Day 3 - Spring Cleaning

(Click here to read Day 1 and the Introduction)

(Day 2)

Day 3:

Well, just a quick update if you're wondering how the sugar-bust is taking it's course in my life.

I think one of the most difficult things about choosing a different way of eating is that it involves a lot of planning. You have to think ahead about what sort of meals you will have, and ensure that those ingredients are available. You can't just snack on all the "ready-to-eat" snack foods that we so commonly turn to when we feel a little hungry.

Here are some of the meals I ate yesterday for day 3: I scrambled eggs with garlic, spinach and a bit of feta cheese for breakfast. (A little too garlicky first thing in the morning!) For lunch, I made a simple Coconut-Curry-Cauliflower soup with some homemade chicken stock, and it is super-delicious and follows the parameters of the diet. For supper we had Greek Salad, and some Greek-style pork kabob thingies (which, after grilling on a George Foreman grill ended up looking like lopsided patties, not kabobs). I actually felt happily satisfied after dinner!

Here's the big news. I had to quickly run to the store to pick up a couple items, and I wasn't going crazy at the sight of all the "off limits" foods! I walked past the chip aisle with scorn in my eyes, knowing that it was not something that would make me feel happy. I tried to show disdain when walking down the chocolate aisle, but it wasn't quite so easy. There was a little bit of longing associated with the chocolate bars, junior mints, and especially with the bars of dark chocolate. I slowed my hustle for a moment to get a good look at the shiny packaged goodies, and began to salivate. "No." I told my tastebuds sternly and we (me and my tastebuds) continued to walk over to the vegetable section to buy some delicious, nutritious celery.

So, for the most part, I'm not feeling obsessed with those "quick-energy-releasing" sugary/starchy foods. I think that is a victory in itself! I am still prone to slip into occasional daydreams about what I will eat when these 10 days are over. I also found myself revealing my cravings with subliminal messages, like when I was teaching the spelling word "flow" to my kids and used it in the sentence: "I would like there to be a flow of chocolate running into my mouth." But apart from the occasional slips into my former sugar-driven thoughts, I'm doing well and I actually feel pretty decent. Oh, and no headaches at all - I guess I can survive on just one cup of coffee a day. (But should I try to cut down to no coffee? Hmmm.... sounds like a challenge... I'll get back to you on that one!)