Hey Folks! We're excited to introduce Kristi G., a 21DSD alum AND Certified 21DSD Coach! Kristi's testimonial is part of a series featuring coaches who rocked their 21DSDs! Enjoy! – Diane and Team
Hello, I’m Kristi. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing but have been inactive for the last 13 years, raising my two boys ages 12 and 16. I’ve been married for 17 years to an emergency medicine physician, Chris, that I met in kindergarten! We have a 2-year-old Boston Terrier named Duke. This is how the 21DSD changed my life.
While I’ve always led a healthy lifestyle as far as physical fitness and nutrition, I never felt my best. My back and neck always felt tight, I was always sore all over when I woke up in the mornings, and sometimes it was hard to get moving first thing. Five years ago, I went through physical therapy trying to alleviate the neck tightness, because it would frequently lead to headaches. I continued my stretching exercises and later found I had an extremely low iron level. So, I started researching foods to increase my iron level, which led to researching foods that help alleviate inflammation. Enter Practical Paleo which I read cover to cover, twice.
I found the 21 Day Sugar Detox after reading Practical Paleo, Keto Quick Start, and completing the Balanced Bites Master Class. It was the only book of Diane’s that I had not read. My husband and I decided we would try the program after returning from our summer vacation. I purchased the Daily Guide, read it while on vacation, and we started the detox the Monday we returned in August 2019.
I knew sugar could lead to inflammation, so I had already slowly eliminated processed sugars from my diet (2 years prior), but still had occasional treats with coconut sugar or honey. I also had eliminated cow dairy the year prior because I found it leading to indigestion and bloating. Gluten had also been eliminated a few months before completing the 21DSD. So, at this point I was already Level 3. I couldn’t imagine that I would see any changes, because I thought I was already eating 21DSD! Except, I enjoyed one mini can of soda every day that was a 3pm craving!
We chose to follow the meal plan as written. I cooked all of the recipes and prepped all of our foods for the 21 days. The first week wasn’t hard except for the 3pm soda craving that I filled with a 21DSD-friendly snack. The second week, days 9-11, I woke up three nights in a row drenched in sweat. I noticed my skin looked brighter. (I didn’t really have blemishes because the elimination of dairy had already cleared my skin!) I didn’t notice any other changes until post-detox, and that’s when the magic happened for me! Tightness-gone! Workout recovery was totally changed, I was no longer sore the next day. Especially after yoga!
My takeaway from this program included decreased inflammation, learning how to build a plate, and managing 3pm sugar cravings. So, in late September 2019 I enrolled in the 21DSD coaching program because I wanted to share how great I felt with others! My husband and I repeated the detox again with my first group, which was a success. I will gladly guide anyone through this program that may need a little extra support.