Fed Up with Sugar Addiction

This past Friday night I went to see the documentary Fed Up with my Paleo friends. It wasn't very well advertised, but in the Paleo world, we tend to stay abreast of these types of movies, books, or news articles. Basically this movie called into question the validity of the diet and exercise dogma that we've learned: eat less + exercise more = weight loss. It makes logical sense, right? If calorie expenditure is greater than calorie consumption, then you're in a calorie deficit and you should lose weight. However, that doesn't always seem to work for us, does it? Fed Up proposes that all calories are not created equal. In particular, the documentary highlights sugar consumption, and the way that the food industries have fought against any reports or guidelines that try to restrict sugar consumption. The way your body reacts to processed sugar is not the same as how it reacts to natural sugar. There's more details that I could give about the movie, but why don't you go see it for yourself? I'll tell you my reaction to it though...

I think the biggest emotion that the documentary evoked was anger. Anger at the way the world works. Anger at the way food industries advertise to children. And anger at the vast slew of so-called "healthy" foods that doesn't seem to help people be healthy. I mean, how do you make low-fat or no-fat foods taste good when you remove the fat? Sugar... salt. We watch our sodium intake, don't we? Why shouldn't we watch our sugar intake? And have you noticed that nutrition labels never give your a percentage of recommended daily intake for sugar? Most everything else on the label shows a percentage... why not sugar?

I also felt extremely sad... to the point that I cried. No joke. There were silent tears rolling down my face while I watched stories of multiple young children who were struggling with weight. Children that tried the whole exercise more and watch your calories route, and sadly had no luck. One boy weighed over 200 pounds and had to have bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) at age 14. 14! Those stories were very tough to watch, because I know that those children aren't the only ones suffering with obesity in the United States, or in the world. Adults and children alike are facing issues with weight, ranging from heart disease to diabetes.

Overall, I wanted to come home and throw out every single sugary food that could be found in my house and force everyone I know to watch the documentary. While I didn't force anyone to watch the movie, I am choosing to participate in the Fed Up challenge, which consists of giving up all added or processed sugars for 10 days. Considering I've done the 21 Day Sugar Detox, 10 days should be easy. Though it's concerning how many chocolate cravings I've had lately, so we'll see what happens for the next week and a half.

Want some more information? Check out this infographic. It's scary the amount of sugar we consume...

The Virgin Diet

In my continuing journey for health, I've started a new "diet" today. It's slightly different, but not much of a stretch from what I've been doing for the last year and a half. It's just more strict, because obviously my diet wasn't strict enough (read with sarcasm). Before I get into what this new diet change entails, let me give you some details of what's been going on for me lately (since I've so rudely disappeared lately). For the past three or four weeks, I've been severely lacking in energy/will power/excitement. Suffice it to say that I've been feeling burnt out. I wasn't sleeping well and I was under stress, which resulted in a massive migraine that left me crying at work and being driven home by one of my co-workers. The pounding headaches lasted for the next five days, and consisted of me taking my migraine medicine more over the course of one week than I have in the past year. The irony of the whole thing was that I had just gone in for a 6-month check up with my doctor a few days before and talked about how my daily headaches were manageable and I wasn't having to take the migraine meds. I should have known better than to say that out loud and jinx it.

At the beginning of this month I started a 6000 squat challenge, meaning 200 squats per day for 30 days. After the first day of squats, I had to start icing my knees. For the next couple weeks, I was icing my knees every day. Walking up and down stairs as well as just plain walking was painful. Then it seemed like all of my joints started hurting. Both knees, my left ankle, my shoulders, both elbows, my left wrist and thumb, my right fingers... it was ridiculous. I'm 26 years old and sitting hurts. Something obviously isn't right. Add in the fact that my jawline has been breaking out like crazy for the last month or so, and I think I need to make a change.

So that's what I'm doing. Last week I listened in on Real Food Con and while most of the sessions I listened to talked about eating quality foods while cutting out gluten and dairy, I heard something new. What I heard was the Virgin Diet. It's very similar to Paleo, but it doesn't exclude legumes. On the other hand, you can't have any eggs. I took the leaky gut quiz associated with the Virgin Diet and scored a 52. 16+ is a "high likelihood of leaky gut," so I'm literally off the charts. I needed a change, so here goes. The 7 foods that you can't have are:

1. Gluten
2. Dairy
3. Eggs
4. Corn
5. Soy
6. Peanuts
7. Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners

So the things that I'm going to be changing are cutting out eggs (which supposedly will help reduce joint pain - please!), and reducing my sugar intake. No, I don't eat foods with granulated sugar or artificial sweeteners in it, I'll be cutting down on the amount of natural sugars I consume. So when I eat fruit, I'm going to try to stick to berries and citrus fruits which tend to have more nutrients. Anyways, let's see how this goes.

BLT Salad

2 cups butter lettuce/radicchio salad mix

1 handful grape tomatoes, sliced in half

3 slices bacon, sugar-free, no nitrates

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

sprinkle of pepper

pinch of dried thyme

dash of garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and lay strips of bacon on the pan.

2. Cook the bacon for 20 minutes or until the bacon reaches your desired crispiness. I prefer mine super crispy, but not burnt.

3. While the bacon is cooking, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, thyme, and garlic.

4. Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces, and toss in a bowl with the lettuce and tomatoes. Add the dressing and enjoy.

I tossed in a couple blackberries and some mushrooms because I had them lying around, but make it your own and add in whichever ingredients you want.

21DSD Day 2 - Chicken, Spinach, and Artichoke Frittata

Chicken, Spinach, and Artichoke Frittata

6 eggs

2 Tbls ghee

1 Tbls olive oil

1/2 cup diced artichoke hearts

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 lb chicken breast, diced

1 leek, green and white parts, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Heat 2 Tbls ghee over medium-low heat in a pan. Once melted, add in the sliced leeks. These will cook while the frittata is cooking.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in an oven-safe pan. Once hot, toss in the chicken and cook until thoroughly cooked.

4. When the chicken is cooked, add in the artichokes, spinach, garlic salt and pepper, cooking until thawed.

5. Whisk the eggs and pour into the pan with the chicken, spinach, and artichokes. Cook for about 5 minutes until the eggs on the bottom have solidified a bit. (Pssst... Don't forget to stir the leeks)

6. Transfer the pan to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until the entire concoction has solidified. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes. By this time the leeks should have caramelized. Serve with a topping of leeks.

The Break-Up

Today, I broke up… with my sugar cravings. I decided to start the 21 Day Sugar Detox (21DSD) and Whole 30. What this means is that I’m cutting out ALL added sugars AND limiting my intake of natural sugars. In other words, no fruit allowed.

The theory behind this program is that we consume more sugars and carbs than is ideal for our bodies. You know that afternoon post-lunch crash that you and your co-workers experience, especially after a big pasta lunch? That results from your body’s reaction to carbs. When you consume carbs and sugars, your blood sugar (glucose) level increases. Insulin is released by the pancreas to remove the glucose from the blood stream by causing glucose uptake into the cells. This in turn leads to the blood sugar level stabilizing at its “happy” level of about 1 tsp of glucose. So when you eat a TON of carbs, your body releases a TON of insulin (“insulin spike”), which drops your blood sugar level quickly (reactive hypoglycemia). Hence the terms “sugar high” and “sugar crash." The latter of which can include side effects of light-headedness, fatigue, confusion, difficulty concentrating, headaches, irritability, and anxiety. Doesn’t sound like much fun if you ask me.

Okay, so I’ve already cut out most carbs and sugars thanks to following the Paleo lifestyle. Why in the world would I want to cut out fruits? Well, there are a couple parts to that answer.

First off, I’ve noticed that I don’t really feel like a meal is complete unless I have something sweet at the end of it. I’m sure this has resulted from the ingrained notion that I always had to eat the healthy stuff before I could eat dessert. Alas, that means that I find myself eating more at meals when I don’t finish off the meal with a sweet.

Secondly, I’m a mood eater. When I’m stressed or sad or even bored, I eat. And if I’m stressed or sad, the food I’m going for is probably going to be some sort of sweet. This has become a bit of an issue for me lately. With my family’s current experience with leukemia, I’ve found myself getting angry because I’ve been feeling helpless. Not only have I been upset that someone in my family has to go through brutal sessions of chemo, but I’m also over 800 miles away from my parents and therefore feel even more helpless. Because of this combination, my mood hasn’t been great. What I’ve noticed since the diagnosis is that my chocolate and alcohol intake has increased significantly, which has led to roughly 10 extra pounds around my middle in the past three months. Cue the vicious cycle. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to break this emotional dependency on food (and alcohol).

Thirdly, my body just feels better when I follow a strict Paleo diet. I’ve been experiencing more and more negative effects from eating dairy and/or grains and consuming alcohol. For instance, last Thursday I decided that I wanted to try some cheese, so I ate some Brie with gluten-free crackers for dinner. The result? My body violently reacted, waking me up at 2 am to rush to the bathroom just before the cheese came back to visit. There are times that if I have gluten, I end up sleeping it off on my couch for hours. And then I’m worthless for the rest of the day and part of the next day. As for alcohol… even if I just have one drink I tend to feel terrible for hours after I finish the drink: headachey, nauseous, and completely wiped-out. It makes it somewhat difficult to enjoy going out with friends when I know that I’m going to pay for it with my next two days’ productivity.

And finally, the fact that this happens to coincide with my workplace weight loss challenge is pure coincidence… If my other reasons aren’t enough, there’s $120 in the mix for whoever loses the highest percentage of their weight. It’s a good motivator to stay on track.

Tell me more about 21DSD…

The 21DSD has three levels of detox that you can do. Level One is for beginners: those who still eat grains and refined foods and low-fat dairy (basically the typical American diet) and have never done the sugar detox before. Level Two basically has the same criteria, except that you have done the sugar detox before. And the last and most intense level is Level Three is for us Paleo-ites, who lead a grain-free life, eat full-fat dairy products (or none at all), and feel that our carb/sugar cravings are just moderate (not as strong as someone doing Level One or Two).

There aren’t a ton of differences among the three options. Level Two requires the elimination of legumes, and Level Three means you also need to eliminate dairy, except for ghee (clarified butter).

I’ll give you one guess as to which level I’m doing.

If you chose Three you are correct! But that’s not surprising. I’m an all-or-nothing sort of gal.

Here’s what I plan on eating for the week:

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Monday	Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Frittata	Garden Vegetable Soup with Greek Salad	Lemon-Basil Chicken with Roasted Brussels sprouts	Carrots, Celery, Pistachios, Roasted Broccoli
Tuesday	Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Frittata	Paleo Chili with salad and Brussels sprouts	Paleo Chili with Mashed Parsnips and Roasted Broccoli	Carrots, Celery, Almonds
Wednesday	Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Frittata	Garden Vegetable Soup with Greek Salad and Roasted Broccoli	Dinner Out: Italian Chicken	Carrots, Celery, Almonds
Thursday	Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Frittata	Paleo Chili with salad	Dinner Out: Ahi Tuna	Carrots, Celery, Almonds
Friday	Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Frittata	Garden Vegetable Soup with Greek Salad	Paleo Chili	Carrots, Celery, Pistachios
Saturday	Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Frittata	Paleo Chili with salad	Garden Vegetable Soup with Greek Salad	Carrots, Celery, Almonds, Walnuts

Sugar Free

I had gone without sugar for 4 days now. No sugar. At all. And you know what? I really want something sweet to drink. Well, actually, I want something with flavor to drink, instead of just water. I like water. Honestly, I do. However, right now, water is exceptionally boring. I'm tempted to buy some cucumber, slice it up, and stick it in water. That way I can feel fancy while drinking something with some flavor. Fanciness is liketasteful... maybe?

While we're on the subject of water. There's apparently a "water cafe" in NYC that sells only purified water. They've designed and built a purification system which includes reverse osmosis, UV rays, and ozone. And you have the option to add vitamins of your choice to the water. Remove chemicals... Add chemicals... I guess they thought there was a market for pure water in NYC. Would you pay $2.50 for 16 oz of water? Water Cafe?

July Goals

I've mentioned lately that I need motivation. Those of you who know me personally know that I can have an iron will when it comes to eating healthy and working out. You should also know that sometimes I'm as weak-willed as any average Joe you meet walking down the street. I'm really good at sneaking snacks, even when I'm technically only "hiding" them from myself. As I mentioned a while ago, my mom has always tried to get me to eat healthy, and she succeeded for the most part. Despite this I wasn't a skinny child. I remember feeling uncomfortable with my weight in 3rd grade. My mom tried to be helpful, but sometimes it just made me either feel guilty or angry. I definitely remember times when my mom would glare at me for grabbing a second helping of whatever we had for dinner. Because of these glares, I indirectly developed my sneaking food habit. Whether or not I actually had (or have) skills at this is still unknown to me. And I guess I kind of view my unhealthy snacks as okay as long as nobody else notices. It's an accountability issue for me. And it's also the reason why I share my decision to go and attempt to stay Paleo with almost everyone. If everyone knows about my diet and I still eat something "bad," then I feel guilty.

So anyways, I need to set some short-term goals for myself that I feel are attainable for me. It's my birthday in three weeks and I think that's a good deadline these new goals. So my new short-term goals are as follows:

1. Run 4 miles without any breaks.
2. Exercise a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
3. Cut out all processed sugars (no dark chocolate) and minimize natural sugar (fruit/honey) intake. - This one will be really tough since I usually turn to sweets when I'm stressed and work is in crazy-stressful mode right now.
4. Limit alcohol consumption.
5. Hold a wall sit for 2 minutes.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. Fingers crossed!