operation sweet-tooth, pt. 3

Lessons Learned #

I’ll keep this post simple. Here’s are just a few of the things I learned from my three weeks away from sugar:

• Almost everything has sugar in it.
• I love sugar.
• When you have gone so long without limiting sugar intake, a few days away from it can really make you cranky.
• Vegetables taste good - some of them taste REALLY good.
• Anything difficult you try to do becomes easier when you have the support of the people you live with. For me that meant a very supportive and helpful wife. She helped plan meals, and did her best to stick to the rules - despite being 8.5 months pregnant!
• You can’t quit on something when you’ve shared your plans with almost everyone you know.
• Sustainable and consistent energy levels really are possible.
• Meals based on whole foods, without “filler”, take a lot of time to prepare and cook.
• As such, this sort of diet has made me a better cook.
• I can do hard things, and accomplishing something hard, in and of itself, provides a great deal of energy and enthusiasm for life.

Here are some of the things I ate that i truly enjoyed:

• Omelets – with all sorts of fillings (peppers, spinach, mushrooms, basil, green onions, pepper jack cheese, etc.)
• Bell Pepper salad - with black beans, red bell peppers, cheese, and a house made avocado dressing
• Fresh green beans and fresh broccoli
• Mixed nuts (lots and lots and lots of them)
• Coconut water - I went from hating this on day one, to absolutely loving it by today. I had 12 ounces of it this morning, and it really did taste like heaven. I am amazed at how much my palette has changed.
• Mexican meatloaf
• Cocoa Almond truffles – they sound better than they are, though I really did enjoy them (and they’re packed with nutrients and energy)
• Italian stuffed bell peppers – these were quite good

Some side benefits that I enjoyed:

• I’ve become a better cook
• I am much more cognizant of what is in my food
• I know every inch of my local grocery stores
• I have a new love for coconuts
• I sleep better
• I’ve learned more about nutrition and health (on our first day, we watched the documentary Forks Over Knives) and because of this exercise I’ve been reading every health article that I see.

Well, that about sums it up. This is a project I would recommend to every single person I know. It has been eye-opening and has transformed the way I look at food. I also have confidence that I can do almost anything for 21 days.

Try it yourself, and let me know how it goes!