21 DSD: Final Thoughts

I started the 21-Day Sugar Detox on November 1st. I planned it this way so I would be off of it by the time my 1st of 4 Thanksgiving meals rolled around. I woke up bright and early on that Friday morning took a few measurements and to weigh myself. After that I looked at the scale, which I step on pretty faithfully, and said see ya later! This might have been the longest I had ever gone without weighing myself. I even weighed daily during my pregnancy. I gave 110% to the detox for the next 21 days. 

In the book, there is a short little quiz that will guide you to what level and modifications you need to follow. I was guided to level 3 with the energy modifications. There are, also, meal plans that you can follow with each level. I chose not to follow one of her plans simply because preparing all my meals ahead of time works best for me. 

Following Level 3, was pretty easy. I follow the Paleo Lifestyle so I already follow the no-grain, dairy or legumes. So,what changed in my diet??? Well... I like treats! I follow a lot of the Paleo Big Wigs on several social media websites so all those yummy recipes they post works because I immediately want to try them. Our cabinet is stocked with dates, honey, and coconut sugar so when I see one of those recipes I just hop to the kitchen and try them out. Also, I typically follow a very low carb/Paleo diet and then one day on the weekend I splurge on all thingsPaleo carbs.

What did I learn from the detox? I learned so much! I learned that I needed more carbs because of how active I am and because I am a nursing mother. I didn't need all those Paleo treats because thankfully, there were some in the books that completely satisfied me. I had more energy and I didn't think I wasn't going to make throughout the day. My face cleared up tremendously, my digestive system was working better, I wasn't bloated, I just overall felt better. 

During the 21-DSD, I ate more food than ever including carbs and enjoyed every bite. I would say that I was eating somewhere between 2500-2800 calories a day. Yes, I am a female and yes, I was eating that much. I am very active and have a job that keeps me moving plus I nurse or pump every 3-5 hours throughout the day starting at 2:45 a.m. 

After my 21 days, I reunited with the scale and to my surprise eating as much as I did, I lost 3 lbs. I probably could have lost even more if I wouldn't have tried almost all of the non-sweet treats from the book. My measurements, well I will just let you see for yourself...

Yep, my measurements changed that much in 21 days. I did not do this detox because I thought I was going to lose weight but seeing these numbers was a great surprise! 

I have been asked if I will continue to eat this way or will I eat sweetened goodies again. If you remember at the beginning of this post I said I had 4 Thanksgiving meals to enjoy. I have been off the detox for a week enjoying sweet potato casserole, some delicious chocolate chip pecan bars, apple crumble (we used the recipe out of the 21-DSD book but we sweetened it a little for others), some yummy, almond butter dark chocolate cookies and such. How have I felt over the last week not being on the detox? Awful. The first night after enjoying these such items, I came down with an awful sinus cold, I have had a few breakouts on my face, I have been miserably bloated and overall just awful. So, back to the question about will I stay following the 21-DSD... YES! Will I enjoy non 21-DSD foods again, yes. I plan to follow the 21-DSD unless it is a special occasion such as Christmas, birthdays and other Holidays. Today, we will be done with all the leftovers so I am starting back tomorrow. 

I hope my final thoughts help you decide whether or not you want to purchase the book. First of all, if it has Diane Sanfilippo's name on it... GET.IT. Second of all, do it for yourself. You will feel so much better. 

Order your copy here and you can also go ahead and pre-order the 21-Day Sugar Detox Cookbook here.

21 DSD: Days 17-21

The last few days were a little tough. Not because I was craving a piece of dark chocolate or because I was getting close to being done. One night, our dogs kept us up what felt like ALL.NIGHT.LONG and then another night Knox (our 5 month old, who has been sleeping all night since he was 3 months old decided to be a little rebellious and wake up several times. So, needless to say, I was a zombie a few days in a row. Thankfully, I made it through it without having any sugar craving or cheat meals. 

Zach and I try our hardest to try as many of the recipes out of the book that we could. No, I did not go exactly by the meal plan in the book but that is the great thing about it. You eat whatever you want as long as it follows the "rules" for the level that you are on. 

Here are a few things that we ate on during the last week...

Bacon and Root Veggie Hash from the book. If you haven't made this yet, you should! Delicious!!!

One thing you might not know about me is... I love breakfast! This Tomato-Basil Quiche with Bacon is another wonderful recipe from the book! Try it!

One night, Zach breaded some boneless, skinless chicken thighs in coconut flour and then pan-seared them in coconut oil and then finished them off in the oven. So, so tasty!!

One of my favorite cookie recipes is from JenComasKeck. Her Chewy Choco Chip Cookies are delicious. I took out the sweetener and used green tipped bananas instead of ripe ones, I added 100% dark chocolate and chopped pecans. They might not be the prettiest things but they are loaded with flavor!

Our last night on the detox, Zach baked boneless, skinless chicken thighs, roasted carrots and green onions and garlic mashed potatoes. It was a great ending to the 21 days. 

The detox was no where near as hard as I thought it was going to be. I had great support to cheer me through the 21 days!

Final review....

to be continued...

21-DSD: Days 8-16

Wow, I have been a slacker on blogging! Let's get caught up...

Day 8: I was off this Friday. Knox and I just hung out at the house that morning... cleaning, packing, he napped a little, I was able to get in a quick workout in and then once Zach got home we headed my hometown. Greenwood, Ms, small delta town, where everybody knows everybody. My family went to a small catfish and steak house. I have never liked catfish but I do love a steak! Side options are limited but I got a side salad with no dressing and a baked potato with butter. I literally devoured that steak, potato and salad within minutes. It was delicious!

Day 9: I brought some of the fresh farm eggs I buy from a friend every week to my parents house. I got up and cooked bacon, my mom had some left over steak, and eggs for breakfast. Who doesn't love a 3 meat breakfast?!?! I was pretty tired this day. Knox was sleeping in his pack-n-play in our room so, of course, every time he moved I woke up. It was also a very dreary day and that wasn't helping my tiredness. My mom, sister and I went to one of the famous local restaurants, Crystal Grill. If you are ever in Greenwood, please check this place out. It never disappoints! I got the broiled chicken (dark meat), side salad and a baked potato. Very, very good! Mid afternoon we headed back home to Jackson. We always stop at the same gas station that sells smoked meats. I had some smoked chicken wings and a granny smith apple. Pretty good for road food!

Day 10: Our friends were in town and since we didn't get to hang out with them on Saturday we decided to meet them for breakfast on their way out of town. I got the Farmer's Scramble (full of mushrooms, onions, bell peppers with no cheese) and breakfast potatoes. I politely declined the side of toast but they always seem to ignore your request in hopes to sabotage you. I just pushed it to the side. Thankfully, toast isn't really a temptation for me anymore. The rest of the day was running a few errands and then heading home to get ready for the day. 

Days 11-15: These are all pretty much the same. Up bright and early for work, I eat pretty much the same thing at work all week so nothing spectacular. My energy was pretty good all week. Sleep was pretty good. 

Day 16: Pretty low key day. Got up early and took Knox to my sister's house so he could play with my niece. He loves watching her every move. We went out to eat for lunch and I got a double meat meal that included grilled chicken, steak, steamed broccoli, and mashed potatoes (the sweet potatoes were not ready yet). Very good and I had the two most handsome lunch dates anyone could ask for. ;)

So, here is a little of what we have been eating over the past week...

I eat breakfast a lot for supper...

Eggs, kale and peppers, bacon, potatoes and 21-DSD Savory Herb Drop Biscuits.

We had a few very chilly mornings this week so Zach decided to make Bittersweet Hot Cocoa from the 21-DSD book.

Here is a better picture of the Savory Herb Drop Biscuits.

These are delicious!!!!!

 Meatza!!!! This recipe is in the book. I LOVED this! It was so good!

With the left over biscuits we made bacon and egg sandwiches. Yum, yum, yum!!

Not the best picture but this is Granny Smith Apple Crumble. Once again, DELICIOUS!!! 

Breakfast again but this time we made the Pumpkin Pancakes with Vanilla Bean Coconut Butter. I love her pumpkin pancakes from her first cookbook so I was very excited to see these in the book.

These are inspired by the Buffalo Chicken Egg muffins from the book. I call these: Kitchen Sink Egg Muffins. Kale, peppers, bacon and country style ribs. 

One more picture...

Nutty Baked Apples. Gorgeous and delicious!!!

I can't believe we are on the home stretch of this detox. Just a few more days!!!!

Are you on the 21-DSD? If so, drop us a line and let us know what day you are on and how your detox is going.

Happy Saturday!!!

21-DSD Days 4-7

Day 4: I took the day off to take my son in to see the doctor. I know when I am just sitting at home that I just want to snack. Thankfully, we didn't have anything for me to snack on. It was a pretty low key day and I managed to squeeze in a little R&R while my son was napping. 

Day 5: First day back to my normal work schedule- wake at 2:45 a.m., work from 4:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., pick up my little man, come home and get all the bottles/pump stuff washed and ready for the next day. I was worried that I was going to be dragging all day but actually, I felt pretty good. The only time I would start to drag would be when it was time for  me to eat. Knox is usually in bed between 6-7 p.m. and I am right behind him. I try my hardest to get a least 8 hours every night. 

Day 6: I woke up at 1:45 a.m., usually I am not able to go back to sleep. I passed back out and was sleeping hard when my alarm went off at 2:45 a.m. I got up for work wasn't feeling sluggish, taught a body sculpt class at 6 a.m, once again felt very good all day but would start feeling a little sluggish when it was getting close to the time I was going to eat. Around 2:30 p.m. I really started fading but it was only because I sat down to nurse Knox but as soon as I got up and moving again I was fine. I slept pretty well that night.

Day 7:  Same schedule, up super early, work and then home. I was pretty slow at work so it made it harder on me. My energy level was on the lower side but I pushed through it. 

So far so good! I haven't weighed since the first day but I am feeling great, not bloated, more energy than I expected, I feel that my face is clearing up a little, and I am sleeping pretty well. I can't believe how "easy" the first week was. I hope this continues over the next two weeks. 

So, on to the food. We experimented with some of the condiments in the book. They are pretty darn delicious!

Healthy Homemade Mayonnaise

Simple Marinara

Sweetener-Free Ketchup

This is before we blended it in the food processor, that's why its so chunky.

We, also, made the Cinnamon Grilled Pork Chops. I fried two eggs to go with mine along with broccoli and kraut!

Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breast salad with Healthy Homemade Mayonnaise drizzled on top! 

YUM!

Apple Streusel Egg Muffins

P.S. These ^^^ were so good!!!

I am starting day 8 today. I will be traveling to my home town to stay with my parents. My family is very supportive in my food choices so I am not worried that I won't be able to stay on track. 

1 week down - 2 weeks to go!

Slaying that sugar monster one day at a time!

21DSD: Days 1-3

Day 1 of the 21-Day Sugar Detox: ROUGH!!!! I was off work and thankfully I got to be lazy or nap every time my son was napping. I was drained. ABSOLUTELY.NO.ENERGY. I am not a coffee drinking but I did drink Tazo's Awake tea that had caffeine in it. I really didn't think it was enough to make this huge of a difference. I, also, don't eat much refined sugar but I do like to experiment with Paleo treats, as you can tell in the previous post. Zach's birthday, my birthday, anniversary, AND Halloween all within a couple of days apart made for a lot of Paleo treats and then some treats that were just gluten-free. I, also, drank protein powder that was artificially sweetened. Maybe my body was just on a sugar high and got hit really hard on Friday when I started this detox. I slept pretty well that night. 

Day 2 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox: Not as rough as day one. I had to work 10 hours. I woke up at 4:40 a.m. to get ready for work and pump before I left because my son was not awake. The first half of my day was pretty busy so all was good. By 1 p.m. I was struggling!!! I was trying to read on the Kindle but my eyes would get so heavy. I put the Kindle down and tried to move as much as possible. I slept pretty well again that night until.... 

Day 3 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox: Time change is all great when you get an extra hour of sleep but my body decided that I needed to pump at 2:55 a.m. I usually get up for work Monday-Friday at 2:45 and have to pump before I leave. So, I guess my body will need me to pump around that time until I stop nursing. Thankfully, I was able to go back to sleep for a few more hours.  Day 3 energy wise was much better! I had to work again but it was just 4.5 hours in the afternoon. All was good until 3:45 p.m. hit. I started fading and was getting so sleepy. I got home at 5:20 p.m. ate, fed my son and then got ready for bed. It took me a while to go to sleep. I slept pretty well but did wake up a few times. 

Here are a few of the meals that I have thoroughly enjoyed so far. I am a huge egg lover so I eat a lot of them. Also, Zach cooks and prepares for the week. All my meals for work are in the fridge, ready to just pull out and heat up. This is what works best for us. So, in case you wonder why I am eating so much meatloaf or pork loin... that is why.

Eggs, sweet potato, and kraut.

Bacon wrapped pork loin and green beans. 

Perfectly grilled chicken from the 21DSD book (It really was perfect!! Delicious!!!), broccoli, and sweet potato fries that had chili powder and cinnamon on top.

Mini Mexi-Meatloaf from the 21DSD book, sweet potato and broccoli. That meatloaf turned me into a meatloaf lover!

Buffalo chicken egg muffins from the 21DSD book... SO GOOD! Sweet potato rounds, kale and kraut. 

Eggs and a green apple that Zach cooked in coconut oil and butter and sprinkled cinnamon on top.

I am definitely eating good on this plan! Stay tuned for more updates!!!

The Paleo Chocolate Lovers' Cookbook

Two years ago, if I received a cookbook for my birthday, I might have been a little disappointed. Time has definitely changed. Over the past two years, we have collected 8 paleo cookbooks. I love trying out as many recipes as possible. 

For my birthday this year, Zach got me this beautiful book...

Yes, an entire book about chocolate! Knox, our 4 month old, got me a basket full of cooking supplies so I could start cooking as soon as I got the book. I knew that I was starting the 21-Day Sugar Detox on Nov. 1st, so I didn't hesitate to try as many recipes as I could from this book. 

Here are a few things I tried...

I made these Sunflower Cups for Zach's Halloween Treat.

I have never used sunflower butter but these were pretty amazing!

Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Last Sunday, we had some bananas that we either needed to eat or throw away so I made these. So moist and wonderful!

Bundt Cake with Ganache

This was our anniversary dessert! Once again, DELICIOUS!

Chocolate Clafoutis

This was the first thing I made. I usually don't bake during the week but I immediately had to try something as soon as I got the book. In the cookbook, she garnishes it with strawberries but we didn't have any so I garnished it with unsweetened coconut flakes.

Birthday Cookie Cake

I think I did something wrong while making this because ours turned out a little on the crumbly side but it was still full of flavor and so good! I will have to try this again after my detox. 

We, also, tried one of the savory dishes in the cookbook. Yes, there are even savory dishes and yes, they contain chocolate!!! We made the chili with roasted butternut squash. I forgot to snap a picture of this but we let several people try it and know several people who made it and it is probably some of the best chili yet! 

If you want some gluten-free desserts that are not full of refined sugar and processed flours this is a cookbook for you! You can order yourself a copy HERE. The author of the cookbook also has a Facebook, Instagram, and her blog. She goes by The Spunky Coconut. Check her pages out and follow her!

I wanted to share the recipe for the Sunflower Cups.

6oz dark chocolate

1/2 cup sunflower seed butter with no added sugar

1tbsp honey

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved

pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

1. Melt the chocolate. When it is the consistency of frosting use a silicone basting brush to coat the inside of 8 miniature baking cups. (I used a mini muffin silicon dish because I did not have baking cups) When all are coated rinse the brush in hot water and dry with a towel.

2. Freeze for 5 mins then brush on another coat of chocolate. Freeze the chocolate-coated cups while you make the filling. Rinse the brush in hot water and dry with a towel.

3. In a mixing bowl combine the sunflower seed butter, honey, vanilla, and salt.

4. Remove the chocolate cups from freezer. Roll the sunflower seed mixture into balls and press into cups.

5. Brush chocolate over the top of the filled cups and freeze to set. Rinse the brush in hot water and dry with a towel. When the top coat is solid brush the final coat of chocolate on the top.

6. Store the Sunflower Cups in the refrigerator and enjoy cold or at room temperature. 

If you try them, let me know what you think. We thought they were delicious! 

Happy Friday!!!!

Anniversary Date Night

October 31st, four years ago, Zach and I made a commitment to each other to be by each other through the bad and the good for the rest of our lives. I am so thankful that we made that decision. The past 4 years we have changed for the best. 

Two years ago, we decided to try out the Paleo lifestyle. We are no where near Paleo "perfectionist" but we try our hardest to give it 90+% while letting ourselves enjoy non-paleo foods but remaining 100% gluten-free. 

Since we now have a son and our anniversary is on Halloween, we decided to celebrate our anniversary over the weekend. 

We went to a restaurant that we have been to once before... Shapley's. 

Here is my 1st ever restaurant review:

You can make reservations online which is super fast and easy. The food is delicious but a little on the pricey side. Our reservations were at 5 pm and we were seated right away. Their menu has a gluten-free section and all sides are a la carte but they are big enough to share. The food came out steaming hot and mouth watering. 

It is really dark so only two of my pictures are worth anything...

We started off with a salad and their homemade Parmesan peppercorn dressing.

Bread also comes with your meals but we politely declined it. 

One of our sides:

 Roasted asparagus with Parmesan and hollandaise sauce. 

Our other side was roasted new potatoes with fresh herbs. 

For my main course I ordered grilled marinated chicken that came with sauteed peppers and onions. 

Zach's main course was grilled filet tips with peppers, onions and mushrooms. 

The only negative thing I have on the restaurant is that it is not kid friendly. A couple walked in with two little girls, they did not have high chair or booster seats. 

After dinner, we came home to this...

Bundt Cake with ganache from my new cookbook The Paleo Chocolate Lovers' Cookbook. This was 100% paleo and worth every single calorie! 

All in all it was a wonderful night and I am so glad that we were able to celebrate our 4th anniversary. 

Shapley's

Price:$$$$$

Food: 5 Stars

Wait time: In and out

Reservations: Preferred

Kid Friendly: Thumbs down

Gluten-Free Menu: yes

Hope you enjoyed my first review and find this helpful!

P.S. Thanks Aunt Emmie for watching Knox so that we could enjoy a little alone time.