Remember! If you’re enjoying these podcasts, please leave us a review in iTunes, thanks!

Episode #26

Check out the Paleo Summit and register for information and updates. The event takes place ONLINE beginning on February 26! 

Upcoming Events:
February 25: Practical Paleo Seminar, Santa Rosa, CA > register.
March 3: Practical Paleo Seminar, Fairfield, NJ > register.

Topics: 
#1. Clearing up some “Useful Guides” recommendation confusion on sweeteners, fats & cooking fats.
#2 Yersinia bacterial infection.
#3. Are soaked/fermented/sprouted grains okay?
#4. Effective female mass gain?
#5. How to take Betaine HCl.
#6. An oil for skin when coconut oil isn’t enough?
#7. Is there a Paleo version of the BRAT diet?

Click here to download the episode as an MP3.
The episodes are currently available in iTunes, Stitcher & Blog Talk Radio.

#1. Clearing up some “Useful Guides” recommendation confusion on sweeteners, fats & cooking fats.

So I was telling a friend about you, your books, your podcasts (which I enjoy). She is overweight and was planning on contacting you to hire you if possible because she trusts me and knows I won’t misguide her. BUT, she did some research (thanks to Dr. Google) and here’s the email I just got from her:

Dear (friend), So I was looking at Diane’s website and her pdf guides am kinda shocked at the bad information in them. She recommends agave nectar in her sweeteners guide. Then in her fats and oils guide she recommends “saturated fats” for cooking (even though butter, tallow, lard, and coconut oil also contain polyunsaturated AND monounsaturated fats), and unsaturated fats (including sesame, walnut, pecan, flaxseed, and macadamia nut oil) for salad dressings or non-heated dishes. I’m not sure if I understand why she would recommend nut and seed oils AT ALL when you can get those fats from eating the nuts and seeds themselves right? This is so confusing and now I’m not so sure with her. And what’s with all the bacon pushing?

She also lists the “smoke points” of all the oils, and as it turns out that all the unsaturated fats have a HIGHER smoke point than all the saturated fats. If she is using “smoke point” as an explanation for why you should cook with saturated fats and only use unsaturated fats when they are non-heated, then shouldn’t it be the other way around? If olive oil has a higher smoke point than butter, tallow, lard, and coconut oil, shouldn’t we be cooking with olive oil and not cooking with butter? I don’t get it.

#2 Yersinia bacterial infection. 

Thank you for a great podcast, I enjoy every episode  I’m wondering if you could talk about your take on how to best recover from a parasite and bacterial infection?

I was diagnosed with a yersinia bacterial infection and an unknown parasite infection in September/October. My doctor put me on Olive leaf extract (4 capsules a day) to beat the yersinia infection and probiotics, he did not give me anything for the parasite. I’ve taken the olive leaf extract for about 3 months, but I recently stopped on doctors orders. My last stool test to see if I still have the parasite was negative, I’ve not been retested for the yersinia infection.

Since I stopped the olive leaf extract some of my symptoms are back… My digestion does not work as well any more, is that a sign that I’ve not completely beat the yersinia infection? Or perhaps I have some other dysbyosis? I’m still taking the probiotics.

I’m thinking about doing the GAPS diet. What do you think about it? Thank you! Tiril

Notes:

• www.siboinfo.com
• Why you want more stomach acid (not less)
• Chris Kresser’s series on digestion/GERD 
• Our podcast interview with Chris on digestion
• Dr. Lo radio on SIBO

#3. Are soaked/fermented/sprouted grains okay? 

One of the most important books I read in my journey to better health was Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, which has grains and legume preparation and recipes, so I’m wondering if grains and legumes are prepared properly, soaking for twelve hours or more and then sprouting or slow cooking, are they really still bad for your body?

#4. Effective female mass gain? 

I LOVE eating the paleo way, don’t do bread/rice/pasta/nuts/seeds, I eat TONNES of avocados/good fats and eat my fair share of protein but I do want to build some bigger muscle mass and struggle to make any gains eating paleo even with the heavy workouts – any thoughts on how I can change my food to help?

#5. How to take Betaine HCl. 

Betaine HCl…should I be taking it immediately before, during or after eating? Perhaps some combination, like during and after?

#6. An oil for skin when coconut oil isn’t enough? 

Beauty question – coconut oil is not strong enough for my dry skin in the winter. is there anything else I can use on my body, not my face, to help with winter dry skin?

#7. Is there a Paleo version of the BRAT diet?

Cheers!
Diane & Liz

My good friend & popular health blogger, Sean Croxton, has just put the finishing touches on the first ever online PALEO extravaganza.

Whether you’re hardcore into paleo, just getting started, don’t  really know anything about it, or hate it and think it’s all hype – this event has something for you.

Sean went and interviewed top experts in the  health & nutrition space about the Paleo diet – putting their  knowledge to the test – and created The Paleo Summit.

Mark your calendars, because this event (all 8 days of it!) starts Sunday, February 26th with interviews from Mark Sisson and myself on Day 1. In my interview I cover PRACTICAL PALEO Implementation including some common pitfalls and how to avoid them as well as how to talk to friends and loved ones about why you follow a Paleo diet/lifestyle.

Oh, and did I mention that it’s FREE to attend!

In this first-of-it’s-kind online event, you guys are going to see:

• Primal living expert Mark Sisson discuss EXACTLY what ancestral  living means – as well as what to eat, what not to eat, and why.
• For parents – Sarah Fragoso will show you how to transition your  family into the primal lifestyle – while keeping it fun for the kids AND the adults
• Dr. Thomas O’Bryan give you the scoop on gluten – why it can lead to autoimmune disease, osteoporosis, and muscle pain!
• Get the scientific perspective on Paleo from Ivy League research  biochemist Mat Lalonde – so you can differentiate between the  rampant paleo extremism and what’s truly backed by science
• Get the scoop from independent health researcher & blogger Matt Stone on why he thinks the Paleo diet is bunk!
• Paul Chek give you the six foundational principles for abundant  health – and how you can break your social conditioning to truly  become the healthiest version of yourself.

And that’s just a SMALL taste of what’s happening starting on February 26th.

As an added bonus, when you register today, you’ll also get an  awesome video interview with Mark Sisson regarding why we should eat  like our ancestors, as well as a 40-minute interview with Gary  Taubes on why we get fat – I know you’re going to love them.

Pre-registration is currently open – so make sure you head over to The Paleo Summit right now to sign up.

Remember! If you’re enjoying these podcasts, please leave us a review in iTunes, thanks!

Episode #25, guest Diana Rodgers joins us.

Check out Diana’s website: Radiance Nutritional Therapy.

Get registered for PaleoFx here. Listen to the podcast for a special discount code to save 30% for our listeners!
Can’t get to Austin?! Check out the Paleo Summit and register for information and updates. The event takes place ONLINE beginning on February 26! 

Upcoming Events:
February 18: Practical Paleo Seminar, Wilmington, DE > register.
February 25: Practical Paleo Seminar, Santa Rosa, CA > register.
March 3: Practical Paleo Seminar, Fairfield, NJ > register.

Topics: 
Question #1: Bulimia, emotional eating, cravings & Paleo.
Question #2: Is coconut Paleo’s peanut? Adding back in carbs after The 21-Day Sugar Detox & general carb intake ideas for leaning out/CrossFit Games training.
Question #3: Child with severe elimination issues. 

Click here to download the episode as an MP3.
The episodes are currently available in iTunes, Stitcher & Blog Talk Radio.

Question #1: Bulimia, emotional eating, cravings & Paleo.

I am having a really hard time sticking to a Paleo diet. I love the way it makes me feel, but I’ve only been able to consistently stick with it for a few days until I succumb to sweet cravings. I am an ICU nurse, work 12 hr shifts, needless to say, my job is stressful. I pack a whole days worth of delicious Paleo meals and frequently find myself
binging on the junk at work. Cookies, candy, chocolates, anything sweet. I feel like shit afterwards and vow to never do that again…. but i few days later, I do. I CrossFit 3-4 days a week for a year now and have definitely gotten strong but I feel my diet is holding me back. both my parents were diabetic and both died young, mom at 48 and dad at 56, both from a stroke. I know i need to get this under control…. but I’m having a real hard time.

Important to note that I’ve also suffered from bulimia since i was 19. I am now 34. It comes in waves. The last time I binged and made myself throw up was about 2 weeks ago. It is a struggle to not want to binge and purge, but so far 2 weeks. I’ve eaten a lot of junk though. I am 5 feet tall, 138lb and about 23% last time I was measured at my crossfit gym. I’m not lean, but definitely muscular and strong. I just want to be able to stick to a diet that will nourish me and make me healthy. Western medicine is no help as they advocate small frequent high carbohydrate, grain laden meals. This just makes me crave more junk. Help.

Question #2: Is coconut Paleo’s peanut? Adding back in carbs after The 21-Day Sugar Detox & general carb intake ideas for leaning out/CrossFit Games training.

Hey Ladies! I love listening to your podcast, it’s always giving me something to think about – therefore, new questions are always popping up in my head! I am currently doing Diane’s 21DSD and am kicking its ass! I really fell off the coloquial wagon over the holidays and am now 100% paleo in addition to currently restricting sugar/carbs, as prescribed by the detox.

I have a couple of questions – I’ll be happy if you even just answer one (the second one)!
1. Is the coconut going to be paleo’s peanut?! Aren’t there so many peanut allergies today b/c it is in EVERYthing? Maybe it would take years to develop, but when I look at my paleo replacement for things I’ve noticed I’m using coconut oil (vs. EVOO), coconut milk &/or coconut cream concentrate (omg, the concentrate decended from the heavens!) in my coffee and to make a makeshift ‘sweet treat’, I also drink coconut water, and have just bought some coconut flour – am I going off the deep end, here?!

2. As I mentioned, I’m doing The 21-Day Sugar Detox, and am probably playing a little bit with ketogenesis. I probably have about 10 pounds of fat to lose (this is the same 10 pounds of fat I’ve been trying to lose since the nineties), I did not scale back my crossfit training (Open, here I come!) so if I am feeling depleted I’ll pop a half of a sweet potato in the toaster oven at work for my pre-WOD energy. I’ve lost about 5 pounds so far (with another 7-10 to go – the first five fell off my body no problem, but now I’m “stuck” right where I usually get stuck at 159-160. I’m 5’5 and am pretty muscular (my backsquat is 225lb.,) ) and have 8 days to go. I’d like to continue to do this until I reach my goal “look” -not necessarily weight, because of my training, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some muscle mass being added.

Question – is it difficult for the body to go back and forth between ketogenesis and regular metabolism? Does this mess with the bodies ability to metabolize CHO’s ? AND, finally, in coming off the sugar detox, how careful would I have to be in terms of adding natural sugars/fruits back in – does the system freak out if it’s too much (what’s too much, anyway?) Thanks so much, again, love the podcast!

Question #3: Child with severe elimination issues.

Hey Diane and Liz,
So here is a question for you that I just can’t figure out. Hopefully you guys can help! =) I made the transition to eating clean, real, paleo food about a year and a half ago. Went cold turkey! And because I do all the cooking, my husband and three kids are along for the nutritional ride. =) My kids, still being little (now 2 years, 3 years, and 6 months old), made the transition smoothly. No fuss over no more pancakes or sandwiches. And my husband hardly complains either. That being said, we are almost 100% paleo at home (except for the occasional gluten free waffles a special treat every now and then). And when we eat out, which is no more than once a week if even that often, my husband will eat whatever he wants off the menu, but I usually order the kids something gluten free and let them splurge on some grains and dairy (usually something like cheese quesadillas on corn tortillas). So really the only gluten exposure my kids have is at church, where they give out animal crackers, and at Granny’s house, where she gives out lovely 100-calorie packs of cookies (sigh), and cake whenever we go to birthday parties and such.

So… that is the background. Here is the problem/question. My 2 year old son has TERRIBLE BMs. And when I say terrible, I mean that every single time he poops he ends up in the bathtub to clean up. IT IS NASTY! It is really smelly, watery like diarrhea, and grainy. This has been going on for about 3 months now. I talked to his pediatrician about it and she ran some labs to check for a bunch of stuff like giardia and other bacteria. Everything came back normal. She recommended a children’s chewable probiotic. That didn’t help. We chatted about possibly checking for some food allergies, but she told me that since he doesn’t eat much gluten the tests wouldn’t be accurate anyway. She doesn’t know what to do next and basically told us to wait it out?! SO my husband and i decided to put him on a strict 30 day elimination diet. No gluten, dairy or legumes AT ALL. (We ARE bringing in a box of gluten free animal crackers to church so he doesn’t feel left out…but other than that on Sunday mornings, no grains either). There is still no change in his BMs. HELP! Should we just continue with the super strict elimination diet for longer? Maybe 30 days isn’t enough? Can eating too much fruit cause this? I do let me kids eat a lot of fruit. Hmmm. Here is a basic day of food for my son:

bfast- 3 eggs and spinach cooked in coconut oil, a banana.
snack – nuts, apple, turkey slices, grapes (probably not all of those on the same day)
lunch – usually protein leftovers from dinner, sweet potatoes, orange
snack – banana/coconut smoothie, raisins, 90% dark chocolate (again, not all of these at the same time!)
dinner – some sort of quality protein source and 1-2 veggies
snack – carrots

Do you have any ideas? Suggestions? We are willing to try anything at this point.

Cheers!
Diane

Remember! If you’re enjoying these podcasts, please leave us a review in iTunes, thanks!

Episode #24

Read the blog post we talked about during the show’s intro on Hunt.Gather.Love. “Why Women Need Fat.”

Cheers!
Diane

Lamb chops are one of my absolute FAVORITE  cuts of meat. While I can probably come up with a bunch of fancy things to do with them, I typically make them just like this – simply seasoned and properly cooked to a medium-rare level of doneness. When in doubt, this technique will give you nicely cooked meat nearly every time. The amount of both searing and oven-baking time may vary with the thickness of the cut of meat you’re cooking, but the method remains the same. I made this batch today while hanging with The Food Lovers here in Pittsburgh while working on my book. They were gone about 10 seconds after the photos were taken! Enjoy!

Seared Lamb Chops with Rosemary Salt

Yield: Approximately 2 large or 4 small servings.
Coming soon! Click here for estimated nutrition facts.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp bacon fat or coconut oil
• 8 lamb rib chops
• 2 tsp Rosemary Salt Blend (see below)
• ground black pepper to taste

Preparation: 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a large, oven-safe cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat and melt the bacon fat in the pan.

Season the lamb chops with the rosemary salt blend generously on both sides. Add ground black pepper to taste.

Sear each side of the chops for 2 minutes, then place the entire pan into the hot oven for 2 minutes.

Optional: Serve with kalamata olives and macadamia nut pesto.

For the Rosemary Salt Blend: 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c ground, dried rosemary
  (preferably made from drying fresh rosemary)
•  1/4 c coarse sea salt

Preparation: 

Combine all spices in a food processor. Store in a jar or resealable bag for use in recipes.

Yes, you can enjoy this meal while on the 21-Day Sugar Detox.

Remember! If you’re enjoying these podcasts, please leave us a review in iTunes, thanks!

Episode #23- “Naked Calories” authors Jayson & Mira Calton talk about micronutrient deficiencies

Read more about The Calton Project > Calton Project – Calton Nutrition
Take the micronutrient sufficiency quiz Micronutrient Sufficiency Quiz
Jayson’s study on micronutrient value of diets (PDF).
Obesity article Micronutrient Missing Link

Cheers!
Diane

What do you do when you get home from the grocery store and realize you bought chicken thighs without skin? Wrap it in bacon, of course! This recipe is pretty simple, but the Smoky Spice Blend kicks it up! I enjoyed these last night for dinner while hanging with The Food Lovers. We think you’ll love them!

Love bacon? Fly your flag, sport it on a T.

Bacon-Wrapped Smoky Chicken Thighs

Yield: Approximately 4 servings.
Click here for estimated nutrition facts.

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
• 8 slices of bacon
• 2 tsp Smoky Spice Blend 

Preparation: Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1 tsp of Smoky Spice Blend, then wrap each one in 2 strips of bacon. Sprinkle with the remaining Smoky Spice Blend and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Enjoy! Smoky Spice Blend: Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp chipotle powder
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp onion powder (eliminate to make this FODMAP-free)
• 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp black pepper

Preparation: Combine all spices in a bowl, then store in a small container. Yield: 4 bacon-wrapped chicken thighs

Yes, you can enjoy this meal while on the 21-Day Sugar Detox.

Remember! If you’re enjoying these podcasts, please leave us a review in iTunes, thanks!

Episode #22- Liz talks about her mystery trip

Check out Liz’s blog post about the trip as well, here.

Cheers!
Diane

I grew up loving sauerkraut. I spent a lot of time toting around with my mom and her friends to shopping malls, and juicy Nathan’s hot dog topped with kraut and ketchup was one of my favorite mid-mall-meals. With fries, of course.

Well, fast forward about 25 years and here I am, happily still enjoying sauerkraut, but it’s not the canned, lifeless and nutritionally devoid kind I used to devour. This is a raw, unpasteurized, fermented, nutrient-dense, probiotic-rich, fresh and delicious home made sauerkraut. It’s amazing (if I do say so myself). The flavors pop and the spiciness of the pepper and garlic adds the perfect level of kick without overpowering the recipe.

This is my favorite way to make raw sauerkraut, but you can certainly follow some of the variations listed for different flavors or try your hand at a new flavor of your own. This recipe is inspired by the raw sauerkraut I fell in love with from Farmhouse Culture brand kraut, which I highly recommend trying if you can get your hands on it.

While this post is dedicated to the recipe for my raw kraut, click here to read my post about the health benefits of raw, fermented sauerkraut.

Raw Sauerkraut:
Roasted Jalapeño & Garlic

Yield: Approximately 32 servings.
Click here for estimated nutrition facts.

(flavor variations for a plain and other versions are listed at the end of the recipe)

NOTE: You’ll need to have a large pot or mixing bowl, 2 wide-mouthed 32oz sterilized glass jars, and two pinch bowls or shot glasses that fit inside the top of the glass jars on-hand for this recipe. If you have a sauerkraut crock or other fermentation containers you won’t need the glass jars.

Yield: 2, 32-oz jars.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 jalapeño peppers
• 1 large head of green cabbage, sliced into thin strips (set large outer leaves aside)
• 1 Tbsp unrefined sea salt (I like Redmond Real Salt)
• 2 large carrots
• 2-4 cloves of garlic (2 if large, 4 if smaller)
• Black pepper to taste – a few grinds will work

Preparation:

• Place the jalapeño(s) over an open gas flame or on a grill, turning every minute or so until the skin is blackened and blistered. Remove the pepper from the heat and peel the skin off under cool running water.

• Slice the peeled pepper(s) and remove the seeds to your taste. The more seeds you leave, the spicier the recipe will turn out. Set the peppers aside.

• Place 1/3 of your sliced cabbage into your large bowl and sprinkle 1 Tsp of the salt over it. Using your hands squeeze and stir the cabbage until some of the water content begins to come out of it and the cabbage seems wet.

• Repeat this process adding the remaining cabbage and salt 1/3 at a time to the bowl. Squeeze and stir the mixture until you can see water running off of the cabbage. This will take time and elbow-grease, so be ready to get your hands involved.

• Peel and then grate the carrots on a box grater or in a food processor.

• Peel and then finely slice the garlic.

• Add the shredded carrots, garlic, jalapeños and black pepper to the mixture and combine with your hands.

• Fill the 2 jars evenly, pressing the mixture down so that water releases and raises above the line of the vegetables. Continue doing this until the jars are filled with about 2″ of space remaining at the top.

• Wedge the large outer leaves of the cabbage you had set aside into the top of the jars so that the mixture is underneath it and the water level raises above the flat cabbage leaf. You will want to use a small pinch bowl or a shot glass as additional weight to keep the mixture down.

• Set the filled jars aside on a cookie sheet or in any other large, flat container with an edge so that if there is any spillover you keep it contained. Set the jars/cookie sheet aside in a secure place at room temperature where they will not be disturbed.

• Check on your raw sauerkraut every day or two to make sure that the water level has remained above the vegetables and that no vegetables are touching the surface and coming into contact with air. The fermentation process happens under water, so if you do see anything touching the surface, use a clean spoon to remove it. You may also see some growth or mold form around the top of the liquid- this is normal but it’s best to remove it when you see it. If you need to add liquid to the jars, add some fresh water to make sure that everything is below a water line. The weights should a lot help with this.

• After about one week, remove the weight and top piece of cabbage from the kraut, remove a thin layer of the top of the kraut and give it a taste. It should be sour but probably not “there” yet. Allow the sauerkraut to sit for at least 2 weeks and taste it periodically as you wish to check on it.

• Once the sauerkraut tastes as you like it, place the lid on it and store it in the refrigerator. It will last for several months while refrigerated and will not continue to ferment further.

Variations:

• Plain raw sauerkraut: use just cabbage and salt.

• Traditional raw sauerkraut: use cabbage, salt and caraway seeds (about 1Tbsp for this recipe).

• Sweet and tangy sauerkraut: use red cabbage, salt, raisins or currants, cinnamon and fennel seeds.

• Seasonal fall sauerkraut: use cabbage, salt, green apples, sliced fennel and leeks.

• FODMAP-free carrot-kraut: use just carrots in place of cabbage and salt.

Yes, you can enjoy this recipe while on the 21-Day Sugar Detox.

If you’re reading this post, chances are that you are either wrapping up some kind of nutrition challenge (maybe The 21-Day Sugar Detox, a 30-day Paleo challenge or an elimination diet as recommended by a nutrition or healthcare practitioner). Often the last few days of the challenge leave you wondering how you’ll ease back into your “normal” life, or what foods you want to splurge on now that the restrictions are over. Here’s my take on how to approach re-introducing foods after your challenge has come to an end.

1. If you were avoiding certain foods (typically gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, nightshades, etc.) as part of an elimination-provocation plan…

Then you’ll need to very carefully re-introduce them one at a time. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

• The day after your program ends, choose one food to eat again – typically this will be the food you missed the most!
• Eat that food at all three meals along with whatever other foods you had been including in the elimination – meaning you ONLY re-introduce one potentially problematic food at a time and not more than one.
• DO NOT eat that food again for the following two days.
• Note any changes in the following FOR A FULL 72-HOURS AFTER EATING THE FOOD: mood, energy, appetite, digestive function like bloating, gas, loose stool or diarrhea, headaches, inflammation, and brain fog or mental clarity.
• Your notes will be some of the best guides you have as to whether or not you are sensitive to the food you just re-introduced. Food sensitivity reactions can happen immediately but can also have delayed-onset for up to around 72 hours (3 days!).
• NOTE: I don’t actually recommend EVER re-introducing gluten containing grains like wheat, barley, rye and oats into your diet, nor do I recommend making pasteurized dairy or unfermented soy products any regular part of your life. These foods are shown to contribute to a myriad of health problems and, typically, tend to crowd-out much more health promoting options like vegetables, well-raised meat & eggs and healthy, naturally occurring fats in the diet.

2. If you were on a plan to be more strict about avoiding food additives, sweeteners and other slightly processed foods (a strict Paleo challenge would fall into this category)…

Then you’ll want to think about the following before jumping off the deep-end and burying yourself in a pile of grain-free baked goods or a bottle of wine:

• How do you feel now that you’ve changed your food?
• How do you think you’ll feel if you eat something you estimate is less-than-healthy for you?
• If you think you’ll feel less-than-optimal, how long will that feeling last?
• Will the ill-health effects of the foods you want to eat again last more than a couple of hours? More than a day? More than a week?
• What will you be disrupting with the foods: blood sugar or digestive function?
• Has the time and energy commitment that’s gone into avoiding the food(s) added more stress to your life than it alleviated signs and symptoms of ill health?

Ultimately it’s up to you to choose what and how often you’ll add certain foods back into your regularly scheduled food programming, but considering the above questions is a good idea. You’ll become a lot more MINDFUL of your choices, rather than allowing them to become defaults simply because they are habits or they represent the easy way out. I tend to think that a food that initiates an acute blood sugar spike in an otherwise even situation day in and day out is less deleterious in the long term than foods that disrupt digestive function that may perpetuate for days or weeks on end and interfere with immunity in a more intense way.

3. If you were completing The 21-Day Sugar Detox…

Then you’ll want to think about the following before chugging a glass of fruit juice, a pile of candy, some cookies or even a piece of pizza:

• What was your diet like before The 21-Day Sugar Detox (21DSD) and were you on Level 1, 2, or 3?
• How do you feel now that you’ve reduced the amount of sugar or dense carbohydrates you’ve been eating?
• How has your sleep been? What about your digestive function?
• Do you think that eating sugary or carb-rich foods will make you feel better or worse?
• Has the time and energy commitment that’s gone into avoiding sugar and dense carbs added more stress to your life than it alleviated your cravings and how much sugar or carbs has controlled your life and food choices?

For those of you on Levels 1 and 2, The 21DSD may have been a HUGE change in dietary habits for you. If that’s the case, and if you were previously eating bread, cereal and pasta, then refer to point #1 in this post. You’ve essentially been on an elimination diet for three weeks and need to go SLOWLY when re-introducing foods, especially the ones that are highly allergenic like wheat, dairy, and soy. 

Consider how often you used to consume sweetened or carb-rich foods, then decide whether adding some of those foods back in perhaps once a day versus at every meal will be something more livable for you on a regular basis. Fruit, for example, is a great way to enjoy a dessert or a treat, but most of it isn’t included on The 21DSD. Consider whether you previously ate sweets or dense carbs as rewards, as comfort, or even just as part of a habit. Then consider whether or not eating them made you feel your best or helped you to reach your goals. A LOT of people lose weight on The21DSD, but it’s not the primary goal of the program. If you did lose weight, recognize that the bite here or there of sweets that seemed innocent enough before may have been too much for you and for your goals. If your goal was not primarily weight loss but rather to break unhealthy habits and conquer cravings, think about how eating sweets again triggers the problems and causes a downward spiral, then become mindful and conscious when choosing what to eat on a daily basis.

To safely and slowly add some naturally occurring sugars (like fruit) and starches back into your diet, take care to consider portions and the timing of these foods. Fruits should not be eaten alone if blood sugar regulation and cravings have been issues for you historically. Eat small portions of berries or half of a piece of fruit if you’re not a very active person, or larger portions if you are more active. Starchy foods are best added back in on days when you are more active and specifically in the meal following your activity. Keep portions of starchy foods to a minimum otherwise, and don’t allow them to monopolize your plate if weight loss maintenance is your goal. If simply avoiding cravings is your goal and you feel okay/don’t have them when you add back in some starchy foods, then you can enjoy some root vegetables, tubers like sweet potatoes and squash more frequently. Continue to avoid refined foods including bread, pasta, cereal and other products made from flours and purchased in packages- these are never healthy options.

The bottom line: After The 21-Day Sugar Detox, a sugar-bender is not recommended. The first time I completed The Detox myself, I ate candy the following day when I was hungry (note: this means my blood sugar was already low!). I spiked my blood sugar SO high that when it crashed about an hour or two later, I nearly passed out. Seriously. It was THAT intense. I vowed at that point that I’d never let that happen again. Hopefully you can learn from my mistake, and from the questions outlined above, when choosing how to ease back into your regularly scheduled programming of life and food.