The 21-Day Sugar Detox- Day 12

Ugh! What a terrible night's sleep I had! Insomnia, bad dreams, sweating, nausea, and a headache were just some of the suffering I dealt with last night. Needless to say, today I'm totally fatigued. I guess since our bodies typically heal while at rest, mine is just doing what it's supposed to do. Stinks though!

Well, I had to change my housecleaning day to today instead of tomorrow because I have a catechist's retreat to attend. So, exhausted, I move about, doing my chores. I did three loads of laundry and cleaned the entire house, including the oven. By 2 PM, I was done. I fixed myself a little lunch of leftover chicken legs, asparagus, and olives. Quite random, I know. But, today was not the day to argue with myself.

After lunch, I had some work to do for my shop, Boho and Mo. Some of my pieces may be featured on bookcovers.  I'm trying to work out the deal. And, I'm in the process of writing an ebook, which requires a ton of research. Both of these require brain function I may not have today. But, I've got deadlines; so, I have to push through it. Just as I started to make progress, the buzzer for the dryer went off. This is exactly the reason I clean on Saturdays, not workdays. Argh!

Finally, it's time to cook dinner. I really needed some comfort food; so, I decided to try to replicate one of my favorite Cajun dishes, Dirty Rice, paleo style. For the rice, I would use cauliflower rice. I set about cooking it as I normally would.  When it was time to add the rice, I instead added the cauliflower rice. I sauted it as I normally would. The only difference was the lack of rice and cayenne pepper.

I served my Paleo Dirty Rice with a side salad of arugula, peeled cucumber, and half an avocado.  The faux Dirty Rice wasn't bad. It certainly wasn't as good as the real thing. Next time, I think I'll add a little more bacon fat. I think it would taste better with some organic chicken gizzards. But, boy, are those hard to come by. I've been searching online and everywhere, trying to find them. Cayenne pepper would have helped,too.  I'll keep trying until I perfect it. Then, I'll share the recipe with all my Cajun food lovers.

After dinner, I settled into the sofa to write this blog. When done, I think I'll head to bed early. I have to be up early tomorrow morning. Ugh!

Today was not so good. Losing sleep last night did not help. It's not that I felt sick. I just didn't feel as good as I have been. I give it a big thumbs down! Boo hiss!

Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day. I have to prepare food to bring with me to the retreat. There is always a ton of food at these functions. I know I can have none of it! I can't even eat the dish that I'm slated to bring to pass. Now, that stinks! Whatever, I'll just have my lettuce wraps, I guess.

Once again, this blog is to share the real ups and downs of the detox process. I keep it real for y'all. If I'm having a bad day, your going to know about it. Likewise, if I'm having a good, "lollipops and unicorns" day. When you're trying to heal, you have to take the good with the bad. If someone tells you they were healed in a day, they are FULL OF IT! It doesn't work that way. You have to make an effort.

If you are ready to start healing, do it! The sooner you start,the sooner you can get this detox phase over with. And, if you need someone to encourage you when things get rough, email me or comment below. I'll be right there with you! Tmoperillo@gmail.com

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 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