- Photo by zirconicusso
This January I decided it was high-time to commit to the full sugar detox. Honestly, the first time I did a form of this detox, I completely crashed and burned. Since then, I have been conveniently using pregnancy and nursing as excuses to not try it again. (However, you can do this cleanse, with modifications, while pregnant or nursing.) In the fall I did a modified version and felt good through it, and when Diane Sanfillipo came out with her book, 21 Day Sugar Detox in December full of recipes and meal plans, I figured my excuses had run out. I bought her book, dove into it and started prepping.
Here we are, the first week completed and I am amazed at just how good I feel. I mean really. I just had to get through the first week?! Sure, days 2 and 3 left me starving. Thankfully we had plenty of nut mixes prepared, green-tipped bananas and green apples around to be my saviors. My blood sugar levels were re-calibrating and I just had to hold on for the ride. Day 5 left me crazy-thirsty as in, a tall glass of water every single hour. At least. I just kept thinking, “get to bed early, tomorrow will be better.” I may have been a touch impatient too. On Day 6 I woke up and felt as if a cloud had lifted. We’re in Alaska, with at best 6 hours of sunlight right now and I feel good, I’m happy. I’m impressed.
A major component that has made this detox easy to stick to is that the food tastes good, really good. The first dinner, the Mexi-meatloaves were amazing. What a way to get started. My daughter swore she wouldn’t eat the mashed cauliflower. She had two servings. Willingly. My kids loved the fresh cabbage and bok choy salad from day 4. And the roasted golden beets were a hit. I was a little worried that my kids would revolt. Instead, quite the opposite has happened. They are eating really, really well.
One week, zero starches, zero sugar, zero dairy (except butter) and I have more energy, my constant hunger is gone from the first few days is gone and I feel more focused. I fully appreciate why this particular cleanse is a must for just about anyone. It is a true re-set. It removes many inflammatory foods, allowing your body the chance to recalibrate its blood sugar handling response. Once you do that, you set off a whole cascade of functions that just work better. Simple. I love it. That’s the power of food!
Stay tuned! Next week I’ll let you know how the 2nd week has gone.