My AI Wellness Experiment: Day 27 - When Your Body Sends a Clear Message

Day 27 brought a very special event - my twin grandchildren'sfirst birthday party! I was so excited to go and celebrate this amazing occassion with family and friends. (just as a reminder - my grandchildren were my main motivation behind why I even started this wellness experiment).

Now I knew there would be tempting foods there, but I felt prepared to navigate it. I didn’t show up hungry, laid back on the chips and ate more protien dense snacks (shrimp, a small amount of cheese and nuts) and decided that I would just have one hamburger (haven't eaten one since I don't know how long) and a small piece of cake. At the time, it felt like reasonable choices for a special occasion. 

I had a wonderful time and felt so blessed to have been able to celebrate this milestone with our family. But I soon discovered that my body had some ideas of it's own. 

The Uncomfortable Reality Check 

I noticed my stomach seemed upset afterwards, which got me wondering if this could be because I haven't eaten red meat in a while. So I asked my AI wellness coach. Turns out, that's likely exactly what was happening. My digestive system had adapted to the foods I now regularly eat, producing the right enzymes and gut bacteria to handle them efficiently. 

When I suddenly reintroduced something like a hamburger after avoiding red meat for weeks, my body might not be fully prepared to digest it. Red meat, especially ground beef, is higher in saturated fat and can be harder to break down than the leaner proteins I've been eating. My stomach may not have produced enough of the specific enzymes needed to handle that type and amount of fat. 

The cake likely contributed too. After eating much less sugar and refined carbs for nearly a month, that sudden spike of processed sugar and flour probably caused additional digestive distress. It was like my system got hit with a double whammy of foods it's not used to processing anymore. 

A Night to Remember (For All the Wrong Reasons) 

The real wake-up call came that night. I had a terrible night's sleep - my stomach was really bothering me, and I woke up at 2am and just couldn't seem to get back to sleep. When I finally did drift off again, I ended up sleeping much later than usual. 

That 2am wake-up was particularly telling. My AI wellness coach told me that's often when blood sugar issues or digestive distress hit hardest. My body was probably working overtime trying to process everything, which triggered that middle-of-the-night wakefulness. Then once my sleep rhythm was disrupted, it was hard for me to get back on track. 

The fact that I slept later than usual made sense - my body was trying to catch up on the restorative sleep it missed earlier in the night. 

What This Really Means 

This experience has been eye-opening in a way I wasn't expecting. It's valuable information about how my body has changed over these 27 days. My system has become more efficient at processing the whole foods I've been eating, but it's also become less tolerant of processed foods. 

I learned that this is actually pretty common for people who clean up their diet. Your taste buds and digestive system become more sensitive to highly processed foods, excess sugar, and heavy fats. Some people describe it as their body "rejecting" foods they used to eat regularly without issue. 

In a way, it's like having a built-in warning system now. My body is essentially protecting me by making it clear when I've eaten something that doesn't serve me well. 

Key Learning 

I'm proud of the way I handled the food situation at the party and even though I am slowly feeling better now, I don’t want to do that to myself again any time soon. This wasn't about guilt or shame around having a hamburger and cake at a celebration - it was my body giving me clear feedback about what makes me feel good and what doesn't. 

The good news is this shows how well my body has adapted to the healthier foods I've been eating. My system is now calibrated to handle whole foods more efficiently, and it's become protective of that state. 

As I head into the final few days of this 30-day journey, this experience has reinforced just how much has changed. It's not just about the 6.2 pounds lost or the improved energy - my entire relationship with food has shifted. My body now has preferences, and it's not shy about letting me know when I stray too far from what makes it feel its best. 

Sometimes old habits should become forgotten for a reason.... 

Check out tomorrow's post where I start to view my health beyond the scale.

Interested in reading all my experiences and conversations with my AI wellness coach so far? Check them out here!