21-day sugar challenge

Hello to all sugar-addicts and those who just want to feel fabulous, happy, clear-headed, and focused.

I recently read an article about a 21-day sugar elimination plan. Pretty much, this just means you don't eat sugar for 21 days and then see how you feel. Everyone I know who has done this raves about how wonderful they felt after this and they all talk about how they don't crave sugar at all anymore. 

I'm starting this plan today, right this very moment, because I am sick of feeling tired and stuck in a "foggy sugar coma" all the time. Anyone can join at any time. We can just have this be a running support group for anyone who wants to cut out sugar and start feeling happier and healthier.

Just a word of advice: One other thing I have read about this plan is that in the first four days, you may experience some withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and fatigue. But don't give up. By day five, it will all be worth it!

Good luck and good health to all!

Hey guys,

I eat that chocolate banana ice cream every morning for breakfast, and I lost 15 pounds doing that! I actually try not to count calories, BUT I could easily come up with counts for you for the recipes. I'll post them later!

But just a quick note on chocolate, and I mean REAL chocolate, which we refer to as cacao:

I try to have at least 2 tablespoons of cacao per day. It really is a superfood. I don't mean cocoa, which has been heavily processed and has had a lot of its enzymes and good stuff removed in processing; I mean cacao, though cocoa is good if that's all you have. You can find cacao powder either on the internet or at Whole Foods; they usually sell David Wolf's brand. Taken from the Cacao label:

"Raw Chocolate Powder is a great source of Magnesium and Iron, and has 20 times more antioxidants than red wine and 30 times more antioxidants than green tea."

2 tablespoons of cacao powder does have 120 calories (a little goes a long way), but it also has 4mg iron in and of itself, 168 mg Magnesium, and a whopping 9 grams of fiber, just for two tablespoons! That's almost half of your daily requirement of Magnesium, which is awesome for heart health (one of themany reasons I have some cacao every day). And, it tastes great! With bananas or agave or some kind of natural sweetner in a smoothie, it tastes just like the chocolate we all know and love!

Okay, here's what we gots:

If you make blueberry ice cream out of 1.5 cups frozen wild blueberries (wild have the highest known nutrition content, and antioxidants and polyphenals and brain protecting schtuff) and 1 frozen banana in a blender, that makes about four 1/2 cup servings, and comes out to 57 calories per serving.

The Blueberry pie I listed above can serve 8 in an 8" pie tin, and comes to 129 calories per serving. I found the crust to be rather rich on that pie, so I always double and triple be blueberry 'filling' on top, which will add a powerful nutritional punch but relatively little calories.

The chocolate banana ice cream, divided into four 1/2 cup servings, comes to 164 calories per serving.

And, the avocados...well, avocados themselves are pretty high call at 322 calories per serving. There are tons of good things about avocados and tons of reasons to eat them as we know, so lets just say this pudding is on the more decadent side!

But if you want the richness of the avocados without the calories, make the pudding with just one avocado, and 4 ripe bananas, 1/4 cup cacao powder, and 1 tbsp maple syrup, agave nectar, or some other natural sweetner (banans are pretty sweet themselves, so it's up to you if you want to add sweetner). This makes  four generous portions at 210 calories per serving.

Remember, frozen fruit makes GREAT sorbets. Frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, frozen bananas...it just helps if you have a 'pusher' for your blender (you know, one of those stick things that helps you push the ingredients down towards the blade, with a stopper so you don't touch and ruin the blades with the stick).

If you don't have a pusher, you're not going to have much luck with the ice cream, but you CAN use a rubber ended spatula as a pusher, just be very careful not to hit the blades. You can make this stuff with the top off because it won't go flying everywhere because it's too heavy.

Alright, Jennlett PMed me because she was interested in more recipes, so I am going to post one that's a bit complicated, and a bit calorically dense, but great for the holidays and definitely better for you than any of the other desserts you'll be confronted with! It's a cheesecake; with this cheesecake, you will not only experience the 'can't only have one piece' phenomenon that regular desserts inspire, but you will also get some omega 3's, protein, antioxidants, etc. I work as a raw pastry chef, so this recipe may seem a little complicated but it's nothing once you've done it once!

So, you'll need a food processor or high speed blender, you will need 3 cups of cashews that you have soaked in water overnight, 1.5 cups agave nectar (a raw low glyceimic index sweetner that comes straight from the agave plant, which is also the source of tequila, interestingly...you can find it in most grocery stores nowadays!), 1/4 cup cacao powder or cocoa if that's all you have, and 3/4 cup lemon juice, and 1.5 cups coconut oil, liquified.

For the crust, process in a food processor 3/4 cup macadamia nuts and a small handful of dates until mixture 'balls up'. Press onto bottom of springform pan or pie pan.

Put 1/2 the cashews,  a dash vanilla extract, 1/2 the lemon juice, 1/2 the agave, into a blender or food processor. Process until relatively smooth, then add the cacao powder. Process again. Slowly add coconut oil. Pour into pie pan or springform mold. Put in freezer.

Put the other half of the cashews, vanilla extract, the other half of the lemon juice, the other half of the agave, into a blender. Once smooth, slowly add the coconut oil.

When the chocolate portion of the cheesecake is firm to the touch, pour the vanilla on top. Put back into freezer or fridge to set; once set, store into the fridge. This dessert lasts FOREVER; seriously, it can go two weeks without spoilage and can stay in the freezer for as long as you need it to.

This recipe is credited to Atamsha, my fellow chef at the restaurant I work at. It tastes so much better than it sounds! Try it!

Thanks for posting the recipie edamame! This are super interesting, especially coming from one who is a raw pastry chef.  :D Very very creative I will definatley try them.

This one is going to be tough, but I'm in if you will have me. I'm a sugar nut, and I just ate not one, but a lot of candy the kids brought in from school today.. I'm a candy freak, and I try to stick with a sugar free plan, but when it's free candy.. It's hard to turn it down. I will be starting on Monday. I'm sure I can nip this in the bud.. Done it once, and I am sure I can give it ago again. So count me in if you will have me.. I eat candy when I'm stressing out. Candy is like beer to me.. I never know when enough is enough. I did kick this candy habit for 3 months, but since I've been stressing lately.. I've been eating candy like it's gone out of style. I must get a handle on this fast, before I put back on the weight I lost, and when I gain.. There goes the cute little wasit line and all the nice clothes that came along with it. I wish you all nothing but LUCK...

~Lynn

Reviving this thread again because I could do with cutting out refined sugar. I've significantly reduced it the last couple of days, but I think a challenge might give me that final boost to start to get over it and the cravings! Right now though, I am feeling a bit sleepier than usual in general - is that due to the reduction in sugar do you think?

Just out of interest, how successful were you all at doing this and what experiences did you have during and after the initial 21day challenge?

I know a health expert that says that sugar is more addicting then crack!! Even more addicting is the HFC class of sweeteners. Your sugar substitutes can actually make you crave more sugar. Everyone is different, but it does that to me.

Real 72% dark chocolate is a good candy substitute. One square. It is satisfying and has very little sugar, 4-5 grams per square. Experts say it is good for you too!!

God I can so believe that sugar is more addicting than crack! I hate the fact I've always had a sweet tooth :(

I definitely know what you mean about the sugar substitutes causing even more intense cravings tho, but then I dunno...I think it would be worse for me if I cut out both sugar and sweeteners cos it would probs just end in a massive binge. So I'll keep my sugar free jelly and squash handy for the time being, but I do want to work up to cutting them out too.

And RE the chocolate thing, I've just recently finished a pure 100% chocolate bar. Nothing except cocoa. No sugar at all. I need to look into finding another one! I think Lindt might also do a 95% bar if I can't find any more of the 100% tho.