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Fruit & Veggie Challenge 2016 – Quick Start Guide

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ARE YOU READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH?

Welcome to the Amy Abell Wellness Fruit & Veggie Challenge Quick Start Guide! As a Certified Health Coach my goal for this challenge is simple: getting YOU to eat more fruits and vegetables. We will break it down over the four weeks into mini-goals. The challenge is set to start Monday, January 4th and continue through Friday, January 29th. You can start anytime, however and will create new habits that will become long-term, sustainable lifestyle changes. This challenge is designed with a ram-up period, so go slow and ask questions along the way. I will be posting weekly goals (found below) here on my website and tips, tricks and recipes on social media. Ready to feel great? Let’s get started!

What do I need?
•FRUITS
•VEGETABLES
To start, buy fruits and vegetables you already know and like. Have them in your house and ready to consume starting Monday morning. I will share tips and ideas for some that might be new to you, but start with what you know. Go for fresh first, frozen next and canned last. You want the most nutrients for your buck and those come in that order. 

When should I eat them?
OFTEN!
I try to start my day with a fruit/veggie in order to reach my goal for the day. Replacing vending machine snacks with a whole fruit or vegetable helps get more good stuff in you before dinner. Swapping out a dinner starch with a veggie and having fruit for dessert ups your intake even more.

How many should I eat each day?
MORE.
During the challenge I will share guidelines for how many fruits and veggies we should consume each day (hint: it’s a lot), but let’s just start with “more” for now. For one person it could be starting with one carrot or an apple. For another it could be exchanging the morning bagel with cream cheese for regular oatmeal and fresh berries.

What should I eat them with?
AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
Eating raw fruits and veggies give us many advantages over cooked, but go slow. Combining these foods with lean protein and healthy fats have many health benefits, but we will get to this in a couple days time. For now just keep it simple.

Anything else I should know?
DRINK WATER.
Increasing the number of fruits and vegetables you consume is increasing the amount of fiber you are taking in each day. You will need to make sure you are drinking lots of water to keep things moving in your gut!
CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR.
It’s always a good idea to check with your doctor before starting a new program. If you don’t think you should eat grapefruit- don’t, but I bet you could try spaghetti squash. Apples upset your stomach? Try snacking on some frozen mango.

What can I expect over the next four weeks?
Each Monday during the challenge I will post our goal for the week on my blog. Follow me on social media in between for tips, recipes and to see how your fellow challengers are doing.

GOALS:
Week 1- January 4th Post: AWARENESS
How many fruits/vegetables am I eating each day? Where do I need to be?
Week 2- January 11th Post: STEP TOWARD CHANGE
Where am I stumbling or falling short? What one thing can I change?
Week 3- January 18th Post: FOCUS ON PORTION SIZES
Do I need more or less? How can I become a more efficient eater?
Week 4- January 25th Post: PREPPING AND PLANNING
When do I need to make time for meal planning and prep? What do I need to give up to make it happen?

I’ll be back on Monday to outline the plan for Week 1. You need to get shopping and stock up with fruits & veggies!

Have a healthy weekend.
-Amy

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