In this post, I talk about my experience with going gluten-free, added sugar-free, dairy-free, processed foods free and alcohol-free. I followed the 28 Day Reset Challenge guidelines created by Blogilates and these were my results.
80% diet 20% activity. I never thought that was the correct way of doing things. When I was in highschool, I thought that if I worked out everyday, then I could eat whatever and whenever. Obviously, that led to burn out and not much difference in the way my body functioned and looked. And heck, I was just tired.
Now as a 22-year old self-proclaimed health nut, I finally understand the importance of nutrients and food because I’ve experienced first hand the amazing benefits of feeding your body with the proper fuel and nutrients.
If you didn’t know, for over a year I’ve been a vegan. Meaning I don’t eat any animal products or meats. So the transition to this challenge was not too difficult for me. But I still noticed a difference because this month, I was mindful about the amount of processed foods that I was eating. And boyyy that was a challenge.
For the month of January I started the 28 day reset challenge. This reset/ detox was created by the lovely Casey Ho from Blogilates. I started on January 1st and ended on January 31st (I did more than 28 days because I wanted to balance out some of the days where I “cheated #dontjudge).
5 Foods That I Gave Up and My Thoughts On Them:
1. sugar
This was by far the toughest to give up. I LOVE SUGAR MKAY. and sugar loves me… It was hard but I kept my sweet tooth in check by making sure I loaded up on fruits.
Everything in moderation. That’s the case for me and sugar. I honestly didn’t cut out sugar this month too much. I had my days where I treated myself to a vegan brownie or cookie. Life’s too short to not enjoy a sweet treat.
2. dairy
This was an easy one to stop because I haven’t had any cheese or dairy for over a year now. Keeping dairy out of my diet has helped my face clear up and it helped with my digestion. You’re not putting unneccessary hormones and antibiotics into your body and it’s just a good call for anyone and everyone IMO : )
3. processed foods
Two words. Tortilla chips. Hand me a bag and you’ll find me munching on them nonstop until someone pulls away. They’re just that good. Processed food is considered anything with more than three ingredients. This was not the hardest to give up but I can’t say that I was perfect when it came to eating absolutely no processed foods. But I think it’s worth continuing this habit of eating as minimally processed foods as possible because for me, I feel lighter and less foggy.
4. alcohol
This was a piece of cake. For some it might be tough and if you asked me to give up alcohol 3-4 year ago, I’d be floored. I wouldn’t know any other way to have fun or let loose. But I like to think that I’m a different person now and that alcohol is something to enjoy only on special occasions. I’m lucky enough to not have struggle with this one. I usually have glasses of wine here and there, but giving that up has allowed me to connect back to my mind and body. And that feels pretty darn good.
5. gluten
Gluten has been one that I’ve had a strange relationship with prior to this reset. I thought it was a fad and vowed to NEVER be that person who ordered a GF pizza at a restaurant (which I did this month lol). But the more I studied and researched, the more it made sense for me to give it up even for life (as much as possible lol). An amazing book I’m reading, SuperWoman Rx, even recommended me to give up gluten because it’s not good for the health type that I am. It’s simply not good for my digestive system and so I’m not gonna resist this one moving forward.
BEFORE
(DICLAIMERL I lost the photo that I took on December 31st, 2017; but I dug up a old photos from last summer. So therefore, I can’t say it was strictly the detox that caused all the change but I know that it did help! I personally think it’s a combo of eating completely plant-based, moving my body everyday, drinking lots of water, practicing self love and implementing healthy habits)
Focus on what your body can DO, rather than what it looks like!
AFTER (January 30th, 2018)
There you have it. My experience with the 28 Day Reset.
This month has taught me to be more mindful of what I put into my body. And moving forward, even though I won’t strictly cut out all 5 items above for the rest of my life, I will try to consume less of them because I know how good I can feel. It doesn’t mean I’ll strictly cut those things out of my diet. I love treating myself to baked goods and an avocado toast (which is not GF) so I can’t say I’m going to continue saying no. A girl’s gotta live ya know? : P
One thing that really didn’t change much was my skin. I actually had a pretty bad breakout during the month and I’m thinking it was either my skin detoxifyng or my body was in shock. I don’t know. But I want to give this plan a go for February as much as possible because I hope that will help me determine the root problem.
If your curious about the 28 Day Reset, I recommend checking out this article by Casey from Blogilates and giving it a try! You can start any month and I think it will defs do more harm that good. I also incorporated 30 minutes of activity 5 times a week during this month and I think that was helpful in keeping me motivated to stay active. Also keeping a food journal really helps!
Now the question is, will I do this again?
UHHHM. probs not! I felt like I was too restrictive on myself and I just wanna live my life (like give me all the vegan cupcakes okay?!). Back to the 80/20 rule but with a twist. I believe that if you eat 80% wholesome and 20% indulgent, that’s a happy medium. For your mind and body. Sprinkle some physical activity into your days and you are golden baby.
Let me know if you’re giving this a GO!
Lotsa love,
Bella
*this post was not sponsored
