A bit of background: 

The 21 Day Sugar Detox is not intended to be a permanent lifestyle.  It is a nutrition-based program for anyone who experiences sugar or carb cravings, energy spikes and dips, brain fog, lethargy, and other undesirable symptoms of an unhealthy, unnatural diet.  It's carefully designed by Diane Sanfilippo to kick your sugar addiction and detox your body from the bad stuff, while fueling it with the good.  (Even she doesn't live it; she does the program once or twice a year to detox her body and feel fabulous.)  Basically, it takes basic paleo principles a step further by eliminating not only refined, but also natural sugars, such as those in fruit and honey.  It also (obviously) meant taking the too-often chocolate treats out of my daily regimen.

However, there are three different levels to choose from, which range from more or less "paleo" based on your current dietary choices.  The program itself comes with a ton of PDFs to help you get through it: Getting Started guides, food replacement suggestions, very clear-cut Yes/No food lists, guides to sugar and sweeteners, and SO MANY OTHER tips for dining out, preparing meals and snacks, recipes, etc.  When I first downloaded it, I was absolutely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information!

My downfall, I think, is that I was overwhelmed and did not prepare properly.

But I'll start at the beginning:

Week 1 was awesome.  Seriously.  I don't know what I expected, but it was fantastic.  Whether I can credit the sugar-free eating or simply my return to paleo, I felt fan-TASTic. Bloat, gone. Hand eczema, improved.  The first few days I was still foggy and lethargic, but soon my energy returned.

The choices were easy. Maybe it's because it was fresh and new, but I did not struggle to stick to the program.  I prepared all my meals at home during the week.  Here's a glimpse at what I ate:

This mish-mash plus sliced, roasted yellow squash

Is that chicken or salmon? With carrots, bell peppers, greens....

A Favorite: Spaghetti Squash Bolognese and Broccoli Originally inspired by Practical Paleo (and Weeknight Paleo)

Eggs-Spinach Scramble

VEGETABLES

OTHER vegetables!  Ooh, and ACORN SQUASH - mentioned below

Well... you get the idea.

That's just some of my eats.  This is a lot of the same stuff I'd already been eating, actually.  What was MISSING was the sugary snacks, which often consisted of chocolate and fruit.  Oh, nixing cashews was also surprisingly sad.  But! Look at all the deliciousness above!

Plus, if you decide to do the detox, the guides come with plenty of recipes, and you can find more on Pinterest.

I did go out a few times.  I declined wine without hesitation (pat on the back, me), and made adjustments to my orders as needed.  I was able to order a delicious, yellowfin tuna over salad at one meal, and a delectable salmon-vegetable plate at another.   Going out to a Japanese restaurant, I ordered my sushi rolls without rice. This was simple; the waiter didn't even hesitate to say yes. And my fish tasted just as fresh and delicious.



I even did the unthinkable: I accompanied friends to my favorite frozen yogurt place and did. not. have any!  WHO AM I? Anyone who knows me would be shocked to hear this act of self-control. But honestly, I didn't even feel like I was missing out.  Froyo will always be available. Did I NEED it on THAT night? Nope. No problem! 

So by the end of the first week, I was flying high.

21DSD Daily Emails

Week 2, I anticipated being more difficult, based on my first month of paleo and the simple fact that it would no longer be as bright, shiny, and new. Plus, work was about to pile up and my stress relief is sometimes based in chocolate. Yikes!

And it was. I started to feel like, Why can't I have these things?  This is sort of more about my general relationship to paleo lately, and less about the sugar detox specifically.  I've been in somewhat of a slump, where I sort of still want the junk, but I have to keep reminding myself WHY I make the choices I do.

Thus, somewhere between week 2 and week 3, I untangled a little.  Ironically, it wasn't even me caving to temptation by others, but rather just sort of... giving in to myself for no reason.  I spent a decent amount of time reflecting on each setback and making note of the negative effects I felt immediately following and the day after a poor food choice.

Week 3 was spent reflecting and carrying on.  The well-feeling contrast between the first two weeks and the third week were undeniable. Those blah-gross-tummyache consequences serve as reminders for me going forward.  I did return to better choices for my home stretch, but I was still feeling the effects (bloating, eczema return with vengeance, brain fog, fatigue) from my setbacks.

Still, by my trip on the 19th, I felt mostly better again.  I ended the night of the 19th with a 21DSD-approved meal found at the airport!  Committed.

It was a tasty salad with hard-boiled eggs.  The only thing I'm unsure of is what the artichoke hearts were marinated in, but it was still better than any other options. I was pleased, and it kept me satisfied for my flight.

More on my actual trip later, but I'm glad I decided to end there.  It was a short, 3-day affair, spent visiting a new city and catching up with friends.  Although they completely supported my nutritional goals by stocking the kitchen with nuts, eggs, veggies, and other things they knew I eat (so thoughtful!), I was glad to enjoy a glass of wine with them.


In the end, I saw results and I saw consequences.  I enjoyed, I *learned*, and so I consider it a success.  

Knowing the Difference

Did I stick to the program 100% and truly detox?  No, I don't think so.  First, I've already been experimenting with paleo eating for almost a year, so I didn't experience severe detox symptoms from the lack of refined sugars in breads and other processed foods that most people struggle to detox from. I did that last year and haven't had to deal with it again since.  HOWEVER, I also don't think I detoxed from sugar, itself.  For this reason, I do want to do the detox again properly at some point in 2013, but next time I'll be better prepared.  I'll make sure to read and follow every rule, tip, and word of advice in Diane's in-depth guides I can plan and be ready for 21 days of detox success.  I also think I'll do less of my own boring go-to meals and dive headfirst into her 21DSD-approved recipes.  I will also have the power of knowledge gleaned from this first experience.