I don’t think I have grasped how difficult what I have agreed to do is going to be. But, as the saying goes, “if you change nothing, nothing will change.” So while this will be challenging, I believe it will be worth it.
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I bought Diane Sanfilippo’s ebook, The 21-Day Sugar Detox (21 DSD). As the title suggests, the book offers a three-week guide on cutting out all refined sugars and complex carbohydrates from one’s diet. Diane is also the author of Practical Paleo, which is an awesome book. As I’ve kept up with her blog and listened to the podcast she co-hosts with Liz Wolfe, I have of course heard about the 21 DSD. It was always one of those things where I would think to myself, “Oh yeah, that sounds like a good idea … I should probably cut sugar from my diet … I’ll do that 21-Day Sugar Detox someday …”
Well, “someday” is now March 4, 2013. You see, the 21 DSD Facebook page leads a “group” on the detox every month. I’m not completely sure how starting with the “group” works yet, but I intend to find out, because the next group begins its detox on March 4.
This is a particularly good time to start the 21 DSD because, as I blogged about on Monday, I recently signed up for the CrossFit Open. I am hoping that cleaning up my diet will help me burn fat, gain muscle, get more energy and as a result perform better in the Open.
What’s that saying – health is 80% diet and 20% working out? Well I seriously need to work on the 80%.
As I have blogged about before, I try to stick to a “paleo” diet, but I’m usually pretty loose with it. For example, all legumes, including peanuts, are technically prohibited. But I still eat peanut butter and peanuts from time to time (because they’re so GOOD). You’re also not supposed to consume artificial sweeteners, but I drink my share of Monster energy drinks, the “rehab” ones that contain Sucralose. Basically, this 21 DSD will be a very, very strict paleo diet.
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So. In a nutshell, what will I be giving up for 21 days?
Vegetables: corn, peas, sweet potatoes/yams, white potatoes, winter squash
Fruit: Everything except green apples and green-tipped bananas
Nuts/Nut Butters: Cashews, peanuts
All legumes
Grains: Any and all; including but not limited to: Barley, Buckwheat, Quinoa, etc.
Simple carbohydrates: bread, bagels, cake, crackers, muffins, tortilla chips … you get the picture.
Beverages: Alcohol, pre-sweetened coffee drinks, soda, basically anything with added sugar
Sauces/dressings: Soy sauce, bottled salad dressing
Anything diet/sugar-free: No artificially sweetened food or beverage of any kind
Ugh. I can’t believe I’m not crying after writing that list of awesome-tasting foods that I’m going to have to kiss goodbye for 21 days.
There are a couple foods I consider paleo, more or less, that I eat on a pretty regular basis and I’m surprised to find them on the “no” list. First is sweet potatoes. They have become a staple in my diet. The 21 DSD only allows them after a workout. I guess I understand this, … while they have nutritious attributes, they are pretty carb-dense. The second is cashews. I’m not sure why these are prohibited 
But at least I can still eat almonds.
I will admit: as I am typing this, I am getting scared. How the ffffff-flip am I going to give up SUGAR for THREE WEEKS? Part of me just wants to avoid this challenge altogether because I’ve never done anything like it. Ever.
But, here is another cheesy motivation quote for this situation: “Fear says… No you can’t. Determination says… Yes you can. Results say… I told you so.”
During this three-week sugar detox I have no doubt that I will slip up. I just hope I don’t get too discouraged by it and that I get back on the detox wagon.
At the end of each week, I will post how the detox is going. Hopefully by the end, I can report some positive results. Even if I don’t notice a big difference in my body, I hope to at least be able to say I stuck to it 🙂
Now here are some pics of delicious, sugary or grain-laden food that I am going to have to say Adios to. Yes, I took all these pics and yes, I ate either some or all of these foods. 😛
Mozzarella sticks Daniel and I split after CrossFit on Monday. Notice the Monster in the upper right corner!!
Mint FroYo with lots of yummy toppings…Daniel and I go get FroYo at least once a week.
SWEET POTATO FRIES!! Usually if I see these on the menu at a restaurant, I must order them.
Blah. OK. If I wasn’t sad before, I am definitely sad looking at all these pictures of food I’ll have to forgo for 21 days. Hah.
Welp, you’ll hear more about this detox next week. Now I am going to go have my last Girl Scout cookie…
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