So, no cravings here yet and feeling great because I have been taking my own advice to the fullest! That’s right, I don’t always practice what I preach to my clients. There, I admit it! Sometimes I fail to plan ahead or fall victim to eating the wrong foods, or my routine begins to slip and I have to put myself back on track. So I am well aware of the challenges involved in making lifestyle changes and how to address them. Here is a great example of me not taking my own advice: I am allergic to dairy. SUCH a drag because I love yogurt and cheese. Seriously, who doesn’t love cheese? Well, the other day I had some cheese (foolish, but I couldn’t resist for some reason) and the following day, I woke up sneezing with a runny nose and thought, “it feels like I’m getting a cold?” Then I remembered: I had cheese! Dairy is mucous-producing, and especially if you are allergic. I felt slightly off all day. It is remarkable the ill effects food may have on us that we think are “normal” or part of our everyday lives. I didn’t pop a DayQuil or Benadryl. Rather, I discovered the underlying cause and was able to remove it once I noted the profound effect it had.
The basis of what I “preach” is to maintain stable blood sugar by eating in regular intervals and maintaining a good routine–waking up and going to bed at the same time every day, exercise, yoga or meditation for stress relief–and to get good quality nutrient-dense foods and sources of organic protein. This sets you up for a solid foundation of nourishment–giving your body what it needs to fuel you through a day of stable energy and good moods.
Here’s an example of a typical day’s routine and diet for me during The Great Sugar Detox (and during regular life when I’m doing everything right!). This was my Wednesday:
8am: wake up, take the dog out, have some green tea, check emails, meditate if I’m feeling particularly virtuous
9am: breakfast–today I had pumpkin-coconut “pudding” and chicken sausage. If I wasn’t doing the fruit-free sugar detox, I might have a fruit-protein-spirulina-flaxseed smoothie.
Work til noon or 1pm
Lunch: brown rice, chicken & shrimp, broccoli & snow peas
green tea
Work til 5pm
Exercise! Dog walk, then pilates (or yoga)
7pm: dinner – garlic spinach, chicken leg, cultured veggies for probiotics & to help digestion
relax, household chores or movie
10pm: bedtime herbal tea
11pm-read, bed!
By following this plan, I feel perfect during the day. Stable blood sugar means no cravings, daily exercise means a lot of energy, green tea keeps me calm and focused. My schedule was disrupted over the holidays, so it feels good to be back on a routine.
How are you doing on The Great Sugar Detox? Are you having cravings? If you are accustomed to lots of sugar or white flour in your daily diet, you may have a hard time kicking it. If you pass day 3 or 4 and still have wicked cravings, it may be time to consider an herbal or amino acid based supplement to combat deficiency and help you get over the hump.
Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.
Kudos to you for breaking from the dreaded sugar! I too, am ringing in the new year with a candida cleanse. I’m on day seven of going without wheat and gluten, sugar, alcohol, dairy, and nightshades. Happily, it has not been that difficult thanks to my nutritional culinary training at Bauman College. I am doing this to attempt to control a massive breakout of eczema which curiously has appeared on my face. This happened around the same time of the year in 08/09. I thought it was merely a seasonal occurrence. Only difference is that I was recently diagnosed with a vaginal yeast infection. At first, I thought that besides being seasonal, that perhaps it was also hormonal since I am creeping into the perimenopausal stage at 44 (way too young, I thought.) Then after the diagnosis, I realized that it may be systemic and why not just clean house! So, here I am going strong and although the eczema is still flaring (I suppose it’s gonna get worse before it gets better) I’m determined to stick with it for a minimum of 3 weeks. In solidarity, Maria
Hi Maria,
congrats on taking this positive step for your health. Wheat & gluten allergies are commonly associated with eczema, so I bet you’ll notice a difference. Are you taking any herbs to support in knocking down the candida? There are many formulas that contain Caprylic acid, pau d’arco, cinnamon bark, oregano oil, goldenseal. Contact me for more info.