Whole30/Paleo: Garlic and rosemary roasted sweet potatoes

Oh my yummy goodness! Tonight's dinner was so yummy that I'll have to do a couple posts to share the recipes. I've had a horrible cold for the last week and a half so I haven't been cooking as much as I normally do. Sadly, I'll admit that one night we had macaroni and cheese with hot dogs for dinner because we were short on time and I felt horrible.

I am trying to make up for being so cruel to my body by making extra yummy paleo recipes this week. On our plates tonight we had North Carolina BBQ with a paleo version of the traditional vinegar based BBQ sauce, coleslaw with homemade olive oil mayonnaise, and garlic and rosemary roasted sweet potatoes. The recipe I'm going to share in this post is for the garlic and rosemary roasted sweet potatoes. These sweet potatoes are so easy to make and are so delicious. They go well as a side dish at dinner, but are also great with chicken apple sausage for breakfast.

The great thing about these potatoes is that you can easily customize the dish with whatever herbs would go best with your main dish. To start with you cut the sweet potatoes in to bite size pieces. Keeping the pieces small reduces the cooking time. Once you have them all cut up place them in a bowl and toss them in extra-virgin olive oil until they are well coated. Then add the spices or your choice- garlic and rosemary at my house tonight. I have been roasting these in the oven recently, but this summer I roasted them in a foil pack on my grill.

Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 25 min. Yields: 4 servings 2 large sweet potatoes 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tbs. minced garlic 1 tsp. rosemary Sea salt (to taste)	Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes in to rectangular bite sized pieces. Toss sweet potatoes, olive oil, and seasonings in a large bowl until well coated. Place on a large cookie sheet or in a metal roasting pan. Cook 25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt while still hot.

Whole30/Paleo Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

What got me through my first whole30 was trying new recipes. Since I had never had many of the dishes before, I had no unhealthy version to compare it to in my mind and therefore I wasn't disappointed if it didn't taste as good. One dish that I saw online was Asian lettuce wraps. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that there would be a substitute for soy sauce and needless to say I was over joyed to see coconut aminos mentioned on the discussion boards on the Whole30 website. Coconut aminos and fish sauce are a great combination to use as a base for any Chinese dish you may be trying to adapt for the whole30 or paleo lifestyle. Most of the fish sauce options at the regular grocery store do have sugar in them. I was able to find several sugar free options at an Asian grocery store in a neighboring city. This combination of coconut aminos and fish sauce is also good if you love Chinese food like me, but are allergic to soy or MSG with are found in most dishes. The recipe I have come up with is so easy to make for a week night since it takes about 15 minutes. It is protein and veggie packed that side dishes are not even needed. My son loves this dish and asks for it all the time. I've learned that if a child can eat the food with their hands, they are much more willing to try something new.

The leftover meat makes a great salad when heated and served over lettuce and spinach.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

2 lb. lean ground turkey 1 small onion chopped 1 tsp. minced garlic (3-4 cloves) 3 tbs. fish sauce 4 tbs. coconut aminos 3 tbs. red wine vinegar 1 tbs. Thai basil or cilantro ½ tsp. pepper ½ sweet potato shredded (optional) 1 bag of broccoli slaw Lettuce leaves for serving

Cook ground turkey, onion, and garlic in a large skillet. A little grease if fine, but if there is too much or you aren't using lean meat, drain the grease. Add the fish sauce, coconut aminos, vinegar, cilantro, and pepper. Cook 3-4 min. over medium heat allowing the meat to absorb the flavors. Add shredded sweet potato and broccoli slaw. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender. About 5 minutes. Serve in lettuce leaves.

Whole30/Paleo Easy Shepherd's Pie

Who doesn't love an easy casserole?! It doesn't get much easier than shepherd's pie for a quick and healthy meal. What makes this meal quick for me is that I make extra mashed potatoes with dinner the night before I make this and used leftover mashed potatoes. This meal is easy customize and a great way to sneak in extra veggies. For my shepherd's pie tonight I added grated carrots and diced spinach. I have learned that if you have a meal with tomatoes, it is easy to sneak carrots into a meal because the tomato flavor masks the taste of the carrots and if you dice spinach small enough most people will over look it as a spice. 

Brown 1 lb. lean ground meat, diced onions, grated carrots, and seasoning in a large skillet.

Add a can of diced tomatoes, green beans, and spinach. Stir well to mix.

Top with garlic mashed potatoes and bake.

For maximum flavor while keeping to Whole30 guidelines, make your mashed potatoes with chicken broth, sea salt, and a 1/2 tsp. of mined garlic. If you aren't Whole30 you can add cheddar cheese into the garlic mashed potatoes or top with Parmesan cheese.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie
1 lb. ground meat (beef, turkey or lamb) 1 small onion chopped 1 large carrot grated ½ tsp. Italian seasoning 1 can of petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) 1 can of green beans or 16 oz bag of frozen green beans ½ cup fresh spinach leaves chopped 3 cups garlic mashed potatoes	Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the ground meat, onion, grated carrot, and Italian seasoning together in a large skillet until meat is thoroughly cooked. Mix in tomatoes, green beans, and spinach. Add mixture to a casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake for 30 min.

Paleo Ranch Dressing Recipe

A Whole30 buffalo chicken salad with homemade paleo ranch.

Ranch dressing is a one of the dipping sauces paired with the most appetizers in the South. It is served with fresh veggies at parties, served with buffalo wings, sliders, and frickles (fried pickles) at bars, and of course if a favorite for many on salads. I love ranch dressing! During my first whole30 experience I started experimenting with different ranch recipes that I found online. There is something about the creamy goodness of ranch dressing and I figured if I could figure out how to make it myself, the whole30 experience and transition to a mostly paleo life would just be so much easier.

I often make my own olive oil mayo using the recipe from "It Starts With Food" and love to make my ranch dressing just after I finish making a batch of mayo. This recipe is great because it is simple, dairy free, and preservative free. You can pronounce everything in it and probably have the spices in your spice rack already. Hope you enjoy!

AuburnGalNC's Paleo Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil mayo 1/3 cup coconut milk 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp each of the following: garlic powder onion powder dried dill dried parsley pepper fresh chives (optional)	Wisk or blend all of the ingredients together. Keeps for up to 10 days when stored in an air tight container and refrigerated.

Whole30 day 3 & 4 recap...still going

I'm not going to lie to ya'll...I was a little depressed yesterday and didn't feel up to blogging. The pain in my knee is finally easing off a bit today. I didn't do any workout the last couple of days because I knew that if I went to the gym even if I was doing an upper body workout, I would be pissed off. You have to know when to take a break and there is no better time than when you are in real pain.

Work has been crazy this week since I was on vacation for the last two weeks, combine that with knee pain, and headaches from cutting sugars out again and I have not been the happiest of campers. I'm definitely looking forward to this weekend.

Day 3
Breakfast: Deviled eggs, sweet potato hash, roasted brussel sprouts
Lunch: Chicken breast w/ marinara, steamed broccoli, cherries
Dinner: 3 egg fritata w/ spinach, peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and coconut milk

Day 4
Breakfast: pizza casserole
Lunch: Chicken breast with marinara, boiled potatoes and green beans
Dinner: Meatballs and 1/2 of a baked potato with beef mushroom gravy, and steamed broccoli

Whole30 day 3...a tough blow to my momentum

This has been one of the single worst days for me...not even whole30 related. I hurt my "good" knee yesterday (good knee because it has only had one surgery as opposed to my bad knee which has had 8!) I felt okay during my workout, but when I was walking down stairs on my way out of work, a sharp pain went thru my knee and it buckled on me. I iced it last night twice and took Advil, but it remained so painful all night that I couldn't sleep and was still really bad this morning. I have never been in this much pain (even post surgical) and when I went to my doctor, I was told to just take advil and tylonal for a couple weeks until insurance will approve an MRI. I feel like I might cut my leg off myself by that point, but I have no choice. (to make it more ironic, I work for the insurance company...lol) So between the pain and last minute appointment I didn't feel like eating much breakfast and didn't have time to eat all my lunch. Now it is an hour till dinner and I am starving, lightheaded, in pain that is keeping tears in my eyes... but you know what?!?!?!?!
I AM REMAINING COMPLIANT!!! Life is not perfect and will never be perfect, but my health is more important that a bad day!

Pizza casserole and fresh cherries

Scrambled eggs, sweet potato hash and 1/2 a cucumber.

So...Day 2 recap

Chicken baked with marinara sauce, potatoes boiled with green beans, and roasted brussel sprouts

 Day 2 workout: 20 min. on the elliptical, leg press, hamstring curls, lat pull down, and seated rows.

Whole30 Day 1 recap...breaking habits again

Well...Day 2 of my second whole30 is winding down now. Yesterday went smoothly as I knew it would, but I came to a realization late in the day. I realized that the snacking habit that I had broken during my first whole30 had come back in my life during my two weeks on vacation. I didn't eat unhealthy snacks, but they were still mindless calories. So...that is my struggle again this time.

I went to the gym this afternoon for my workout and I am excited because I can feel myself getting stronger again with every workout. I am taking it slow, because, as I mentioned before, I will spend the rest of my life recovering from the damage I did to my body during my younger and more athletic days. That is okay though. Instead of increasing my weights each week and doing 3 sets of 10, 8, and 6 reps with a higher rep each set, I will be staying at 3 sets of 12 reps all at the same weight and not increasing until it becomes ridiculously easy. Just as with everything in life, the ability to adapt and change is the key to survival!



Day 1 recap

Breakfast:
2 eggs scrambled
3 pieces of compliant bacon
1/2 of a cucumber sliced
fresh cherries

Lunch:
Taco salad with seasoned ground beef, spring greens, spinach, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, salsa, guacamole, and a sprinkle of lime juice

Dinner:
Steak grilled with Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning
Boiled red potatoes with green beans (both from the farmer's market)
Watermelon

Workout:
30 min. of yoga
2 hours of yardwork ;-)

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 Round 2 Begins!!

Since my first whole30 ended at the beginning of June, I have started working out almost daily at my company's gym and have tried to keep eating as healthy as possible. I have lost another 6 lbs and another inch off of my thighs and while that is great, I know I could be doing better for myself. So today I started another round with a vow to not only eat right for the next 30 days, but to also exercise which is something I didn't really do during my first round.

So, this morning I kicked off day one and did a lot of of cooking during my Sunday food prep time.

Whole30 reintroduction delays...

Happy Monday! Friday was the start of my reintroduction phase following the completion of my first

Eggs scrambled with peppers, onions, prosciutto, and cheddar

Whole30. I added dairy back for each of my meals, but by Friday night I was at the urgent care getting antibiotics. I had been sick earlier in the week and my weakened immune system allowed for an infection to creep into my lungs. So needless to say, since I was already feeling horrible, I knew that I wouldn't be able to really gauge the effects of adding milk back Friday. I have gone back to eating whole30 again while the antibiotics do their work. Tonight I am going to reintroduce non-gluten grains as long as I continue feeling better. I will not try milk again until the end of my reintroduction so that I can get an accurate assessment. I can honestly say though from eating it on Friday, that I haven't missed it! My chai tea tasted strange with milk instead of coconut milk. I have always loved cheese, but I didn't feel like the cheese made my omelet taste any better. I did enjoy the sprinkling of Parmesan on my meatballs at lunch. So if nothing else the revelation that I have made is that if my body can handle milk products, they should be more of an accessory rather than a main ingredient.

So the rest of the weekend I tried to rest in between taking my 12 year old to a mud run and archery practice and trying some more new whole30 recipes. Some of the new dishes were big hit like a pizza casserole I made using a recipe posted by PaleOMG and making some modifications. My son, who normally doesn't eat leftovers, requested it for lunch the next day as well! Dinner last night was my favorite meal of the weekend. I made grilled Jamaican lime chicken breasts served with fresh mango salsa and roasted garlic sweet potatoes (done on the grill). I will be adding these recipes to my recipe section soon!!

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 Results and...the rest of the story

The results are in!! I applied for a new job at the beginning of this process and because of everything listed above, I had the confidence to go through the interview process. Yesterday, on my last whole30 day, I was told I got the job which is a huge promotion. I will be leaving the position I've had for 9 years! Oh and I guess I should also mention I lost 15 lbs, 3.5 inches from my stomach, 3 inches from my chest, 2 inches from my hips, and an inch from each thigh!!! All of those numbers are just icing on the cake!

Here is my whole story...

In 2004 I was having horrible mood swings and I just didn't feel good. That year I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and started on medications. That started a 12 year battle with medications to control my sleep, medications for my mood, medications to counteract the side effects of other medications. I gained 100 lbs which I was told was a side effect of all the medications. The doctors had to keep switching my medications because nothing seemed to really work.

Things changed when we brought a puppy into our home and my allergies got out of control and to diagnose it my ENT ordered a full gambit of allergy tests. Other than the dog, we found out I had a huge reaction to yeast and mold. My allergist recommended that I go on a yeast free diet. I went home and immediately started researching what kind of diet that entailed, but also the symptoms of a yeast allergy. I noticed that there are a number of psychological symptoms to anaphylactic shock. I started thinking about the times when I felt the worse with depression and anxiety and realized that those were the times I was eating what was the worst for a yeast allergy- fast food and preservatives. I immediately started to clean up my diet. Luckily my psychiatrist was very open minded and willing listen to my theory that I wasn't bipolar, just having an extreme allergic reaction and the reason we couldn't find a medication to help me was because we were trying psychiatric drugs on a physical problem. He tapered me off of my medication and I continued cleaning up my diet. 

In March of this year I was official dismissed as a patient of the UNC Neurosciences Clinic and have been medication free for almost 2 years. I have struggled though when it came to sticking to eating clean. I started paying attention to the mood swings I would have and think about how they were caused by slipping in to old habits. That is why I chose to do the Whole30 program. I needed something to give me the kick in the butt that I needed to do what is right for me, not just for 30 days, but to be the first 30 days of the rest of my life.

I can't help but think about all the years that I have wasted by not trying to eat clean when I first started having problems, but I won't think about it too hard. At 33, I have a long life ahead of me and this 30 day period wad just the start!!!

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30- LAST DAY!!!

Finally! Today is my last official day! I am excited and saddened at the same time. I really am not interested in reintroducing some things to my diet, but I know I need to do the reintroduction just so I know what the effects are of certain foods I may eat (or may not be able to avoid). So...I will do the introduction but then I am going to go back to how I'm eating. I am planning on staying paleo and mostly whole30 from now on. I'm going to work for a 90/10 balance.

I am starting to feel like myself after being sooo sick for the first few days this week. Yesterday I went walking for the first time after three days of barely moving. I managed to get 6 miles done without feeling too bad, although I am a little dehydrated still.

Stay tuned for before and after pics, measurements, and weights.

Yesterday's recap:

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs
Bacon
Steamed broccoli

Lunch:
Chicken soup

Dinner:
Tuna salad w/ olive oil mayo and
fresh spinach leaves

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 2 days left and things I will keep doing

Tomorrow will be the last day of my Whole30 and I really don't want it to end. I have developed so many good habits that I look forward to keeping them! I started using a hashtag on instagram when I began this journey that was #first30daysoftherestofmylife and I am seeing more and more how true that is. The Whole30 isn't a diet, but a lifestyle. If you haven't read it check out Melissa's blog post about that just yesterday!

Here are just a few of my healthy habits I plan to continue:

1. Making my own olive oil mayo...because it is just good!
2. Having coconut milk in my morning tea or coffee.
3. Shopping around the outside of the grocery store. I love going to the grocery store and seeing that everything in my basket is fresh and nothing pre-packaged.
4. Trying new recipes and new foods and sharing them with everyone. I have tried almost 20 new recipes in the last 30 days. I'm excited about new cooking styles and new recipes that have opened a whole new world of food that I not only love but is good for me as well!
5. Shopping local. I have really stepped up in this area. I have become an advocate for local farmers and realize their value in our world, our community, and on my wallet!! Buying fresh from the local farmers market supports them and often saves me money on organic produce.
6. To stop being a slave to the scale. This is a big one for me. For the last two years I would weigh myself everyday looking for validation in numbers. Now that I have broken that habit I don't plan on starting back again.

Yesterday's recap isn't very much since I am still feeling a bit under the weather and had no appetite:
Breakfast: 2 deviled eggs and steamed broccoli
Lunch: Baby back ribs with cherry bbq sauce
Dinner: Pork roast and cauliflower

Whole30 day 32- new challenge I overcame

So, if you have been following my journey you know that I have to do 34 days due to non-compliant

bacon in the beginning. I am now on day 32 and while I have had many challenges, I hit the hardest one yet on Sunday morning. I woke up that morning with a slightly sore throat, but by that afternoon I was running a fever. Now, I am the type of person that can have full blown pneumonia and never run a fever so this was really unusual. I spent all day Sunday and Monday in bed and napped more than I have ever napped before. To make matters worse, I didn't drink enough water on Saturday because of the BBQ I hosted and was already dehydrated before the fever kicked in. Don't worry though, I got through it and stayed compliant even though a few tears were shed out of misery and frustration! I sipped herbal tea and the broth from chicken soup, gargled salt water, and discovered the wonder of an epson salt bath to help with the leg cramps I had from dehydration.

I am now feeling about 75% better and am thankful I didn't make myself more miserable by reaching for comfort foods I would have in the past. As I am wrapping up my first whole30, I'm thinking about everything that I've learned from this process and I'll be sharing those tidbits over the next few days. Here are a couple to get me started:

1. coconut is extremely versatile i.e. coconut oil, coconut aminos, coconut milk....
2. The term SWYPO (Sex With Your Pants On) makes me smile but is a great analogy and we all too often try to make substitutions to what we are eating but those substitutions aren't always good.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 28- Party time!!!

Whew! What a day!!! Had a most fabulous time at the BBQ for my family. I got tons of compliments on my Whole30 compliant food. Because I've been doing a lot of advance prep work on the weekends during this program, I was able to use this new found talent to have everything prepped and ready so I could still enjoy the party. I highly recommend bacon wrapped sweet potatoes as an appetizer for any occasion.

I admit I did look longingly at the cupcakes my sister brought for dessert. I took one and put it in a tupperware container in my freezer to eat after I introduce gluten back. A friend of the family left a few bottles of beer that he had brought for us to try, so I would be able to try it once I'm done with my Whole30. I feel so great with what I've been eating though that I am not looking forward to the negative effects that a beer will have on my body now that I have cleaned what I put in it. I also have a severe yeast allergy which amplifies the negative effects.

I'm looking forward to taking my after pictures, especially since I was constantly pulling up my jeans today. A smaller size is definitely a victory!

Today's recap:

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs
Sweet potato hash
Blueberries

Lunch:
Chicken salad on a bed of spinach

Dinner:
Hors d'oeuvres:
Bacon wrapped sweet potatoes
Veggies w/ homemade ranch dip

Main Course:
Broccoli salad
Ribs with Cherry BBQ sauce
Deviled eggs

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 27- in the home stretch!

I am finally sleeping better!!! It took more than 20 days for me to have that non-scale victory, but it has finally come. I have the fitbit flex on my wrist and have been using it to track my sleep. Previously I would have 12 times or so a night of 7.5 hours of sleep that I would be restless, but the past 4 nights I have only been restless 1-2 times. That leaves me feeling fabulous in the morning with extra energy. I am putting that energy to use this week too with having a BBQ at my house tomorrow for 12 people and I'm serving a ton of whole30 compliant food....ribs with cherry bbq sauce (I'll have regular sauce too just in case), deviled eggs, broccoli salad, cut veggies with paleo ranch dip, compliant hot dogs, bacon wrapped sweet potato bites....I can't wait!!!

Unexpectedly I have become a foodie! I have always loved food, but I feel that now I have stripped all the sugar and the other crud from what I am making, I have gained a greater appreciation of the natural flavors! I have added a recipe section to my blog that I am going to start posting my recipes on and am very excited about having pins of my recipes as opposed to me looking at other people's pins.

Day 26 recap:

I made chicken salad yesterday morning intending on it being for
lunch, but it looked so good I decided to make a breakfast of it! I then had an equally fabulous lunch with 2 hamburgers topped with Tessemae's ketchup, half of a sweet potato topped with cinnamon, and a salad of spinach, strawberries, blueberries, avocado, and sprinkled with balsamic vinegar. Dinner was beef stew made by my dad who again was excited that he made it without using flour or cornstarch to thicken it so that I could have it.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 26...more challenges I overcame!

I've been missing the last couple of days because I had to go into my office to work since I had to be onsite for some job interviews (I normally work from home full time). I really learned from some of the office eating mishap stories on the Whole30 forum and really made the effort the past two days to

Burgers, guacamole, spinach, apple and cashews

coconut shrimp, sweet potato, broccoli

make sure I had plenty of food with me and a couple compliant snacks (just in case). I made it through Tuesday without hiccups and even went out to eat for my mom's birthday that night. We went to Outback and since I went there on mother's day, I knew just what to order (steak grilled w/o seasoning, steamed broccoli, and a sweet potato plain). It was still yummy and nice to know that I can go out with my whole family and still stick to my healthy choices. They were advertising a new cocktail and I have to admit that the thought of alcohol makes me a little sick right now...and that is good. I actually have a yeast allergy and shouldn't have any alcohol, but before the Whole30, I would still indulge in a glass of wine or two on the weekend and wind up feeling horrible for days afterwards. I should hear about both of the new positions I interviewed for by the middle of next week. Hopefully it will be good news to celebrate along with the end of my whole30 (whole34 really).

Yesterday I was in too much of a hurry in the morning and didn't eat enough for breakfast. I only ate
about 2 eggs and half of the sweet potato hash...no other veggies. I paid for it and stayed hungry the rest of the day even after eating proper portions for lunch and dinner. That really cements for me that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day!!

The salad my dad prepared...so yummy!

My son and I often eat dinner with my parents on weeknights. I chose my whole30 start day purposely because they were going to be out of town for the first couple of weeks. They are back this week and each day I've called my dad to ask what he was making for dinner to see if I could eat any part of it and if I couldn't I brought my own. Yesterday my dad sent me a message through facebook
and was so excited that he was making a dinner I could have. He grilled chicken and we had grilled chicken salads with locally grown lettuce, strawberries, and blueberries. He also added walnuts and avocado. It was so great and felt so good to know that my dad was now thinking about the whole30. My mom has also expressed interest in reading the book and trying the whole30. I am so glad my family supports me and it definitely makes the process so much easier.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 22 and more revelations

Friday was a rough day where it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I missed lunch and really felt the repercussions by 3 that afternoon. It was a firm reminder that I am no good at helping other people solve their problems if I don't take the time I need for myself and that includes fueling my body. I guess that is why the book was so insistent about us taking the time to sit down and eat at a table. Taking that time not only helps you slow your eating pace down, but also gives you a great stress break. I'm so glad I've figured that out.

I also bought my first Lara bars on Friday. I will definitely be saving them for my backpacking trip because they seem a little like Paleo crack! So yummy and addictive!

A mug of chicken bone broth w/ breakfast

Right now I am planning a menu for a party I'm having next Saturday to celebrate my son and my mom's birthdays as well as my mom's retirement. I will be doing a bulk of the cooking myself and everything that I'm making is going to be Whole30 compliant. I figured that would be my best defense against the cakes that I'm ordering for dessert. I am planning on making a compliant lemon custard with raspberries so I can have something too. Fingers crossed!!

I had my first cup of chicken bone broth with breakfast. It took me a couple sips to get used to the

idea, but then I decided that it was great! I have a hard time eating first thing in the morning still. I'm hungry, but just don't feel like eating (if that makes sense). I'm going to start sipping on a cup of bone broth first thing in the morning to see how that might help.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 20: not weird to bring your own

Wow...day 20. This is such an amazing journey, but not without complications. My son and I typically have dinner at my parents' house during the week. They have been out of town most of this process and last night was our first night having dinner at their house. I called before going over there to ask my dad was he fixed and he told me it wasn't compliant. I quickly threw together a plate of food from what I had fixed in the fridge and took it with me. It wasn't weird and no one minded that I brought my own because I have been upfront with everyone about what I am doing and what it means to me. I did get questions and comments early in this journey about why I am doing this and why is it so restrictive. People had their doubts about my commitment, but I have to say now that I am on day 20, they see my commitment and they are seeing the changes in my mood and appearance.

Day 19 recap:
Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs with prochiutto
Sweet potato hash
Cucumber

Lunch:
Baked sweet potato
Steamed cauliflower w/ EVO
Chicken with cherry bbq sauce

Dinner:
Pork chop with cherry bbq sauce
Cucumber
Sweet potato hash

I'm going to be making bone broth tonight for the first time and I'm very excited. The name turned me off, but yesterday I finally read up on bone broth and its amazing health properties.  Here is an interesting article from Weston Price about it.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day ?: who cares!!

Good Morning!!! I have reached the point that I am so happy with how good I feel I don't even care what day of my Whole30 that I am on! So, according to my calendar it is day 19. My son said that he can tell I am enjoying this so much that he thinks I will just not stop after 30 days. I will go through the re-introduction period though just to help me figure out what my body doesn't work well with, but I can definitely see me staying pretty compliant to the program.

Slept great last night despite an increased amount of joint pain (not sure why: weather? nightshades?). My dad was released from the hospital last night. He had a really really bad infection in his mouth and they think they have it under control. I feel like I have handled my stress a lot better this week, perhaps because of regulated blood sugar.

Made another batch of nomnompaleo's cherry bbq sauce last night. My son and I love this sauce!! We have had it on steak and chicken and my son asked if I could put it on ribs this weekend. It is simple to make and sooo very tasty!

I work from home and my team is having a meeting today and they wanted to have a breakfast potluck. I elected to not go to the office and will be calling in from home so I will not be tempted. I do have to go to the office next week for two days for round 2 of the interview process for a fabulous new job. Luckily we have big refrigerators and microwaves at work so I can bring everything I need to eat right.

Day 18 recap:

Breakfast:
Deviled eggs
Cucumbers
Sweet potato hash

Lunch:
Roasted chicken
Roasted cauliflower
Collard greens

Dinner:
Chicken legs w/ cherry bbq sauce
Deviled eggs
Steamed broccoli
1/2 Sweet potato with cinnamon

Whole30 day 18 and dealing with stress

I'm having a lot of stress right now but am staying compliant. My dad had to go into the hospital yesterday which was an unexpected curve ball, that led me to trying to throw together dinner for myself and my son at the last minute and eating dinner almost two hours late. I ate so quickly I don't think I tasted my Asian meatballs (nomnompaleo) and cauliflower rice. Then because I ate quickly, I ate too much for the first time in 18 days and felt miserably full instead of just satisfied. I am learning that no matter what you have going on, you need to find a way to stick to an eating schedule. If you are used to eating dinner at 5, not eating till 7, does not help you deal with stress better! Next time I find myself in that situation I'll try to snack on a handful of nuts or cucumber slices while I'm cooking.


Making sure I have food on hand for a Whole30 quick fix meal is essential to my survival during times of stress. I'm aware now, that in the past when I have had nights like last night, it was so easy to head to the local Mexican restaurant or to pick up Chinese take out. Eating unhealthy, preservative laden foods that I am allergic too will not help my body or mind deal better!!  I have a yeast allergy and preservatives are a big no no. When I got stressed out in the past I turned to unhealthy choices that would cause me to gain 5-10 lbs and feel depressed. It has taken the Whole30 program for me to see how bad my coping skills are. In just a few weeks I am feeling more confident in my ability to cope.


Day 17 recap:

Breakfast:
Deviled eggs
Cucumbers

Lunch:
Salad with roasted chicken, cucumbers, peppers, avocado, and home made balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Dinner:
Asian meatballs
Cauliflower rice


Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 17: Learning more and seeing more benefits

While I have noticed a ton of benefits so far for this 30 days, I seem to be having more arthritis pain than usual. Several people on the forum for the Whole30 have mentioned eliminating nightshades. I had never even heard the term nightshades before, but I started reading. Nightshades are part of a species of plants that are commonly used in my diet on a daily basis. They include tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes among many others. Many spices also fall in this family, like paprika. Nightshades seem to cause more inflammation in the body. Since I have started the Whole30 program, I have been eating so many more of these veggies and spices and it could possibly be the reason I am having more pain. I am now looking at eliminating nightshades and/or doing the autoimmune version of the Whole30 in the future.

Outside of my painful joints, I am noticing so many wonderful benefits. My skin is so clear and even toned that I haven't needed to wear foundation for a week. I love that my already minimal makeup has been cut back even more. I also have noticed that my nails are stronger. When I went shopping over the weekend I was trying on clothes in regular stores, not just stores with plus sizes and that felt amazing! I am dying to take my measurements, but I can hold off another 13 days!

When I started the Whole30 I was hungry all the time and really had to play with my portions to feel satiated. Now, I am noticing the size of my portions is leveling off and I am starting to leave some on my plate at the end of the meal. I love that not only am I eating the right foods, I no longer feel the need to eat all of the food on my plate.

Here is my day 16 recap:

Breakfast:
Deviled eggs
Broccoli slaw salad







Lunch:
Pork chop w/ strawberry avacado salad
Roasted cauliflower
Collard greens

Yup, ate dinner sitting in the car!

Dinner:
Roasted chicken
Steamed broccoli
Sweet potato
w/ ghee
and cinnamon


Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 16: Weekend recap and another eating out on Whole30 adventure!

Good morning! I finally discovered Tazo's Passion Iced Tea bags yesterday....sooo yummy!!!! It will

be a great sugar free drink for me to enjoy this summer! This was an eventful weekend for me. Saturday I celebrated my son's 12th birthday. We went to almost every sporting goods store within 3 counties of us and then had lunch at Chipotle. I found out by reading numerous other blogs that a salad with carniats at Chipotle was safe for Whole30. It was so yummy and nice to know that there is another restaurant that I can eat at and still make great food choices!

I had my parents over for dinner last night. Stuffed peppers, salad with home made balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and a dessert of berries topped with coconut cream and toasted coconut was all a big hit. Cooking such awesomely flavorful dishes are a great way to win your family over on the Whole30 adventure.

The highlights of my Whole30 food this weekend!

I took another set of pictures yesterday (day 15 for me) and am so amazed at the changes I see! I have decided to step up my activity level for the rest of the program. No...I am not becoming an admirable crossfitter...I'm just going to start adding in more strength and resistance training in to my daily routine of walking.

Have a great day folks!!

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah