food – Grayscaling

July 8, 2020July 7, 2020

No Sweetener

Photo: C. Drying

Experiment: Give Up All Sweeteners for a Month

Ok, so why…

Here’s the (sweet) T. I currently use stevia or monk fruit extracts 3-5 times every day. In the past, I’ve given up alcohol and caffeine for long enough stretches to prove to myself that I can at any point. Sweeteners are the one other extraneous thing I consume daily that I wince at the thought of giving up. This is how I know it’s the right choice for an experiment.
Stevia and monk fruit are both natural extracts that have been used for centuries, originating from South America and Southeast Asia, respectively. However, while generally considered safe for consumption, little research currently exists about the long-term usage and side effects of commercial sweeteners containing these plant-based extracts. So even though I plan to continue using them after this period, I like the idea of reducing my consumption until more research about them emerges.
Like some of my past challenges, especially giving up caffeine and starting keto, this one is daunting. I’m a kinda nervous about it. But I’ve found that when I am scared about doing something, it’s usually worthwhile.
Little challenges like this over time help me strengthen my discipline muscles. When I return to using sweeteners, you know what else I’m expecting to find in my beverages?Gratitude… and relief.

Uh oh…

I’m betting my creamy keto coffee* will be fine, but my regular coffee in the afternoon with no sweetener is gon’ be rough.
My afternoon apple cider vinegar drink will be rough.
My evening keto hot chocolate may be rough.
My potassium citrate supplement—a powder electrolyte supplement I take while doing keto—will be nose-plug-and-chug bad.
No more using monk fruit to make tasty, sugar-free cocktails like my naturally sweetened versions of the Old Fashioned and Margarita.

About that…

*Keto coffee is a rich, high-fat concoction that helps you become a fat-burning machine as part of the ketogenic diet. It’s also an uber decadent morning indulgence with coconut cream (thicker than coconut milk), coconut oil, and ghee (clarified butter). I also add collagen powder, cinnamon, a lil sea salt, and some stevia. Needless to say, it’ll be nice to cut one ingredient out of this list for a while.
While I can enjoy things that already contain a small amount of sugar/sweetener, e.g. White Claw, I won’t go crazy with these.
- I’m trying to build willpower and reduce dependency on sweeteners—particularly in beverages—not trying to be a total asshole to myself.
- We tried Trader Joe’s Kyla hard kombucha this month and dare I say that just may be our new replacement for White Claw! Sorry, girl.

I betcha…

Like coffee and alcohol, I’m 99.9% sure I will want to resume using sweeteners after this month.

My hopeful expectation is that I will adapt and need not dump small truckloads of stevia into my coffee anymore.

Week 1-2: The Struggle is Real…

The coffee tastes flat—even my beloved keto coffee. It’s like what I imagine fries without any salt taste like. Flat and meh.
My joyless plain afternoon coffee almost makes me want to just take caffeine pills instead, a la Jessie Spano. But we all know how that worked out (yikes)…

Almond or coconut milk, natural flavor extracts (e.g. peppermint, orange, rum), pumpkin spice seasoning, and sea salt all help make this a bit more tolerable.
While my daily beverages don’t taste wonderful, the implementation could not be simpler. As I do whenever I’m giving something up for a period, I say to myself, “Self, I am not a person who uses sweetener right now” at the beginning of the month. This simple internalization is all it takes.
- The lesson I keep learning through these experiments and in life in general:

Dread lives only in your head… and only when it’s fed.

Week 3-4: Sweet Surrender…

Drinking beverages like coffee without sweetener feels similar to having a reduced sense of smell, like when you have a cold. The general flavor is there; it’s just a bit less satisfying.
By week 3 though, I started to appreciate the natural flavor of coffee more.
Temperature matters. Similar to how a warm rosé or white wine is a travesty, one should not subject themselves to cold, bitter coffee. It tastes much better to me when adequately warm, especially without the support of sweetener to prop it up.
Adding some cacao powder and orange extract became my favorite alternative. Terry’s Chocolate Orange vibes, anyone?

Where I Failed…

That cute thought about simplifying my beverage prep by cutting out the step of sweetening coffee, keto hot chocolate, etc. did not pan out. I found myself spending at least as much time trying to add other natural ingredients (e.g. peppermint extract, vanilla extract, cinnamon) to make it less offensive to my taste buds.
I stopped making my keto hot chocolate altogether because it was so dismal unsweetened.

Where I Won…

The winning combo I found to make coffee great again—or acceptable, at least—is a splash of almond milk, a few drops of peppermint extract, and a tablespoon of cacao powder. Mix it up, don’t think too much, and enjoy the minty hot chocolate sensations.

What Surprised Me…

I typically have an ACV (apple cider vinegar) drink in the afternoon. In addition to ACV, this health elixir includes lemon or lime juice, flavored sparkling water, and normally some sweetener to balance out the acidity. Surprisingly, this beverage was far easier to drink without my normal stevia than expected. The palatability ranges a bit depending on the sparkling water brand and flavor. The winners have been Trader Joe’s pineapple-flavored sparkling water and La Croix Mango.

Whoomp, there it is…

The first day after this experiment, I put on some Ariana Grande sweetener and celebrated!
Fortunately, I added just 1/3 as much stevia as I used to add, and my taste buds still rejoiced. That was plenty to make it way more satisfying… so I’d say this experiment was successful. (Yes, I’m a grande Ariana fan.)

Thanks for reading! Please leave me a comment with any feedback and/or what you think my next experiment should be:

Daily Journaling
Daily Affirmations, e.g. writing out by hand a mantra 15x/day
Read 20 minutes everyday
Breathwork, e.g. Wim Hof Technique
Your suggestion?

Re(Sources):

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/monk-fruit-vs-stevia

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/stevia-side-effects

https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19546604/monk-fruit-sweetener/

February 24, 2020June 14, 2020

It’s Keto, Sis!

Photo by Brooke Lark

Experiment: Follow keto diet for at least 1 month. No cheat days.

What is this keto business, anyway?

The purpose of the ketogenic diet (aka “keto”) is achieving ketosis, a natural metabolic state in which your body doesn’t have enough carbs to use for energy so instead burns fat. Your liver turns this fat into ketones, an acid, that it sends to your bloodstream for energy. The way to achieve this fat-burning state is via a very low-carb, high-fat diet. Note the focus is not on restricting calories, just carbohydrates.

When you eat less than 50 grams of net carbs (Total Carbs – Fiber) per day, your body depletes its typical fuel—blood sugar—and breaks down fat and protein for energy. It can take 3-14 days to reach ketosis depending on your level of carb restriction and how your body reacts. My no-cheat-day policy will ensure I reach and remain in ketosis for the duration of the month.

Ok, so why…

This falls under the category of experiments that I’ve been thinking about but intimidated by for a while now.
The potential bennies are ample:
- Reduced inflammation – as someone who often gets leg cramps, this is a key motivator for me
- Enhanced cognitive functioning – you can get more out of that beautiful brain of yours
- Increased energy throughout the day
- Better sleep
- Weight loss – While not a personal intention for this experiment, it has been shown to produce over 2x the weight loss vs. a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet.
- Improved endurance performance, e.g. running and cycling, by raising your muscle-to-fat ratio and the amount of oxygen your body can use when working hard
- Longevity – in part due to preventing or treating some of the conditions below
- Other conditions the diet helps to treat:
  - Heart disease
  - Alzheimer’s disease
  - Cancer
  - Metabolic syndrome
  - Type 2 diabetes
  - Parkinson’s disease
  - Sleep disorders
  - Acne
  - Epilepsy
  - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Uh oh…

Some of my favorite foods, which I normally consume on the daily—sweet potatoes, Fuji apples, popcorn—and beverages—kombucha, coconut water—are Gone Girl from this diet. Byeee!
We’ll see, but this could be annoying to navigate at parties and dinners with friends.
Side effects? The “keto flu”… this is not an actual sickness but a state of flu-like symptoms that occurs while your body is shifting from a carb processor to a fat processor. It can include lower energy, muscle cramps, bad breath and irritability.
- However, this can be prevented or alleviated by consuming extra electrolytes… more on this to come.

About that…

So, is this a new, postmillennial fad? Nerp. The ketogenic diet was developed in the 1920s as a treatment for epileptics who didn’t respond to drug treatment. The treatment proved to be highly effective. The other benefits above were found later.
My husband and a good friend of ours both started this diet as well, shortly before I did, which has been helpful in collecting and sharing info and supporting each other through the shift.
Alcohol is ok in moderation [audible sigh of relief]. To be clear, regular beer is not ok, but that’s cool with me. (Light beer is ok at 3-4g carbs but it’s also light beer.) Thankfully, a glass or two of wine is fine, weighing in at 2-4g carbs/glass. Hard liquor is the best because it’s carb-free. Just be sure to use a low/no-carb mixer like soda water or naturally sweetened, sugar-free tonic or soda. Zevia, for example, is a tasty soda brand sweetened with plant-based stevia and comes in a variety of familiar flavors. Or enjoy it on the rocks!

I betcha…

This is not going to be as hard as it seems for me since 1) you can still have coffee and certain types of alcohol and 2) it will mainly involve removing a few key foods and adding lots of tasty fat to my diet, like Macadamia nuts, (even more) avocado, and ghee, oh my!
I’m thinking and hoping I can stick with this one going forward, perhaps with some cheat days built in (post experiment) to help with longer-term compliance.

DO try this at home…

Here is a primer on how to get started, with specific recommendations on what to eat during your first week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z15Z1-Og_pg. This video greatly simplifies what to do for the first couple weeks.
It helps greatly if you can prepare most of your meals for the week at home in batches.
Mexican and Mediterranean restaurants also often have great options.
- Chipotle is a godsend—in general but especially for the keto diet. You can copy this order for a delicious, filling meal with only 12g Net Carbs. It’s tastier than my normal order, with all the good stuff and no filler:
  - Chipotle Salad Bowl (no dressing—it’s just not needed and adds carbs):
    - Chicken
    - Fajita veggies
    - Fresh Tomato Salsa
    - Sour Cream
    - Guac
    - Optional: Chipotle Tabasco sauce
    - Fat 38g, Protein 38g, Carbs 22g (Fiber 10g) –> Net Carbs 12g
Find an accountability buddy. Share this info with a friend or partner you’d like to join you in test running the diet. It has been wonderful having friends and my husband doing it too. Then, you won’t be the only crazy one asking the restaurant to ditch the bun and swaddle your turkey burger in lettuce.

DON’T try this at home…

…until checking with your doctor [obligatory disclaimer], particularly if you are diabetic, obese, or have a heart condition or high blood pressure.

Week 1-2 Notes…

As expected, it was not hard to adjust to the new diet as eating tons of fat is fun and satiating.
My morning coffee feels mind-blowingly decadent with ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil, and coconut cream added.
No cravings for either carbs or sugar. This was a big pleasant surprise. I don’t miss what I’ve cut out because what I am able to eat is so satisfying.
- Doing this post-holidays was convenient too since many people are also experiencing a post-holidays sugar hangover and there’s an unspoken agreement to make/buy/push fewer sweets than in the celebratory months of Oct/Nov/Dec.
I experienced some of the keto flu symptoms during week 2. I was a bit sluggish, had some muscle cramps, and was less interested in socializing at times—which is saying a lot since I work from home and often crave these opportunities.
- Electrolytes in the form of Salt Stick pills and nuun tablets were quite effective in quickly lifting the physical and mental fatigue though, making me feel much better.

Week 3-4 Notes…

I’m completely out of the woods on the short-lived “keto flu” and am feeling the sweet benefit of reduced inflammation, i.e. my legs don’t feel like they’ve spent the night being pummeled by American Gladiators like they used to.
I got a massage this week too and it was oddly refreshing to let the masseuse know my legs weren’t too bad for once. He noticed a difference in my back too, saying it used to “feel like a marble slab” but has loosened up a bit.
Yas, my skin and hair are looking good… thanks for noticing. I have been using a scoop of collagen in my morning coffee, which likely helps, but I think the diet is the main contributor. All that coconut oil and ghee is doing its thing, while sugar and wheat are no longer doing theirs.
I regularly feel a cognitive lift, able to focus more clearly throughout the day.
There are a few ways to test ketone levels. The quickest, easiest, and cheapest is via urine strips. Sexy, I know. Here are the ones I used. While less precise than blood or breath testing, they are a good indicator of whether you’ve achieved ketosis. According to my daily testing over the past month, I have – woo hoo!
While your options are certainly limited at parties and restaurants, I’ve found that deciding between 2 potential menu options—or maybe 3-4 with slight modifications—vs. 18+ options can help in deciding faster and with reduced risk of buyer’s remorse.

Whoomp, There It is…

Wow, in hindsight this big change I dreaded was not actually that big of a change at all. And I feel multiple benefits.
I’m going to renew this experiment indefinitely.
- In fact, at the time of this post, I’ve already surpassed the 6-week mark with no off days.
- I may tinker with returning to Intermittent Fasting in tandem with this new diet, as the two are compatible and have some similar goals and benefits.
- I’ll also play with switching to 1-2 days of non-keto with the aim of staying in ketosis for the rest of the week. This could help with long-term sustainability and allowing for some social exceptions that don’t derail the whole plan.
The benefits outweigh the costs too handily for me to quit this experiment in the near future.

I’ll leave you with a quote I heard that resonated with me, particularly around this experiment:

“It always impossible until it’s done.” -Nelson Mandela

Thanks for reading! Please leave me a comment with any feedback and/or what you think my next experiment should be:

Daily Affirmations, e.g. writing out by hand a mantra 15x/day
CrossFit 2-3x/week
Guided Breathwork
Daily Acts of Kindness
Your suggestion?

(Re)Sources: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-ketosis https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-ketogenic-diet https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-signs-and-symptoms-of-ketosis#section4
https://www.ruled.me/how-to-know-you-are-in-ketosis/
https://perfectketo.com/guide/ultimate-start-guide-ketogenic-diet/#What_Is_the_Ketogenic_Diet

May 9, 2019April 23, 2020

Breaking Up with Breakfast: My Experience with Intermittent Fasting

Experiment: Only Eating 8-10 out of 24 Hours a Day

Intermittent Fasting… it sounds kind of like sporadic self-torture… and it is! I kid, but it does take a little adjusting to.

Ok, so why… bother restricting your eating to 8-10 hours a day? There are many health benefits to Intermittent Fasting (IF), such as:

Reduced insulin levels, which aids in fat burning
Increased level of human growth hormone, supporting muscle development
Cellular repair and immune system support
Reduced inflammation in the body
Potential benefits for heart health and cancer prevention
Good for your brain and may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
May help you live longer

Uh oh… I luuurv breakfast. I eat eggs scrambled with assorted veggies, herbs, and savory nutritional yeast every day (check out some of my favorite eggy dishes here). Since the most straightforward way to implement IF is to skip breakfast, I’m going to have to reconcile how to give up this joyous part of my day.

About that… I’ve also adopted a grazer diet for years, eating small frequent meals and snacks throughout my waking hours. I had previously heard this was the best way to keep the caloric oven constantly burning and maintain steady energy levels. Without my regular feedings, will I shut down like a neglected wind-up toy? Will my energy levels be low until I eat and then low again because my stomach is digesting a significantly larger meal than it is used to?

I betcha… This experiment is simple in theory but will be challenging in practice. I expect my body will adjust after the first week or two and hopefully my energy levels will improve. I do think I’ll like the indulgent feeling of getting to eat all my day’s food in a shorter window though… like a post-fast Fat Tuesday every day but without the weight gain.

Week 1-2 Notes:

The first day was surprisingly easy; it may have helped that I’d had a big dinner the night before. Aside from my stomach’s occasional hunger yelps in the mornings, my body continued to feel good the 1^st couple of days. I noticed I was slightly irritable but more aware. While I missed my breakfast routine, I enjoyed having some extra time in the AM for personal work and reflection (an ideal time to meditate) and not having that post-breakfast slump I’d attempt to combat with coffee.
The first real challenges came with a couple morning workouts. I’ve always been told—and practiced—that you need some energy in your system before working out and to recover with healthy carbs and protein after. Several IF practitioners advocate just consuming some BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) to help with protein synthesis until your first meal of the day. I’ve just ordered some capsules, so we’ll see!
Who says I can’t have “breakfast” foods for lunch, the time when I’m literally breaking my fast? Not a damn person. Besides, breakfast time is just an intangible idea we’ve all agreed to believe in… so I’m breaking up with this belief and eating whatever I please, starting at noon. I’m not alone, after all; LA restauranteurs decided years ago that brunch goes till 4pm. Game on, afternoon eggs!

Week 3-4 Notes:

My body has adjusted. The slight irritability from the 1^st few days is gone. Some days I still aggressively check the clock, especially around 11am, but others I get into a rhythm with whatever I’m working on and realize it’s 1 or 2pm before I eat.

via GIPHY

In addition to having more time in the morning, without cooking or eating breakfast, I’ve been feeling a supercharged level of alertness that has led to greater productivity while I’m fasting. The impact was less noticeable in the afternoon, though I found my normal afternoon circadian slump hasn’t been hitting me as hard or often.
While weight loss has not been a goal for me and I haven’t been restricting the number of calories I eat during the “feeding window”—that phrase makes me feel like a farm animal—I’ve noticed a clear leaning out of my body, which appears to be a conversion from fat to muscle. I say this because I haven’t lost weight and have increased muscle definition. The BCAA capsules I’ve been taking pre/post-morning workouts may be helping here, as they aid in synthesizing protein, promoting muscle growth and speeding recovery.

Whoomp, there it is…

Energy level impact: While my afternoon energy levels improved only slightly during this period, my morning energy levels and feeling of alertness and productivity increased greatly while I was fasting. I’ve had a taste of supercharged mornings, so… sorry breakfast, but I’m not coming back anytime soon.
I like the simplicity of having one less meal to prepare and the way my body looks and feels too.
This experiment is being renewed indefinitely!

References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156

Drop me a line with any feedback. Also, please leave me a comment with what you think my next experiment should be:

CrossFit 3x/week
Sensory Deprivation Therapy (Float Tank) 1x/week
Give Up Caffeine for a month
Guided Breathwork
Daily Journaling
Cryotherapy
Your suggestion?

August 10, 2018March 10, 2019

Experiment: Same 7 Meals for 7 Weeks!

Ok, so why… Like several of the experiments I’m considering, this aims to cut a little time, stress, and money out of the equation. I’ve crafted 7 of my favorite meals that are also healthy and can be prepped in less than 30 minutes. By limiting the number of ingredients, cooking tools, and recipes I’m using, every meal will require a little less thought and effort. That means more time for other priorities, like wine tasting and posting adorable Instagram stories of our beautiful and weird dog Zara.

Uh oh… I tend to sample everything interesting on a restaurant’s menu before repeating. As a lover of discovering new flavors and foods, I am really hoping I don’t get bored by restricting my options. Also, even simple recipes require some planning so that you have all of ingredients you need—and they haven’t gone bad—when you’re ready to make a meal. Will sticking to set ingredients cause more work than my current “kitchen sink stir fry” approach?

About that… I will continue to eat a couple meals out with friends each week, so the 7 below will account for ~90% of my meals. Also, I’m a grazer—I eat smaller meals with snacks interspersed—so I’ll have a set list of snacks below for midday munchies.

I betcha… Since these foods represent a large subset of my current diet, this should be an easy way to simplify things, not to mention cut out nearly all dairy, grains, and processed foods at the same time. If it doesn’t make me crazy, I may want to continue this going forward.

The Meals:

1) Eggs with coconut oil, onions, mushrooms, refried pinto beans, avocado, Herbs de Provence

2) Jumbo shrimp stir-fried in ghee (or coconut oil), with broccoli, peas, black beans, curry powder

3) Baked Salmon marinated in EVOO, Dijon, lemon & cayenne with sweet potato & roasted garlic

4) Tempeh in coconut oil with green beans, red bell pepper, refried black beans & smoked paprika

5) Spinach salad with EVOO, red wine vinegar, avocado, nutritional yeast and Turkey Meatballs (click for quick, easy recipe)

6) Eggs in grapeseed oil, black olives, tomatoes, spinach, black beans, avocado, Ancho/Ghost chili pepper

7) TJs Veggie medley and cauliflower in grapeseed oil, with green olives, nutritional yeast, basil, garlic powder

Add sea salt and black pepper to all. Optional adds: nutritional yeast and cayenne (where not indicated).

Curated Snack Selections:

1) 1st thing each morning: 1 scoop protein powder + creatine + almond milk

2) Sliced Apple with nut butter OR Half banana with handful of nuts

3) Persian Cucumbers with eggplant hummus

4) Red bell pepper slices with Tahini

5) Sweet potato (medium)

6) Kombucha or pressed green juice

7) Olive oil-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast and Chili Lime seasoning

8) 1 square dark chocolate (70%+ cacao), washed down with unsweetened vanilla almond milk (Do yourself a favor and try Whole Foods’ 365 version of this almond milk if you haven’t!)

Week 1-3 Notes:

Grocery shopping became simpler and faster. Walk in like a boss with the list ready to go and little room for deviation from the plan and you’ll be done in no time. This is especially helpful for me, since I work in consumer goods and have always been fascinated by product assortment, innovation, and seeing how many thimble cups of free coffee I can squeeze into one Trader Joe’s trip. Plus, half the staff at my TJs knows me by name, and vice versa.
Batching food prep—making 3-4 servings of each meal to be spread throughout the week—also keeps things easy like Sunday morning. In fact, that’s a great time to do a bulk of the prep.
At mealtime, I just have to pick from 1 of 7 options—fewer really since during most of the week I’ll already have prepared some of the meals—vs. a spiraling vortex of options. This means less mental RAM required at mealtime. Hooray! Prioritizing any dish that has an ingredient that might go bad sooner, e.g. ground turkey, can help expedite the decision-making too.

Week 4-7 Notes:

My compliance ain’t perfect but it ain’t bad either. I may szush up—I’ll be using this phrase until Jonathan from Queer Eye trademarks it, thank you—my food with some Sriracha here or there, but a few minor exceptions like this are expected. (Sriracha also helps when food becomes dry from reheating.)
I’m experiencing the benefits of time and mental savings as I can go into auto-pilot at meal time, referring to my super handy saved email to myself with all the meal options or just reheating one of my premade dishes.
A chink in my armor: free food. Few things are more grating than blatant food waste and few more gratifying than free food, especially when it’s healthful food that I enjoy. Social meals can spill over into leftovers. As long as these don’t take me too far off course though, my practical and socially conscious principles of avoiding food waste transcend the boundaries of the experiment.
I’m no doctor but I’m pretty sure dry, overcooked fish leads to depression. Here’s how I overcame this blunder to make the most moist mustard-marinated salmon I could muster: Be generous with the oil! Also, cook at a higher temperature for less time to prevent it from drying out, e.g. ~12mins at 450° in my oven. Fish internal temp should reach but not greatly exceed 145° at the thickest part.

Whoomp, there it is…

This has been great. In addition to simplifying things in the kitchen, I’ve felt a bit healthier, with a little more energy and better sleep. I bet the foods I picked—mostly veggies, proteins, and healthy fats and minimal processed food had a direct contribution to this and I’m sold.
- In full disclosure, I’ve also started taking a couple supplements recently—magnesium for general health and to prevent muscle cramping and lithium for cognitive function and mood boosting. Ugh, the challenges of being a self-development tinkerer. It’s tough to create completely controlled experiments. While these supplements may have had an impact too though, I attribute the benefits primarily to the 7 magic meals.
That said, I plan to continue this regimen for the foreseeable future, with a few tweaks to the ingredients every 4-6 weeks to keep things interesting. I’ve been at it for over 7 weeks now, with one menu shakeup so far.
Feel free to use this for an experiment of your own. You can copy the recipes above, making some swaps, e.g. snap peas or shredded Brussels sprouts for broccoli, to “do you.” I highly recommend emailing yourself the list of recipes or keeping them in an app like Google Note for easy reference.

Drop me a line with any feedback. Thanks for reading!

Tag: food

No Sweetener

It’s Keto, Sis!

Breaking Up with Breakfast: My Experience with Intermittent Fasting

Experiment: Same 7 Meals for 7 Weeks!

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