No More Sugar Update

#NoMoreSugar—Weeks 5, 6
Guest Columnist Christine Rodriguez updates readers on her No Sugar Diet

Only six weeks into my #nomoresugar challenge and I am 11 pounds lighter with a reduction of 9 percent body fat.

I am not yet ready to divulge all of my body measurements. I will save that for the grand finale on July 24. I will say this I haven’t felt better EVER! Not only has my mindset changed, but my disposition is much calmer and my body signals are much clearer.

OK, so obviously I’ve contemplated this diet change for some years now, but as with any endeavor you take on, you must be engaged 100 percent in mind, body and spirit. The real challenge begins in syncing all three.

I did not know the roadblocks I would face. The biggest challenge is breaking old habits and replacing them with new ones. This is where having a professional nutritional counselor would come in handy. That being said, even a nutritionist needs support from another nutritionist.

Accountability is a major part in any change. My Facebook friends are to whom I am accountable. One of the biggest myths about eating healthy, organic whole foods is that they are very costly. Indeed, organic produce is almost twice as much as their non-organic counterparts. But consider this: You will eat less if it is organic because it is much more nutrient dense. Invest in your wellness now and you will not have to subsidize your illnesses later.

The trick to keeping your diet in check is to plan and cook ahead. So every Sunday I shop the farmer’s market. I attend church, then shop, come home, clean, chop and cook all of my food for the week, so I have no excuses during the week as to why I made a bad choice. I carry my food with me in a mini cooler everywhere I go.

Some of my readers may think it comes easy to me because I was a professional athlete and am now a nutritionist. But that’s not true. I have struggled with eating disorders, addictions and low self-esteem like many of you out there. I take each moment as a blessing and do not get ahead of myself. If you can be still enough to cherish each moment, life around you becomes easier.

Here is an example of a typical day:

4 a.m.                     I wake up, drink hot lemon water to hydrate my organs and alkalize them. You should always eat your most nutrient dense meal first thing in the morning since your intestines are free and clear to absorb all of the vitamins and minerals. Green juice is much more energizing than coffee.

5 a.m.                     I train my early bird clients.

6 a.m.                     I eat cut steel oats with coconut oil, flax seeds, chia seeds and berries. I then pack my food for the day and read the paper.

8 a.m.                     I head to boxing gym.

11 a.m.                  I take as many cat naps as I can in between clients whether it’s 5 or 30 minutes to reboot my brain.

12 p.m.                  Train clients and provide nutritional counseling. I usually don’t have a full 30 minutes to eat so in between clients I eat a whole food like an apple, avocado raw nuts, piece of fish or turkey a small salad (no dressing, use lemon juice) or a cup of beans. I eat a whole food every two to three hours ensuring that my sugar levels in my body do not drop. When that happens it is 10 times more difficult to make a sugarless choice because your body needs to re-amp your insulin levels. Constant dips and high rises in blood sugar can lead to diabetes.

6:30 p.m.               Last meal for the day will be a piece of wild fish, quinoa and some steamed veggies. Put the quinoa on first, then steam veggies and then sauté the fish and in less than 15 minutes … voila! Dinner is served. Now I hear people say well they (husband or children) won’t eat that so I will have to cook separate meals.

8 p.m.                     Drink an herbal tea and watch a bit of TV.

9:30 p.m.               I eat a spoonful of chia seeds and down it with some water. Some folks like to put chia in their water or on top of salads or yogurt which is fine but I hate having the seeds stuck in my teeth during the day so I opt for consuming them in the evening, plus it gives me a good morning flush.

Namaste.