Make 2021 healthy and happy with The Ford 100
Each New Year at The Ford Field & River Club, we have a tradition to motivate and inspire our members to stay healthy – and this year, it is more important than ever. Spending time outdoors, enjoying nature, and doing something active are all proven methods to reduce stress, improve mental health, immunity, and sleep, lower blood pressure and increase life satisfaction – in other words, keep you healthy and happy.
To kick the year off right, we’re dedicating the first 100 days of the year to improving your health and fitness with The Ford 100. Starting New Year’s Day 2021, Ford members are encouraged to complete at least 100 miles of walking, biking, swimming, and/or running in the first 100 days of the year. And, we’ve got nutrition covered, too!
A message from Fitness Director John Lindsey: Eating well comes naturally with the Whole30 diet.
For January, I am challenging those participating in The Ford 100 to complete the Whole30 diet program. I finished the diet last year and loved the way I felt. For those who are not familiar, the diet’s premise is to eliminate foods that people are commonly intolerant to and/or foods that tend to affect human performance negatively. After the 30 days, you slowly put the restricted things back into your diet to see how it’s affected. If you are looking to lose weight, sleep better, feel sharper cognitively, and have sustained energy throughout the day, I highly recommend joining me! You can read the full list of approved foods and rules here, but here’s a sneak peek of what the diet entails:
Foods to be avoided:
- Added sugar – includes natural things like maple syrup and honey.
- Alcohol*
- Grains – all of them! You’ll want to check the list.
- Legumes – sadly include peanut butter.
- Dairy (Ghee is allowed)
- Carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites
- Baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “unapproved” ingredients – it’s not in the diet’s spirit to be indulging in these things.
*If giving up alcohol is too much of a challenge, I’ll still give you credit if you can eliminate ALL other items.
Here’s what an average weekday of meals will look like for me:
- Breakfast: Veggies roasted or sautéed in olive oil and scrambled eggs
- Lunch: Diced potatoes (sweet, white sweet, red, Yukon, etc.) and a protein
- Snack: Apple with almond, pecan, or cashew butter
- Dinner: Salad + protein – Greens, diced veggies, lean protein, olives, avocado, pumpkin seeds, and a balsamic dressing
- Occasional “treat”: Date with almond butter (so, so good!)
This is a great way to start the year off right with an easy-to-follow diet that eliminates foods that can be potentially harming your health. If you join The Ford 100, you’ll get regular updates from me regarding your health and nutrition and staying on track with Whole30.
Track your progress for tremendous success
To inspire some competition (whether it’s with yourself or other members), you can accumulate “miles” for workouts, sports, and nutrition. And, to make it fun and easy to get involved, we’ll be offering group bike rides, group walks, speakers from various health professions, and health-related group discussions to keep you on track. Plus, all participants will receive a Ford 100 t-shirt!
Here’s how you can earn points:
- Each mile of walking, jogging, biking, kayaking, etc. = 1 mile
- 1 hour workout/sports played = 4 miles
- Completing the Whole30 diet in January = 25 miles
We hope you’ll join us in The Ford 100 and jump start your health and fitness routine for the New Year!