Join us for a 30 DAY challenge to Keep it Real! What does it mean to be #keepinitreal? Below are some simple guidelines and tips...follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and ralabala.com as we will be sharing tons more details on all of the info below.

FOCUS ON CONSUMING "REAL" FOODS. SEEK OUT FOOD WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF INGREDIENTS ENSURING EACH ONE IS SIMPLE AND OBVIOUS. IF IT IS A CHEMICAL, SOMETHING YOU CAN'T PRONOUNCE, OR ARE UNSURE OF IT'S HEALTH BENEFIT THEN DONT EAT IT

GET LOCAL/SEASONAL! FIND A FARM, FARM SHARE, CSA OR NATURAL GROCERY STORE TO BUY FOOD FROM…IN THE US WE HAVE BEEN SPOILED BY GENETIC MODIFICATION AND CHEMICALS USED TO GROW/RIPEN FOODS…TRY EATING WHAT YOU KNOW YOUR LOCAL FARMER IS ACTUALLY PRODUCING.

STAY AWAY FROM FOODS WITH TOXIC OR INFLAMMATORY INGREDIENTS: REFINED/ADDED SUGARS, FRUCTOSE, GLUTEN, PROCESSED FOODS. IT’S A SHORT LIST PEOPLE...DON’T FREAK OUT!

CONSUME FOODS IN AS CLOSE TO THEIR ORIGINAL/NATURAL STATE AS YOU CAN. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU WANT TO EAT SOME SALSA BUY TOMATOES, PEPPERS, LIMES, ETC AND MAKE SOME SALSA. THE STUFF IN THE JAR AT YOUR GROCERY STORE REQUIRES INGREDIENTS PRODUCED IN A NUMBER OF PLACES AND ADDED CHEMICALS GOING THROUGH A PROCESS AT A FACTORY, BEING PACKED AND SHIPPED IN A TRUCK AND THEN SITTING ON A SHELF FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD…

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Stay away from foods with a barcode or a long ingredient list
Eat at home as much as you can - that way you know what you are putting in the food you are eating. Yes, this takes more time, but it is worth it.
If you travel, be prepared… bring your own cooler or lunch bag full of good snacks to keep you from making bad decisions when you are hungry
Have fun! Explore new foods, try new things, and get creative! Don't just eat a salad with chicken on it or be redundant...you won't enjoy the experience.
If you fall off the horse, get back up and keep going
Enjoy the journey – You can find awesome recipes (on this website and others we will share during the month) that offer really great food that tastes fantastic.
Do it with others - share good ideas and things that work with others and ask them to do the same for you. Send them to ralabala.com to join your journey and tag them in our posts.
Prepare, prepare, prepare – spend time thinking about what you will eat and when and you will make smarter choices

DON'T LET FOOD COMPANIES TRICK YOU

Just because the label says Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan, or Vegetarian it does not mean it is a healthy option…lead, uranium and cocaine are also Gluten Free ;)
Those “healthy” snack bars or protein bars are not always what they seem – you could even consider many of them glorified candy bars. Read the ingredients, try to choose ones that have 5 ingredients or less and make sure you recognize them. Sugar has many names, so read carefully.
Foods you may believe to be simple and good for you can have sugar/chemicals added – for example, most coconut milks have sugar added (go for the unsweetened)
Foods labeled “all natural” or “heart healthy” are many times loaded with other junk, did we mention READ EVERY SINGLE LABEL

We will be sharing tons of recipes on social media and ralabala.com...hopefully this will keep things fresh and enable you to try new things. However, below are some simple examples of foods to eat in each meal:

Breakfast

Eggs
Bacon or Sausage
Frittata
Banana+ Egg Crepes
Full fat plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries
Fresh Fruit Smoothies

Snacks

Nuts
Fresh Veggies
Guacamole
Leftovers from dinner
Fresh Fruit
Cashew, sun, or almond butter

Lunch

Salad (loaded), make sure you include protein
Turkey, ham, any meat that suits your fancy
Tuna
Hardboiled eggs
Banana with almond butter

Dinner

Big ol salad (make your own dressing)
Fish and Veggies
Meat and Veggies
Tacos wrapped with lettuce leaves as the shell and cauliflower rice
Soup and Salad
Chili

Let's talk about the grey areas:

We will elaborate on each of these as well as share recipes/substitutes during the month...stay tuned for more info.

SUGAR/SWEETENERS

No refined sugar or fake sweeteners of any kind for 30 days! Eat some fruit if you want something sweet! If you need a sweetener, for cooking or baking, use raw honey or local unfiltered maple syrup...these are in their natural state, so are a go, just don't go bananas feeding your sugar addiction.

ALCOHOL

The problem with most alcohol is that it contains gluten or added sugars (especially beer). Give up your beer for 30 days; this is a challenge after all. We recommend trying to limit alcohol consumption, so keep it to 1 glass when you would normally have 2. If you are going to drink we recommend red wine or high quality tequila with fresh lemon/lime and soda water.

STARCHES (potatoes, corn and grains)

For the next 30 days we are trying to take out foods that do not do anything beneficial for our bodies. Although delicious, we tend to fall into a habit of using these things as fillers… Make some cauliflower rice or sweet potatoes instead! We always say "I don't NEED it, I just WANT it," so let's focus on what we need!

DAIRY

Raw milk products are actually not bad for you…the problem with the milk in the store is that it has been processed (pasteurized and homogenized), which removes the enzymes, healthy bacteria and nutrients that make milk good for you in the first place…once all these things are removed your body actually has to fight to correctly process the milk, therefore harming your body more than doing good. If you have access to raw milk products then go for it, otherwise cut it out for the month and see what happens...i know, we love cheese too, but promise you will feel the difference.

GREAT RESOURCES FOR MORE INFO:

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with recipes, advice and inspiration and remember to share with your friends/family...the more people you get on this journey with you the more likely you are to be successful.