I received the following email from reader Brittany E.
I started eating clean about two weeks ago and I have felt great. I haven’t “cheated” other than a peanut nature valley bar due to not having eaten all day and that was about a week ago.
Well yesterday I let myself have a small bowl of red beans and rice and this morning I had one biscuit. Oh my goodness. My body absolutely hates me. Stomach pain, cramps, and even a slight bit of heart burn.
My question for you is did you ever go through this after you started eating better? And if so how did you handle it? I honestly was not having cravings when I ate these things and my sugar addiction is practically broken.
Hope this doesn’t sound crazy!!
Love the blog by the way 🙂
First off, thank you so much for taking the time to ask a question. It means so much to hear from readers.
To answer your question, Yes! This still happens to me if I eat something undesirable. I’m guessing that the rice and beans and the biscuit were not homemade. What is probably making you feel that way is the shortening in the biscuits. Shortening does the same thing to me, every time. Here are the ingredients in Crisco straight from their website:
Ingredients:
SOYBEAN OIL, FULLY HYDROGENATED PALM OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM AND SOYBEAN OILS, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID (ANTIOXIDANTS).
In my opinion, shortening is one of the worst things you could possible put in your body. Unfortunately, that’s what most people use to make their biscuits. My mom also uses butter flavored Crisco in her Judy’s Almost Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies. Sad to say, I won’t touch her cookies anymore. They make me feel HORRIBLE! It’s exactly what you described, stomach cramps, pain, and heartburn. So not worth a cookie.
I’m no doctor, but here’s my theory on why this happens after you start eating clean. When you start eating clean, you are allowing your body to heal. Your body starts to expect only whole, nutrient rich foods. What you feel after eating the biscuit is your body’s way of saying, “What were you thinking? Never again!” Your body doesn’t know how to process this chemical slurry.
Don’t beat yourself up over it. Everyone slips up now and then. Just be prepared for your body’s protest.
If you love red beans and rice and biscuits, it’s okay. If you make these things at home, you can control what goes into them. I’ve made very delicious red beans and rice from scratch that even my husband loves. And we’re from the South, we love our biscuits. When I make them at home, I use whole wheat flour and coconut oil instead of shortening. That’s part of this journey, learning to cook all of your favorite foods in a way that’s better for your body.
You’re on the right track. Being in tune with your body makes a huge difference. Keep up the good work!
Does anyone else have any helpful information for Brittany? If you have a question, email us at scacchihouse@yahoo.com.
The Scacchi House 