A month ago I gave myself a challenge. 30 days without consuming white flour, white sugar, or caffeine. This was a challenge, certainly, because it results in cutting out pretty much anything processed or pre-made (and our kitchen is
still unfinished, which complicated matters!) However, as I've posted about
previously, we've been heading towards a more whole/unprocessed foods lifestyle for awhile, so it wasn't as huge a step as it would be for the average American family.
Still, no chocolate! No ice cream! No donuts after church!
No chocolate!!!It was hard. And I chose to break my own rules a couple of times. But I learned so much about my body while doing it! I learned that the longer I go without any of those foods, the easier it is to keep saying no to them. As soon as I give in, I want to keep giving in. I learned that it is possible to re-train taste buds - the starbucks mochas that I used to
love now taste unpleasantly sweet. I learned that white flour triggers cravings for white sugar, and vice versa. They really do seem to go together. When I do eat them, I feel "hungry" about an hour afterward, regardless of how much food I ate at the previous meal. It isn't quite the same thing as true "haven't eaten anything for five hours" hunger, though. The difference is subtle, but I know how it feels now and can recognize it. For a girl who used to be constantly frustrated by feeling "hungry" directly after meals, this self knowledge brings a wonderful feeling of power.
I know the difference, and I can choose to act on that knowledge.But why try such a crazy plan in the first place? Primarily because I was trying to find a solution to some health problems I've been having. Unreasonable fatigue was the biggest issue, along with various other symptoms that added up to what sounded like
adrenal fatigue. Yes, I know that many doctors
don't think such a thing exists. But the doctors I saw also told me that I was just fine/perfectly normal, which wasn't particularly helpful. :) In any case, cutting white sugar/white flour/caffeine was a suggestion that I found on multiple websites dedicated to this non-existent problem, and since no one will tell you that those things are
good for you, I figured it couldn't hurt to try it. :)
I'm glad that I did. On top of the gift of better self-knowledge, I think that some of my symptoms are getting better. It remains to be seen how it works long-term, of course, but the fatigue seems to be lessening a bit. And as an added bonus, I lost 5.5 pounds, this while exercising
less than I usually do. (While that may not sound like much, in context of the fact that it took me 9 months to lose 10lbs last year while working out intensely nearly every day, this is nothing short of incredible.)
So I think I'll continue. I don't like giving up sugary treats; I miss brownies dreadfully. But I like feeling better. I like eating, feeling full, and then feeling
truly hungry hours later. I like not being quite so tired. I plan to choose to ignore my rules on occasion (if eating at someone's home, for example, or if I just really really really want to eat brownies) but I will do so knowing the results in advance, and weighing my choice carefully.
Running the dishwasher every night. Yes, this means I'm sometimes running it when it isn't technically quite full. And guilt over that is what kept me from doing it for the past few years! But the fact is that if I run it every night and we put the clean dishes away every morning, it is just part of our routine. And an easy part, at that! Now I never have to wonder "are they clean, or are they dirty?" and I'm not trying to fit in an "extra" chore at odd times of the day. Also, because it is now part of the morning routine, the kids do (most of) it for me. :)
