The 21-Day Sugar Detox- Day 6

Tis the end of day 6. And, boy, was it a doozie! I woke up this morning with pain radiating through my hip. For some reason, I was in a very bad mood already. It was the perfect storm. I was hurting, hungry, and cranky. I was in desperate need of coffee.

Although, I'm now used to the new taste of my coffee with Coconut Milk only, it did not hit the spot this morning. I snapped at everyone in my path. No one was safe from the Day 6 detox monster. I decided to dress and begin my housecleaning for the day. As I looked in the mirror while washing my face, I noticed a few more breakouts. That really improved my mood! I also have a resurgence of an old rash on my leg. Great, let's add some itchiness to my already foul mood! All I wanted to do was put on my 70's music and start cleaning.

As the 70's tunes surrounded me, I moved from room to room, dusting, cleaning toilets, scrubbing showers, vacuuming furniture, carpets, and bedding, and mopping floors. By the end, I was dancing, singing, and in a much better mood. The pain in my hip had worked itself out. I felt lighter and less itchy. But, I was still hungry.

I walked to the kitchen to make myself lunch. It was 1:30 PM. I'd missed breakfast again! So, I decided to make lunch worthwhile. I took some leftover zucchini noodles and tossed them in a pan with melted bacon grease. Then, I added two of the bacon strips I cooked last night, cut into pieces. I tossed in one chopped green onion and 1/2 a chopped avocado. Once warmed through, I tossed it into a bowl. May I just say that this is one of the most delicious lunches I have eaten.....EVER! It was so creamy...and bacony...and scrumptious!

After lunch, I set about cleaning the kitchen. Every Saturday, I scrub everything down, polish my stainless appliances, and completely disinfect all surfaces (with all-natural cleaners, of course!). Once my kitchen was sparkling, I folded my third load of laundry and put the fourth,and last, into the dryer.

It was already 5 PM, time to cook dinner. I decided to experiment a bit with my dinner. I took some leftover pork loin, chopped into chunks, and sauted it in bacon grease. I added spaghetti squash, one clove garlic (crushed), 1/2 cup Coconut Milk , and 1 TBSP capers. I also wrapped bunches of asparagus with prosciutto and baked them at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes.

My experiment turned out to be quite yummy! I enjoyed it alongside some herbal Melaleuca tea, I brewed earlier while cleaning the kitchen.

After dinner, I decided to just veg and watch a movie, which I did. Thankfully, the movie was pretty boring; so, I was able to get some work done. Upon reflecting on my day, I learned the detox process can be fierce. I really thought I might make it through all 21 days without any issues. Obviously, that is not the case. It's really difficult to tell yourself NO all day long, every day. While it's true I am on the hardest level of The 21-Day Sugar Detox , and I've had to make even more modifications because of my autoimmune disease, I still believe I can see this through to the end. It's only 15 days left....right? But, then comes the hard part of deciding which foods to start adding back first. I think I've already decided on dairy, and then fruit. We'll have to see how I feel when the time comes. Oh, and I forgot eggs.....have to add eggs!

In closing, today was hard. I mean REALLY hard. But, I didn't give up! And, I didn't give in! I hope tomorrow brings a better day. I don't typically work on Sunday; but, I will update this blog. If you are interested in doing The 21-Day Sugar Detox , please fire away with your question either in a comment on this post or email me, tmoperillo@gmail.com.

The 21-Day Sugar Detox- Day 5

 Double Grass-fed Bacon Burger! Yummers!

The end of day 5 is upon me.  Finally, I have a rough day! I was pretty much hungry from the moment I awoke. Problem being, I was too busy to do anything about it. So, I didn't eat or drink breakfast.

I trudged along until about 1:30, when I finally made it to my kitchen to make lunch. I went to the pantry to grab a can of tuna. That's when I saw it.......my dark chocolate candy bar with almonds, dried cranberries and candied ginger! I lingered a little too long, staring at it. The inner dialog began, "One small square won't hurt you. Touch that chocolate and I'll smack you! It's just one tiny piece!". I quickly shut the pantry door!

Thinking it was best if I stayed away from the pantry, I dove into the fridge to see what I could find. Thankfully, I had leftovers from last night's dinner. I pulled out a chicken thigh, the avocado cream sauce, two celery stalks, and three lettuce leaves. I shredded the chicken into a bowl, chopped the celery, and mixed in the avocado cream sauce. Walla....chicken salad! I scooped the salad into the lettuce cups, grabbed my Rose Hip Tea, and sat down at the kitchen table to eat.

Needless to say, it was amazingly good. I gobbled all three lettuce wraps!  Sated, it was time to go back to work.  I'm not sure if it's caused by the detox or not; but, my eyes are extremely dry today. I also have a couple of breakouts on my forehead. It may simply be part of the detox process.

It's Friday; so, I designated 4 PM as quitting time. Since I usually only take Sunday off, I figured I could give myself a break today. I made a nice, hot cup of Pau D'Arco Herbal Tea and nestled into the couch with Boho.  While watching tv, the dark chocolate candy bar kept creeping back into my head. Every time, I shook the thought out of my mind. Boy, would it sure taste good with this tea! Out! Out! You evil candy!

Finally, at 5 PM, I sauntered into the kitchen to cook dinner. On the menu for tonight....grass-fed beef double burger with bacon, avocado, and mustard...and, zucchini herb fries. I cooked the burgers in Cast Iron Cookware Toaster Oven

. I made sure to make enough for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. I baked the zucchini fries in the oven at 400 degrees.

Once everything was done, I placed the burger patties on top of two butter lettuce leaves and half an avocado. I like the way the hot patties melt into the avocado slices! Then, I topped the patties with two slices bacon, squirted a little mustard, and two lettuce leaves. When I make a big burger like this, I use extra lettuce leaves to make them sturdier.

Wow! Did that dinner hit the spot? You bet it did! I believe the extra fat in the burger patties helped overcome my candy craving. I certainly know what to do next time....have a little fat!

So, other than the sugar craving, breakouts, and dry eyes, all seems okay. I did sleep better last night; so, that's a plus. Until tomorrow, I bid you goodnight and healthy dreams.

Are you also on a detox or elimination regimen? I would love to hear what you're doing and how you're feeling! Please leave a comment below; or email me at tmoperillo@gmail.com . Thanks!

The 21 Day Sugar Detox- Day 1

So, today is day one of The 21-Day Sugar Detox, buy book here,  for me. Since I was already eating a Primal diet, I am doing Level 3 with modifications for Autoimmune. That means no egg whites, nightshades ( tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, or potatoes), nuts, or seeds. It is by far the strictest of levels Diane Sanfilippo recommends. I'm also eliminating fermented veggies, kombucha, and sauerkraut due to suspected Candida.

I decided to follow this particular detox because I am a huge fan of Ms. Sanfilippo's book, Practical Paleo. I really resonated with her story on repairing her own health. She also has a writing style that is motivating and easy to understand. If you're thinking about changing your eating for better health, I highly recommend her books.

The first thing you should know is that I am not a big sugar fiend. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia when I was twelve years old. I have never had the "sweet tooth" the rest of my family has. I have used artificial sweeteners for years. I'm not proud of it; but, I've used everything from saccharin to Splenda. Of course, in the last fourteen years, I've been using Stevia.  When faced with a choice, I would typically choose a salty food over a sweet one. So, why am I doing a SUGAR detox?!!

The answer is quite simple. Sugar lurks in many foods. I believe I may have Candida. It is imperative that I remove all forms of sugar from my body. Candida feeds off sugar! It LOVES the stuff! I aims to KILL IT! No sugar for me!

This is how day 1 went for me. I woke up raring to go! I went to my kitchen and made my cup of organic coffee. Normally, I would add my stevia and organic half and half, both of which are not allowed on The 21-Day Sugar Detox. Today, I simply added some Organic Coconut Milk. It's definitely going to take some getting used to. While it was creamy, I missed the sweet taste the stevia provides. Go figure!

An hour later, I had a breakfast of beef bone broth and 4 Herb Tea ( which is immensely healing and can be purchased through http://www.herbalhealeracademy.com ). I typically do not eat breakfast because I don't like to chew in the morning. I know it's weird; but, we all have our quirks! Then, I went about my business and hit the computer.

At 2 PM, I had lunch which consisted of two lettuce and grass-fed roast beef wraps. The only food I missed was the grass-fed cheddar cheese I would normally add to my wraps. It wasn't too bad, though. I also made a fresh vegetable juice with a cucumber, celery, a carrot, and half a lemon (limes and lemons are the only fruits I'm allowed). Although it wasn't bad tasting, I certainly missed the green apple I would have typically juiced with it. Back to work I went.

About an hour later, I began to get a bit of a headache. I brewed some Pau d'Arco Tea and added 50 drops of White Willow Bark Extract. Within half an hour, my headache was gone.

By the time I looked up from my computer again, it was time for me to cook dinner. On Saturday, I had prepared an entire organic chicken to use as dinners throughout the week. I cooked from a recipe in The 21-Day Sugar Detox, Lemon Chicken with Capers & Chives. Tonight, I simply reheated the breast in the oven (inside of a parchment paper bag to keep moist). Then, I wilted some spinach and red onion for one of my side dishes. As my second side dish, I wrapped slices of half an avocado with bacon and baked them in the oven on 375 degrees for 40 minutes (until crispy). My dinner was absolutely delicious! I missed nothing!

After dinner, I made my cup of coffee with Organic Coconut Milk. It tasted creamier and less jarring as this morning's cup. Then, I set to work on this blog.

I'll finish off my night with a cup of herbal tea with a tablespoon of Coconut Oil swirled in. I have no real problems to report for my first day. Tomorrow, I'll be adding a workout to my schedule. I'm curious to see what my energy level is at. Day 1 was not bad! I can totally do this!

Check out tomorrow's blog to see how day 2 goes. I'll be posting everyday, for all 21 days. Please, feel free to email me with any questions. Or, you can leave comments below. I promise to get back to you. Email: tmoperillo@gmail.com

Also, you can get updates on my Facebook page: Facebook.com/bohoandmo . Just "Like" my page and join in on the fun!

Yummy Spinach!

Awesomely delicious Bacon Wrapped Avocado