The Wrap Up

Well I'm officially done my detox, just in time for the holidays. There are a few things I've learned I wanted to share:
1. Sugar is very addictive!!! That was the hardest part, having no sugar for the first week was difficult and I chose to avoid even the allowed sweeteners. I decided if I was going to break the habit might as well break every aspect of it.
2. It's important to be mindful of what you eat. Part of the process is being very aware of everything that goes into your mouth. That lick of almond butter and jam off the knife when making a sandwich for my son, or tasting his food for temperature had to go and with it came a new found consciousness of eating.
3. Making drastic dietary changes is hard. It's something I ask people to do every day and I wouldn't ask it if I couldn't/wouldn't do it myself.
4. Cheats - well I was pretty dedicated throughout. The few things I allowed myself over the 28 days were 3(and no more than 3) dates if I was really craving something sweet and a soy chai latte on my birthday. I didn't eat much fruit because I found it was upsetting my stomach at first and felt better off it, so I used the lack of other fruits to rationalize the dates.
5. I can eat nothing but vegetables with a little flaxseed oil drizzled over them all day and NOT FEEL HUNGRY and still workout! This was astounding to me. I thought for sure I would be starving or fainting. But it really felt good! Digestion felt great, I had energy and I'm sure I was getting the maximum nutrient density in terms of vitamins and minerals by eating that way. It's a testament to how good you can feel and how normal your appetite can be when your blood sugar is being well maintained.

How I feel after:
1. Much better than before in terms of energy, digestion, healthier skin, less bloating and I lost about 5 pounds. I still have a bit of mild headachiness and allergies that I'm wondering if there isn't some unknown allergen in my home.
2. I think I'll retain a few days per week of eating nothing but vegetables, to give my digestive tract a break, keep blood sugar levels healthy and keep lots of vitamins and minerals coming in.
3. I still enjoy my soy chai lattes but I'm thinking they'll become a once per week treat, rather than 3-4 per week.

So was it worth it? Definitely! Both in terms of immediate effects and I'm sure long term health benefits, but also as an exercise in self-discipline which I think is an important muscle to flex periodically and empathy for my patients who undertake similar drastic changes in their eating habits.

Thanks for following along and keeping me on track.

Yours in health,
Pamela