03 Jan, 2011
A temporary goodbye to my whitest of whites
By andrea tomkins in Challenge me, challenge you
As if the Shopping Embargo wasn’t enough eh? As of today I’m also taking another go at a Sugar Fast, blogged here and written about here too. But this time, the family is not included AND I’m tossing in one extra aspect.
I am going to try to eliminate the WHITES, those snowy bleached, superrrrrrrefined whites that figure so prominently in our collective North American diets for TWO WEEKS. So the following items have removed from my menu for the next while:
- Refined sugar. Just like in the Sugar Fast, I will be ignoring the usual culprits like cake and cookies and ice cream and also the unusual ones… like ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressings… all of which contain sneaky sugars. I’m including artificial sugars in the “don’t eat” category, but I am allowing myself a splash of honey in my occasional cup of tea.
- White flour. With that go baked goods aplenty: pasta, white rice, bagels, toast, pita, flour tortillas, the baguettes that I LOVE SO MUCH. Gah.
- Potatoes. Just because.
- Alcohol.
For gastro-intestinal purposes I am making an allowance for my All-Bran Buds: god’s gift to my colon.
So what does that leave me with? Real foods, whole foods, including:
- fruit
- cheese
- eggs
- lean meats
- nuts
- veggies of all kinds – especially the colourful ones
- coffee (unsweetened, with 1% milk)
- tea (black and green varieties)
Basically, it’s stuff we all know we should be eating. As I said, I’m aiming for two weeks and then we’ll see where I go from there. (To be honest, I’m really not sure if I can do this. HALP.)
I feel compelled to point out that this little venture isn’t about weight loss for me. (Should I reveal my weight here? Should I bother with measurements?) I’m happy with my size and shape and am not looking to make a big change… it’s about focusing on health, a bit of a post-Christmas sugar detox, and kickstarting some great habits. But please note, I’m no expert. This is an eating plan of my very own. If you want to follow, great, but I cannot be held responsible for headaches and violent moodswings that come with the first couple of days of chocolate deprivation. :)
Things I’m keeping in mind as I go:
- I’m keeping a food and mood journal. If there’s anything I learned from our week of food-logging for The National Segment That Never Happened (speaking of which, you can catch it here) it’s that food logging WORKS. I am just not sure if I will be posting my food lists here. I’m not convinced that anyone other than me (and my mother) really cares.
- Eating smaller meals more frequently, with a bit of protein in each one. I will set my alarm so I don’t forget!
- Out of sight out of mind. If it’s not in the house I won’t eat it. I hope. (Bread will be the toughest to withstand.)
- This is not about portion control. No weighing or counting.
- Menu planning needs to take a front seat here. I don’t want to be caught without food in the fridge.
- I need to take it one day at a time… because that’s all I can do. I think if I can do it, anyone can do it. (How many days can YOU go without your whites?)
Anyway, I will be writing updates from time to time. Maybe with links to recipes I’ve tried. This is the just first of a few posts to come in the coming two weeks fourteen days 336 hours. :)
