Lissa Kristine

I'm actually going through Day 35, so I have a few more days to figure out my game plan for reintro. I'm leaning towards going straight into a slow-roll reintro for a few reasons: 1. I did not have any major side-effects during the Whole30. Week 1 was a breeze. 2. I have not experienced major benefits from this program. I didn't really have any health concerns prior- aside from occasional acne. No stomach distress. Nothing like that. The only possible benefits may be a slight improvement of PMS symtoms and feeling a little better in regards to my anxiety, but I also go through highs and lows so I can't necessarily give the Whole30 all the credit. I still had a panic attack yesterday. Because I didn't have any major changes in the way my body has felt before and after the Whole30, I'm not really suspecting any specific intolerances. I also do not want to eat something just because it's "on the schedule". I want to eat things as I feel they are worth it and decide from there. I am going to stick with clean, whole ingredients when cooking at home (including making my own bread whenever possible), and staying away from refined sugar at home. (I will allow some honey and maple syrup in recipes). I am also planning on incorporating the occasional RxBar in my diet and I am looking forward to trying that Cauliflower Gnocci from Trader Joe's (that is SWYPO, but otherwise compliant). I think eating a primarily "real-food" diet at home (with many Whole30 compliant meals) and not stressing over the fact that the barbacoa at Chipotle has rice bran oil seems to be where I'm envisioning my "Food Freedom" journey. I have no overwhelming desire to go to Starbucks and order a frappucino (but I can easily see myself passing on whipped cream and getting less syrup when I DO get one). When I eat out, I'm looking forward to picking what I think looks good without worrying about hidden sugar or corn. And I'm looking forward to enjoying myself at a small party I'm going to the week after this is over wihout worrying about compliant vs. non-compliant ingredients.

I'm halfway through Day 29 and I'm not really noticing any changes. (I am planning on going for another week because I want my last day to be a Saturday). Now, I definitely lucked out at the beginning of my journey. I had a day where I was feeling a little more tired than usual, but it passed quickly. I never had much of a hangover, days 4 and 5 passed without me wanting to kill ANYTHING. Now, I stopped cooking with vegetable oils at home YEARS ago, but my diet was pretty bad before starting. My last non-compliant meal was fast food chicken nuggets, waffle fries, and a caramel frappucino with extra caramel drizzle (that I finished at 11:59 PM prior to the start of Day 1). Yet, I feel like I've been breezing through this thing. No sugar cravings (and not just because I've been feeding my sugar dragon extra fruit or RxBars- I've actually eaten no RxBars). The most I've wanted was to be able to open up a can of Well, Yes! soup or buy the affordable pre-cooked chicken at the store because I just wanted a break from cooking. I have had absolutely no slips in the last 29 days. Now, there were a couple days where I only ate two meals. (I slept in until 11am yesterday and ended up eating breakfast, dinner, and just had a little snack (of an Epic Bar and olives) because I ended up being out later than expected. I've been pretty concious of the meal template. Some meals I've enjoyed: A breakfast salad made of 2-3 strips compliant baon (usually 2), halved grape tomatoes sauteed with olive oil and apple cider vinegar, spinach/arugula, and a small avocado topped with 3 fried eggs. A can of water-packed sardines with a chopped salad kit (just the veggies), broccoli slaw, and/or kale [hearty veggies that won't get soggy/gross if they sit in dressing too long], Primal Kitchen's dressing, olives and/or Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade. Compliant Italian Chicken Sausage, carrots, green beans, celery, onion, and kale with chicken stock, herbs/spices, Trader Joe's Vegan Kale Cashew Pesto, and a drizzle of chili olive oil. [I threw this together when I was sick]. Steak with Trader Joe's Umami Mushroom Seasoning and a side of roasted vegetables (potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, celery) dipped in Primal Kitchen's Garlic Aioli Mayo 3-4 deviled eggs (whole eggs with Primal Kitchen mayo) with sugar snap peas, cucumber, watermelon radishes, mixed olives (kalamata & garlic stuffed), and an occasional serving of fruit. Chicken drumsticks/wings rubbed with garam masala & salt and roasted alongside cauliflower with curry powder, tumeric, garlic powder, raisins, almonds, and pearl onions. I tried to have variety in my diet as much as possible, though I do tend to have a variation of my "Sardine salad" most weekdays because it's so quick and easy to throw together. Aside from days like yesterday where my meal schedule was a little wonky due to sleeping in, I haven't snacked in between meals. I do eat fruit, but not every meal- or even every day. Yet, I haven't felt any major changes. My clothes don't feel any different (I'll weigh myself next Sunday). My nails aren't feeling stronger. My skin doesn't seem clearer. My sleep has still been rocky and my anxiety symptoms still come and go. I also don't have boundless energy. I didn't really have any major health concerns aside from noticing that I have pretty consistent post-nasal drip and I'm prone to coughs. That hasn't gotten any better. I think the only slight improvement I noticed is a little less cramping on my cycle. I'm just waiting for the Whole30 magic and I'm wondering if it's ever going to happen.

In both Food Freedom Forever and It Starts with Food, there is talk about how to explain your reset/Whole30 to other people. This is usually in reference to co-workers, friends, or a significant other. Today, I had a babysitting job that required me to take the kids out to eat. While we usually do Applebee's, I was a little uncertain about them not listening to my special requests about butter and seasonings (and I didn't want to deal with a wait since it is a school night). So, I made the decision that we would go to Chipotle instead. I ordered a bowl with double carnitas, guac, fresh salsa, salsa verde, fajita veggies, and lettuce. It was good, but I did miss my barbacoa. [Anyone up for petitioning they stop using rice bran oil in all of their meats?] The girls did ask a little about why we weren't going to Applebee's and I wasn't quite sure how to explain it. Weight loss is one of my hopes for the Whole30, but that's not something I want to discuss with girls ages 11, 9, and 6. I also don't want to just say I want to be "healthier" because I don't want to 1.) make them have any guilt about having cheese or black beans in their tacos or 2.) look like a hypocrite when I bring foods back into my diet in March. I did manage to explain that one of my goals was to stop eating added sugar because it can help my body not want sugar as much so choosing healthier foods is easier and that I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't eat dairy, grains, beans, or sugar for a month. I just wanted to know if there was any other feedback for dealing with explaining Whole30 to kids.

I guess I can add ghee AND olive oil to the meal... it just seems a little much to use both. I can't find any compliant pork sausage around here so I'm pretty much limited to the chicken sausage. I prefer pork.

Even though I'm not quite ready for dinner (and I'm not even sure about what I'm going to eat), I decided to deal with some wilted greens by doing a mini meal prep: Part 1: Bilinski's Italian Chicken Sausages, bell pepper, onion, rainbow chard stems, and halved grape tomatoes cooked in olive oil Part 2: Sauteed kale, rainbow chard, and spinach (mostly spinach). I have both in containers. One is going to be my dinner tomorrow night when I am at my babysitting job. I've included a little container of chili-infused olive oil to drizzle on my dinner, but I'm not sure I'll be able to tolerate using all of it (but I also don't want to dilute it with plain oil). I want some ideas for additional fat that I can add to the meal just to be sure I have enough. The sausage is pretty lean. If it was a fattier pork sausage, I wouldn't be so concerned. (Side note: I don't currently have any avocados so adding half an avocado won't work).

I was going to try the Chipotle Mayo, but they didn't have it (or the Garlic one) when I went to the store today.

Ooooh. Cilantro. That one almost looks more appealing than the Well Fed one just because of the cilantro haha. I may have to swap out red pepper flakes for the chili since I don't know where to get a red jalepeno. Hopefully, my unemployment claim goes through so I can go shopping for ingredients to make this. I will say, the recipe you shared seems to use a lot more vinegar than the other recipes I've seen while looking up Chimichurri sauce. So, that's throwing me off a little.

I'll have to look into this chimichurri sauce people are talking about. Prior to discovering Primal Kitchen mayo, I only used mayo (while gagging) to make deviled eggs. Once it was mixed into the egg yolks, I was ok as long as I didn't think about it too much. I've never been a huge fan of chicken or tuna salads because of the mayo (though, I have tried the Whole30 curry chicken salad in the past- I just did it using a LITTLE bit of mayo and a LOT of yogurt on these cranberry oat crisps because I was trying to keep it lower in fat/calories (not on a Whole30 at the time). My uses for mayo include: Mixing it with parmesan cheese and using it to top chicken breast (with breadcrumbs)... it's a Hellman's recipe. Deviled eggs On the outside of grilled cheese (I actually had my first food dream after day 1 of Whole30... it was about a grilled cheese sandwich) As a dip for fries (usually in the form of a garlic aioli. That's pretty much it. I did see someone suggest stirring it into scrambled eggs. How much mayo is considered a "serving" for meal template purposes? Really, I'm just trying to find other ways to incorporate fats. I do a LOT of olives and avocado (I went through two jars of olives in my first week) and I need some variety. Plus, I may decide to try making my own mayo (since I used up the last of my Primal Kitchen stuff and I'm broke). I love eating avocados, but it's an expensive habit and I need to find other options for fats that don't break the bank. (I have used coconut milk, but most recipes I've tried only use a portion of a can for multiple servings so it isn't enough fat).

First off, I'm posting on behalf of my mom who is doing the Whole30 with me. We're on R1D9. A couple days ago, she told me that an itchy rash was developing on her skin. I did a quick search and gave her a list of possible culprits, but she dismissed them all. She hasn't eaten anything she's never eaten before (and she claims that she's not eating more of something than she was before). However, prior to starting, she recognized symptoms when eating eggs that she didn't experience before. Mainly, that they didn't seem to digest. I suggested that she leave them off her Whole30 and then add them into the reintroduction phase to see if they may be part of her diet again. Perhaps, after letting her gut heal, eggs could be tolerated again- or she would know for sure that eggs are no good. She decided to listen to a friend who couldn't eat eggs, but found they were ok on Whole30. So, I'm pretty convinced it's the eggs. She disagrees. Eggs didn't give her a rash before. (I'm thinking the stomach distress may have been an early warning sign... sort of like how an allergic person may break out in hives upon first exposure, but may go into anyphalatic shock if exposed to the allergen again). I don't know all of what she eats. The lunch she packed for work the other day included black olives, avocado, three hardboiled eggs, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, pineapple, and mango. She also snacks on nuts. (Unfortunately, because I don't know her exact menus, I can't give a few examples of her meals).

So, I've never been a fan of mayo, but I don't HATE Primal Kitchens avocado oil mayo in Devilled eggs (chicken salad is iffy.. it's a texture thing). I'm trying to find other ways to incorporate some plated fats in my meals other than olives and avocado. Today, i had Spaghetti squash with sunshine sauce. I would love to find ways to like mayo more. Currently, the only way I really enjoy mayo/aoili is as a dip for fries. Obviously, that's out... and I do worry that dipping roasted veggies (even if they aren't potatoes) in a mayo sauce may be pushing me into the SWYPO territory.

One of the things I like to do to keep from getting bored with produce is get the occasional Misfit Market Box. It's one of those subscription services that sends you organic produce that would otherwise be discarded due to size, minor blemishes, or surplus at a discount. It would defeat the purpose of the box to waste food that's in it, so I end up having to find creative ways to use produce I either wouldn't normally select or even things I don't care for too much (soups/stews are really good for items that are a little more damaged, starting to turn, or ones I just don't like and need to hide; for fruit cooking it can help if there are a lot of bruises, etc). Misfit Market is only available in NJ, NY, PA, CT, and DE, but there are other companies like it including Imperfect Produce. (I do have a referral code for MM that will give anyone a discount on their first box).

Now if only we can get them to swap out the oil for the barbacoa. That's my favorite!

The bulk bins at Whole Foods may have juice-sweetened cranberries.

Pack a lunch. School lunches are terrible anyway.

Another idea may be to come up with a compliant "muffin" recipe (one that uses all compliant ingredients). If you have young children in daycare, send a container with 1-2 muffins for each child to be stored in the FREEZER at their daycare. They can be pulled out and thawed at room temperature or in the microwave as an alternative snack if there's a class Birthday party. Sure, a paleo banana muffin isn't quite the same as a chocolate cupcake with neon blue frosting, but perhaps the idea that Sammy has a special treat for the party will make things a little easier. With some kids, gradual change may be needed. Cutting out peanut butter and jelly at once may not work without a good replacement, but swapping out the peanut butter for almond or sunflower seed butter may help them get used to the taste. What about making "jelly" by mixing mashed berries with chia seeds or doing nut butter and banana sandwiches. Maybe you'll go from peanut butter and jelly on bread to almond butter and jelly on bread to almond butter and fresh berries on bread to fresh strawberries that are cored and filled with almond butter. (For some kids,the transition may even need to be slower. Perhaps mixing peanut butter with almond butter and gradually decreasing the amount of peanut butter used may also be needed). Some kid-friendly snacks that are Whole30 Compliant [These are specifically the kinds of snacks or alternatives to ones you may see children in preschool eat; I know a 3 year old who thinks creamed kale is a great snack to bring to a party though, so I don't think anything is off limits. Some may be considered SWYPO, and of course you should check lablels] Fruit and veggie puree pouches (baby food pouches or GoGo Squeez Applesauce Pouches.) Applesauce cups Happy Farms Coconut Creamies (alternative to Gerber yogurt melts) Fresh fruit Veggies with compliant dips Bare Fruit and Veggie Chips (excluding Carrot Ranch or any of the coconut chips; even the barbecue sweet potato ones are allowed) Freeze dried/dried fruit (including raisins) Trader Joe's Plantain chips Epic Pork Rinds (not the Maple Bacon cracklin's. The rinds are ok) Fruit with whipped coconut cream Chocolate avocado pudding (add banana and/or dates to sweeten). Chia pudding (with compliant milk and fruit to sweeten) Bars: Larabar (check labels), Rx Bars (including ones with chocolate chips, but not peanuts), Pressed by Kind Bars, or That's It! Fruit Bars Snack packs of olives and/or pickles Precooked chicken strips dipped into compliant dipping sauces/dressings [including guacamole] Compliant deli meats wrapped around fresh veggies or cut into fun shapes Fruit juice or smoothies made with compliant ingredients that are frozen into "popsicles." I tried to include some shelf-stable and some perishable snack ideas including several that are either IDENTICAL to the same snacks everyone else seem to eat or are decent subsitutes for them. Of course, many of them (as I said before) aren't great for adults, but maybe having a few green "Hulk" smoothie pops made of coconut milk, strawberries, banana, and spinach in the freezer will come in handy when Alex and Chris are the only two kids in the neighborhood who aren't getting ice cream from the ice cream truck.