This challenge emphasizes eating more anti-inflammatory and alkaline-forming foods including fruits, veggies, superfoods, and ancient grains.

Caffeinated teas and coffee tend to naturally be more acid- forming in the body. 

If drinking tea- choose organic antioxidant- rich green tea or naturally caffeine free herbal teas like chamomile, ginger, peppermint, and licorice root.  If drinking coffee, choose organic, when possible, as it will be free of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. 

If organic is not available, choose higher quality varieties or coffees that follow fair trade and environmental farming practices.  Fair trade usually means the farmers are treated better and therefore produce a higher quality product that is more sustainable for the grower and the land.  

We encourage you to have water be your beverage of choice during this challenge as it provides natural calorie- free energy.  Aim to drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day.  Example: 140 lbs.= 70 ounces of water.

If using milk, stick to plant-based varieties such as almond, coconut, and hemp milk.

Yes, all fruits and veggies are allowed.  Pretty much any food that contains one ingredient is okay.  Examples: apple, broccoli, pineapple, peanut butter, oats, quinoa, coconut. 

The key is to focus on upgrading the quality of everything you are currently eating by improving the ingredients and choosing foods closer to the center of the Food Target®. 

When it comes to purchasing organic, the first place you should start is with animal products. When buying USDA sealed organic animal products, you can ensure that the animals were raised without antibiotics, growth hormones, or genetically modified feed, which can all disrupt our system and make the body acidic. You can also be sure that the animals were fed a diet free of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, which is better for the animal and the environment.

The second place to start when buying organic is with any produce items where you eat the skin (also called the dirty dozen). These are items that tend to absorb the most fertilizers and pesticides which can also be acidic on the body. Don’t worry about buying organic when it comes to buying anything where you remove the skin like avocados, bananas, and watermelon unless you prefer.

Typically, organic packaged or canned items will contain healthier ingredients and will be minimally processed. Always read the ingredients and use your judgment when it comes to purchasing packaged items.

Protein/food bars are allowed only if the ingredients fall within the foods listed in this challenge.  Some of our favorite challenge friendly food bars include Raw Revloutions, Bar Bars, & That’s It Bars, all of which are great choices.  Whey protein is not included on this challenge, as it tends to be naturally more acid- forming on the body.  Try to stick to more plant-based proteins like hemp seeds, flax, chia, or nuts.  Remember to always look at the ingredients when choosing shakes or supplements.

Focus on quality over quantity.  The better-quality foods you eat the less likely you are to overeat these foods and therefore will not have to worry about counting calories.  But if you have the urge to overeat broccoli—by all means go for it!

This is YOUR challenge! Test yourself to see how clean you can eat during these 21 days.  Condiments are okay but they tend to have added ingredients that you may not need like sugar, processed oils, and artificial or natural flavorings.  Stick to real, wholesome foods as these will provide the most nutrition and flavor. If making your own salad dressings, try mixing extra virgin olive oil with balsamic or apple cider vinegar.