10-Day Challenge & Maintenance-Everything You Need To Know

10-Day Challenge & Maintenance-Everything You Need To Know

Gutright 10-Day Challenge and Maintenance Phase - Everything You Need To Know

Here it is, everything you need to know about the Gutright 10-day challenge and the maintenance phase that follows. If you have clicked on this and are thinking, why would I do the Gutright challenge? Your first place to start would be to take a read of this blog.
 
If you are still reading we assume that you have committed to supporting your gut microbiome using Gutright, this is great news! The first thing you need to know is that you should have 2 tubs of Gutright ready to go, one for the 10-day protocol and one for the maintenance phase. Is the maintenance phase important? Hmmm, is it important to maintain your car and fill it with the correct fuel for ongoing optimum performance? Yes! Most people who follow the challenge find that they have the best results when keeping up with the maintenance dose for a 6-week period and beyond. 
Let’s separate the 10-day challenge and maintenance steps into two phases for you to easily refer back to:
Phase 1 - 10-day Gutright Challenge. (1 Tub of Gutright will last 10 days)
Phase 2 - Gutright Maintenance. (A new tub will be needed for the maintenance phase)

Step 1 

Include one level Scoop of Gutright three times daily with meals for 10 days. You can Take this with water or add it into a smoothie, whatever works best for you!
 

Step 2

If you are an original Gutright lover you may have done the 10-day challenge while changing your diet to what we have referred to in the past as the modbiotic diet. In a clinic environment, a naturopath or nutritionist may witness a patient's unwanted symptoms reduce quicker with diet changes, such as those recommended in the modbiotic diet, alongside the 10-day challenge. If you are hardcore and looking to go the extra mile and have the time, commitment, and patience you can consider following the modbiotic diet while doing the challenge. 
There is more information on what to eat and what to avoid when following this here
Recipe books and ideas to help you follow the modbiotic diet can also be downloaded here
If you don’t feel like doing an overhaul on your diet WE HAVE GREAT NEWS!
Not everyone is able to completely change their diet and life for 10 days. With this in mind you will certainly be better off doing the 10-day protocol with your standard diet than not doing it at all. If you don't want to commit to the modbiotic diet the next best thing would be to focus on eating a wholefood diet as often as possible across the course of your day. If you are working on your gut and eating a diet high in processed food all day long then you will not be giving your body the best chance to thrive, adding good-quality polyphenols can help but we want you to thrive!

What does a whole-food diet look like? 

When all else fails, stick to the “healthy plate” general guideline below when designing your meals. For those of you who would like more guidance, we have included some tables below that outline what we mean by a whole-food diet and what you can include to fill in each section of your plate. 

INCLUDE A VARIETY AS PART OF A WHOLEFOOD DIET

Carbohydrates

Low-Starch Carbohydrates 

Or 

“Low Carbohydrate”

Organic when possible:

Asparagus, Alfalfa, Spinach, Cucumber, Leek, Zucchini, Lettuce, Pumpkin, Onion, Celery, Kale Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Capsicum, Tomato, Brussels sprouts, Bok Choy, Mushrooms.

Higher-Starch Carbohydrates 

Or

 “Complex Carbohydrates”

Organic when possible:

Banana, Apple, Orange, Potato, Sweet Potato, Rice, Buckwheat, Quinoa, Barley, Legumes (when tolerated) Oats (soaked where possible), Sourdough or sprouted breads.  

Fats

Saturated fatty-acid chains 

Single bonds and include myristic, palmitic, stearic, and lauric acids. 

Coconut oil, coconut milk/cream, butter, milk, cheese, meat products.

Monounsaturated fats 

One double chemical bond in their fatty-acid chains that are liquid at room temperature. Helps raise beneficial HDL cholesterol and lowers inflammatory triglyceride levels.

Olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia nuts, lard.

Polyunsaturated fats 

Two or more double bonds in their fatty-acid chains and include the two essential fatty acids in the human diet: linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fatty acid, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. ALA can be converted in the body to make EPA and DHA, the omega-3s that are truly vital for our health. 

Omega-3’s -ily fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna), flaxseeds, walnuts. 


Omega-6’s - avocados, raw or activated nuts, seeds, poultry.


NOTE: Omega-6’s can also be found in unhealthy foods such as refined seed oils. 

Trans fats 

Can be both man-made and natural trans fats. While the consumption of man-made trans fats is harmful, increasing the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases, natural trans fats offer several health benefits.


Natural trans fats - pastured meats and dairy. Where possible, choose organic, produced from pasture raised animals.


Natural yoghurts, Cottage cheese, Ricotta, Feta, Quark, Mozzarella.


Dairy Alternatives: Natural coconut or almond based yoghurt (sugar free), Plant-based cheeses (ensure minimal ingredients and all natural), Nut based milk alternatives (ensure they are unsweetened and have natural ingredients – home-made is ideal).

 

Proteins

Complete Proteins 

Eggs (organic, free range), fish (oily, white and on the smaller scale), poultry, beef, lamb, dairy products, tempeh/tofu (organic, non GMO, whole soybeans), hemp seeds.


Grains and legumes are incomplete proteins when looked at individually; when both are consumed in adequate quantities across the day, they can provide the complete set of essential amino acids needed by the body. 

Incomplete Protein

Legumes, whole grains (when not consumed in the same day in adequate quantities). 

AVOID or “SOMETIMES FOODS”

Carbohydrates

Highly processed cereals and breads (white bread and most supermarket brands) 


Baked goods – cakes, biscuits, pastries


Potato / corn / vegetable chips (in packets)

 

Canned and Processed Meals


Canned Fruits and Vegetables - with added sugar (see label reading tips below) 


Soft drinks / fruit juices


Confectionary


Commercial sauces, mayonnaise, salad dressings


Sugar, fructose, maltodextrin, glucose, dextrose, honey


Excessive alcohol - technically in it’s own special category however, commonly has added sugars and a carbohydrate content. 

Fats

Canola, corn oil, soybean, peanut oil, cottonseed oil, margarine


Man-made trans fat - crackers, fried foods


Highly processed dairy foods including ice-creams, yoghurts, custards etc.


Roasted, sugared nuts

Protein

Processed meats such as deli meats that have been preserved with nitrates. Non-organic bacon, ham, cold cuts, luncheon meats, sausages. 


Highly processed plant-based proteins such as veggie burgers (when not made from legumes), vegetarian ‘seafood’ replacements, vegetarian ‘çhicken’ replacements, vegetarian ‘sausage’ replacements, vegetarian ‘meat’ replacements. 

Step 3

Once you have completed the 10-day challenge, take a moment to stop and congratulate yourself, well done! You can now drop back to 1 serving of Gutright Daily (or the original flavour if you like the bitter herbs) and follow the Phase 2 guidelines for maintenance. This is just as important as completing the 10-day challenge.

Phase 2 - Maintenance Phase

1. Slowly re-introduce complex carbohydrate foods if these are usually consumed but were avoided for 10 days. We recommend 1 form every 1-3 days and measure how your body responds. You might like to write these observations down in a diary as you introduce more foods to allow you to keep track of the progress you are making and what foods are working for you right now. Things you could keep track of are: 

Is food easier to digest or less agreeable? 

How are your bowel movements? 

Are you bloated? 

Any changes in your energy levels? 

Has your mood changed? 

Any other physical, mental, or emotional changes?  

If you have any concerns it is always best to check in with your healthcare team, keeping track of changes like this could be beneficial to help your team find out what is happening and why. 

2. Maintain 1 scoop per day of Gutright, it is important to note that continuing with 1 scoop of Gutright each day is as important as the 10-day protocol. Our naturopaths have observed best results in supporting the gut microbiome during the 6-8 week mark after consistently consuming 1 scoop daily.
3. Whenever and wherever possible we also recommend that you follow the below top 5 rules for maintaining gut health. For more information, you can check out this blog

Take Home Message

Remember that there are two phases to the Gutright challenge, the first 10 days and the ongoing maintenance phase. This blog has provided everything you need to know about the Gutright challenge and maintenance, save this now so you have it ready to go when needed!     

Not sure of some of the signs or symptoms to look out for? Take a look here to see when your body may be telling you its time to re-balance

https://au.atpscience.com/blogs/blog/what-are-the-symptoms-you-will-experience-when-needing-to-rebalance-your-gut-microbiome