly by supporting your adrenal function (the organ that helps you deal with stress and the one that pumps out adrenaline to get you going). Supporting stress handling is how many define “health.” Tap into how you feel when you eat certain foods. If you feel energized and satisfied, in both the short term and the long term, it is a sign of good stress handling! If you are constantly craving a snooze button or a nap, it means your stress is not being well handled or supported by your diet and your diet could be better. There is a prescription drug for that. It’s called superfoods and you can pick it up from Nature’s Pharmacy in an hour.

5. You need a stress-reduction, stat. Stress is natural. Your body responds to stress the same way your ancestors’ bodies would when being chased by a tiger. But now, with the world we live in, the tiger never stops chasing us! Many researchers believe that evolution has not caught up to this, so the accumulation of stress will affect your health, at any age. There are many sources of stress, but dietary sources are abundant in our food supply. The good news is you have full control over how much stress you eat.

What is the most stressful food for the body? Refined sugar! Refined sugar is bad for you and I know you know it. Now you just need to really believe it. Your carboholic ways are might be catching up with you. Do you find your sweet cravings uncontrollable? Do you consider yourself “addicted” to sugar? Understand that you are simply listening to your body, and your body is screaming for the

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge quick energy that sugar can provide. That energy could have come from nutrients found in superfoods, but they were nowhere to be found in that last bowl of cereal you just ate. So, biochemistry overpowers willpower and you are left victim to the endless snacking and cravings. The worst part? This is so stressful on your body. Set your body up for success so that you don’t stress your body out with sugar.

Other dietary toxins are stressful, giving your liver extra chores to do when all it really wants to do is hang out on its couch and watch the clean blood filter through. Instead, it’s been working overtime to keep you clean and reduce your toxic load. You are stressing Liv out! Decrease the dietary toxins coming in, and don’t work her so hard.

Examples of Dietary Toxins · Fast-food meals · Artificial sweeteners (e.g., aspartame, sucralose) · Overeating · Damaging fats (trans fats, hydrogenated oils, myriad of vegetable oils) · Monosodium glutamate (MSG) · Artificially colored and flavored foods · Refined sugars (commonly found in processed foods) · Conventional produce (pesticide residues) · Cooking or reheating in plastic containers · Alcohol

6. You know this might take more effort, but YOU are worth it. First, we wanted easy. Now we want effortless. “Lean Cuisine in my microwave? Yes, please.” Once, we wanted quick results. Now we want immediate results. “I would like to know what restaurant people think is the best. Actually, I want Foursquare to just tell me where to go based on where I have been in the past.” And this can lead to unrealistic expectations: “I would like to lose 20 pounds. I would like to accomplish this is in six, maybe seven, days.” Our attitude toward nutrition may be skewed because of the lifestyle we lead, but a simple attitude adjustment on the actual effort and expected results is necessary to succeed in eating right.

We search for a way to balance the good food and drink with the bad food and drink, and look for the most efficient way to feed ourselves with the limited amount of time we have. But take a second right now and think about what type of effort you need to get the results you want. What type of role do you want nutrition to play in your life and what do you want the return on investment to be? Think long term here, as in weeks and months, not days. Think beyond the next 21-days! Sample returns may include lean muscle, gained energy, improved sex life, better sleep, more alertness and concentration. The list goes on. Remember, eating well takes time and effort. Because you may eat out much more, are on the go, and have fewer meals prepared at home, it is hard to stay on track.

However, the more effort you can put into educating yourself and making consistent health- promoting decisions, the more you will benefit and the faster the results show up.

7. You want to use nutrition to your advantage and what you need to eat to feel invigorated! Nutrition affects you. It affects not only your weight, but also your skin, hair, nails, mood, energy, and attitude. Really, you should care about what is on your plate as much as what is on your Facebook. If you use nutrition to your advantage, you gain the benefits of high energy, easy weight management, positive mood, and prevention of conditions that could lead to disease. You can also use nutrition to your disadvantage, by making poor food choices leading to weight gain, poor sleep, constipation, low mood, and low energy. Are you 30, but feel like you’re 50? That’s a problem. Nutrition can change your life and you have the power to take advantage of it every single day.

Nutrition is also a two-way street. It is not just about what you are eating, but it is also listening to your body and the signs it is giving you about your food choices. Just about every body function relates back to how you eat. In today’s world, it is easy to experience food overload, whether in restaurants, at the ballpark, or with snack foods in your own home. Pay attention to how you feel after consuming foods and appreciate the signals your body is sharing with you, as they are very relevant to your health. Are you sluggish? Do you feel bloated? Is it getting harder to sleep at night? Making this connection will allow you to understand that what you eat is just as important as how your body responds to it. Balancing your attention between the two will open the doors to the potential of nutrition in your life. Maybe someday the ingredients labels of foods will also tell you how you will feel after consuming them! Until then, only you know the answer.

On that same note, your way of eating defines you. What works for you may or may not work for someone else. Your diet needs are truly unique, so focus on the quality and types of food that work for you. You can scour the Internet, read diet books, and talk to a nutritionist like me. But the best source of nutrition information is your body. Read it, listen to it, and ask it what it wants. It will tell you! This challenge will give your body a chance to let you know what it really wants you to feed it!

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

The Super7 SUPERFOODS

Organic Vegetables Organic Fruits Grass-fed, Pastured Meat & Pastured Poultry Sustainable Seafood Organic Nuts, Seeds, & Oils Fermented Foods Super Superfood

ORGANIC VEGETABLES

Vegetables contain chlorophyll, which is the substance that gives vegetables their green color. It is very similar in structure to our blood, so it benefits the quality of our blood and how efficiently our blood can transport nutrients and oxygen to the rest of our body. Raw vegetables are loaded with active enzymes. Enzymes are catalysts for thousands of reactions in our body. They make things happen! Enzymes are also helpful in repair of body tissue. This can be especially important after injury or while training. The benefits continue with the minerals found in vegetables that have a very alkalizing effect on our body. It is important to keep our body’s pH balance slightly alkaline, as over- acidity has been linked to chronic diseases, low energy, and poor recovery. Finally, vegetables are seriously nutrient dense. For the least amount of calories, you can get a nice return on your ingestment (get it?) with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants…and awesome-idants.

Things to Know • Contains blood-cleansing chlorophyll • Helps body transports nutrients and oxygen • Repairs cell damage with active enzymes (especially in raw vegetables) • Has an alkalizing effect on our body to improve energy and keep pH balance in check • Provides vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients to keep body functioning • Always consume vegetables with a fat/oil to ensure absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. • Fresh-pressed juices are beneficial to receive a concentrated amount of nutrients (sans fiber), but should not replace a meal. • Smoothies, blended whole vegetables, are an excellent way to consume vegetables while also getting the added benefit of fiber. • Avoid cooking vegetables in the microwave, as this can reduce nutrient content. • Vegetables that are especially beneficial to cook are tomatoes (think sauces!), broccoli (lightly steamed), and carrots (baked)

Super7 Serving Size: • 1/2 cup non-starchy vegetables (raw or cooked) • 1 medium piece of whole vegetable • 1 cup leafy greens

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

ORGANIC FRUIT

Fruit is Nature’s vitamin water! It is packed with vitamins, and also has a very high water content (averaging around 90% water). Multi-task your hydration and vitamin intake with fruit! Fruit also contains those powerful cancer-fighting antioxidants (the ones that companies try to replicate and put in pills!) These antioxidants are also anti-aging, with high amounts found in blueberries, pomegranate, and acai berries. Plus there are so many other compounds in fruit that we are only beginning now to research and understand.

Things to Know

• Fruits are Nature’s vitamin water – most fruit is about 90% water, so you are hydrating while you are eating! • It’s the healthiest fast food. It never needs seasoning. Just pick it up and eat it! • Fresh-pressed juices are beneficial to receive a concentrated amount of nutrients (sans fiber), but not as a meal replacement. • Smoothies, blended whole vegetables, are an excellent way to consume vegetables while also getting the added benefit of fiber. • Strawberries are one of the most heavily sprayed fruits, so always choose organic. • Darker colored berries tend to have more protective phytochemicals. • “Erries” like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and cherries are lower in sugar and have a lower glycemic effect than other fruits.

Super7 Serving Size: • ½ cup fruit • 1 medium fruit

PASTURED MEAT & POULTRY Eating pastured meat and poultry will improve satiety, help maintain lean muscle mass, and provide essential amino acids needed for repair and detoxification. Meat and poultry contain the complete profile of essential amino acids and are bioavailable, which means that your body can use them more effectively and efficiently. This assumes, of course, that the source is high quality, and ideally pastured.

The saying “you are what they eat” means that the diet (and treatment and overall health) of the animal influences the quality of its protein. Choose pasture-raised, grass-fed beef and bison. Choose pasture-raised chicken and free-range turkey. Sadly, the industrialization of animal production is really about financial gain for their manufacturers and has led to a downward spiral in how animals are treated and consequently the quality of the food that comes from them.

Conventional animal products are now laden with hormones and antibiotics, deworming medications, heavy metals, and even the MRSA superbug. And their nutrient profiles have changed as well—not for the better. Additional processing such as adding nitrates to cured meats, ultrapasteurizing dairy products, and turning real cheese into individually wrapped single slices are heavily polluting the protein sources available to us.

Things to Know

• Muscle Development: Creatine in meat can increase muscular storage, giving muscles more energy. Studies have shown that it can improve cognitive abilities and can preserve muscle strength in older individuals. • Healthy Cholesterol: Stearic acid is a saturated fat found in beef and other meats. Stearic acid has no effect on LDL ("bad") cholesterol and may even increase the "good" cholesterol, HDL. • Omega-3: Omega 3s are found in grass-fed cows. EPA omega-3 fatty acid is essential for cognitive function and emotional health and is only naturally available from animal food sources. Omega 3s lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disease. They can increase cognitive function and well-being and lower risk of depression and ADHD. • Weight Management: CLA levels are 3-5x higher in meat from grass-fed diets than grain-based diets. CLA is known as a potent antioxidant and anti-carcinogen. It is also linked to long-term weight management by lowering body fat with even greater improvement in those who combine exercise with dietary intake of CLA. • Energy: Methionine is found in poultry like turkey and chicken can help with fatigue and helps the liver process fats and prevents fat-accumulation in liver.

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

• Mood-booster: Tryptophan found in chicken and turkey is an essential amino acid, meaning that you must eat it, since your body cannot produce it. This amino acid is needed to help serotonin, which supports good mood. • Motivation: Meat and eggs are high in tyrosine, which is the raw material for “motivating” neurotransmitters like dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine that rev up the brain. It is best eaten in the morning to set the tone for the day!

Super7 Serving Size: • 3 ounces (the size of an iPhone) • Serving sizes will vary from person to person; Use this as a “minimum” of what constitutes a serving for the challenge.

SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD Fish are currently being “farmed” instead of being fished out of the ocean! Most farmed fish are being fed corn, and last I checked, fish were not fans of corn. Seafood is a difficult category to determine best choices and there is no easy rule. While wild-caught is the more natural way to catch fish, it may be done in such a way that is unsustainable. There is also the issue of over-fishing, which means that over time, these fish won’t be available to be caught. This is when sustainable fish- farming becomes an option. Choose fish that was raised sustainably, has the least contaminants, and has an adequate source of omega-3 fatty acids and nutrients.

Things to Know

• Essential fat: EPA and DHA, the fatty acids found in seafood, are active and support mental health, hormonal balance, and healthy skin. • Anti-inflammatory: The fats found in sustainable seafood are anti-inflammatory fats that put out the inflammatory “fires” that can cause fatigue or even chronic disease. • Protects brain and heart: Seafood has been known as a “brain food” and a “heart food” for their protective benefits of these two very important organs. • Mineral-rich: Sardines are an excellent source of selenium and calcium, but you must consume the soft bones to get the benefit. Don’t worry, though. They are easy to eat! • Go for low mercury: In general, smaller fish have less mercury, since bigger fish tend to accumulate the toxin because of consuming the smaller fish. • Attention Women of Childbearing Age: You should only consume very low mercury fish or limit fish consumption in general. • There’s an App: Download the Seafood Watch app for easy guidelines on choosing the most sustainable seafood. • Read the most up-to-date and regional seafood recommendations here: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx

Super7 Serving Size: 3 ounces (the size of an iPhone) Note: Serving sizes will vary from person to person; Use this as a “minimum” of what constitutes a serving for the challenge.

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

ORGANIC NUTS, SEEDS, OILS For decades we’ve been led to believe that all fat is bad. But contrary to popular belief, the right fats can literally make or break your health. Don’t be afraid of healthy fats—you need fat in the walls of every cell. It even improves your skin and hair. It doesn’t stop there! You need fat to efficiently absorb fat-soluble nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, and K) in the food you are eating. All types of whole- food-based fats are needed to help cell membranes function properly; your heart and lungs cannot go without them; they put calcium in our bones, protect our liver, and support detoxification. Choosing quality fats will help you control your appetite, stabilize your blood sugar, and burn body fat. Nuts, seeds, and oils (from nuts and seeds!) are excellent sources of essential fatty acids.

These fats are essential for a variety of functions in the body, from reducing inflammation to hormone balance to mood, immunity, and weight management. Both saturated fats and unsaturated fats, when they come from natural sources, are an excellent (and essential) part of a healthy diet. Finally, nuts and seeds are nature’s snack, packed with nutrients that will energize you, but also keep you full until your next meal and are super easy on the go!

Things to Know • Fat lines every cell of your body. The fat you eat helps strengthen cell walls, increasing cell health and communication. • Fat will lower blood sugar impact of a meal, keeping cravings at bay later on. • Nuts, seeds, and oils improve the health of hair, skin, and nails. You will glow from the inside out! • Fats are largely responsible for brain health and mood. Eat fat to feel good. • Avoid roasted nuts that are heated at high temperature, as this damages the fat and increases free radicals. The oil used in roasting usually is not very clean (soybean, canola, etc.) • Soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds will boost their health benefits and release nutrients that are locked inside as well as increase their digestibility. • Sprouted seeds also increase in protein while decreasing in carbohydrates as the seed uses the carbohydrate energy stored inside to grow. • Saturated fats are solid at room temperature (e.g. coconut oil), while unsaturated fats are liquid (e.g. seed oils, olive oil, walnut oil). Solid saturated fats are stable at high heat. Liquid unsaturated fats are unstable at high heat and prone to oxidation and free radical production. • While it is true that olive oil is very healthful, heating it will turn it into a not-so-healthful damaged fat. Cook with stable fats like coconut oil (refined for no flavor, unrefined for coconut flavor) as much as you can. • You can still enjoy olive oil without heating it by using it as a salad dressing or drizzling it over already-cooked vegetables.

Super7 Serving Size: 1 ounce nuts or seeds or 1 Tbs. oils or nut butter

FERMENTED FOODS Fermented foods like kombucha and homemade pickles are vital to your digestive health. And since about 80% of your immune system is in your digestive tract, we better take care of it, so it can take care of us!

Things to Know

• Great for digestion: Fermenting our foods before we eat them is like partially digesting them before we consume them. Great for your gut! • Restore the proper balance of bacteria in the gut: Do you suffer from lactose intolerance? Gluten intolerance? Constipation? Irritable bowel syndrome? Yeast infections? Allergies? Asthma? All of these conditions have been linked to a lack of good bacteria in the gut. • Enzymes for life: Raw, fermented foods are rich in enzymes that your body needs to properly digest, absorb, and make full use of your food. As you get older, your body’s supply of enzymes decreases, so eating enzymes equals anti-aging! • Helps us to absorb the nutrients we’re consuming. You can ingest huge amounts of nutrients, but unless you actually absorb them, they’re useless. When you improve digestion, you improve absorption. • Preserves food: Sauerkraut, pickles and salsa will keep for many months. You can preserve foods by fermenting them. • Inexpensive: While buying fermented foods may be expensive, homemade fermented foods are pennies per serving! Check out YouTube to learn how to ferment. • Increases the flavor: Yes, we humans realized that fermenting our food makes it better. Wine, anyone? In addition, condiments were always fermented and used to help make food taste better. Salsa makes chips taste better. Sauer kraut makes sausage taste better. Ketchup (homemade, fermented kind) makes everything taste better!

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

SUPER SUPERFOODS We’ve identified 7 superfoods whose benefits rival the food equivalent of superhero powers. These foods are extremely easy to add to your diet, and can really take your diet to the next level when eating them consistently.

1. Homemade Bone Broth Bone broth, made from the bones of chicken, cows, or even seafood, are superfoods because they are so nutrient rich. Remember when your grandma said they would have chicken noodle soup when they were sick? The reason is that the minerals and also the gelatin in the broth will help build up your immune system by way of improving your digestive tract (where 60-80% of your immune system resides). By consuming this liquid elixir daily, your common cold will become very uncommon. As a bonus, these minerals will help you will energy production—maybe a way to switch up your java habit!

Super7 Serving Size: ½ cup

2. Dark chocolate (75% or more cacao) Dark chocolate helps free your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may be a cause of cancer, so eating antioxidant rich foods like dark chocolate can protect you from many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging. It contains a number of vitamins and minerals that are high in concentrations like potassium, copper, magnesium and iron and helps prevent against stroke and cardiovascular ailments. The iron in chocolate protects against iron deficiency anemia, and the magnesium in chocolate helps prevent type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain as well as to the heart and can create a positive effect on your mood and cognitive health. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you're falling in love. PEA encourages your brain to release endorphins, so eating dark chocolate will make you feel happier. Super!

Super7 Serving Size: 1 ounce

3. Fresh herbs and spices Did you know that 1 teaspoon of cinnamon has ten times the ORAC value (antioxidant value) of a half cup of broccoli? Fresh herbs and spices (and their dried variety) are potent antioxidants and contain other healing properties with barely any calories. Herbs and spices have antioxidant properties and may help manage chronic health conditions. Cooking with herbs and spices also helps reduce the amount of salt and sugar added to dishes, making them more nutrient-dense. For

© CJK Foods 2013 example, oregano has both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that make it effective against some forms of food-borne illnesses and even some antibiotic-resistant infections. It has also been found to be effective against yeast-based infections. Parsley helps support the liver. Garlic is antibacterial and protects the heart. Ginger is especially helpful in calming a nervous stomach and boosting the immune system. Turmeric is very anti-inflammatory and used to help athletes reduce soreness or control inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Super herbs and spices include: • Parsley • Cilantro • Ginger • Garlic • Turmeric • Thyme • Oregano • Mint • Rosemary • Sage • Chamomile • Cayenne pepper

Super7 Serving Size: • 1 tsp. dried • 2 tsp. fresh

4. Green tea Green tea is one of the most potent, and budget-friendly, superfoods because of its high amount of antioxidants. Green tea will provide you with a nice dose of caffeine too, but also contains a calming amino acid called theanine, so you won’t feel jittery after consuming a couple cups. While many studies have tied green tea to weight loss, please note that this is not a magic bullet, but will certainly help improve your body’s ability to detoxify, metabolize, and repair cells in your body. Choose organic green tea with unbleached tea bags. Enjoy it iced or hot! Adding lemon will improve the nutrient-power of green tea as well.

Super7 Serving Size: 1 cup

5. Raw apple cider vinegar There are SO many uses for raw apple cider vinegar, beyond even consuming it! But, we will stick with the dietary benefits here. First, it helps immensely with digestion. If you have heartburn or an upset stomach, a shot of ACV can make it all better. Those with chronic indigestion can take it with

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge each meal as well. ACV will also promote healthy bacteria in your gut and improve bowel irregularity. Our bowels are full of toxins, and we need to “take out the garbage” on a consistent basis, otherwise those toxins start stinking up the place! ACV is also beneficial for promoting a healthy body composition. Like green tea, it is not the magic bullet for weight loss, but it will help support your body in functions such as blood sugar control, which promotes a healthy weight. Enjoy ACV in your salad dressing, diluted in water, or taken as a shot (oh so college!). Super7 Serving Size: 2 Tbs.

6. Unrefined sea salt (Celtic, Redmond’s) Not all salt is created equal. While table salt is bleached white and only contains sodium and chloride, unrefined salt keeps the naturally occurring minerals intact, making it a super food! This kind of naturally occurring salt is essential if you are active (and losing salt due to excessive sweating), or are stressed out. Salt will help support weakened adrenals, the organ that helps our stress handling. We often crave salt when we are stressed for this reason. It is better to go for some Brussels sprouts sprinkled with unrefined sea salt rather than a bag of chips though! Super7 Serving Size: As needed

7. Unfiltered raw honey As far as sweeteners go, choose raw honey for optimal health. Raw honey is minimally processed, never strained, filtered or heated. It is loaded with many trace minerals, organic enzymes, antioxidants, plus antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Honey is also another prescription from Nature’s Pharmacy as research has shown it to be a cough suppressant and remedy for cuts and scrapes. While there is no research yet, anecdotes from season allergy suffers claim that consuming raw honey specifically from local bees helps to alleviate their symptoms. That’s sweet! Caution: The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children under the age of 1 should not be given honey whatsoever, as it can potentially raise the risk of infantile botulism.

Super7 Serving Size: ½ Tbs.

The Super7 Not-So-Superfoods

If your typical diet includes coffee with Splenda, orange juice, a bagel with fat-free cream cheese, salad with fat-free dressing, whole grain pasta, chicken cooked in olive oil, a glass of skim milk, and gluten-free cookies, prepare yourself.

1. Man-made Chemicals The rule here is: avoid foods that are pretending to be something they aren’t. This includes fake sugar (artificial sweeteners), fake butter (margarine), fake bread (Wonder bread), and many more.

Artificial Sweeteners Let’s start with fake sugar, artificial sweeteners. Granted, real sugar is not the best either, unless it is found in the context of a whole food like fruit or vegetables. Either way, artificial sweeteners are in no way a healthy alternative. Preliminary studies suggest that their consumption is linked to increased cravings, increased insulin secretion, and weight gain. That’s not so sweet!

Plus, it’s a man-made chemical loaded with phenylalanine, which in high doses is a neurotoxin—it can alter brain function, create behavioral changes in adults and even mental retardation in growing fetuses when used by pregnant moms.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Another man-mad sweetener infiltrating our food supply is high fructose corn syrup. Fructose is metabolized differently than other simple sugars, and as a result goes immediately to the liver and triggers the production of fats stored in the liver. The process is called lipogenesis and this is a major cause of liver damage. Finally, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion, which could impact our regulation on food intake. This leaves many scientists believing that high fructose corn syrup may be linked to obesity.

MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein MSG is linked to hormonal imbalances, weight gain, brain damage, obesity, and headaches, and it's still found in a surprising amount of foods. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein is a chemically created, flavor-enhancing protein substance that’s similar to MSG, but whitewashed a bit with a healthier sounding name. The problem with HVP is that it contains hidden MSG, so you can still wind up sickening yourself with headaches, migraines, heart irregularities and so on.

Food dyes Food dyes, a.k.a. fake colors, are frequently added to foods for purely aesthetic purposes: to add color to colorless foods, boost colors, recover color lost due to environmental factors, and to ensure

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge consistency in variations of colors. Food manufacturers in the United States are allowed to use nine dyes approved by the FDA. Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 are used in 90% of dyed foods. They offer no nutritional value and could be linked to health issues.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) pleaded to ban artificial dyes because of their connection to behavioral problems. The CSPI report Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks concludes that the nine artificial dyes approved in the United States likely are carcinogenic, cause hypersensitivity reactions and behavioral problems, or have been inadequately tested. Of note, Red 40 and Yellow 5 are undergoing extra scrutiny for being particularly harmful. Food dyes are found in packaged and processed foods, so eating more real whole foods instead will simultaneously reduce your food dye intake. Eat nature’s colors instead!

Though we've been using food dyes for years, use has gone up fivefold in the past 50 years. Food dyes are found in processed foods especially fruit snacks, candy, cookies, icing, sausage, and cereal. Read labels and stick to whole foods to avoid them. Eat nature’s colors, instead!

Nitrites Left unadulterated, meat will start to spoil and look pretty unappetizing quickly. With nitrites, the shelf life gets longer and the meat looks fresher longer. As with any food additive, it is messes with nature, it is probably a no-no. Research indicates that a daily habit of nitrite-laden processed meats can increase your risk of cancer. Unless it says “no nitrites added”, avoid deli meats, sausage, and bacon.

2. Processed Gluten and Grains Wheat products, whether refined or whole, are rampant in our food supply. Wheat is a subsidized crop, meaning that farmers will be paid by the government to produce it, leading to a high supply, and a low price for food companies. This cheap ingredient is then processed and put into a lot of junk foods. Our standard diet recommendations are to push whole grains and make them a significant part of the diet, but there are plenty of reasons to avoid it. Wheat contains a hard-to- digest protein called gluten. Gluten is also found in rye, barley, and contaminated oats. Gluten can be a problem for many people, whether in the form of Celiac disease or non-Celiac gluten sensitivity. 99% of people with an issue to gluten don’t even know it. To those that are susceptible, when consumed, their immune system will attack the gluten proteins in the digestive tract, leading to damage and inflammation. This can lead to pain, bloating, tiredness, stool inconsistency, migraines, eczema, asthma, and other issues like autoimmune conditions, thyroid imbalances, and even cancer. A gluten-free diet can alleviate digestive stress and improve your immune system (since approximately 80% of your immune system resides in your digestive tract). The key is to stick with unprocessed foods that are naturally gluten free, not processed gluten-free junk food!

A gluten-free diet can be done very well or very poorly. It always goes back to the quality of the food, not just whether or not it is gluten free. If a food was processed, its gluten-free version will

© CJK Foods 2013 likely be processed as well. Think about gluten-free pancakes, pretzels, waffles, breads, and pastas. Instead of a gluten grain, they’re made with other starches that are usually highly refined, void of nutrients and spike blood sugar fast, just like wheat. A big bag of sugar is gluten free, so always be aware of the quality of your food, and don’t get distracted by these buzz words.

People are led to believe that “whole grains” are whole foods, but not when they are processed. Just because something is made from whole grains does not mean the grain is still whole. Whole- whole grains are what I recommend, and even then, if your digestion is troubled, whole-whole grains should be reduced or eliminated while your repair your digestion. Because of this caveat, whole grains are not considered a Super7 superfood.

3. Refined Sugar Our food supply is FULL of crappy carbohydrates. Why? They are cheap and versatile for food manufacturers. Double bonus for them. Double trouble for you. Refined carbohydrates, even refined whole grain products, serve no role in your diet. On labels, you may see refined sugar as: brown sugar, cane syrup, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, granulated white sugar, malt syrup, sucrose, and syrup. Highly refined sugar foods include: soft drinks, baked goods, and processed foods. Artificial sweeteners aren’t much better.

Real food unrefined sources of carbohydrates are the way to go. They have nutrients, they don’t cause stress on the body, and they are not man-made. A sweet potato, for example, contains nutrients that help your body actually metabolize the carbohydrates. So wise, that Mother Nature! A slice of bread has these nutrients stripped out of it, and when the nutrients needed for metabolizing the food are not found in the food, your body must use its stores to get the job done, leading to faster nutrient deficiencies. So foolish, we humans! Real food carbohydrates (smart carbs!) are designed to ADD nutrients to your body and if that’s not what a food doing, then that is not-so- super.

For many starting on their health journey, they find fruit juices to be as easy addition to their diet. The fruit juices you find at the supermarket aren’t always what they seem though. Want to know something shocking about your orange juice? Big beverage companies make their products perfectly consistent by mixing the juice with brand-specific orange flavorings. They first strip the juice of oxygen (sucking the life out of this food!), so it can be kept in storage tanks for more than a year without oxidizing. Then, a flavor pack is added, and since it is technically derived from orange oil and extract, it doesn’t need to be listed in the ingredients. This processing makes conventional fruit juice a not-so-super food. On top of the processing, even 100% fruit juice is too concentrated in sugar, and is missing the fiber that allows a slower absorption of that sugar. It is much better to avoid fruit juices and eat real fruits instead. Note that juices that are unpasteurized, fresh-pressed and made from organic fruits and vegetables can be a concentrated source of nutrition, and can be a beneficial addition to your diet if enjoyed often and in the context of a whole foods diet. However, consuming only juices for a few days, such as on a juice cleanse, is not going to be as beneficial.

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

4. Factory Farmed Animals and Fish You are what the animals eat. The health of the animal will determine the health of the food that comes from it. This is why the diet, living conditions, and overall treatment of the animals should be a part of your decision when it comes to consuming animal products. Let’s take cows, for example. Cows should roam on open grass fields, consume the grass around them, be healthy, and grow naturally. Now, most of the cows raised in our country are raised indoors, given a mostly corn diet, treated with antibiotics and hormones, and really just not treated very humanely at all. The nutrient profile of corn-fed beef contains more inflammatory fat and less nutrients, like CLA, a potent anti- cancer, fat-burning fatty acid. In fact, grass-fed beef can have as much as five times the CLA as corn- fed beef. Grass-fed beef is higher in omega-3 fatty acid as well, which has super anti-inflammatory power. Just as with humans, diet DOES make a difference in health. You are what the animal eats! Choose animal-based foods from animals that were actually TREATED like animals should be, on their natural diet in natural living conditions, such as grass-fed beef, wild caught fish, and pasture- raised chicken and pork.

5. Low-Fat Foods Dietary fat is essential to our health. Fat is where it’s at! It is responsible for cell communication, used as a preferred fuel source, helps eliminate cravings, promotes healthy sleep, balanced sex and stress hormones, and is optimal for immunity and healing your body from this inside out! Why would you want to reduce or eliminate fat from your diet? If you are thinking to yourself, “There are so many calories in fat!” remember that it is not the amount of calories in a food that matters. It is the quality of those calories that matter. If you aren’t getting enough fat in your diet, you might experience hair loss, dandruff, dry skin, infertility, GI disturbances, food intolerances, inability to manage weight, poor immunity, and inflammation. One of the most popular low-fat foods is skim milk. But here’s the kicker. Did you know skim milk is supposed to be a clear liquid, but the dairy industry is allowed to add back in milk protein solids so that it looks cloudy white again? Each gallon of milk combines the milk of hundreds of cows. This does not have to be on the label since it is an industry standard. That ain’t right.

6. Industrialized Vegetable Oils The problem with industrialized vegetables oils like canola oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil is that they are man-made and very processed. We didn’t start to produce vegetable oils until about 100 years ago, simply because we didn’t have the technology to make them. But now that we do doesn’t mean that we should! While the omega-6 oil found in plants is healthy, too much found in the oil, is harmful to our health. It sets off an imbalance of anti-inflammatory omega-3 to inflammatory omega- 6, leading to chronic inflammation. Plus, the processing and addition of chemicals and toxic solvents makes vegetable oils not as healthy as they sound.

Many processed foods will claim to be trans fat free when really there is .49 grams per serving. While this may seem like a minimal amount, the American Heart Association says that you should have 2 percent or less per day. So even minuscule amounts have a big impact. Be extra vigilant with baked goods, refrigerated doughs, and snack foods. In these cases make sure they are made with olive, coconut, or canola oil. Trans fats are known to increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease HDL (good cholesterol). They also make the blood vessels less flexible and have a negative impact on blood pressure.

Since the industrialization of our food supply, and the introduction of Crisco (an industrial waste product turned glorified cooking product), damaging fats have flooded supermarket shelves, and no one is making a big deal about this. These oils you see on product ingredient labels can come from corn, soybeans, and “vegetable” (actually, more soybeans), so they are “natural,” right? Fat in its purest form is healthful, but damaging fats—typically with a high amount of omega-6s—cause brain inflammation, bad moods, and blood clots. Remember, processed vegetable oils are man-made and damaging due to the harsh heat, chemicals, and processing techniques used. Protect your overall health status by avoiding damaging fats. They are bad-mouthing your body.

7. Alcohol If you enjoy a glass of wine to relax or a few beers while watching the football game, this might be the category you will struggle most with. The social component of alcohol makes the decision to lose the booze a tough one. Still, limiting your consumption of alcohol will be one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body.

First, alcohol is a waste of precious calories, given its lack of nutrients. While beer boasts a good source of B vitamins, alcohol will actually deplete your body of B vitamins leaving you deficient (and no, drinking more beer doesn’t help your case!) Not only are there no vitamins or minerals in the alcohol component of your beverage, but also your body has to use vitamins and minerals in order to process this toxin in your liver. It uses energy to put out the inflammation during alcohol metabolism. Beyond moderate consumption, alcohol interferes with the absorption and storage of vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin A. In fact, it may deplete the liver of its entire stores of vitamin A. What’s worse is that because alcohol is a diuretic that increases the output of urine, it can cause the loss of water-soluble minerals such as zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Plus alcohol, beer especially, has impurities in it besides the alcohol, and unfortunately this does not need to be labeled and it is not regulated very well in the alcohol industry. The main reason is that the Department of Treasury regulates alcohol ingredients and no labeling is required. Toxins on toxins on toxins.

After a long night of drinking, do you ever promise yourself you will “never drink again” because of how hung over you feel? This could be a combination of dehydration, inflammation, hormonal changes, toxic load on your poor liver, and the OTHER impurities in the beverages besides the alcohol. And I am not even mentioning the poor food choices that could be made during or after a night of binge drinking, such as the burrito as big as your head. Alcohol can produce cravings for

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge carbohydrates and may lead to over-eating in general. Finally, alcohol indirectly causes the body to lower its metabolic rate, inhibiting fat burning, especially in the liver. One step forward during the week. Two steps back during the weekend!

If you would like to include alcohol in limited amounts, I strongly suggest red wine as your drink of choice, preferably organic and with no sulfites added. Your next best choice is white wine, and then hard liquor (mixed with water or club soda and lemon/lime). And if you need to “recover” from a night out, then re-hydrate with coconut water and help support your liver with loads of greens in a green smoothie or juice.

The Super7 Challenge How It Works The Super7 Challenge is designed to increase superfood consumption in a realistic and inclusive way. It’s the diet where more is better! By completing the 21-day Super7 Challenge, you will be on your way to improved energy, sleep, digestion, mood, skin, hunger management, and body composition!

The Top 7 Reasons to Compete the Super7 Challenge 1. You are done calorie counting (because it’s not working). 2. You want to focus more on what you CAN eat, not what you CAN’T. 3. You want to change your eating behaviors…for life. 4. You want to supply your body with the essential nutrients needed to improve your vitality, energy, and health. 5. You need a stress reduction. Stat. (Yup, food helps with that.) 6. You know that eating better quality food might take more effort, but YOU are worth the extra effort. 7. You want to get your nutrition information from the right source…your BODY, and identify what foods make you feel invigorating, and what foods don’t.

The Details The goal of the Super7 Challenge is simple and straightforward: Eat MORE superfoods! How will you do this? Well first, we will be giving you a ton of information about what superfoods really are and how to include them in your diet. Second, you will choose a realistic level at which to complete your challenge. For example, you can start with consuming 7 superfoods per day from any of the categories. Then, if you have mastered that, you can work your way up to 70 superfood servings per week. Wowza! There are bonus points involved if you can avoid the top 7 not-so-superfoods too. Let’s start with what constitutes a “superfood”. We have broken down the superfoods into 7 categories.

The Super7 Superfood categories are: 1. Organic Fruits 5. Organic Nuts, Seeds, and Oils 2. Organic Vegetables 6. Fermented Foods 3. Pastured, Grass-fed Meat and Pastured 7. Super Superfoods Poultry 4. Sustainable Seafood

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

Here are the three steps you need to take before starting the Super7 Challenge.

Step 1: Take the Quiz.

Superfood Category # of Servings Per Week Organic Fruit (1 serving = 1/2 cup or 1 medium piece) Organic Vegetables (1 serving = 1/2 cup, 1 cup leafy greens, 1 medium piece) Pastured, Grass-fed Meat and Pastured, Free-range Poultry (1 serving = 3 oz., size of iPhone) Sustainable Seafood (1 serving = 3 oz., size of iPhone) Organic Nuts, Seeds, and Oils (1 serving = 1 oz. or 1 Tbs.) Fermented Foods (kim chi, sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha, etc.) SUPER Superfoods (Bone broth, green tea, raw apple cider vinegar, raw honey, herbs and spices, unrefined sea salt, dark chocolate)

SUPERFOOD SCORE

Not-So-Superfood Category # of Servings Per Week Man-made Chemicals Processed Gluten or Grains Refined Sugars Factory-farmed and Conventional Animal Products Low-fat Foods Industrialized Oils Alcohol

NOT-SO-SUPERFOOD SCORE

SUPERFOOD SCORE – NOT-SO-SUPERFOOD SCORE = TOTAL SCORE

Step 2: Choose your level.

The Super7 Challenge can be done at 6 different levels. You can start at one level, but then adjust it throughout the challenge as needed. Remember to be both realistic, but not too easy on yourself! This is a CHALLENGE J

The Super7 Levels

If your total Daily Weekly Quality Level quiz score Superfood Serving Category Goal Goal is… Goal Goal

49 3 organic 1 0-20 7 Any of the categories servings

49 All organic 2 0-20 7 Any of the categories servings

49 3 from F or V 3 organic 3 21-40 7 2 from MP or NSO servings 2 from FF or SS 49 3 from F or V All servings 4 21-40 7 2 from MP or NSO organic 2 from FF or SS 70 5 servings 5 41+ 10 At least 5 different categories each day organic

70 All servings 6 41+ 10 At least 5 different categories each day organic

Bonus Challenge: For every Not-So-Superfood you consume, subtract 1 from your total and still try to reach your serving goals. For example, if you had 7 superfoods, but also had 2 glasses of wine, your score would be 5.

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

Step 3: Choose your start date for your 21-day challenge. The best time to do a challenge is when you don’t have a lot of big social events or distractions that would tempt you into making poor food choices. You want to set yourself up for as much success as possible during the challenge. Granted, there may never be a “perfect” time to start the challenge, but think about when you can really ramp up your devotion to a wellness challenge like this, and give it your best possible effort.

An Important Note on Servings: The servings defined for this challenge are just a guide for the minimum amount of that food that would be considered a “serving” for the purposes of this challenge. Servings sizes will vary greatly based on your height, weight, age, activity level, and goals. Do not get caught up in the exact measurement of each superfood serving when keeping track of your day. Just use it as a guide for what would be considered a “minimum” amount. For example, if you sat down to a 6-ounce grass-fed burger, you can count that as 1 serving to keep things simple, rather than counting that as 2 just because the “serving” size is 3 ounces and you had 6. This challenge is meant to focus on quality over quantity anyways and take the emphasis off calorie counting or serving sizes. With superfoods, more really is better!

Don’t forget to join the fun on the CJK Foods Super7 Challenge private group! If you have not yet been invited, email [email protected] to receive access. Also, if you don’t use Facebook, feel free to email Jenny at anytime with questions regarding the challenge.

7 Ways to Track Your Progress (Weight is NOT one of them)

While many people tend to focus on the number on the scale, there are many more important, and more accurate ways to track your progress throughout the Super7 Challenge. These 7 areas are focused around listening to your body, and being in tune with how you feel on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Your diet affects each and every one of functions. While needing to hit the snooze button or getting clogged up every now and again might seem “normal”, these are signs that if left untreated, could lead to more serious issues down the road. Plus it’s not that fun in the meantime. The key is to keep listening to your body and making sure that all these functions are running well.

1. Energy – You’re feeling superhuman. Are you hitting the snooze button? Five times? If you need coffee in the morning just to feel alive, re-evaluate where you stand on the energy front. Energy throughout the day is determined by sleep quality, food, recovery from exercise, and how well you handle stress, which again is determined by food. Food can cause low energy in five ways. First, if you eat refined sugar, your blood sugar can get off track, resulting in low blood sugar, and low energy. Second, if you consume something that your body has a hard time handling (something you are sensitive to or that causes chronic inflammation, such as gluten), oxygen and energy head straight to your digestive tract, leaving you wanting to take a post-meal nap. Remember, your food is meant to invigorate you, not make you sleepy! Lastly, if you are consuming foods that lack key nutrients, your cells will not create energy as efficiently via your metabolic pathways. B vitamins are most none for this, but all essential vitamins and mineral s play key roles in every function of the well-oiled machine that is your body.

2. Digestion - You poop on the reg. Poop! Let’s talk about it. Eating healthy means pooping on the reg. It is a great sign of your overall health. What is normal? At least once a day, Poop should be well formed and comfortable to pass. Stinky poops? It means your diet stinks too. Other things-people-think-are-normal-but-are-not- normal include constipation (or relying on caffeine to help), diarrhea, bloating, gas, belching, cramps, undigested food in stool, and floating stools. You should be having one to three bowel movements a day. Beyond number, though, the size, shape, texture (ew), and smell (double ew) actually matter. Your ideal poop would be solid, medium brown in color, in the shape of a C or an S and pass “easily.” Have you looked at (and smelled) your poop lately?

If you see pieces of undigested food, this could be low stomach acid or a food intolerance. Diarrhea could indicate a food that did not agree with you, in which case you should supplement with

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge probiotics or probiotic-containing foods to bring your digestive tract back into balance. Poop in small balls is a sign of stress, dehydration, or lack of soluble fiber in your diet (which you can remedy by eating apples, oranges, strawberries, nuts, cucumbers, celery, and carrots). Tough-to-pass poop could be overdoing it on processed meats and low-quality protein shakes and bars. Finally, if you’re poop is super smelly, your diet stinks, too! It is likely too high in processed, conventional foods, and toxins, and possibly you overuse plastics in cooking and storage. Freshen up your diet so you don’t waste all your money on air fresheners.

Digestive enzymes are secreted by the pancreas and break down foods, allowing their nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream and used in body functions. Signs of low enzyme production include gas, bloating, low energy, and allergy-like reactions to food. Plant-based digestive enzymes in the forms of protease, amylase, and lipase can be supplemented in the short term.

3. Sleep – You are snoozin’ like a champ. Sleep is an often under-appreciated tool for wellness. Low quality or a low quantity of sleep is linked to higher body fat percentage, unhealthy cravings, and a decrease in mood. Your goal is to get enough sleep as well as good quality sleep. Getting enough sleep starts with your decision to hit the pillow and start counting sheep at a reasonable hour. The quality of your sleep is often determined by your nutrition. If you have trouble falling asleep (worst case scenario – insomnia) this can be linked to a magnesium deficiency-not a wine deficiency! Waking up in the middle of the night may point to blood sugar issues or stress. For example, that late night cocktail maybe cause low blood sugar a few hours later during your slumber, and cause you to wake up. Finally, waking up tired in the morning, even though pillow time was an adequate 6-8 hours, is your body’s way of telling you that the quality could be better, and so could your diet.

4. Skin - You glow from the inside out. Skin is the largest organ in our body, and while it is on the “outside” of our body, it is a great indicator of the health on the “inside” of our body. In particular, our skin health can tell us a lot about the adequacy of essential fats in our diet. In addition, because fats also play a huge role in reducing inflammation, if you don’t have enough fat or too much inflammation, signs may show up on your skin. Rashes, eczema, or psoriasis are linked to inflammation in the body, particularly in the digestive tract. The inflammatory effects of foods like processed foods, refined sugars, and alcohol may show up on your skin.

5. Mental Health – You think that every day is a great day to have a great day. Follow your gut! It’s your second brain, after all. An estimated sixty percent of our neurotransmitters are produced, not in the brain, but in your digestive tract (your stomach, in particular). These neurotransmitters are responsible for mood, motivation, and anxiety-control. The better you feed your second brain, the better it takes care of you. Positivity will be oozing out your ears, which is

© CJK Foods 2013 great, considering that in your previous life, the wrong coffee order could set you off into a rant lasting until noon. Now, you find that if the order was wrong, you get to try a different drink, and actually like it! #silverlining

6. Hunger Management – You forgot what cravings felt like. Cravings? What are those again? Now you know what it’s like to be “normal person” hungry, not “crazy person” hungry. Superfoods were designed to keep your body satisfied. You need nutrients, found in superfoods, to help with blood sugar management before, after, and in between meals. A sweet potato contains the B vitamins and magnesium needed to regulate blood sugar. A swig of sweetened iced tea lacks those B vitamins and magnesium, and now your body struggles to stay in balance, leading to unwanted cravings and changes in energy and mood. Not so sweet.

7. Body Composition – Your body fat percentage is heading in the right direction. There are many ways to measure health, and weight alone is not a reliable one. For example, an increase in weight could be due to water retention, increase in muscle mass, or simply not going to the bathroom in a while! For women, weight fluctuates throughout the menstrual cycle. Twenty-one days during this challenge isn’t even the length of a full cycle.

When you focus on the number on the scale, you don’t get the best indication of your success. Rather, track your body composition. Your body is made up of two major components: body fat and your lean body mass (LBM). Your LBM consists of mostly muscles, organs, bones, tendons, ligaments, and water (every aspect of the body except for body fat). Your goal is high-quality body composition. Ever heard of skinny fat? Skinny fat means that the person is at a normal weight, but has a higher-than-normal body fat percentage. This is the result of poor nutrition and food choices and does not mean they are healthy. In general, a body fat composition that falls within a normal range will be a stronger indicator of your overall health that total weight.

Note: Yes, there are physical and noticeable changes that can occur during this challenge. Keep in mind that these 21 days are not going to produce jaw-dropping results as promised by fad diets and infomercials.

Types of Body Composition Tracking

Bioelectrical impedance analysis: A low-voltage current is sent up one leg and down the other. Since fat is poorer conductor of electricity than lean tissue, measuring the resistance estimates body fat within ±3%, depending on hydration status. Underwater weighing: The displacement of water is used to measure body fat. Since fat is less dense than muscle, a person with a higher percent of fat will weigh less than one with lower percent of fat. This is accurate up to ±1.5%.

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

Skin calipers: Uses a caliper (pinching) tool to measure the thickness of skinfolds at key locations, to determine an estimated body fat percentage. The accuracy of this measurement is determined by how skilled the person taking the measurement is. Ask the same person to use the same tool to measure your progress, as this measurement can vary based on the person’s technique and tool.

Body Fat Ranges

Women (% fat) Men (% fat)

Essential Fat 10–12% 2–4% Athletes 14–20% 6–13% Fitness 21–24% 14–17% Acceptable 25–31% 18–25% Obese ≥32% ≥25%

Super7 Recipes How to Prepare Your Kitchen

We have gotten away from the kitchen, many of us lacking basic culinary skills, like how to chop an onion. Really, the further you get from the kitchen, the worse off you will be. It is much better to cook at home so that you can control the ingredients, use unprocessed foods, and enjoy the act of connecting with your food. Know the hand that feeds you!

If you are on a full-fledged take-out diet, aim for at least three meals per week that you cook at home and eat in a low-stress environment (not in front of your computer or in the car). If you are cooking for one or two, preparing large portions of food to use over multiple meals saves time and energy. You don’t have to be a trained professional chef to produce satisfying and simple real food meals. Everyone can be a cook, and we all should be!

Your Kitchen Essentials • Food processor or blender • Non-stick pan • Sharp knife • Crock pot • Wooden spoon • Kitchen towels • Vegetable peeler • Sheet trays • Cutting board • Parchment paper • Rubber mat for under cutting board • Garlic press

Some Important Kitchen Rules for Beginners: 1. Beginning to cook can be a daunting task. Start off slow. Master a skill and do it consistently. 2. First, learn how to dice an onion! (Watch a YouTube video if necessary.) 3. Know that the recipe is just a guide. If you don’t like fennel, leave it out! Improvise and only include ingredients that you LIKE. 4. Don’t be scared of onions and garlic. They add amazing flavor and health benefits. 5. Learn how to use new spices in the book, Culinary Artistry. 6. Make mistakes! You WANT recipes to go wrong. These are fantastic culinary lessons. 7. Garlic burns easily, so add that last! 8. Coconut oil is the best oil to cool with. Be sure to get “refined” if you want a neutral flavor (which you usually do!) 9. A sharp knife is safer than a dull knife. 10. Consider taking a knife skills class if you do not feel comfortable!

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

Put the FAST in BreakFAST

You have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And it’s true. To go for eight hours without eating, and then wait until noon to eat will put some serious stress on your body. We are trying to stress less! Plus you are missing an opportunity to put eat more superfoods. By including superfoods at breakfast, you set the tone for the rest of the day and prevent binging later on. Plus, getting a solid amount of protein in the morning will actually serve as the raw material for neurotransmitter production, resulting in motivation and focus. Score. A good breakfast will help you survive those back-to-back meetings, a hectic morning full of errands, or a tough workout. Since mornings are usually hard to squeeze in food, the key is having a nutrient dense breakfast that can be made super FAST. Read on for Super7 BreakFAST ideas.

All of these breakfast items are nutrient dense, super tasty and quick to prepare. So, if you’re short on time, feel free to skip your morning shower. Don’t skip the superfoods!

• Eggs + sautéed greens + onions + garlic + coconut oil • Eggs (fried or scrambled in coconut oil) + Bacon + Fruit • Grilled salmon + asparagus + poached egg on top • Hard-boiled Eggs + Greens Smoothie (greens + fruit + lemon + raw honey + water) • Chicken sausage + strawberries + macadamia nuts • Scrambled eggs + onions + peppers (or any vegetables!) • Organic hard boiled eggs + avocado + Tomato + Bacon bits (mash into “egg salad”) • Coconut yogurt + fruit + nuts • Sweet potato rice or cakes + fruit + drizzle honey • Banana + almond butter (dipped in coconut shavings!) • Eggs + Mashed ripe bananas + cinnamon; form cakes and pan-fry in coconut oil • Chia pudding (unsweetened coconut milk + chia seeds soaked over night) + blueberries • Organic almond butter and carrots • Gluten-free granola with almond or coconut milk • Cold-pressed green juice (served along with any of the breakfast ideas)

Egg Bake (can also be made in muffin tins) • Sautee any vegetables such as mushrooms, broccoli, scallions, bell peppers, squash, tomatoes. • Cook breakfast sausage (Applegate or Wellshire Farms). • Let vegetables and sausage cool. • Add 6+ eggs (whisked) to coconut oil lined casserole dish. • Add a little water to the eggs to control their cooking. • Combine cooled vegetables, chicken sausage, and eggs in casserole dish.

• Bake at 350 degrees until eggs fully cooked.

Green Smoothie • 2 cups spinach or kale • ½ cup frozen strawberries • Squeeze of half lemon • 1 tsp. raw honey • Add water (less for thicker smoothie, more for thinner smoothie) • Blend well • Optional add-ins: beets, cilantro, parsley, avocado, or coconut milk

Pack a Lunch with a Punch 1. Egg Salad Combine chopped celery, chopped chives, minced onion, smoked paprika or sweet paprika, homemade mayonnaise, chopped parsley, hard boiled eggs, salt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice; add a few capers for extra credit! This is a great recipe to improvise and see if adding more or less of certain ingredients makes it better for your taste buds.

2. Simple and Spicy Fish Lunch: Grilled Tilapia + sriracha hot sauce + roasted vegetables or salad

3. Canned Wild Salmon Burgers – Combine 1 can of wild salmon, 1 whole egg, capers, red onion, lemon, chopped dill (and/or parsley and/or oregano), Dijon mustard, parsley. Form into burgers. Bake these at 350 F for 15 minutes. (Multiple this recipe to have more for leftovers!)

4. Kale Super Salad a. Combine kale + blueberries + 1/2 medium avocado b. Add grilled chicken, salmon, steak, or Portobello mushroom c. Add dressing: -Equal parts extra virgin olive oil + balsamic vinegar -Handful blueberries -1 tsp. raw honey -Blend, baby!

5. Apple Avocado Soup Blend together all of the following ingredients. Enjoy hot or cold. a. 1 avocado, chopped c. 1 tablespoon chopped onion b. 2 medium apples, peeled and d. Handful arugula leaves chopped e. 2 tablespoons olive oil

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

f. 2 cups water, for blending h. Red pepper flakes g. Unrefined sea salt and pepper to taste

6. Salad in a Jar (So Pinterest!) On top - Lettuce (Spinach, romaine, kale, arugula, mixed greens) Lighter/crunchy foods - Seeds, Nuts, Onions, Tomatoes, Sprouts, Fruit, Broccoli, Mushrooms Heavy foods - Meat, Seafood, Hard-boil eggs, Beets, Cucumbers, Peppers, Carrots, Radishes Liquid food - Dressing (Olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice, or mashed up avocado)

7. Totally-On-The-Go Lunch Make a trail mix with nuts + shredded coconut + organic jerky pieces. Enjoy with fresh-pressed organic green drink.

7 Dinners for Winners Dinner is the LAST thing you want to do after a day full of Facebooking work. So what’s a superfoodie to do? Find a way to cook dinner with NO dishes. If that doesn’t work, cook a dinner that lasts for days a.k.a. slow cooker meals. Does this seem intimidating? It’s not!

1. Ultimate SuperBurger a. Combine in food processor: Kale, mushrooms, shredded carrots, onions and garlic. b. Cook this sauce on the stove to let all moisture out of it. Let it cool. c. Add mixture to ground grass-fed beef. Add pinch of Celtic salt. d. Create patties, and let patties get cold again. (This helps because the beef fat is cold it is solid, but at room temp it is too soft. So if cold, it will keep shape when you cook it.) e. Once patties are cooled, place in pan and cook 5-7 minutes on each side. f. Tip: Make the center of the patty thinner with your thumb for more even cooking. g. Top with fermented ketchup and pickles. h. Serve with vegetables and/or baked sweet potato fries.

2. Energy Packed Greens + Chicken or Steak 5oz package of Organic Baby Kale 1/2 Cup Julienned Sweet Onion 1 Organic Fuji Apple, Sliced 1 tsp. Chopped Garlic 1 Squeeze of Lemon 2 TBS of Organic Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Grilled pasture-raised chicken or grass-fed steak

a. Heat the coconut oil in a large sauté pan and add the Sliced Apples and Onion, caramelizing them a bit before adding the garlic. b. After adding the garlic to the onion and apple let it brown slightly, should take about 1-2 minutes. c. Once the garlic has a bit of color add the Lemon juice and kale. Toss and let the greens wilt for about 1 minute.

Note: If you're pan isn't big enough to take all of the greens at once, add them in small batches, allowing each batch to wilt and reduce in size and then continuing to add more.

3. Grass-fed Steak Fajitas a. Sear grass-fed steak strips in pan, and then finish cooking in the oven at 350 F. b. Then, sauté vegetables in coconut oil (peppers, onions). c. Add chopped garlic, cumin and chili powder. d. Put steak back into pan with cooked vegetables. e. Cook a few more minutes, and then serve with side of guacamole and roasted sweet potatoes.

4. Simple Sesame-Crusted Pork Tenderloin a. Roll pork tenderloin in sesame seeds to coat all sides. b. Roast for 20-25 minutes at 375 F, or until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees F. c. Rest 5-10 minutes before serving. d. Serve with sautéed Napa cabbage, carrots, bok choy, ginger, garlic, scallions, coconut aminos, chili sauce (or sriracha).

5. Strawberry Chicken a. Combine sliced strawberries + balsamic + chopped basil b. Serve on top of sautéed spinach and pasture-raised grilled chicken

6. Healthy Hot Pockets (No dishes!) a. Cut parchment paper so it is about 18 inches wide. Fold in half. b. Using kitchen scissors keeping the paper folded, cut into a heart shape. c. Fill half the heart with all of your ingredients -While mild fish (bass or tilapia) -Lemon juice -Thyme -Fennel or shallots -Vegetables (zucchini, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms) -Coconut oil

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

d. Fold the edges of the parchment paper, so it creates a sealed pocket. e. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 F. (If frozen vegetables, add 3 minutes) f. Pull from the oven and let rest for 3-5 minutes g. Carefully open pocket. h. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

7. Pan Salsa Chicken a. Sear chicken in pan, and then finish cooking in oven at 350 F. b. Then, sauté onions poblano peppers, and tomatoes (add tomatoes at the end) to create a rustic salsa; c. Slice cooked chicken and add back in to pan. d. Add cilantro and squirt of lime. e. Serve with roasted cauliflower florets (or any starchy side) and your favorite guacamole.

Snacks on Snacks on Snacks

Snacks are a great opportunity to add more superfoods to your day. Don’t feel like you need to snack all day though. Usually 1 snack per day is enough if you are eating the right foods and managing your blood sugar and cravings. Everyone is different, though! For example, for those trying to gain weight, snacks will help increase overall calories needed to promote muscle gain, so more would be encouraged. No matter what you’re snack situation, choose superfoods with a good balance of protein and fat. Avoid fruit-only or starchy vegetable-only snacks when possible. Pair these foods with a protein or fat for optimal energy and fullness.

• Chia pudding • Guacamole and salsa with • Sardines in olive oil • Beets in olive oil plantain chips • Sprouted raw nuts/seeds • Homemade grain-free, • Hard-boiled egg with • Olive tapenade gluten-free granola made unrefined sea salt • Kombucha and nuts with coconut oil • Lettuce wraps with • CJK Foods Paleo Granola • Apple and almond butter nitrate-free deli meats • Green smoothie • Organic beef/turkey jerky and sliced avocado • Living Nutz products • Carrots and celery + almond • Olives stuffed with • Fresh-pressed juices butter tomatoes or roasted • Coconut water • Smoothie with unsweetened garlic • Raw cheese coconut milk, frozen fruit, and • Organic plant-based • Berries greens protein shake or • Deli meat + pickles • Fresh fruits and vegetables smoothie

• Sauerkraut + turkey sausage • Grass-fed beef sticks Turnips Rainbow Trout (farmed) Super7 Watercress Salmon (wild-caught, from Alaska) Shopping List Winter squash (acorn, butternut, pumpkin) Shrimp, wild (from Maine) Organic Fruit Fresh or smoked caviar and roe Organic Vegetables Apples Organic Nuts, Seeds, & Oils Artichokes Apricots (fresh) Coconut oil (refined for neutral; unrefined Arugula Avocados for flavor) Asparagus Bananas Brazil nuts Avocados Blackberries Coconut milk Bamboo shoots Blueberries Cod liver oil (ideally fermented) Bean sprouts Boysenberries Extra virgin olive oil (unheated) Beets Cherries Fresh coconut Beet greens Elderberries Grapeseed oil Bell peppers (red, yellow, green) Gooseberries Ground flaxseeds Broad beans Grapefruit Macadamia nuts Broccoli Grapes Nut butters Brussels sprouts Kiwi fruit Olives Cabbage Lemons Safflower mayonnaise Carrots Limes Sesame oil Cassava Loganberries Sprouted nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, Cauliflower Mangos pecans) Celery Melons Sprouted seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, Chives Nectarines sesame) Cilantro Oranges Unrefined flaxseed oil Collard greens Papayas Unrefined sesame oil Cucumber Peaches Fermented Foods Dandelion greens Pears Kombucha Eggplant Pineapple Pickles Endive Plums Sauerkraut Fennel Pomegranates Fermented salsa Garlic Prunes (dried plums) Kim Chi Ginger (fresh) Raspberries Apple cider vinegar Green beans Strawberries Cultured vegetables Jalapenõ peppers Tangerines Coconut water kefir Jicama Watermelon Fermented ketchup Kale Pastured Meat and Poultry Fermented mustard Kohlrabi Beef, pastured, 100% grass-fed Wine, organic, no sulfites added Leeks Bison, 100% grass-fed Super Superfoods Mushrooms Chicken, pasture-raised Bone Broth Mustard greens Duck, free-range Dark Chocolate Okra Turkey, free-range Herbs and Spices Onions Deli meats, nitrite-free, organic • Parsley Parsley Eggs (whole, organic, pastured) • Cilantro Radicchio Lamb, pasture-raised • Ginger Radishes Goat, pasture-raised • Garlic Shallots Pork, pasture-raised • Turmeric Snow peas Wild game (venison, elk) • Thyme Spaghetti squash Bacon, pastured, uncured, additive-free • Oregano Spinach Sustainable Seafood • Mint Sugar snap peas Albacore Tuna (troll- or pole-caught, from • Rosemary Summer squash (yellow, zucchini) the U.S. or British Columbia) • Sage Sweet potatoes Freshwater Coho Salmon (farmed in tank • Chamomile Swiss chard systems, from the U.S.) • Cayenne pepper Tomatoes Oysters (farmed) Green tea Turnip greens Pacific Sardines (wild-caught)

CJK Foods Super7 Challenge

Raw apple cider vinegar Unrefined sea salt Unfiltered raw, local honey MORE RESOURCES

CJK FOODS SUPER7 CHALLENGE | Private Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/cjkfoodssuper7challenge/

(We will accept your request to join ASAP!)

JENNY WESTERKAMP, RD | Nutritionist, CJK Foods Email [email protected] with any questions or comments related to the challenge.