The 21 Day Sugar Detox, Part III: Change is Inevitable

I don't always have a plan about what I'll write in these posts. Usually an article inspires me or something eventful happens and I can relate it directly back to what I am eating (or not eating) at the time. And sometimes, like most recently, I'll have a random breakthrough about what the meaning of life is. This time it came to me in yoga when I was desperately trying to get deeper in my crescent lunge.

Randomly this thought came into my head: This life is not about feeling comfortable or constant. Perplexed, I thought how most of the personal efforts in my life have been to make myself feel more comfortable: stay at the same university for graduate school because I know the area and it just makes sense, or in this case eliminate sugar to reduce uncomfortable cravings. I'm not saying my efforts aren't valid or smart, or make sense, I'm just realizing that these efforts have been mainly practiced to keep a homeostasis. And though science may argue that the body wants to be in a state of constant homeostasis, the heart craves change and periods of instability. That's how we grow.  What is life if we constantly deal with the same challenges over and over? It's boring. At least I think so.

So in my effort to stabilize my mood, sugar, cravings, weight, I had to change something to stabilize something else. That means, change is inevitable. And I need to welcome it instead of resist it.

So yes, my 21 day sugar detox is over... it ended on January 21st. But it still sticks even now as the middle of February approaches. Maybe thats because changing back into old habits takes more effort than sticking with new changes. And instead of being overwhelmed, I've welcomed even more changes into my life. I am starting a Crossfit foundations course on March 2nd and I have welcomed a new relationship into my life that I truly believe will lead to the betterment of myself.

The 21 Day Sugar Detox wasn't just a way to change physically and mentally, it was a catalyst for other changes that my heart wanted but was scared to make. Like they say, "your journey starts with one step".

21 Days Without Sugar, Part 2: I Met a Man For Coffee and Had a Revelation

Yesterday, I met a man for a coffee date and since the conversation was boring and the coffee was lackluster, I was staring at this man's mouth move while simultaneously listening to every other persons conversation in the cafe. 

The lady behind the counter, who I'm guessing was the owner of this establishment, was talking to the other barista about how she no longer takes any sugar in her coffee. She went on to say that she was dismissing the sugar in her then sugary coffee like it didn't really count. And that she'd rather have sugar "where she could really see it, like in a pastry". And right then and there, she cut sugar out of her coffee. 

And then I realized, not less then a month ago, I couldn't imagine my coffee without sugar. 

And then I thought about that time over Christmas break where I tried Stevia at a friends house and even though it is supposedly a million and fifty times sweeter than sugar, I found myself adding like 3 more packets to make it taste the way I wanted. And it still didn't work. 

And just now I thought about how many coffee and sugar references I've made in these last two posts. And I'm sorry about that. And I'm also sorry for all the run on sentences. 

But back to this lady and her sugar revelation. What she was doing while referencing sugar, was referring to those little things that creep up on you. Those things that happen when something becomes so second nature to you that you don't even notice it. 

I realized this was me. With sugar. And with so many other things, I'm sure. So here I am again, realizing that food can lead me to the center of so many bigger issues. Like feelings. Like things you brush off your shoulder because you are just so used to feeling a certain way. 

I am on day 14 of my sugar detox. 7 days left. But I won't go back to sugar. I will go back to wine... and vodka. But not the white stuff. 

And since I know you are dying to know, I will not be going on another date with the man mentioned above. Even if his doppelganger was Tom Cruise. 

21 Days Without Sugar: Part I

We all do it. Even if you don't think you do, you probably do. Numb yourself, I mean. Try to desensitize your body's deepest feelings and desires- with alcohol, drugs, sex, sugar. And, ok, I'm not saying its a big deal if you have a teaspoon of sugar in your coffee everyday or a cookie before bed time. I'm all about moderation. In fact, I think moderation in all aspects of life is key. 

That was dramatic. 

Anyway, by eliminating sugar my hope was to dispel a feeling that I have always dealt with.
Only time will tell. 

It's day 5. I've felt... okay. My head hurts in the morning and I feel like I need a little something after meals. But I breathe through it and the craving subsides.
I will be posting my progress. 


But this post isn't about moderation it's about elimination. Because every now and then we need to completely ELIMINATE some things from our lives. For a time or forever.  I certainly feel like something's are not worth keeping around. 

This is why I decided to do Diane Sanfilippo's 21 Day Sugar Detox. Admittedly, I can think of other things I should probably eliminate. My Facebook. My inordinate amount of shoes. You get the point. But sugar is a good starting place, right? I mean studies show it's linked to diabetes... And death. 

It's called being "HANGRY" 

Hungry and Angry. 

My mother can attest to this. When I get hungry you know it. My face tightens, my brow furrows, and I become very quiet. I get HANGRY!!! 

In my quest for perfect health (impossible, I know) I wanted to completely eliminate all forms of sugar and see what would happen. Would my blood sugar normalize? Could I skip a meal and those around me wouldn't fear for their lives? Could I end my obsessive Orbit habit? 

A Story About Giving

I recently had my tarot cards read by my friend Mary who is in that sort of thing. She actually threw a tarot reading party--wine, tacos, and tarot! I'm not really into astrology but there was wine there, so naturally, I went.

My Cuban abuela always had a deck of tarot cards out and I'd ask her to tell me my future. Clearly, I was a born planner. She wouldn't say much of anything though. She'd flip 10 or so cards and say, "You're good, no evil cards here." I'd just stare at her quizically, one eyebrow casually raised and think, I need more than that, lady.

Moving on. So, Mary flips my cards, 13 of them, and she looks at them with that look that doctors give you when something is terribly wrong. And then she says, "Can you give me a moment alone with the cards?" "The cards?" Jesus. 

10 excruciating minutes later, I sit back at her table staring at her with anticipation. She looks at me and says, "The cards are telling me you are at a transition point in your life--[Isn't everyone?]-- also, there are a lot of giving cards here. It means you keep giving and giving but you're not getting back what you want in return." Well that was vague and anti-climactic, I thought.

When I got home that night, I thought about what it means to give. You can give things-tangible objects that may or may be useful, you can give love or other abstract emotions, you can give me heartburn because you are a pain in the ass, AND, my favorite, you can give the gift of food!

I think "things" are stupid. I do not want another thing to clutter my apartment. Giving the gift of food is not only thoughtful, it's helpful. I am providing you with the basic need of satiating your hunger. Food is also an extension of myself. So technically, I am giving you myself. Lucky you!

My favorite part of the holidays is cooking yummy treats for others. I will be writing a post in a couple weeks with my finished products- recipes and photos!

My Paleo Life: Update

Most people are used to breakfast food for breakfast and lunch and dinner food for well... lunch and dinner. Since traditional breakfast foods are usually laden with gut disrupting grains and salacious amounts of sugar, I've definitely had to rethink my breakfast routine. For some the transition away from sweet breakfast is simple. They crave eggs and bacon or a veggie omelet. For me, it was honey drizzled oatmeal, toast with butter and cinnamon, or a yogurt parfait with granola. Instantly satisfying, spiking up my glucose levels and quelling my sweet tooth, but as far as long term gratification and energy levels, I was in the dumps by 10 wanting coffee or a donut. Probably both. Definitely both. And on really stressful days my will power was about as strong as a 6 year old with a bag full of halloween candy.

My point is making changes isn't easy. Life is all about transitions and some are easier than others. I've been eating paleo for about 6 months now and though some might say, how could you give up bread?! The transition has been fairly simple. I said simple not easy. This is why: Eating this way is second nature to me now. I've reached the point of no return as some dramatist might say. I honestly feel like I cannot go back to my grain based diet. LIKE EVER. (Shout out to Taylor Swift!). I feel an emotional pull towards this way of eating. It's more than a head decision. It's a heart decision.

I've been reading an amazing blog lately called The Minimalists and it's finally given me a satisfying answer to why I've chosen a paleo lifestyle. I mean, there are lots of (mostly shallow) reasons why I chose to eliminate certain foods-health, energy, better skin and hair, weight loss etc. But this reason tops them all: I chose Paleo because I wanted to eliminate unnecessary food from my daily diet. The key word here is unnecessary. It's really simple actually. Take away your emotional attachment to bread and what's left. Bread. IT'S BREAD. Your mother threatened you with bread and water for dinner and admonished you to your room when you were misbehaving! It's not God's gift to this Earth. Butter is a different story. But BREAD?

What I'm trying to get across is this: I still enjoy bread sometimes. But it's different. The need to have (insert your addiction here) is gone. Paleo has been a way for me to delve deeper into myself. To allow only foods that are nourishing and whole. Who am I without childish emotions surrounding food? Or things, or people? This applies to ALL aspects of your life. Think about it.

I Made Him Beef Stew & Then I Got Dumped Via Text Message

I feel confident in the kitchen. I feel at ease and I feel sure that I can produce something worthy of sharing with others--like the beef stew recipe I will share below. Other activities, however, create a tightness in my chest and a welling up of anxiety that makes me want to run for the the hills. Like conversation lessons with my Spanish tutor or going on a first date. But I am brave. So I do these things because I know that they will open doors for me professionally and personally.

I was dating this guy I met on Match.com. Yes, I'm on Match.com. Are you done judging? Moving on. So after a couple dates, I decided to make him Ina Garten's Beef Stew because he was from Ohio and I thought he'd like that kind of thing. I made it with filet instead of stew meat. Over the top I know. For some reason, I thought this guy was worth the $20/pound filet and the 2008 bottle of Cabernet that went into it. He ate two bowls of it, naturally. It was so damn good. Food is the way to every man's heart, right?

Fast forward 2 weeks- things are going well and he is planning on coming to meet your family the second weekend in December. It's Sunday and you are getting ready to meet him at a restaurant for a date and your wearing this awesome pair of jeans you just bought that hug your ass perfectly. Your phone buzzes and you're sure it's him letting you know he is on his way because he has never cancelled on you before and is incredibly reliable. You swipe open your text messages and you read "I don't think my life and work schedule are going to be conducive to a constructive dating life." And then this deep feeling of blankness washes over you.

Okay, I'm sick of writing in 2nd person like a mediocre Goosebumps novel. This happened to me people.

So, I'm sitting on my bed dumbfounded and all I can say back is... "I agree. Good luck with everything!" Wow. All the meditation I do really has paid off. Was it that simple? Did I not even care to know why I was dumped so abruptly?

I've been pondering this for the last few days. And the fact is, there could be a million reasons why he gave me the "please be seated" text. But in reality do any of them really matter? Do I really want an explanation from someone who doesn't even have the decency to tell me in person? Do I really want to show that I even give a damn? No, no, no. Then I remembered the wise words of the barefoot contessa, herself, "Never let 'em see you sweat." And I thought, yes, yes, yes.

Cooking is a sure thing. I know a bottle of good wine and filet is going to take beef stew to the next level. Dating, however, is a different story. The lines are blurred and taking your relationship to the next level is never guaranteed. I will make this beef stew again, but next time I will make sure it's for someone who really deserves it.

Click on the link below for the complete recipe:

Parker's Beef Stew


Enjoy!

Perfect Roast Chicken

My wonderful mother gave me a bright orange dutch oven as a housewarming present and I've been dying to use it. I've also been wanting to roast a whole chicken for a while but haven't due to the lack of a roasting pan. I put two and two together and thought, "Hello, roast the chicken in the dutch oven!" Genius.

If you don't have a dutch oven, you can use a deep baking pan, a cast iron skillet, or a roasting pan.

What you'll need:
Salt and pepper (season that puppy liberally!)
Butter (a thorough rub down all over the skin, 2-3 Tbsp) plus extra to grease the pan
1/2 lemon quartered (stuffed inside the cavity)
1/2 cubed butternut squash or other roasting veg (a nice bed for the chicken)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf

First, preheat the oven to 425

1. Grease pan with softened butter. I used my hands. Measurements don't matter here.
2. Peel and cube butternut squash and lay in pan to cover the bottom, season with salt and pepper (you must season every layer!)
3. Rinse the whole chicken in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel (this allows for crispier skin!)
4. Turn him legs up and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff in the lemon, some of the garlic, and the bay leaf
5. Slather the skin with butter, the rest of the garlic, and salt and pepper.
6. Nuzzle him over the veg and pop him in the oven with the lid off for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the juices run clear
7. Let him rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing into him

This recipe is fool proof. It's so easy and so much more economical than buying it already made. And let's not forget that there are no additives in my chicken! 

Enjoy.