8 out of 21 Days Without Sugar, Dairy and Fruit Completed

I am going to be brutally honest- this sucked (at first)! I can't imagine how miserable one might be if they started this while they were eating a SAD (Standard American Diet). Luckily, I was already primal and was only hooked on natural sugars, fruits and dairy. Here is a little synopsis of my week with no sugar. I promise it is only 2 days that were bad- I am guessing they were my days of full detox.

Day 1: I was on an encouragement high and felt excited to start. I didn't crave sugar, dairy or sweets at all and this was an easy day.

• Breakfast: I got up early and made eggs with chicken, avocado, tomato and peppers.
• I sipped on decaf coffee throughout my morning.
• Lunch: a huge salad with lots of veggies and sunflower seeds
• Snacked on some cashews and almonds
• Dinner: Grilled Chicken and sauteed carrots

Day 2: I was okay until a kid brought me some chocolates- he walked out of the room and I ran to them and threw them in the trash shouting AWAY TEMPTATION AWAY! I wasn't too upset or mad about not eating the junk food. I was actually still feeling pretty good

• Breakfast: Eggs and tomato with my decaf coffee
• Lunch: Grilled chicken breast, Broccoli and a tomato/cucumber salad with balsamic vinegar
• Snacked on some carrots or nuts in the mid afternoon
• Dinner: We had dinner with friends and they cooked us some Korean Beef Lettuce wraps, Salmon, green beans and squash medley. All approved-they were so thoughtful to ask about our eating before they cooked. They even left the seasoning off of our salmon since it had sugar in it.

I brought fruit and dark chocolate for dessert- Brandon and our friends enjoyed that while I sipped my water. I was so stuffed from dinner that I didn't even mind.

Day 3: I knew I was going to have my first real challenge today- Happy Hour with my girls. Today was another fairly easy day but after my crappy dinner I wanted to come home for some Coconut ice cream or chocolate bar.

• Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and a glass of Unsweetened ice tea with lemon
• Lunch: A huge salad with fresh turkey, Egg, Avocado, tomato and green peppers.
• Dinner: We ate at this not so good for paleo on a budget restaurant called "Season 52". It had terrible service and was overpriced. I mis-read the menu and ordered a flat bread (thinking it was a sandwich I could just take the bread off.) I basically paid $20 for 8 bite size chicken pieces some red peppers and onion.

Needless to say I was starving and this started my downhill trek on this detox. Going to bed hungry!! I don't recommend this because I didn't sleep well and my stomach was growling.

Day 4: I was tired and had a headache. I was very low on energy and extremely agitated (SORRY BRANDON!)

• Breakfast: Scrambled egg with chicken. I ran out of decaf coffee and had to just drink water.
• Lunch: Big salad full of veggies and pepperoni.
• Dinner: I was so angry about my previous nights meal that I decided to make my own paleo version. I made a nice flat bread and topped it with chicken, parsley, balsamic red peppers and onions. It was so good and my attitude improved after dinner.

After dinner Brandon cut up this huge yummy pineapple and that made me a little bitter so I just went to bed.

Day 5: The worst of all the days. I was feverish, achy, depressed and just an unpleasant person to be around. I did go to a little happy hour at Dogfish with some friends but I had a glass of water while we vented about our work week and I left before the shots started.

• Breakfast: I had loss of appetite and decided to just nibble on some almonds and cashews and I treated myself to a coffee on my way to school.
• Lunch: Broccoli, chicken breast and a little garden salad
• Dinner: Because I was so grumpy, Brandon surprised me while I laid on the couch miserable with a sweetener free, dairy free dinner. He usedthis recipe minus the cheese and added a seasoned venison and tomato on mine. He called them Mini- Burgers and they were awesome and filling. 

Day 6: Another bad day but not due to sugar. I woke up feeling great, no cravings and ready for my 5k with Brandon. Turns out I should have gone to a physical therapist and I shouldn't have tried to fix my knee myself. This was a hill filled course and my knee got injured even more. I had trouble running and really wanted to quit. Surprisingly my time was still under 30min and Brandon even got 3rd place for his division. The rest of the day I spent icing and elevating my knee. I did a little gardening and yard work but it was hard to move around.

Pre-Race: I had a some nuts and water and a bite of an Thunderbird energy bar (did have dates but no other sweeteners)

• Breakfast: Giant 3 egg omelet with Venison, peppers, onions, tomato and guacamole
• We had a late breakfast so I just had some carrots and veggies in the afternoon when I felt hungry.
• Appetizer: We had an engagement party for my friends Kendayl and Mike. She is gluten free so I knew this would be a somewhat safe party. It was awesome meat on a stick, veggies and lots of water.
• Dinner: After the party Brandon and I were both still a little hungry so we walked over to Sweet Green for a salad and a beautiful evening walk in Reston town center.

I didn't feel tempted by alcohol and actually realized that I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything by not drinking. I would have downed a few glasses of wine in the past. Besides my knee, I could feel my body getting settled into the no sugar, no dairy and no fruit. I was drinking a lot more water and I noticed I was using the bathroom more- probably not retaining all that water or substituting fruit for my water intake.

Day 7: I woke up feeling refreshed and happy just like Saturday morning. I wasn't starving but knew I needed some energy because I was going to be at church from 8:00-12 without food.

• Breakfast: I made myself a smoothie with some nut butter, coffee and Coconut milk. This did the trick and I was fine without food until about 1:30.
• Lunch: I made a Fajita Salad with venison, chicken, sauteed peppers and onions and fresh salsa and guacamole.

We spent the whole day at the pool and we swam and played and got some wonderful Vitamin D sunshine. I felt pretty good in my swimsuit because all the bloating is starting to go away. We took some water, carrots and macadamia nuts to snack on. After the pool we did a little shopping for clothes and food and realized it was 8:30 and we were finally getting hungry.

• Dinner: BGR joint burgers, asparagus fries (for Brandon) and Sweet potato fries (for me)  

Day 8: I am feeling fantastic! I woke up refreshed and energized. I got up early again and felt so prepared and organized. My thoughts were clear and I was able to make it through my day without craving any sweets. My body feels clean and healthy.

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with Guacamole
• Lunch: Big salad with turkey and lots of veggies- no dressing
• Snack: carrots and nuts
• Dinner: Bacon and Fried Eggs made by my wonderful husband.

While my body feels great and I have energy, my leg is in a lot of pain after working all day. I made my first Physical Therapy appointment for tomorrow at 5:45. I am not looking forward to it but I realize I need to take care of my body so I can continue staying active. I HATE sitting around when my body just wants to go go go.

So it was a hard week but I had tons of encouragement from readers, family, friends and my amazing husband. My body feels great and I am ready to continue another week of a Sugar free, Dairy free and Fruit free diet. Reflecting on my week, I ate a lot of eggs and chicken. This week I am going to incorporate some more smoothies, tuna, fish and venison in my diet. I didn't feel bored with the foods I was eating these 8 days because it was yummy but 21 days of the same and I would give up.
Here are a few photos of some of our yummy meals. Enjoy and if you are addicted to sugar- keep following for the next few days to see what this experience has taught me. I think paleo, primal or SAD- you should try this.
This weeks goal is sleep. Sleep is just as important as the food you are putting in. I am trying for 7 hours a night!

Brandon's cheesy venison omelet- I would have had this but cheese doesn't settle with me.

My veggie filled omelet- so good and I didn't miss the cheese

 

                                  Fresh hebs from my Garden and flat bread chicken triangles

Pasta sauce option

 

                                                        Brandon's mini- burger creations

Breakfast Chicken Egg Muffin

    Being a school teacher, I get up really early to get to work. I try to squeeze out every last second of sleep in my bed as I can. I will sleep through breakfast, fixing my hair etc. I lay out my clothes the night before and pack my lunch box because I don't want to get up any earlier. One of the biggest issues I have is breakfast. On days that I am feeling great, I will get up and make an egg or some sausage or bacon. On days that I am rushed, I grab coffee, skip breakfast and I am starving all day. I would cave to a little dark chocolate here and there or lots of fruit and snacking. I noticed that I wasn't seeing any change in my body weight or toning.
      I started today by making sure that I am putting things in order so that I quit skipping breakfast and I am adding more protein and veggies. I am making containers of veggies that I can eat without needing a microwave. I am making big salads topped with meat and sunflower seeds for my lunches. I am not packing fruit as a snack and I am not buying chocolate to keep in our house. I am also being creative with ways to pre-make breakfast.
     This morning I ate a few strips of bacon and coffee since I knew I had an early lunch and I was out of school by 1. Tonight I made Chicken Egg Muffins for tomorrows breakfast.
      I leave for OBX, NC in about 5 weeks and my hope is to cut out almost all of my sugar for the entire 5 weeks (I may let myself have a little one day a week!) During this time I will be monitoring my weight and watching to see if I notice a toner, leaner body.


Try these muffins for breakfast.  You can make a lot and freeze them or just a few and refrigerate them for up to a week.

Breakfast Chicken Egg Muffin

Ingredients:

 4 Eggs, whisked

1/4 tsp Rosemary

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Garlic

Pepper to taste

1/2 Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded

1/4 tomato, diced

The above ingredients are enough for 4 breakfast muffins.

Process:

1. Whisk all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Line a muffin tin with muffin cup foil or paper.
3. Fill muffin cups with egg mixture.
4.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
5. Enjoy!

Play and Enjoy Life

A big part of our life should be playing, relaxing and hanging out with family and friends. This morning Brandon and I woke up and got a chance to play and hang out with his mom and dad, his brother and sister-in-law. We started out with a little coffee and breakfast: 

Red Brownie Cupcakes, Fresh Strawberries, Blackberries, Pineapple and Coffee!

After breakfast the girls headed off to walk around and play at the outlets (Yes I count shopping as playing- you have to walk, pick things up, take your clothes on and off, bend over, squat, raise your hands-shoooweee tiring!) 

While we were out the boys headed over to Great Falls to cut, gather and haul firewood with their chainsaws in tote! They had a good time but we aren't sure who played harder... haha 

We all gathered back at the house for some burgers, asparagus fries, sweet potato fries and some veggie chips. We had a great time sitting on the back patio talking and sharing stories of our adventures of the morning! 

After lunch the girls cleaned up and the boys headed back to the wood to chop and stack. When we finished the girls decided to take a hike over to Algonkian Park and do a little photo shoot and site seeing! Perfect way to end our time together. Feeling very blessed to have family that I enjoy spending time with! Family that is always there when we need help and great hiking trails seconds from our house!

Hopfully all the Quality time with the girls was worth the battle scars . 

BLT and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches

A few posts ago I posted about President's Day tortilla's. Since then I was really trying to think of how I could use them for other meals. Tonight it came to me that they were kind of like an English Muffin or a Pita when I didn't flatten them and fry them to make them crispy. So tonight I made delicious BLT Egg Breakfast Sandwiches and they were delicious. 

Ingredients:

2 C. Almond Flour

2 Eggs

1 tsp Salt

¼ tsp chili powder

6 drips of Tabasco Sauce

For Frying: 1 tsp Olive oil or coconut oil

Process: 

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well.

Roll into a ball (about the size of a golf ball. Hand flatten into a nice circle- You don't want them to be paper thin (as thick as an English Muffin or thin pita) 

Heath Coconut Oil in a skillet until it is warmed (about mid to low heat- 3.5ish). 

Place flattened dough into the coconut oil for about 30 seconds on each side (should be lightly browned).

*You don't want them too thin or cooked too long because then it will make a chip rather than a soft pita. 

Remove and place on a paper towel to dry.

Next cook Bacon and eggs, slice tomato, lettuce, veggies of your choice, for Brandon I sliced some Cheddar Cheese. 

Plate your Sandwich and enjoy! This was a great pre-gym meal, it had a lot of protein and it gave me energy boost I needed to Kick box while Brandon swam a mile in the pool! 

MMMM! It doesn't even crumble when you bite into it! 

Presidents Day Tortilla's

Happy Presidents Day! I had the day off work and got up with every intention of making French toast. I guess that didn't seem like fun once I got all of my ingredients out. Instead I decided to do some research and make authentic Mexican tortilla shells. These are not your typical over spiced corn tortillas that you can get at American/Mexican restaurants! I played around with these a lot and here is what I came up with- Brandon liked both but this morning he was really into the sausage taco. I wanted to try my new honey so  I ate a sweeter version with some Dark chocolate Almond Milk. Enjoy and make these for your next Mexican night fiesta! Can't wait to try them with Guacamole and salsa. 

Crispy Tortilla’s

Ingredients:

2 C. Almond Flour

2 Eggs

1 tsp Olive oil or coconut oil

1 tsp Salt

For taco style add these spices:

¼ tsp chili powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

After it is cooked, top with Sausage, taco meat, spiced chicken etc. and

Sprinkle with shredded cheese, tomato and lettuce, a little hot sauce for kick

For breakfast fruit treat:

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ 1 tsp salt

After it is cooked, top with a drizzle of honey and fresh berries

Preparation:

• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well with a spoon.
• Remove from bowl and place on almond floured parchment paper. Knead the dough until it is fully mixed and easy to work with. (It will be really sticky at first but just keep kneading it.)

• Roll your dough into balls. Depending on what you want to use your tortillas for, roll to the size you would like. We played with a few variations. A ball the size of a clementine will give you a plate size tortilla. A ball the size of a walnut will give you a small tortilla size. And  a ball the size of a grape will give you a good chip size.
• The flatter you make your dough, the crispier it will be. For my dessert tortillas I made them small and hand flattened them.
• For my chips and the taco style tortillas, I put them between parchment paper and rolled them flat with a rolling pin and used a cookie cutter to get perfect circles.

• Pour 3-4 Tbs of olive oil in skillet and bring to medium heat. Once olive oil is warm place your tortilla shells in the skillet. (make sure they are not touching).
• Fry tortillas for 40-60 seconds on each side. The longer you cook them, the crispier they will be.
• Place them on a paper towel to dry and cool.
• Top them with whatever you like or dip them in guacamole and salsa.

Here are the three we tried today:

Breakfast fruit Tortilla:

Sausage taco:

 Sea Salt Chips:

Fresh Blueberry Pancakes

Looking forward to my usual Wednesday night Breakfast for Dinner night and thought I would share this from last weeks meals! 

Fresh Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients

·         4 eggs

·         1 cup milk (raw, organic or coconut)

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         1/2 cup coconut flour

·         1 tsp baking soda

·         1/2 tsp sea salt

·         coconut oil or butter for frying

·         1/2 tsp Cinnamon

·         Optional: 1 c. Fresh Blueberries, fruit of your choice or Chocolate chips

Process:

·         Beat eggs in a bowl until well blended

·         Add in Vanilla and Milk, mix well

·         Add in the rest of the ingredients, mix until no lumps are left.

·         Optional- You can add in fresh fruit or chocolate for extra flavor-stir gently with a spoon.

·         Grease a skillet and pour small pancakes in. Cook on medium heat until lightly browned.

Brandon decided to turn his into a Pancake, egg, sandwich type thing that he thought was an incredible creation! Must be a guy thing but it looked pretty cool! 

His and Hers!