My 21DSD recap

Hi! Happy Thanksgiving! (currently flying to Fargo so wanted to update before I unplug for the long weekend)

I finished the 21 day sugar detox over the weekend. Hurray!

Here are my thoughts about how it went.

It was hard, but not as bad as I thought it might be. I did the Level 2 plan so was still allowed to have full-fat dairy, but no grains, no sugar, no added sweeteners, etc.
I did go out to eat a few times, and probably was exposed to things I wasn't supposed to eat. And yes, I had a few sips of wine here and there. So I definitely was not perfect, but I still think it was a great experience.

Week 1: I had no trouble the first 3 days or so. After that I had some headache issues, crankiness, and fatigue but that cleared quickly. Had fun trying new recipes and I thought that I could do this no problem! Things I was loving: egg frittatas, salads with oil and vinegar and tons of veggies, green smoothies, kombucha.

Week 2: Tons of energy! I had less and less of that 'must eat now' type of feeling during the middle of the day or at the end of work. I felt my appetite was much more controlled throughout the day. I found so many great recipes that we incorporated into our nightly meals. I must admit I was surprised at how sweet a green-tipped banana tasted towards the end of the week. Things I was loving: acorn squash, eggs with spinach, butter coffee.

Week 3: Still felt great, but somewhat overwhelmed at the amount of preparation it was taking to stay compliant. I usually meal plan and grocery shop on the weekends and then try to prepare some food as well. But we had some family stuff going on and the weekend was busy and it didn't happen. So towards the end of the week I was eating a lot of hard-boiled eggs, nuts, grass-fed cheese, and almond butter. Definitely did not have as many veggies as I would have liked, but still able to stay on track. Towards the end was definitely sick of eating green apples and green-tipped bananas, as these are the only fruits besides citrus that are allowed. Things I was loving: coconut smoothies, butter coffee with pumpkin pie spice.


favorite meals over the 3 weeks:
tacos with lettuce wraps
egg muffins (check pinterest, tons of easy options)
pumpkin pancakes
chicken pot pie --even the hubby raved about this one (from the 21DSD book)
zucchini crust pizza
vanilla bean n'oatmeal

Looking back, I can find several things that have changed. I really think it altered my taste buds. I had a piece of pumpkin pie at a family pre-thanksgiving and it was so sweet I couldn't finish it. Also I have had this hip pain off an on for awhile and that disappeared. Sugar is inflammatory so I wonder if it was contributing to my joint pain. And, my energy was stable throughout the day. No more 'hangry' and 3 pm brain fog for me!

I plan to incorporate some things back into my diet, like occasional honey, maple syrup and other natural sweeteners. I also plan to add more fruit as I think berries are so vital to health as they contain such high doses of phytonutrients and anti-oxidants. I will also add some gluten free grains like quinoa and gluten-free oats from time to time. This whole experience has made me much more aware of how food can make you feel like a million bucks, or like crap. I choose to feel great!

have you ever thought of doing a sugar detox? I may do another one after January 1st. Maybe I can convince some of you to join me?