30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 51 Deb’s Herby Vege Crackers Basic ingredients: • 1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 24 hours, drained • 1.5 cups golden flaxseed, soaked overnight with tomatoes, if using (see optional ingredients below) • Use just enough water to cover, don’t add extra • 1 organic carrot, scrubbed, chopped • 1/2 red capsicum • 1 courgette (zucchini), chopped • 1/2 tbsp garlic granules or powder, or 2 cloves chopped garlic • 1 tsp Himalayan salt Optional ingredients: Tip: Add other dried flavours like basil, mixed herbs, paprika, cumin, ginger, or whatever you are inspired to add! • 1/2 cup organic sundried tomatoes without oil, soaked in cold water for 24 hours with flaxseeds • 1 small dried chili (hot pepper), soaked in water for 24 hours (optional) • splash of tamari, or shoyu • 1 tbsp unpasteurized miso • 1/2 tsp onion powder • 1.5 tsp cumin seeds • 1/2 tbsp dried oregano 1. Place all ingredients in a food processor, and blend into a smooth paste. Taste and adjust seasoning to suit. You will still see whole flaxseeds in the mix 2. Place 1/4 mixture onto a sheet of baking paper or non-stick sheets and spread to about 1/4 inch thick with a spatula or large knife. Score the mixture into cracker sizes and then transfer baking sheet and crackers onto a baking tray or dehydrator tray. 3. Repeat with the remaining mixture on three other trays. (You may find your mix makes more than this. If you have more mix than trays, you can store in the fridge or freezer till you are able to make more) 4. Dehydrate in a fan oven or a dehydrator at 50 C (120 F) for 8-18 hours, or until crisp. 5. Flip over after 2-3 hours, peel off the backing paper, and break along the scored lines to help speed up the drying process. 6. Store crackers in an air-tight container. This mixture makes approximately 64 crackers across four trays in your oven or dehydrator. Per 70g serve: 1 fat serve
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 52 Deb’s Keto Chocolates • 350g organic cold pressed coconut oil • 50g of cacao butter (this is a solid butter, you can find on the supermarket or health food store shelves in baking section) • 1/2 cup yacon syrup (or 1 - 2 tbsp pure maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it) • 1 tsp real vanilla extract, optional • ¾ cup organic cocao powder (raw if you want this to be 100% raw) • cacao nibs to top (optional) 1. Gently soften the coconut oil by placing the jar into a hot water bath. 2. In a double boiler gently melt your cacao butter but try not to overheat. Allow it to cool a little before blending with other ingredients. 3. Whiz all the ingredients in your blender until smooth, taking care not to overheat the oil or it will separate. An immersion type blender can be used for this, or a normal jug blender. 4. Pour into silicon ice cube or chocolate moulds and top with cacao nibs if using. 5. Place into the freezer to set. These are so delicious and the most divine way of eating your fats! You can be creative with these and use this chocolate to coat macadamia nuts or simply add chopped nuts to them! These are very grand topped with cacao nibs! Per 30g serve daily: 1 fat serve (if using maple syrup, these also replace a fruit serve)
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 53 When the body goes into ketosis, it is burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. The first thing that the body needs to do to get into ketosis is to deplete the muscle glycogen. Glycogen is the stored carbohydrates in our muscle and liver tissue, this amounts to about 350-600g of glycogen. This is the equivalent to about 1 loaf of bread. So our body has to burn off approximately one loaf of bread before we use fat stores. The body will not dip into fat stores until the glycogen is depleted, so this is a very important part of getting fat adapted. Each glycogen molecule is bound to about 3-4g of water so for every gram of glycogen that is used the body will release up to 4g of water. That works out to be about 2-2.5kgs in total. So the first 2.5kg of weight loss in ketosis is mostly water. Because so much water is released from the body, there is a risk, in the beginning of ketosis, of the body becoming dehydrated. The first signs of ketosis are urinating a lot, thirst and a dry mouth. These are also signs of dehydration. At this stage many people start dramatically increasing their water due to increased thirst. This is great, you might say. Drinking more water is good for us isn’t it? Yes! Yes it is... BUT. When we dramatically increase water, we flush out a lot of water and this also washes out our valuable electrolytes. Electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphate, chloride) are the minerals that our body uses to perform every chemical reaction- so they are important! When you get low on electrolytes you may experience the following symptoms: • Lethargy • Agitation • Cramps • Heart palpitations • Sleep problems • Muscle weakness • Headaches • Muscle aches • Nausea • Diarrhoea OR Constipation • Confusion • Numbness or tingling sensation Your Guide to the 1st Stage of Ketosis What to do about keto flu, constipation, diarrhoea, headaches and sleep problems.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 54 What most people call “keto flu” is actually a loss of electrolytes. The answer to the problem is to replenish lost electrolytes. Potassium, calcium, phosphate and chloride are found in abundant quantities in fruit and vegetables. Green leafy vegetables, avocado, nuts, seeds, meat and fish are all great sources of these minerals. Eating your 2 cups (minimum) of ‘free’ leafy greens each day is an important part of the program! Magnesium and sodium are required in greater quantities, so we need to supplement our diet with these through whole foods in order to make sure that we are getting enough. One or two cups of salty broth, plus a daily Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) bath or foot bath is usually enough to replenish electrolytes and relieve symptoms. You should be aiming to consume approximately 5g of salt per day (unless you have high blood pressure or any other medical reason for not consuming salt). Magnesium deficiency is extremely common, and there will be many of you who have come in to the program with an existing deficiency or a borderline deficiency in magnesium. In this instance you may experience more severe symptoms of magnesium depletion, such as irregular heartbeat, headaches, constipation, cramping, agitation, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. For best results you should get a high quality powdered magnesium supplement such as Magnesium Chelate or Magnesium Bisglycinate. Deborah suggests Metagenics Meta Mag patent form if your Chemist stocks this - Fibroplex MagActive. If you do not have access to Meta Mag, ask your chemist for a magnesium supplement that, in two or three tablets daily, will give you the equivalient of 600mg elemental magnesium, daily. To prevent symptoms, and increase your mineral stores during the initial phase of ketosis you can take a magnesium supplement and start drinking salty broth daily. This will ensure you get through the transition phase with ease. Be sure to post in the Facebook group if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 55 Your Weight Loss Tracker and Food Diary is your ultimate weight loss tool and will provide you with feedback along your journey over the next 30 days. It is essential for you to accurately track your food intake, and your weight to make the most of this tool. The typical expected weight loss throughout the 30 Days One Dress Size Challenge is one dress size - that is 5 kg or 11 lbs. Depending on your overall health picture coming into the program, particularly for those who are transitioning from a carbohydrate or processed food diet, you may expect to lose even more than this. But what happens if your results are not as you are expecting? How to check your Food Diary If your weight loss is not as expected, it is our experience that there is ALWAYS a reason for this. The following factors are the most common ones that will see affecting weight loss. Keeping Regular Constipation will affect your weight loss results, so it is important to maintain regular bowel motions, at least once per day. Check out our tips in the Q&A section. Measurements Your weight is not the only indication of your results, make sure that you are regularly checking your measurements too! Compliance to the Food Plan This food plan includes precise portion guidelines and food lists to optimize your health and weight loss results and ensure that your body achieves and maintains ketosis. Check your food diary against the food plan regularly, and if a food is not on the list, do not consume it. Health Issues Some health issues will result in slower weight loss while your body is healing. This program is highly beneficial for many conditions, so it is worth noting the health improvements that you are seeing as you progress. Food Intolerance Food intolerances can cause inflammation, and tend to have a cumulative effect over several days. To test your tolerance for certain foods, it is best to eliminate that food for a week before reintroducing in small quantities. Dairy intolerance is the most common cause of stalled or sub-optimal weight loss results that we see. Close to Goal Weight If you are close to goal weight, your weight loss will naturally be slower than those who come into the program with more weight to lose. Reach out to our support team in the Facebook community for advice on adjusting the plan to optimize your results if you have less to lose. Stress and Sleep Reducing stress & ensuring that you get enough quality sleep are both important for reducing your cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and optimizing your weight loss results. Make the Mindset your priority to help bring balance back into your life. Optimizing Your Weight Loss Results
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 56 Monitoring your weight loss On day 1 of the challenge weigh yourself and record your weight on the first page of your Weight Loss Tracker and Food Diary. The best time to weigh yourself is first things in the morning, naked, straight after you have used the toilet! If a daily weigh in does not work for you, then you can just weigh in weekly. Measurements Take your measurements on Day 1 and record them in the Weight Loss Tracker and Food Diary. Record your progress weekly throughout the Challenge and then on the 30-day mark. Measure Legs: both sides, ankles, knees and thighs Hips: around your hip bones Waist: the smallest part of your waist Stomach: the widest part of your stomach Chest: around the nipple line Underarm: underneath the armpits and on top of the breast Arms: both arms, wrist and midway between shoulder and elbow Keeping a food diary is essential with this program. We recommend you use the weight loss tracker and food diary provided in your welcome email to ensure you remain conscious of what you eat each day, Not only does keeping a diary help you to stay motivated and ensure you stick to the plan, if for some reason things aren’t going as well as they should be, your diary can provide clues for what changes can be made to optimize your results, see the troubleshooting chapter in this guide. Remember, during this challenge every mouthful is a nourishing act of self-love. Your Progress Download your Weight Loss Tracker and Food Diary from the link in your Welcome Email.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 57 After years of clinical study, I observed that my clients who exercised during active weight loss did not get the same weight loss results as those who didn’t. This led me to research the effect of exercise on weight loss and based on my observation and over 60 independent scientific studies, I found that exercise can actually negatively affect active weight loss. Unless you are already exercising regularly, I strongly recommend you do not start. If you are already exercising I recommend gentle activities like yoga, walking, or swimming. Activities like gym workouts, running, cycling etc. can add additional stress to the body and lead to inflammation. Exercise also places your body under stress and causes fluid build up and bloating. While this is temporary, it can interfere with your daily results and be quite disheartening. Cortisol levels also rise during hard exercise causing your body to go into a type of ‘lock down mode’ and that may result in an inability to shed the maximum pounds, as well as stimulating hunger and cravings, two things you don’t want on a diet. I recommend you use this time instead to re-connect with your body. Exercise Weight Loss & Exercise A NOTE ABOUT FASTING AND MUSCLE MASS: Fasting helps to switch the metabolism to fat burning which is definitely what we want. Sometimes I have been asked about whether the body will burn into and lose muscle mass as a result of this shift to fat burning. But the research is clear, there is no point to the body burning useful body tissue while fasting when there is plenty of fat around to burn instead. So that's a win win! We get to burn our fat while the allowed protein amounts on the plan will maintain our muscle mass.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 58 One way to further increase the amount of weight loss on this challenge is to try intermittent fasting. I know this concept scares a lot of people, so let me explain what it is all about and why you should even consider it beyond the weight loss benefits. Most of us have been raised believing that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. However new science is emerging which completely contradicts the concept of a morning breakfast. In particular, research has found that the wrong kind of breakfast could cause more harm than good. This harm stems from stimulation of our hunger hormone (ghrelin) leading to over-eating and weight gain, as well as the reduction of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) which helps build muscle and keeps us young. Breakfast may even lead to a desensitisation to insulin, which contributes to myriad of chronic diseases including diabetes, some cancers and cardiovascular disease. Scientific evidence now points towards the health benefits of skipping breakfast, a practice known as Intermittent Fasting or IF. With IF, daily meals are consumed within a 6-8 hour eating period across 24 hours. IF is usually practised two or more times a week, but benefits can increase if it is practised more regularly. A scientific review in the British Journal of Diabetes and Vascular Disease published by SAGE, concluded that intermittent fasting offers the potential to improve weight loss and enhance cardiovascular health of overweight and obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes, as well as reduce cardiovascular risk. Humans have actually evolved practising IF. It is only in the past 150 years, once food become more abundant, that breakfast really arrived on the scene and so did the global obesity epidemic. Previously, our ancestors ate one to two main meals a day. This fluctuated over famine and feast months. Humans are designed by nature to have fluctuations in caloric intake. In fact when we are fasting our body sets about repairing and healing itself. Your body was built for periodic cycles of feast and famine. Argument Against Breakfast Why the science of intermittent fasting makes sense
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 59 Some of the demonstrated health benefits of IF include: 1) It normalises fat hormones such as ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Ghrelin is stimulated in the stomach to signal the brain to eat and remind you that you are hungry, so if ghrelin is out of balance you might be hungry a lot! What’s really interesting about ghrelin is that it changes its circadian rhythm (its naturally fluctuating levels) dependant on your eating habits. If you are used to eating six meals a day, ghrelin will alert you if you skip a meal by telling you that you’re hungry. If you are used to eating breakfast, then you will be hungry at breakfast time. However it only takes a few days to change the rhythm of ghrelin, meaning it’s easy to change eating habits over just a few days. 2) IF increases levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH), also known as the Youth Hormone. HGH helps repair the body and build muscle, both important for athletes and those of us who want to stay youthful. So one argument for skipping breakfast, especially before your morning workout, is that it will result in higher HGH levels, leading to a more productive workout. It can also slow the ageing process and HGH itself is a fat-burning hormone, so higher levels result in more fat loss. 3) IF can improve cardiovascular health. In fact, IF could be as beneficial as exercise for improving cardiovascular biomarkers by normalising blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol ratios. 4) IF restores leptin and insulin sensitivity. This can be useful for those struggling with weight or blood sugar issues such as diabetes. 5) IF reduces oxidative stress, slowing ageing. Fasting decreases the accumulation of oxidative radicals in the cell, and thereby prevents oxidative damage to the cellular proteins, lipids and nucleic acids associated with ageing and disease. How to practice IF The best way to practise intermittent fasting is restrict eating hours to a six to eight hour period over 24 hours. An example of this would be having your first meal at noon and the last meal before 6pm or 8pm. This is how I eat most days. It is recommended to practice IF at least twice a week.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 60 Here are some common ‘breakfast’ myths written in Q & A style if you are still unsure about trying IF: Q/ But isn’t breakfast the most important meal of the day? A/ That quote actually came from a breakfast cereal company as part of a marketing campaign, not a nutritional guideline (in case you were wondering, it was Kellogg’s). So despite what you may have heard to support this clever marketing slogan, skipping breakfast doesn’t mess with your metabolism. Humans need to fast for more than 72 hours/3 days before a slight (10 percent) drop in our metabolism is induced. IF or skipping meals does not negatively impact metabolism. Q/ Won’t my blood sugar levels drop if I skip breakfast? A/ Common advice is that breakfast better controls blood sugar and insulin levels. This would depend entirely on what you eat, not only at breakfast but across the day. Insulin is important for muscle growth; however, it is also responsible for fat storage. Fasting reduces insulin levels and increases insulin sensitivity, reversing insulin resistance which can lead to metabolic syndrome. This is why people with diabetes report better management of blood sugar levels when using Intermittent Fasting techniques. Q/ But doesn’t breakfast prevent muscle loss, while fasting burns muscle? A/ This is the starvation myth. Eating every three hours has not shown to increase muscle mass or prevent muscle loss. Eating protein around your training appears to have more effect on muscle mass than your total protein intake across the day. In other words it’s when you eat in relation to your exercise that matters, not drinking a protein shake with breakfast. Q/ Doesn’t breakfast make us smarter? A/ Eating breakfast before work does not increase our level of concentration. In fact studies have shown that fasting in the morning may increase mental alertness, and people report feeling more productive and motivated across the day when they skip breakfast. It’s important to note that this may not apply to children, as their brains are still growing and they tend to eat a more carbohydrate rich diet, which in itself calls for more regular meals and snacks.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 61 Q/ So is skipping breakfast and IF for everyone? A/ While fasting is generally safe, it is not recommended for those who suffer with hypoglycaemia, so it’s important to ensure you have healthy blood glucose levels to start with. Likewise, if you have adrenal fatigue or are living with chronic stress then it is best to avoid fasting. And naturally if you are pregnant or breast feeding then fasting is not recommended. Q/ So has this style of eating worked for me? A/ When I started fasting I was Insulin Resistant with high LDL cholesterol, chronically high cortisol and my weight constantly fluctuated. I craved sugars and carbs and would fall asleep midafternoon. More than a decade later after my lifestyle change, I have a BMI of 21 and a biological age of a woman 10 years younger. All my biomarkers have normalised and for a woman in her mid 40s. My weight hasn’t fluctuated more than a few kilos in years. So if you are struggling to maintain your energy levels across the day, or struggling with your weight, consider IF. After coaching thousands of people through these types of programmes, I personally believe this approach to eating is worth investigating to see if it’s right for you.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 62 Q&A Section You may have a load of questions right now, but the most important thing is to keep it simple and follow the guide. If you must know more, here are some commonly asked questions: 1. I’m confused by the food plan, how do we use it? Thousands of women have been through this program and you can do this. You are eating 3 meals a day, plus optional snacks. For breakfast there are set options. For lunch and dinner you choose 100 grams of protein and 100 grams of vegetables (along with additional free greens) from the food lists provided. You also add one fat serving for lunch and dinner. It’s basically meat and vegetables! For snacks, you have two options; either fruit or a fat serving like nuts, twice daily. 2. I am dairy free, what dairy free alternatives can I use? Coconut yogurt can be consumed instead of dairy based yogurt. Coconut yogurt is about 3 times higher in carbohydrate than cow’s yogurt (although brands do vary) so reduce it from ¾ cup to ¼ cup per serving. You may substitute 200ml homemade nut milk in place of cows milk as a fat serve. 3. Can I swap Greek yogurt for plain yogurt? Yes you can, but please ensure it’s made with whole cow’s milk, not skim milk or milk powders. You want the closest food to nature as possible. Low fat dairy products have a very high insulin index, which increases your insulin levels, which we want to avoid. The higher the fat content of the yogurt, the better it is for you. I know that is the opposite to what the low-fat food industry tells you, but the results will convince you it is true! 4. It says 3-5 fat servings a day, how do I know how much to have? As you are easing into the program I suggest you start with 5 servings and see how your weight loss tracks. If you are choosing to continue exercising then keep up 5 servings. This is not a low-fat diet, so reducing fat servings will NOT improve your results. In fact, sometimes it can slow weight loss. Don’t go over 5 servings and never go under 3 unless one of my support team have advised you to do so.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 63 Q&A Section 5. I cannot give up my coffee, can I continue to drink it? Yes you can, however it must be black coffee or coffee with double cream that will count as a fat serving. If your mind tells you ‘I can’t give up my coffee, I can’t live without it’, you should know this is completely untrue. Whatever you tell yourself becomes your reality and you can completely change your taste buds in 11 days. In fact, in just 3 days you can lose your coffee cravings. 6. There are chia seeds in the muffin recipe, do I need to count these in my maximum daily chia serving? No, don’t worry about this, the fibre, protein and carbohydrate has been accounted for in the muffin serving, which counts as a fruit. 7. Can I continue to drink alcohol? I do not recommend alcohol on the 30 Day Challenge at all. The reason I strongly suggest against alcohol is that your energy levels, your quality of sleep and your liver function will all improve without it. However, if you have a special celebration to attend like a wedding or a birthday celebration, then you could omit one of your fruit snacks earlier in the day and enjoy a glass of dry wine or champagne or have a gin or vodka with soda water and a slice of lemon. The challenge is only 30 days long and so this would only be done if your special event occurred during your challenge month. I do want you to live life afterall! But also my message to you about alcohol is that it is highly inflammatory and my soulful wish for you is to experience the full healing effects of this profound diet. 8. Can I swap between the vegetarian plan and the normal plan? No, these programs work differently in the body.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 64 Q&A Section 9. Can I eat eggs instead of meat? No, unless you are a vegetarian who is swapping eggs for meat, non-meat-based proteins can result in a reduced level of weight loss. They are best used for a breakfast option only. 10. Can we make the keto muffins from the beginning of the challenge? I strongly advise you avoid the muffins for the first few weeks and stick to the natural whole foods plan until your body begins to ‘fat adapt’. I cover what that means as we progress in the challenge. 11. I am confused about imperial and metric servings. What is a tablespoon as it varies from country to country? For imperial and metric conversions, refer to the chart on page 39 in the recipe section. For your food plan, 15mls equals 1 tablespoon 12. Do I need to skip breakfast!? No, you don’t, in fact I suggest you eat breakfast for the first week and then consider Intermittent Fasting (IF). 13. You are suggesting we skip breakfast, but isn’t it the most important meal of the day? The quote ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ actually came from Kellogg’s breakfast cereal company as part of a marketing campaign. It was NOT a nutritional recommendation. Despite what you have heard, skipping breakfast doesn’t mess with your metabolism. A human would need to fast for more than 72 hours (3 days) before a slight (10 percent) drop in metabolism is induced. Skipping breakfast actually has amazing health benefits for most people. See the article “argument against breakfast” in this guide.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 65 Q&A Section 14. But doesn’t breakfast prevent muscle loss, while fasting burns muscle? This is the starvation myth. Eating every 3 hours has not shown to increase muscle mass or prevent muscle loss. The timing of when you eat protein in relation to your training appears to have more effect on muscle mass than total protein intake across the day. A protein shake with breakfast may not help much if you train in the evening. It is recommended that you eat a meal containing protein within 1 hour of finishing exercise for optimal muscle growth and repair. You can also increase your protein to 150g (women) or 200g (men) for one meal on days that you work out. Note, however, that intense exercise may affect your weight loss progress as discussed in the section on exercise in this guide. 15. Doesn’t breakfast make us smarter? Eating breakfast before work does not increase our level of concentration. In fact, studies have shown that fasting in the morning may increase mental alertness. It’s important to note that this does not apply to children, as their brain is still growing and they tend to eat a more carbohydrate-rich diet, which calls for more regular meals and snacks. 16. How do I know if I am in ketosis? You can purchase urinary ketone test strips at a low cost from most pharmacies or chemists to get an accurate indication of when your body achieves ketosis. Readings should be taken first thing in the morning, with any positive result indicating that you are in ketosis. If you are unable to obtain ketone test strips, some good physical indications that you are in ketosis are that you are losing weight and/or inches and have good energy levels and mental clarity.
30 DAYS ONE DRESS SIZE CHALLENGE 66 Q&A Section 17. How do I get additional support? My team are here to support you in the dedicated Facebook community for the duration of the 30 Days One Dress Size Challenge. Please reach out to them if you have any questions, concerns or need additional advice. on following this plan. 18. What about constipation? Any dietary changes can result in a change in bowel habits. If you find that you are constipated, addressing the underlying cause is the best course of action. This plan includes recommendations that will help balance your electrolyte levels, which is crucial on a ketogenic diet. These include staying hydrated - drink 8 glasses of water per day; consuming plentiful leafy greens containing potassium and magnesium,; and ensuring that your food is well salted with a quality natural salt such as Himalayan salt. We recommend consuming 5g of salt by weight per day. A high quality magnesium supplement can also assist with keeping regular. Dairy is a common allergen that can cause constipation, so you may also wish to consider reducing or cutting out dairy for a few days to aid elimination. While fibre supplements such as psyllium husk can be useful to bulk out the stool to relieve constipation, fibre absorbs up to 20 times its weight in water, so if you are already constipated this can make things worse. Any fibre supplements need to be taken with at least 500ml/17 fl oz. Regular bowel movements are important and you will not release weight without daily eliminations. You will find more information ion preventing and alleviating constipation in the 30 Day Challenge Facebook Support Group.