Sugar Detox Day 2: Bring on the Headache

Remember yesterday when I was so thrilled, so overjoyed with myself for getting through Day 1 without any horrible side effects?  Yeah, well, today's happiness levels were…how do I say this?  Horrible.  Right after my adorable little breakfast of greek yogurt with berries and a side of canadian bacon, I felt the headache coming on.  If you're a sugar addict like me, and then you attempt to cut the sweet stuff out almost completely, your head feels like it's trying to implode.  Mine started right in the front, in the middle of my forehead.  As the day progressed and I refused to give it the white poison it so desperately desired, the headache spread to my whole head.  My eyes actually hurt from the pain.

Don't believe me?  Check out this article from Livestrong.com entitled Can Cutting Sugar out of a Diet Cause Headaches?    Actually, it's a really nicely written little article, comparing sugar's effect on the brain to that of heroin, but hey, just take my word for it, the headache is real, and it's bad.

Anyway, I stuck to my guns all day despite the headache and ate well.  No slip-ups.  I was only momentarily perplexed on which food booth to choose at the mall food court today.  But they were no match for me and my sugar addict knowledge!!  I chose Subway, since it's the freshest option.  I didn't know this prior to today, but Subway offers a delicious double chicken salad…and…..drum roll please….it's not a pre-packaged salad that is void of all flavor.  Nope!  The Subway guy actually brought out a special bowl and I got to choose all of my ingredients for the salad:   iceberg lettuce, spinach, olives, red onion, avocado, tomatoes, even jalapeños!  Then he topped it with chopped chicken, used a chopping tool to chop it all up, and voila!  It was delicious.  I did drizzle on a half a package of ranch dressing, but since I'm ok with fats at this stage, I'm just not going to worry about it too much.  So there!

After lunch, the headache started to really rage.  I went by Starbucks to get the kids a quick drink since we were all wilting in the afternoon heat, and I thought an unsweetened iced tea would help.  Maybe, I hoped, the sugar demons would be appeased by a little caffeine.  They weren't. They wanted sugar.  In fact, it seems like my headache only got worse.  I made it home in time to grab a 3 o'clock snack:  two celery stalks with almond butter and a handful of cashews.  

For dinner, I made spaghetti with meat sauce for the kids.  Most marinara sauces (yes, I buy jarred marinara sauce.  I've made it homemade a few times, and homemade marinara is delicious, but I hardly ever have time to make it) are full of sugar, but I found this awesome marinara from Costco that is not only delectable, but has no sugar added!!  Tomatoes are naturally full of quite a bit of sugar, so I'm going to live it up until I have to cut those in a few weeks!!  I didn't have the spaghetti noodles, but I made a nice green salad and added some pickled beets, just to make me feel like I was dining at our favorite Italian restaurant, Grasso's.  

The headache only got worse after dinner.  Finally I snapped.  There were too many dishes, too many messes, too much to do!! So, after freaking out on the family, I went to my room and read my Bible for a few minutes to calm down.  I looked up a verse that my sweet friend, Bree, sent today to encourage me:

Do not be anxious about anything. Instead in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.  And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  

Philippians 4:6-7.  

Doesn't that just put it all back in perspective?  Do not be anxious about ANYTHING.  Anything?  Even my headache?  Even my cravings?  And the peace of God will guard my heart?  This verse is so incredible. It was exactly what I needed to move on, give my heart peace, and place my trust right back where it belongs, in Christ Jesus.  Boy was I cranky today!  But tomorrow is another day, and I will wake up and remember the words from this scripture as I go about my sugar-free day! 

P.S.  Best Sugar Related Moment of the Day:   My kids' swim instructor always gives the kids a Tootsie Pop sucker after swim class. So today, as we buckled into the car to drive home, the kids were all happily licking their lollipops, while I sipped on yet another jug of water.  Clara turned to me and said, "Look at my lollipop, mama, you can already see the chocolatey center!"  And my oldest, Emma, responded in an exasperated tone, "Don't show that to mommy, Clara, that's just mean.  You shouldn't tempt her with sugar!"  As if I in all of my lack of sugar craziness, I would just leap over the seat to grab it and rapidly inhale it before she could get another lick.  I mean that's just crazy, right?!  Who would ever do such a thing?  I mean who would even imagine taking candy from their child?  Not me!   On to Day 3!