Nausea and Exhaustion

[Kelly Cleveland]

I pretty much floated through days 1-3. Although they had there challenges, I didn't find them unmanageable. I entered a rough patch yesterday on day 5. Yesterday, I was not hungry, which is great; however, I found the food I was cooking was nauseating. I'm not sick, and do not have a stomach bug. I know it is being burnt out on eating the same types of food every day. I cried while cooking dinner, as I am the only one eating by the whole30 plan. I was cooking Spaghetti for the family, but for me it was Cabbage with tomatoes and turkey hamburger. The food didn't taste bad, but I think it is the monotony of the flavors. My go to foods have been eggs, tuna, turkey, and beef for protein and collard greens, spinach, kale, and sweet potatoes for veggies. I look through the recipes and have bought some of the pantry packers such as the almond flour and coconut butter, but I'm finding it expensive and time consuming to cook with these ingredients.

When I woke up today on Day 6 I had a headache, possibly from oversleeping. I have not made it to the kitchen to make breakfast because I'm so tired of eating eggs and am not excited about eating anymore since I'm not enjoying my meals.

I sure hope this is just a rough spot, and that it will get better soon! Thank you for reading my post.

[Suzy]

First of all, happy Mother's Day! It must be hard cooking pasta for everyone else when you're eating veggies and meat.

I'm thinking this is the rough patch that I experienced my first time. If you're exhausted with no appetite, that's a sure sign you need more carbohydrates. My go-tos are sweet potatoes, beets, and winter squash. Get the canned squash; it's great in a pinch.

[notacommittee]

The food didn't taste bad, but I think it is the monotony of the flavors. My go to foods have been eggs, tuna, turkey, and beef for protein and collard greens, spinach, kale, and sweet potatoes for veggies. I look through the recipes and have bought some of the pantry packers such as the almond flour and coconut butter, but I'm finding it expensive and time consuming to cook with these ingredients.

OMG I would die if those were the only veggies I was eating! Not only the flavors but also the textures are all the same (leafy greens...) I love leafy greens but have you tried:

• crunchy, more "solid" veggies: carrots, bell peppers, etc.
  
• creamier veggies: roasted yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, butternut squash, etc.
  
• richer, more full-bodied veggies: tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.
  
• sharper-tasting veggies: raw onions and arugula in salads, etc.
  
• cruciferous veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
  
• Anything you haven't tried yet
  

Leafy greens are great but they're not the final word on vegetable matter! Maybe adding a little more variety will help you not feel so depressed.

Also, there's no rule that you HAVE to eat eggs for breakfast; you can just as easily have sausages, or last night's leftovers, or whatever you like.

Best of luck getting over your rough patch!

[KitchenWitchy]

Can you try adding new foods to your menu? Things like mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, and hard squash are very versatile, available in most markets, and aren't too pricey. Spaghetti squash can stand in for pasta, and you can grate cauliflower into a rice-like texture.

Spices are more expensive, but can be mixed-and-matched to create different flavors. For example: cumin, paprika, cayenne, garlic, and oregano make great taco seasoning; add cinnamon and take away oregano and you can do a Moroccan tagine. Oregano and garlic alone make an Italian-flavored meal, or garlic and paprika with rosemary make a great rub for meats.

Also, it's cheaper to get a bunch of ingredients that can work in multiple dishes, rather than trying to follow recipes that all call for little bits of things you have to buy in bulk.

I hope this helps!

[MrsStick]

Also - if your family is having pasta, you could always make zucchini noodles and serve the sauce on that! It's not the same thing, but that way you can have the sauce and meat. And you don't need to necessarily make "noodles" from the zucchini. You could just chop and cook them and top with sauce.

[Bethann67]

You don't HAVE to make zucchini noodles ... But you should! They are MILES better then pasta !

I would also highly recommend getting the cookbook WELL FED, for the hot plates Melissa J lists loads of options to spice up basic chicken and browned ground beef... Combinations my brain wouldn't recognize as delicious! But are amazing!!!

Also..a batch of homemade mayo makes a meal go from meh to yum! ( IE a big squeeze of lemon on top of the mayo and you have hollandaise ... On broccoli or asparagus or brussell sprouts it is so good it seems wrong!

[Kirsteen]

Some brilliant advice above. Can I just add that Day 5 is colloqially known as kill-all-things-day and is usually the worst for most people. Hopefully it'll get better from now on. good luck

[Kelly Cleveland]

Thank you all so much for the advice!! It helps soooo much. I searched my grocery store for spaghetti squash but couldn't find it. I will try a new store. I was getting sick yesterday, but did not realize it at the time of the post. Today I have a UTI and Strep throat, so this could definitely be what was up! You are all so right about my veggie choices. I have to be honest and say I don't know how to shop or cook some of the veggies listed above, but now I'm at a point I have to learn. Thank you again and again and when I recooperate and head back to the store I will buy some squash and orange and yellow veggies along with my leafy greens. Thank you for all the support. I appreciate it!!!!

[Beets]

I don't fuss with the flours either. I don't think you need to. And, frankly, I don't think almond flour is all that great unless maybe it's a very specifically processed almond flour that specifically addresses the high amount of phytic acid in almonds. (Which is just as gut-disruptive as wheat flour.) I guess it's better in a pinch but I don't think it's a great thing to eat often.

What about cabbage? I am on a big cabbage kick now but I have always liked it. I figure it's because I'm half Polish. I don't know. But, anyway, cabbage is cheap and fills you up. I like throwing some in a salad. When it's sliced thin you hardly notice it, but it bulks up the salad and adds nutrients. It can be crunchy or soft and will take on whatever flavors you add to it.

I personally have never been a squash family eater. (With the exception of pureed soups or chunk-less zucchini bread.) I wish I was! They are cheap and nutritious. Maybe I need to learn how to cook them. Speaking of learning to cook veggies, coating any veg in salt and fat (tallow is yummiest--save the fat from broth) and roasting on high temp (400-425) till crispy makes any veg taste amazing. I literally gagged anytime I ate broccoli well into my late 20s, and then could only eat it covered in sauce. But roasted broccoli? Yum. Roasted brussells sprouts--amazing. Mix some carrots or cherry tomatoes for a little sweetness.

Feel better! My husband still has a good laugh over the idea of a "carb flu" but there is definitely a pronounced physical reaction to stopping sugar and processed carbs. I also got sick during the first few days

[KitchenWitchy]

I second Beets' suggestion on roasting veggies! Makes them all caramelized and yummy!!

Also there is a lot of great advice on these forums about how to cook and new preparation methods.

To make cauliflower rice you can just grate cauliflower on a grater - no food processor needed. Dice an onion and cook it in oil until soft, then add the cauliflower to the pan. Sauté on high heat for a couple of minutes and add seasoning. I like mine a bit crunchy but you can cook it longer if you like it soft.

Another tip is to add pungent spices like cumin, chili powder, curry, paprika to a diced, lightly cooked onion, directly into the frying pan, with oil. Stir it around and add a bit of water if it gets too gummy. Once you smell the spices cooking you can add meat, mushrooms, or other veggies. Cooking the spices really boosts the flavor and makes it taste even better.

[Bridget]

Well Fed has so many great spice mix ideas. and as has been mentioned-the zucchini noodles. I truly think I could eat them for every meal. every day. (i don't even bother with the almond flour mixture on top anymore) they are GOOOOD !

[Terresa]

I hope you're feeling better soon! i went through a complete aversion to food and am (I hope) finally on the other side of it. The suggestions here are awesome, and I hope you get past this frustrating point soon too!