Episode 101: 10 Key Things To Do For A Successful 21-Day Sugar Detox
As a 21-Day Sugar Detox coach, I spend a lot of time speaking with, listening to, observing, and coaching folks who have successfully completed the 21DSD, as well as those who want to, but have yet to try it.
In this episode, I’ve taken my best tips, along with advice from detox alumni, and curated a list of the 10 things you can do for a successful 21-Day Sugar Detox!
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Episode 098: Easy Keto Meal Prep with Jenny Castaneda
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“If you’re still eating refined sugar and your diet is heavily based on processed foods, especially if you’re on some kind of a healing journey, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, whatever it is, you will feel better and do better once you’re able to break free from the bonds of sugar.”
Read the Episode Transcript:
Welcome back to Episode 101 of The Live FAB Life Podcast! Now that the episode count is in the one hundred’s, I feel like we’ve moved into a new era of the show!
I have a few new things up my sleeves that I hope to bring to life in the next weeks and months, and I’m so excited for what’s to come!
Now, as a health coach, I often have conversations with people that go something like this:
“But it’s all so overwhelming and I don’t even know where to start!”
And I get it! I’ve been there, and sometimes, I still feel that way myself!
But as long-time listeners of this show have heard me say, and I’ll continue to say this over and over again, we’re all such very different people that our starting places on our health journeys or the pivots that we take, will be very different for each and everyone one of us.
There are some people, who the most important thing they can do for themselves is to prioritize and get more sleep.
Then there are others, who might need to start with a meditation practice - and yes, I’m very serious about this.
But for everyone, every single one of us - if you’re still eating refined sugar and your diet is heavily based on processed foods, especially if you’re on some kind of a healing journey, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, whatever it is, you will feel better and do better once you’re able to break free from the bonds of sugar.
I’ve been a coach for the 21-Day Sugar Detox program for about almost three years now. I’ve helped dozens of people, men and women, break their addiction to sugar, learn how to eat a diet made up of real food, and develop a mindful approach towards eating. A few weeks ago, I took over the Instagram stories of Instagram stories for the 21-Day Sugar Detox Instagram account.
I love doing this because it’s one way to really connect with the broader 21DSD community - those who have already successfully completed the program and those who have an interest in doing so but have yet to try.
So over the years, as well as during my takeover, I’ve been asked a bunch of questions, answered a lot of questions and observed a lot of mindsets and behaviors.
I’ve taken notes, ruminated on all of this data I’ve collected and I’ve compiled a list of ten things you must do to have a successful 21-DaySugar Detox, and that’s what I’m sharing them with today. So let’s dive in, shall we?
#1 - Decide that you really do want to do this and then COMMIT to doing it
How many times have you started, then quit? A diet? A gym? A side hustle?
In each of these situations, you decided that you wanted to do the thing. So why did you end up quitting? Or, if you didn’t quit, what made you succeed?
I bet it was truly committing to seeing it through until the end - whatever that end game was for you.
We all know that it is no easy feat to quit sugar. There’s a reason why it’s so addicting. So when times get tough, and they will, knowing your “why” is what will help you to stay the course.
Why do you want to quit sugar?
To get off your medication? To drop some pounds? To have more energy and not feel so tired all the time?
Write down what your “why” is. How important is it to you? How much of a priority will you make it?
A bit of a pet peeve of mine is when someone says they’re “too busy” to do something.
“I’m too busy to go grocery shopping.”
Well, guess what? These days, you can grocery shop online and have it delivered to your home.
“I’m too busy to cook a 21DSD-approved dinner.”
There are meal services like the Balanced Bites meals where you can have 21DSD-approved meals shipped right to your front door - and guess what - you can even make it a weekly subscription!
My friend, the point I’m trying to make is that we all have the same amount of time in a day.
So it’s not a matter of being “too busy”, it’s a matter of, “it’s not a priority, it’s not important enough to you, right now.” And if that’s the case, that’s okay, but you need to be honest with yourself and acknowledge it.
Quitting sugar is not easy, but if you aren’t fully committed to your “why”, you’ll make it “that much” harder on yourself to succeed.
#2 - Be open to trying new things
I first tried Paleo in 2009 and 2010, except I didn’t know that’s what it was called and I just called it the “caveman diet.” Around that time, Paleo blogs started to emerge and when I looked at their recipes, I didn’t know what half of the ingredients were.
Like, what in the heck was coconut flour and almond flour? Why do I need four different types of these strange flours I never heard of for one recipe? What are coconut aminos?
I have someone who I’m close to who makes an effort to eat healthily but when I mentioning things like Paleo, keto, 21DSD or even Whole30, the response I get is, “Well I can’t eat that way because I don’t eat your kinds of foods.”
And I’m like, “uhhh, what foods are you talking about? Do you mean real food?”
This might sound funny, but it’s a good reminder to me because even though these foods have become more mainstream based upon the varieties that there are and the increased amount of retail outlets you can find them at, they’re still foreign to someone who is just starting to transition to a real foods diet.
But here’s the thing - at one point they were foreign to all of us, especially those of us who are older and grew up in the 80s and 90s. But we were open-minded to trying new things.
And if you want things to change, you’re going to have to open to change and that includes trying new things. If you feel a resistance to this, then revisit number one, “your why.”
#3 - Understand the resources available to you
One of the great things about the 21-Day Sugar Detox program is that there are resources available for every budget.
For example, did you know there is a free Facebook community for anyone interested in doing the program on their own? But one of the biggest mistakes I see people in the group make is trying to do the program blind - without knowing what the “rules” are, specifically, what the three levels of the program are, and hat’s allowed and what’s not allowed at each level.
If you don’t know these basic parameters, how will know if you’re doing the program properly? How committed are you?
So what are some of the resources available?
The free 21DSD FB community The 21DSD blog The 21DSD weekly email newsletter The 21DSD social media accounts - Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest boards
Those are the free options.
There’s also a self-paced online program you can purchase from the 21DSD website.
#4 - Get the book(s)
Another paid resource, which I’m making the fourth tip, is to get the 21DSD books, or at least one of them!
If you’re unfamiliar with the program then you might not know that there are three books in the 21-Day Sugar Detox book series.
There’s the original 21DSD book, the 21DSD cookbook, and most recently, the 21DSD Daily Guide.
A frequently asked question is, “What’s the differences between the books and which one should I get?
The original 21-Day Sugar Detox book really gets into:
the science behind sugar what it does to your body how your body breaks down sugar what happens to your blood sugar and why that’s important what are good carbs versus bad carbs how sugar affects your hormones and a whole bunch of other relevant topics.
It also has recipes that fall into the guidelines of the programs, as do the other 21DSD books.
The second book is the 21DSD cookbook, besides having more recipes, it helps you select which level of the program is best for you based upon where you are right now (because this program has three levels) and also provides you with modifications based upon your lifestyle, for example, if you’re an athlete in training or a nursing mother, or cooking for a family, or if you’re a pescatarian.
The newest book is the 21-Day Sugar Detox Daily Guide. This book walks you through a few days of preparation before your 21 days begins, then walks you through what to expect and do during each of the 21 days, then what to do for a few days after your three weeks are over.
I recommend that you get all three books, but if that’s not an option, I coach my clients using the 21-Day Sugar Detox Daily Guide and recommend, at the very least that you get that one.
I also think the original 21-Day Sugar Detox book is a great one to great because I believe that knowing the science behind sugar and how it affects how your body functions are essential knowledge for every person to have, and knowing this can influence the choices you make.
#5 - Have a plan - meal plan and prep
Every weekend, one 21DSD coach takes over stories on the 21-Day Sugar Detox Instagram account, and as I mentioned at the beginning of this episode, a few weeks ago, that was me.
I love doing that because I’m able to connect with the larger 21DSD community on a more personal level.
One thing I did was ask the followers who were 21DSD alumni, what is the one piece of advice they’d give to those who were doing or had yet to do the detox.
By far, the number one piece of advice was to be prepared, specifically, meal plan and meal prep! Now, these are two distinct things.
You’ll want to have a plan, like write it down, of what you’ll eat for every meal for the next few days or even the next week, depending on how far out you like to plan. Then make a list of the groceries you’ll need.
Then designate a couple of hours, Sundays are ideal, to make what you can in advance so that during the week, all you need to do is throw things together.
What can you make in advance? You can pre-cook meats, chop or even cook some vegetables, mix any condiments or sauces.
If you need some inspiration, listen to Episode 098 where I was joined by my friend, Jenny Casteneda of Cook and Savor. Jenny’s super power is meal prepping and she’s even written a brand new book on it, Easy Keto Meal Prep!
Although the recipes are geared toward the Keto diet, the book is applicable to anyone! And Jenny shares how she meal preps in her Instagram stories every Sunday so give her a follow and learn from the best!
#6 - Be Prepared
In addition to meal planning and prepping, be sure you’re also prepping in other ways.
Always carry water with you, preferably in a glass or stainless steel water bottle, and carry snacks.
If I’m out and about running errands for a few hours and I don’t have snacks or water on hand with me, that’s when I make poor choices and find myself sabotaging my best efforts.
So set yourself up for success and always have snacks on hand with you. This is a good habit to get into whether you’re doing the 21DSD or not.
#7 - Keep A Journal
Keeping a journal can provide you with tremendous insight and heighten your awareness of experiences.
Keeping one as you do the 21DSD can help you identify triggering situations, emotions, cravings. It can also help you uncover food sensitivities or intolerances, or even how your sleep, energy levels and moods might be affected by certain foods.
If you get the 21-Day Sugar Detox, you’ll find daily journal prompts in it, but keeping your own journal, whether it be in a written notebook, a Google doc or even simply the Apple Notes app on your iPhone can be valuable too.
#8 - Enhance Your Detox Experience
Besides caring for what you’re eating, you can enhance your detox experience by prioritizing sleep, if you don’t do this already. Make sure you’re in bed by 10 pm and try to get a full 8 hours of sleep each night.
If exercise isn’t something you do regularly, try to make time for daily movement. This could be going to the gym if you have a gym membership, going for a walk or simply devoting 10-15 min in the morning and evening to stretching.
Other things you can do to enhance your detox experience are meditating, practicing deep breathing, or even things like taking Epson salt baths, contrast showering, dry skin brushing or even doing a castor oil pack! Maybe even treat yourself to a massage!
#9 - Have Grace for Yourself
Quitting sugar is a sensible and simple thing to do, but it definitely isn’t easy. Like I mentioned earlier, companies who make sugary, processed foods employ scientists and experts to make their products addictive as possible.
So its no wonder that you might have a slip up at some point during the 21DSD, whether intentionally or unintentionally. I’ve had clients that I’ve coached during the program come to be feeling guilt and embarrassment because they inadvertently ate something that wasn’t allowed on the program. Or on a stressful day found themselves going through a McDonald’s drive-through.
There’s no need for me to feel disappointed in them because they feel far more disappointed in themselves.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, did you learn something from it?
Can you see what led you to what happened? Perhaps it not having snacks or a meal prepared.
What can you do differently to avoid this happening again?
If you learned something from the experience, then it’s not a failure. And you don’t need to start all over again.
#10 - Hire a 21-Day Sugar Detox Coach
I worked with a personal trainer for 10 years, from 2004 to 2014. Then I took a break and then started working with a trainer again in 2018.
People asked me, “why?” I mean, shouldn’t I know how to work out by now? And I do, but the guidance, support and space my trainer holds for me is invaluable.
Although I do the work, my trainer does the thinking for me. He puts the plan together, gives me tips and points on how to make the exercises most effective, tells me what to do for the rest of the week until we meet again the following week.
As a Type A person, who’s brain never shuts off, having a coach like this preserves brain space for me. It’s one less thing that I have to think about. And, I don’t have to second guess myself - my choices and efforts.
The same can be true for working with a 21DSD coach. Yes, there are plenty of free resources available to you. So if that’s the case, why haven’t you done the detox yet?
It’s not a matter of knowing what to do, well sometimes it is. But it’s more than that - it’s having someone in your corner to guide you, hold space for you, someone you can depend on to lead you and support you toward your goals, someone to hold you accountable. When you hire a 21DSD coach to work with, you’re not investing in the coach, you’re investing in yourself and demonstrating your commitment to yourself and your why.
So there you have it my friends - 10 things to do for a successful 21-Day Sugar Detox.
Don’t forget - you can find links to everything I’ve mentioned in this episode over on the show notes at www.livefablife.com/101.
And if you’re ready to take that next step, I offer 21DSD-specific coaching in small groups, as well as private, one-on-one coaching.
To learn more, visit www.livefablife.com/21dsd - I’d love to work with you!
As always, thanks for being here, thanks for listening and I’ll see you right back here next week for the next episode!
Naomi Nakamura is a Functional Nutrition Health Coach. She helps passionate, ambitious high-achievers who are being dragged down by fatigue, burnout, sugar cravings, poor sleep, unexplained weight issues, and hormonal challenges optimize health, find balance, and upgrade their energy so they can do big things in this world.
Through her weekly show, The Live FAB Live Podcast, programs, coaching, and services, she teaches women how to optimize their diet, support their gut health, reduce their toxic load, and improve their productivity, bringing work + wellness together.
Naomi resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and can often be found exploring the area with her puppy girl, Coco Pop!
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