For the next 10 days I will be eating only whole foods. No processed foods. No sugar.

I’ve decided to take the 10-Day Pledge promoted on the blog 100 Days of Real Food written by Lisa Leake. She and her family ate only whole foods for 100 days to draw attention to how much our society depends on processed foods.

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

Over the past couple of years, I have slowly eliminated many processed foods from my diet. I check labels and stay away from high-fructose corn syrup and I choose packaged foods with as few ingredients as possible.

I also try to make purchases that are better for the environment, for animals and for people. I buy meat that is hormone-free and eggs that are free-range.

But there is always rooms for improvement, which is why I’ve decided to take this challenge.

For the past few months, I’ve been doing a lot of research on clean eating. I would say my diet is 70-75 percent clean. I eat tons of fruits and veggies, lean meat, legumes, whole grains and unsweetened yogurt.

My biggest food downfall is sugar. I love sweets. I love ice cream, cookies, cakes, you name it, if it has sugar in it, I probably love it. The only packaged dessert I buy is ice cream, which I always end up eating too much of. I’ve cut back on baking, mostly because it’s been insanely hot. But I do love to bake (especially cupcakes!).

My other goal with the 10-Day Pledge is to buy more produce locally. I haven’t been taking advantage of the farmer’s market like I should be.

So here are the details…

10-Day Challenge

What you CAN eat:

1. Whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry

2. Lots of fruits and vegetables (we recommend that you shop for these at your local farmers’ market)

3. Dairy products like milk, unsweetened yogurt, eggs, and cheese

4. 100% whole-wheat and whole-grains

5. Seafood (wild caught is the optimal choice over farm-raised)

6. Only locally raised meats such as pork, beef, and chicken (preferably in moderation)

7. Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, naturally sweetened coffee & tea, and, to help the adults keep their sanity, wine and beer!

8. Snacks like dried fruit, seeds, nuts and popcorn

9. All natural sweeteners including honey, 100% maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates are acceptable in moderation

What you CANNOT eat:

1. No refined grains such as white flour or white rice (items containing wheat must say WHOLE wheat…not just “wheat”)

2. No refined sweeteners such as sugar, any form of corn syrup, cane juice, or the artificial stuff like Splenda

3. Nothing out of a box, can, bag, bottle or package that has more than 5 ingredients listed on the label

4. No deep fried foods

5. No “fast foods”

I’m starting tomorrow (Tuesday July 31). I’ll post daily updates (mostly to keep myself accountable) to let you know how it’s going!! Here I go!!