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The 22-Day Revolution by Marco Borges: Food list

The 22-Day Revolution by Marco BorgesThe 22-Day Revolution (2015) is a whole-foods, plant-based diet.

  • Eat whole plant foods – vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
  • Aim for 80-10-10 – 80% unprocessed carbohydrates, 10% fat, 10% protein.
  • Avoid animal products, processed and refined foods, sugars, artificial sweeteners.

See below on this page for a description of the food recommendations in the diet.  General guidelines  |  What to eat  |  Unclear foods  |  Foods to avoid  |  Fast track program for weight loss  |  Lifetime diet.  There’s a lot more in the book.

Use this page as a cheat sheet alongside the book. Send this page to friends, family, and anyone else who you want to understand what you’re eating on this diet.

Get a copy of The 22-Day Revolution for how to develop positive habits, exercise/fitness guidelines, how to get vitamins and minerals from plants rather than pills, sleep and stress management recommendations, how to get calcium and iron on a plant-based diet, guidelines for eating in restaurants and with friends, shopping lists, meal and exercise plans and pep talks for each of the 22 days, and recipes.

The reasoning behind The 22-Day Revolution

The book says that a plant-based diet will help you lose weight and keep it off, provide an enormous amount of energy daily, and prevent long-term health problems like heart disease and high blood pressure. The 22-Day Revolution program is a 22-day intensive program built to reset your body and mind by changing your habits.

The 22-Day Revolution diet plan – what to eat and foods to avoid

General guidelines  |  What to eat  |  Unclear foods  |  Foods to avoid  |  Fast track program for weight loss  |  Lifetime diet

General guidelines

  • Types of food
    • Choose plant-based foods over processed foods. Think about what your great-grandparents ate: whole foods, grown on farms. If your ancestors wouldn’t recognize what’s on your plate, don’t eat it
    • Buy local if possible, including farmers’ markets and CSAs
    • Choose organic to avoid pesticides –especially for foods identified by the Environment Working Group as the “Dirty Dozen” – in 2014 this was (worst first) apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, potatoes. If you have to purchase produce from the list, make sure you wash thoroughly before consuming. Removing the peel can also help reduce residual pesticide levels
  • How much to eat
    • Eat 3 mindful meals a day
    • No idle snacking: Before you get used to eating only 3 meals a day, you may eat a snack once every other day at most, as needed – e.g. ¼ cup raw and unsalted nuts, a piece of fruit, cut veggies with 2 tablespoons hummus, 1 tbsp of nut butter with celery/apples/pears, ½ serving of a smoothie
    • Desserts – you can have 2 desserts from the recipe section in your entire 22-day program
    • Eat dinner at least 2 hours before you go to sleep
    • Eat with restraint – to 80% fullness, or just a little bit less than full. While on the program, follow the portions outlined – your body adjusts to the correct portion sizes, and you’ll learn what 80% fullness should feel like
  • Plate proportion
    • Aim for 80-10-10 (80% unprocessed carbohydrates, 10% fat, 10% protein – presumably as percentage of calories, although that isn’t clear from the book). If you’re pregnant, breast-feeding, or an athlete, your requirements will be different, although the book does not explain what you should do in those circumstances except saying that rice protein is as beneficial as whey protein
    • The book states that all plant-based foods have varying amounts of protein, and therefore getting enough protein is not an issue on a plant-based diet; a plant-based diet that is well balanced will give your body all the protein you need to thrive
  • Water guidelines
    • Men should drink 13 eight-ounce cups and women should drink 9 eight-ounce cups a day
    • Start the day with a glass of water and lemon – this is good for alkalinity, digestion, and rehydration
    • Drink a glass of water/ fluid with each meal
    • Drink a glass of water/ fluid between each meal
    • Drink a glass of water/ fluid before, during, and after exercise
    • Drink more water/ fluid when it’s hot
    • Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water; once you are thirsty you are likely dehydrated

Foods to eat in The 22-Day Revolution

  • Vegetables
    • Portion size: 1-2 cups (if you’re really hungry, add another cup of plainly prepared veggies)
    • Dark leafy greens (most highly recommended vegetables) – e.g. beet greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens, watercress
    • Other green veggies – e.g. asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, broccolini, green peas, jalapeño peppers, lettuce (all types), okra, seaweed, spirulina
    • Bright veggies, the more color the better – e.g. beets, bell peppers, carrots, corn, peppers, radicchio, squash, tomatoes
    • Starchy veggies – e.g. squash, sweet potatoes
    • Other veggies – e.g. alfalfa sprouts, artichoke hearts, Belgian endive, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, daikon, eggplant, fennel, garlic, hearts of palm, jicama, mushrooms, onions, scallions, shallots, zucchini
    • Avocado (note ½ cup serving size as this is considered a fat)
  • Fruits
    • Portion size: 1 cup
    • g. apples, apricots, Asian pears, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, grapefruit, grapes, guava, kiwi fruit, lemons, limes, mangos, melons, oranges, pears, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon
    • Dried fruit, e.g. cranberries, currants, dates, dried figs, raisins
    • Coconut is listed as a fruit
  • Grains and pseudograins and foods made with them
  • Beans and legumes
    • Portion size: ½ – 1 cup (presumably cooked)
    • Dried or canned (look for cans without BPA linings) or bagged or glass jars
    • Beans, e.g. adzuki beans, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, white beans
    • Chickpeas, hummus
    • Lentils – e.g. beluga lentils, black lentils, green lentils
    • Low-processed soy – edamame, tofu
  • Nuts and seeds
    • Portion size: ¼ cup for whole nuts and seeds, 1-2 tablespoons for nut butters
    • Keep fresh – cycle out your stock regularly, or put them in the fridge after opening
    • Raw and unsalted, for healthy fats and proteins
    • Nuts – e.g. almonds, cashews, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts
    • Nut butters – e.g. almond butter, peanut butter
    • Nut flours – e.g. almond flour
    • Seeds – e.g. chia seeds, flaxseeds (and ground flaxseed), hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
    • Seed butters – e.g. sunflower butter, tahini (sesame seed butter)
    • Seed flours – e.g. ground chia seeds
  • Fats
    • Fats like avocado – portion size ½ cup (not clear what else is “like avocado” for this portion size)
    • Oils – portion size 1 tablespoon – e.g. canola oil (high heat), coconut oil, flax oil, extra virgin olive oil, safflower oil (high heat)
    • Canola mayonnaise (vegan mayonnaise)
  • Beverages
    • Water (see amounts and recommendations in General Guidelines above), water with lemon
    • Unsweetened tea
    • Nut milks, e.g. almond milk, coconut milk
    • Coconut water
  • Herbs and spices
    • Herbs – e.g. basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, thyme
    • Spices – e.g. black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili peppers, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, garlic powder, ginger, paprika, sea salt, turmeric
  • Sweeteners
    • Agave, maple syrup, raw cane sugar (included in a small amount for a bread recipe after the diet)
    • Vegan dark chocolate (over 70%)
    • Dried fruit
  • Other foods / condiments / pantry

Unclear foods with The 22-Day Revolution

  • Unclear – Gluten-containing foods – the book doesn’t expressly say that gluten and wheat are bad, but it doesn’t have any recipes containing wheat products and it even calls for gluten-free oats. If you have a gluten intolerance or allergy it tells you to avoid gluten. But it appears that this diet encourages you to be gluten-free in general – it would be nice if it were a little clearer!
  • Unclear – Coffee – this isn’t mentioned in the book, and caffeine also isn’t mentioned. Presumably you can have unsweetened coffee (so you’re not drinking calories) and use plant-based milks and creamers

Foods to avoid with The 22-Day Revolution

  • Animal-based foods
    • Meat, e.g. beef, pork, processed meat, deli meat, hot dogs
    • Poultry, e.g. chicken
    • Fish, seafood
    • Eggs
    • Milk products, e.g. milk, butter, cream, cheese, ice cream, yogurt
  • Refined and processed foods / “Frankenfoods”
    • Anything containing processed white flour – cookies, pancake mixes, cake mixes, white breads, cupcakes
  • “Vegan” processed foods, e.g. vegan hot dog made in a vegan bun made from processed flours
  • Sugar and sugary foods
    • If the ingredients include “sugar” or “corn syrup”, don’t buy it
    • g. sugary drinks, candy, chocolate
    • Hidden sugars – e.g. tomato sauces, salad dressings, peanut butter, pretzels
    • Honey isn’t expressly excluded, but the book does say that vegans avoid honey
  • Artificial sweeteners
    • Diet sodas, diet candies, diet anything
  • Artificial additives, flavorings, preservatives
  • Beverages
    • Drinks with calories
    • Soda, lemonade
    • Sugary tea
    • Alcohol – no alcohol for 22 days, and with restraint after that

Fast-track program

This is a program for people who have more than 30 pounds to lose.

It will take time to lose weight, by taking in fewer calories and burning more calories – don’t expect miracle results.

  • Replace dinner or breakfast with a smoothie a few times a week (recipes in book)
  • As a meal replacement, try a 22-Days Nutrition protein powder in one of the smoothies, or try a 22-Days protein bar as an easy grab-and-go meal
  • For a more aggressive approach, or if you have more than 50 pounds to lose, supercharge your weight loss even more by replacing your dinner with a green juice at least 4 times per week. Start your day with a smoothie for breakfast, and lunch from the meal plan, and then a green juice for dinner
  • Shift the meals and eat the denser, more carb-heavy option for lunch instead of dinner
  • If you have more than 50 pounds to lose, try intermittent fasting – skip meals every once in a while or every other day

Lifetime diet

  • Continue to eat plants
  • Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner instead of eating for emotional reasons
  • Eat consciously by sitting while you eat and eating slowly
  • Eat right when you wake up in the morning, not right before you go to sleep at night
  • Remember that alcohol calories are empty calories, so choose them wisely. If you’re going to reintroduce wine, do so with moderation and realize that it affects your weight and your health

Health benefits claimed in The 22-Day Revolution

The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: acne, asthma, atherosclerosis, bloating, cancer, cardiovascular disease, constipation, diabetes, prediabetes, fatigue, heart attacks, heart disease, heartburn, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypertension, inflammation, overweight/obesity, slow metabolism, stomachaches, stroke, vision problems

As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend – Chewfo is describing the diet only, not endorsing it.

The diet’s website is http://www.22daysnutrition.com – it includes a blog, newsletter, community, store, and meal delivery. The diet is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/22days, Instagram at https://instagram.com/22daysnutrition/, Twitter at https://twitter.com/22daysnutrition, and Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/22daysnutrition/.

Get a copy of The 22-Day Revolution for how to develop positive habits, exercise/fitness guidelines, how to get vitamins and minerals from plants rather than pills, sleep and stress management recommendations, how to get calcium and iron on a plant-based diet, guidelines for eating in restaurants and with friends, shopping lists, meal and exercise plans and pep talks for each of the 22 days, and recipes.

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How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment or question below.

{ 18 comments… add one }

  • Bill June 8, 2015, 8:38 am

    Very similar to Fuhrmans’ Eat to Live program.
    The key message is to reduce/eliminate animal protein, sugar/carbs and processed fats (oils).
    Load up on more vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds.
    It’s better to slowly phase in this type of diet if your a meat eater so that you will have long term success.
    If you can’t eliminate meat then try to eat only small amounts of chicken, fish or eggs.
    An good example is Jack Lalanne, he ate only twice a day.
    Around 10-11am, he would have Oatmeal, 4 hard boiled egg whites, cup of broth and fruit for Breakfast.
    At dinner, he would have a 10 ingredient salad with hard boiled egg whites and a small piece of fish.
    He drank lots of water and several fresh juices.
    He did okay.

    • Penny Hammond June 8, 2015, 9:21 am

      Thanks Bill!

  • Christine July 1, 2015, 5:19 pm

    I am very happy with the results I am getting. I am already past the 22 days. I find myself recycling on the recipes and I know that won’t last much longer. I am afraid to try new things because I feel that the recipes in the book were balanced for each day. It is not so much that I am not sure what to eat as much as I am unsure what to eat for the entire day to make sure I am getting enough of everything. I am also disappointed in the website. I am sold on the idea of eating whole foods but the nutrition bars and nutritional supplements of protein don’t seem to me to mesh with the idea of whole foods! I don’t see a blog on the site just propaganda to buy.

    • Penny Hammond July 1, 2015, 6:04 pm

      You could try substituting similar foods instead of those suggested in the daily meal plans – e.g. use a different type of vegetable, or grain, or bean/legume, or lemon or vinegar instead of lime juice – keep the same quantities, just use different ingredients that you think would go together well. Does that help?

  • CHEMBE October 17, 2015, 9:38 am

    is this program good for me being a diabetic

    • Penny Hammond October 25, 2015, 4:50 pm

      The book claims that the diet is beneficial for diabetics.
      However, there are differing opinions about how much carbohydrates and of what type diabetics can safely eat. If you have blood sugar surges when eating a large proportion of your diet as carbs, this may not be the diet for you. Check with your doctor, and you can try following the diet for a few days to see how you feel and how your blood sugar levels react.

  • Annette Russell November 29, 2015, 5:33 pm

    I’m just getting stared on Monday 11/30.

    • Penny Hammond December 6, 2015, 5:36 pm

      How’s it going so far?

  • m December 15, 2015, 7:19 am

    is the meal plan designed to serve 1 person, 4 people, or 8 people?
    is it me or was this book not well thought out?

    • Penny Hammond December 15, 2015, 7:45 pm

      The portion sizes given on this page are per person.
      You’re right about the recipes in the book – it’s not always clear how many servings they are. It looks like in general they’re 1 serving; if they’re more than one serving there’s usually a note about it at the end of the recipe – it might say “(Serves 2)” or “(about 4 servings)” or “(Makes about 6 burgers)” or something like that.
      If you’re cooking for multiple people, you can make several times the quantity; if there’s only one of you you can cook the whole thing and have leftovers.
      It’s actually pretty common to have different recipes with different numbers of servings – just best practice to clearly tell you how many servings there are in this particular recipe, up front.

  • maria January 27, 2016, 11:03 am

    hi…I am too confused with the portion size. it states 1/2 cup to 1 cup and I have way more then that!!! should I eat all that the recipe called for or should I measure out 1 cup of each?

    • Penny Hammond January 28, 2016, 11:40 am

      Can you give an example of a recipe you’re having trouble with for portion size?

  • sharon January 28, 2016, 6:21 pm

    The book is not well thought out at all. Most recipes are clearly more food than should be eaten – so if a meal is sweet potato and beans – do I only eat 1/2 cup?
    The ideas and reasons are great but the website IS only there to sell you more…and packaged more to boot.

    • Penny Hammond January 28, 2016, 7:33 pm

      Look right at the end of each recipe, at the end of the instructions, to see how many servings that recipe gives you. In some places it’s in the title. Unfortunately, they’ve forgotten to include this for some of the recipes (e.g Spanish Beans over Sweet Potato).
      Serving size for vegetables (including sweet potatoes) is 1-2 cups, and for legumes (including black beans) is ½ – 1 cup, so it looks like this recipe is for 1 serving.

  • Bw March 18, 2016, 10:00 pm

    I purchased the kit which includes downloads of the book and recipes they were all received except the sit is not allowing me to download I elf a message at support and said they would forward another link instead I got an email trying to sell me more products. I am truly not impressed with this site nor with service

    • Penny Hammond March 24, 2016, 1:28 pm

      Sorry to hear that.
      We don’t sell the kit etc. – which website did you get it from?

  • Joey Zevach November 10, 2016, 10:27 pm

    My girlfriend and I just started the book this Monday and would like to track our meals by inserting nutritional value of each meal into our myfitnesspal app and see how much we burn of it on our fitbits since both apps are tied into each other. Anyone know where to find the nutritional value of the meals?

    Joey

    • Penny Hammond November 25, 2016, 12:47 pm

      The book and the website don’t give nutritional values – you could enter each individual ingredient into myfitnesspal to work out the nutritional value for the whole recipe, and maybe keep track of those values for the foods/recipes you use the most often

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