Several weeks ago I read  a book called, “Eat Fat, Get Thin” by Dr. Mark Hyman.  After reading it I decided to try his 21-day plan of eating fat.  I’m 16 days in and feeling really, really good!

The book talks about how over time our diets have changed from eating whole fresh foods to current day processed food products high in refined carbs and sugar.  He explains how these processed foods are really the culprit behind today’s obesity rates and how low-fat or no fat foods are harming, not helping.

He says that the fat we eat is different from the fat on our bodies and one does not equate to the other.  A lot of what he said made so much sense and while I’m really simplifying it here, there was a lot of science behind it.

Once I started the plan I had no refined carbs and no sugar.  My diet looked something like this:

Breakfast: smoothie made with coconut milk, almond milk, 1/2 avocado, cocoa powder, chia or hemp seeds, almond butter, and ice  OR  chia pudding made from chia seeds, almond and coconut milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and refrigerated over night.

Lunch: big veggie salad with olive oil and salt, and a protein cooked in oil (coconut or EVOO – no vegetable oils) or grass-fed butter.

Dinner: same as lunch

Two snacks daily consisting of a handful of nuts, 1/2 – 1 cup of berries or watermelon (no other fruits allowed), veggies with almond butter, etc.

The first 3 – 4 days I was miserable.  I woke up with  headaches, had no energy, and craved sugar.  One day I could only make it halfway up the stairs at work before I had to stop and rest.  It was a little frightening, but I don’t know what was more frightening 1) that I was detoxing from food I formerly felt was healthy, or 2) that I was following a diet from a book.

The book explains that detoxing and / or not enough salt could be what was making me feel so badly and to hang in there.

Around day 4 the bottle of E-lyte I ordered (book recommendation) came and I started drinking a capful in my water everyday.

After about day 5 I was feeling great!  Sugar cravings are gone, I have more energy than I can ever remember having, I don’t have any morning headaches.

Additionally, I learned a lot about the industrial processing of meats and dairy and have purchased organic vegetables and pasture raised animal products.  Trying to find grass-fed beef around my house was difficult, but my husband found it.  Surprisingly (or maybe not so) it tastes so much better.  It might all be psychological, but I feel great!