63-DAY HEALTH CHALLENGE
We put nutritional therapist Sally-Ann Creed’s regimen to the test
Science tells us it takes 21 days to make or break a habit – and another 42 to make it stick. With the help of Sally-Ann Creed’s latest book, 63 Days to Optimum Health, three women gave it a go to see if they could build new healthy habits – and keep them!
Best known for her work on one of the country’s fastestselling books, The Real Meal Revolution, nutritional therapist Sally-Ann’s latest book, 63 Days to Optimum Health, is a homage to her own wellness journey and all she’s learnt. As a child, Sally-Ann suffered from debilitating asthma and spent most of her formative years in bed or hospital. The older she got, the worse her health problems became. At one stage she was taking 17 scripted drugs, which, she believes, led to her forming a panic disorder that plagued her for 13 years.
She credits holistic medical doctor Robbie Simons with saving her life. The good doctor also suffered from
asthma, but through better food choices and nutritional supplements he was able to overcome it. With his help, Sally-Ann weaned herself off all the medication she was on within a month, lost weight and started feeling better about herself. That was 26 years ago. Today, she’s made it her life’s work to study nutrition and spread her message of health and wellness.
The key is to eat ‘real’ food – foods that are nonprocessed, locally grown and sourced, and ethically produced.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
In 63 Days to Optimum Health, Sally-Ann offers a step-by-step guide to breaking bad habits and replacing them with good ones. Why 63 days? Well, science tells us that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit because that’s the time it takes to form a new neural pathway in the brain. To make it stick, however, you need to repeat the process twice, so it takes another 42 days to entrench and establish it.
But which habits are good and which are bad? For decades, we’ve been fed the traditional ‘healthy eating guidelines’, writes Sally-Ann: eat five fruits and veg a day, choose low-fat or lite foods over full fat, avoid animal fats and eat six to 11 servings of grain a day. But this simply isn’t working. In Australia, for example, obesity as well as thyroid and liver cancer have tripled (on top of myriad other health problems) within just a few decades.
Sally-Ann’s advice: we need to look at a low-carbohydrate lifestyle (no refined sugar or carbs, wheat or dairy – apart from butter), but we also need to take into account what our ancestors ate before industrialisation forced processed foods on us. The key is to eat ‘real’ food – foods that are non-processed, locally grown and sourced, and ethically produced – and to avoid the ‘cemetery aisles’ at your local supermarket (‘Cemetery aisles’ refers to the supermarket aisles that hold products that come in a packet or a box.)
It’s also vital to include superfoods in every meal: foods that are ‘full of nutrients and nourish the body’. And they aren’t luxury items either (you won’t find any açai or goji berries here); these are foods that you probably already eat. Some examples: butter (inhibits the growth of breast tumours and cancer of the lung, skin and colon), onions (protect cells from free-radical damage), garlic (a natural antibiotic used for its medical properties for centuries) and broccoli (blocks and targets mutant genes that are associated with the progression of cancer). Then there are some that you probably don’t eat every day: pasture-fed animal meat (full of conjugated fat, which boosts your immunity and keeps cholesterol in check), bone broth (reduces inflammatory conditions and infections, improves gut health and much more) and organ meat (the most nutritious part of an animal). See page 19 for the full list.
But it’s not just what we eat that affects us, Sally-Ann argues – mental wellbeing is equally important, whether that’s taking the time to eat your food in a calm and soothing environment, getting enough sleep or switching off devices a few hours before bed.
The book provides you not only with the science behind why certain foods are good for you and some aren’t, but also shopping lists, meal planners, recipes and easy-to-read charts.
If you’re tired of being exhausted all the time, you feel like you have too little time to exercise, you’re overworked or are on medication that you’d like to stop taking, then it might be time to re-evaluate your lifestyle. And this may be a good way to do it.
WE TRIED IT FOR OURSELVES! Charis Torrance
‘Over the past six years I’ve been steadily putting on weight. When I was waitressing part-time I spent a lot of time on my feet, but once that ended I became extremely lazy: not exercising and generally just eating
It’s also important to include superfoods in every meal: foods that are ‘full of nutrients and nourish the body’.
badly. Potatoes were life and there was nothing better than a slice (or slices, if I’m being honest) of buttered toast. When I got engaged I started exercising, cut out carbs and actually lost quite a bit of weight, but as soon as we said ‘I do’, I slipped back into bad habits. I just wasn’t feeling comfortable in my own body, I felt tired all the time, I had terrible anxiety and my blood pressure was high.’
WHAT WORKED FOR ME
‘63 Days to Optimum Health covers a lot of information, so at first I was a little intimidated. The great thing is that your first week is really about getting yourself ready for the challenge. As I went through everything I realised it was actually simpler than I’d thought. What I really appreciated is that the book includes everything from meal plans, shopping lists and how to deal with food cravings to substitutions and recipes, so you always know what you can have and what to avoid. I also loved the chapter on superfoods and was happy to include them in my everyday diet (butter, eggs and spinach for the win!).
‘I started my mornings by enjoying some “me time” with a cup of hot lemon water (great for weight loss, flushing the liver and it even improves your skin), and in the afternoon when I got home from work I’d have a cup of bone broth, which I made from scratch. It’s amazing how fast I started feeling better with just that.
‘On Sundays I prepped meals for the week ahead, which is a great
‘I started my mornings by enjoying some “me time” with a cup of hot lemon water (great for flushing the liver, weight loss ’ and it even improves your skin)
habit to have – not only because you avoid the temptation of snacks at work or skipping meals completely, but because it also helped me save money. In fact, during the nine weeks I saved enough to pay off the last of my financial aid – so thanks, Sally-Ann!’
WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME
‘As much as I’d love to spend every weekend at the organic market, it just didn’t work for my budget. Instead, I bought fresh vegetables from my local grocer and steered clear of the dirty dozen (fruits and vegetables most contaminated with pesticides).
‘I also have to confess that I did drink, but I swapped out my usual craft beer for red wine. I started out enjoying a glass only on special occasions, but that quickly included weekends too. Another 63 Day “sin” of mine was not switching off devices an hour before bed. I tried, but it’s too quiet and I need noise to fall asleep. Instead, I used the Sleep With Me podcast.’
THE VERDICT
‘I had the occasional craving dream, which was new! But even in the dream, I always felt guilty as I bit down into that buttermilk-fried chicken burger. The best part was the affirmation I got from others; from the third week people noticed a difference in me and how I was looking.
‘My husband joined in the challenge, but as soon as it ended he planned a feast of deep-fried goodness (yes, I finally got to enjoy my burger!) But I must admit that as soon as I started tucking in I immediately felt sluggish. I even had nightmares that evening and generally didn’t feel great the next day. At the end of it all I had lost 6kg. But apart from that, I feel better about myself, I have more energy throughout the day, I have less anxiety and my blood pressure has come down.’
Liza van Deventer
‘IN 2012 I was diagnosed with cancer. I did a year of chemo and radiation (including Herceptin), then five years of hormonal treatment. During that time I picked up more than 15kg and I’ve struggled to drop it ever since, so I was looking for something that would help me lose weight. I don’t really have a sweet tooth and I don’t do junk food, but I like starch. I included it in some form in every meal and I’d often base entire meals around the starch I felt like eating that day. I think it comes from being a runner; I’ve been programmed to believe that carbs are good for me and that they help me burn energy more efficiently.’
WHAT WORKED FOR ME
‘When I first cut out all carbs and sugar I felt out of sorts, but I think that’s normal when you make such a big change to your diet. But pretty soon it wasn’t an issue any longer – I felt better and it didn’t affect my running like I feared.
‘Previously, I’d starve myself during the day instead of eating at mealtimes, which is a big no-no for Sally-Ann. Once I started eating when I was supposed to, I saw that I had more energy
throughout the day and that my blood sugar levels remained steady.’
WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME
‘When it came to implementing Sally-Ann’s lessons, there were a few things I was already doing. I’m very conscious about the foods I consume: I don’t fall for takeaways and I drink hot lemon water every day. But other things just didn’t fit into my lifestyle: eating in a tranquil and calm environment, for example. I love my job but it keeps me busy, and that means I sometimes have to eat while I work.
‘Removing dairy from my diet was also a hard pass for me. I love dairy, especially cheese. I also drank during my 63 days, but I followed Sally-Ann’s suggestion of sticking to red wine. I also really tried to include bone broth, but I made the mistake of making it myself; I’m not sure what went wrong, but it was definitely not successful. Unfortunately, that ruined bone broth for me for life.’
THE VERDICT
‘I wasn’t super-strict, though when you get used to going without something and then cheat, it just doesn’t feel right. When I did cheat, I tried not to stray too far off the path – when we went out for pizzas, I opted for a gluten-free pizza base. I lost 7kg over the nine-week period, and I discovered the joy of ghee – I was never a big fan of fats but there’s nothing better than eggs cooked in ghee. Overall, apart from the occasional slip-up, I avoided the bad habits I set out to get rid of, but I know that had I cut out dairy I probably would have lost a lot more weight. It’s something I’m slowly easing into, but I’ll definitely never go back to eating refined carbs again.’
‘Around Christmas a few colleagues and I decided to try out the 63-day challenge from 1 January. At the time I didn’t feel good about myself and I was suffering from a string of ailments such as IBS and migraines. I was tired of taking medication every day, and though I’d tried a few diets before, what I really needed was someone to tell me exactly what to do.’
WHAT I LOVED
‘I spent the first week of January (when we were all still on holiday) planning and clearing my cupboards of bad foods; by the second week I was back at work and fully prepared to start my new lifestyle. The challenge is really easy and even if you aren’t doing it, the book is still an interesting read. Sally-Ann is very thorough; I photocopied some of the charts and stuck them on my fridge so they were always at hand.
‘I cut out wheat, starch, sugar and dairy, and loaded up on superfoods. I didn’t know much about superfoods before and loved that section of the book. Now every time I cook I try to incorporate superfoods into it and I feel so much better about myself. It also helped that my boyfriend joined me in the challenge, so I didn’t have to worry about him eating McDonald’s while I nibbled on a celery stick.’
WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME
‘I couldn’t afford to shop at the local farmers’ market so I stuck to my regular stores, but I read the labels carefully. The hardest part is to stick to the principles of the challenge without spending
too much money. I stuck to my hard rules (no carbs, sugar and wheat) and used ingredients I had at home. I didn’t give alcohol up completely, but I did switch out my brandy and coke for a glass of red wine, and I’m truly converted now. I also cut down on the amount I drank – not having any during the week and limiting myself on the weekend.’
THE VERDICT
‘Rather than being just about food, this challenge was an emotional one. I wanted to be healthy and I wanted to like myself again. As soon as I changed my habits I started feeling better on both fronts. The highlight was losing weight and having other people notice that I’d lost weight. By my fourth week I had dropped 4kg!
‘But I did have a low point where I questioned myself. When you see such a big improvement so quickly and then suddenly it stops, it can be disheartening. But instead of letting it get to me I started exercising four times a week. Overall, I lost 8kg, my headaches are gone and for the first time that I can remember, I’m not suffering from IBS. My eyes are still bigger than my stomach. My mother meant well, but we were raised to finish everything on our plate. I’m really happy with my progress, and for the first time in a long time, I’m comfortable in my own skin.’
63 DAYS TO OPTIMUM HEALTH
BY SALLY-ANN CREED (HUMAN & ROUSSEAU, 2018, ABOUT R300). FIND AT SELECTED BOOKSTORES.