Reset, Rebuild, and Reclaim

So this year, I finally decided to get serious and really put in the work when it comes to my diet. Like I said before, I’ve tried this whole health kick thing before. Sure, I made some decent changes, but it wasn’t the kind of change I really wanted. I was still heavily reliant on sugar. I didn’t get what cutting sugar out would actually take, or how deep it went — like how much my medications had messed up my gut biome alongside all that sugar. So I made like Alice and threw myself down the rabbit hole. And let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty.

As I dove into the research, I learned that sugar isn’t just candy or baked goods. It’s hidden everywhere, even in foods you might think are healthy. I started learning about the glycemic index — this little thing that shows how certain foods impact blood sugar levels. It was eye-opening. I’d always heard about sugar being bad, but what I didn’t understand was how many “healthy” foods were spiking our blood sugar too. Fruits, vegetables, and grains — things like bananas, potatoes, and even carrots — can cause a pretty big sugar spike in the body.

That’s when I really started to understand how much we were going to need to avoid. It wasn’t just about cutting out obvious sugars; it was about avoiding foods that, while they may seem healthy, still act like sugar in your body. Juices, even fresh-pressed ones, can trick you into thinking you’re drinking something wholesome when, really, you’re just drinking liquid sugar with no fiber to help balance it out. The same goes for grains — they’re essentially sugar in disguise, especially when they’re refined. But no one really talks about this. The nutrition world loves to push the “no sugar” mantra, but you’ll find people still getting sugar highs from fruit juice, bread, and processed grains. It’s not just about cutting out sweet stuff; it’s about understanding how foods impact your body — even the ones you think are healthy.

By February, though, I was ready to be my own valentine. I decided to drag my whole family into this adventure. We were all in: me, my boyfriend, and our daughter. It helped that we weren’t dealing with the typical school pressures, like teachers pushing their own food values, and we didn’t have to eat at other people's houses much anymore. Last year, we made a solid switch to eating as locally as possible — all our meat comes from local sources. We grow our own vegetables too, from spring to fall, because we haven’t figured out how to best winterize yet. And everything else? Eggs, honey, all from the farm. Real food.

We started with what we called a “reset” and a gut rebuild. No caffeine. No sugar. I had already kicked coffee shops years ago, but I was still brewing coffee at home — and, yes, it still had sugar in it. Or was blended with ice cream. Or baked into a cake. You get it. So, we limited our food choices to lean meats, eggs, vegetables, nuts, and Greek yogurt for the first two weeks. After that, we slowly added small portions of buckwheat, almond flour, coconut flour, quinoa, and berries — every couple of days, but always in moderation.

And let me tell you, those first two weeks? They were a nightmare. I won’t call it “hell” because, trust me, I’ve been through real hell — but for anyone trying this, it might feel like your own personal hell. The headaches were constant. I felt like I had the flu. I was exhausted to my bones. The first five days were a nausea fest. I wasn’t prepared for those withdrawals, even though I knew they were coming. And the cravings? Sweet tooth central. But I learned the hard way that craving sweets is a sign of both addiction and a seriously off-kilter gut biome. And that? That wasn’t a fun realization.

But you know what saved me? The food. The meals I was making? So much better than I expected. I’d already been eating a lot of vegetables, but this was different. And honestly? The food was delicious. Halfway through the month, things started clicking. We had more energy. No more sluggishness. We weren’t dragging. We were building strength faster. Our workouts started breaking through plateaus. Even the kid was getting into it. And I was seriously proud of her. Not because she’s a kid, but because, as kids are, she had no idea why we were doing this. She had to trust us, and she did.

Breakfast became eggs — every single day. We ate a ton of them, yes in this economy! And we loved it. I had no idea how satisfying a simple omelet could be. The kid and I would even cook together before she started her school day. I’d say it’s some of our “quality time,” and I genuinely look forward to it. We’ve been making this “bread” with almond flour and eggs that we use for breakfast sandwiches. It’s fire. We also got into cauliflower curry, and a bit of a Mexican spin on quinoa, chili, and homemade tomato soup that I can whip up in about 30 minutes. We eat a lot of coconut milk, too. And I even learned to make ice cream with no added sugar except for berries and the occasional orange. It’s like a healthier version of those orange cream popsicles — but better. And don’t even get me started on the homemade beef jerky and yogurt. We’re basically running a food lab at this point. It’s been a ton of fun!

But here’s where things get real: Someone sent our kid a giant bag of candy. Now she’s sitting there, wanting to eat it but struggling with what to do about the dyes, the corn syrup, and the whole package of junk. Watching her wrestle with it? It hits me in the feels. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by asking for something else, but she’s learning how to voice her own boundaries. I told her it had to come from her. I’ve tried to make her see it. It’s uncomfortable for her to speak up, but it's a skill she needs to learn. The world won’t change just because we want it to.

Over the next two weeks, we’re planning to add corn and potatoes back into the mix. Once our cravings for sweets have completely disappeared, we’ll work in things like honey, dates, and unsweetened cocoa. Maybe even coconut sugar. But that’s only if the cravings are gone, because I’m not trying to set myself up for failure. The hardest part, though? Wheat. We’ve been searching for locally milled wheat that’s not stripped of all its nutrients and turned into empty calories. That’s been a struggle. So much of a struggle that we’re seriously considering milling our own wheat berries. The only problem? The equipment’s expensive, and I’ve already invested a lot of money in other things. It’s a tough call. The other option is just to give up wheat altogether, which is something we’re leaning toward, but we’ll see.

What I do know is this: we’re sticking with this. We’ve put the work in because we love ourselves enough to make better choices. Now, I’m passing it on to the kid. It’s about teaching her to make these choices herself so that, when she’s older, she’ll know exactly what food is, where it comes from, and how it’s made. It’s not just about eating better — it’s about understanding food and respecting it.