Starting tomorrow

Tomorrow I will be starting the 21-day sugar detox from Balanced Bites (21DSD).  I'm gonna try for level 3 (with a couple small modifications).  Most importantly for me, this means no more "gluten-free treats" and (temporarily) no more fruit or dairy.  I don't think I'm very lactose intolerant now that I've recovered from gluten, (a glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream won't get me, but 3 or more might) however it may be causing some inflammation and stalling my weight loss because of the caloric density/ease of overeating.  The treats and sugar are my real issue.  I can and have quit them for a couple weeks at a time in the past but then I tend to binge.  I'm hoping that cutting out fruit and really resetting my sweet tooth will help me kick sugar bingeing for good.  I'm hoping that at some point I'll be able to enjoy a couple squares of dark chocolate and then move on, but that's not gonna be soon.

Here are my modifications: although the rules for level 3 call for cutting out all dairy except butter, I'm going to move heavy cream into the "limit foods" section and say no more than 1/4 cup per day and not on consecutive days (I'm aiming for it to be a once-a-week-ish thing, but I'm not gonna set that in stone).  I'm also going to plan that I'll have a single drink and one shotglass-sized creme brulee at dinner this Sunday.  It's a special occasion and I'm gonna be reasonable and be good the rest of the 21 days.  To make up for my slight naughty-nesses I'm also going to move carrots and parsnips, which I LOVE, out of the "yes foods" into the "limit foods" with beets, butternut squash and pumpkin.  I'll be allowed 1 cup a day (total) of those five sweet veggies.  I'm also gonna skip the daily apples and bananas till after Monday, to make up for the splurge on Sunday.

I'm also gonna make a goal of eating 2 servings of LEAFY veggies a day.  I really like cooked greens (HATE most salad) but I tend to eat them a for couple days and then not again for weeks.  I should be eating them daily, and more veggies in general (Even though I do take my JuicePlus daily as insurance).  Eventually I would like to get up towards the amounts of veggies recommended in this TEDx talk.

Not all of my food will be totally "clean" and home cooked during this "detox" because I will be on a roadtrip over this first weekend and because life happens.  I will however do my best to follow the rules.  I'll have a lettuce-wrapped fast-food burger with no cheese or ketchup and an unsweetened iced tea.  I'll have takeout sashimi with coconut amnios.  I'll have tandoori chicken or lamb with a side of sagg, hold the paneer.

I'll also be eating a whole lot of eggs (post on egg recipes is forthcoming), meat from my cowshare, and of course, veggies from my mom's farm box and the farmers market.