Starting my 21-Day Sugar Detox (by Diane Sanfilippo): Days 1-3

Diane Sanfilippo, a certified Nutrition Consultant and New York Times bestselling author of Practical Paleo, is a very well known figure in the Paleo world. I recently started listening to her podcast called the Balanced Bites and learned that she developed a sugar detox program called "the 21-Day Sugar Detox". The program has had immense success with thousands of Diane's clients and followers.

MY PURPOSE & GOAL

Intrigued to see if I experienced any major differences between the Whole30 (whole30.com) and the 21-Day Sugar Detox, I added Diane's book (found here) to my Amazon cart. My goal in completing this detox is to let you know the effects it had on my body, mind, and energy level; as well as, explain the pros and cons I experience throughout the detox. And I'll be honest I do love natural sweet treats like my Paleo Pumpkin Spice Cookies, my gluten-free Morning Glory Muffins, or eating a dried date or two, so doing this detox will help realign my focus too!

SUGAR

First, let's start with some facts about SUGAR. Sugar is basically in everything that comes from a box, bottle, or carton these days. I couldn't even find almond milk at the grocery store the other day that did not have an added sugar in the ingredient list. America has tricked our brains to think that food does not taste good unless it is sweetened or salted. Many people are addicted to sugar and do not fully realize it because producers sneak it in wherever they can. "Natural" peanut butters, "healthy" cereals and granolas, and even deli meat often contain some form of added sugar. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 13% of adults' total daily caloric intake between 2005-2010 came from added sugars. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that no more than 10% of food intake should come from added sugars. So what are "added sugars"?

ADDED SUGARS

An added sugar is any sugar that is added to a food or beverages during processing which does not naturally occur in the food. For example, refined white sugar, brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, and sucrose are all sugars commonly added to drinks and food products. Naturally occurring sugars are totally safe to eat and most readily occur in fruit and milk. Natural sweeteners can also come in the form of any unrefined product like honey, maple syrup, molasses, pure monk fruit or agave extract. These are considered natural because no other additives disrupt their chemistry. Be cautious though that these natural sweeteners are still a source of sugar and should be used in moderation. 

WHY ARE ADDED SUGARS BAD? - The Science of Sugar

Knowing what sugar does inside your body will help you understand the reasons a sugar detox, like the 21-Day Sugar Detox, is going to improve your health. When we consume sugar a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger that delivers signals to/from the brain) called dopamine is released. We receive a pleasure signal from dopamine when sugar is consumed; this is great if the sugar comes from a nutrient dense source like melon or berries which will decrease the desire for more sweet tasting food because the craving was satisfied. Unfortunately, refined forms of sugar also trigger the release of dopamine. These refined sugary, processed foods contain no nutrient value which leaves you with a content desire to eat more sugar. It's a revolving circle of: "that tasted really good" - "I want more" - "I am still hungry". This happens to most of us and results in a nutrient poor diet, cyclical bloating, and lethargy. In her book, Diane uses a great example to explain the importance of nutrient dense foods verses nutrient poor foods. She compares two foods that have equal calorie servings, 100 grams of a sweet potato and 100 grams of unenriched wheat bread. Both foods have around 20 grams of carbohydrate but look at the nutritional differences below:

% RDA of Sweet Potato vs. Unenriched Wheat Bread

*RDA = recommended daily allowance; data taken from the 21-Day Sugar Detox book

As Diane explains in her book, "When nutrients are added to foods in synthetic forms and without their co-factors (the complementary nutrients that are needed for proper absorption and utilization), you body simply cannot use them properly." When your bread or cereal is fortified with extra calcium this does not mean that your body is going to properly utilize the calcium because the co-factors of vitamins A, D, K2 and magnesium may not be present in the correct form to naturally help the calcium be fully absorbed and utilized properly. 

During the introduction to the detox, Diane does an excellent job of explaining why nutrient density is so important and why eating whole, natural foods to obtain the macronutrients and micronutrients our body needs is much more effective in living a healthy, vibrant life. This is why a low nutrient diet leaves you feeling tired and depleted. She further explains how insulin, glucose, and glycogen work to keep carbohydrates fueling our body based on our diet and activity level. Although, when we have an access of carbohydrates it is converted to fat. In addition, the book talks on topics of sugar and its affects on inflammation, stress, and hormones. I could go on-and-on about the processes of sugar, insulin, and glycogen, but I'll save that for another post as insulin-resistance is becoming more and more well-known in our communities. But for now, I highly recommend reading this book simply to gain a pimplier scientific understanding of sugar and the body.

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PROGRAM

I love that Diane and her team have worked to create multiple support systems other than the book. If you check out 21daysugardetox.com  you'll find an additional quick-start guide, audio series, daily detox emails, modification guides, and the community forum and support they offer. In addition,  you can find a local 21-Day Sugar Detox coach if you feel you want more one-on-one care and advice. Since, I am knowledgable in the area of food and nutrition, eat a well-balanced diet, and decided to do the detox in late December 2016, I went the cheap route and just bought the hard-copy book (well it was actually a birthday gift). I love hard copies so I can mark-up pages and place sticky notes and tabs in my books. The book encompasses everything you get online other than the daily emails, audio series, and community support. There are over 90 recipes provided in the book, broken down by breakfast, main dishes, soups/salads/sides, snacks, and non-sweet treats (each with allergy information, ingredient and kitchen tips). Diane includes a detailed menu for each of her 3 levels, which you can choose to follow or simply pick and choose recipes and/or foods based on the "yes/no food list" provided for each level (this is what I chose to do). I found the "yes/no food list" difficult to find at first and would have preferred this was placed before the menu for each level. Based on the quiz participants are encouraged to take, I decided to do level 3 of the detox with adding the energy modifications because I am fairly active and do CrossFit workouts 3-5 times per week. I would highly recommend anyone who is new to Paleo or preparing real, wholesome foods do level 1 first and then advance to level 2 if you choose to do another sugar detox.

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To date, I have completed my third day of the detox, and thus far I have not seen any big milestones in energy level or body composition, but it is too early to tell from my perspective! I feel that I have the same amount of energy, have not experienced any headaches (often common with a detox), and have really only found myself hungry on two occurrences (usually around 3-4pm). I typically wake up at 4:50 am and sometimes find myself hungry during my fasted workout, but this has not happened yet. Because I am doing the energy modifications in order to maintain my stamina during my workouts and recovery, I plan to consume between 100-160 grams of carbohydrate a day but will try my best to obtain this from starchy vegetables. Towards the end of the book Diane lists some helpful information about how to find your carbohydrate needs and also includes a chart of starchy carbohydrate vegetables, with nutrient profiles, for those doing the energy modifications of the detox. I found this super helpful, as I did not realize I could eat sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and squashes to reach my carbohydrate goal (this was not made clear to me in the book as I missed it the first two times I read the restrictions). Once I realized this, all hesitations resided! Although, an area of interest to me is the types of fruit recommended during the 21-Day Sugar Detox. On this detox you are only allowed to eat 1 piece of fruit per day (other than lemons and limes) BUT it must be either a grapefruit, green apple, or green-tipped banana (not quite ripe). I find this interesting because 100 grams of raspberries has less carbohydrate and sugar than 100 grams of green apples or banana, and the same goes for blackberries. I am going to dig a little deeper to investigate why berries are eliminated from this detox. I am definitely going to miss them!

Admittedly, the 21-Day Detox program is making me think a lot about how many carbohydrates (and sugar) are in the vegetables and fruits I normally consume within a week. This program is opening my eyes to new recipes and cooking vegetables I am not as comfortable with (like parsnips, rutabaga, and jicama)! 

WHAT TO EXPECT ON MY NEXT 21-DAY SUGAR DETOX POST - Stay Tuned!

I will check in with you all again around day 16 to let you know how I feel, what I am eating (including any recipes I like), and tell you what I am learning from the detox. I hope you check back in with me and/or do a little research about the 21-Day Sugar Detox yourself. 

Thanks for reading! If you have suggestions or questions for future blog posts please send them to kelsey@hitenutrition.com; I love hearing about what interests you and receiving new ideas from my followers.

Make sure to follow me over on Facebook and Instagram for meal ideas and other nutritional insights!

New Year's Resolutions & Goal Setting

Happy New Year!

As many of you are making New Year’s resolutions or goals for 2017, I thought I would offer a few suggestions to help with the process and hopefully help you achieve them. 

First and foremost, I encourage you to write down 20 things you are grateful for AND 20 things you are proud of yourself for accomplishing in 2016. It could be as simple as “getting out of bed every morning” or “reading a book”. The goal of this exercise is to start off in a positive and reflective mindset. It will help you reflect on what went well in 2016 and give you hope and motivation for accomplishing things in 2017.

5 Things to Consider as You Write Out Resolutions or Goals for 2017

1. Decide if resolutions/goals OR a word, phrase or sentence is best for you.

While a list of 2-10 goals/resolutions is great for some of us, it may be unrealistic for others. This can be especially true depending on what kind of season of life a person may be in. Choosing a word to focus on for the year rather than a tangible goal may be more important (i.e. balance or grace). If you are in a season of change (moving, new job, new baby, etc.) you may be better off focusing on ONE goal/word/resolution rather than creating a list of them. You can always add to your goals as your season changes and allows, but this way it won't seem overwhelming and you will be more successful in achieving them.

2. Order your goals in regards to what is most important to you AND what area needs the most improvement.

For example: If your health is important to you, it will likely play a critical role in setting goals around family or relationships. If you are not healthy yourself, your relationships with others are probably not as healthy as you may like or as they could be. Some areas to consider when goal setting:

• health (physical, emotional, mental)
• career
• financial
• personal/spiritual
• relationship/family
• home
• adventure
• travel

3. SET REALISTIC GOALS and Defy your INNER REBEL

I would advise against setting a firm goal such as; “I want to lose 20 pounds”. While that may be a really good goal, try setting a few more tangible goals along the way that you can achieve on a daily basis that will help you reach that larger, overarching goal. Try something such as: "I am going to get up and go to the gym 5 times per week", or "I am going to meal prep every Sunday", or "I am going to reduce my latte consumption to 1 per week". 

Most of us will often say things like "I am going to give up sweets for 30 days” or “I am going to workout everyday after work” but then find ourselves failing within two weeks. Why is this? Perhaps because we are the rebellious type and like to do things our own way. If you don’t truly BELIEVE that you can accomplish your goal, don’t set it! It is that simple. Try something more realistic and set a goal like “I am not going to eat sweets unless I am at a special event or eating at a sit-down restaurant”. You still want the overall objective to be fulfilled; but by allowing yourself a few occasions that you can enjoy sweets you are less likely to rebel and give-in. Some of us need to be able to see the "light at the end of the tunnel" or "multiple lights" and this method gives room for this! 

4. BREAK GOALS DOWN even further!

Ask yourself: what can I do on a MONTLY basis? And what can I do on a DAILY basis to help reach my goal? Change requires a little bit of work every day and seeing weekly or monthly progress helps people stay motivated.

5. ASK QUESTIONS

When trying to improve upon areas where you lack motivation, ask yourself a few questions in order to better understand how you can accomplish your goals in those areas. By asking questions you open up doors that allow you to see the bigger picture from a smaller lens. Once you have a few action steps leading up to answering your question, take one at a time and work towards the bigger goal. 

• how can I improve my workspace (so that I am more comfortable at work)?
• how can I get promoted to a manager?
• how can I make time to meal prep?

6 Things to Help You to Stick to Your Resolutions

1. Make larger changes one at a time.

You are more likely to succeed at grocery shopping every week, meal prepping, and eating healthier because they all coincide together. However, if you decide you want to dental floss your teeth every night, watch CNN every morning, and do a 5 minute ab routine prior to bed you are less likely to succeed at continually doing all three. Instead add one goal each month. This way your mind will already be programmed to dental floss every night; it’s part of your routine so adding something else will be more obtainable. 

2. REMOVE YOURSELF from temptations.

If you have decided to not eat processed sugar, don’t buy the teddy bears or fruit snacks for your kids. If treats are in the house you are more likely to give in when temptations strike! Contact me if you need ideas for healthier snacks for your kids!

3. Replace bad habits with better ones! In other words: REDIRECT YOUR ATTENTION

For example, if you are fond of drinking a can of diet coke when the afternoon blues hit at work, reach for some herbal tea or a flavored sparkling water instead (La Croix is a great brand without bad additives and flavoring). Stock your desk drawer with healthy alternatives and you will be less likely to walk to the vending machine for a soda or candy bar.

Or if it’s an action you are trying to replace, like biting your fingernails, try putting some barriers in place. For example you can paint your finger nails with clear nail polish so it tastes gross or you can place a sticky note in a few places where you find yourself bitting your nails the most often that says something positive in regards to why you want to stop the habit like “I am calm and my nails love me!”

4. KEEP A SCHEDULE!

As much as some people don’t like planning ahead it is crucial to keeping your resolutions and obtaining goals. BUT MOST importantly make your schedule work for YOU! If getting up at 5am every morning to work out sounds like torture to you don’t set that goal! Juggle your schedule around and go into work an hour early if you can and leave work by 4:00pm to get the workout in!

5. Have someone hold you ACCOUNTABLE!

Find an accountability partner to help you stay on track and check in with you every week! You are more likely to stay on track if you know someone is going to be calling you to ask how your 3 runs went that week!

After writing down your goals, it is very valuable to place them somewhere you will see regularly so they are always in the forefront of your mind. Take a picture of your list and send it to your accountability partner so they can have something to look back on easily.

6. RE-EVALUATE Progress

Lastly, re-evaluate how your resolutions are going every month. For example, if you had set a goal to sign up for a yoga class and then halfway through realize you miss the fast-paced HITT training, that’s totally OK! You tried something new and it’s ok to let yourself do something you love. Or if you set a goal to eat eggs for breakfast at least three times a week, but deep down you don’t like the consistency of eggs, either find a new way to cook them that you enjoy more or find another high protein breakfast source. If something ins’t going well after 1 month, you don’t need to force yourself to continue. Re-evaluate, ask why you wanted to have the resolution, find alternatives or modify the resolution slightly. 

We are blessed to have another year, let's make it count! I know you can do this! Let me know how I can help you along the way.