Allergy Test

Well, the No Sugar Challenge ended early for me.  I made it for 2 weeks.  During that time we tried to buy a house but the contract fell through.  I'm amazed I was able to make it through the stress of that.  But then sickness arrived at our house, Warren had to travel for work, and yadda, yadda....I will be trying again if I can't pull it together soon!

Between Braden's bouts with asthma and his frequent allergic reactions life can be stressful.  Here are a couple pictures from his allergy test last week.

 I took the pictures for him so he could see what was happening and why he we so crazy-itchy but couldn't touch his back.  Poor baby....

The "R" is for rabbits and he is very allergic to them.  He is also allergic to feathers - anybody want a parakeet that Hailey could visit occasionally?  He is allergic to both of her pets!  We knew about the rabbit but it's good to know about the bird, too.  Poor Hailey, she has not had good luck with her pets.  Maybe we just need a fish.

As for the rest of the dots - we found out he is quite allergic to several other things like weeds and trees, but I'm so relieved he's not allergic at all to mites.  Go figure....

And now we have found another house we would like to buy so I'm having to keep our house show-ready.  Keeping a house clean with kids around is - well...impossible.  I will come up for air and be back here when I have news...

{Day 8} No Sugar Challenge: You Are Literally What You Eat

Day 4 was by far the worst for me - but I made it, and I feel like if I can make it this far - ANYONE can do this.

Here's some food for thought to keep you going:

"Just as our homes are made from lumber without looking like trees, our bodies are made from the nutrients we extract from foods without resembling those foods. The nutritional content of what we eat determines the composition of our cell membranes, bone marrow, blood, and hormones. Consider that the average adult loses roughly 300 billion cells to old age every day and must replace them. Our bodies are literally manufactured out of the food we consume."

Source: NBCNews.com

 

{Day 3} No Sugar Challenge: Some Side Effects

I'm dying to know how everyone is doing on this no sugar challenge.  (Seriously, I've only heard from a couple of you...how's it going?) I've had a few reports of headaches, dizziness, and cravings.  I feel like I haven't done too bad but this evening at the store was close to torture.  Ice cream and chocolate were calling but I resisted.

I knew I needed to do this for many reason but one of them had me a little worried: heart palpitations.  Somewhere I read it could be related to blood sugar levels.  I'm happy to report they haven't been as bad today.  Maybe it's too soon to tell but I'm hopeful that either it's not anxiety related, or, if it is, less sugar must help me control my anxiety.

{Day 2} No Sugar Challenge: What To Look For

Here's the run down...

Off Limits: All fruit juice, dried fruit, refined, artificial and *natural sweeteners (including maple syrup, honey, molasses, stevia, agave (oh, but agave isn't actually "natural" anyway). *Natural sweeteners can be incorporated in moderation after the 3 weeks.  What does moderation look like?  Probably not daily.  Maybe weekly, but it might depend on the individual.

We have decided to include complex carbs such as potatoes and fresh fruit (or frozen but check the label for added sugar). 

Sugar, by the way, is in SO, SO many packaged foods!  So read labels!  It's hiding where you would least expect it.  Here's a list of sugars that you might find on labels.  

It's a little overwhelming sometimes but I get through it by thinking about foods that are healthy and scouring the Internet for recipes to try.

Tomorrow I'll get into the symptoms of sugar intolerance and withdrawal symptoms.

{Day 1} 21 Day No Sugar Challenge

Have you ever wondered how long you could make it without sugar?  I've gone without sugar (including sugar alternatives) before but I think only a couple of different times for about a month each.  Then inevitably a holiday, birthday or vacation comes up and I give in "just a little" and it seems to open a floodgate of cravings and bad habits leading to feeling horrible but the vicious cycle continues!

Back in January I went grain free with my husband Warren and was careful about anything processed and lost 10 pounds but then, you guessed it- first Valentine's Day, then vacation, then birthday....And I got to the point that I couldn't get back on track and I felt like it was the sugar.  Grains are surprisingly not too difficult once I realized how I felt without vs. with them.

(Warren has developed a wheat intolerance so we've made a few dietary changes and have notice an improvement in overall health.  It took me probably over 6 months to come to terms with it, though:  "Healthy Whole Wheat?  How can that be bad?" I have since learned a great deal about food intolerances and discovered a few of my own - and, yes - they are healthy foods, too.)

ANYHOW....Today I began a 21 Day No Sugar Challenge with a few of my family members.   Come along for the ride or just read along each day to see what it's like.

Here is a 14 minute video that sums up much of what I've tried to learn about sugar: