Conquering those pesky carb cravings with a 21-day "detox"

Guys.

How delicious does a fresh-out-of-the-fryer apple cider donut sound right now?! Or how about a piece of apple pie, a la mode? Wait, wait: an apple cider donut AND a piece of apple pie, a la mode?! NOW we're talking!

Photo courtesy of carpeseason.com 

So what's the reason I'm sharing these delectable photos? I'll admit it: I've been fending off some serious sugar and carb cravings since I decided to put myself through hell, aka a 21-day sugar "detox".

Photo courtesy of www.health.com

Full disclosure: I'm not following any particular guru's plan, nor am I giving up foods that I consider to be healthy but which most sugar detoxes consider no-nos, i.e. fruit. In fact, I'm not being particularly strict about anything other than the handful of foods that are major triggers for me and would derail my entire program. Those foods are typically of the white, starchy variety:  rice (white and otherwise), bread, cookies, cakes, pastries of any kind, pasta, etc. Now I rarely, if ever, consume white rice or white bread, but for the sake of this 21-day adventure, they're entirely off limits. 

Why am I doing this? Well, the simple answer is that I had a particularly indulgent October and as November rolled around, I started to feel the effects of the excessive amounts of sugar. I noticed that my skin wasn't looking its clearest, I wasn't sleeping as well as I usually do, and my energy levels were dipping too low for my liking. I noticed that I was reaching for sweet treats more often that I was used to, often after both lunch and dinner, and again at that dreaded time before bed when the desire to nosh becomes nearly overwhelming. 

Today is day 5 of the detox, and I'm feeling pretty awesome. The weekend has been hard, as I attended a 3-year old's birthday party on Sunday where there were cupcakes, empanadas, chocolate, and other goodies to tempt me. That night, I had dinner at a friend's house and had to politely decline the delicious-smelling orzo side dish much to my chagrin (side note: I don't even care much for orzo, but when you're 4 days into a detox, anything resembling starchy carbs begins to look like the greatest thing you'll ever eat in your life). All in all, however, things are going smoothly and I'm not missing certain foods as much I thought that I would. To be honest, I think the key is that I'm being compassionate with myself and not too strict. I'm enjoying my fruits and sweet potatoes in limited quantities, and paleo banana bread is proving a more than worthy substitute for any other bread or wrap I could think of!

I'll keep you posted as the weeks wear on...you best believe I planned this detox strategically so that the 22nd day is Thanksgiving!!! :-) Hello, luscious stuffing and decadent pumpkin pie!

Photo courtesy of www.simplyrecipes.com

Have a great week, everyone!

Photo courtesy of www.verybestbaking.com