A couple of notes before I say anything else. I (Matt) don’t believe that the nebulous and undefined toxins so often talked about by alternative medicine practitioners are hiding in your body, acquired from normal daily activities. I also don’t believe that these mythical toxins need to be cleansed by changing your diet or by doing some unnecessary alternative medicine regime. As deadly as living is (100% mortality, after all!), I just don’t feel the need to buy into the idea that simply living stores up poison in your body.
So when I read the word “Detox” in this thing we’re doing, I’m defining it as “Rehabilitation.”
It’s not so much that the sugar itself is poisonous or dangerous – although excess fructose can overwork your liver – probably the most delicate organ you got, it’s that sugar is addictive. I try to explain this to people in hunter-gatherer or ape terms when it comes up. In the wild, sugar means fruit and pretty much nothing else. Because sugar is a readily accepted energy source for many animals and, more destructively, bacteria and fungus, it will not last long and will soon be consumed by something. So your brain tastes sweet and triggers a cascade that compells you to eat more and more and more (so no one else can have it) and releases all the euphoric chemicals that drugs do.
Well, we don’t live in the bush anymore, do we? So here in modern times, sugar is readily available anytime you want it. And that abundance is exactly what destroys the health of so many. I don’t even like sweets that much and I find myself addicted to it. It “helps” that I am very susceptible to addiction (there are no members of my family that aren’t addicted to something, be it nicotine, drink, drugs, games, you name it). That’s why it’s a bit of a relief to have most of the sugary food gone this month to help get it out of my system.
I have been, by no means, perfect. But slowly I’m getting into the groove here. The first week was hard for me and I was narked on by Cole when I purchased and ate candy one day. But, now that we’ve gotten meat to snack on and I’ve discovered that I can counteract sugar cravings with “pocket nuts,” I’ve been much better.
Amazing what happens when you leave sugar behind: you can taste things for the first time! I’ve found that I now love black coffee. I also really get to savor dinner and can separate out flavors better when my palate isn’t clouded by overpowering sweet. So, this has definitely been worth it.
That said, now the main event: What Stacy ate this week.
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
We’re more than two-thirds of the way there, since today is finished and tomorrow is day 16. We’re both feeling and looking great and can’t wait to have a big celebration at our 10 Year Vow Renewal (and unofficial book completion celebration) on this Saturday the 21st. That final detox post may be a little late… as we’ll be honeymooning!
