There are copies of The Daniel Plan in our Temple library. You can also order them from Amazon or the Daniel Plan website. We will provide most of the info here but you may want to have your own copy to make notes etc.
(The Daniel Detox info. is at the very bottom of this post.)
The reasoning behind The Daniel Plan
Rick Warren, in his book, says that our body belongs to God and we should take care of it. Can't argue with that! The four elements of The Daniel Plan that we will be working with are: Focus,Faith, Food, and Fitness.Pastor Rick Warren asked 3 medical experts – Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Mark Hyman, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, to help him build a plan for himself and his congregation to lose weight and improve their health. More than 95 percent of chronic illness is not related to our genes, but to what those genes are exposed to in our lifetime – the study of nutrigenomics demonstrates that eating real foods, as created by God, is best for our health.
There are many ways to lose weight and some of you are already actively doing so with other weight loss plans. I suggest you stick with what works. Healthy Temple is interested in you feeling your best and the Danial Plan may be one way to get you there. Mostly we are here to support you in all of your efforts. So follow the plan of your choice. Come to our meetings to help you stay motivated and centered on God, who wants the very best for you AND deserves a strong and healthy temple through which to love the world.
The authors of the Daniel plan, should you choose to follow this plan, suggest that you start with the Daniel Detox plan, eliminating gluten and dairy as well as all the other food guidelines, and then continuing with the general plan. The detox is not easy but I guarantee you will feel better and you will lose weight if you can hang in there for the ten days. As with anything you do, that is a major change to your lifestyle, you should check with your physician to make sure this is the right thing for you.
Foods to eat in The Daniel Plan
Eat foods that your grandmother would recognize as food!
Meal planning
50% non-starchy veggies – with unlimited refills. Choose colorful veggies, and eat at least 5-9 servings a day from a rainbow of colors
25% percent healthy animal or vegetable proteins. Choose a lean protein source (animal or plant) at every meal. A serving size is 4-6 ounces or about the size of your palm
25% healthy starch or whole grains. Starchy veggies should have a larger proportion on your plate than grains. The ideal serving size for grains is ½ cup for men and ⅓ cup for women.
Side of low-glycemic fruit – the average serving size is ½ cup or one piece of fruit. If you are overweight or have blood sugar issues, then you want to be careful with fruit intake and limit it to one serving a day
Drink — water or herbal teas
Carbs are the single most important food you can eat for long-term weight loss and health. Vegetables and fruits are the most important sources of carbs; whole grains and beans are also carbs but since they are a little more starchy they should be eaten in moderation
Eat organic, if you can afford it, to avoid pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics in food. If you are budget strapped, use the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen list from the Environmental Working Group to choose the least contaminated conventionally grown fruits and vegetables and avoid the most contaminated versions
Eat sustainably – try to buy sustainably raised animals and animal products when you can. This will help you avoid pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones. Look for the terms grass fed, pasture raised, free-range or organic, or made without hormones and antibiotics. Ask your butcher where things come from and how they were raised.
Choose only real foods – if there are any words on the label that you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce, are in Latin, or sound like some science project, put it back on the shelf. If it is a real food product, it usually has less than 5 ingredients. Watch out for health claims as they don’t necessarily mean that a food is healthy.
Non-starchy vegetables
Eat at least 5-9 servings a day from a rainbow of colors
Top 10 choices – asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, green beans, kale, spinach, zucchini
Cruciferous vegetables – bok choy, broccoli, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale – eat a cup or two every day to prevent cancer and support your health
Non-starchy vegetables include arugula, artichokes/artichoke hearts, asparagus, avocado, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumbers, dandelion greens, eggplant, fennel, garlic, green beans, jicama, kale, lettuce, mushrooms (not raw), onions, peppers, seaweed (e.g. arame, kombu, nori, wakame), spinach, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, water chestnuts, watercress, yellow squash, zucchini
Herbs, including cilantro
Choose heirloom varieties whenever possible
Proteins
A serving size is 4-6 ounces or about the size of your palm
Top 10 choices – beans, beef, chicken, eggs, halibut, lentils, nuts, salmon, seeds, turkey
Meats – beef, bison, buffalo, lamb, venison. Choose quality over quantity, and eat small amounts of lean, organic, grass-fed, and hormone- and antibiotic-free meats. venison. Eat red meat no more than once or twice a week and no more than 4 to 6 ounces per serving.
Poultry – chicken, turkey. Choose organic, grass-fed, free-range, and hormone-, antibiotic -, and pesticide-free poultry whenever you can.
Fish and seafood – crawfish, halibut, herring, mackerel, oysters, salmon, sardines, scallops, shrimp, tilapia, freshwater trout, tuna. The best fish to eat are wild-caught and smaller, toxin -free fish
Meat, poultry, or fish jerky with no nitrates or MSG
Eggs – stick with whole eggs, not egg whites
Legumes – beans, dried or in BPA-free cans (e.g. adzuki beans, Anasazi beans, black beans, cannellini beans, kidney beans, mung beans, pinto beans, white beans), chickpeas, lentils (e.g. French lentils, green lentils, red lentils), peas, whole soy foods including miso, natto, tempeh, and tofu
Nuts – almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, coconut (unsweetened), hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts; also nut butters. Watch portion sizes. A serving is a handful or about 10 – 12 nuts. Buy raw or lightly toasted, unsalted nuts.
Seeds – chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
If you’re not on the Detox plan, you can eat minimally processed, unsweetened, full fat dairy/milk products such as milk, cheese, cream, butter, yogurt
Starches and whole grains
The ideal serving size for grains is ½ cup for men and ⅓ cup for women
Top 10 choices – beets, brown or black rice, carrots, buckwheat, green peas, corn, quinoa, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash
Starchy vegetables – beets, carrots, corn, Jerusalem artichokes/sunchokes, parsnips, green peas, potatoes, pumpkin, rutabagas, sweet potatoes/yams, turnips, winter squash
Whole grains – brown rice, red rice, black rice, buckwheat, oats (old-fashioned or steel cut), quinoa. Eat only whole grains, not processed in any way
Breads – if you are not gluten sensitive (or on the Detox diet below), the best bread is whole kernel German rye bread (also made with flax and spelt), made from whole kernel grain, not whole grain flour. If you want regular flour bread, be sure that it contains no white flour (also labeled as “wheat flour”) and is made from coarse whole grain flour, with extra protein and fiber ingredients such as nuts and seeds. Try sprouted whole grain breads such as Ezekiel 4: 9 Whole Grain Sprouted Flax bread by Food for Life, if you are already healthy and fit. Change the way you think of bread. Think of it as a treat, to be used sparingly, ideally no more than one slice a day. Try some of the non-flour crackers made from seeds and nuts.
If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, you may not even be able to tolerate significant amounts of whole grains in your diet until you correct the underlying metabolic imbalances. So the best grains are the gluten-free grains. Try low-glycemic grains such as black rice (also known as the emperor’s rice), brown rice, red rice, buckwheat, and quinoa. Pastas cooked al dente (cooked just enough to retain some firm texture) are lower glycemic, but flour products should be considered a special treat that you only eat occasionally.
Low-glycemic fruits
The average serving size is ½ cup or one piece of fruit. If you are overweight or have blood sugar issues, then you want to be careful with fruit intake and limit it to one serving a day Top 10 choices – apples, blackberries, blueberries, goji/gogi berries, grapefruit, plums, kiwi, nectarines, peaches, raspberries
The darker and richer the colors, the more unique and wonderful the fruits, the more power-packed nutrition they contain.
We focus on the lower sugar fruits such as berries and apples and pears and use the others as treats in smaller quantities.
Apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, dark berries, goji/gogi berries, purple grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangos, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, pomegranate, raspberries
Good fats
No guidelines on serving sizes
Oils – extra-virgin olive oil, cold-pressed; extra-virgin coconut oil; grapeseed/grape seed oil (for higher temperatures); 100% avocado oil; sesame oil
Fish
Nuts and seeds, nut butters (without any added sugars or fat) e.g. almond butter, coconut butter, macadamia nut butter
Avocados, olives
Extra-virgin coconut butter
Beverages
Water
Green tea
Herbal teas
Pantry and miscellaneous
Almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk
Unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, unsweetened protein powder
Broth (low sodium), hot sauce, kimchi, mustard, miso paste, natural ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup), salsa, sauerkraut, tahini/sesame paste, wheat-free tamari sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, vinegar (all types)
Spices – e.g. black pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, chili, coriander, cumin, curry paste, ginger, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, sea salt
Herbs – e.g. bay leaves, basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, parsley, rosemary
Foods to limit with The Daniel Plan
Fruits
Limit high-sugar fruits – melons, pineapples, and grapes
Use dried fruit sparingly – e.g. dried apricots, dried blueberries, currants, dates, dried figs, raisins. Many dried fruits contain added sugars. Have one or two figs or dates or 2 tablespoons of raisins or currants as a treat, or mix a small amount with nuts and seeds to make your own trail mix.
Fruit spreads (only 100% fruit, no sugar) – not clear in the book whether these should be limited
Natural sugars / sweeteners
Sugar is an occasional treat. When you have sugar, stick with traditional, natural forms: raw sugar, raw honey, natural fruit sugars, pure maple syrup. Stay away from all the rest. Use it in things you make yourself, but sparingly
If you use stevia, make sure it’s whole plant stevia extract and NOT the isolated sweet chemical called “rebauside A” or “reb A” for short
Beverages
Limit coffee – 1 cup a day
Limit alcohol – one or two glasses. Avoid alcohol if you have a history of alcoholism, have a high risk of breast cancer, are prone to mental illness, have liver or digestive problems, have a personal or family history of alcoholism, or are allergic to sulfites in wine
General
Dark chocolate in moderation
Foods to avoid with The Daniel Plan
Processed carbohydrates
Cut out sugar and white flour. Go cold turkey
White flour, white rice, white pasta
Flour-containing foods such as waffles, muffins, donuts, pretzels, and crackers
Sugars and sweeteners
Sugars and sweeteners including agave, barley malt, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar, coconut sugar, dextrose, dextrin, disaccharides, evaporated cane juice, fructose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup HFCS, honey, hydrogenated starch, juice concentrate, lactose, maltodextrin, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, monosaccharides, palm sugar, sorghum, sucrose, sugar, xylose
Don’t drink liquid sugar calories – soda, sport drinks, flavored coffees or teas, energy drinks, and fruit juices
Artificial sweeteners
Fruits
Avoid fruit juices
Proteins
Pork is the least healthy meat
Avoid charred or blackened meat, which causes cancer because overgrilling creates carcinogens
Avoid nuts fried or cooked in oils
Avoid processed soy products, such as those found in deli-meat replacements, soy cheese, or meal-replacement bars
Fats
Trans fat, hydrogenated fat
Processed and refined vegetable oils – e.g. canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, vegetable oil
Food sensitivities
Avoid foods you’re sensitive to. Common food sensitivities include gluten and dairy. If you have any chronic illness, are overweight, or just want to see how good you can feel, try a gluten-free and dairy-free diet for 10-40 days and then reintroduce foods to see your reactions
Fake food substances
MSG / monosodium glutamate and foods that may contain it – any “flavors” or “flavoring”; anything containing “enzymes”; anything “enzyme modified”; anything “hydrolyzed”; anything with the word “glutamate” in it; autolyzed plant protein; autolyzed yeast; barley malt; bouillon and broth; carrageenan; gelatin; glutamate; glutamic acid sodium; hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP); hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP); malt extract; maltodextrin; ; natural seasonings; protease; stock; textured protein; umami; vegetable protein extract; yeast extract; yeast food or nutrient
Other common additives and chemicals in food – soy protein isolate, sodium and calcium caseinate, phosphoric acid (dipotassium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate) artificial flavors (often containing MSG), carrageenan, colors and dyes (yellow dye #5 or tartrazine and others) sulfites, nitrites and nitrates (in processed and deli meats and causes cancer)
Daniel Plan Detox diet – what to eat and foods to avoid
You don’t have to do this, but the authors recommend doing it to feel your best.
Start by following the guidelines above (what to eat, foods to limit, foods to avoid), and also eliminating a few foods for 10-40 days to see if your general health improves. There’s a separate meal plan in the book for the detox diet.
Avoid stimulants and sedatives – alcohol, coffee, etc.
Avoid processed or fast food, to get rid of any additives or chemicals
Avoid artificial sweeteners of all kinds
See list in “foods to avoid” above
Avoid sugar in any form
See list in “foods to avoid” above
Avoid foods containing gluten – not even a crumb
Anything containing wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut, and other ingredients with gluten
Avoid dairy foods – not even a drop
Milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, etc.
After doing this, you can reintroduce those foods to see how they affect your health.
Note that you may get headaches and other withdrawal symptoms for a few days.