I hate the word detox, so I’m not going to call it that. We have a liver that is very capable of doing the work for us, so no need to take drastic dietary measures to “detox” because it’s BS. However, you can most definitely experiment with food and figure out what works best for you and also reset your taste buds. As you know I’m a non-diet dietitian, so let me clarify the purpose of this experiment.
I’ve been noticing that since the chaos of the holidays then Quinn getting sick and going through some major sleep regression ish…the lack of sleep is affecting my food choices. I’ve talked to you guys about how to eat intuitively and I’m always game for letting myself have those treats that sounds good and don’t deprive myself, but I’m noticing a lot more mindless eating taking place because my body is craving quick energy aka sugar! I have been wanting all the sweets all day long, so I’m going to take a week to readjust my taste buds and get back in touch with my true hunger cues.
Another reason for my “reset” is to experiment with the effects of lowering added sugar intake has on my skin. The link between diet and skin health should not be underestimated and the hormonal imbalance and inflammation caused by excessive added sugars can be a big culprit in hormonal acne. I cut dairy almost completely out of my diet and really notice the difference. I’m obsessed with skin health as of late and I have been spending $$$ on products and facials, so if I’m not also being mindful of my diet then I feel like that is just a waste of money.
If you’re wanting more specific information on added sugars and how to go about a reset for yourself read this article by Rachael Good Eats…She did a great job explaining it, so why recreate the wheel 😉
The plan also includes drinking 80-120 oz water daily and NO WINE!!
I’ve written out my meal plan for the 5 days which includes a lot of links to recipes and products I used. I also also threw in my workout schedule because I get asked that question a lot.
My 5 Day “No Added Sugar” Meal Plan + Workouts
DAY 1
Breakfast: 2 eggs cooked in coconut oil, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 apple, coffee + unsweetened almond milk + vital proteins
Snack: 12 oz unsweetened hemp milk latte + 1/4 cup cashews
Lunch: Daily Harvest banana + greens (unsweetened almond milk + 2T chia seeds + 1 scoop Aloha vanilla protein powder) topped with 1/2 cup fiber buds
Snack: celery sticks + 2T PB + cinnamon
Dinner: Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers + Yogurt Sauce (I made the yogurt sauce with Kite Hill unsweetened almond milk yogurt) We make these into turkey meatballs and have with hummus, WW pita bread, and raw veggies.
Snack: CALM tea + 1 pineapple spear (from Trader Joe’s)
Workout: Barre3 class
DAY 2
PreBreakfast: 16 oz plain celery juice
Breakfast: (2) Egg Cups (I add red bell pepper and zucchini to mine) + 1c raspberries + coffee + unsweetened hemp milk + vital proteins
Snack: (2) Maca Cacao Bliss Ball + turmeric latte (unsweetened almond milk, no added sweeteners)
Lunch: Leftover turkey meatballs + greens/veggies + 1/4c cashews + 1/4 avocado + dressing + 1/2 WW pita
Snack: chia seed pudding + blueberries
Dinner: Chinese Chicken Salad (omit dates in the dressing) + 1 spear pineapple (for digestion)
Snack: Freezer Fudge (no stevia) + cashew butter + CALM tea
Workout: Orange Theory Fitness
DAY 3
PreBreakfast: 16 oz plain celery juice
Breakfast: (2) egg cups + 1 chicken apple sausage + 1c raspberries + grande americano + Vital Proteins + unsweetened hemp milk
Snack: handful cashews + 1 fat bomb
Lunch: left over chicken salad + (2) pineapple spears
Snack: handful Simple Mills crackers
Dinner: salmon + roasted veggies + quinoa
Snack: freezer fudge + CALM tea
Workout: 30 minute indoor incline walk + stretch
DAY 4
PreBreakfast: 16 oz plain celery juice
Breakfast: chia seed pudding + berries + (2) egg cups, coffee + Vital Proteins + splash hemp milk
Snack: Bulletproof bar + unsweetened almond milk matcha tea latte
Lunch: tuna salad (made with avocado oil mayo) + Jilz crackers + veggies
Snack: popcorn
Dinner: Creamy Pesto Chicken Enchiladas
Snack: CALM tea
Workout: 45 minute spin class + 3 mile walk
DAY 5
Breakfast: Sweet Potato, Egg, Avocado Bowls
Lunch: salad bowl + Hilary’s veggie bites + dressing
Snack: Bulletproof Matcha Latte
Dinner: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Snack: apple slices + almond butter + cinnamon
Workout: Barre 3 class
My Experience:
I will start off by saying I don’t typically consume a lot of sugar in my diet to start off with, so for me this wasn’t a drastic change. However, I do find myself reaching for bars as a snack frequently, picking off Quinn’s plate mindlessly, and having something sweet after most meals. Added sugars sneak themselves into all sorts of foods…even the foods touted as “healthy”.
I did this reset pretty hardcore for the 5 days and 100% felt a difference physically and mentally. I slept great and felt like I had less brain fog throughout the day. My energy levels were about the same #momlife but I really did feel good overall. The point of this no added sugar reset is NOT caloric restriction by any means, so you shouldn’t feel hungry…but in order to not feel hungry you have to have food/snacks prepared ahead of time and spend some time in the kitchen.
My overall goal for this reset was to recalibrate my tastebuds and get back to more mindful eating habits. I think I achieved both and would like to try this again in the future for a longer period of time….the weekends are just hard! I had a glass of sav blanc Saturday night and I (almost) couldn’t finish it because it tasted SO sweet!
Heather joined in on some of the fun last week…who wants to join us for another round soon?!
xx,
Alix
