Farewell "junk food" AIP

Weeelllll... So much for only one month of eating "junk food" AIP and two of eating strict, low-ish carb AIP HA! This month has pretty much been a repeat of last month: technically strict AIP (generally speaking) but way too much sugar. Also, if I'm going to be honest there were a couple of meals with, let us say, questionable ingredients: a reddish mystery spice on my salmon when I went to the Sophie's down by where I work only to find out that not every Sophie's carries the same food (I always get pork chunks, tostones, and mixed veggies)! I mean, even the gosh-darned mixed veggies had chunks of red and green peppers in it at this Sophies!!

I also had way, way, WAAAYYY too much sugar, mostly in the form of fruit (which is still not great for me - sugar is sugar, regardless) but also just straight up sugar, too. I notice that when I finish my dinner with a substantial sugary treat, whether fruit based or not (I'll often have half seltzer, half grape juice after dinner), I wake up with what can only be described as a "carb hangover"; my head feels strange and I feel dull, heavy, and off. It's a really strange feeling. The closest it comes to is a literal hangover; not the headaches but feeling strange and wrong in my body. I need to stop but it's so hard when you've given up so much!

I really think this may be why AIP has felt so easy since I started it. Yes, it's super restrictive but no particular macronutrient is restricted. I.e. I can eat as much sugar and junk as I want. Even though it's AIP my body still doesn't like it. I've also been eating waaayyyy too much salt, but mostly because I'm using this stupid chunky sea salt that I bought from my local food coop. You go from totally undersalted to practically inedible in one sprinkle. I need to get some finer salt and just use this one for cooking.

So I realize that I need a plan. Going AIP was pretty easy, particularly since I was going from another really restrictive diet (GAPS) to AIP. I didn't really need a plan, I just got rid of all non-AIP foods and started eating foods on the OK list. This is going to have to be different, though. I'm going to need to plan things out my food and, more importantly, to plan what I'm going to do when confronted with the desire to "cheat". I hate that word, but clearly just winging it isn't working, I need to make a promise to myself to stick with this and see how my body reacts.

So, farewell junk food AIP, it was fun knowing ya! Hello strict AIP, I'm looking forward to getting to know ya.