There is a puzzling gap between a healthy lifestyle and a diet. While the gap goes unnoticed, people wanting to heal their bodies and relationship with food are left with two choices:
- Go on a restrictive diet.
- Just eat healthier.
They sound like good options at first. Tremendous weight loss stories, “you can do it too” advertisements, and slimming supplements are not hard to come by. You also don’t have to go far to get an earful from an already healthier person who’s advice is to “just eat healthier.” Identifying and working through the inarticulate gap is key to finding success in a health transformation.
THE BOOK
Diane Sanfilippo, author of the New York Times best-seller Practical Paleo, has a new book on the shelves that is dedicated to bridging the gap. The 21-Day Sugar Detox is a customizable, nutritional science-based program keen to daylight the invisible shackles which keep us from achieving our optimal health: our addiction to sugar and carbs.
Her flawlessly organized book is broken up into 3 parts:
- Simple nutritional background information that will arm you with an understanding of why we’re addicted to sugar, how our bodies use it, and what to expect day-by-day on a detox.
- A to-the-point quiz which will direct you to the detox program level best suited for your success, sample meal plans, acceptable foods list, and further modifications you can add based on your activity level.
- 90+ simple recipes with gorgeous photos that will ensure your 3 weeks on the detox are delicious, filling, and full of variety.
The program has special considerations for athletes, pregnant or nursing mothers, those with autoimmune conditions, and pescetarians. She’s even organized her recipes with callouts to FODMAPs and common food allergies so that you can easily navigate and choose foods best for you and your family. With a large online support group many of whom re-start a 21-DSD at the beginning of each month, the detox is safe to revisit often.
While the easy to understand background information and straightforward recipes are all stellar, the point Diane makes about “don’t be a hero” is my favorite. This quickly summarizes the difference between her whole-health detox and a mainstream fad diet. Don’t be a hero. Choose a program best suited for your life and needs. Slow progress and uprooting addictions are key in successful health transformations.
Following the 21-day program, many people are left with fewer pounds and inches but all are left a clean, addiction-free slate. It’s the most empowering healthy lifestyle “jumpstart” I’ve ever come across.
This program turned me into the energizer bunny! When my feet hit the ground in the morning, I was ready for action until my head hit the pillow at night. I slept soundly, wasn’t controlled by cravings, and accomplished more in a day and with a better attitude.
This program also highlighted how much sugar I actually consume on a regular basis. I had no idea! The maple syrup, berries, and tastes of the homemade Paleo-friendly custard I’ve been developing all add up. I had a massive, sneaky, controlling sugar addiction.
While my first day on the program was a breeze, my addictions came to the surface during the rest of the first week. I was a bit of a monster. I quickly learned to reinterpret my “cravings for something sweet” as a simple sign that I was either thirsty or needed nourishing food. My energy levels were stable all day long and I found reprieve from my mid-afternoon crash and drowsy “where’s my coffee” morning. Needing less caffeine to wake up, I rediscovered my sensitivities to coffee and reduced my consumption.
I learned to eat more of the real, whole, nourishing foods in place of the empty refined carbohydrates I’d started to depend on. I feel fresh, alive, clear, and excited for each new day.
Find my daily food, energy, sleep, and activity log here.
Don’t forget to check out the 21-DSD Lemon Vanilla Meltaway recipe I featured that came right out of the book!
THE GIVEAWAY
To celebrate this new incredible life-changing resource and my renewed love of green apples, I’m giving away a copy of The 21-Day Sugar Detox book!
Find out how to enter the giveaway on my Facebook page.
RESOURCES
Take control of your health and clear up food addictions. Start your detox now! Pick up a copy of the book at your local bookstore or order one here.
You can also find a wealth of other resources and support online below:
https://balancedbites.com/sugar-detox
https://the21daysugardetox.com/
I’ve also added an additional notation in my Recipe Index identifying all of my 21-DSD friendly recipes. There are quite a few!
Many thanks to Diane Sanfilippo and the team at Victory Belt Publishing for graciously providing a copy of the book for this review and giveaway.
Awesome review! Packed with useful insights and entertaining!
Thank you!
I have been following a friend’s progress on this detox via facebook – the recipes all seem highly satisfying – I want my husband to do it with me but he’s giving me some serious opposition. Thanks for sharing your experience!
My pleasure! If you’re the cook in the house, I bet he’ll want to participate once you start making the recipes from the book! They’re delicious and hardy.
I want this book for my daughter in law.
Great idea, Tina. I think it’s a great book to gift – really shows that you want the best for the other person!
I want this book!
You should get it! My giveaway is closed but you can order it on Amazon!
Great to see a review of this book! I asked for it for Christmas and am looking forward to going sugar free in the new year!
That’s great, Alexandra! You’ll be kicking of 2014 on the right foot.