#21DSD ~ Day 21: "Turning 21 days into a lifetime."

Reader beware, this will be a long one.

I’m writing this on day 22.  While I would have liked to finish this blog last evening, my schedule has been hectic and time did not permit.  However, I think it was a blessing in disguise as I woke up this morning to the very sure realization that I want to implement this form of eating for a lifetime.  Let me preface this with the fact that the sugar detox is also a Paleo diet sans sugar and when I talk about this “form of eating” I’m referring to Paleo.  I dabbled in Paleo before this detox, slowly evolving my eating habits to a less processed format.  I was never fully committed to the plan other than my 30-day challenge which involved some cheating here and there.

At this point, you might be thinking "what’s different now?"  For one, the 21 day detox forced me to be fully committed, by the book, no cheating.  My eyes were finally opened to how much better I feel when I’m eating this way.  Granted, I was detoxing from sugar so I was also experiencing sugar withdrawals, but aside from that my digestion was improved, my skin improved and I just felt better overall.  The second reason for this decision and what I call the icing on the cake was a little indulgence I allowed myself in celebration of the final day on the detox:  crackers and cheese and wine.  So as not to go completely off the rails, I had my homemade, gluten free crackers.  The cheese and wine tasted good last night but it totally wrecked me this morning.  I didn’t even eat that much cheese and my body was feeling it.  On my way to work this morning, I promised myself I will not be doing that again and I recommitted myself to Paleo.  So, how will I be proceeding post-detox?  Here’s my plan:

(1)     Within reason and without stressing, I’m going to move to a more strict Paleo diet.  I now have a total of four great cookbooks with amazing recipes to choose from.  One of my recent faves is Against All Grain by Danielle Walker.  Since I’m a working mom and finding time to cook is incredibly challenging, I will be working over the next couple weeks to develop a list of “go to” recipes that are great for freezing and/or quick and easy to make after a long day’s work.  I’m sure there will be loads of Crockpot recipes on this dinner cheat sheet.

(2)     Next on my list:  water!  Water is the drink for me.  No more soda, diet or otherwise.  It’s easy to understand why 21 days is such a great time frame for this detox.  They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.  Now that I’ve spent three whole weeks without soda, it seems natural to keep saying no to it.  Now let’s not get too crazy here, beer and wine will still be allowed, just not as frequently.  And I’m not ready to kick coffee to the curb, but it is a thought and I’ll continue to let that one simmer in my mind.  Maybe if I keep drinking my herbal tea it will eventually take the place of my coffee. 

(3)    Grass-fed and unpasteurized.  I’ll be looking for these key terms on any meat and dairy products I choose.  Dairy is technically not Paleo, however, soft unpasteurized cheese like goat cheese is easy on my system so I’ll likely keep that as a special treat here and there.

(4)    Liver….some how, some way I would like to sneak liver into my diet.  This food is packed with good nutrients.  Since I can’t stomach eating it straight-up, I’ll be looking for meals to hide it in.

(5)    Take control!  I’m going to take control of my health and do the research.  We’ve been told a lot of myths about food and what’s good for us and what’s not.  Instead of listening to the media, the government, strangers who think they know best and the likes, I will be doing the research myself.  There are a lot of great resources out there and I love to read and learn.  I’ll be starting with this new book.

(6)    Over the next few days, I will slowly introduce sugar back into my diet, but overall, I would like to maintain a fairly low sugar diet.

Now, for those of you who would like to know how the meals went for the day, here goes:

Day 21 (0 days left!)

Breakfast – Leftover oatmeal.  Delicious as always.

Lunch – Portobello mushroom cap with roasted red peppers and a side of vegetables.

Snack – Green apple and baby carrots.

Dinner – Two handfuls of homemade crackers, habanero jack cheese and red wine.  (And I snuck in a few M&M’s from my kids goody bag)

And that’s a wrap!

Thanks to my readers for all of your support through this.

#21DSD ~ Day 20 "I can't believe I just typed 'Day 20'"

I would say I'm usually the type of person to finish what I start, but if you would have asked me over a week ago if I expected to see Day 20 of this detox I might have been a bit skeptical.  All day today I kept thinking "Wow, I'm really on Day 20."  It feels great to have made it this far.  And, overall, I just feel great after getting over the initial hump that is the first week to week and a half of the detox.
My husband and I have likened this point of the detox to mile 22 of a marathon, except on mile 22 I'm usually wondering how in my right mind I decided to run a marathon, but at this point in the detox I'm actually considering doing it again.  Not now and definitely not next month but soon.  Ideally, I would like to complete the detox at least twice a year.

Today was a nice and easy cruise to the finish.  I had leftovers galore today which allowed me to catch up on some much needed R&R.  I really enjoyed the quick dinner clean-up tonight.  No pots and pans were dirtied and it took just seconds to wipe down the counters.  This is a great way to end the detox.  With one more day to go and enough leftovers to carry me home, I'm really enjoying these last couple days.  Now for the meals:

Day 20 (1 day to go!!!)

Breakfast
Vanilla Bean & Banana Oatmeal I've included the link for those of you who might be interested in this delicious, sugarless alternative for breakfast.  I know I'm going to continue with this one well after the detox is over.

Snack
I popped a few homemade crackers before heading out on my run during lunch.

Lunch
Leftover Curry Chicken and Apple salad along with the leftover homemade crackers.

Snack
Green apple and some baby carrots.  I had the green apple earlier in the afternoon.  I noticed I was getting hungry as the day was nearing the end so I munched on some baby carrots during the ride home to stave off any crankiness and the desire to binge on Macadamia nuts while preparing dinner.

Dinner
Leftover (sensing a theme here) Pizza Frittata and Jambalaya.  I actually filled up on this pretty quickly and was unable to finish dinner.

Well....tomorrow is the very last day of the detox.  I've got leftover oatmeal planned for breakfast, eating out for lunch and a special finale detox recipe planned for dinner.  I can't wait to start my last day.

#21DSD ~ Day 19: "The last Sunday."

I love this last Sunday. For one, I know I only have to make it through two more days.  Secondly, my grocery shopping didn't require a full week's worth of menu planning which meant a much shorter grocery list.  I was able to skate through the grocery store picking up items on a whim.  Before you start thinking about all the chocolate, cheese and processed foods I picked up, I'll have you know, my self-control was stellar.  Here's a list of the items I bought that we're not included on the detox:

Hummus (this is one of my faves for snacking)

Clementines 

Flour tortillas and cheese for a celebratory dinner on Day 22

Cheerios for my dear husband

2 Gallons of Skim Milk

Believe me, I considered purchasing a bar of chocolate and then thought better of it.  This lifestyle is truly something I want to continue with.  If I start scarfing down M&Ms and Hershey bars it's totally going to defeat the 21 days I dedicated to this thing.

Here are the days meals:

Day 19!  (2 days to go!)

Breakfast

Eggs and bacon.  I even added a couple handfuls of Spinach to the eggs for a little extra nutrition.

Lunch

Leftover Curry Chicken and Apple Salad.  It was definitely better the second time around

Dinner

Now for my favorite of the day!  Pizza frittata.  Two things impressed me about this meal.  It was extremely flavorful and my little guy couldn't get enough of it.  This one is going down as the first kid-friendly recipe on the detox.

After dinner, I got down to cooking for the week whipping up some oatmeal and homemade crackers.  This was my last cooking hurrah of the detox.  I'm looking forward to a break from slaving away at the stove.

Until tomorrow!

#21DSD ~ Day 18: "The sun is shining and I got to running."

Today I got to run!  If I were to do this whole thing over again, I would still neglect the house but I wouldn't neglect my running.  There's more than one piece to the puzzle and it's not just eating less sugar.  You can't change your nutrition and neglect your physical needs and expect to feel great.  So, I buckled down and laced up my shoes.  Rather than mopping the floors, I opted for a run.  Seeing as how I haven't been out in a while and I'm not eating any sugar (a go to fuel for runners), I took it slow and kept the distance short.  But it was amazing!  With my headphones in and the sun shining, I ran and I promised myself I wouldn't let it go this long again.

Now for the day's events.  I feel like I'm on cruise control.  I'm still cooking a lot, but I'm planning better.  I'm reading the recipes ahead of time and making little things ahead as I have time available.  Here's what was on the menu for today:

Day 18!!!!!!

Breakfast
We went out to eat at our favorite hole in the wall.  I ordered a veggie omelet hold the cheese and lots of coffee.

Lunch
I made Chicken Curry Salad and apples and topped it off with some slices of avocado.  Not my favorite, but
it was light and refreshing.

Dinner
Let me recommend not making a staple item of your pre-detox days.  It will never live up to those recipes.  I made "Jambalaya" for dinner.  It had chicken, pork and shrimp and a bunch of other good things, but nothing could beat the spice and flavor of Zatarain's Jambalaya mix and Keibasa sausage.  This one will be great for leftovers as we finish off our last three days, but after that it's back to our trusty box of Zatarain's.

3 more days and all by the book!

#21DSD ~ Day 17: "Last weekend without wine!"

I know what you’re thinking…”This girl is obsessed with wine.”  It may be hard to believe that there are people out there who can’t go 21 days without their favorite night cap – or at the very least not whine about it all the time.  Count your blessings that my husband gets the brunt of my whining about my wine.  Just four more days until I can open up the pantry and see that beautiful box of red wine sitting there and calling my name.  Oh what a day that will be.  It’s obvious that the first indulgence for me will be wine.  “What about hubby?” you might ask.  Well, he’s already put in his request:  a nice, big, fresh box of Cheerios and not the Honey Nut kind.  Just plain cheerios. 

With four more days, let the dreaming begin. During the day I’ve been dreaming about wine while at night I have dreams about accidentally slipping up and drinking a diet coke.  Half the can is gone by the time I realize what I’ve done and I feel incredibly guilty.  I’ve dreamt about eating cheeseburgers, pizza and fries.  Every morning is the same.  I wake up feeling bummed about my slip-up until I realize it was just a dream.  Phew!  That was a close one.

I’ve been getting a little lazy in the days leading up to the end of the detox.  The only planned out meal for the day was dinner.  Here we go…

Day 17

Breakfast

Almonds.  Yes.  All I ate was almonds.  See what I’m saying about getting lazy?

Lunch

I picked up a scrambled eggs and bacon bowl from Wawa this morning and put it in the fridge for lunch.  It was actually meant to be breakfast, but my morning was packed with meetings and I just didn’t have the time.  So, to the fridge it went and I enjoyed a little breakfast for lunch.

Snack
Some more almonds and a green apple with almond butter.  I couldn't get enough of it.

Dinner

During my lunch break I headed over to the grocery store with a couple recipes in hand.  One was for Paleo Bacon Sea Scallops.  I was looking for a little variety so I went to my 21DSD Pinterest board and found these lovelies.  Man those were delicious.  They were so good, that I was scared I might have not noticed the part of the list that said "No Scallops."  Fortunately, that was not the case.  Any type of seafood is allowed.  This is definitely making my list of faves for menu options post-detox.

Now with just the weekend and two more days after that, I'm feeling a sense of relief that this thing is almost over.  With all the cooking, nearly everything else has been put on the back-burner.  The number one thing that's starting to get on my nerves is the house.  It's a complete and utter mess.  It's so ridiculous that it stresses me out and drives my absolutely insane every time I walk through the door.  Tomorrow I'm going to set my sights on solving this problem.  I refuse to let another day slip by without getting this house back in order.

Until tomorrow....good night y'all.

#21DSD ~ Day 16: "Holy Energy"

Wow!  First off, I really can’t believe it’s day 16.  Second, my energy level is outrageous.  I’ve never gotten so much accomplished in one day at work.  I’m actually beginning to feel the urge to get back into my workout routine.  The first half of this detox was so killer that I thought I would literally implode if I added one more thing to my to do list.  Especially something that requires a lot of energy, some major positive emotion and time.  All three of which were just not happening for me.  At this point in the detox, I figure I’ve got the first two covered.  Now to find the time.  With only five days left, I better get started. 

Just one more thing before I get into the meals for the day, I was looking at my face in the mirror yesterday afternoon and noticed something was different.  My skin tone looked great, my make-up hadn’t caked or grown flaky and my face looked fresh.  Usually by the end of the day, I have to consider a thorough wash and reapply my make-up if I’m planning to go out with friends.  I thought maybe yesterday was a fluke so I monitored myself throughout the day and, sure enough, the afternoon came and my face still looked great.  What can’t this sugar detox accomplish?!

Now on to the day’s meals.  I’m feeling a little guilty because I left hubby to fend for himself.  It’s possible there were enough leftovers in the fridge when he left this morning, but by the time I got up and around there was nothing.  I pulled a couple things out of the freezer, added an apple and a side of guac and called it good.

Day 16

Breakfast

Leftover Spinach and Green Apple Smoothie.  This was surprisingly good after a week in the freezer.  I didn’t have time to let it thaw out completely so I microwaved it and stirred it around a bit until it was completely thawed.  I also added a slice of prosciutto for protein.

Lunch

Prosciutto, baby carrots, almonds and a side of guacamole.  Thank goodness for my emergency kit that I

stocked at the beginning of the week.  The emergency kit was an idea that my lovely mom passed along.  After getting stuck hungry and raving mad at work last week, she called me and very nicely recommended I put one of these together.  I took her advice and created an emergency kit for both myself and my husband.  I’ve snapped a pic for you.  I also added beef jerky to Troy’s kit since he’s into that.

Dinner
We had dinner planned with our community group which meant bringing my own meal and staring longingly at all the pasta and creamy, cheesy goodness that everyone was eating except this time I didn't crave the pasta and I didn't feel like I just had to have a bite of the garlic bread. In fact, I didn't feel deprived at all. I enjoyed the soup I brought from home and was thoroughly satisfied. 

#21DSD ~ Day 15: "I love my food."

I loved my food so much that I just kept on eating today.  Everything I had planned was delicious.  I found that I was full on several occasions.  I was so full, I literally could not eat another bite.  I really enjoyed the fact that I was now feeling completely satisfied after each meal.  I believe there are two really important factors that have led to this change.  One, I've come across some fantastic, mouth-watering, belly-pleasing recipes.  It just goes to show, you should never get stuck in a rut when it comes to cooking.  Try some new things and you just might hit on a recipe that will make Day 15 of your sugar detox a food heaven.  Second, I'm on Day 15 which means I'm a seasoned veteran now, my body can't remember what it was like to have sugar and I'm totally pumped about the 6 remaining days until I can have my glass of red wine.

Now for the meals.  There aren't a lot of pictures on this post because I ate a lot of leftovers.  If your really curious, just reference yesterday's blog.

Day 15 (6 days to go!)

Breakfast - Leftover Oatmeal and coffee.  Like a good little fiscally responsible girl, I brought my coffee from home.  Imagine my delight when I got to the office and there was a huge container of Starbucks coffee on the grab counter.  I'm a store-bought coffee addict.  Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Wawa...it doesn't matter...they are all a treat in my mind.  I was feeling particularly spunky today so I sprinkled in some Cinnamon and got to work.

Snack - My favorite part of the day.  Those home-made crackers I was telling you about were everything I dreamed they would be.  I made my own "cheese" dip which consisted of almonds, garlic, fresh chives and some other things I can't remember.  It was delicious and super filling.

Lunch - I barely finished my left overs of Shrimp Pad Thai.  Not because it wasn't good, but because I was still full from my snack.

Dinner - It's great to have supportive friends.  The plan for the evening was to get together and catch up.  I ate an apple before leaving work.  Enjoyed a hot black tea from Starbucks then proceeded to my friend's house.  She had a wonderful array of sugar-free snacks.  Salami, guacamole and some quinoa chips from Trader Joe's.  Loved it! It was such a treat.