FAQ For Our Clean-Eating 2-Week Plan

POPSUGAR Photography/Sarah Lipoff
POPSUGAR Photography/Sarah Lipoff

What if I don't like almond milk?
Any nondairy-beverage alternative can be used in this plan as a substitute for almond milk. Hemp, rice, coconut (that is, a coconut milk beverage, not canned coconut milk), flax, soy, etc. C&J suggests you opt for one that is fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

Do I have to give up coffee and tea?
There is no reason to cut out coffee and tea completely since doing so can often sabotage the success of a plan like this. But don't go crazy! Limit yourself to no more than two eight-ounce cups each day — 16 ounces is a Grande at Starbucks. Do drink your coffee or caffeinated tea by noon, since these beverages can interfere with sleep. If you like milk in your coffee, try it with an unsweetened dairy alternative, like soy or almond. Or try your coffee black — you might just like it.

Do I have to give up alcohol?
Yes. See if you can de-stress without that glass of wine or cocktail. Give your body a break from the boozy holiday celebrations of the last two months.

Talk to me about sprouted bread and sprouted tortillas. What are they and what can I use if I can't find them?
Sprouted grains are considered easier to digest while offering all the nutritional benefits of a whole grain. Typically, you can find sprouted bread, along with sprouted corn and sprouted wheat tortillas, in the freezer section of your grocery story. C&J recommends Ezekiel brand for both bread and tortillas. If you cannot find this brand, here are some others that will work:

  • Dave's Killer Bread: Sprouted Grain
  • Alvarado Street Sprouted Grain Bread
  • Silver Hills Bakery Sprouted Bread

What are the benefits to using bone broth over regular both? And where can I find it?
Bone broth has a bit more protein than regular chicken broth, and most chicken broth is, in fact, bone broth. So you can definitely use regular chicken broth. You can actually order bone broth from Amazon and find it in the soup section at most grocery stores — you just need to look for it.

What is the average daily calorie count?
All the meals, snacks, and treats included add up to about 1,600 calories per day. The carb, protein, and fat ratio is close to 50:20:30. The carbs are high fiber and minimally processed. The protein is lean, and the fats are primarily plant based.

When should I eat the snack and the daily treat?
The creators of this plan, C&J Nutrition, recommend not going more than four to five hours without a meal or snack, so use the snack and treat to ensure this timing happens. A daily meal schedule might look something like this:

7 a.m. breakfast
10 a.m. snack
1 p.m. lunch
6 p.m. dinner
8 p.m. treat

You can also eat your snack or treat in mid-afternoon if you are eating dinner later in the evening. Basically you want to eat when you start to feel your stomach rumble, before you become overly hungry. You want to blunt the hunger pangs a bit before you eat your next big meal. It's much more difficult to make wise food decisions, like portion size, when you're well past the point of being hungry and have entered the low-blood-sugar "famished" territory.

Tips

Hydrate: Be sure to drink at least 64 ounces of water each day and even more when you exercise. Some people need more water than others, and the best way to tell if you're dehydrated is to check the color of your urine. It should look pale yellow to almost clear. If it's looking more like apple juice, it's time to drink up! Water and herbal tea are great ways to hydrate.

Freezing meat: After shopping, you should freeze any meat that you are using later in the week. You want to protect the meat from air, which can "burn" it. Wrap the meat tightly in plastic wrap, and then place in a ziplock bag. Label the bag with the freezing date and type of meat.

Thawing meat: The safest way to thaw meat is in the fridge. The night before you plan on cooking frozen meat, take your cut of meat out of the freezer and place it in the fridge, still wrapped. Small cuts take about 24 hours to thaw. You can also place small cuts of meat in a bowl of lukewarm water.