One American eats an average of 150 pounds of sugar per year. That’s pretty insane. We’re supposed to have less than a tablespoon a day, but we get way more.
How do we change that? We have to reset our systems. The J-Lo 10 day challenge can help you do that. Learn more here.
What is the Challenge?
A ten-day challenge where you eat no carbs and no sugar. At least, no simple carbs, so that rules out grains and flour. You can still have natural carbs, such as fruits, and complex carbs, like sweet potatoes.
You can cut out carbs altogether if you’d like for the challenge, but that’ll make it harder. If you choose to cut out all carbs, you’ll be eating pretty much just leafy greens and protein.
Here are some foods you can eat while on the challenge:
- Nonstarchy vegetables: kale, spinach, celery, broccoli, lettuce, cucumbers, cauliflower, bell peppers, zucchini
- Spices
- Nuts and nut butter (these have carbs, but they’re high in fiber)
- Meat and poultry like chicken, turkey, pork, and beef
- Eggs
- Seafood
- Avocado for healthy fats
- Olive oil for cooking in
- Low glycemic fruits like blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries.
No Sugar
You wouldn’t believe how much sugar you eat when you’re not paying attention. This challenge is meant to teach you where hidden sugars are, as well as clear your palate.
That means you should look at things you normally put in or on your food, like ketchup and other sauces. They normally have hidden sugars that you’ll need to cut out for the 10 days of the detox.
No sugar also means no artificial sweeteners, so those that put that in their coffee or like diet soda will need to stop.
Artificial sweeteners are just as bad as sugar. They don’t have the calories, but they trick your brain into thinking it needs to make up for the sweet taste and lack of calories. Learn more about how that semi-confusing process works here.
If you’re dying without condiments, don’t be afraid to make your own dressing. Some olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice is delicious and sugar-free.
If this seems too intense for you, check out the new prices on Nutrisystem. It’s similar, but without all the work!
How Did J-Lo Get Involved?
J-Lo and her fiance Alex Rodriguez were on the Today Show when they got to talking about the challenge they were doing. They told the hosts about it and invited them to do it with them.
One of the hosts, Hoda Kotb, agreed to join in and everyone finished the ten-day challenge together, even though Carson Daly tried to steer Hoda off course by telling her he’d donate $5,000 to her favorite charity if she had a bite of sweets. She didn’t and she donated her own money to them anyway.
The J-Lo 10 Day Challenge: Don’t Overdo it
While it’d be awesome if you ate like this all the time, over restricting for a long period of time leads to binging and the slowing of your metabolism. This is meant to be a “reset” or “cleanse” and not to be a long-term solution.
Will you try the J-Lo 10 day challenge? Or will you opt for something a little less intense? Let us know!
