The 21-Day Sugar Detox- Day 15

It's a Monday. But, it's also a national holiday! I decided to take the day off.  It's kind of weird to take a day off when you work for yourself. I guess I could have felt guilty, if I didn't have so much to do. You see, along with eliminating foods from my diet, I'm also eliminating clutter from my life. Last week, I started with cleaning out my workroom.  When I was done, I had bags of donations for my local charity. My workroom was organized, which lessened my stress. Today, I tackled my closet.

I toiled for hours, purging the contents of my closet. I tried on every pair of pants, jeans and skirt. If it didn't fit, I chucked it. Since eliminating grains from my diet, I've lost 20 pounds. I am now back to the weight I was before this lupus flare began. This is a clear sign that I am healing. Inflammation causes weight gain. That's a fact. Five more bags of donations is what I had once I was done, and a feeling of accomplishment.

Believe me, things aren't always glamorous here at home. Today's lunch was a can of sardines and an avocado with a squeeze of lime. Exciting, I know.

Once my gourmet lunch was eaten, I needed to fill some of my herbal capsules. I was running low on my Tumeric and Cat's Claw capsules. I like to make my own because that way I know exactly what goes into them, pure, organic herbs. I always order my herbs from www.mountainroseherbs.com or www.hearbalhealeracademy.com. I've done business with them both for over 15 years.

I guess I was craving fish because I baked cod for dinner. I placed the cod filet in a Parchment Bags with some fresh spinach. I made my approved version of fish and chips by baking some zucchini chips on the side. I probably could have coated the fish with coconut flour. But, while on The 21-Day Sugar Detox, I'm trying to stay away from all flours. No, let me correct that. I am staying away from all flour. I love breaded foods! I think it's better for me to try to break all cravings NOW.

All in all, today was a good day. I'm thinking things should continue to get better for the next 6 days. Don't get me wrong. I can't wait until next Monday! In fact, I've already decided which foods I will be adding back immediately. Bananas, almonds, chocolate, and egg yolks will be the first foods I enjoy. I understand that I need to add foods back slowly. But, bananas are not very high on the inflammatory list.mi think I'm safe with that one. The other three I have to be more careful. So, I'll be sure to start with a teeny amount. I think that after this 21 days, I deserve a little treat. It's going to happen, yep.

Purging your life of clutter is part of healing. I believe it's good for your soul. Ridding your life of junk, whether it be foods, clothes, negative thoughts, or destructive people, can be healing for your body, mind, and soul. If you need help getting started, I offer my help to you. You can do this. Comment below or email me privately. I'm here to help. Email: tmoperillo@gmail.com

The 21-Day Sugar Detox- Day 7

Ah, the brain fog has been lifted! I woke this morning with great clarity of mind. For the first time, in a long time, I did not wake up tired. I felt energetic and ready to take on my day. I walked to the kitchen with a spring in my step.

Coffee is much more enjoyable since I'm now accustomed to the new taste.  I felt so good, I decided to make breakfast for my husband and me. I cooked up some bacon in the Toaster Oven, eggs for my hubby, and ham slices. I laid my bacon and ham unto lettuce leaves, added avocado and a squeeze of mustard. I know it seems like I put everything on lettuce leaves! It's because i do! One of my favorite meals, before I went grain free, was sandwiches. I loves me some sandwiches! Using the lettuce leaves makes me feel as though I'm still able to have sandwiches. Changing your eating is all about adapting the way you eat, so you don't feel like you're giving up everything you love.

 Bacon, ham, and avocado wraps!

The rest of my day was spent pretty much as usual. I did notice some joint pain in my hip and hands. I'm pretty sure it's because I ran out of my Glucosamine, Chondrotin, and MSM supplements. My new order hasn't come in yet. I know that there are many people who say natural supplements don't work. I say those people just haven't found the supplement that works for them. The secret, is to find supreme quality supplements with an effective delivery system. I take Melaleuca Vitality Total Packs. I have never, in all my years of taking supplements, found ones that work as well as these. That is the God's honest truth!

Since this is Sunday's post, I will keep it short. I felt much better today. At lunchtime, I really wasn't very hungry. I ate a raw carrot, nothing else.  Of course, because of this, I was starving at dinner time. I cooked myself a big, grass-fed New York strip steak in a Cast Iron Skillet. I love my steak very rare. So, I melted some Ghee in the Skillet, waited for it to get really hot, and placed the steak in it. I let it sit for two minutes, then flipped for another two minutes. I, then, put the entire Skillet in a preheated to 450 degree oven for another two minutes. Upon removing from the oven, I melted a bit of bacon grease onto the steak and let it sit for five minutes. It was perfection! On the side, I served mashed cauliflower made with coconut cream and chives, and a side salad of arugula, avocado, and a splash of Apple cider vinegar. Dinner was amazing!

While this detox is not easy, I am enjoying some pretty terrific food. It's all about making myself feel like I'm not missing too much. The quickest way to make me want something is to tell me I can't have it. I think there are a lot of us out there who feel this way. But, the key to sticking with the plan,is to replace the foods you can't have with yummy foods you can have. And, I believe it's important to make yourself accountable. Like with me blogging about my detox, I'm less likely to quit. I'm accountable not only to myself, but also to you.

Today has shown me that I am getting healthier. My body is working to fix itself. That's all I was looking for, a sign that I was improving. My spirit is renewed!

Questions? Email me tmoperillo@gmail.com or Comment below.