Hi!! Yes, I am here!! I am back!! I went on this “too long to even think about how long it’s been since I’ve last blogged” hiatus. BUT HELLO AGAIN, I am MissDeclaireing Happiness and I am back to deDECLAIRE what I have been up to for these past couple of months: school. However, this time, school in a totally different sense. After being the student for 17 years, I am the teacher. As many of you know, this has been a dream of mine for forever and it’s still so surreal that it is now a reality.

I’ve wanted to be a teacher ever since second grade. I had the BEST second grade teacher who showed me how much she cared, made lessons exciting and interactive, and was a great role model (If you’re reading this Ms. Peña, you’re the best!!). Ever since second grade, I have involved myself with all activities and things that would get me “teacher-prepared”: babysitting, drama teachers, Child Development classes at the high school, tutoring, and becoming an elementary education major. My university courses were SO exciting! Classes that discussed school curriculum, how to manage your classroom, and allowed you to reflect on the best teaching practices… count me in!!! Upon graduating, I felt SO ready.

Now, I am still feeling ready, but reflecting back on the 20 days with students, I feel as though there were things that I was not taught in my university classes. These skills and concepts are things that I feel like can never be taught, but have to be experienced. I decided to compile a list of “what they don’t teach you”! IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO GRADUATE THIS SEMESTER OR NEXT AND START YOUR OWN CLASSROOM, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME ASAP BECAUSE I HAVE MORE I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU:)

1.) They do not teach you how to balance your time! As a first year teacher, I feel as though I am behind if I am not continually thinking of school. I wake up early to go to school, I go to school, I use plan time and lunch to plan things for my students, I stay at school late, I come home and still think school, eat dinner, work some more on school, and then do it all over again the next day. I have learned that if I do this all day everyday… I’ll wear myself out!! Slowly but surely, I’m learning it’s totally okay (and honestly best) to not always think about school. I have loved eating lunch with my team, setting aside time to make dinner and chat with my dad, and taking some relaxation time to watch trashy TV shows with Joel lol. I am still giving my students 15028392% even though I am not thinking about school all the time. You need to take care of you so you can be at your best to give your students the best!

2.) They do not teach you that…you will have an amazing team and support system at school that will help you every step of the way…SO DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP!!!! They will not know how you’re feeling if you are not expressing or sharing it! My teammates and colleagues are AMAZING. They are always eager to help, let me vent to them, and making me laugh!! I do NOT know where I would be without the amazing staff.

3.) They do not teach you…the motto “assume nothing, teach everything”. I was not introduced to this motto until my third day of teaching and I wish I knew about it sooner. In my university courses, I did learn that the first couple of weeks are so crucial in establishing a routine, but I did not realize all the routines you need to establish. I would think, “oh my students know how to line up” or “oh my students know how to walk in the hallway”, but that little motto proved me wrong. Since that day, I have made sure to always set expectations and provide clear directions so students know how they should be acting. Not only does this apply to routines, but to any content area! It’s important to not assume students know how to do things and to see what their background/prior knowledge is. I think I might frame that on a sign for next year lolololololol

4.) They do not teach you…about how much you will learn in the first month! I have learned SO much about my students–their likes, dislikes, personalities–, my school–the names of my colleagues, the Chromebook cart code, how to use Outlook Mail–,and myself as a teacher. My students have already taught me so much these 20 days, I can’t imagine how I’ll feel at the end of the year. I can tell you for a fact I’ll never forget this first year and this first class. They will definitely always have a place in my heart.

So moving forward I want my family, friends, strangers, and all you soon-to-be teachers that I am doing just fine!! We have our days–good and bad–but I still wouldn’t change my profession for the world. Thank you for patiently waiting on my teaching journey! I appreciate all of you ❤️❤️

-Miss DeCLAIREing Happiness

Twas the Night Before my First Day of School

And all through my home in LZ

I was finished getting ready for the big day

Headed to bed early, all nice & cozy

 

All my lessons were planned

And my classroom all set

Meet the Teacher was so fun today

I loved all the students and parents that I met

 

Then what to my wondering eyes should appear

A new lunch box from my dad

to start my teaching career.  

In it I packed a sandwich, popcorn, and some fruit…

Suddenly I realized I needed to pick out my outfit

Something professional, but still cute.

 

I rushed to my room to look through my teacher clothes

I have been building this wardrobe,

for a couple of years I suppose.

I found the perfect outfit and lay it on my chair

The next morning I would have everything all planned out

I would not have a scare.  

 

Laying in bed I thought about the wonderful opportunity ahead.

Becoming a teacher has been a dream of mine,

I was full of all happy thoughts, not dread.

I was excited to get to know all of my students this year

Thinking of all the ways we can learn from each other,

And how to make my experience filled with cheer!

 

I’m excited to start my first year of teaching,

And that I am able to share it all with you.

How amazing that this is my dream that I am finally reaching!

“Happy First Day to all and to all a Good Night!”

Long time so see friends! I have been SOOOOO busy setting my classroom up. Between working, being in my classroom, and attempting to have some free time (seriously what is free time?? I feel like I will not know what it is until next summer), I just have not had time to blog. No empty promises here but you all WILL see my classroom soon: when it is all set up! No sneak peaks just yet:)

For this blog post I wanted to write a letter to future first year teachers. There is so much that they don’t teach you!!! And I am not blaming anyone for not teaching it to you!!! Most of it you just have to experience. However, I wanted to write a letter to hopefully provide some guidance, reassurance, and motivation! Here goes nothing!

**********

Dear Future First Year Teacher,

Helloooooooo, it’s me!! (*Cue Adele music*). It’s me, Miss DeClaireing Happiness! I am YOU. I wanted to write to you because I feel your excitement, frustrations, stress, confusion, and eagerness. Just like you, I’ve wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember and the time IS FINALLY HERE. I have my own class of students, my own classroom, my own teacher desk (!!!!!). We made it through our University courses, the dreaded edTPA (#BlessYou who didn’t have to do it), the interview process, graduation…maybe not all in that order! But we did it!!! If yew cen reed this, then yew ar a teecsher.

Right now, you might not feel fully prepared. Just this past week, I came across and thought of about 194729383 things that I never knew I had to worry about–classroom whiteboards, privacy folders, connecting your iPad to your projector, etc. I have been joking with colleagues that I should write a book about being a first year teacher (“What To Expect When You’re Expecting Your First Class of Students” lol should I????? Would you buy it????) Amongst all of these confusions and unknowings, I promise you that you are amazing and can do this! Your experiences and courses may not have told you what to do in these situations or that you have to think of these things, but they provided you the right mindset and knowledge to get you through it. And in the end, just know, you have a full class of kiddos that are counting on you and are rooting for you.

Your last week of summer, first week of training, and first day of school will have an array of emotions, but just know you have a great support system. You have faculty, teammates, family, friends, and/or an online teacher community here to help you shine. Never be afraid to ask questions!

Good luck you newbies!! With your passion for students, change, and love of learning, you will be amazing. I can’t wait to see what you do!

Sincerely,

A First Year Teacher

P.S. I’ll write to you on the last day of school too!!

Hi Everyone! I feel like I have not written in a while… I PROMISE I’m going to continue to write more and more frequently. I haven’t felt myself this past week because I lost some wisdom (lol just kidding)….just some wisdom teeth. There are so many exciting things that are going to be happening in the next couple of weeks and I want to keep you all updated on them! So stay with me🤗

Sooooo today would have marked my last day with no sugar: Day 21 of 21. The final day of cutting out that sneaky little sweetener. Tomorrow would have marked my day back into the “real world” where I wouldn’t have to worry about processed foods, artificial sweeteners, and could enjoy a nice scoop of ice cream. However….I have a confession to make. I only made it to Day 17/21😓 I have good reasons though!! And if I could have made it out to this day with no sugar, I would have. There were just some things happening that couldn’t let me!

I got my wisdom teeth removed last week! Prior to the removal, I had so many people applauding and questioning me on why I would not have sugar during the recovery process. Some would say “Wow, you are brave” or “Are you seriously not going to have ice cream afterwards?”. But I was determined! I had been shopping for no-sugar soft foods all week like sugar-free jello, applesauce, yogurt, and mashed potatoes. I made my own guacamole and smoothies filled with protein power to give me energy over my recovery time. However, I think I overestimated how quickly I would recover and my appetite.

This was the first time I had ever had surgery before and had ever had anesthesia. If you asked any of my family or close friends, they would tell you how nervous I was. I had never been put under before and did not know what it was going to be like. I am so thankful that everything went as expected and planned during the surgery, but the hours after the surgery were not my best. After some funny videos sent to friends and eating some of my sugar-free yogurt, I took all my medication: to reduce pain, swelling, and provide some antibiotics. I went straight to sleep and woke up a little nauseous. I asked my dad to get me some of my veggie-packed applesauce… but that didn’t help. Maybe it was an allergic reaction or maybe it was the things I was eating or maybe it was something else, but I had gotten sick. (I’ll spare the gross details)

I AM NOT KIDDING Y’ALL THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE. First of all I hate throwing up to begin with, but second of all I could barely open my mouth because of my surgery! My dad definitely saw me at my lowest point lol. I wasn’t keeping anything down and none of my preplanned sugar-free foods were helping. Whenever I’m nauseous, I always like having some Gatorade to energize me up or whatever (I think it has some magical powers). At that moment, I knew that the sugar detox needed to be put on the back burner. My dad went out and got me some Gatorade and normal applesauce. I was beginning to feel better. The non-sugar foods did not seem appetizing though…they were almost a trigger to how I was feeling right after the surgery. I made the decision to stop the detox. I wish I could have gone on, but I think it limited the foods I could have post-surgery. Joel brought me a vanilla milkshake that night and all was right in the world…and my stomach.

I apologize for that long narrative, but that was me just explaining why I ended the sugar detox early. As this is my happiness blog and I love to share all things happy and positive, I do not want to dwell on what I didn’t do for this detox, but what I did. I MADE IT FAR PEOPLE. 17 days with no sugar?? 17 days with no gum, no ice cream, no artificial sweeteners, no sweeteners in fruit?? WOW. I am so proud. Here is what I learned/gained:

1. I learned that I actually do have willpower. As much as I thought going into this detox that sugar was “controlling” my life, it is not. I am in control of what I can and can not eat. I have the power to say no to something sugary and yes to something whole and healthy. A lot of people during my detox said, “I could never do that”, but NO you can!! Have faith in yourself and challenge yourself. I didn’t think I was able to.. but hey, I went 17 days without it! Amazing! (Tbh I am also #proud because it has actually been 21 days without gum…can’t really chew gum when you have stitches in your mouth)
2. I gained a new taste palate. Never before did I crave coconut, lemons, Granny Smith Apples, and tomatoes. While scrolling through my Pinterest, desserts with fruit in them actually look and sound DELICIOUS. Prior to the detox, I thought that fruits and vegetables should never be in dessert… they have their own food group and sweets is not it. Now, however, there are so many dessert recipes with fruit I want to try!!! Peach cobbler, strawberry shortcake, lemon bars!!! OH MY!
3. I learned that sugar is not the greatest for you, but I probably won’t ever cut it completely out of my life…just have it in moderation. There are many natural alternatives to sugar like Stevia, Honey, Maple Sugar, and Coconut Sugar. These are all sweeteners I want to try to substitute in recipes. I’m not going to cut out sugar completely, but maybe I’ll do this detox another time or annually. Who knows? I would have to say that it was a fun challenge to look at ingredient labels, make recipes to replace my sweet tooth, and try new things… BUT it is good to be back to eating whatever I like…to some degree.
4. I learned that if you want to eat healthy, you have to put the energy, time and money in. I wish there could be an easier or quicker fix, but I feel like all that is true. You have to put in the energy to motivate yourself to want to eat healthy and to help you beat cravings.  You have to put in the time to plan your meals, go grocery shopping, and make your meals. And sadly, you have to put in a little extra money. Some organic foods or healthy foods are more expensive. If you put in a little of those three things, I promise you will see and feel results!

If any of you are curious or are wondering if you should do this sugar detox, this is your sign to do it! Try it! Do it for 17 days. Do it for 3 days. Do it for 21 days. I fully support you and am here for advice, encouragement, and/or answers!! If any of you are thinking, “yeah that’s a big NO for me”, I challenge you to rethink and/or be a great support to others that want to try it. The best feeling during this detox was when someone was supportive and encouraging, rather than questioning and judgmental. I am deCLAIREing that I love when we can empower others, empower ourselves, and treat our bodies with care. Thank you for following along with me in this journey❤️ I must go now… there is a donut that is calling my name🍩

Hi y’all!! I can not believe that I am writing this blog post after not having sugar for 2 weeks! Wow, times flies when you’re doing everything but eating sugar. I’ve had my cravings here and there, but overall I am proud of my progress. THIS GIRL HAS NOT CHEWED GUM IN 14 DAYS😱 😱 😱

I wish I could tell you that I have noticed drastic changes…but I think it’s my mind playing tricks on me. Every time I wake up having a good night’s sleep, I think, “This must be because I haven’t had sugar!!” Or when I do not have to put on as much concealer, I think, “Not having my daily cup of ice cream has made my skin clear up!!”. Maybe the “no sugar” might be the case, but I’ve had my ups and I’ve had my downs. For every couple of good night’s rest, I have had bad. For every clear face, I’ve had my fair share of breakouts. Not sure if this will make more sense in a week from today when I finish the detox, but this is not stopping me. I have made it past the halfway mark and I feel as though it’s all smooth-sailing from here….except for the fact I have to get my wisdom teeth out on Wednesday lol.

Now that I reflect, I feel as though my cravings this past week haven’t been for sugary treats… they have been for fruits or gluten products. While working at Loft, there are many times I want to grab a handful of our employee stash of pretzels. When I’m catching up on The Bachelorette with Trishy, I am craving some popcorn (#TeamGarrett #TeamKettleCorn).  Ever so often I really want some strawberries with whipped cream. I haven’t really craved ice cream or cookies or cake or donuts… all my cravings have been for foods that been limited on my detox because they have gluten. And now that I think about it, my almonds have been tasting sweeter, almond butter is starting to taste like peanut butter, bittersweet chocolate is not as bitter, and Granny Smith Apples are sweet (??)

Over the past week I have made some yummy recipes and have realized that I can go out and eat. (Going out to breakfast has been my favorite and has been the most delicious😋) I’m including my meals in this gallery below! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions about what I am eating, how I feel, or for the recipes. I love sharing this journey with you all and challenge you to try to make a change in your eating habits! I’m looking forward to this final week and updating you all in 7 days!

Hello world!!! You are reading an article written by Miss Declaireing Happiness who has not had sugar in 7 days!!! I wonder if I write differently with no sugar in my body?? Hmmmmm, you all can be the judges of that.

Below is a day-by-day summary and photo summary of what it has been like not eating sugar. I’ve had good moments and I’ve had bad, but I want to keep all of you updated! I named each day with a phrase that defined the day and how I felt.

Day 1:”Woohoo, I Got This!!”

I was super excited this day!! After weeks of eating “bad”, I was ready for a change. Since I didn’t have to work, I dedicated this day to ME ❤️ I slept in late (lol 7 am is late for me), had an awesome workout at the gym where I pushed myself to run 3.5 miles on the treadmill (!!!! if u know me u know I hate running), and went on a teacher shopping spree at Target! Throughout the day, I did things that made me happy: suntanning, crafting, napping, and listening to music! I also fueled my body with foods that would make it happy!

Below is a picture of my menu for the day! I would have to say that I absolutely all the meals I had today ESPECIALLY THE HERB COCONUT FLOUR BISCUITS!!!! They tasted soooooo sweet, but have no artificial sweeteners in it!! If they taste this sweet on Day 1, I can’t imagine how sweet they’ll taste on Day 21.

I do not notice any changes with my health, sleep, or skin, but I wasn’t expecting this since this is Day 1. I did have a headache today, but I wasn’t sure if this was because I was dehydrated or due to my lack of sugar (??). Maybe I was thinking too much about it! I would say it was easy to make healthy meal choices since I was home and had time to prepare meals!

Day 2:”Okay this is cool!”

Day 2 was a tad different than Day 1! I slept sooooo nicely, but wasn’t sure if this was because I was really tired the night before or because my one-day detox of sugar. Whatever the case, I was excited to take on the day! I worked out in the morning and made myself a delicious scrambler of eggs, bacon, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower (I used the frozen mix from the dinner before). My menu is posted below 😋

Then, as I was preparing for my day, I couldn’t help to notice that I was a little tired. Before I took a shower, I attempted to nap. About 35 minutes later, I felt well rested and ready. After lunch time, I still felt a little tired so I closed my eyes for about 30 minutes before I had to leave for my drama class.

Throughout this Tuesday I questioned what was the cause of my tiredness: not sure if it was just my body wanting to be lazy and not take on the day or my body’s response to one day without sugar. Whatever the case, I did not let this get to me in the afternoon and I went on a shopping spree to Trader Joe’s. I had a set list of things I wanted to check out (eggs & cheese), but I also wanted to look through their packaged foods to see what had sugar and what did not. It’s really an eye-opening experience to see that practically everything has processed sugar. I am really tempted to open a restaurant or a grocery store after this that prepares and sells food that does not have sugar!! That would definitely make this detox easier and less like a scavenger hunt!!

Day 3: “Joel is walking on egg shells…”

Uh-oh, irritated, short-tempered Claire was starting to come out this morning & I apologize that @Joel had to witness it. Things were a little tense as I really just wanted to reach for a spoon and have spoonfuls of brown sugar lol. Joel and I decided to go on a walk to clear our minds of sugar…and it worked…Joel didn’t have to walk on egg shells anymore around me, because I was feeling better. My irritation lasted only in the morning, but I felt myself feeling very foggy and sluggish in the afternoon (thank you @Carrie for dealing with this fog!)

The menu is posted below for this day! I MADE YUMMY APPLE DONUTS. THEY ARE MY FAV!!!!! This was also the first time I went out for a meal on the detox (hey @Kell that was really fun!!!!). I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find something approved, but we went to Panera and I was able to do some research before eating there. I guess this will be something annoying or time-consuming that I have to do, but hey, at least I didn’t have to prepare a dinner for this night!

I would say that so far this was not one of my favorite days in terms of how I felt as I was tense in the morning, foggy in the afternoon, and CRAVED sweets late at night. I so badly wanted some kettle corn or 100,928,921,244,534 Oreos!! Upon going to bed, I knew that tomorrow would be a new day and I couldn’t wait for it!

Day 4: “Let’s keep venturing to different grocery stores!!”

From the title of this day, you can tell what I was doing the whole morning before work. For some reason on this day, I was especially excited to go around to different grocery stores to see if there was something I was missing. Nowadays, my grocery visits take a little longer as I am scanning the ingredients to see if the food is approved. I was excited to go to Whole Foods this morning and take my time.

*****Side note….Whole Foods has become even more amazing to me because I receive Amazon Prime DEALS!!! And on this day, since I spent over $10, I received $10 towards an Amazon Prime Day purchase! Reallllyyyy hoping they have some Beats Headphones #FingersCrossed

Today was when it hit me that I had been making all my meals for the past 4 days: no frozen foods, no take-outs, no pre-made dinners…it was ALL me. I was kind of getting tired of cooking and wanted to see if there was any ready-made or quick meals I could have. I found some chicken sausage that was approved! I decided to save this for when I was feeling really lazy, needed a last-minute meal, or wasn’t sure what I wanted to eat. My meals were super yummy today and can be found below!

I was happy I worked in the afternoon & had plans at night to distract me from my sugar cravings. Again, they hit me hard. I soooo badly wanted to make some kettle corn, grab some sweet BBQ chips, or some cookies & cream ice cream. The distractions helped me take my mind off of food. I would definitely recommend finding a distraction when you start this detox. Mine is usually go on a walk with Joel, go up in my room and read/watch TV, work, go shopping (lol), or just getting out of the house!

Day 5: “Hey, I can eat out!!!!! This is awesome!!” 

Woohoo! I was so happy I was able to eat breakfast out with my family!! I found out where we were going ahead of time and planned out my breakfast. To be honest, I was craving this since the day before when I read the menu. I got a skillet with sweet potatoes, cheese, apples, ham, and two poached eggs. For a side, I ordered avocados. My mouth is still drooling from this meal. It was awesome that I was still able to go out with my family and enjoy a meal. Yes, I had to do a little research before, but who cares!

Here is a menu of my day! I did not notice any drastic changes in my health or personality. I did have a sudden energy burst and decided to bike to the post office to drop off a package, which is 4 miles from my house. I saw my friend that afternoon and she said I had way more energy today than two days before…so hey, maybe things are happening (?).

Day 6: “How can I make desserts into non-sugar things?”

My sugar cravings were hitting me SO HARD!!! I wanted anything sweet I could get my hands on! Joel and I started watching this show called Nailed It–which honestly might have been a bad idea when you are on a sugar detox–and it’s all about people recreating baking works of art! I was craving a cake pop and I HAVE NEVER CRAVED A CAKE POP IN MY LIFE.

With this, I knew that I needed something sweet or something to replace a sweet craving. I looked through my detox book & found a recipe for banana coconut ice cream. The recipe only called for bananas and coconut oil (I added some coconut milk to make it creamier). Honestly, it wasn’t anything near the wonders of ice cream..but it did the trick! Joel and I were able to enjoy two bowls of this while watching a movie. It made me feel like we were eating dessert again.

A little out of order, but Joel and I made delicious cauliflower crust pizzas that curbed my sweet tooth before the ice cream. I made a homemade sauce that was so yummy and thick and added lots of cheese so the pizza tasted really dense and filling. I was very full and replenished after this meal! My menu is posted below:)

Day 7: I CAN’T BELIEVE I HAVEN’T CHEWED GUM IN 7 DAYS!?”

Just like the title of the day explains, I can’t believe I have gone this long without chewing gum!!! It is amazing. I did go a while without eating sweets during this past Lent season, but I still ate processed sugars and gum. This has been the longest I have gone without chewing my cinnamon gum in forever!! I am so proud of myself and the work that I have done. I’m 1/3 of the way there…the rest can’t be too much harder right?!

After doing some research in my book, they say that you really start seeing the benefits after day 10. Well, I only have 3 more days until that and nothing is stopping me!! Here is my menu for today! I was able to go to my favorite Mexican restaurant with Joel & his family. The hardest part was not being able to eat the corn tortilla chips BUT I DID IT PEOPLE!!!! This day was just full of proud moments and I can’t wait to feel the satisfaction of going 21 days without sugar. BRING IT ON!

These Are A Few of My Favorite #21DSD Things…

• Apple Donuts–I AM A DONUT QUEEN. Not being able to have these sugary goodnesses over the next 21 days was making me feel not as happy during breakfast time. However, after looking through my #21DSD guide, I found this AMAZING apple donut recipe. I am making sure to have one every morning to fuel up and pretend I’m eating something sweet💕
• Coconut Drop Biscuits–Another amazing recipe from the #21DSD guide. In my opinion, these taste exactly like the biscuits from Red Lobster but they are so healthy for you and have no sugar!! I have used these biscuits as sides for dinner and buns for sandwiches. Definitely need to make these weekly!!

Thank you for following along with me on my journey and my no sugar journey! I want to update you all weekly, but please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments! I love answering questions and hearing about what you all have to say! I am deCLAIREing that this sugar detox has made me happy so far!

Hi All!! I hope everyone has been having a great weekend and had a wonderful 4th of July!

After reading the title, here are some thoughts that probably ran through your head!

• Bye sugar?!?! What’s happening to sugar!!
• Are you eliminating sugar Claire?! How can you do that?!
• 21 days? That’s a random number!
• HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY DO THAT YOU HAVE A SWEET TOOTH GIRL???

I have to admit, those thoughts ran through my mind when I was told I might want to try a sugar detox. Over the past couple of months I have felt addicted to sugar, craving sweets all hours of the day and after a FULL meal. I always joke that I have a separate stomach for dessert and these past couple of weeks have proved that! However, after giving in to my cravings and my second stomach, I would find myself bloated, sluggish, always tired (but unable to fall asleep), and developing bad, almost painful acne. After doing some research and talking to some medical experts/nutritionists, I was recommended the 21 Day Sugar Detox by Diane Sanfilippo (Info on 21 DSD)

I first checked out this book from my local library a week ago and then decided to buy my own copy off of Amazon (21 DSD on Amazon). This book includes the benefits of a sugar detox, what you can expect over the three weeks, a YES/NO food list, sample recipes and menus, and approved/recommended brands. It’s an awesome guide!!

So yes–officially starting tomorrow, but slowing starting today–I will be cutting sugar out from my diet. Not just sugar from sweets, but processed sugars too! I found a picture on Livestrong.com that provided 67 other names for sugar on an ingredients list. Companies are tricky, but I am catching on to them!!!!

Over the next three weeks, I will be watching out for these words above on food labels and choosing to eat whole, real foods. For this specific detox, most fruits are posted on the “no” list, but I can gradually start adding them back into my diet. The purpose of this detox is to reset your taste buds and curb your cravings, so it does not want your body to have any sort of sugars. Some of the benefits of this detox include resetting your tastebuds so you taste the natural sugars in foods, more energy during the day, eliminating your cravings, clearer, brighter skin, and better nights sleep!

Lol I’m sorry but I am going to be that annoying girl over the next 3 weeks that is going to be checking every food label at the grocery store, specifically choosing restaurants that adhere to these food restrictions, and/or questioning waiters, waitresses, and grocery store workers with how food is prepared! JUST PLS BEAR WITH ME!!!!😛

How have I prepared for this detox you might ask? 

1. I read the book 21 Day Sugar Detox by Diane Sanfilippo to really understand what I am doing and why I can expect. In this guide book, you really learn how sugar is processed in your body and the short-term and longer-term effects of sugar addictions.
2. I have planned out my meals for the week using this book and other recipes on Pinterest. I have visited 5 different grocery stores (Trader Joe’s, Marianos, Whole Foods, Sunset Foods, and Heinen’s) to buy these ingredients and to load up on approved go-to snacks. Some of my go-to snacks are Justin’s Almond Butter packets, almonds, pistachios, Larabar Apple Pie Bars, banana chips, unsweetened applesauce, and raw vegetables with guacamole or hummus.
3. Finding a buddy, AKA Joel lol, to try to do this with me! He is going to follow along with this detox, but not as strictly as me since he has allergies to some nuts and raw vegetables. Even if he does not follow it completely with me, it’s good to have a support system!
4. Asking opinions and reading articles from others who have tried this detox (Thank you so much for your help/tips @TaylorBreiter and the cool website @Mr.Markby). Alsssoooo, if anyone has any more tips and pointers please do not hesitate to comment or reach out!

I hope to update you all weekly or maybe even more often during this detox as I feel it will be a great way to track my progress and feelings! I think one of the hardest things about this detox is explaining why I am doing it! Some people already have questioned me. However, I am doing this for me, for my health, and for my overall well-being! Any support or encouragement would be appreciated☺️❤️ Thank you for following along with me on my journey!!! I hope in the near future that this 21DSD is something that I will be deCLAIREing that makes me happy!!!!!!