Pre-Thanksgiving Cravings!

It's been over 80 days since I started this blog and my sugar-free journey.  I can't say I've been completely without sugar, it has creeped its way into a few things that I've eaten, (like a couple of protein bars that had evaporated cane juice in them, a fortune cookie at the end of a Vietnamese meal, there was probably some sugar in the curry sauce, etc....) but I've been able to resist buying chocolate chip cookies at the Granary, muffins from Whole Foods, and I did not even have a single piece of candy at Halloween.  So, overall, I'd say I am so pleased with my experiment, and I'd also say it was a success!

Here's where it gets tricky... Thanksgiving is 2 days away.  There will be lots of pie.  There will be candied sweet potatoes.  There will be kuchen.  There will be all kinds of sweet, tempting treats, and I am feeling that it is OK to indulge myself for the day and sample whatever I feel like.  However... with this feeling is coming a sub-conscious "permission" to start now.  The little sabotaging devilish voice in my head is saying, "You know you're going to have some sugar on Thursday, so why don't you go ahead and just get that pumpkin latte you've been wanting ever since they rolled out at the beginning of September?  You've even got a coupon!"  Where does that little voice come from, anyway?

Here's where else it gets tricky.... there will be leftovers, so I'm pretty sure that going "off" my eating plan for a day is going to turn into more than one day, anyhow.  And then, it's only a month until Christmas- and one of my favorite things about Christmas is making cookies.  I already have plans for 2 holiday parties, at which I know there will be sweet treats.  It's not like eating any of them is going to be any kind of health issue, moral dilemma, or earth-shattering crisis, I'm really just interested in looking at my patterns, and trying to make mindful choices over the food I consume, and how it affects me on physical, emotional, and energetic levels. 

What are your issues with food around the holidays?  Feel free to leave a comment below.  Somehow, just writing about it has been helping me to gain clarity around my choices, and having the writing be public makes me feel like I have to be accountable for my actions.  So, to whomever is reading this blog, I thank you.  You have helped me make a huge shift in the way I think and feel (and eat!)  In yoga, this is called "matrika shakti," the power of words.  The word matrika means "little mothers," and it means that your words give birth, so to speak, to your actions and your reality. 

Happy Thanksgiving.  I'll let you know how it goes for me!
~Cheryl

Whoa- Day 36!

I wasn't expecting this.
I thought I'd do the 21 days, and then the sugar would creep back into my life, like it did last time when I tried this little experiment.
But apparently this time is different.  Maybe it's because of the blog.  Because I wrote the blog, a lot of people know what I did, and maybe subconsciously, I don't want to let you all down! 
So, what's been happening for the last 15 days?  It's so weird.  I have pretty much kept to my sugar-free diet, without really even trying, or feeling like I'm sacrificing anything.

I've been enjoying my protein toast with Earth Balance most mornings.  It's yummy and keeps me pretty full until lunchtime.  (Some days I put peanut butter on it instead.)

I've been enjoying a chai or sometimes a coffee with the unsweetened chocolate soy milk.  I actually bought a whole case of the stuff from the health food store.  Bulk discount, Baby!

Lunch has been pretty unremarkable- I've enjoyed blackened tofu, potato salad, left-over broccoli stir fry, soups, rice cakes, etc.

I've been enjoying a rice protein shake made with unsweetened almond milk in the late afternoon before I teach my evening classes.  It keeps me going through the 5:30 class!

I've been enjoying a bowl of rice and beans, or homemade lentil stew when I get home in the evening.  I don't really like to eat that late, but since I haven't been eating that much during the day, I've been feeling the need for sustenance when I get home.

I've enjoyed an occasional square or two of dark chocolate.  Yep.  You heard me right, a square or two.  I think I've had a total of 3 or maybe 4 squares in the last 2 weeks.  This is a HUGE change for me. 

I've had 2 occasions that have been remotely tempting, which both involved eating out with friends.  The first one, I pre-empted dessert by having a glass of wine with dinner, and figured that was enough sugar for one meal.  We all looked at the dessert menu, but nobody was really interested, although my husband tried to tempt me with the key lime pie... but no one ordered any dessert.  Whew!  The second occasion was out with different friends, and they ordered one piece of red velvet cake for the table with a bunch of forks.  This time, I caved.  I had one tiny bite of the cake.  And I really didn't care to have another.  It was waaaaaayyyyy too sweet. 

I'm really amazed at how I've resisted the temptation to buy vegan chocolate chip cookies, or eat all the Lara bars that are still in my desk from before the 21 day adventure.  I did have one bar one day, I was in a pinch for time and I was really hungry, and it was good and satisfying.  I bought one bar of Green and Black's Organic Dark Chocolate, and most of it is still there waiting.  I haven't been interested in very much fruit, but I've gone back to taking my Juice Plus vitamins, so I'm getting my fruit and veggies in a concentrated form, and eating lots of broccoli!  And apples.... I had a "honey crisp" the other day, and like WOW!  It was really good.  I haven't been interested in bananas or other sweet fruits....at least not yet. 

I know that Halloween is on its way, and there will be candy in the house, treats at parties, and lots of sugar pretty much everywhere.  Then it will be Thanksgiving...and I know there will be pies, lots of pies.  (I really like pie much more than cake.)  And then Christmas, which is pretty much synonymous with Cookies, right?  Yeah, I really like cookies.  I like everything about them- making them, decorating them, giving them to friends, and of course eating them.  But, one day at a time here.  No sense getting myself all hyped up on an imaginary sugar rush just yet!  We'll see where the journey continues to take me.  I'm continuing to feel really good, with lots of steady energy throughout the day, and I'm so happy about that.  I'm eating healthy, grounding foods, (beans, rice, soups) rather than feeling like a rabbit eating salads and fruit, and that's really great for my Vata constitution, especially in the fall season.  Overall, I feel great, and I'm so glad to be breaking out of old patterns and habits.  Hooray for me!

Day 22! Victory!

Woo Hoo!

So, I made it through 21 days without sugar, mostly, if you don't count the bite of chutney or the accidental rice syrup solids in the smoothie that one day.  So, what did I do today on Day 22?

I began the day like any other of the past 3 weeks, oatmeal with almond milk and pumpkin pie spice.  I toyed with the thought of adding maple syrup, just to live on the wild side, but decided against it, because it's been satisfying just on its own.  I took a cup of coffee with my unsweetened chocolate soy milk with me in the car on the way to the studio, and enjoyed it very much.  It pre-empted my desire to stop at Dunkin Donuts and get a pumpkin spice latte, like I thought I might want to do on Day 22 back when I started this whole thing.

I was pretty busy most of the day, and didn't really think about eating.  I ended up eating rice cakes for lunch (boring, right?) and for dinner we made a stir fry with broccoli, garlic, and seitan.  It was crunchy and delicious- I had 2 servings!  For an afternoon snack, I decided to go ahead and mix up a protein drink with that mix I had purchased. 

Ironically, I didn't even think about getting the celebratory dark chocolate bar that I was anticipating the other day.  I did eye up some fruit when I went into the store to pick up the broccoli on the way home.  Peaches, tangerines, honeydew melons.... they looked attractive, but they were shipped all the way from California, and none of them seemed ripe enough to eat today or tomorrow, so I didn't buy any.  I did buy some sweet potatoes that I will cook up tomorrow!

So, how do I feel?  I feel pretty darn good.  I stuck to my guns, and I have all of you to thank for helping me stay accountable.  You will continue to do so, too, when we see each other at the studio, online, etc, even if you don't realize it!  One of the best feelings about being out of the clutches of a sugar addiction is that I am waking up refreshed in the morning, and not feeling tired in the middle of the day.  My energy levels are steady and good.  This last week, I've even been able to stay up a little bit later without crashing, and I've been sleeping well.  To me, those are all signs that I'm doing something right.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences about the sugar detox, if you've been trying it along with me, or if you'd consider doing it in the future. 

Another very cool benefit of these 3 weeks is that I've been enjoying doing the blog.  I'd love to say I'll keep blogging, but I find it hard to do when I don't have a specific subject to focus on.  I do have a yoga blog going over at  http://inthebhav.blogspot.com/ but I haven't kept up with it very much... I just looked and the last entry was from almost a year ago!  So, maybe I'll pop back over there on a weekly or monthly basis and come up with some insightful things to write about.  Suggestions for topics are welcome and appreciated!

So overall, it was pretty easy for me to give up sugar for three weeks.  I guess I really am sweet enough!

Lots of love,
Cheryl

Day 20: The end is near!

So, people are asking me, "What happens on Day 22?  Are you going to binge on sugar?  Are you going to go back to your habitual way of eating?"

These are very good questions, ones which I didn't have a clear idea of an answer to when I started this 21 day adventure.  I knew what my goal was, and I was pretty sure what the results were going to be, but I didn't know where I wanted to take it when the time was over.

As of today, I realize that I am pretty happy eating the way I have been for the past 20 days, and could continue to do so with a few modifications.

I will incorporate more fruit back into my diet.  I think that eating a variety of fruit is a very good way to get lots of vitamins, phytochemicals, and moisture into my body.  I love the taste of fruit, much of it is portable, requires little preparation, and best of all, it isn't processed like rice cakes or tofu are, which have become staples in my diet these past 3 weeks!

I will not worry about whether there is a little bit of sugar in a sauce, a chutney, or a protein drink, as long as it's within reason.  I will continue to use unsweetened almond and soy milk (like I pretty much always have) but I won't worry about that 2 g of "rice syrup solids" that were in the vegan protein shake mix.  I will drink it with pleasure!

I will not eat candy, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pies, etc.  UNLESS there is a very good reason to do so.  One exception will be dark chocolate, of course.  But it will be a couple of squares, rather than half the bar.  In fact, this will probably be the first treat I give myself on Thursday, and I will do my best to limit it to once or twice a week, rather than on a daily kind of basis!  I can challenge myself to see "how long can I make this chocolate bar last?"

I've decided not to have cake tomorrow.  Nobody will really care if I eat cake or not, so why sabotage my discipline just for a piece of cake?  I'm only bringing the cake because the student said she really likes cake.  I will have some fruit or veggies that one of the other students are bringing.  Dilemma solved. 

I'm really looking forward to sweeter vegetables, like sweet potatoes- such a great autumn veggie!  I love them with cinnamon.  I will also get some acorn or kabocha squash for the weekend.  I'm also anticipating some yummy green smoothies!

So, to make a long story short, I do want to keep my sugar intake at a minimum, but I'm not going to be hyper vigilant about it.  Yea!

Is it really Day 19 already?

I actually just had to go and check the calendar to make sure I had counted correctly, because it really doesn't seem like it's been that long.  But, I guess it has been quite the adventure in sugarless-ness.  I feel like I've been surfing the waves of desire- for sweet, decadent foods, for quick fixes from hunger, for wanting to rid myself of a habitual pattern, for wanting to feel fabulous.

I actually do feel pretty fabulous!  I haven't felt tired at all, except for at night, when I totally crash as soon as I hit the pillow.  I wake up in the morning refreshed and energized and ready to face the day.  I've gotten lots of work done in these past 19 days, and haven't felt overwhelmed or overly emotional about stuff.  My stress level seems to have gone down.  These are all very good things!

So, I'm interested in the connection between sugar and stress.  I've done some initial exploration on the internet, and it appears to be common medical knowledge that stress causes people's blood sugar levels to rise or spike, especially in diabetics who do not have good insulin regulation.  Sources like the Mayo Clinic, the American Diabetes Association, and WebMD all agree that physical and mental stress can cause blood sugar to rise.  My question is, is the relationship reciprocal?  Does a diet high in sugar contribute to a stress response in the body?

Apparently, some researchers at USF wondered the same thing.  A 2010 study found that rats who ate a high sugar diet exhibited greater stress reactions than those who ate a low sugar diet, and the low sugar rats tended to be more social and curious that those who were stressed out on sugar.


So, I have to admit, I had a very minor confession from Saturday night.  We were at an Indian restaurant, and ordered a variety of dishes for the table.  Without even thinking about it, I took a good sized scoop of mango chutney for my naan.  Of course, at the first bite, I realized that it was full of sugar, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the rest of it!  There may have been sugar in some of the other sauces as well, you never really know when you're eating out.  But, I'm really pleased for the most part that I've been so conscious in what I've been consuming these past 2.5 weeks.

I think my biggest weakness after Wednesday is going to be chocolate.  It's the only sweet thing I'm really still craving.  Perhaps that's because I've been indulging my chocolate desire with the unsweetened chocolate milk in my tea, and the cacao powder in the almond butter concoction (which tasted much better when made with peanut butter, in my opinion!)  Maybe if I went totally cold turkey with the chocolate, I would lose that strong craving too, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to go there!  I think that I've done really well with accomplishing what I wanted to, and don't feel the need for further deprivation!

Because it's not about deprivation.  Over the weekend, at the philosophy workshop, we were talking about how desire is not a bad thing, how life is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated- all of life, the good, the bad, the sweet, the sour, and even the chocolatey.  (OK, I'm really paraphrasing here.)  Like one of my yoga students said to me early on, it's about balance.  And I'm really striving to find a middle way.  But sometimes to find the middle, you have to swing wildly to both sides, like a pendulum, and eventually find that stillness in the center.

Tomorrow, I have to either make or purchase a small birthday cake for one of my students who is turning 80 years old.  We'll be celebrating her awesomeness on Wednesday morning, which will be my Day 21.  And she said that her favorite is chocolate frosting.  So, I just may choose to take a small, sweet taste of that celebration with her.

Day 15: In which I was blissfully distracted

I spent most of the day today chanting kirtan.  Now that's a day full of sweetness, for sure.  I drove to Naples to visit my friend Missy, to practice for an upcoming kirtan event that we are doing together.  The whole drive down, I was chanting, to warm up and figure out what songs I wanted to rehearse with her.  We spent a couple of hours going over the set, and then a couple more hours talking, singing more, listening to kirtan cds, and generally goofing around.  She gave me some kirtan cds to listen to on my drive home, so I spent the whole ride home also singing kirtan!

I think that when most of us are blissfully involved in doing some activity that we really love, we don't feel the need/desire for sweets, or even for much food at all.  We get into the state known as "Flow," and time just flies by and we can become oblivious to everything other than what we are focused on.  I didn't even notice I was hungry until I got back in the car to drive home, and then realized that the almond butter toast I had eaten 6 hours prior had been completely digested and I was Ready. To. Eat. NOW.  So, I stopped at the 7-11 just before getting on the highway.  I didn't even look at the drink case, I had been sipping green tea and water all afternoon, and wasn't feeling thirsty at all.  (If I had looked, I would have found an assortment of colored, flavored, and naturally or chemically sweetened beverages- none of which would have been appealing, anyway.)  I walked to the "snack" aisle.  Candy, granola bars, pop-tarts, multigrain fruit bars, twinkies, cupcakes, trail mix, chips, crackers, pretzels, etc.  I opted for a bag of salted cashews.  Everything else looked so unappealing- so "fake."  Actually, the pretzels did look good, but they only came in a large bag, which I didn't want to get.

My eyes did linger for a moment on the " Combos."  If you don't know what Combos are, you're

actually not alone, because if you look at the ingredients, you still won't know what they are.  However, I will admit to eating more than a few bag-fulls over the course of my lifetime.  Basically they are either a tube-shaped pretzel or cracker, with a flavored "cheese" filling. (i.e. cheddar, nacho, pizza flavored.)  I remember getting a bag of them one time while I was waiting at the train station in NJ, eating most of the bag, and THEN looking at the nutritional information.  That was a mistake!  One modest sized bag of Combos had over 1400 calories!  I was actually floored.  Obviously it made an impression on me because I still remember the calorie count all these years later.  That's almost a whole day's worth of calories for some people.  I'd be willing to guess that they are loaded with fat and sugar, not to mention preservatives, artificial flavoring and coloring.  Anyway, the cashews did the trick, and when I did get home I warmed up some leftover lentil soup.

I'm going to be really busy for the next 3 days- we have a guest presenter coming in to the yoga studio for a weekend workshop (Bill Mahony!  If you are anywhere near Sarasota, FL this weekend, RUN don't walk to the Garden of the Heart to hear his discussions on yoga philosophy- you won't be disappointed!)  I'm super excited, and I know that I'm going to have little time to think about food, which puts me into dangerous territory, because when I forget to eat, I will suddenly find myself StArViNg and ready to eat anything that's in my path.  So, my game plan is to stop at the store tomorrow afternoon and stock up on healthful, sugar-free options.  (Blackened tofu, rice cakes, avocados, green apples, nuts, radishes, etc.)  In the past, I would have stocked up on very different items, like Lara bars, Endangered Species Chocolate, dried apricots, granola.  Those things still sound appealing at first, but thinking about them I realize how heavy and full of sugar all of those items are, compared to the first list, which are mostly light and energizing.  I think I'm making progress here in my choices, and THAT, readers, is blissful to me.

We are One,
Namaste!

Day 14: Just one week to go! But, where am I going?

Ah, today was blissfully easy to get through.  Oatmeal with almonds for breakfast, grilled tofu and potato salad from Earth Origins for lunch, a salad and rice cakes for dinner.  In between, I had a cup of coffee with almond milk, and today instead of chai, I had roasted dandelion tea, at the suggestion of a friend who is also doing 21 days without sugar. It has a carob-like flavor, and it is supposed to be good for detoxing.  I also drank a lot of water today, and had some hibiscus tea at Andy's house when I went for my Pilates session.

Hydration is really key for me.  If I forget to drink a lot of water during the day, I fizzle out, kinda like the Wicked Witch of the East when Dorothy removed her ruby slippers.  (That image always freaked me out as a little kid!)

Anyway, the question has come up:  What happens at the end of the 21 days?  Will I gorge on donuts and ice cream?  (Not likely.)  Will I continue to give up sugar entirely?  (Also not likely.)  What is my overall goal here, anyway?

The goal is not to unnecessarily restrict myself from life's sweet pleasures.  I am a yogini, yes, but I'm more of a Tantrika than an Ascetic.  I believe that life is to be lived fully, and that pleasures are not to be completely denied.  I will be happy to partake in birthday cake, (and even possibly a day early, as one of my students is turning 80 years old next week, and we are having a party for her!) happy to enjoy a spoon of sugar in my chai every now and then, and thrilled to eat a banana.  For me, this 21 day reset is really an exercise in mindfulness.  Noticing how much sugar was in my diet, being mindful of the ingredients in the foods I tend to reach for in a pinch, and awareness that a little bit of planning can go a long way in maintaining a clean diet and good energy levels throughout my day.  What I really wanted to get out of this was a restoration of balance, and I do feel like I'm getting there.  As a bonus, I have really been enjoying the blogging, and I'll have to think of something else to blog about after next week.  Hmmmm, maybe Yoga??

So, for week 3, I don't feel the need to make any big changes.  I'll continue to restrict sugar in most forms, with the exception of some fruit (apples mostly, but maybe this week coming up I'll feel like expanding into berries or citrus.  I was totally happy with just the apples in week 2.)  I think I may also add sweet potatoes, and/or squash- my friend told me about Kabocha squash, which looks similar to acorn squash, but has edible skin. So, I may try that.  Fall is a time of year when I like cooking squash and sweet potatoes- they are heavy and grounding and warming, especially with spices on them like cinnamon or garam masala.  Mmmmm.  I think I'll also add shredded coconut into my oatmeal this week- I'm getting bored with just almonds or walnuts!  And next week after that it will be raisins, for sure.  (Tim will be so happy!)

Thanks for following this blog, and thank you so much to those of you who have sent me private messages with questions, comments, and support.  You're holding me accountable, and I appreciate it!  Namaste,

Cheryl

Days 12 & 13: Moon cycle

Oh, the joys of the moon cycle!

It's always interesting when I'm detoxing.  I never quite know what to expect.  The first day, I was all cocky and arrogant and like, "I have no cramps!  This sugar detox is amazing!"  (the only other 2 times in my life I didn't get menstrual cramps was when I was doing raw food detoxes.) But they came in full force on the second day this time around.  I'm desperately craving chocolate, just like any other month, but haven't yet indulged in an Endangered Species bar or a Green&Blacks.  Just drinking my choco-chai and riding out the waves.

Today I replicated a delicious warm drink I once had at the Wings bookstore at the Unity Church in St. Petersburg, called the "chai-coff-ski."  Say it phonetically, and think of the Russian composer.  I made it with 1/2 chai tea, 1/2 coffee, and 1/2 chocolate almond milk.  I know, that doesn't work out in the proper ratio, but it was tasty nonetheless. I REALLY wanted to dump a couple tablespoons of sugar in it.  But, I restrained myself.  I made lentil soup instead.

For dinner tonight, I was going to throw in a veggie burger, but we didn't have any that were vegan, so I had some sprouted grain, high protein toast, with Earth Balance spread, some mixed nuts, and an apple with the rest of the chocolate/coconut/peanut butter dip from a few days ago.  Now I'm hungry again, and really jonesin' for something sweet.  Even the "Juice Plus" chewable vitamins are calling out to me.... "eat us, we're healthy for you...." but 2 of the first 3 ingredients are Tapioca syrup and Evaporated cane juice.  What will I do???

....OK, I had some Triscuits.  Not exactly health food, but contain no sugar, they're vegan, and they were satisfying.  And now I'm sipping a big glass of water- not the greatest idea at 9pm, but I realized that I really didn't drink enough water today.

I realized that September is the perfect time for me to take a sugar vacation.  There are no holidays with obligatory sweets, and no one in my house has a birthday, so there was no saying "I'll start next week after this event...." I was just able to decide I wanted to do it and jump right in, rather spontaneously, with nothing looming ahead to thwart my efforts.  Maybe September should be National No Sugar Month...what do you think? Should we start a revolution?  (Sorry, Virgos and Libras, I don't mean to deny you your birthday cakes.)

I'm looking at the calendar, and see that I only have a week and a day to go on my 21 day journey.  Tomorrow marks the 2/3 point.  (I don't have a game plan for Day 22 or beyond, just yet.)  So far, I've lost 2 or 3 pounds, and my body- especially my arms- feels a little leaner.  The past couple of days I've been kind of tired, but that's probably just the effects of the moon cycle.  I've been sleeping well at night, and getting a lot of work done during the day.  Today I was really focused and crossed a whole bunch of items off my to-do list, hooray!  (I know, you can't tell I'm feeling focused from this blog post, it's all over the place.)  The rest of the week is going to be full of activity, culminating in a great workshop this weekend.  I'm going to go hit the sack and do some reading to prepare for it. 

Namaste!

Day 11: Oops.

I was in Whole Foods today, and was looking for some kind of protein shake mix to help make the mornings easier.  Oatmeal isn't seeming to keep me feeling full for more than a couple of hours, and I thought it would be great to keep some kind of shake mix at the studio to swig down after teaching my morning class, since I'm usually ravenous by that time.  There are a number of vegan protein mixes on the shelf in Whole Foods, with a wide variety of ingredients and price ranges.  I spent about 10 minutes reading all the labels.  After contemplating back and forth, I finally decided on the "Growing Naturals" Organice Rice Protein Chocolate Power.  It's vegan, gluten free, non-soy, 24g of protein per serving, and non-GMO verified.  Did I mention it's Chocolate?

I brought it back to the studio, and mixed it with what was left of my coffee, and topped it up with about 8 oz of soy milk.  Shook it up in my travel mug, and took a sip.  Yummy!  I drank some more.  Awesome!  I didn't use a blender, I just shook it up, and it wasn't lumpy or chunky (at least not till I got to the very bottom.)  It was smooth, flavorful, and sweet.  Wait.....it was SWEET?  Ruh-roh.  I looked at the label again.  Hadn't I spent 10 minutes reading labels?

 Yep, it has sugar.  Sort of.  It has "organic sprouted whole grain brown rice syrup solids."  And it has Stevia, which I usually don't care for the flavor of, but in this case it tasted just fine. 

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? 

I'm going to blame it on the Vata.  People with a predominantly Vata Dosha (like myself) are prone to become overwhelmed by excessive choices when our Vata is out of balance.  (Yesterday I was talking about the dryness of my skin and hair- a sure sign that my Vata is outta whack.)  In the grocery store, with all the stimulation, the bright lights, all the varieties of protein mixes, all of the label reading, I got a little flustered and grabbed the wrong container.

The good news is, the serving I drank only had 2g of sugar.
I promptly looked up "brown rice syrup" on Google, and found this great little article on Livestrong,
which told me that brown rice syrup is made from rice, (duh) which I've been eating a ton of already during this experiment.  And it has a relatively low glycemic index, less than half that of table sugar, so it doesn't have a big effect on your blood sugar level, because it enters the blood stream very slowly, and it may not contribute to the "desire for more sugar."

WHEW!  So, my thought process is to stay the course for the next 10 days, and then add this tasty shake into my routine after the 21 days are over.  In the meantime, I'm definitely gonna do that self-oil massage and get grounded.

Days 9 and 10

Wow, day 10 already! 
Yesterday and today were extremely busy days for me.  On Friday I did a lot of driving, a lot of running around to different stores buying supplies, had some meetings, made a list and checked it twice (in prep for "work day" at the yoga center, which was today) and ended it up with a lovely kirtan.  By the time I got home last night, I just wanted to crash.

Today, I taught class in the morning, and spent all afternoon at the studio, taping, painting, cleaning, mopping, delegating, and so forth.  I was surprised that we got the majority of the work done today, and there won't be much left to do tomorrow- mostly clean up and getting things back to a semblance of organization.

I've noticed before, that when I'm doing some kind of detox (isn't this just a fancy word for what we used to call a "diet?") I tend to wind up organizing stuff.  I wish I could be more organized all the time, not just in a little spurt two or three times a year.

I noticed yesterday that my skin and hair are kind of dry.  In Ayurveda, Sweet is one of the "tastes" that balances Vata, which is the "airy" constitution, which is my predominant dosha.  I've been trying to stay grounded with denser, heavier foods, favoring cooked greens over raw, soups/stews (stoups!) over salads, and not restricting grains in any way.  But I think tomorrow, I will give myself an oil massage, which will feel awesome.

Speaking of Awesome, I'd like to give a huge shout out to +bernadette birney for posting her recipe: Choco-Almond Butter Apples on her yoga blog.  I finally made it tonight, sort of.... we didn't have almond butter, so I used natural peanut butter instead, so it isn't raw, but it is delicious!  It literally took one minute to mix up, and a little bit goes a long way.  I'll be making this again, for sure.  I wish I could make it into a smoothie!

Ingredients are: almond (or peanut) butter, coconut oil, cacao powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt.  Mix and dip green apple slices.  Super Yum.

Tomorrow will be "hump day!"  The half-way mark, wow!  I'll definitely be sure to check in tomorrow and hopefully be a little more coherent.  (Feeling kinda spacey tonight, maybe it's from the paint fumes!)

Love, Cheryl

Day 8: In which I ate a green apple

Sweet, tart, tangy, juicy, it was a taste explosion in my mouth!

I felt validated that the last 7 days with no sugar (including fruit) was worth it.  It wasn't even the freshest, crispest apple ever, (such as the organic pink lady apples that we used to get at the Liberty, NY farmer's market- whoa....) it had been in our fridge for at least a couple of weeks, was kinda bruised, and was even warm from sitting in the car for an hour while I was doing my torture Pilates session.  But it was satisfying!  It was wonderful!  I can hardly wait to have another one....tomorrow.

I imagine that I gave all the "sweet" receptors in my tongue (or are they in my brain?) a chance to re-sensitize.  I know something like this happens, (even if I don't know the physiology of it,) because a green apple, which would normally taste really tart (or even sour-ish) to me was a really sweet taste.  At this point, I think that going for that "pumpkin spice latte" would throw me into sugar shock.  As it was, I got a little bit of a headache right after eating the apple.  I could practically feel the sugar rushing through my bloodstream. 

Other stuff I consumed today:
coffee w/ unsweetened chocolate soy milk (even yummier than the choco-chai!)
quinoa and black bean salad
blackened tofu
some rice cakes
a whole avocado
almonds 

I'll plan to get more leafy greens tomorrow.  A big salad sounds fabulous!  Actually, if anyone wants to meet me for lunch tomorrow, send me a private message on Facebook.  I'll be up near University/75 around 12 or 12:30 and I know a great place to go, and they even have sugar free salad dressings!

Namaste,
Cheryl

Day 7: Untangling

Today was a busy day for me, in which I had to untangle many cords and wires at the studio in order to get the computer system back up and running (with big thanks to Tim for talking me through how to reset the wireless router!)  I usually enjoy untangling things, knots, yarn, etc. but not this time.  The modem and router sit on top of a tall filing cabinet, and have what seem like 50 cords tangled up behind the cabinet, attached to an extension cord and some power strips, since I only have like one outlet in the office that is accessible.  So as I was trying to untangle so I could unplug and reset everything (and not get the cords mixed up- which power cord goes to which device?) the extension cord for the room lights got loose and I ended up doing half of it in the relative dark (with the bathroom light on!)  Can you tell, this stressed me out?  Anyway, I finally got it all working, and got the top of the filing cabinet cleaned off, to boot.

I met a friend at Ionie's Cafe for lunch.  It's a raw, vegan, organic cafe in Sarasota, and if you ever have the opportunity to go there, RUN, don't walk.  It's amazing.  I have been there probably a dozen times, and have never tried anything I didn't love.  Today, I opted for the kelp noodle pesto, which I've had there a few times before.  And when it came out, there was this bundle of tangled kelp noodles!  Luckily, I didn't have to untangle them before happily munching my lunch.  Om nom nom.

I borrowed this picture from the Ionie Cafe Facebook page.  See how the noodles are all tangled up into a neat little stack?

Now, usually when I go to Ionie's with a friend, we inevitably wind up sharing a dessert, since Ionie's desserts are so decadent, and they are totally raw, so they must be good for you, right?  Today, the server was surprised that we declined dessert.  But I felt very comfortable after the pesto (and the tiny greek pizza that my friend and I shared.)  The conversation alone would have been enough to fill me up, actually, it's always nice to spend time with a friend!

After lunch, I headed back to the yoga studio, and after teaching I had to go to a church function where I was playing music.  At the end of the service, after we had all packed up our instruments and walked outside, there was a table set up with juice and cookies.  Cookies?  Oh no!!  Fortunately, they weren't homemade, that might have been a temptation, especially since my last meal had been 6 hours prior to that.... (I did of course have some choco-chai, and also some "snap-pea crisps"- not exactly the healthiest snack, but hey, they don't have any sugar in them.  I picked them up earlier at the health food store since I wanted something salty and crunchy that wasn't a rice cake.)  Anyway, I resisted juice and cookies and felt fine about it.

So, now that I've gotten through a week without sugar, I feel like I'm untangling myself from my sugar addiction.  I'm ready to add some fruit to my diet tomorrow, and see how that feels.  I must say, when I was at the health food store today, I was very proud of myself for not being tempted by all the food bars, chocolate, and little treats they put up by the cash registers.  I barely glanced at them, actually.  So, I know I'm getting there. 

With Love, Cheryl

BTW, you may be wondering what was in the pesto sauce if it was vegan?  I'm not exactly sure what Ionie puts in hers, but I make vegan pesto pretty much every year when basil is plentiful.  My ingredients are basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Basically the same as regular pesto, just without the cheese.  It's still super yummy, creamy, and fragrant- and my kids will dump sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Day 6: a brief post...

I worked from home all day today.  This had it's good points and it's not so good points.  The main not-so-good point being that I ate almost all of the remainder of the can of roasted & salted almonds.  The good points being that I didn't drive very far in the car (just ran one quick errand) so got to spend more time focused on work, family, and some play. 

In fact, I'm keeping this blog post pretty brief for a couple of reasons,
1. my brain is saying it's done for the day
2. I'm gonna help my son with his college applications
3. Nothing notable happened with my diet today.  Oatmeal, soup, broccoli, tofu, choco-chai, you get the gist of it.  One of the kids made a pot of pasta, and I happily munched on a couple forkfuls of plain ziti- wow.  Who ever knew that plain pasta actually had a flavor?

Tomorrow will be a pretty late night, so I MIGHT skip the blog tomorrow and resume on Day 8, we'll see how I feel when I get home, and whether I have anything relatively profound to say about my first week of no sugar.  I'll be a third of the way through my 21 day adventure!

If you want a really nice 21 day challenge, check out Deva Premal and Miten's 21 Day Mantra Challenge.  You get a lovely mantra meditation every day for 3 weeks.  It started today, so it's not too late to jump in.
http://www.mentorschannel.com/DevaPremal/21-DayMantraMeditationJourney/LandingPage/

Namaste, Y'all!

Day 5: A Trick Question

Ready for the trick question?  Guess what I had for breakfast today?  It wasn't oatmeal, so you'll probably never guess (unless you looked at the picture already.)  Once again inspired by +Emma Magenta, I had a very tasty, yet non-traditional breakfast.   I really did NOT want oatmeal, nor did I have time to fix the steel-cut oatmeal that I prefer over rolled oats, so I raided the fridge.  I had just purchased some portobello mushroom caps the night before, and also some arugula, so I diced the mushrooms and put them in a saute pan with a little olive oil, along with a frozen vegan Boca burger patty.  Once those items were nearly cooked through, I tossed in the arugula until it wilted.  The result was this:

which was actually much tastier than it looks in the photo.  And it was full of vitamins and protein, and wasn't entirely beige, like the oatmeal I've eaten every morning for the past 4 days.  It had texture, it had bitter greens, it literally made my day.  I wasn't hungry for lunch until about 5 hours after this breakfast.  Lunch, however, was pretty beige: hummus and gluten-free pretzel sticks, and I also had a snack of roasted, salted almonds (which is a treat for me, I usually eat almonds raw.)  Dinner with Tim ended up being a stir fry with broccoli, garlic, and grilled tofu.  And, of course, there was chocolate chai to get me through the day. 

Someone asked me about why I was restricting fruit, and did I plan to do that long term?  No, definitely not a long term solution, I ADORE fruit, and can't wait to have some.  I didn't really have any sugar cravings today, so I know that what I'm doing is working for me, so I'll keep fruitless for a few more days, just to make sure that I'm really resetting my palate.  Maybe by day 8 I'll add in some relatively sour fruits, like green apples, grapefruit, and lemons.  Soon after, I'll look forward to berries, peaches, and some sweeter veggies, like raw carrots and baked sweet potatoes.  The last to add back in would be tropical fruits with their super-high sugar content, like bananas, mangoes, papaya, pineapple.  I'm nearly drooling just thinking about them.  Which is a good thing, it means that soon I'll be craving fruit instead of brownies.  Yippee!

Day 4: Sweet Dreams?

The night before last I had some not so sweet dreams.  And a couple other people I talked to (who are sugar detoxing) also had some pretty whacked out stress dreams.  Dreams of being out of control, being persecuted, feeling like our personal safety was at risk.  Wowza.  Could it be related to removing sugar from our diets?  Is this change in eating habits so stressful, that my psyche feels threatened?

My dream was that I was alone in an apartment or hotel room and  police officers came to the door and wanted to arrest me for not paying my income taxes.  I protested!  When they came into the apartment, there was a handgun (presumably mine) and a half empty bottle of booze on the table.  I pleaded that the gun wasn't loaded, and the bottle belonged to someone else.  They said they didn't believe me, and that I would have to be drugged with a truth serum.  They gave me magic mushrooms to eat, and said that I would be questioned once I ate them.  I obediently took the shrooms and started to chew them, and about halfway through, I said "wait, is this right?  Shouldn't I have a lawyer?  Am I going to remember any of this?"  At that point in the dream, I was chewing and chewing, and as the mushroom took effect, I settled into a very deep state of relaxation, of surrender, completely out of my own control.  And that's actually when I woke up and realized I was gnashing my teeth in real life.


Whoa...... what's underlying all of this?  Feeling totally out of control?  Not being believed?  Allowing others to make me do something detrimental to my well-being?  I think it was my sugar addiction expressing those feelings about itself.  (It's no longer in control- I no longer believe that I need to eat sugar to have energy, and I am acting in a way that is detrimental to the continuation of the addiction.)

I was discussing it with a friend this morning, and we were talking about how sugar subconsciously gives us a sense of security.  Feeling sad?  Eat something sweet, you'll feel better.  It's true.  Our bodies are actually hard-wired to enjoy the sweet taste.  Our first food is breast milk, which was sweet, nourishing, nurturing, and provided us with not only complete sustenance, but also the security of being close to our mother- of feeling safe and loved.  So, it's not really surprising that we crave sweets when we're feeling lonely or depressed or unloved.  And, it's not much of a leap to deduce that taking sweets out of the dietary equation might (at some level) leave us feeling insecure, stressed, or even unworthy.  Believe me, I'm very happy to work this out in the dream state rather than in my waking life.  Because overall, when I'm detoxing, while it can be stressful, I know that I am doing something good for my body, and I feel more of a sense of self-control than when I am submitting to a craving for a chocolate chip cookie.  I'll put up with a few weird dreams, rather than feeling stressed out about it during the day when I have much more important things to do!

So, if you're detoxing with me, and you'd like to share any of your dream experiences, feel free to do so in the comments below or on Facebook.  (I don't know if there's a way to be anonymous in the Blogger comments, but you could make up a fake profile name if you don't want your name to be revealed to whomever might be reading these posts!)

Nighty Night,
Cheryl

Day 3: busy, busy, busy!

Whew, such a long day!  I taught my yoga class this morning at 9am, and then assisted in the Immersion Program all afternoon and early evening.  So, there wasn't much time to even think about food.  Luckily, I was armed and ready.

You'll never guess what I had for breakfast.... oatmeal!  This time I used ginger and cinnamon with my walnuts.  Tasty.  As soon as I got to the yoga studio, I made a big travel mug of chai with almond milk.  Turns out that chai was going to carry me through this busy day.

I brought lentil soup (stoup!) leftovers with me, but didn't want to put it in the fridge, cause cold stoup just isn't so appealing to me.  I had the brilliant idea to leave the lentils in the car, hoping that the Florida heat would at least bring them up to a warm temperature, but it was overcast and so when I went out to get them after class, they were room temp at best.  Scarfed them down anyway, along with a couple of rice cakes.

Then people started coming for the Immersion program, so guess what I did?  Yep, you guessed it- more chai.  I added my yummy unsweetened chocolate soymilk this time, and actually ended up making a few more mugfuls to sip throughout the afternoon.  During the break, I also had some hummus and gluten-free pretzels.  On the drive home, it was more radishes and Mary's Gone Crackers.  So, not the best day nutrition-wise in terms of variety, but I wasn't starving- in fact I never really felt very hungry.

Something interesting came up during our break, we were sitting around talking and eating, and the subject of Ayurveda came up.  For those unfamiliar with that term, Ayurveda is an Eastern system of health that is said to be the "sister science" to yoga.  It describes certain "constitutions" that different people are made up of, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.  (roughly Air, Fire, and Water, but that's really a whole different blog.)  Anyway, someone was eating fruit and saying that the Sweet taste (of fruit, honey, etc.) is actually good and recommended for someone with a Vata constitution, because the Sweet taste is grounding, which balances the light quality of air.  I am also predominantly Vata in my constitution, but I'm avoiding sugar: isn't that going to throw me out of balance?  (I don't think anyone in the conversation knew I was doing this sugar detox, because they didn't direct this question at me, but I was considering it previously, anyhow.)  I piped in that you don't have to have fruit or sugar to get a Sweet taste.  Sweet (as described in Ayurveda, anyway) is also present in grains, some beans, and certain vegetables and spices.  For example, cinnamon has the essence of Sweet, (that's why I've been using it in my oatmeal.)  I also find that chick peas and red lentils have that Sweet quality- that's why I had hummus and lentils today.  White rice also has that quality of Sweet- hence the rice cakes.  So really, pretty much everything I ate today served to balance my absence of sugar, and kept my cravings relatively under control.  Or maybe it was just the choco-chai.

Day 2: in which I actually cook 3 meals on my stove!

It was so nice to have a day where I was able to work from home most of the day: I was actually able to cook 3 meals at home.  I haven't had the luxury of doing that in quite some time. 

Breakfast was again, steel-cut oatmeal with walnuts, almond milk, cinnamon, and maca.  I managed to hold off on having breakfast until 10:00, but did have some coffee with almond milk around 8am.

I belong to a website called the Daily Challenge, and every day they give you a healthy challenge that involves either exercise, food, good habits, or relaxation (you can check it out at challenge.meyouhealth.com ) and today was a food challenge.  I was supposed to eat a food that is high in potassium, and most of the choices they suggested were fruits, but they also mentioned potatoes or spinach, so I decided on potatoes, since we had some in the house.  Now, I get this challenge in my inbox at 7am every morning, so all morning long I'm fantasizing on how I'm going to cook the potatoes.  Here's what I did, they were so yummy:

Cut 3 medium sized potatoes into 1 inch cubes.  I left the skin on.
Cooked potatoes in a skillet with olive oil, about half way through cooking added 1/2 an onion, sliced, a handful of raw cashews, cumin, ginger, cardamom, curry powder, and a couple tablespoons of water.  Served with salt to taste.  Sooooo good.

For dinner I knew I wanted something with protein, and we had a small bag of red lentils in the pantry.  I didn't really know how I wanted to make them, and I didn't have the ingredients for my favorite lentil soup with chard, so I just started with cooking the lentils in water and followed my muse.  Once the lentils were getting soft, there was still a lot of water, so I knew it was going to end up like soup.  I added a Knorr vegetable bullion cube, the other half of the onion (chopped this time) and a whole big clove of elephant garlic.  If you've never used elephant garlic, you don't know what you've been missing.  You only have to peel one clove, and the amount of chopped garlic you get would make any Italian proud- they are huge!!  I didn't want to go the curry route again, so I added about a tablespoon of Herbs de Provence and sliced 2 carrots and threw them in.  And then I also dumped the rest of a bag of red quinoa that wouldn't have been enough to use for anything else (less than 1/2 cup.) What resulted was a savory, comforting, sweet-tasting concoction that I call "stoup," something between a stew and a soup.  It was so tasty and satisfying, and there's leftovers for tomorrow!!

Then, it was off to the yoga studio for the evening session of the Yoga Studies Program.  During which I had my choco-chai (chai tea from a tea bag, with unsweetened chocolate soy milk added.)  And on the drive home I had some Mary's Gone Crackers.

So, Day 2 was another success!  I'm not feeling tired or grouchy, and I know I can do this.  On the drive home, I passed the Circle K, and realized that there was probably nothing in there that I wanted.  What a freeing realization!  Tomorrow will be an interesting day, I'll be at the yoga studio from 8:30 in the morning until 7:30 at night.  I'm planning to pack some stuff, and I'll probably pick up some hummus on my way in.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Day 1: Success!

Well, the day started off pretty predictably, with a bowl of oatmeal.  We really like steel cut oatmeal, although I usually throw some kind of fruit in it and adorn with maple syrup.  Today, I added walnuts, pumpkin pie spice, and some maca powder (which has a negligible amount of sugar since it is a dried fruit) and a splash of unsweetened almond milk.  It was yummy, and kept me going for about 3 hours.

At about 10:30, I was really hungry, so I scarfed down some blackened tofu that I had picked up yesterday.  It was REALLY good!  I forgot that I was going to be working late at the studio today, so I didn't bring any dinner with me.  I had an early afternoon pick me up of some chai with unsweetened chocolate soymilk.  This is going to be a staple for the next 3 weeks!!  It satisfies on so many levels- the warmth, the spiciness, and of course, the chocolate.  Perhaps the only thing I'm addicted to more than sugar is chocolate. 

I was really surprised that I wasn't hungry at all during the afternoon.  I went to my Pilates lesson, and where I normally would have eaten a Lara bar or something on the way up there, I was feeling really sated and comfortable.  When I returned to the studio, I had a whole avocado and a couple of organic rice cakes (the dense kind, not the kind that is like Styrofoam.) 

On my way home, I realized that it was strange that I hadn't had any fruit or vegetables today (besides the avocado- which is mostly fat!) and I was trying to think of what I could pick up and munch on for the drive home.  I didn't want baby carrots because of their relatively high sugar content.  I couldn't manage a cucumber while driving..... and then I thought of radishes!!  I really like radishes for their crisp texture, their high water content, and their pungent, spicy quality.  (This is the 3rd spicy thing I've had today....what does that say about me?)  So, I stopped in at the store and snagged them, a bottle of Annie's Goddess Dressing for tomorrow (my favorite salad dressing which is blissfully sugar free) and some edamame for the weekend. 

So, it was a good day.  I was happy to receive some messages from a few friends who told me they are gonna do the 21 day challenge with me, so that was exciting, and then my hubby said the same when I got home!  So, for the sake of those who are joining in now, I'll go an extra day or two so we can all finish strong together.

I've got a really busy weekend ahead, with the Yoga Studies program at the yoga center, so I'll be taking some time tomorrow morning to do some meal planning so I have stuff available in the mini-fridge when I need it!

First day=success!!

Day Zero

I  was recently inspired by my colleague/acquaintance/friend +Emma Magenta and her blog, and thought it would be fun to chronicle my own attempt to once again break my sugar addiction.  It really is an addiction, of that I have no doubt.  I've never really done drugs, or had drinking issues, but I do believe I have an addictive personality:  I'm totally addicted to the computer, to yoga (at least that's a healthy addiction!) and to sugar.  My body and mind crave these things, for comfort, for familiarity, for happiness, and for pleasure.

I try to be health conscious.  I've been a vegetarian for at least 11 years, maybe 12.  I've bounced back and forth with veganism a bunch during that time.  (My longest run at being vegan was 5-6 years.)  I practice and teach yoga, I don't smoke, use drugs, and rarely drink alcohol, so basically I'm in pretty good shape.  But, I don't always feel great.  I feel tired a lot of the time, and while you couldn't say I was overweight, I know that I feel much better when I'm down about 5-10 pounds from my "setpoint."  I'm 43 years old, and I feel like I should be feeling at the top of my game at this point in my life and lifestyle.

I've had a lot of success in the past in feeling optimally awesome when I cut all sugar from my diet.  That includes all sources of sugar, including sweet fruits, maple syrup, honey, agave, etc.  It takes a lot of willpower.  I know I'm outta control sugar-wise at the moment, a couple of weeks ago, I ate a whole package of oreo cookies (they actually are vegan!) by myself over the course of a few days.  i want to get back to that feeling of vibrancy, rather than looking for my next sugar fix.

So, I'm going to start right now.  No sugar for the next 21 days.  That's supposedly how long it takes to establish a habit.  I read on Facebook today that Starbucks has just brought back its pumpkin lattes for Fall, and I was thinking that I would get one tomorrow morning and put off my sugar fast until the next day, but NO!  Enough is enough already.  That pumpkin latte will still be in town in a month or so, and by then I won't really even want it anyway.  (Plus, I make a tasty sugar-free pumpkin latte with coffee, unsweetened almond milk, and pumpkin pie spices on top.)

For me, the sugar detox means no artificial sweeteners, either, since I never use them anyway.  I don't care for Stevia, so that's not a temptation either.  (My understanding is that even the sweet taste of non-caloric sweeteners is enough to send your body into sugar cravings.)  I do have a couple of date/apricot/oatmeal squares in my refrigerator that I made last week, but hopefully my hubby will finish them off. 

So, if you want to follow along my 21 day journey, that would be fun.  You'll keep me accountable.  I enjoy using a website called "Habit Forge" that my friend +Lorraine Hultman turned me on to, which helps you track your progress on a habit for 21 days.  I'll post my blogs to my Facebook page, and feel free to comment, cheer me on, or heck, even join me.  It's really fun to support each other in an endeavor such as this.  I might not post every day, but I'll try, and even hope to post some recipes for you.  I just stepped on the scale and got my baseline weight, and yup, there's that setpoint again, so I am ready to do this!!!