The OMG! New Client Guide
Here you'll find everything you will need to know to make the most of your meal plan!
We sincerely look forward to helping you start your journey towards improving or maintaining a healthy lifestyle through the holistic, clean eating, fiber-fueled approach.
For some of you, this may be a huge change from the eating habits you may be used to, while for others it is a convenient, helpful way to continue your already healthy lifestyle. Either way, we know you'll find numerous benefits from the program to your health and well-being!
WELCOME TO OH MY GUT!
Our digestive system is the control center of our body’s metabolism (which controls weight gain & loss), hormone balance, energy production and mood. A whopping 90% of serotonin (the “feel-good” neurotransmitter that helps with mood, mental alertness, and rational decision making), as well as 70% of our Immune System is actually made in our gut via our microbiome. In order to help these guys do their jobs properly, we need to provide a healthy, welcoming environment in our digestive system to properly feed and nourish our microbiome. Think of it like a garden: without proper care and TLC, all the healthy species of beneficial bacteria and microbes that are essential to good physical & mental health will soon be in the weeds.
Research has also shown that our microbiome is also responsible for our metabolism (or how easy it is for you to lose or gain weight). If you eat healthy and nourish your gut bacteria, your metabolism will change and losing weight will become a breeze. You will be able to eat plenty of wholesome, unprocessed, delicious food, feel satiated, and have success with your health goals.
"EATING A DIVERSITY OF PLANTS SHOULD BE THE GOLDEN RULE OF EATING."
Dr. Rob Knight, the Founding Director of the Center for Microbiome Innovation, states that the greatest predictor of a healthy microbiome is the diversity of plants in one's diet.
Challenge yourself to eat at least 30 different varieties of plants each week (vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and seeds all count!), and you’ll notice amazing results in your health. With your Oh My Gut! Mealplan, you won’t have to worry about if you’re getting enough fiber or variety- we take care of that for you!
STORAGE & HEATING
All meals & snacks received from Oh My Gut! should be stored in your fridge as soon as possible. Meals received will come in microwavable safe containers.
We still do recommend for the contents to be removed from the container and placed on a plate once warmed. Feel free to add a bed of leafy greens or extra non-starchy veggies if you want to bulk up your meal!
Before eating, meals can be placed in the microwave and heated for 2 minutes until the food is warm, or (recommended) heated by pan, on stove top over medium heat and covered with a lid until warm. Salads, and some other vegetarian dishes received can be eaten cold. Please be mindful to not overheat the meals since this may cause them to become overcooked and dry and lose nutrients.
We recommend eating any salad or fish meals within 1-2 days of receiving your delivery since some meals don’t hold as well as others. If you are only receiving one delivery per week, please freeze some of your meals within the first 3 days of receiving them.
DELIVERY AND BIN/CONTAINER RETURN
The delivery times are Sunday and Wednesday evenings, between 7:00-9:30pm. Your meals will be delivered in bins, which are to be returned to the driver at your next delivery date. There will be ice packs in your bin during transport, that the driver removes before dropoff.
We are happy to take back CLEAN containers, which we will santize and can reuse. Please note, that if the containers are returned dirty, we cannot use them and ask that you recycle them instead. If you have your own glass or Tupperware style containers you’d like us to use for your meals, please label and provide them to the driver, and ensure that they are large enough for us to portion out your meals into.
WAYS TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS OF YOUR MEALPLAN:
- Remove sugar and processed foods from your diet, completely!
This change will become easier over time: sugar and processed carbs have been shown in numerous studies to be just as, if not more, addictive than cocaine and heroin. The initial withdrawal symptoms and craving might seem tough at first, but before you know it your system will have naturally detoxed, your tastebuds will actually be completely new, and the cravings for sugar will no longer be something you're up against. Plus you'll feel amazing! More energy, less joint and muscle pain and weight loss are what you look forward to! Definitely worth giving up that daily soda and cold cereal habit right?!
- Time-Restricted Eating
There is lots of research available about the benefits of intermittent fasting, especially when it comes to helping with weightloss and increased energy levels (as well as many other benefits such as cancer prevention and anti-aging.).
Basically, what it means is that you give your digestive system as much time as possible to rest inbetween meals. If you are constantly snacking and eating, then your metabolism has a regular stream of glucose coming in, and that means it does not need to tap into your own body fat as energy. If your goal is to lose body fat, then you must allow your body to become hungry enough that there is no energy source available in your blood stream (from food), and it then uses up energy from burning your body fat.
It is easier than it may sound! Ideally, if you can fast for 14-15 hrs per day, you will notice results. In order to do this, eat your last meal (dinner) by 7pm, (and only drink water or tea thereafter), and in the morning when you wake up only drink coffee (without any sugar or cream), water or tea, skip breakfast, and don’t eat your first meal until at least 10am. Just by sticking to this schedule, you have fasted for 15hrs, and your metabolism is already burning fat.
It is important that when you do eat, you always include a high quality source of fiber (which then has effects on stabilizing your blood sugar levels throughout the rest of your day, and will prevent overeating).
When you’re creating meals on your own (not on the mealplan), ensure that at least 50% of your plate is filled with a wide variety of vegetables. This will ensure you get enough fiber and nutrients, and will help keep you on track with your health goals.
- Eat fermented foods as much as you can. Try to include at least 1 tablespoon of raw fermented veggies per day. When plants are fermented, there are special nutrients that are unlocked which are like a “superfood” for our gut bacteria. Fermented foods can help improve digestion, improve metabolism, and improve your immune system. OMG meals typically will include some fermented food garnishes, and we sell many delicious raw fermented products online. Typically the sauerkraut and pickle sold in supermarkets are heated and processed, which kills the good bacteria. It is important to purchase raw, unprocessed fermented products to get the maximum benefits.
HEALTHY FATS AND PROTEIN
Eating moderate amounts of good fat is essential for keeping our brains in tip-top shape, hormone production, keeping blood sugar levels steady (which helps control appetite and energy levels), as well as allowing nutrients to be properly absorbed.
Examples of healthy fats: Avocado, Nuts & Seeds (Cashews, Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans, Pumpkin, Flax, Chia, Hemp & Sunflower Seeds) Olives, and Extra virgin Olive Oil.
Fats to avoid: Refined vegetable oils such as canola, soy, cottonseed, corn and peanut oils. These fats become toxic and damaged when exposed to high heat. Trans or Hydrogenated Fats often found in commercially made cookies, muffins, margarine, etc are extremely harmful and damaging to the body and should be avoided at all costs.
Clean Eating isn't meant to be restrictive or governed by rules. However, there are certain guidelines to follow to promote the best results for weight loss and hormone balance.
FOODS TO AVOID:
Pop (regular or diet)
White flour (whole-wheat flour usually isn't a good choice either. Try finding sprouted spelt. kamut, coconut or amaranth flours instead).
Sugar (white, brown, cane, corn syrup and glucose syrup)
Processed Foods (chips, bagels, muffins, canned soups pastas, candy, most anything out of a box)
Canola, Soybean, Peanuts and Corn Oil
MSG
Artificial Sweeteners such as Sucralose, Splenda, Aspartame, (hidden in things such as gum, Cereal, drinks, etc.)
Any "low-fat" products such as yogurt and dairy products. (Full fat versions of dairy are always the best choice since they usually do not have added sugar).
Ketchup & Mayo (made with canola oil)
UNLIMITED FOOD LIST:
Go crazy, eat as many of the following Organic Non-starchy Vegetables:
Beets - Asparagus - Cucumbers - Cabbage - Zucchini - Peppers - Spices/Herbs - Snap peas - Tomatoes - Greens: Spinach, Romaine, & Arugula, Kale Chips (easy on oil), Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts.
*Limit fruit to 3 pieces/day for weight loss.
Great choices are berries, melon, papaya, pears and bananas.. Choose organic whenever possible!
When eating meat or dairy products, make sure it is from grass-fed, free-run and organic sources since the foods the animal eats or the antibiotics and hormones it is injected with goes into our systems. Antibiotics kill our microbiome, which can then lead to unwanted weight gain. We recommend eliminating dairy and meat products to optimize your health as much as possible.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Did you know that a gut-friendly diet can help with the following? (Just to name a few!)
- Fatigue or low energy
- Digestive disorders (leaky gut, constipation, diarrhea)
- Anxiety/depression and mental health disorders
- ADHD, poor concentration
- Arthritis/joint/muscle pain and osteoporosis
- Poor moods
- Sleep problems
- Addiction
- Skin issues (acne, eczema, wrinkles, dry or oily skin)
- Hair loss or thinning
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Frequent flus and colds
- Fibromyalgia
- Low thyroid function
- Lowered libido
- Menopausal symptoms
- Diabetes
- Heartburn
- Autoimmune diseases
- Memory problems and Alzheimer's
- Migraines and headaches
- PCOS/fertility problems
- Dry eyes and macular degeneration
- Heart disease and stroke
- Cancer
- compulsive overeating
As you can see, changing your nutrition can help you change your life in many ways! We’re excited to help get you started :)
We encourage you to watch a few clips posted below with some powerful information that could change your life! (and do your own research as well!) Gut health is a very important and up and coming topic that many doctors and researchers are beginning to unravel!)
Please watch the following clips to get some great information based on legitimate, current research:
https://youtu.be/lqLcZkjt9J4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2tqYlTAa7s
REFERRAL PROGRAM
Refer a friend and receive $20 off your next order when they sign up!
We are excited to be a part of this new health journey with you, and hope you enjoy your meals!
Sincerely,
Joanna Desmarais and the OMG team :)
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