Jim4884

Hi Liz. Some similarities in our stories, several differences, but here's what might resonate with you. Years before I did my first Whole 30, I visited a "holistic" doc my wife recommended, and whilst I still sorta think of him as a quack, he said I should give up gluten and corn and... but honestly, less exclusive than the Whole 30. I remember making a pizza on a rice based crust, with soy cheese, and it was SO bad, I swear I cried. I did have other life challenges going on, as we all do, but. And the quality of Whole 30 and gluten free ingredients has improved exponentially by now. Anyway, a few years later, my undeniable health issues caused me to do a complete Whole 30, and the health gains were so powerful I've maintained it for two years now. Pre-diabetic? Fixed, normal blood sugar fixed. Blood pressure? Off of meds, and it's lower than it was ON meds. Triglycerides dropped 3x. I lost 40 pounds without increasing exercise or ever feeling hungry. Eczema gone. Inflammation in arthritic ankle - gone. I can run again. It was magical for me, I hope you can stick with it, feel free to ask any questions... Jim

"4 teaspoons good quality Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)" Grey Poupon has white wine and sugar in it, and is not compliant, sorry to say. Trader Joe's has a compliant Dijon mustard, and I've seen others...

I hope this is encouraging. I did my first Whole 30 over two years ago now, and I basically just eat Whole 30 95% of the time. Why? Because of the amazing health benefits I experienced. I was 55 and obese when I started, so my results are probably not typical. But: I went from pre-diabetic (and a busy Kaiser doctor e-mailing me personally to let me know how serious it was) to completely normal blood sugar I lowered my blood pressure whilst getting off of meds for it My triglycerides dropped 3x My severely arthritic ankle that was so painful I could not run cleared up so that I can run at will I lost 40lbs without increasing exercise or ever feeling hungry Mild lifelong eczema disappeared I kicked my significant diet soda habit I learned to love vegetables I rejuvenated my enjoyment of cooking Modest improvements in sleep and mood (anxiety and depression improved) I've maintained these gains for two years now. I am among the biggest Whole 30 cheerleaders there is, and I do not work for them or get paid in any way. It just truly did change my life. I've gotten pretty comfortable with eating "mostly" Whole 30 all the time, so feel free to ask any questions. Two things - I cannot emphasize enough to read EVERY label. I was shocked at some of the things that have sugar in them. And try to frame it in your mind about what you GET to eat, not what you can't eat. I've had people over for dinner for Whole 30 compliant meals tell me I should open a restaurant. With EVOO, ghee, and pretty much every spice on the planet in play, it is possible to eat delicious and compliant food. But it does take work (see "rejuvenated enjoyment of cooking" comment above)

Hello L&J. Several things in your back story reminded me of myself. I did my first Whole 30 over two years ago now, and I basically just eat Whole 30 95% of the time. Why? Because of the amazing health benefits I experienced. I was 55 and obese when I started, so my results are probably not typical. But: I went from pre-diabetic (and a busy Kaiser doctor e-mailing me personally to let me know how serious it was) to completely normal blood sugar I lowered my blood pressure whilst getting off of meds for it My triglycerides dropped 3x My severely arthritic ankle that was so painful I could not run cleared up so that I can run at will I lost 40lbs without increasing exercise or ever feeling hungry Mild lifelong eczema disappeared I kicked my significant diet soda habit I learned to love vegetables I rejuvenated my enjoyment of cooking Modest improvements in sleep and mood (anxiety and depression improved) I've maintained these gains for two years now. I am among the biggest Whole 30 cheerleaders there is, and I do not work for them or get paid in any way. It just truly did change my life. Jim

The way I always think about it is, it's only 30 days! I can do almost anything for 30 days. Like several other people on this thread, I was a soda junkie, and I too had the NSV of kicking my soda habit. La Croix is pretty good, I do teas as well, but I honestly don't miss soda anymore. And if you had told me that prior to my first Whole 30, I would have laughed at you. Out loud. To your face Good luck!

Probably the best way is to eat out somewhere and avoid anything else non-compliant. Most restaurants use canola oil, but ask to be sure you are "getting" some - so you can see. Personally, I just don't eat out all that often anymore, and when I do, I try to steer things towards olive oil; luckily as an old guy I tend to eat early, so restaurants are not so crowded then, so I don't mind being a little higher maintenance. My experience is that gluten and soy are a bigger problem than canola - but keep trying to discover for yourself. Good job!

Ahh, single malts - I like the smokey ones (Lagavullin, Laphroaig) - you? kirbz, as I've mentioned, I've been Paleo, and I'd call it 95% Whole 30, for coming up on 18 months now, and I find that very sustainable. The re-intros did help me solidify my choices, even to the small points, such as helping me realize things like, I just don't need legumes in my life since I didn't miss them. That cauliflower rice will always be an acceptable substitute for me. Etc. I guess the point is that I view it all as a cumulative decision, and if I can eliminate even the foods that have only minor consequences without feeling deprived, I'm depositing credits into my good health bank account, so when I do want an off-plan splurge, I just do it, and don't feel bad about it - I can afford it. My opinion (I'm not a moderator blah blah blah) is that if you can keep desserts to a paleo version once a week, that is as good a definition of Food Freedom as any. Best of luck...

Here's some of my discoveries from two rounds of re-intro's and maintaining an "almost" Whole 30 diet all the time: Legumes: any beans in their whole form gave me mild gas (sorry if TMI), but during my second whole 30 I realized I did not miss legumes at all, so never did that re-intro. Hummus was more benign, and I like it OK, but if I must "dip" into something, I prefer ranch dressing made with homemade mayo, and when I discovered chipotle mayo, wow, there is NOTHING that doesn't make better So I honestly cannot remember having legumes since my first Whole 30 re-intro - which was August of 2017. Non-gluten grains: I did not discover any ill effects from non-gluten grain re-intro's, and the second time I tried to go a little overboard to see if I could get some reaction, and didn't notice anything. However, the cumulative health benefits from doing my first Whole 30 were so dramatic, and by that time I had discovered and gotten pretty good at making different kinds of cauliflower rice, (I always loved real rice), that I just use cauliflower rice anymore. But if I ever go out to, say, a spanish restaurant, I can order a big dish of paella with impunity Dairy: Again, mild digestive issues. I've found cheese in reasonable amounts doesn't really bother me, so a small cheese plate or something like now and then is in my diet, but I try to keep it to a minimum. And generally speaking, anything that I used to use butter in, ghee works as well so I'm good there. Gluten: Along with sugar, the main cause of inflammation that made my arthritic ankle impossible to run on (and several other inflammatory issues). Diet change fixed that/those. I RARELY eat any gluten now - xmas dinner with my family I had some of my mom's recipe mac and cheese, and maybe it's in my head, but my ankle is more sore than it's been in months. Still, it was worth it, ONCE Sugars: I don't have the sweetest of teeth, but I can binge on sweets, so I mostly avoid sugar, especially in the more obvious places like desserts. I mentioned the jerk seasoning I use, it is SO good, and there is such a small quantity of sugar in it, and it does not trigger any binge tendencies, so I don't worry about those types of added sugars. Yet I still make my own breakfast sausage, since I only recently found a brand that has no sugar (Pedersen's) and it is kinda pricey. I've found my balance on putting in the extra effort to eat cleanly, and having a maintainable lifestyle - since I eat my breakfast sausage pretty much every day (along with scrambled eggs, my roasted potatoes (similar to home fries), Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica (no sugar, totally complaint, and oh so good!) and avocado), it's worth the extra effort. OTOH, I eat ketchup like once every 3-6 months, so I don't make my own. An occasional paleo dessert is enjoyable, but I find if I don't start eating any sweets, I don't miss them too much. Soy: I cannot point to specific results from re-intro's, but I somehow feel fairly certain that soy was messing with my body chemistry so I avoid it completely. It's taken awhile for me to get used to the coconut amino versions of soy sauce - it really doesn't taste the same, but it's good enough since I was never a huge Asian food aficionado anyways - so soy is out for me. Alcohol: This is in the interest of honesty, moderate amounts of alcohol don't seem to have much of a short term negative impact on me. However, and it's a BIG however, I sometimes have a hard time finding the off switch once I have a drink, so I am mostly abstinent. I don't wish this on anyone Sorry for the length, but as I said, I've been experimenting with balancing optimal health and culinary enjoyment and cooking effort for quite some time now, and have found a place I'm comfortable with. And I am enthusiastic about others experiencing some or all of the benefits I have. And even after apologizing for length, I'm going to post the cumulative health benefits I've reaped, since I mentioned them, and I'm pretty sure it's not a repeat for all: I went from pre-diabetic, (with a busy Kaiser doctor e-mailing me personally to let me know how serious it was), to completely normal blood sugar I reduced my blood pressure whilst getting off of meds for it Triglycerides went from 3x normal range to normal I mentioned the improvement in my inflamed arthritic ankle - the immediate lifestyle improvement of that cannot be overstated I lost 40 pounds without increasing exercise or limiting portion sizes (I never felt hungry) mild lifelong eczema gone modest improvements in mood (specifically: depression, anxiety and anger) and sleep rejuvenated my enjoyment of cooking, and learned to love vegetables. Veggies used to be (mostly) toppings on pizza and sub sandwiches for me, no lie All of these gains have been maintained for well over a year (16 months) now. I still occasionally tease my friend who predicted I would start gaining that weight back within a month

I applaud your bravery Desmo. I am a 57 year old male, I do have a roommate who appreciates my cooking when I share it, but I mostly cook for myself. I have completed two Whole 30's and experienced profound health benefits from them. I hope you will complete your Whole 30, and I am here to support you.

@kirbz @LadyLisbette @hollysmokes @Elizabeth33 OK, I seem to have figured it out, here is a thread to continue post-Whole 30 discussions, re-intros, etc. Hope I didn't forget anyone who is still on board....

I have not been doing a formal Whole 30 with you guys, I forget why I originally chimed in, but I have been enjoying reading and replying now and then. I want to be clear that I am not a moderator or anything, but I am a big proponent of the Whole 30 approach, and love to share my experiences and positive results. Life after Whole 30? For me, that mostly means following the Whole 30 rules forever, but with a bit of a more relaxed rigor. I never try to deceive anyone, but if people ask about my diet (like at work, when I'm seen in the break area preparing my breakfast and/or lunch, which I do most every day), I explain that I basically do not eat sugar, grains, dairy, or legumes (or drink alcohol). And that is how I approach it in my mind - I don't eat any of those things, but I make exceptions based on two main factors: 1, how far from the whole 30 guidelines a given food item might be; and 2, is it worth it? A couple of beers with some friends on a Friday happy hour? Worth it. The donuts someone left in the above mentioned break room? SO not worth it. Walkers Wood Jerk Marinade - the last ingredient listed is sugar, I use maybe a teaspoon of that seasoning on a pound and a half of chicken, it's not sweet to me at all, no chance of triggering the sugar dragon - worth it. Ordering a salad with grilled chicken in a restaurant, asking them to leave off the cheese but not ask about the oil in the dressing? I'm OK with that. Getting a burger and fries at a fast food place for convenience? (which I used to do VERY often) - not worth it. You get the idea. I definitely considered myself a Paleo eater. I enjoy cooking and am willing to put in extra effort to eat more cleanly, but I also have learned what effort there is worth it for me and what is not (i.e. I make my own mayo and breakfast sausage, but I'm OK with buying that jerk seasoning.) Happy to dialog further with anyone who is interested, PM me and we can trade e-mails. I've been eating this way for about a year and a half now, including two completely compliant Whole 30's with official re-intros, which I HIGHLY recommend. Also, the other Whole 30's I have done, someone in the group created a thread in the "Life After Whole 30" section, as the moderators (wisely) prefer there not be too much discussion of non-compliant foods in the "active" Whole 30 section of the forums. Maybe I'll see if I'm smart enough to figure out how to do that and post a link here (yes, here: Once again, happiest of holidays wished to all...

Days are getting longer - summer's coming! Haha! LadyL, I have no magical insight to share - I've just planted a bunch of herbs in an outside space that freed up due to plants dying. They are mostly doing well. I have to manually water them sometimes, the basil plants seem to attract some kind of bug, so I spray them with a water mister (all organic here) - and make sure I wash everything before using. Rosemary is really hardy, and parsley, sage, oregano and thyme seem reasonably easy. Good luck! I love the idea of homegrown citrus, and especially avocado - is there ANYTHING avocado doesn't make better? Merry Christmas, happy whatever anybody may celebrate!

Dang, meant to reply to this earlier. Ground caraway seeds and cumin are very different flavor profiles, and I would never substitute one for the other. Caraway seeds ARE the predominate flavor in rye bread, but that also is not similar to the flavor of rye whiskey. No idea why they share a name. Further, cumin and caraway are not from the same genus of plant. I grow many of my own herbs so I am a bit anal about this, haha! Let me know if you have any further questions!

I read the recipe, and my one thought on when I try it (soonish ) - I will slice my zucchini thinner than what the recipe says, and pre-cook it, I think that will make it taste more neutral, therefore closer to traditional lasagna. I would not believe how close cashew cheese could be, had I not once had some cashew ice cream (before I even went paleo actually) and found it pretty close to the real thing. and Kirbz, the pasta and dairy is what would have made you feel bloated with traditional lasagna (which I used to be famous for, maybe I will be again), so I'm not surprised you felt better. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

I use a coffee bean grinder to grind my spices and it works great. I have a separate grinder for coffee beans, as I don't really want my coffee to reek of rosemary or whatever other spice I may have ground in it - and thanks for that brainpickings link - looks intriguing, going to investigate further! (I read a lot of Herman Hesse as a young man, maybe time to revisit...) (Damian, Siddhartha, Glass Bead Game, Narcissus and Goldmund, Steppenwolf)