Coffee and Zebra Cakes

So, it's been forever since I actually posted to my blog. It's in part due to being busy, but also, despite the busyness, I don't consider a whirlwind of playdates and grocery shopping to be terribly enthralling. Considering my lack of ability to ingrain humor into my writing, you my readers (yep, I actually have a whole two followers!) are being spared the details of my day-to-day life.

But, alas, I now feel like I have something to write about. And it very much has something to do with that seemingly random title. Visualize the wonder that is coffee and zebra cakes:

Yes, that is actually coffee. I know to many the color seems off, but when you have my sweet tooth, the bite of coffee is a bit too much so in order to get that glorious caffeine surge and the whole body warming effect on a cold morning, I add a bit of coffee to my sugar and cream (and that's real heavy cream, not some diluted half & half or artificial creamer junk). Yum! In my mind, this is the color coffee is supposed to be.

So, why the obsession with coffee and zebra cakes (which make a really good combo by the way, move over coffee cake, you are no longer needed)? Well, I've had this for breakfast the past two days. Great start to the day, if you ask me.

I suppose that then begs to question, why did I have this for breakfast? Well, I'm about to embark on a journey for the next month (or so). I am joining the ranks of the many new year resolutioners. For those of you that know me well (which one of the two? Both? Can I be that lucky?), this is SO not my thing. I'll explain:

The program I'm doing is the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. If you are unfamiliar with the company, they are an MLM (multi-level marketing) type of company that makes health and wellness products like you'd find at your local GNC - you know, protein shakes, supplements, etc. The 24 Day Challenge is intended as a kick-start to better eating habits. It uses a set of their products in a 2 part program (cleanse & max phases) to help flush out your system and recharge it to work better. At least, that's the idea. During the challenge, you eat a restricted diet of lean meats, fruits, veggies, complex carbs, and low-fat dairy. Nothing processed, refined, or artificial is allowed or it needs to be restricted. Basically, it's your conventional weight-loss health plan. With supplements.

Ok, well, it doesn't sound so bad, why is this not my type of thing? Well, the problem is that I'm scientifically and especially nutritionally minded. Here are some things I tend to avoid in my normal, day to day life:

• Chemically produced artificial supplements - I'm all about getting vitamins and minerals in the most natural form possible. Most supplements don't fall in that category. Artificially made (aka, synthetic) vitamin and mineral supplements just don't get used by the body as readily, which is why many of them can have astronomical levels of them and you don't end up overdosing. Part of this program includes consuming quite a bit of supplements.
• Artificial sweeteners - I prefer the real deal, hooray for sugar! Sometimes honey or pure maple syrup. If I want something healthier, I opt for coconut sugar or even stevia extract. Either way, my sweeteners are the real deal, some refined, but real nonetheless. Many of the products I'll be consuming are sweetened with the equivalent to Splenda. Don't worry, the irony of the real food diet and synthetically packed supplements and artificial sweeteners isn't lost on me.
• Vegetable oil - I prefer real fats, like butter. Butter is my friend. As a healthier alternative, I also use coconut oil and olive oil (nut oil and fruit oil, not vegetable). This program will allow me to use coconut oil and olive oil (as well as pretty much any other veggie oil available - gross) but I have to say, "so long" to butter
• Low fat foods - Fat means flavor. When foods are low fat, they tend to fix the flavor issue with added salt. That means you can take in too much sodium and mess up your electrolyte balance, retain water, etc. I'm not all about a high fat diet, but in moderation, I'm a fan. Fat doesn't just get added to your thighs. Your body does have to break it down first. The problem then, is not the fat, but the excess glucose in your system once it's broken down. Your body will convert it back to fat if you don't use the glucose (aka energy) and fat gives you a lot of glucose. During the program, meats need to be lean and dairy needs to be low fat.
• Cleanses/detoxes - I am so against these on so many levels. I truly, in the furthest depths of my soul really dislike these (by using dislike, I'm being nice). I'm completely, utterly, and vehemently against them. Why? They don't work, at least, not in the way that proponents of them would have you believe. Our bodies adapt, it's what they were made to do. Anytime you cut things out of your diet, your body goes through withdrawal because it had been depending on it (for whatever reason). It then has to readjust to utilize what it is getting (either in place of what was lost or what's left in your diet). This will happen regardless. You don't need fancy diets or supplements, it's not proof that you were addicted to something, the body just has to adjust. Any perceived improvement is psychosomatic or a result of you feeling better after the withdrawal symptoms resolve. Certainly cleaning up your diet isn't a bad thing and can make you feel better in the long run, but there is no reason to shock your body into it. I can and will happen over time and without the nasty withdrawal symptoms if you make gradual changes. But yes, the first 10 days of the program, I will be going through the "cleanse phase" - joy. <-- dripping="" here.="" insert="" li="" sarcasm="">
• Whole grains - Now this seems weird, I know. Everyone knows that whole grains are better. And to be honest, I'm not really against all whole grains, mostly just whole grain wheat and whole grain rice. Give me the white, processed, stripped product any day. I'm not a fan of whole wheat bread - even worse, whole grain, multi-grain bread - gross. To me, this is all about a palatability issue. They are gritty and dry and don't have a great flavor (the same reason I'm not a fan of seeds and nuts). That being said, I do actually keep whole wheat flour in my kitchen and have used it in combination with regular white flour for breads and muffins. It just dries things out so much, you have to be really careful so that foods are still edible. I'd rather avoid breads and things made with all whole wheat than switch to eating them. I'm cool with whole grain oatmeal though. And corn is ok. I'll willingly eat popcorn. =) So, yeah, because I can't have refined grains, I'm going to have to alter my diet a bit. Fortunately, breads and pastas aren't a huge portion of my diet anyway, so it's a minor adjustment in that area.

I suppose the next thing left to answer then is why on earth I'm doing this when it goes against so much of what I know about nutrition? Well, there are several reasons:

• We had most of the program products in our pantry. A while back, hubs wanted to do the program. He ended up getting sick about a week in, completely unrelated to the program, so he stopped. He never really picked it up again. I have a solidly ingrained need to not let things go to waste, so this gives me an opportunity to not let that money go to waste.
• A friend was starting the program with some other friends. I consider it a way to get some moral support and someone to keep you honest, so to speak. I don't know that I'd be able to keep up with the whole program if I didn't have someone to keep me going.
• I wouldn't mind losing a few pounds and cleaning up my diet. Lately I've been a bit too lax with the treats and given my recent addiction to coffee in addition to that (and you see how I like my coffee), I've added on a few pounds. I kinda need a kick in the pants to straighten up my act and eat better.
• It helps support my friend's business. The friend that is doing the program sells the products so it helps her with her business, and I'm all about supporting home based businesses where I can. After all, I have my own home business(es) and I'd like my friends to help support me as well.

So there it is. I'm keeping in the back of my head that it's only a month. I can do this for a month. I fully believe in my body's ability to adapt, so even though many of the diet components and conditions aren't what I'd consider ideal, I'll rely on my adaptability and keep on moving. I'm also glad that the program is broken up a bit so you kinda have mini-goals. It's like a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. And hey, if I loose a bit of weight due to the reduction in caloric intake, I certainly won't be complaining.

My idea then, is to chronicle this little "adventure" here on my blog. We'll see how successful I am with that considering I've gone, what, almost a year without writing a post? Yeah... I might be setting my sites on journaling this process a bit high, but we'll see...