Day #4 Update: No Sugar / No Flour 10-Day Challenge

I’m doing surprisingly well on my “No Sugar / No Flour 10-Day Challenge”!  Today is Day #4, and I don’t seem to be having any major issues with it.  I think the reason we’re doing so well is that we’re not doing low-carb (or low-fat or low-protein), so I haven’t experienced the symptoms that are sometimes associated with that (headaches, muscle aches, etc).  We’re eating plenty of protein (eggs, chicken, pork, and beef) and fat (butter, coconut oil, EVOO=extra virgin olive oil, and schmaltz=rendered chicken fat), as well as lots of “carbs” in the form of veggies (arugula, spinach, kale, lettuces, broccoli, cabbage, and sweet and white potatoes) and some fruits (bananas, apples, oranges).  It feels great to avoid the empty calories (sugar/flour), and eat more nutrients from the veggies and “healthy” foods!  Plus, I am cooking more, so we’re not relying on processed meats and fats, but rather, whole chickens and bone-in beef roasts, and the like.

The main difference in how I feel is that I do feel a lot more thirsty, so I just make sure I’m drinking more water, and so far I feel fine.  I don’t seem to be having more headaches or muscle aches or grogginess.  The pesky issue is that I am not sleeping through the night, which is new, so maybe that’s a side effect?  I do still feel somewhat low energy, which I did before this challenge started, but that’s probably more from this time of year (cold/less sunny) and interrupted sleep.  I probably could due to take more vitamin D, for starters!  I’ve been looking into taking fermented or extra virgin cod liver oil.  I really dislike oily (to me, fishy) fish, so I’m thinking about buying some of that to take as a supplement…  I have started adding ground flaxseed to some of my meals (mostly breakfasts), since I don’t even taste it, and it’s supposed to be high in omega-3 fatty acids.  I figure it can’t hurt!

Here are some meals I’ve been eating:

Unconventional Breakfast Bowl: diced cold baked potato on the bottom—high in “resistant starch” (good for gut health), ground flaxseeds—omega-3’s, egg fried in homemade schmaltz, topped with cheddar cheese and green onions.  Very tasty!  It’s hard to believe this is “healthy”, but what the heck, it keeps me full and is healthier than processed foods and sugar/flour!

Taco Salad: fresh baby arugula and baby spinach base, topped with seasoned sweet potatoes, black beans, and taco meat (homemade, with locally-farmed ground beef), aged local sharp cheddar cheese, lime juice and cilantro, sour cream and salsa, and freeze dried sweet corn kernels.  Sounds fancy-pants, but it was tasty too.  Who needs the tortilla?

Taco/Kale Salad: lightly steamed chopped kale with butter and garlic powder, topped with the same sweet potatoes, black beans, and taco meat, and sour cream and salsa.  I love leftovers, and they are flexible!

How about you, any good meals lately?  Are you trying to eat less sugar and flour too?

Forward Flavor!