Pushing the Reset Button

[lead]Hi, my name is Brynn and I am a sugar addict.[/lead] Don’t get me wrong, I eat pretty damn healthy 80% of the time but I have a super sweet tooth. Candy, cookies, cake, pie, ice cream….you name it, I love it.

I don’t think sweets are bad, everything in moderation as I like to say. However, I have definitely been feeling the side effects of too much sugar lately…sluggish, temperamental, waking up feeling tired instead of rested, stomach discomfort, etc. Combined with the fact that I had Gestational Diabetes (which puts me at a higher risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes later) during both of my pregnancies, I figured it’s time to cut back on the sugar.

As a nutrition professional that strongly believes in focusing on living a healthy, balanced lifestyle instead of banning certain foods or going on strict “diets”, you may be surprised to hear that I am choosing to do a sugar elimination diet for 21 days. My reasons for doing so include the following:

1. I like a challenge
2. While I believe in “everything in moderation”, I also believe in resetting your body once in awhile
3. As a nutrition profesional, I believe it’s important to not only stay on top of nutrition related trends, but to also give them a try (when applicable) so I can relate better to people when offering health advice
4. It’s a short term meal plan that focuses on reducing sugar for a 3 week period and then returning to a normal, healthy way of eating
5. The meal plan includes normal, healthy, well balanced meals

As the New Year arrived, I researched some of the popular elimination-style diets out there (Whole30, Paleo, Juice Cleanses, etc) and came across the 21 Day Sugar Detox. I liked that it wasn’t a crazy low calorie unrealistic meal plan and that the program itself stated over and over that it wasn’t intended for weight loss, because that isn’t my goal.

I had the pleasure of meeting Diane Sanfilippo, created and author of the 21 Day Sugar Detox, at an event she hosted in my area a few weeks ago. I purchased the 21 Day Sugar Detox book, chit chatted with Diane and later that evening read the book cover to cover in one sitting. I truly felt that this was the right choice for me and I’m so excited to try it out for the next 3 weeks and see how it goes.

My husband and I  start the 3 week detox program tomorrow! I encouraged you to comment if you have any questions you have about the program and I’ll be completely honest with my answers. I plan on giving an update periodically as I go thru the program over the next 3 weeks.

You can read all about Diane and her 21 Day Sugar Detox at her website: Balanced Bites.  She is awesome and really explains things in an easy to understand way. Check her out and let me know what you think. 

Wish me luck…I’m drinking all the wine in the house tonight so I won’t be tempted over the next 3 weeks!