The plan: 10 days of removing sugar and high-glycemic foods from my diet. So that means no breads, pasta, high-sugar fruits or veggies and certainly no ice cream, candy, and (gasp!) no chocolate.
Why? I'd like to cut out my sugar addiction, gain more energy, and kick-start my immune system. I will be eating tons of vegetables that are normally more of a garnish on my plate than a staple (mmm... broccoli, kale, ginger and turnips!), and I hope that my taste and desire for vegetables will be lasting and become a habit!
So that, in a nutshell, is how I'm doing this "cleanse". I'm not using a specific book, but I did actually borrow a lot of the "good foods" and "bad foods" list from sites that talk about candida (yeast overgrowth) in the body, which can often come from too much sugar.
Now that I've introduced my next ten days, I will be observing the effects and trials of following this "diet".
Day 1: Ummm... wait... in all honesty, I should probably begin with yesterday.
The Day Before: Okay, I'll admit it, I went slightly overboard binging on treats yesterday. Let's just say that my Sunday afternoon rest involved lounging on my bed, tackling a box of Junior Mints and some Reece's Pieces. Oh, and that was just the afternoon!
The evening was a perfect Mardi Gras before my Lent. Oh... if you didn't know, Mardi Gras happens to fall just before Lent - why? So everyone can get the partying and craziness out of their systems before they have to fast and be spiritual. Pretty typical of humanity to do this sort of thing, and the natural inclination was exhibited in my behavior as well. Yesterday evening just happened to be a girls movie night at a friend's house with the rule "no healthy snacks allowed". The intention was to gorge on chocolate, chips, candy, and more chocolate. I crammed myself full of goodies and washed it down with root beer. Our sappy movie was the perfect backdrop for our feast, and I was in a bit of a sugar coma at the end of the night. To be honest, I didn't feel very good. All the better to kick-start my upcoming fling with veggies and brown rice.
Day 1: You wouldn't believe how hungry I felt in the morning. Maybe it was the knowledge that I was changing my habits, but I opened the cupboards and to my disbelief, realized that nearly everything was "off limits". I settled on a handful of almonds, knowing that I'd be eating many delicious, nutritious veggies later in the day, after we did our special shopping trip. What's crazy though, is that I walked over to the counter and saw leftover chocolate from the night before and was instantly mesmerized. You would think that the binge the night before would have deterred me, but no! I would have gladly licked the leftover chocolate bits off the serving platter with gratitude.
Another thing I noticed was that after we ate our healthy lunch (grilled pork seasoned with garlic, smoked paprika, olive oil and lemon juice; along with a colorful spinach salad with an apple cider vinaigrette), I got to the place where I felt full, but I was still hungry. I greedily watched the children eat cheese buns with their lunch, and my brain was telling me that I needed that instant gratification that carbohydrates and sugars can offer. The hunger was in my mind - it was a craving that revealed what I already knew - I had a sugar addiction... Sugar makes me feel good, and can deliver good feelings fast.
So, after a day of eating sugar and carb free, I don't exactly feel hungry, but my body keeps telling me that I want to break the rules and satisfy my sweet tooth. I just wonder how long it will take before the obsession dies down? I don't want to spend my days ogling over my baby's bowl of cheerios, and salivating when I see my kids eat a banana... mmmm... even fruit sugar is addictive!
Perhaps my dreams tonight will involve a skittle rainbow, leading to fluffy cotton candy clouds. This is a magical land with magical creatures, like a bunny that poops out candy-coated chocolate eggs and cows that produce chocolate milk. Then there is me, sumptuously stretched out on my back, floating in a pool of dark chocolate.
No comments:
Post a Comment