My Summer Diet: Red Disaster

Today was the first day of my summer diet program. Let me tell you... disaster. 

I decided today that I wanted to try Stevia to sweeten my breakfast. I had just learned in my food class that Stevia is a natural sweetener made from a South American plant, and it bonuses by containing no caloric value. 

 Little did I know that after sprinkling a little sweet packet onto my poorly cut, but ever so beautiful red grapefruit, that I would feel like I wanted to gag.

The expectation. Looks lush right?

I hadn't had a grapefruit in YEARS, so I thought maybe it was a mind thing and I just had to press through it. The more of the grapefruit I ate the more my throat hurt and the more I was beginning to think I was full. I had just spent 30 minutes cooking my new steel cut oats, and I was very excited to try them. But, I couldn't even try them, I felt off. I had no desire to eat and my stomach was in the 'I'm not sure if I'm too full or going to be nauseous stage'. So, I went ahead and sweetened my oatmeal with Stevia and placed it into the fridge to eat for tomorrow. 

I left for school, feeling shocked by the fact that 3/4 of a grapefruit could possibly have made me full. It wasn't until during my class that I realized my throat still felt stiff and that my stomach was upset. I drank all of my Nalgene thinking that would do the trick. I even force fed myself my beets and quinoa at lunch time, thinking I would feel better if I ate something. Maybe I was just over hungry?

During class we made baked goods that I couldn't try because they weren't vegan, however, this was one of the first times in my life where I wasn't even tempted, food sounded horrible to me. Then I decided to ask my teacher if Stevia could make me feel this way or if it was the grapefruit. She told me it was probably the Stevia, that sometimes they mix it with sugar alcohols. (When I got home tonight I discovered that they did not mix it with sugar alcohols).

Because of my nauseous state I had to break my diet. I bought Reed's Extra Ginger Root ginger ale from Earth Fare. Also, to cleanse my palate of the lingering Stevia flavor, I bought a vegan 72% dark chocolate bar. I did not eat the entire bar, in fact, I ate the squares in segments of time over a 4 hour time period. The bar I am not including as a dessert this time, just because it was high in anti-oxidants and low in sugar and was still vegan. I plan to finish the bar on Friday for my black and brown day. 

I highly recommend this beverage. It one eliminates most nausea and two has a wonderful flavor. If I drank sodas this would be the top of my list.

I then ate dinner around 7:45 having a whole wheat, turkey, lettuce, TOMATO, and mustard sandwich from McCallister's with the lovely Erinn Honeycutt. Along with it I ate the small fruit cup which included 2 grapes, 1 STRAWBERRY, 3 pineapple chunks, and 5 honeydew. And, would you believe I ate the whole thing? Me, Andrea Urban, I finished a fruit cup. I know I was shocked.

Upon returning home I did some research. And, it turns out that a common allergic reaction includes throat swelling/stiffening and nausea. Thankfully I took my Singular and Sudafed before I left today.

If you are allergic to ragweed, there is a high chance that you will be allergic to Stevia.

Plant allergies.... 

Anyways I am now ending my Red day, excited about my Orange day. Hoping for wonderful results. And, now I know that I am not compatible with Stevia. Oh, and in case you are wondering, I will not be eating the premade oatmeal from today, I will make a fresh non-Stevia containing serving tomorrow.

That was My Summer Diet: Red Disaster. Stay tuned for more My Summer Diet!