30-Days Sugar Free Recap

First, can I tell you that sugar free is not as ridiculous as it sounds. When I first heard of a sugar-free challenge, I imagined a diet filled with water, vegetables and those little sugar-free caramel candies.

We all have our perceptions of what it means to be sugar-free.

You may  think, 'no I could never do that' or 'that must be really restrictive.' To that I would say, 'yes you can' and 'it's really not.'

Can I be honest with you and tell you that I did not maintain sugar free the entire time (probably 80-90%). I still got results in the form of better stabilization of my blood sugar, more energy, and less stiffness in my joints and body. The program is not as restrictive as you think. By the way, I'm not a dietitian, but if you are reading up on a program that eliminates a food group, steer clear. We are supposed to get calories and nutrients from all food groups.

There are a lot of great programs out there that you can follow, regardless of your goal. The key is finding on that you will stick with consistently. In my opinion, the best programs out there will encourage you to eat the majority of your meals from fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and lean proteins (if you want to figure out the right diet for you, consult with a dietitian who is up on current nutrition!)

When my friend Stefanie told me that she was doing Dr. Scott Olson's 30-day sugar free challenge and after watching the 60-minutes special on sugar toxicity,  I immediately knew it was right for me (this usually doesn't happen to me--as I am a natural skeptic of programs and anything that sounds gimmicky!)

Here's a tip: if you watch the video and read about the program and think, 'YES! This is what I've been looking for,' then go for it and give it 30-days. If you check out the info and think, 'that doesn't sound like something I'd follow' or 'no way I'm doing that,' then don't! Find something else, and keep looking til you get that reaction of 'Oh yes! This is for me.'

The best laid plan will be one that you choose on your own accord and one that you practice consistently.

As a personal trainer, if we sit down and you tell me you hate to swim. I tell you, 'to hit your goals you have to swim.' Are you set up for success or failure?

The thing is, I don't have a sweet tooth. I don't go for candy or cupcakes, or any of that stuff. You could put me in a bakery by myself for an hour and I wouldn't be tempted (actually randomly today I was in a pastry shop and wasn't tempted at all). I do like ice cream though, and really can't buy anything other than an individual size serving...just letting you know :)

The sugar I was eating was coming more from processed food choices, jams, breads, and starchy veggies. Prior to the 30-day sugar free challenge, I was having struggles with rapidly dipping blood sugar, and often a loopy feeling after eating. Throughout the 30-days, I figured out what foods make me feel loopy and disconnected, and I figured out what gives me true energy. Still working on perfecting this, but it's gotten a lot better.

Even though I was already eating a healthy diet and living a very active lifestyle, I still knew I could be better.

Here are some of the key moments and lessons that I took away from the challenge:

Day 1: I ate eggs and veggies for breakfast, and apple and string cheese for a snack and then went to The Fresh Market for lunch. My normal choice here would be a sandwich from the deli or sushi and occasionally a salad or something that I would come home and cook. This day I chose this huge spinach salad with feta, berries and walnuts. It was delicious and I remember when I was eating it, how proud I was that I had made the sugar free choice.

Day 3: At a layover in Miami, it had been way too long since I had eaten. Walking up and down the terminal, all I could find was processed, fast type foods. Determined to find something that was sugar free, I stumbled upon a little buffet type thing that had pre-made salads. It wasn't my favorite choice of ingredients, but it was sugar free and it was food. I was proud of myself for making that choice over any number of temporarily delicious foods.

On a side note, if you eat frozen meals, takeout, fast food, or restaurant foods on an everyday basis, I challenge you to change over to freshly made food (that you cook or prepare) for 1 week. Then go back to your favorite dish in the above category. I bet it will taste totally different to you!
Day 11: I was at a BBQ and the dinner served was chicken marinated in honey and bbq sauce, corn on the cob and grilled potatoes. This is all no-no food on this challenge, although most would consider this a generally healthy meal (and it is!). For me though, after I ate this meal I felt that odd, loopy, disconnected feeling. For whatever reason, I seem to be sensitive to sugars in starchy foods. Hark!

Day 12: Ordered pizza with my cousin. Started eating it, and found that I really did not desire the crust at all. Ate just the toppings. This was kind of weird, but it shows that reducing hidden sugars really does make an impact.

Day 16: Discovered the best sugar free meal ever...salmon and steamed broccoli. Ever since the start of this challenge, I have been craving salmon, just simply sauteed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Day 24: Started making green smoothies for breakfast. Yum! This may have coincided with the sudden jump in temperature and humidity, but regardless, starting the day with a smoothie is my new go-to. My favorites are either spinach or kale mixed with a natural protein powder, and then pineapple or mixed berries, along with nuts or nut butter, and any other ingredients that may be lying around!

Day 30: I couldn't believe it had been 30-days! Just by reading Dr. Olson's daily emails and by studying on my own, and experiencing the effects of different foods, on my own, I learned a ton in the 30-days (about my own body), even though I didn't go 100% sugar free.

Day 34: Still conscious and making sugar free choices as much as possible. Went out for Thai food and read through the full menu, studying the ingredients. Chose a Spicy Basil dish with shrimp. The sauce was super light and did not seem to have sugar in it. It was delicious and I could tell it was probably the healthiest (in all categories) choice I could have made there.

Results: In general, I will tell you that I have more energy and clarity with my daily focus than I did 30-days ago. Not sure if it's the (almost) sugar free or just popping out of winter doldrums, but my drive and ambition is at an all time high. My body feels good, and even though I have a slight weight loss goal (this story in another blog post), I still feel good about myself, even following this program only partially.

Moving forward, I plan to maintain sugar free about 85% of the time. One thing I will be adding back in is the classic PB&J, because it sustains me, and I am constantly on the go, so it's a good option. I will be re-evaluating my bread and jam choices though! You may even see a recipe for homemade jam in the future! I do have a health goal for this month that involves either losing weight or simply gaining lean muscle tissue (more to come on this).

Part of the 15% not sugar free is meals out where I think I'm ordering sugar free, but I am guessing that restaurants probably add sugar and salt to their food to make it taste better. I travel a lot and am always on the go, so sometimes (actually often) I am not making my own food. And then of course there is human error (often known as caving in on something you want!) Perfection is not my goal. Rather:

Awareness, backed by better choices is my goal

I would recommend Dr. Scott's program to anyone who thinks that they made need to reduce their sugar intake or to anyone who is reading this that thinks: "hmm, this is for me." If you think that please pursue it. If you read this and think it's nuts, find another sound program to follow, if your goal is to make a change.

In health and prosperity,
Monica