We recently re-released the Whole9 Guide to Eating Dirty (Part I and Part II). It prompted some good discussion on our web site, and one really good question from reader Katie. She wrote:
“I’ve been doing Paleo pretty clean, and trying to seriously restrict the fruit. I have noticed recently that my cravings have changed, and I don’t want the refined sugary stuff that I use to enjoy. But lately, I also don’t want certain Paleo foods that I use to like (eggs and chicken, for example) and do still seriously want carbs, which I give into from time to time.
For example, today after I ate my lunch of leftovers (turkey and the “stuffing” and green beans from your website), I ate some coconut milk with cranberry sauce, and then went to the store and bought some tomato soup, an apple and a banana. Then I felt satisfied. I didn’t feel like I needed more food because I was not into the idea of eating more turkey… but the carbs helped. What’s up with that?”
Paleo Dessert Land
Katie’s situation may sound strange, but this is a really common theme when folks transition out of their Whole30, or have simply spent some time thriving on a “Paleo” diet. She’s not craving the candy, cake or cookies she used to – but she feels like her meals aren’t complete until she adds a little something at the end. Surely a cup of tomato soup or an apple aren’t providing her with crucial energy her body has been missing… so what’s the story? The key is in one little sentence above… “Then, I felt satisfied.”
Have you ever chowed down on a really delicious meal until you were well beyond “full”? You know you should stop eating, but you don’t want to, because every bite is just so good. Your plate is cleared, and you rub your food-baby lovingly while desperately wishing your pants had an elastic waistband. And then… someone brings out the dessert. And despite the fact that two minutes ago, you were convinced you couldn’t eat another bite, you manage to make room for at least a few forkfuls of the sweet stuff.
Sound familiar? We’ve all been there, and that’s just where Katie is too. Except she’s in Paleo Dessert Land, where we’re still conditioned to want something sweet after a meal, but our food choices have dramatically changed. So instead of reaching for the cookie, cake or ice cream, we grab some frozen blueberries and coconut milk. Or a banana. Or… tomato soup. Yes, as we’ll explain below, in this scenario the tomato soup is still dessert. And dessert been a tradition that’s been imprinted into most of our brains for the entirety of our lives.
A Cupcake in Sheep’s Clothing
The long-standing habits associated with the concept of “dessert” are some of the hardest to break, because in many cases, they’re as old as we are. The kicker is that it takes only a few days for your brain to develop a craving, and a pattern, with sweet foods. Dr. David A. Kessler, author of The End of Overeating, referenced one study in which people were given a high-sugar, high-fat snack for five consecutive mornings. For days afterward, they wanted something sweet at about that same time each morning… despite the fact that they had never previously snacked at that time.
In just five days, desire had already taken hold. Now imagine 20 or 30 years of “Eat all your vegetables or you won’t get dessert.” No wonder we don’t feel satisfied until we’ve had our sweet stuff after meals!
This pattern, however, may not connect as “dessert” because our food choices are so dramatically different. A handful of berries after a meal doesn’t register like a cookie or a bowl of ice cream would. But voluntarily desiring “less bad” food when you choose to indulge is a common benefit of the Whole30 program. Your “treats” are no longer “cheats,” compared to the way you used to eat. Gone are the hot fudge sundaes, the decadent chocolate cakes, the cookies and pies. Now, you treat yourselves with an apple and Sunbutter, or some 90% dark chocolate, or some dried figs.
So that tomato soup after your meal doesn’t equate with “dessert”… except it totally is. That soup, or an apple, or cranberry sauce are all primarily carbohydrates. Carbohydrates break down into sugar in the body. Which means that tomato soup is just a cupcake in sheep’s clothing. And sure, that last one might be a bit of a stretch there… but we suspect Katie knows it to be true. Why? Because she’s already said to herself, “I’m not really still hungry, I just want some.”
Banishing Your Dessert Demons
Your safest strategy for successfully banishing all of your sugar cravings – even the Dessert Demon – is to try to break the habit of idea of dessert altogether. Slip a small amount of sweet stuff (which is usually fruit-based) in with the rest of your protein and veggies, instead of saving it for after your meal. Follow our Meal Planning template, making sure your fruit consumption isn’t taking over your plate. Make sure your meals include plenty of healthy fats – fat’s satiety signal to your brain may help you quell some of those dessert longings. Swap out dessert after a meal for a new tradition, like a cup of hot herbal tea (our personal favorite).
And when all else (including willpower) fails, go ahead and eat the apple, cranberry sauce, or tomato soup, but understand it’s not your body sending you a “hunger” signal, it’s just your brain responding to conditioning.
Got a question for Whole9? Drop it to comments on any relevant post, and we’ll see if it meets our main page criteria. (Which isn’t really defined – we just sort of answer whatever questions we like best. But still, you don’t stand a chance if you don’t ask, right?)
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I have noticed the same thing, but for me its a small serving of shredded coconut w/ cinnamon or a square 100% dark chocolate. I kind of justify the coconut in my head b/c its a good far source and i really like it (aka very satisfied) So ss a fat source better than a carb source? Or is it still the same idea…that I “think” I need that last little bit to be satisfied?
I have noticed this same scenario with fruit during my Whole 30 (started on Jan 1). In the spirit of trying to really change my relationship with food and slay my Sugar Dragon, I’m eliminating fruits from the rest of my Whole30. Do you know if others have tried this approach, and if it has been helpful in achieving a similar goal?
Wow! I just had this conversation w/some colleague today and they did not get it, but this post came at the best time for me b/c I’ve been on my second 30 day challenge now and I realize I still want something sweet after dinner. I’ve been going for decaf tea and that helps. Nothing in it of course, but my point is that your post here has put into words what I’ve been experiencing the past few days. Thank you! I look forward to meeting you guys at your workshop in Chicago next week!
I am currently doing a 30 day strict paleo challenge – for me it means tightening up my foods after having Paleo Treats over the holidays. I’m on week 2 and I have noticed the same cravings to add something extra, specifically carbs, to my meals. Last night I had a baby sweet potato dusted with cinnamon. Its good to think of this as mental maybe that will give me the motivation to break the habit. I like the tea idea, I am going to try that instead.
I tend to eat until I’m satisfied, which tends to be beyond when I’m full, and I have noticed no negative side effects of doing so. I still maintain a lean physique with lots of energy and little of the digestive issues that plagued me in the past. Sure, sometimes I feel a bit overly full after a particularly large meal, but the next morning (or hours later if it was a mid-day meal) I feel fine. My philosophy in this n=1 experiment is “no harm, no fowl.” I must say that for a while, when I was including nuts into my daily repertoire of foods, I did tend to overeat to the point of intestinal discomfort and stymied leanness. I’ve since removed nuts from the mix and am back to my wanton ways of eating to satisfaction!
Thanks guys. You’re right, tomato soup described as a cupcake didn’t make me bat an eyelash. I knew exactly what you were talking about.
If you could, could you still address why I now cringe at the idea of eating some healthy and recommended foods that I use to enjoy. The idea of eating chicken or eggs makes my stomach upset. I’m not repulsed by the idea of veggies but I’m not really into them either so now I have to work to get them into my diet. I was a vegetarian before I switched to paleo, finishing my broccoli has never been hard.
I still enjoy protein and I’m not having a problem with all of it. Lamb, moose, beef, pork, and fish are making up most of my diet along with nuts and the fruit that is apparently fulfilling my mental expectations. But there are changes and I would like to understand why a little better.
Thanks again guys! I feel like a rockstar (maybe more like a famous country singer) :)
@Megan: This post was more about WHY you’re reaching for an after-dinner snack, not just WHAT you’re reaching for. Coconut is going to be a better choice, and far more satisfying, than that square of dark chocolate, of course. But for me, breaking that idea of NEEDING something after dinner was really the habit that was the hardest for me to break, but the one I’m happiest to be rid of. Ultimately, whether you kick the post-dinner coconut is up to you, but we definitely can’t fault your choice of food with the coconut flakes.
@Reshma: We wouldn’t normally encourage the banishment of ALL fruit during a Whole30, but if your Sugar Demons are monstrous, that might be a last-ditch effort. I’m going to pull our EE Christie Tracey in on this one – she’s battled – and won – and might have some tips for you.
@Craig: We’re on the same page, here, my friend. When we spent time in B.C. with Dallas’ family, I was introduced to tea after dinner. (His family drinks a LOT of tea.) It’s now the “habit” I look forward to the most – we’ll brew a pot of herbal tea most nights, and enjoy that instead of snacking on dessert.
@LauraP: Second with the tea – but ultimately, make sure you’re eating enough satisfying foods throughout the day, so that you don’t reach dinnertime starving – which makes you more likely to throw some extra carbs or sweets on your plate.
@Aaron: Yeah, the nuts and seeds can catch a lot of people off guard. For me, it was the Sunbutter… but I quickly realized I had to step away from the jar and lean on healthier fats (that weren’t so easily hoover-able). Nice to see you here!
@Katie: Sorry it took us so long to get this up – but thanks for contributing the great question! As for your aversion to chicken and eggs, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with that. I tend to go in protein “spurts” – I’ll do a lot of salmon, then go TOTALLY off salmon and get on to something else. It’s a little all-or-nothing for me, and I wonder if you’re just burned out like I get burned out?
The other phenomenon that’s all too common is Paleo boredom. People tend to rely on the same foods for the first few months of their new eating regime, and then totally get sick of everything they’re eating. Mixing things up – trying new vegetables, prepared new ways, new recipes, etc. – might help you get back into the swing of things.
Finally, I find my body likes eating more seasonally – my cravings for foods really wax and wane with the time of year. So I’m totally off my “summer” vegetables like arugula and tomatoes, off fruit entirely, and into more hearty meats right now. Maybe that’s a bit of what’s happening with you as well?
Sorry I couldn’t give you a better explanation, but as long as you’re still varying your protein and vegetable sources, don’t worry if you skip over a few foods you used to like. See if they come back around in another month or so!
Best,
Melissa
Katie,
My two cents; you might need some digestive enzymes and your body just might genuinely be in the mood for variety. Maybe you were over-doing the eggs & chicken. Maybe it’s because the season is changing.
I have been a little averse to red meat and eggs recently which is very odd for me, but I’ve switched it up to a little more pork and chicken and a lot more vegetables.
I have cut out fruit for January in favor of sweet potatoes or squash, so there could be some metabolic connection.
@Katie- I’m having the same problem. When I started eating Paleo last winter, I ate a lot of eggs as most people do. They were usually scrambled with veggies. I made some the other day for breakfast and had to choke it down. I ended up throwing half of it away because I just couldn’t eat it. It was terrible. Now, the sound of scrambled eggs makes my tummy queasy. But, I still like poached or over easy eggs. I dread the day I dislike those too.
Same thing with Chicken, but I don’t eat much fish, don’t really care for lamb or pork and have no access to Moose in Hawaii… I’m having a hard time not turning to some more processed things like chicken sausage to eat protein other than beef.
I will say, I used to eat chicken breasts and have been eating more thighs lately, but I can’t just bake it and eat it like I used to, I have to trick myself into eating it…. Maybe it’s the cooking method? Do you often eat your eggs and chicken the same way each time? I wonder if that’s why I’ve been turned off. It’s nice when your tastes change for the good- but I wasn’t expecting to start disliking good food, too.
It definitely makes it more challenging… Let me know if you stumble across any answers!
Good luck.
When I’m trying to banish my sugar demons, I brush my teeth. It’s really simple. Easy to do if I can remember to do it. And it totally works for me. It makes my mouth forget that I’ve just eaten dinner or lunch and thus it forgets that it wants dessert! :)
It may not be *all* dessert demons. Katie didn’t write it as emotional craving; so could have been serotonin related.
This is from Emily Deans of Evolutionary Psychiatry blog. In case you aren’t familiar with her, she’s totally Paleo so these comments aren’t coming from some whole grain pusher in the slightest.
http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.com/2010/08/more-about-sunlight-food-and-serotonin.html
“There is also a carbohydrate/protein signal for serotonin. The actual mechanism is messy, but let’s give it a whirl (2 – Thanks for the link, Jamie!).
If you recall, tryptophan is the dietary amino acid we need to make serotonin. The best source is meat, but when we eat meat, we get a mix of all kinds of amino acids, and since tryptophan is the least abundant, when it competes with all the other proteins for admission into the brain, it tends to lose out. So a high protein, low carbohydrate meal will leave your plasma full of tryptophan but your brain a little low.
Until you add some carbohydrate. Here’s the messy part. Unlike some other amino acids, tryptophan is mostly carried around in the blood by another protein, albumin. Eat carbs – insulin is triggered, and proteins are taken out of the blood and pulled into the muscle. Except the mostly-bound tryptophan is immune to insulin’s siren call. And the brain transporter for tryptophan doesn’t care if tryptophan is bound to albumin or floating free. All the sudden, there is more tryptophan hanging out in the blood compared to the other amino acids, and tryptophan is first in line into the brain for once. From there, it is made into serotonin, and we feel good and relaxed and full and sleepy, at least for a couple of hours until the signal shuts off. “
Katie – in nature, we don’t find chickens laying very many eggs in the winter. They CAN, it’s just not at same production as in summer. If you visit a traditional farm, the farmer might tell you they neither encourage nor prevent the hens from laying, and they do not attempt to do a lot of cooking that requires eggs either.
Making a correlation here – eating seasonally might be better for you. There’s no law that says you must eat eggs now (or chicken, which by the way, is a grown up egg). Eat what you like, making sure there is adequate variety in your diet, and maybe you’ll want eggs again come April or May.
Again, some really great advice. Thanks Melissa!
This post completely resonated with me – my “dessert” is always dried fruit and nuts. My personal paleo challenge is working to reduce the amount of nuts I consume period.
I love the idea of tea after dinner, definitely going to try that instead and avoid buying nuts altogether. if they are not in the house then I am not tempted haha
Hit the nail on the head. In reality, I’m done eating at around 7 but come 9, I want sunbutter and fruit. Sadly, I have given into it one too many times and am going to try to give it a go and just STOP the feeding once I’m done with dinner. I bought “Tropical Rooibos” tea in high hopes the fruity tea will help a wee bit for those craving moments. Here’s to the next 85 days!
-S.
I too used to be (and sometimes still am) victim to the night time carb cravings. Dark chocolate after dinner is definitely a dragon that has had to be slain many times over, but I found that eating clean most of the time and allowing myself 1 or 2 squares a few nights of week (not while on Whole30 of course!) as part of my F-Off list has helped limit my intake because it turns it into a rare treat and I enjoy it more that way.
Another trick I use is to intermittently fast for as long as possible between dinner and breakfast the next morning. By putting a time limit (ex. eat dinner by 7PM) I finish my meal and ‘run out of time’ to eat anything else. I’ve found this has worked really well for me, although I will say I consider this a more ‘advanced’ technique that I would not and do not recommend to newbies. We want you to focus on just eating clean first, without measurements and time restrictions.
I did want to point something else out concerning the night time carb cravings that hasn’t been touched on yet. In the book Lights Out, they point out that the night time craving of carbohydrate is also sometimes a symptom of fatigue and over-exposure to artificial light. The signal your brain is sending you when it tells you to eat sugary things at night is to cause the kind of serotonin reaction mentioned in the article Jonathan referenced where you consume the carbs and they make you sleepy. It’s really just your brain’s way of telling you to GO TO SLEEP! So for any of you who tend to crave carbohydrates significantly at night, especially if you’ve already felt ‘run down’ around 7PM and the carb monster is showing up at 9PM, try going to sleep earlier (preferably in a pitch black room) and see if they go away.
I also am a night time herbal tea drinker and have also found that by having something soothing and hot right before bed it also helps me get to sleep faster. I would also recommend this to the folks who may fall into the night time carb craving category.
In summary, try to finish your dinner in the early evening, start turning off the lights around your house and preparing for bed as you make your night time tea, and try to get some extra shut eye in a dark room. Sugar demons are afraid of the dark, it’s a scientific fact ;)
@Lauren G. – Thanks for bringing up that tidbit from Lights Out — great book.
A nice flavorful herbal tea helps me relax and feel satisfied after dinner. I like mint or peppermint after a spicy meal, and “Sleepytime” from Celestial Seasonings is my other go-to in the evenings.
@Reshma: I don’t know if this is any comfort , but I slayed my sugar dragon about 3 weeks into my Whole30 last year, so those cravings of yours may be coming to an end soon since you started the Whole30 on Jan 1.
I literally felt ill the first two weeks of Paleo eating – and 2 months later I feel AMAZING! I am so happy I hung in there and gave it a full month. I was beginning to have my doubts:( Some old posts on this site encouraged me – sounds like other people have a real rough time and while their bodies “detox,” too. Man, that sucked. I am so glad it is behind me!
I did not cut out fruit entirely during my first 30 days, but I did avoid dried fruit and bananas, and I tried to limit my fruit servings to about 2 a day. I think that helped. Now, I can eat fruit and not jones for sugar. In my experience, my body just needed time to adjust to my new way of eating, and once it did, it became a very easy eating plan to follow and I stopped craving sugar and refined carbs.
Hang in there and give it some more time. Good luck!
@Lauren – i *just* read that! Cool stuff!
About 6 months ago I noticed the temptation for fruit after dinner had become more of a habit. What harm could an innocent plum and tangerine do? I stepped back and looked at it (along with other snacking habits) and decided I needed to figure out emotionally why I was doing this. I had eaten a good meal so why? BECAUSE IT’S A CUPCAKE!! (love that!) I have cut waaaaaaay back on my fruit since I do know that its a trigger for me, and I’m happy with a mint water occasionally in the evening.
Hi Reshma! I can TOTALLY weigh in on “slaying your sugar dragon”, as I’m convinced that I had the world’s biggest sweet tooth – Really! If you looked in the Guiness Book of World Records, I bet my name would have been right there !
About half way through my first W30, I noticed that I was using fruit entirely too often to calm my sugar cravings, satisfy an emotional need, and to fill in that empty “after-dinner-dessert-hole”. I cut all fruit out for about a week and a half just to get out of the habit of using it as a kind of “Paleo Candy” or relying on it as an emotional crutch. After that week, I slowly re-introduced a little bit of fruit, but I made sure to eat it as part of a meal rather than as a snack, treat on the side, or after-dinner obligation. I found that berries didn’t jump-Start my sugar cravings nearly as badly as other fruits like bananas, pineapples, etc so I allowed myself to have about 1/4 cup of blueberries with my breakfast a few mornings a week, and am happy to report that they didn’t send me driving around frantically looking for the nearest Cold Stone Creamery :)
Some suggestions of dishes that incorporate fruit as a compliment to the dish rather than as a “sugar shot” are Kale w/ Cranberries & Pine Nuts & Mango Chicken (both from http://www.elanaspantry.com), and Curry Fried F’rice (from Mel’s blog: http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com). By incorporating a little fruit in as part of your meal on occasion, you’ll be able to get all of the vitamin/mineral/antioxidant benefits that you would potentially miss out on if you cut fruit entirely out of your diet.
If all else fails, and you still find yourself “abusing” fruit (hilarious mental picture there of somone kickboxing an apple. . . ) it may not be a bad idea to cut it out for a little bit longer with the plan to try to re-introduce it in the future once you’ve broken the habit completely of craving it in response to stress/emotional highs lows/energy dips/ obligatory post-meal “dessert”.
Good Luck, and let me know what you decide to do, and how it works out for you!
Laura B. and Melissa,
Thanks for the advice! I’m listening to what you said and have not cut out fruit entirely, just keeping it to my 2 servings of berries/cherries per day. I have noticed in the past 2 days that the sugar cravings have lessened significantly. I can even walk through Trader Joe’s and not look wistfully at cookies, etc. Perhaps I just needed the extra few days to get over some withdrawals. Thanks for the support, I look forward to a strong finish in the next 2 weeks. :)
Hi Reshma – I had posted a reply a few days ago, but I think that it got lost in the internet black hole! I apologize if this is a double post, but I don’t think that it will be :)
I can TOTALLY weigh in on “slaying your sugar dragon”, as I’m convinced that I had the world’s biggest sweet tooth – Really! If you looked in the Guiness Book of World Records, I bet my name would have been right there !
About half way through my first W30, I noticed that I was using fruit entirely too often to calm my sugar cravings, satisfy an emotional need, and to fill in that empty “after-dinner-dessert-hole”. I cut all fruit out for about a week and a half just to get out of the habit of using it as a kind of “Paleo Candy” or relying on it as an emotional crutch. After that week, I slowly re-introduced a little bit of fruit, but I made sure to eat it as part of a meal rather than as a snack, treat on the side, or after-dinner obligation. I found that berries didn’t jump-Start my sugar cravings nearly as badly as other fruits like bananas, pineapples, etc so I allowed myself to have about 1/4 cup of blueberries with my breakfast a few mornings a week, and am happy to report that they didn’t send me driving around frantically looking for the nearest Cold Stone Creamery :)
Some suggestions of dishes that incorporate fruit as a compliment to the dish rather than as a “sugar shot” are Kale w/ Cranberries & Pine Nuts & Mango Chicken (both from www dot Elanaspantry dot com), and Curry Fried F’rice (from Mel’s blog: www dot theclothesmakethegirl dot blogspot dot com). By incorporating a little fruit in as part of your meal on occasion, you’ll be able to get all of the vitamin/mineral/antioxidant benefits that you would potentially miss out on if you cut fruit entirely out of your diet.
If all else fails, and you still find yourself “abusing” fruit (hilarious mental picture there of somone kickboxing an apple. . . ) it may not be a bad idea to cut it out for a little bit longer with the plan to try to re-introduce it in the future once you’ve broken the habit completely of craving it in response to stress/emotional highs lows/energy dips/ obligatory post-meal “dessert”.
Good Luck, and let me know what you decide to do, and how it works out for you!
As a side note, I wrote a post about how ECSTATIC I was when I realized that I had finally conquered my sugar cravings, as well as a few things that I did that helped me to conquer them – here’s the link, if you’re interested :) http://christietracy.blogspot.com/2010/08/pushing-reset-button-on-my-cravings.html
First what great thoughts from all.
To add my two cents I find for me I eat less food if I eat a half of Grapefruit for Dessert. It provides just enough sweet for me to signal my brain it is time to stop eating. A half of grapefruit is 40 calories and only 9 grams of sugar; not a bad Dessert and maybe a healthy one.
But I understand why others may disagree.
Wow, thanks for all the tips Christie! I’m still tinkering with it, but for now, I’m doing 1 serving of berries during the week (with a meal), and during the weekends, I’m adding an apple with almond butter as a treat. It seems to be working so far, and my sugar cravings seem to be dying down. Will keep you posted for sure. What a great support network, thanks for the help everyone!
Hi. I am 18 days into my first W30 and have really watched the sugar content of my food, even picking fruits (when I eat them) that are not “sweet” to my taste (blueberries for instance) . I had some serious sugar demons that I was committed to slay.
As I mentioned in the W30-2011 forum, my sense of sweet has changed dramatically. I can tell the difference between a Lindsay Natural black and green olive blindfolded. The black ones are sweeter. Olives are sweet? Go figure.
I am not a after dinner dessert or in-between-meals eater and the W30 has not changed that. My evening ritual snack of ice cream has been replaced with a small portion of berries in some coconut milk. That seems to satisfy the demon and it is quiet. So far I am not craving carbs and hope I don’t start. Those cinnamon dusted sweet potato chips are seriously tasty (and sweet ;)
Does a pregnant lady still need to ‘earn’ her sweet potatoes, fruit, etc? Not that I want to go crazy
but just a few blueberries for breakfast and sweet potatoes only after a workout just don’t work for me right now . I just feel better eating more fruit /starchy carbs than before: 3-4 servings per day instead of 1-2 or none, even if I didn’t ‘earn’ them The last thing I want to is to undo all of the hard work I put forth in conquering my sugar cravings. I must add that veggies are hard to eat right now – but I eat them, albeit less than before – the texture is off to me. Yes I know I need to gain weight. I want to gain the right weight and not give the baby a bad sugar rush. I am 13 weeks in.
Melissa, thanks a million for this post. You took a great angle at the issue of overindulgence. I have gone strict paleo since April and though I’ve noticed much in the way of good change, my weight and body fat have actually increased.
And somehow I never made the connection to idea of desert – as a possible culprit – as soon got to a point where every meal required a little something extra, even after the hunger was long gone.
Please, more post like these.
Chris
It’s amazing to me how my sugar cravings have changed from a year ago! I used to love eating grapefruit covered in sugar; now I enjoy it right out of the rind. The biggest thing, though, has been coffee. I definitely used to put a lot of sugar in, but had cut way back. The last couple of months, whenever I’d make myself a cup, I just wasn’t enjoying it & couldn’t figure out why – then I tried a cup without sugar, & voila! Exactly what I wanted!
I did try to up to 90% dark chocolate, & that was no good. 85% is apparently my limit! :)
Food cravings for sweet is so tempting especially when I drink coffee, I used to eat cookies or cake. But to realized that this will not help my goal to lose weight. Just keep reminding myself about my goal so that I’ll be keep motivated.
Day 29, feel incredible: stronger, leaner, lighter! Thanks again! A quick question on probiotics: to build on the momentum after day 30:
In doing research during the whole30, found a lot of articles on probiotics, their importance, etc. I’m not quite ready to make my own sauerkraut (give it time), so I looked at existing supplements. Among the Paleo-community recommended brands/formulas, I noticed a few contained up to 750mg of fermented soy…should I stay away from these like the plague?
Mike,
We don’t love soy, even if fermented. We’d recommend trying to find a probiotic without. They’re making coconut kefir these days – probiotics fermented from coconut products! It tastes pretty good, and you don’t need a lot – just a tablespoon or two a day. Maybe give that a try.
Melissa