Hey Folks! We're excited to introduce Christina K., a 21DSD alum. Christina's testimonial is part of a series featuring participants who rocked their 21DSDs! Enjoy! – Diane and Team
Quick-fire facts
Level completed: Level 3
Favorite thing about the program: I really enjoyed having a detox to cut back on alcohol and sauces. Coming up with new recipes for salad dressings and spices was so fun in the kitchen.
Favorite 21DSD recipe: All of them 🙂
Awesome benefits I experienced:
- Sugar & carb cravings diminished or eliminated
- Change in palate/tastes
- Change in overall lifestyle choices for the better
- Improved energy levels
- Improved sleep quality
- Improved mood and general outlook on life
- Improved skin health
- Reduced allergies
- Improved digestion
- Weight loss (21.7 lbs.!)
Any non-scale victories? I was able to take my wedding ring off for the first time in 2.5 years. I had bent it while I was pregnant but was too swollen to get it off. Post detox I was able to take it in and get it fixed and cleaned. I honestly cried when it just slipped off my finger.
In my own words
When I was pregnant with my son I gained about 60 lbs. in total. I had horrible edema, which is swelling and fluid retention. I also had pregnancy-induced high blood pressure that caused me to be induced and also caused me to be on blood pressure medication after my son's birth. I was hospitalized shortly after his birth due to the elevated levels of my blood pressure. The doctors told me I was close to having a stroke. Although my blood pressure did eventually go back to normal levels, I remained overweight.
Through being sick on and off I found out that I have a fatty liver. Last month I went in for a physical and found out I also have high cholesterol. Only being 27 and experiencing these health issues really scared me. I knew I wanted to do something to change my health and that I wanted a challenge group to follow to keep me motivated.
I went on Instagram and looked up the hashtag “high cholesterol.” I found a short little video about how reducing inflammation in the body will help bring cholesterol levels to a healthy level by eating less inflammatory foods and getting blood sugar in check; this was linked the The 21-Day Sugar Detox Instagram page. I went through the entire Instagram, then the website, joined the email list, joined the Facebook group, bought the book, and read the entire thing. I was set to do this.
Before The 21-Day Sugar Detox I was eating a lot of fast food. I do love to cook, I just never had the energy at the end of the day anymore. I had done low carb and keto before, but I kept finding myself going back to eating foods I know are bad for me in a very short period of time. Foods like pasta, Taco Johns, McDonald’s, huge diet cokes, lots of movie theater popcorn with the fake oil butter all over, beer, wine, and chips were staples for me at this point.
The 21-Day Sugar Detox is not necessarily the same as keto or low carb like I had done. The 21-Day Sugar Detox helps to remove a sugar addiction, which I have! I decided to do level 3, so cutting out dairy, looking at ingredients to avoid added sugars, and cutting out alcohol were completely different and have done so much for me (I had cut out grains in the past).
I know at this point that I have a complete sugar addiction. It might not be that I’m eating sweets, candy, or ice cream, but I get addicted to grains, fried foods, sauces, and boxed garbage, and I know that it was making me so unhealthy. Yet, without cutting back on the sugar I just kept going right back to eating those things.
At this point I feel absolutely amazing. I have so much energy, I cook every single night again, I know what to avoid, and I know what to gravitate towards. I have had friend after friend ask me what shake I’m drinking or what exercise plan I am on, and one after the other I tell them that this is 100% my diet and I don’t buy into any of those fake drinks. It’s all REAL food: no alcohol, no added sugars, and no artificial sugars.
I even started an Instagram page called Healthy.strand to post information on my meals, weight loss, health, and success I have had with The 21-Day Sugar Detox. I finished the 21 days and loved it so much I am turning right around and doing another 21 days! Feel free to find me on Instagram and I would love to share meals and progress with you!
Comments 1
Thank you for sharing!