Three Weeks Down

The first time I went sugar-free was for three weeks and it felt like an eternity! This was a drastic change from how I had been eating before, and my cooking skills back then were sub-par at best. I spent the entire three weeks eating roasted zucchini and eggplant with grilled chicken for breakfast (I couldn't stomach oatmeal without honey!), salads for lunch, and usually some sort of meat with a vegetable and rice for dinner. That was it. So when the three weeks were up (a chiropractor had told me to go 3 weeks and then slowly start adding some things into my diet to see how it went) I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I tasted some blue cheese and dried cranberries! I think I lasted maybe four days eating pretty much the same food with a few add ins, and then BAM, back to my old ways. While my mind and heart were ecstatic to eat sandwiches, chips and desserts again, my body wasn't too thrilled. My digestive tract probably felt like it was going through some sort of torture protocol led by Jack Bauer.

There was so much I didn't understand back then. I had no idea there were so many foods that I COULD eat that would provide my palette with a variety of flavors and tastes. I didn't know how to say quinoa let alone cook a dish with it. Turmeric sounded more like a cleaning agent than a spice. I had no idea how much of an emotional connection I had to food. And I certainly had never heard of sugar addiction or would have believed it was a true, physiological reaction in some peoples' bodies.

So on this 21st day of my sugar-free year I took some time to reflect on how much I have learned since May of 2009. I have so many more tools this go around and feel really confident that I can accomplish this goal. Only ten more days with this really strict diet. Then bring on the fruit and dairy!