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Started today - I'm kinda different from most


Ryenday

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So I started today - A first timer on Whole 30.  Might not have been the best planning I've ever done, lol.  Went to bed last night with a headache that is pounding this morning.  Have very limited Whole 30 approved food in the house (enough for today, but I have to get creative with the fats until I have time to clarify some butter) but grocery shopping is the plan for post work day - I'll make a good shopping list starting with the Whole 30 printout at lunchtime.  

ABOUT ME:  Menopausal middle age woman, overweight and activity limited - but trying to address the activity thing, right now working up to 10,000 steps. Stopped smoking - cold turkey a year ago, and put on about 25 pounds since stopping.  Arthritic type flare ups and a host of other inflammatory type symptoms led me here.  I'm 'allergic' to eggs (supposedly, as my childhood DR. had me eliminate them from my diet when it looked like they could be problematic to me and my father IS allergic to them, but I've never been tested, nor do they smell or taste like 'food' to me so my only exposure to eggs is as an ingredient with lots of other things.

WORRY:  My food habits do not seem to be similar to most in the Whole 30, so I'm afraid it won't be as much help to me and not sure what to expect over the 30 days.  Sugary sweets are just not my weakness (i don't think I've even had ice cream in 10+ years and I've never missed it) - as a matter of fact, when I bake cookies or make fudge (usually for family at holidays) my body sends me a clear signal to stop and not over eat them.  I drink my coffee black, prefer carbonated water to a diet soda, and would choose fresh ripe pineapple or cantaloupe over that cookie 9 times out of 10.  MY WEAKNESSES, I think, are salty, starchy, cheesy and breads.  And a meal that doesn't contain grain food, or starch like potatoes, or at least legumes has never really made me feel "FULL"  

MY OTHER BIG WORRY:  Veggies.  How to eat enough veggies when I just despise 'BITTER' taste.  I mean this goes beyond 'I don't like' (i.e. I don't like blueberries.  I can and will eat them, I just don't care for them.)  But lots and lots of veggies have what I think of as this 'BITTER' taste and I literally get dry heaves when I taste a dish that has a lot of, say, green pepper because it tastes, to me, like BITTER poisonous garbage.  This BITTER taste seems to overwhelm all other tastes in a dish.  Cheese can almost sometimes tame bitter taste to something almost palatable, but no cheese on Whole 30.  I mean I can imagine eating 7 meals a week with the veggies that don't taste like that to me (tomato, onion, broccoli, carrots, cooked spinach, iceberg lettuce) but that isn't a very varied diet, and I'm worried it won't satisfy when it is 21 meals a week for which I need to eat a good serving of veggies.  

  • With omelettes being on the eggy no-no list for me, I figure I'm going to need to make a lot of hash/soup/stews to get those veggies without torturing myself or inducing dry heaves by including the 'bitters' into my diet.  Therefore, breakfast is my biggest worry for including enough veggies, honestly.  I don't dare allow myself white potatoes on the Whole 30 because it is a unhealthy eating 'trigger' for me, like a sugar treat or mock ice cream might be for others.  

HOPEFUL:  Aside from a couple of Arthritic flare ups recently, my inflammatory symptoms are just unpleasant, not yet life altering.  But they get more and more unpleasant as the days go by and I'd like to nip them in the bud, get healthier, and lose some of these extra pounds.  From what I've read, I think the Whole 30 has a good chance of getting me there.  I'm doing Whole 30 solo, but given my personality, I think that will be just fine, I just wish to find more folks like me (salt/starch weakness, sugar indifferent) to find out what I might expect.  

Thanks for reading, - this is kind of an accountability post to me, a post to keep me honest. :)  Good luck and I'll probably update this post for my own benefit as time goes on.

 

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I'm your sister in that carb arena. Sweet drinks taste like  poison to me. I like cereal sans sugar. Drink my coffee black anyway. Plain tea is the only way to go.   I'd rather have a nice slice of chocolate cake versus mindless handfuls of m&m's or skittles or other sweetie sweet things.  But a plate of fries? STAND BACK. I'm ON IT. Potato chips? almost daily. Bread? i love it and fear it. Someone with more knowledge than I have on t his can weigh in, but whether savory potatoes or sweetened lattes, simple carbs are simple carbs right?  

Oh, and I'm with you on the cheese as well. It's how we know God loves us right?

Now I love veggies, so I can't relate to despising them. Might i suggest sauteeing them with your starchy veg? Spices and oil is gonna be your friend for flavor.

Best of luck, mama!

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13 minutes ago, MrsWinstonSchmidt said:

I'm your sister in that carb arena. Sweet drinks taste like  poison to me. I like cereal sans sugar. Drink my coffee black anyway. Plain tea is the only way to go.   I'd rather have a nice slice of chocolate cake versus mindless handfuls of m&m's or skittles or other sweetie sweet things.  But a plate of fries? STAND BACK. I'm ON IT. Potato chips? almost daily. Bread? i love it and fear it. Someone with more knowledge than I have on t his can weigh in, but whether savory potatoes or sweetened lattes, simple carbs are simple carbs right?  

Oh, and I'm with you on the cheese as well. It's how we know God loves us right?

Now I love veggies, so I can't relate to despising them. Might i suggest sauteeing them with your starchy veg? Spices and oil is gonna be your friend for flavor.

Best of luck, mama!

Thanks so much for the encouragement. You do sound like me on your tastes!

As for the veggies, I've been thinking give myself a couple of weeks on known veggies I like (and I forgot to put cabbage on that list, mmm some homemade coleslaw (after I make the mayo, lol) with lots of pepper, that might make something that is palatable to me in the A.M.) then try the veggies that tasted bittery poisonous to me one at a time.  Maybe I'll have changed?  I can't imagine voluntarily eating a Brussels sprout, asparagus or bitter leafy green, but I guess I won't know til I try later on and see if they taste any better to me.

Thank the heavens for broccoli and tomatoes.  So versatile and great ingredients.  

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Mmm homemade coleslaw! see now you're giving ME ideas! Don't forget to find W30 recipes online or follow the whole 30 instagram page. I'm saving those recipe ideas for week 4 when I know I'll be fed up with everything and will need some inspiration. ooh! maybe try shaving the Brussels sprouts and mixing them in with the cole slaw! ideas!

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@Ryenday - it sounds like you are a super-taster. We've had quite a few over the years here, specifically folks that tend to super-taste "bitter". There's no real suggestion for that besides eating what you feel is palatable and trying others when you can. Forcing yourself to eat something that is going to make you gag isn't required. You could google alternate ways of cooking vegetables, often roasting them brings out their natural sugars which could make them more palatable for you.

Most people have their "thing" as far as foods that they feel drawn to or out of control with. Just because your thing is not sugar doesn't mean you won't experience a benefit from the program. Much of the "magic" comes from overall body healing and balancing of hormones which is derived from following the meal template for composition and then eating a proper meal 3 times a day, 4-5 hours apart. Eliminating snacking.

It's also handy to google your questions. This topic has been discussed many times (the bitter thing).

 

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Wow, that is all new to me, thanks very much for the info.  I will be googling super taster and bitter vegetables, but until your post, I hadn't a clue it was a "thing".  I drive my husband to distraction with my intense reactions to things that seem like bitter dirt (and frankly taste to me as if they should be poisonous) but are things he loves to cook with.  

Thank heavens I DO like the taste of broccoli, that is my staple veggie - steamed with nothing extra, smothered in clarified butter and garlic, and today, as a Guacamole dip dunker.  In ironic news, my husband says even the smell of broccoli steamed in the microwave makes him gag.  

But I've made a new list - I've not tried butternut squash, so maybe I'll be able to eat that with a yummy tomato sauce.  I liked eggplant at the Japanese grill restaurant, so I'll try to find out how to prepare that on my stovetop.  Okra's texture puts me off, but I never minded the taste, so maybe I can find a way to cook that so I'll like it.  

But, anyways, I appreciate your help :)

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Like you, I have little interest in sugar, but I do love veggies.  I am on day 19 and I have found that my carb demon has been curbed.  I have had no cravings and no "pop up" thoughts about sneaking into my husband's snacks.  I thought my biggest challenge would be my true weakness, beer, but that has been manageable as well.  I have felt incredibly satisfied and have experienced improvements in my overall well being.  I have chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, an unidentified autoimmune disorder, arthritis, and a history of GI distress.  Since starting, I have had considerable improvements in my sleep and energy levels, as well as my general wellness.  I am hoping similar results for you!  As far as veggies, I love brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and just about all others.  I tend to eat them plain, but the mayo might help.  I also occasionally eat compliant mustard on things like brussels sprouts.  Planning has been the key to my success so far.  Best of luck on your journey!

 

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I am right there with you on the carby, starchy, salty, cheesy cravings. This is my 5th W30 and I have found 1 trick that worked wonders for me. I use a fried egg almost any where I would crave melted cheese. The fat content and that runny yolk mimics the fat and gooey effect of cheese quite well. 

Also I would recommend trying bell peppers that aren't green, the red, yellow, and orange are quite the opposite of bitter. We also really like zucchini and sweet potato grated and pan fried like hashbrowns! Spice it up with your favorite seasonings maybe some grated onions and garlic.  Or the different squashes are fun to experiment with. I use them as a base for all kinds of stuff just pile it on and give it a try! I also use it as a thickener in stews/soups to add some more veggies without the kiddos catching on. 

Good luck! You can do this!

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Wow, soxmom, it looks like you have a wonderful relationship with veggies!  I envy it.  Forcing the veggies is hard, to be Whole30 compliant I'm eating 2 portions of veggies compared to everything else, and I just feel like crying when I have to figure out the veggies for a given meal.  Tonight is going to be the easiest day yet, tho, because I'm going to have my one weekly baked potato (white).  This starch dense veggie and I have a messed up relationship, and whenever I have dieted in the past that has been the first must go.  I decided that since this isn't a DIET, and, that maybe, since the food is whole30 compliant, just maybe moderation might work where abstaining just made me want it more.  

I have not found any veggies that I like that I didn't know about yet, so I'm on a short list.  Of the veggies that taste like bitter poisonous dirt to me, Bell peppers, which my husband added to a meaty dish I made, still taste awful to me, but they are the only ones I've tried.  

Ironically, brocolli, which I've always liked now tastes amazing to me when I add a bit of clarified butter to its preparation.  lol.

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5 hours ago, 85MotherOf4AK said:

I am right there with you on the carby, starchy, salty, cheesy cravings. This is my 5th W30 and I have found 1 trick that worked wonders for me. I use a fried egg almost any where I would crave melted cheese. The fat content and that runny yolk mimics the fat and gooey effect of cheese quite well. 

Also I would recommend trying bell peppers that aren't green, the red, yellow, and orange are quite the opposite of bitter. We also really like zucchini and sweet potato grated and pan fried like hashbrowns! Spice it up with your favorite seasonings maybe some grated onions and garlic.  Or the different squashes are fun to experiment with. I use them as a base for all kinds of stuff just pile it on and give it a try! I also use it as a thickener in stews/soups to add some more veggies without the kiddos catching on. 

Good luck! You can do this!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your tips, 85MotherOf4AK - I have an egg sensitivity (if not downright allergy) so those are out, and peppers, I agree the coloreds are more palatable than the green ones but they all have that objectionable taste to one degree.  I've begun to believe that not everyone can taste it because otherwise they would recognize it too.  

But, yes, squash is one of my mainstays.  I pan fry them like hashbrowns all the time, usually with celery salt and garlic and pepper, but I'll have to venture out a bit.  Your stew suggestion is fascinating to me, my thickener of choice pre Whole30 was wheat flour, and I tried my first Whole30 stew with almond flour but that was not very good.  I'm also missing peas which were a strong flavourant in my stew, so I need some good ideas to try!


Thanks again, I appreciate the encouragement!

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2 hours ago, Ryenday said:

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your tips, 85MotherOf4AK - I have an egg sensitivity (if not downright allergy) so those are out, and peppers, I agree the coloreds are more palatable than the green ones but they all have that objectionable taste to one degree.  I've begun to believe that not everyone can taste it because otherwise they would recognize it too.  

But, yes, squash is one of my mainstays.  I pan fry them like hashbrowns all the time, usually with celery salt and garlic and pepper, but I'll have to venture out a bit.  Your stew suggestion is fascinating to me, my thickener of choice pre Whole30 was wheat flour, and I tried my first Whole30 stew with almond flour but that was not very good.  I'm also missing peas which were a strong flavourant in my stew, so I need some good ideas to try!


Thanks again, I appreciate the encouragement!

Have you tried roasting vegetables on a sheet pan in a hot oven? I just drizzle with olive oil and add salt and ground pepper. They carmelize and become so flavorful: broccoli, Brussels sprouts and carrots are some of my favorites as well as sweet potato slices. 

I also grill veggies often on my George Forman grill, especially onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and zucchini. Again, so flavorful!

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On 4/21/2017 at 3:25 PM, Ryenday said:

Thank heavens I DO like the taste of broccoli, that is my staple veggie - steamed with nothing extra, smothered in clarified butter and garlic, and today, as a Guacamole dip dunker.

 

7 hours ago, Ryenday said:

Ironically, brocolli, which I've always liked now tastes amazing to me when I add a bit of clarified butter to its preparation.  lol.

 

Honestly, it sounds like you're all set.  I ate zucchini as my only vegetable during a Whole30 and it was a-ok.  Broccoli is one of my faves too so I could definitely eat that every day. qn5764m.gif

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On 4/26/2017 at 0:24 AM, kirkor said:

 

 

Honestly, it sounds like you're all set.  I ate zucchini as my only vegetable during a Whole30 and it was a-ok.  Broccoli is one of my faves too so I could definitely eat that every day. qn5764m.gif

Ok, I certainly have more variety in my diet than that!  WOW, I have a high tolerance for repetitive food (I had no problem eating my stew (pre Whole30 version) for instance for lunch and dinner 3 or 4 days running) but could never even imagine what you did there.  

So, while I wouldn't say I'm "all set" - this is a challenge, if not a challenge on the 'climb Mt. Everest type" still it is taking thought, resolve and preparation to eat as many veggies as this plan calls for and NOT eat the ones that taste like poisonous bitters to me.  Let's just say I'm still in the questionable zone, but holding strong. :)

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On 4/25/2017 at 8:20 PM, ArtFossil said:

Have you tried roasting vegetables on a sheet pan in a hot oven? I just drizzle with olive oil and add salt and ground pepper. They carmelize and become so flavorful: broccoli, Brussels sprouts and carrots are some of my favorites as well as sweet potato slices. 

I also grill veggies often on my George Forman grill, especially onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and zucchini. Again, so flavorful!

Tried roasting some Zucchini tonight.  It was good, but probably should cut it thicker than I did due to the more gummy inside consistency.  I should have added onions to the Zucchini, but was in a hurry and didn't think.  

Do you think it is worth it to get a GF grill?  I don't have one, but if it gets more veggies in me, I guess it would be a worthwhile kitchen investment.

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27 minutes ago, Ryenday said:

Tried roasting some Zucchini tonight.  It was good, but probably should cut it thicker than I did due to the more gummy inside consistency.  I should have added onions to the Zucchini, but was in a hurry and didn't think.  

Do you think it is worth it to get a GF grill?  I don't have one, but if it gets more veggies in me, I guess it would be a worthwhile kitchen investment.

Zucchini isn't the best choice for roasting. Too watery.  Think carrots, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, squash etc. 

But it's delicious grilled for a few minutes! 

'I can't imagine doing a Whole30 without a George Forman grill! Put a spice rub on a protein (I love the Primal Palate ones), throw it on the grill and a few minutes later you have the basis for an amazing meal. 

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13 minutes ago, ArtFossil said:

Zucchini isn't the best choice for roasting. Too watery.  Think carrots, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, squash etc. 

But it's delicious grilled for a few minutes! 

'I can't imagine doing a Whole30 without a George Forman grill! Put a spice rub on a protein (I love the Primal Palate ones), throw it on the grill and a few minutes later you have the basis for an amazing meal. 

Very happily, I live a 3 minute drive, or a nice 25 minute walk from a national spice warehouse.  My husband was just saying this weekend that our spice shelf (four plastic baskets filled with spice pouches) and 3 spice racks contents would probably up to 75 years ago only been available to the Bill Gates type wealthy folk.  So, I make my own spice rubs, - sounds like George Foreman grill is in my future. :)  

My favourite veggie specific spice:  (and one I rarely see mentioned in recipes etc. is Celery.  Ground Celery, Celery seed, and/or Celery salt - any or all of the above.  Funny, I don't like raw Celery (altho, of course celery sauted with onions and carrots is a necessity in so many things I love) but it is probably in my top 5 spices overall, and certainly #2 for veggies.  (Everything is better with freshly ground Pepper, the #1 spice, imo) :)

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On 2017-4-25 at 3:34 PM, Ryenday said:

Your stew suggestion is fascinating to me, my thickener of choice pre Whole30 was wheat flour, and I tried my first Whole30 stew with almond flour but that was not very good. 

A good friend once told me something that has stuck with me for years. Don't add liquid to stew and then you don't have to thicken it. If you put your meats, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, diced tomatoes and spices in a crockpot and put it on the lowest setting, the liquids from the veggies and the meats create the stew "sauce". The starch from the potatoes that you're cooking in there thickens it up. I've never had to thicken a stew doing this. Note, if you use fresh mushrooms, you would want to drain the canned tomatoes. If you use canned mushrooms, drain those and then don't drain the canned tomatoes.

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5 minutes ago, ladyshanny said:

A good friend once told me something that has stuck with me for years. Don't add liquid to stew and then you don't have to thicken it. If you put your meats, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, diced tomatoes and spices in a crockpot and put it on the lowest setting, the liquids from the veggies and the meats create the stew "sauce". The starch from the potatoes that you're cooking in there thickens it up. I've never had to thicken a stew doing this. Note, if you use fresh mushrooms, you would want to drain the canned tomatoes. If you use canned mushrooms, drain those and then don't drain the canned tomatoes.

I'll have to try your way of making stew!  

My mom's stew (all I ever made til this past week) was dredge stew meat in flour and brown in oil in dutch oven.  Then add frozen green peas.  An hour later add fresh potato, carrots, onions, celery (or one could just add potato and carrots, and separately saute celery and onions to be added later for a different more 'veggie sweet' flavour) Stir, and if liquid needed (sometimes it is) add beef broth.  This make a very hearty beefy, and very thick stew.  I see no reason not to try to tweak the flour thickener, as I LOVE this stew, and am hopeful that post Whole30 my reintroduction of green peas goes smoothly.  

BUT, this is a great time to see if there are OTHER stews I can love.  THINKING ALOUD, SKIP UNLESS INTERESTED... One oddity, I am not a fan of beef and tomatoes together.  And I've never liked mushrooms (don't hate them, but Whole30 plan seems to be urging me to foods I DO love that are nutritious) so it looks like my ingredients (especially lacking peas) are going to be liquid light.  Perhaps zucchinis where you add tomatoes, and celery where you add mushrooms and done as you direct might make a yummy.  My stew spices are minimal - a hint of red pepper flakes and pepper is all I use usually.  

Do you brown the meat before you throw it in the crock?

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1 minute ago, Ryenday said:

Do you brown the meat before you throw it in the crock?

I do not brown the meat normally because I am lazy and busy, both. Honestly, most of the time I can barely remember to take the meat out of the freezer first and I have thrown a frozen chunk of stew meats into the crockpot, covered with rough chopped veggies and spices and went to work. And it was delicious! (the one time I may have forgotten to take that little meat "diaper" off the bottom of the frozen meat and that stewed all day too but no one died so I guess it was alright. LOL)

My theory is that while it would probably be AMAAAAAAZING if I browned the meat first, we really just need to eat at the end of a day. We like to eat good, well flavoured food but I'm not dirtying dishes and wasting time to do something that would only be noticeable to a select few. :) 

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I hate green peppers but I like orange, red and yellow. they have a bit of a sweeter taste.  Have you tried them?

 

Quote

 

  I mean I can imagine eating 7 meals a week with the veggies that don't taste like that to me (tomato, onion, broccoli, carrots, cooked spinach, iceberg lettuce

Close to my list, take off the onions and add the red peppers.  Cauliflower is good and sweet potatoes as well.   I like cucumbers. Sometimes if you mix the veggie into the cooking you can get rid of the taste?  Sauteed with other items or sauces.  I bought cocoaminos off amazon and it tastes like soy sauce, so if you like that, you can 'flavor' the other veggies (like snow peas, mushrooms, etc) in that and it's good.   

Lemon pepper and herbs go well on veggies to disguise taste as well.    

But honestly I've been fine just eating my boring 8 or whatever lol. 

 

 

Anyway! Welcome to the forum and good luck!!!!

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