Whole30 I Love You

[Physibeth]

I hear you on the fermenting thing. I'm scared to eat my pickles. They are actually still in the refrigerator at the house. I'm sure your kraut will be lovely! No fear! Hope you get more uninterrupted sleep tonight. I love kid snuggles. 

[Emma]

Slept from 10-4 and 4:30 to 7 - not so bad.  Wouldn't have minded waking up no my own instead of an alarm, but I really ought not complain!  I did go to yoga last night and it was good.  My legs are weak.  My shoulders don't go down my back.  I can't balance on my right foot, but I can on my left.  I'm like a C- student trying hard, but not quite up to par just yet.  This morning it's nice to feel the muscles reminding me that I was at yoga last night.  After the class, my foot was really sore.  I iced it a bit, but not a lot.  Today it's okay doing just the regular moving around of life.

 

Breakfast - one duck egg.  this could explain my current brain fog and sluggishness as I try to get some work done which i'm obviously not doing because i'm doing this instead.  i stopped myself from snacking, but uh - maybe i should since i never really had a decent breakfast!

Lunch - crab and veggies of some sort

Dinner - ground lamb turned into something swell and veggies of some sort

 

Cold cold cold here this morning (24F).  I'm going to go eat some more and make some coffee and try to get some things accomplished this morning.

[pjena]

I would have voted yoga, too!  I am going to start hot yoga again in October and can't wait! 

 

Hope you found some more breakfast and that you get a full night sleep tonight!

 

Oh my!  I am NOT ready for 24F!  I know it will be here soon, but boy am I not ready. 

[Emma]

Yeah, 24F is a bit of a downer and, as I do every year, I underestimate the temperature and don't dress warm enough.  Oh well.

 

Today we are celebrating a birthday so I baked a paleo strawberry cake and in a few minutes, I'll go make a coconut cream/strawberry glaze.  Baking paleo is so different and though things taste good, the textures are different and it's harder to make things look how I want them.  More practice is what I need.  

 

We had apple pancakes this morning as a request from one of the kids.  Requests are great and we found a recipe that was eggs, apples, bananas and spices.  It was good.  For lunch we had pizza which was also requested and found a dough recipe that I think we'll use as our stand by.  It was 1/3 cup grated coco flour, 1/3 cup flax meal, 4 eggs, and italian seasonings.  It had a nice texture.

 

Today's meals are certainly not quite Whole30-esque, but nor are they off track foods.  Tonight we'll cook chicken adobo for our friends and we won't have wine or beer.  I wouldn't mind a beer and I'd be okay with wine, but I think it's just the drink I want with friends so perhaps I'll make up some ACV tea or some chai tea and try to begin conditioning myself to yearn for some non-alcoholic drink.  Heh.  We'll see how that goes.

[pjena]

I hope the cake turned out! 

 

Good job resisting the beer and wine!  Kombucha helps me resist. 

[Physibeth]

Yes I want to hear about that cake! It sounds nummy! I've never been much of a baker so I'm nervous traversing into paleo baking. Sounds like a great day with some good compromises.

[Emma]

Dinner went well and the cake is completely gone except for a small piece saved for the kids for today (that we forgot about at lunch time).    This is the recipe I worked off of:  http://blog.jchongstudio.com/2013/04/strawberry-donut-cakes.html

 

The cake itself was good, though moist and trickier to cut into the shape I wanted. The glaze was nothing like what I'd expected, but overall it ended up looking cute and everybody liked it.

 

The runny noses seem to be back this morning and one of the kids has quite a bit of green snot.  This is day ten of the cold and I feel like it's trying to dig in again.  Part of me wonders if our sugar content from yesterday helped encourage that - or maybe just the stress of the day even though it was good stress.  Who knows, but I guess tonight I'll break out the ACV again.  Nobody will complain.

 

Today is a busy work day and I can feel my stress tensing up in my back and shoulders.  None of it is super stressful in itself, but trying to get things done with the kids around and all the unknowns that come up with kids in the background makes it harder.  I'm glad to have this twenty minutes to type while my kids hopefully fall asleep and I hope I'll stand up rejuvenated and excited for the challenge this afternoon.  Ha. 

 

Breakfast - sweet potatoes with duck eggs

Lunch - chicken adobo with carrots, onions and zucchini

Dinner - moose and broccoli and ???

 

Oh - and for sleep?  I slept GREAT last night.  That makes two nights of pretty darn good sleep.  It's nice.  It also makes two nights that my little boy has slept all night without an accident.  I really think it takes him about three weeks for his body to adjust when we start a Whole30.  It's an exhausting three weeks and we ended up reverting back to pull ups a week ago when he caught a cold.

 

Yoga tomorrow I hope.  I'm looking forward to it.  I'm also liking that I'm not feeling guilty for not exercising every day.  Two days a week will work for me for now.

[pjena]

I believe that sugar impacts our immune system and could definitely be part of the returning colds.  I'm glad the party went well. 

[Emma]

Got lots done today, but not as much completed as I'd like.   We travel next week so I'm trying to get ahead and, as of right now, I'm not officially there yet.  I went to yoga this evening and it was good.  It was hard which I like.  Afterwards I was tempted to do the zumba class but the back of my knee was feeling odd so I didn't which was probably better.  Now I'm home with some freshly baked hardboiled eggs for the rest of the week in the fridge.  I was crazy bloated and fartsy today - like crazy amounts.  It could be the increase in almonds and cashews (I've been snacking) or the crazy amount of flax seed in the pancakes on Sunday or the cake??  Or maybe it was our dinner last night.  Or the extra probiotics I took. I have no idea, but things are moving and I imagine things will settle down in the next few days.

 

We all slept well again last night and it's nice. My husband looked so alert and peppy this morning.  I don't know if I looked peppy, but I know the mornings aren't challenging - they just are.  I think overall my energy is better and more consistent.  Heck, I'm going to the gym because I want to and not out of some should based obligation.  Now, if only I would just start popping exercise DVD's in the computer for fun during the day!

 

Breakfast:  Sweet potatoes with duck eggs

Lunch: Crab with pesto and carrots

Dinner: Salmon chowder

In between lunch and dinner: A handful of raisins and a handful of almonds

 

Tomorrow I will curb the snacking.  At least I hope to curb the snacking.  In lieu of nuts, I'll have an egg and work on creating a mini meal.

And tomorrow I will finish today's project in the morning.  And get my next one started.  I will. I will.  And I'll close out all the competing distractions like this Facebook, email and this forum! 

[pjena]

Nuts do that to me....  Good luck not snacking today. And getting your projects done/started!

[Physibeth]

You can do it!

[Emma]

Heee - well, I grabbed a handful of almonds a half hour before lunch.  Hmmm.  There is still the rest of the day to try not to snack.

 

Again we had a good night of sleep.  It's sad that it will come to an end once we begin our travels and slip back to old ways.  We're leaving for Mexico and right now my only food rule will be no dairy along with no extreme sugars.  And, I find myself looking forward to going out to eat once we get back home for sushi and a beer.  Hmmm.  But maybe we'll balance it all out and still find ourselves eating better than we did back in the day.

 

I did get quite a bit done this morning.  I'm not where I want to be and I can feel the quick breathing stress that comes with trying to get it All Done Before a Trip.  We're going to be flying red eye with kids so those won't be good sleep nights, which means, even more, that I need to have a good night's sleep at home tomorrow.  THAT means I need to get lots done today and lots done tomorrow.  If it was just work, it would be manageable, but of course it means the big pile of laundry and the overall house.  I've already relaxed my standards (we don't really NEED clean sheets on our bed for our return home) but we do need things picked up.  And to top it off, we have a friend visiting from out of town tomorrow night AND a school parent meeting.  Once I get back downstairs, I'll map out my plan for today and tomorrow and try to be realistic.

 

I also picked up a couple mystery books from the free shelf at the library.  I started one last night!  I shouldn't have because all it does is distract me from the work I need to do, but so far I have refrained.  I'm completely looking forward to reading a book for fun on the plane.  It sounds like heaven.

[pjena]

Mexico sounds wonderful.  I wish I could get away!  I think we are going somewhere for Spring Break, so I just have to wait until March. LOL  Enjoy the chips and salsa and guac and tropical fruits.  I could live on that in Mexico and need nothing else.  When we travel, because of my son, I try very hard to have us all eat "clean" for breakfast, lunch and snacks and then loosen up for dinner and a treat.  That has worked very well for us.  It lets us have a treat, but not pay the price for all day indulgence.  That price being me up all night with a coughing and possibly vomiting child.  Not a price I'm willing to pay!  It's harder to make good choices when the effects are subtler.  Good luck getting everything done and with the red eye (we've done that and it's brutal!  I feel your pain) and the travel eats. 

[Emma]

We've returned from Mexico!

 

We ate rice and some beans and some tortillas and some chips and some beer, but overall we ate fairly decently and had full breakfasts of eggs and vegetables and full dinners of meats in a variety of sauces.  My husband and I went on a date and ate some churros and the kids and I munched on some bread rolls one afternoon.  We also had some chocolate deserts one evening, but overall we were relatively okay.  We avoided dairy for the most part and I opted for tequila on ice over margaritas.  We stayed healthy though I did begin coughing part way through so I started drinking vinegar and honey tea before bed.  It's amazing how well honey works for a nighttime cough.

 

The thing I missed the most, though, was the vegetables.  We just didn't get near as many vegetables and I found myself really missing them.

I also noticed that my husband's energy began to wane.  He joked that it was our non dinosaur diet and all the beer and I think he might be right because the trip itself was great and our days and nights were as relaxed as they can be with family and little kids.

 

It's good to be back in the states and it's good to go out and eat!  We ate lunch and dinner out our first night back and my dinner (pasta) definitely reminded me that I prefer this dinosaur way of living.  I was foggy headed the next day and sluggish and just full feeling.  (I did get a bit of the Mexican digestive issues near the end of our trip and my pasta dinner did not help that healing process).

 

Last night we had a good healthy dinner.  Breakfast today was good.  Dinner tonight we're going out for Korean food and after that we'll hopefully be back more on track.  The reason I hope so is that today I ate two big cookies that a friend brought over.  I didn't even really want them, but I ate them and I can see that this is the start of the slippery slope.  I plan to have more cookies in the future, but I want them to be the exception and not the norm.  I want my body to feel like it was feeling so right now I'm baking some paleo cookies to try to find some decent alternatives around our house during this halloween season.

[pjena]

Welcome back!  I'm glad you had a good time and managed to strike a pretty good balance with the food.  I find it hard to get enough vegetables anywhere other than home, too!  Interesting that your husband noticed his energy decline and attributed it to the food.  That should help get everyone back on track quickly.

[Physibeth]

Glad you had a fun vacation! Here is to regaining some normalcy in your routine!

[Emma]

Tonight was ground chicken with red and green peppers, cauliflower roasted at a high heat, butternut squash leftovers and kimchi.  It was good.  We went through two heads of cauliflower.  Cost wise, this food is not cheap, but it sure does feel better.

 

On the down side, I ate a big old monster cookie this afternoon that my friend left here.  It was tasty and doughy, but I don't think it does wonders for my system.  Luckily, I'm not noticing any specific bad issues, but nor am I feeling at my tiger best. 

 

I did get quite a bit accomplished today.  Overall I am getting a lot done and I'm doing it well, but I can also feel my stress just sitting in my mid and upper back.  I never noticed that when I was younger but am keenly aware of it now.  This is a busy weekend and next week I have quite a bit of work to do as well, but hopefully I'll build in the yoga time and also some very good down time.  I picked up a new junk book and I could read that or try that mediation stuff again (which I did like, but is hard to want to make time for), or just go out for a long walk by myself.  We shall see.

 

No duck eggs again this week.  I'm surprised how much I miss them.  When I was eating them I noticed the different texture, but didn't think much of it.  Now I find I'm actually desiring them.

 

Tomorrow breakfast: sweet potatoes and eggs over easy or pumpkin pancakes (kids have yet to make their official decision)

Tomorrow lunch: leftover ground chicken, veggies, kimchi

Tomorrow dinner: salmon with mango salsa 

[pjena]

I've never tried duck eggs.  Maybe I'll see if they have any at the farmer's market. 

 

Find time for yoga and reading!  Moms need to take care of themselves or they are no good to anyone else!

[Emma]

You're completely right pjena!  I bombed at finding time to read or do yoga or go out walking, but I did get a lot of work done and did spend some fun times with my husband and those things are good too.

 

I also had a major craving for a cheese roll from the grocery store deli today.  I was there.  I thought, "I could have one and nobody in my family would know."  I then even added to myself, "And I'm healthy right now.  One roll isn't going to make the difference between health and non health."  And then another voice inside my head said, "You must be hungry.  Go home and eat right now!"  

 

It's true.  I was hungry and the ONLY times I really have cravings is when I'm hungry.  My unspoken agreement with myself is that I can eat as much as I want - to the point of feeling triple stuffed - if it's part of the Whole Foods template.  Ten minutes later with buffalo and kimchi and kale salad sitting in my system I was feeling better and thankful I didn't have the cheese roll.

 

Later tonight I wanted chocolate.  I looked for some at the store when I picked up beer and wine.  I didn't look too hard because I didn't really want to be tempted.  I like feeling healthier.  I like that I'm conquering colds within days instead of within weeks.  I like that I think I'm still losing weight even if it's at a really really slow pace.  And I like that I'm sleeping relatively well and getting decent amounts of things done.  When I think back to last March and how I just struggled from one hour to the next, I see that I'm a whole new person.  I've got a ways to go, but I'm getting there.

 

Breakfast - sweet potatoes and duck eggs

Lunch - ground buffalo, kimchi, kale salad with apples and raisins

Dinner - ground chicken with a spaghetti squash phad thai kind of thing with broccoli and tomatoes and kimchi

 

Taking probiotic with every meal and sometimes the digestive enzymes.  My kids are taking a kids probiotic once a day.  I do believe our stools are more solid this go around though we've had the trip to Mexico and then the off road rice eating in the last week so our variables are a bit skewed.  Nonetheless, I'm a bit sold on the daily probiotic thing AND I'm a bit thankful for the digestive enzymes which I'm fairly certain made off roading in Mexico a positive experience for me.

[pjena]

Great job resisting the cheese roll!!!!!  That's the part of being on W30 that I like the best - no internal debate about I can have that or no I can't.  It is kind of freeing to just not think about it.  I would love to get to the point where I don't think about it when not under the W30 rules. 

 

My son takes an enzyme probiotic chewable with each meal.  I think it helps and have sung the praises of them all over the boards for 6 months! LOL   

[Physibeth]

Great job resisting the cheese roll! One thing I have realized as I navigate the post-W30 world is that anytime I have the thought "I could have it and nobody would know" I shouldn't have it even if it is compliant food. That sneaky eating thing is a huge part of the food disorders I'm conquering. Eating with no shame means not eating if you even have thoughts of it being rebellious. Sounds like the whole family is doing really well!

[Emma]

Yeah that sneaky thinking isn't really healthy is it.  In the case of my body these days, I wouldn't be sneaking on a diet or sneaking on family commitment, but I'd be sneaking on the things that make me feel a bit proud.  I am a bit proud of how I'm eating.  I'm a-okay still enjoying junk food, but I want to feel like it's done without that sneaky craving that's causing me to do things.

 

That being said, I have already sought through my cabinets and fridge for SOMETHING to eat other than what is available.  It's good we have no chocolate or dates or almonds or lara bars at the current moment.  It's a downer that we have no almond butter.  I sometimes think we dont' get enough healthy fats at our meals and that triggers this behavior, but who knows - maybe it's just me adjusting back to home life routines.

 

Breakfast - sweet potatoes and eggs

Lunch - steak and broccoli and some sweet potatoes and a really sweet carrot

Dinner - ground chicken and something (spaghetti squash perhaps)

 

I need to start trying new recipes again.  It's so easy to fall into the same old routine and now that our store is selling some organic produce, it's easier to just wing it, but we wing it with the same old things.

 

Tonight is yoga and if my foot is feeling good, then afterwards I'm gonna try zumba as well.

And for now I'm off to either read my junk book or work on my lecture for Saturday which will make the rest of my week much more stress free.

[Physibeth]

I'm going to give this a whirl tonight for a change of pace tomorrow: http://www.inspiralized.com/2013/10/09/how-to-spiralize-a-butternut-squash/

[Emma]

We don't have a spiralizer, but I could use my special julienne peeler and do that.  Never occurred to me!  Now for a sauce that is new and interesting....

[pjena]

Yum!  I haven't tried spiralizing butternut.  I don't have one right now, but will put it on my list for next week's farmer's market!  Let us know what you put on it.

 

I agree on the sneaking.  It's a bad habit that I am also trying to break.  If I'm going to have a treat (ahem - ice cream) I try to make myself eat it with my family and not alone.  Last night, I ate ice cream with my family.  I'm ok with that.  6 months ago, I probably would have kept eating treats when I got home but would have eaten them when nobody was looking.  I'm glad to say I did not do that last night.  But, the urge was still there.  I hope that urge goes away someday.