Today I celebrated my completion of the 21 Day Sugar Detox. What an amazing and trying three weeks it was. I did my best (okay not entirely), there is always room for improvement. The next go around, I'll be a professional. For a celebratory meal, my partner in crime (who completed the detox with me), decided to go have Chinese food at my favorite restaurant.
Worst. Decision. Ever.
In the book, it details stuff about doing exactly the opposite of what we did. Not carb-loading or eating super processed meals. But of course, I didn't read that far. If you're curious why I didn't, you can look back on previous posts and see that the majority of them all share a common theme...that theme being I'm kind of lazy.
Anyways, after spending the day in sheer and unadulterated agony brought on by the influx of sugar and wheat belly (from copious amounts of soy sauce, noodles and wontons)...I learned a very valuable lesson. I pondered this lesson while trying to figure out why I can't seem to get Supernatural to stream on Netflix; which was the point of my three day hiatus from work and the world...but that's a whole different story altogether. So let's talk turkey. Or learning. I really just like to say "let's talk turkey." Zach doesn't like it as much as I do but it amuses me so he continues to chuckle because it cracks me up...which in turn, he does find amusing. I digress. So seriously, let's get down to business.
10 ways the 21 Day Sugar Detox has changed my life.
1. There is sugar in EVERYTHING. I kind of already knew this because of my foray into a semi paleo/primal lifestyle but when you're having to look at labels to avoid unnecessary sugars, it's mind boggling. Seriously...even bacon is cured with sugar. Try to get around that one!
2. I feel the need to sleep less. I used to sleep 10 to 12 hours before I started my thyroid medicine. I was constantly sluggish and tired all of the time. Once I started the medicine, I went from sleeping 10-12 to 8-10. Still not awesome but I've always been a tired person. It wasn't until eradicating the majority of sugars from my diet, I found my sleep was more restful and I no longer need to sleep 10 hours. Even after working the odd hours that I do.
3. I can taste the sugar in just about everything. Our taste buds are so acclimated to the high amounts of sugar in everything that it's almost like we're immune to the tiniest bits of sweetness. I was adding two heaping spoonfuls to my coffee every single morning. To be perfectly honest, it had to have been over 2 tablespoons which equates to close to 100 calories. If I have learned anything, it's that counting calories shouldn't be an issue, as long as you're eating the right foods that your body needs and processes. Today I put about 1/4 of a teaspoon of agave nectar in my coffee and it was as sweet as could be. I've given my taste buds time to readjust themselves and I am incredibly happy with the results. In fact, I had some not so sugar detox friendly liquor...some tequila, lime and club soda. It tasted like a sweet juice instead of it's normal and bitter tequila-y taste. It blew my mind.
4. I now see how certain foods really make me feel. Do you ever feel kind of bloated after a meal? Like"youneed to unbutton your pants because you ate too much" bloated? That's how I feel after I eat rice and pasta except I'm a rice fiend and usually can't stop myself from overeating it. So since I was running late, I figured I would just order something from work. I ordered the lesser of all the sugar evils and went with a BBQ chicken plate after I grilled the cook (get it, it's a pun) about what was in the marinade for the chicken. The only thing that wasn't detox approved was the white wine, which they were out of so I was in the clear. I was unaware that under the salad portion was rice. I didn't ask because I didn't know. ( I should probably read the menu a tad closer.) After smothering my salad with a nicely portioned dressing made from yogurt and garlic, I began eating. Within about 10 minutes, I felt a uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. Upon closer inspection, I noticed there was rice mixed in with the lettuce and since it was the same color as the dressing, I disregarded it. I spent the next hour or so feeling like I had a balloon in my stomach. which brings me to my next bullet.
5. "Failing to plan is planning to fail." Benjamin Franklin This right here is a common theme in the 21 Day Sugar Detox book. I wouldn't have had to eat something I didn't prepare myself had I just planned ahead a tiny bit. Obviously there are life's little surprises that knock us back but by having a whole day or even half of one to prepare is better than none at all. Not a single recipe that I made, upset my stomach. Not one. Which is a big deal considering the older I get, the less tolerant I am of a lot of foods. On the days I did plan ahead, I felt great and often felt like I could take on the world.
6. When you supply your body with nutrient dense foods, you don't need to take as many supplements. I take magnesium to help prevent headaches and to help me sleep at night. It is kind of like a natural muscle relaxer and prevents me from clenching my teeth. I haven't taken it in two weeks...nor have I had a headache that wasn't self inflicted. (Good luck getting a headache prescription for that nasty case of brown bottle flu). I can usually pinpoint my headaches. I get headaches if I don't eat enough, dehydration, not sleeping through the night...a multitude of things. Since I have done the detox, I have had just two headaches. One was from said brown bottle flu (apparently I was bargaining singing/chanting for shots? Or so I'm told. I have no recollection of this.) The other was from definitely not drinking enough water. Easy fix.
7. When I eat better, I crave healthy things. I already kind of knew this one but I like to reiterate that I have 10 boxes of Girl Scout cookies at my house and I wanted dessert after I made dinner. I blended two bananas, cocoa powder, ice cubes and coconut milk. Although I really don't like bananas all that much, it satisfied my sweet tooth and didn't make me feel bad about myself because seriously...who can eat JUST ONE serving of Caramel Delights? Which is two cookies by the way at 130 calories per serving...and there are five in a row. You can't just leave an uneven number in the row...that's supporting communism or something like that. We shouldn't do those things.
8. Knowledge is power. By doing just a bit of research and reading, I was blown away by just how many chemicals and additives are put into foods. Knowing these things helped me make wiser choices about what I was eating, how the sugar effects my bodily processes and how it breaks down and stores when there is an excess being consumed. I lost 10 pounds on this detox simply by eating healthier and continuing weight training. I'm not saying that it will be that way for everyone but you never know until you try.
9. I was in denial. I was definitely in denial about how much crap I consumed. My cheat days were far too often and consisted of whole days instead of singular meals. I was doing great before I went to the states then I blew it all to hell and half assed it when I came back. When you eat copious amounts of sugar, your body craves more sugar and it's basically a vicious cycle.
10. It's so much easier with a partner. Luckily for me, I have an amazing support system and people that tolerate my ideas. So when I decided to do this, my wonderful neighbor/friend said she would do it with me. I wouldn't have been able to do it without her and as she was my support system, I hope to be Zach's support because I am definitely doing this again...and also will not participate in the singing for shots this next time around. For a multitude of reasons. One being that I called Zach and said "I spent a lot of money tonight and I'm going to sleep in the bathtub because I miss you." Better just not to ask questions. I signed up at the Balanced Bites website for daily motivational emails. Not only did the emails have a different motivational poster but it also told me what to expect for the day. I highly recommend it.
All in all, this is something I will continue to do. The way I feel is way too amazing to waste it on going back and eating junk. Moderation is key but unfortunately in a society such as ours where over-consumption is a daily occurrence, it can be difficult.
Hopefully you found this helpful. If you are considering this detox, obviously you have my praises but if you have anymore questions...I highly suggest checking out the Balanced Bites Facebook page and/or Balancedbites.com. There are a whole slew of resources available and great information all over the interwebs.
Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to pouting about the whole Supernatural not streaming on Netflix and why I can't have nice things.
Good day!
Xoxo,
Riley Writes.
No comments:
Post a Comment