Fourteen Days.  A whopping fourteen days.  That’s the number I’m at for “Days Without Sugar.”

There are seven more to go in my official 21-Day Sugar Detox and then it’s all up to me to balance reintroducing natural sugars to my system with OUT going back to my old sweet-tooth ways.

(and, believe me, I’m counting down those seven days)

But, quitting sugar and grains (which the body processes like sugar) has gotten easier — much easier.  The first five days were tortuous.  My sweet tooth was BEGGING for anything sugary.  I wanted ice-cream and chocolate and french bread and cinnamon rolls.

It was awful — all I could think about was eating those things I was supposed to avoid.

Then I woke up on Day 6 and the world was suddenly different.  No longer was my brain — every single second — thinking about all of the stuff I couldn’t eat.  I was able to be around processed or sweet foods and I didn’t gaze at them longingly, mouth salivating.  All at once, it seemed, I could function without needing sugar.

My brain and body had made a dramatic shift.

Living A Sugar Free {and grain free} Lifestyle

Once past that day six (which, from what I have read, is typically the turning point for most folks on a sugar-detox),  I have felt GOOD.  So good that it’s made me realize just how badly I’ve felt for sooooo long.  Decades long, folks.

Since a link between auto-immune diseases, PCOS, and grains was first discovered a few years ago, I’ve known that going “grain free” was something my body really, really needed.  My Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and PCOS were both discovered the end of my Sophomore year of college (right at the height of my Dr. Pepper guzzling and chocolate snacking years).  PCOS specifically is linked with insulin issues and weight problems, and wheat/gluten is thought to be a trigger for some people to developing both PCOS and RA.

All in all — my body hasn’t been functioning well for a long, long, long time.

But, I like sugar and I like bread, so I ignored the advice.

(Bad Rachel!)

But now, as I said, I feel so good.  My overall mood is just … brighter.  It’s hard to pick a single word but I think that sums it up best.  And my energy?  I don’t need an afternoon cup of coffee anymore.  I wake up feeling like I can conquer the world.

Bonus?  I’ve lost 10 pounds in the past 14 days.  With. Out. Exercise.

The only small and surprising issue I’ve had to deal with since going Paleo (which is basically how I’m eating now since the sugar and grains are gone) is nighttime leg cramps.  They’ve been pretty bad but I’ve learned that they are combination of eating less sodium (because of cutting out processed junk) and losing electrolytes with all the water I’ve been drinking.  It seems to be fairly common when making these types of dietary changes.  Thankfully, it’s an easy fix by adding more potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium rich foods and drinks.

Eating Sugar-Free and Grain-Free

The biggest piece of advice I could give someone contemplating any dietary change — regardless if you cut out sugar, grains, etc. — is to PLAN AHEAD.  You can avoid so many temptations with a few minutes of planning each meal and snack.

Yes, as you know, I always plan every meal and now that I’ve doing this detox, that habit has REALLY helped me out.

• Having breakfasts planned (or completely made ahead of time) has helped me to keep from reaching for toast and jelly.
• Having my protein and veggie packed lunches ready to grab as I head out the door  has saved me from needing or wanting to snack while at work.
• Having nuts, sliced apples, almond butter or raw veggies prepared in the fridge has kept me wanting make a huge bowl of salty-sweet popcorn in the afternoon.
• And, of course, planning a “paleo” ready for each evening has helped me both satisfy my family’s need for a delicious dinner and kept me on track even at the end of the day.

The past two weeks, I’ve tried a lot of new recipes — from new Paleo and Sugar-Free Cookbooks and blogs, as well as a few concoctions of my own — and I’ve discovered that I enjoy meals without bread or rice.  PLUS … I’ve gotten to discover new, amazing and healthy foods that I wouldn’t have tried before.

• Pureed Roasted Parsnips
• Coconut Water
• Coconut Aminos (a healthy soy-substitute)
• Cauliflower Rice (yup, exactly what it sounds like … and it’s good!)
• Grain-free Pizza Crust
• Greens — kale, collard, and spinach

Change   — it turns out — is good, and my life (and health) is so much better right now that I’ve finally listened to all the advice and cut out sugars and grains.

The grain-free life is here to stay.  I feel too good to go back.  Sugar?  Well, that will come back but in a natural, moderate way.  I want to be able to enjoy fruit and dark chocolate and I want to be able to try the Paleo baked goods in my new cookbooks.

So, yeah — sugar will come back to my life but only as an occasional visitor and not a permanent resident.

Making One Small Change

So, it had a rough start, but my pledge to get my sweet tooth and health under control (as a part of the One Small Change campaign from Puritan’s Pride) has become such a positive change in my life that I know I won’t go back.

[exceptional-citing quoted=”rachel” template=”bubble-gray” date=”” ]What about you — did you pledge to make a small change in your life? Was it spending more time with your family? Drinking more water? Exercising or quitting a smoking habit? How is YOUR small change going????[/exceptional-citing]

It isn’t too late to start if you are feeling the push to make a small change in how you live your life.  You can join in with the many, many, many folks who are pledging — over at the Puritan’s Pride Facebook Page — to make One Small Change. Puritan’s Pride is committed to helping you … even offering a sweepstakes for $2,000 and prizes to help you stick to it! So pledge today and enter!

(If you aren’t familiar with Puritan’s Pride, they are an online vitamin and health store.  You can also follow them on Twitter and Pinterest)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Puritan’s Pride. The opinions and text are all mine.