My 21 Day Challenge

A few months ago I decided to go on a 21 day challenge which was inspired by J.J. Smith in her book “Lose Weight Without Diet or Exercise”.  The philosophy behind the 21 days is the saying that you can break/continue a habit that is done consistently for 21 days. I must say that during this challenge I learned a lot about food and different health benefits! I also learned a lot about my body.  I do have to admit though that the first week was particularly hard because you are required to give up a lot of the things that you may be addicted to such as sugar, caffeine, dairy and alcohol!  So while I occasionally enjoy a good cocktail, for these 21 days they were a no-no for me! Being on this challenge taught me that there are a lot of options or substitutes for some of the things that you consider to be good. I found that instead of sweetening everything with raw sugar, use Stevia instead. Stevia is a natural plant based sweetener and it doesn’t taste bad! I found a love for Zevia brand Soft Drinks which are sweetened with Stevia.  Almond Milk is now a staple in my household as a result of the challenge.  I ate a lot of fresh salads with Red Wine Vinegar as the dressing and believe it or not, this wasn’t a bad taste. I drank Coconut Water, Green Tea and Ion Water. I also found a love for a green drink called “Green Vibrance” which is an aid to help you get in more nutrients that you normally wouldn’t eat at a normal meal. Other habits that I picked up are the inclusion of more Omega 3’s and Fish Oil, Fiber and a daily colon cleanser.  The purpose of the 21 day challenge is to detox your body which will give you a somewhat clean slate for when you reintroduce certain foods back into your body. You should be able to pinpoint sources of foods that may make you feel bad after eating them. You may even discover a food allergy. This is allowed because you are gradually eating foods that you were restricted against for 21 days. The 21 days gives your body a chance to revamp and recharge.

The second phase of the book involves eating clean and balanced meals. Since you went without sugar for 21 days, there should be no true addiction anymore. So with that being said, you should strive to eat more naturally sweetened foods and eat the addicting foods out in moderation. J.J. refers to the moderation as cheat days. She advises no more than 2 days out of the week where you eat foods from the restricted list.

I could really go on and on about my 21 day experience but I think that you should experience it for yourself so that you can achieve and learn some of the things that are being taught in the book. The author gives you tools to help create a better you! She also doesn’t fail to explain the reasoning behind the foods and the supplements that she suggests.  Again the name of the book is “Lose Weight Without Dieting or Working Out” by JJ Smith. 

Thanks for taking time out to read about my experience!

Van

http://www.freethelightbulb.com