Katie : v.2.3

I bought some protein shakes and powders during the last NSC, only to get them home and find they had stevia in them. Today, I broke down and figured the bit of stevia in a shake would be okay, even worth the other added benefits. Gross. It tasted horrible. I even felt gross after I finished (most of) it. I just don't like stevia. During the last NSC I happened upon a little trick--Tree of Life's Cherry Concentrate.  I bought a bottle, thinking it was cherry juice. But when I opened it, I discovered it is a concentrate, so its consistency is more like maple syrup or agave. I really like a lot of the recipes from the web site Oh She Glows, but sweet Angela loves her some maple syrup. I have found the cherry juice concentrate to be the perfect "no sugar" substitute to use in her dressings and in other recipes I need to tinker with to make them free of sugar.

















Sugar : Stevia in a shake (blehck)
Gluten : None
Exercise : Yoga 10 minutes, walk 60 minutes

Katie : v.2.2

Today I waited to walk until supper time, so I had to endure a crying child for the duration of the walk. Lesson learned.

This morning the three and I picked up our favorite preacher and headed about an hour away to pick vegetables. Tomatoes and peppers, mostly. They were out of onions and the squash and zucchini were either miniscule or humongous. But, I got some good tomatoes and peppers and plan to can some salsa in a few days. 

Sugar : none
Gluten : none
Exercise : walk 20 minutes (+picking vegetables, but i won't count those minutes)

Variant Two : Katie

I like to think in chunks. Our first SFC was nestled between Karen's trip to NYC and my week with friends at the beach. We are now on the other side of a wedding we took part in and five weeks out from a visit by Karen and her family. . So, I thought another  s̶e̶l̶f̶-̶i̶m̶p̶o̶s̶e̶d̶ self-suggested SFC would be nice to fit in.

I do feel a lot of the sugar-free habits are sticking. I am better used to looking at labels. I rarely think of how I will get my next sugar fix. I've learned that a label can list "Sugars = 0" and then list sugar as an ingredient. Good Lord. It isn't any wonder people are confused and overwhelmed.

So, for this segment: 

My terms

For the next 37 days (June 25 through August 1)

• No sugars

• No gluten

• Walk/Exercise 3+ hours a week (Monday through Sunday)

That's it. I'm keeping it simple. No sugar. No gluten. More walking.

Today is Day One.

Sugar/Sweeteners : None

Gluten : None

Walking : 10 minutes

Hidden Sugars

I was with friends after our NSC and someone asked me what the hardest part of the no sugar challenge was for me, and I said all the hidden sugars. So many, many things have sugar in them. As I dive back in to another self-suggested NSC, it is the thought of having to be militant about hidden sugars that exhausts me the most.

Sugars that tripped us on our 34 day NSC:
Starbucks Passion ice tea, unsweet (BS it's unsweet)
Crunchmaster, gluten free crackers
Cape Cod, Salt and Vinegar potato chips


Other places we found hidden sugars:
All kinds of soups, even those "healthy-looking" cartons of soup
Doritos
Seasoning salt
Vigo Yellow rice
Tostito's restaurant-style salsa
Udi's millet and chia glutten-free bread
Lipton Onion soup mix
Mayonaise

Also, there is stevia in the protein powders I bought from the Health Food Store.

Cake

Today had a rough patch. NanaLin made her famous and delicious carrot cake with praline aside and cream cheese icing. It was gorgeous. It smelled divine. Everyone said it was out of this world. Exercise: none Alcohol: 2 glasses red Coffee: one cup (what can I say? We are on our second Full day of rain, pouring rain. As in a foot of rain yesterday.) Fruit: 1/2 banana, 3 strawberries, 2 smackaroons Sugar/Sweetener: none Salad: green salad with tomato feta dressing

Day 33 : Katie

Alcohol : one glass red Exercise : 30" walk Sugar/Sweetener : none Fruit : bananas in smackaroons Coffee : none

Day Thirty Two

Wow, this thing really went by fast. Hard to believe it's "over". Although not really over. I feel detoxified but I still crave ice cream on a hot day or a chai tea latte on a cold day. I struggle with what this all means for my life. Do I have ice cream once a week? Do I allow myself crackers that have maltodextrin? Do I bake with honey?
I still feel like an addict, I guess. I am afraid that I won't be able to control myself if I loosen the reins even a little bit. I won't know if I don't try. I am just not sure how or when to try. For now I think it is easier to just keep at it until I have more clarity. I have learned so much during this challenge, about food, the food industry, processed foods, my body, my cravings, my emotions surrounding food. I have not really ever been one to eat solely for sustenance, I eat for pleasure, for those pleasure centers in my brain that delight in sugar. That is a little better now I am sure, but I know I can easily slip back and I don't want to. I feel better not going through the sugar highs and lows of each day.
I also overall exercised more regularly this past month than I had during the previous couple of years. I am sure this contributed to me feeling better too. I too am so glad to have done this with my sister, who would let me talk endlessly about sugar and it's many facets. Love you sweet sister. I will keep blogging with you too.
Today was A's preschool graduation. Time flies as we all know. No time like the present to make positive change in my life.

Added sugars: none
Fruit: 1 smacaroon
Alcohol: none
Exercise: none