So let’s get right into it! Here are my major observations from a week on the 21 Day Sugar Detox:

• Everyone had a few grumpy/moody moments in the first week. I told you I’d give you the real talk- good, bad and ugly- so here we go! The kids had their meltdowns early on. In the first three days, they asked a lot about juice (they typically get a splash of juice in their water cups), about treats and about stopping to eat at restaurants while we were out. I was prepared for that, so I don’t feel like it shook my resolve much. After all, we never really warned them anything major was changing. My husband and I reached our point of contention later in the week (see the next point), where he was not feeling satisfied after meals and I had a few major crying sessions because I felt like he wasn’t on-board with the plan anymore. Not sure if my stuff was more pregnancy/hormone-related or sugar-related, but we reconciled and we’re continuing on with the plan. Which leads me to the next point..
• We’ve noticed our family needs more carbs! We are on the Level 2 Plan with Energy modifications, but I don’t think I added enough extra carbs to compensate for the pregnancy or for my husband’s body type. Kids need extra carbs, too. So we’ve compromised and added in a few of the ‘Limit’ items from Level 1 like rice and quinoa to add to our carb intake.
• I had a few very tired days. I think Days 2-4 were the worst, but I just felt completely wiped out. A few other detox symptoms showed up (runny nose, scratchy throat), but the fatigue was the most noticeable for me. Again, this could be due to the pregnancy or the fact that I have been doing so much more work in the kitchen. Which leads me to..
• There are so many dishes! Get ready to wash, wash, wash.. and then wash again. We don’t really use paper products in our house, so all of our dishes and towels are in constant rotation. I’m also using a ton of pots and bowls and kitchen tools. I’ve mentioned before here that dishes are not my thing, so I guess I’m really committed to this plan to endure all the extra washing!
• Our tastes are changing already. The things that used to taste more sour are now tasting sweeter- I’m getting closer and closer to actually enjoying the taste of a grapefruit! The kids are relaxing their preferences, too- they’re eating a lot more vegetables and not complaining as much about preparations (example- they used to prefer their scrambled eggs and veggies separated, but now they will eat them combined).

Cinnilla Nut Mix and Herb Biscuits, Chicken Pot Pie, Veggies about to be roasted.

So what did we eat?

Breakfasts

• Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins (p 100, we omitted the buffalo sauce and added cheese instead)
• Eggs with Sausage or Bacon and Veggies
• Orange Coconut Smoothie (p 93)
• Banana N’Oatmeal (p 46 of the additional cookbook)
• Veggie and Egg Scramble or Frittata

Lunches

• A lot of leftovers! (This works well for our family.)
• Salads with leftover chicken or salmon

Dinners

• Mini Mexican Meatloaves with Herb Cauliflower (p 118, p178)
• Cilantro Shrimp Stirfry with Caulirice (p 122 of the additional cookbook, p 172)
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Mustard Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries and Asparagus (p 114)
• Balsamic Braised Beef, Mashed Butternut Squash (p 128)
• simple broiled salmon with lemon juice
• Chicken Pot Pie (p 66 of the additional cookbook)

Snacks/Treats

• Cinnilla Nut Mix (p 192) or other mixed nuts
• Grain-Free Banana Granola (p 200), with milk or yogurt
• Yogurt with nuts or bananas (my favorite combo is yogurt, banana, almond butter, cinnamon and a little splash of vanilla)
• Full-fat cheese
• Carrots and celery with almond butter or mashed avocado
• Antipasti-type stuff- olives, pickles, cheese, salami, et
• Vanilla Coconut Popsicles (p 196)
• Savory Herb Drop Biscuits (p 188)
• Hard-boiled Eggs
• Kale Chips (p 190)

(Unless otherwise noted, the page references are all from the 21 DSD Book.)

We are already into the second week of our journey and things are continuing to go well. I’ll be back soon to share more details. Please feel free to comment with any questions you may have, I’d love to share any answers I can.