21DSD: Review

I am excited to have "finished" the 21DSD couple of days ago and actually followed through with blogging about it daily. Even though I finished the detox, I continue to implement the tips and tools that have so amazingly helped reset my sugar habits.

Photo from the 21-Day Sugar Detox website

Like I mentioned on day one, I originally took on the challenge of kicking my sugar habit after my honeymoon couple years ago with great success, so I knew from my personal experience that the detox is very effective. However, this time, my situation was a bit different -- managing a growing beef jerky business while being a full-time mom to my 7-month-old, very active son. Overall, there was just more going on in my life and why I let sugar creep into my diet on a regular basis in the first place.

And I wasn't looking to detox from sugar temporarily, I needed an effective action plan to help resolve my relationship with sugar and make it stick. Here is where the 21DSD differentiates itself from all other detoxes by actually providing life-altering tips and tools to help you make a lifestyle change.

Instead of wasting your money on some gimmicky health scam that can actually harm your health, you are taking a whole-food-based nutrition approach with the 21DSD that focuses on finding a healthy balance of protein, fat, and carbs in your diet. You are not counting calories or depriving yourself, and although you will be eliminating sweeteners and most fruit, you have a great selection of vegetables, meats, and healthy fats to eat until satiated. I really like that this program considers people's different needs by providing three modification levels to choose from, so there is something for everyone. I am nursing and followed a modification with higher carbs. Just look through my posts and you will see that I ate plenty of very satisfying, balanced meals.

By implementing the right tools from the program and what I know from following a Paleo template for almost eight years, I never experienced the typical detox symptoms of headaches and dizzy spells, making the transition fairly easy. Every time a craving hit, I was able to curb it with either focusing my mind on something else, taking a much needed rest for even 2-3 minutes that my schedule allowed, or opting instead to consume a much more satisfying nutrient-dense snack high in protein or fat. These are lifestyle changes most other detox programs do not address and why they end in failure or send you back to square one upon completion.
. .
What I love most about completing the detox is that now I don't need to eat much sugar to satisfy my sweet tooth, and often than not, I just make a cup of herbal tea, which is a much healthier habit. It's a good feeling to have control over your health. I did notice that my body leaned out a tiny bit, but seeing my skin clear up is what really made it all worth it for me!

Preparation is key to your success and Diane does a very good job of providing easy-to-prepare recipes and meal plans. The tips and tools in the book, combined with continued support via forums, coaches and fb group is what helps make this program so successful. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to resolve their relationship with sugar and reset their palate.