Sugar IS A Drug: A Mémoire

I've had a headache for two days straight and after four cups of coffee, three advil, a break from all things emitting light and Alex rubbing my head for thirty minutes straight, it finally ceased.
I haven’t had a headache this bad in months and I know the reason why.

The timing of the month is part of the reason, but it is that combined with the fact that I went overboard with sugar during the month of December. After doing Whole 30 earlier last year I noticed a difference when sugar wasn’t a part of my diet. Less headaches, more energy and no more stomach problems. Even after that entire month of Whole30 I consumed a very, small amount of sugar here and there, but nowhere near the amounts that I consumed last month. Here’s what I learned:

Sugar is a drug and a shitty one at that. During December I started off small in the sugar consumption. It started with a cookie, a couple homemade marshmallows, a sugar filled latte from Starbucks, but then it turned into a full on spree of MUST CONSUME ALL THINGS SUGAR. I found myself reaching for a mini piece of chocolate and while I was in mid chew I was already opening the second, the third and the fourth. Cookies, pie, eggnog, a tablespoon of sugar in my coffee, you name it. If it had sugar in it, it was in my mouth. By the end of the month I realized what was happening...

Towards the end of the month I was eating sugar when I wasn’t even craving it! And I was mindlessly eating way too much of it. Now this may not seem like a big deal to some people, but it is to me. Sugar has always had the propensity to make me sick to my stomach and yet here I was, shoveling sugar into my gullet by the tablespoons. So earlier this week, when the headache started, I knew I had to get some control back because my body was suffering the consequences.

So starting today, I’m pledging to not consume any sugar for at least two weeks. I need to start small here since the addiction (strong word, I know – but that’s how it feels!) was heavy in December. After I can make it two weeks, I’ll add two more.

If you’re wondering why I’m posting about this here, it’s because my accountability for not consuming sugar on the first of the year was deplorable and I need a larger accountability. Hello, blog! I love you for that!

Homemade Mayo & Chicken Salad

I have always loved chicken salad, so much so that even when we were doing Whole30 we couldn't go without it. So, instead of using store bought mayo, which is loaded with unnecessary sugar and unwanted oils, we made our own in order to add it to our super delicious homemade chicken salad. Below you will find our recipes for both.

Homemade Mayo:

• 1 cup of oil
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• add lemon juice if desired (sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. However, if you do, add the lemon last.)

Place the whole egg in a wide mouth mason jar and add a little bit of oil. Use an immersion blender to blend. Once the mixture becomes thick, slowly add the rest of the oil to the jar. Continue to mix until the consistency is to your liking. Keep in mind, the key is to go slow and not rush the process. It takes time, but it is well worth the wait and hard effort. Now it's time to make the chicken salad!

Homemade Chicken Salad:

• 1lb cooked and chopped chicken (we cooked ours in a skillet beforehand)
• 1½ cups of seedless red grapes, halved
• 4 tablespoons of homemade mayo, using the recipe above (you can also swap out the mayo for non-fat Greek yogurt)
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
• ½ cup of chopped pecans

In a large bowl combine chopped chicken, grapes, mayo (or Greek yogurt), salt, pepper, celery and pecans. Stir until everything is generously coated. Eat and enjoy!

What I Learned from Whole30

the "most excellent" homemade, Whole30 approved chicken salad

I didn't start Whole30 to loose weight, I started it as a guideline to get back to basics and to cut out the small amount of processed foods that were still in my life. Yes, in the beginning it was a little harder than I had expected. For a few weeks, I battled the sugar demon and not because I sought out sugar prior to this diet. I just didn't realize how much food I once thought was good for me contained so much sugar. Honestly, I am still baffled by the fact that a lot of companies feel the need to add sugar to foods that don't need it. I mean they're adding sugar to bacon! Really? Bacon? Either way, I made it through my first Whole30 and I feel great. The only food I really craved during those thirty days were milk and my beloved Ezekiel bread.

When my thirty days came to an end, on March 4,  I was extremely picky as to what I wanted to reintroduce back into my diet. Keeping in mind the author's suggestions I only introduced foods that I was still craving. Obviously, dairy and Ezekiel breads were at the top of my list. What I found out was that I am fine with milk in moderation. However, cheese and I do not get along at all (and honestly I don't miss it as much as I though I would) and gluten is 100% fine with me. I also reintroduced soybean oil and found that it gives me an upset stomach.

I ended up losing a total of 10 pounds! That's pretty impressive since I wasn't starving at all during those thirty days. The biggest thing that I learned from this "whole" experience is that my previous nagging suspicions of sugar being a culprit for a lot of my troubles (both physically and mentally) were indeed correct. Sugar and I do not mix. Not only does sugar leave me feeling bloated/puffy but it makes me extremely sick to my stomach. For experimentation purposes, after I finished my reintroduction, I tried half a glazed donut and half a cupcake (on separate days - and several days apart) and I found myself emotionally agitated and buzzed in the worst way possible. It was also rather bland and way to sweet, if that makes any sense.

Foods I'm Keeping In Moderation
1% milk and half & half
sprouted grains
homemade whole wheat breads
nut butters (without added sugar)
chickpeas
rice
gluten, in the form of whole wheat bread

Foods I'm Keeping In Extreme Moderation
raw honey
turbinado sugar
sprouted soy but only in Ezekiel bread
alcohol

Foods I'm Staying Away From
processed sugar of all kinds
a majority of processed foods (I will still eat KIND granola bars every once in a while)
corn and corn oils
soy (except what is in Ezkeil bread)
soybean oils
any and all white bread
cheese (unless I have an uncontrollable craving)


I plan to continue eating whole foods and making the majority of our meals at home. I love the protein+veggie+healthy fat dynamic of Whole30 and are going to stick with it. As far as eating out, I've been to Chipotle a few times since finishing Whole30 and thankfully I haven't noticed any adverse effects from the rice bran oil that they use. Outside of Chipotle, I don't foresee eating at any chain restaurants ever again. I didn't really dine at these places that much before, but now, after knowing all the unnecessary ingredients that is added to otherwise healthy food, I will definitely be sticking with family-owned restaurants and focusing on the ingredients that are being used.


If you would like to read about what Whole30 is head over here.


Have you tried Whole30? If so, what are some of the things you learned from the experience....