Being Honest With Myself: I Eat Too Many Nuts

[Danielle Schwartz]

So today is day 30. I feel great (well-rested, energetic, alert), my body feels less puffy, my clothes feel looser. I'm proud of how I did through the last 30 days - with two holidays during this journey (Mother's Day and Memorial Day), it could have been "back to day 1" a couple of times, but I made up my mind at the beginning to just do it, no matter what.

However, there's one nemesis that I still have to overcome, and that's nuts. It's also the reason I'm posting this here and not under the Success Stories. I can tell when I overindulge, because my stomach looks poofy and bloated the next day. (Anyone else ever notice that? I hope I'm not crazy.) I know, I know...the Whole 30 guidelines say to watch the amount of nuts one consumes.

I think I overindulge in the nuts because I like the satisfying crunch when eating them. There aren't too many Whole 30 compliant foods that have that same crunchy texture. I can really only think of two: jicama and apples. Even though snacking is a no-no on Whole 30, I'd be dishonest if I said I didn't grab a handful (or two or three) of nuts when I felt like I needed a quick calorie fix.

So here's what I'm proposing to myself: continue for 10 more days and avoid the nuts. My sugar demon is locked up and I have no desire to eat crappy processed food (not that I did too much before embarking on Whole 30 - I was 80/20 Paleo to begin with and this is actually my second Whole 30 since embracing Paleo two years ago) but maybe I've swapped one thing for another. The rule will be okay in a salad or as a garnish, not okay by the handful or as a snack.

Any comments, suggestions, words of wisdom, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

[hojo]

Oh I so relate to this post.....I am on Day 58 for several reasons.....I am healing my gut and hormones for awhile. BUT like you, it has been difficult to give up everything that seems 'fun'. So I continued to eat nuts throughout....often while making dinner etc. Sometimes you just don't want to snack on pepper strips! Anyway, I was getting frustrated with the amount of bloating at night/gas/just uncomfortable feeling.....broccoli? cabbage? fruit? ........nope! I removed nuts for the last 3 days and wow! I can't believe how much better I feel! NO bloat, gas, etc. They are really hard to digest and I think my body just does not like them! Yes I am sad about this but it is fixable and if we are on the road to better health we might as well go all the way baby!!

I have read that if you soak them it removes the phytic acid that supposedly causes the digestive issues in most people. Maybe at some point after I've removed them for awhile I will try soaking and adding back in but for now, I feel so much better physically without them.

You can do it! If you can't get your mind around forever, try it for 1 week - no nuts for a week- if you feel better you will know as I do they need to go in the rare category.

[msssjenna]

I like to have celery and almond butter. Celery gives the crunch, and the AB gives me the nutty flavor.

good luck!

[Danielle Schwartz]

Thanks, hojo! I feel so much better knowing I'm not the only one who has trouble with nuts. And msssjenna, celery and almond butter are a perfect crunchy combo, but I think I might need to eliminate AB too during this trial period. Plus, I can't seem to get it anywhere at a decent price. It's no longer on the shelves at my TJ's and WF now only carries organic at some crazy price of $14.99 (or more) per jar. Maybe it's the universe telling me something!

[Tom Denham]

It is a different kind of crunch, but kale chips and Sea Snax offer a savory crunchiness that you might like. I haven't made kale chips in a while because I keep eating them wilted, but the broad leaf kales make good chips. Sea Snax are Whole-30 approved seaweed sheets. I sometimes eat 1/2 a pack while I am waiting for a meal to finish cooking. Sometimes a whole pack.

[Danielle Schwartz]

Thank you, Tom. Yes, it's that savory crunch that I miss, and I completely forgot about SeaSnax! Straight to Whole Foods after work today I'll go! We love kale chips in our house too, but lately I've been making a kale slaw. I'll have to buy a bag of the pre-washed, pre-torn kale from Trader Joe's to whip up a quick batch.

[Danielle Schwartz]

I'm thinking that it might be more than just nuts, and that it might be FODMAPS in general, so here I go on a FODMAP-elimination experiement. I didn't mention in my original post that I have ulcerative colitis (albeit a mild case), so I probably have a FODMAP sensitivity. Here goes...(Will document progress here.)

[calee]

Hi Danielle, I'm on Day 31 of my WholeWhatever. I overage nuts the first few days because I also am not eating nightshades. I missed my afternoon snack of mini bell peppers and craved crunh so I turned to nuts. After a few days I had to let them go. They bloated me. I can have some sliced almonds over green beans, but not hand to mouth. I added AIP on day 15 and at that point realized that coconut wasn't great for me either. What I do is not think about the nuts, not look at them in the cabinet and think of them as non food for now. I also have to eat enough at meals so that I'm not hunting for a snack. I try to go for a walk if I'm antsy.

You can do this. After a few days you'll stop thinking about them. Good luck!