Beyond The Reboot

Congratulations Reboot Grads! You have just completed something amazing for your health and wellness. We hope you are feeling well and excited for beginning or returning to a plant-based diet. Many members have been asking the big question, “What comes next?” Here is a guide you can follow after completing your Reboot. It can also be followed as an overall healthy eating plan to help you boost the amount of micronutrients in your everyday diet.

While there is no research to describe an exact one-size-fits-all way to go, just like during your Reboot, there are themes that are recommended to get from the Reboot phase to the long-term healthy diet phase of this lifestyle. Since the true purpose of the Reboot is to help promote or jump-start a shift to a healthy lifestyle, rather than a quick fix, it’s important to continue the deeply personal, meaningful journey you’ve begun with this concept in mind. The social support you have experienced here on www.rebootwithjoe.com, Facebook and other ways you have connected with fellow Rebooters is a very important part of the recipe for long term healthy eating success.  We encourage you to continue to connect with everyone at Reboot Your Life.

Now that you’ve completed your Reboot, which has hopefully been a remarkable experience, it is advised that you transition by gradually digesting more complex foods in order to feed your body gently and wisely. This is especially true for those of you who were doing a juice only Reboot. For this group of Rebooters, We would advise you start off by eating just vegetables and some fruits for at least 5 days, as outlined in our Reboot Standard Program (see meal plans for days 1-5 and 11-15 for ideas).

Here are some overall concepts to consider when planning your post Reboot meals.

• Be prepared to avoid processed “junk” foods
• For the first week, choose as many local, seasonal, organic foods as possible.
• Eat smaller amounts more often.
• Consider how you prepare your food so you get the most out of them
• Eat a rainbow every day.
• Think about protein in a new way.
• Continue to include fresh juice in your diet as often as possible

One way to make this transition simple is to choose your favorite Reboot recipes and add in healthy proteins and whole grains.

Salads, smoothies, and soups made from fresh, seasonal, local and/or organic produce are excellent ways to both prepare for and ramp down following the reboot, as well as to boost the variety of micronutrient-rich foods in your diet.

Salads should include a variety of colors, textures, and flavors to improve taste and increase the amount of wholesome micronutrients. Here’s your chance to bring back some of those healthy ingredients you missed while juicing, such as avocado and figs (be careful on amounts of both of these for the first week: too much fat or fiber may be difficult to digest). Also limit raw, gas-producing vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage for the first few days. Add ingredients such as lentils, organic soybeans, black beans, quinoa and wheat berries, as well as tofu, edamame and nuts.

Smoothies are a healthy breakfast or snack. Begin your smoothie by adding fresh vegetable/fruit juice to some type of milky product or coconut water to keep it light. Examples include almond, rice, hemp and organic soy milk. Then add whole fruits, fresh or frozen, and some veggies like Swiss chard or kale. Frozen, organic fruit will make your smoothie cold and add more nutrients than ice. You can bring bananas back into your life: they are excellent for thickening up a smoothie.

Soups are a great way to warm up with nutrient-packed, light food (and cold soups such as avocado or gazpacho can be a delicious addition to your diet in warm weather). Homemade soups can also help remedy digestive challenges brought on by eating a large amount of raw vegetables. Start with a vegetable broth, then add lots and lots of veggies (you can use frozen vegetables for items out of season in your area). Even though vegetables in soups are cooked for a long time, the soup retains much of the fresh, raw vegetables’ original nutrient content. While the water-soluble vitamins decrease within the actual vegetable, most “fall off” into the liquid of the soup, which gives you these vital nutrients when you consume it. And don’t forget about adding lentils or black/kidney beans.

Another common question is, “How often should I Reboot?” We recommend doing a 5-to-15 day Reboot no more than 4 times a year. About 5-15 days every 3 months, starting from when you completed your last Reboot. If you have chosen to do a 30 or 60 day Reboot, we recommend not repeating this length of Reboot more than once a year.

Cheers to all the Reboot grads out there and we are excited to be a part of this next phase as you travel along a lifetime of wellness with fruits and veggies! Juice on!