Kicking my sugar habit (part 2)

This is part two of my story on quitting sugar. Part one is here.

Greece was still two months away when I started talking to a mom who was on her own journey to lose weight. She was also doing it for health reasons and immediately I was intrigued. I don’t usually go in for programs where you pay money for shakes or other products to help you lose weight. I’ve never tried weight watchers, although I know many who successfully use it but to me it sounded like too much work to count points, etc. I was also at a point where my psoriasis was completely out of control and since I had used diet to get it under control before, I thought that would be the best way to go about it. It’s a very limited and rigid diet, however, so it was tough to get started.

Back to my friend and her program. Another friend had turned her onto Arbonne after successfully using it to help her lose weight and heal after a prolonged health issue. I talked with her at length and decided to give it a go. Arbonne has a 30 Days to Healthy Living starter kit. The products are vegan friendly (and thus compatible with my psoriasis diet) and have a host of good health benefits one of which was it proved promising for quitting my sugar habit. In mid May, I took a leap of faith and ordered the starter kit, eager to get going. I also purchased a Nutribullet to prepare the shakes which require frozen veggies and fruit along with the protein mix, probiotic powder and fiber supplement.

The main attraction I had to this program was how easy it was. I would not have to plan for three meals a day other than purchasing the frozen vegetables for shakes and then snacks and a healthy meal.  There was a cleanse drink midway through the month and detox tea to replace my coffee. There are also some dietary restrictions, but they dovetailed nicely with how I cleared my psoriasis previously. If you go on Pinterest, you’ll be able to find many easy cheat sheets about the program but here is a list of what you need to eliminate for this program:

• Dairy (unsweetened coconut milk is my go to replacement)
• Wheat/gluten
• Soy
• Sugar
• Coffee (caffeine)
• Alcohol
• Yeast
• Vinegar

I know this sounds like a lot which brings me to the next biggest requirement for successfully working this program and that is self-motivation. I was motivated and it came into my life when I was ready. And these shakes are soooooo good and easy to prepare. At nearly $300, it’s a pricey commitment though. I look at it as investment in getting my body rid of all the toxins I was putting into it over the years like sugar, unhealthy carbs and processed food.

By the end of the first month, I lost ten very stubborn pounds that had not wanted to budge no matter what I did these past couple of years. My energy level is great, my mood better. I am only a few pounds from my goal weight but I have to admit that I have cheated on the psoriasis end of my diet (which is way more restrictive – no shellfish!) and so that is better but not completely clear. I do refuse to cheat on the sugar, though, and with such tasty shakes, I don’t miss it at all.

MC

Sample shake recipe:

 

 

Chocolate Cherry Shake

1 cup frozen organic cherries
1/4 cup frozen spinich
1/2 cup unsweeted coconut milk
1 tsp almond butter
About 3/4 cup water (more if too thick)
Arbonne products
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1/4 scoop fiber
1 packet digestion plus (probiotic)

Blend in the Nutribullet and enjoy!