And not fail like I did...
I just tried giving up my homemade sourdough bread for 14 days and I failed miserably.
I’ll spare you the long story of my love-hate relationship with bread but let’s just say that as a recovering sugar addict, bread can easily fit the bill for someone who has a history of craving carbs. It may not be a brownie but it’s close enough!
I’ve been off regular bread for over 20 years - having identified a gluten sensitivity and experiencing just how amazing life and health could be for me without it. But the recent sourdough craze got me wondering and then living the dream of having bread again. For me, a piece of homemade sourdough bread with farm fresh butter is like cake. I love it.
And while there are so many great things about sourdough, especially the one I make with non gmo, unfortified flour, for me there are also many drawbacks:
- I can’t eat just one piece - ie it kicks up that addictive tendency in me
- It takes the place of more nutritious foods by filling me up
- It seems to impact my hormones because I only get hot flashes when I’m eating sourdough
- It makes me feel like a failure when I can’t control how much of it I eat
So I decided to give it up.
Why I thought I could do it
Now, when I’m working with clients after discovering they have IgG Food Sensitivities I’m reminded of how hard it can be to give up something you love, but somehow I thought this would be easy since I’ve given up so many foods over the years: first it was gluten, then dairy due to IgG reactions, then sugar, then almond butter, then coffee, then almond milk, then onions. Some were dropped cold turkey and some required a different approach…an approach that might work for you.
And by the way, the more pain or the bigger the health issue related to the food you love - the easier it will be to give it up. That seems logical right? Gluten and dairy were super easy for me because I had so many painful or obvious symptoms that I wanted to get rid of. Sugar took a while, because I was 100% addicted to it and because I first had to balance my brain chemistry with amino acids (from protein) and learn how to deal with life stress without wine or brownies. And things like coffee - well that one needed a totally different approach altogether.
In fact, if you come to my home right now you will see that I do have decaf coffee in my freezer. That’s because every now and then I like to have a cup. Years ago I had coffee everyday - because it was fun, creamy and something to do. I liked making the cup and bringing it to my desk like it was my work buddy. But then I noticed I wasn’t drinking enough water on those days, and my teeth were getting stained and even decaf still seemed to mess with my sleep. So I started negotiating with myself…ok let’s be honest.. I started arguing with myself. HAHAHA. I started with suggesting I have it 3 days a week, then 2 days a week … then hanging my head low I resigned to one day a week. I definitely tripped up here and there in those early days with weeks of drinking it everyday again but having a goal that wasn’t O days made me feel like I was working toward something that was possible. I didn’t feel total deprivation, and that’s important because saying NEVER or NONE can definitely trigger me and start that deprivation mindset.
How Your Mindset Matters
If you are feeling down and defeated because you can’t have your coffee, it’s like a pity party going on inside you everyday. Eventually you are going to feel sorry enough for yourself that you will convince yourself you DESERVE it. Am I right? But if you look at the problem strategically and come up with a solution for the time being - you are making a controlled decision in a non emotional state. If you decide 1 day week then you can look forward to that 1 day a week and relish the cup of coffee on that day. You also won’t feel AS sorry for yourself.
Here I am years later, I can go 3-4 weeks without having coffee and I don’t even realize it. I now call it my “monthly cup of coffee”. I don’t miss it and I feel better without it. Win Win.
A better approach if you have IgG reactions
This negotiation approach doesn’t work with a true food sensitivity though, where the immune system is attacking the food. In that case every time you have the food you can be doing damage to your intestinal lining and creating symptoms (outward or inward). But if you are trying to come off coffee, or in my case Sourdough – this approach might work.
If you have a food that you know is not great for your body - either because you just had IgG testing done or because you notice the symptoms your body produces after having it - take some time to really look at the issue. Can you identify why you love the food in the first place? Does it satisfy a craving? Does it bring back positive memories of childhood or a loved one you used to enjoy that food with (ice cream is a biggie here). What does it DO for you? Does it calm you, give you energy, make you “happy”, distract you from life?
And then decide if you can get the same results without a food at all. Can you address your cravings at their root - which is likely blood sugar or protein related? Can you enjoy time with a loved one or recall fond memories without using food? Can you walk with them, play cards or do something fun without the “treats”?
Not easy but definitely worth it
It may seem depressing to give up a food you love but it’s actually what I call Food Freedom. It’s empowering to realize that you have the ability to choose what you eat or drink without feeling powerless. And when you feel healthier, release weight, improve your mood or have your own natural energy it is so worth it. I would never want to go back to feeling the way I did when I was eating pretzels and cheese or drinking coffee everyday. Yuck - no way!
Now granted, if you do all this work and still CHOOSE to have whatever is causing your symptoms - that is totally your right - it’s your body. But if you are like me and you would rather feel your best than eat any single thing - no matter how warm or soft or sourdoughy it is .. I just want you to know there are ways to win at this.
I’m starting the one day a week plan with the hope of seeing my sourdough obsession follow the same path that my coffee drinking did.
What approach are you going to take?
0 Comments