Whole30 September 1 2013

[Marjan]

Ooh, I feel so bad....I was sorting out my daughter's probiotic flavoured yoghurt. I accidentally licked the spoon. It was disgustingly sweet and I tried to spit it out. This was not a bad dream, should I now start over?

 

On the weightloss front, I do feel skinnier and I am sure my rolls are smaller 

[TDC]

@Ana Tavares: Isn't it the most annoying thing that restaurants never provide enough vegetables to make you feel full? ! I feel you have to be quite picky with restaurants as some of them would just think you're being a nuisance whereas others would be happy to help.

 

@awg 828: re breastfeeding. If it helps, Melissa recommends breastfeeding for over a year... I think the idea is you wean them off the breast straight onto solid food (rather than via formula) as by the time they are properly weaned they have no more use for milk; i.e. like baby animals, once they stop feeding from their mothers they never go back to milk.

[raptah]

Marjan, my vote is No.  You're so close, and again, I think it has to do with intent and consequence.  You didn't intend to have the sugar, and the amount of sugar you had isn't going to have dire consequences for your program.

I see/feel some changes too and that's a good feeling.  Alex  I also was able to stop taking Prilosec once I was eating this way, but the acid reflux isn't completely gone and sometimes it flares.  Nothing like it used to be.  For me I think it's coffee related and if I eat too fast because I'm rushing around.

 

Sadly, I've been dealing with some pretty significant muscle pain in my shoulder and chest.  I surmise it has been the stress of this week, plus due to the amount of commuting I had to do I couldn't work out like I usually do, but it's pretty bad.  I haven't had a massage in probably 2-3 years but I scheduled one for myself for tomorrow.  This is a big step for me--just taking care of myself.  Bam!

[helen]

I put on a pair of jeans and they were still tight   But the rest of my clothes are fitting better and I feel better so trying not to let that bring me down.  I like to wear jeans to work and these are my favorites.  But I shouldn't expect to lose the 18 pounds in a month.  This will be good motivation for October and beyond.

 

I am working tons this week (subbing for a lot of sick instructors) and so not much yoga.  Do not like.  I've overspent this month on food so the extra money from the extra work is helpful but I need my yoga.

 

I have some fish to broil for lunch today.  Any suggestions for a sauce?  I'm bored with what I usually make.

 

Day 26!

[Marjan]

What I forgot to tell you all...my husband did not join the Whole30 with me, but he admitted to me that he is now making different choices. Usually he would take a sandwich when hungry, now he grabs some 'Liverwurst' (protein and fat). He was away on a conference and had a chicken salad for dinner...WHAT? My husband eating salad instead of fried chicken and chips? AWESOME!

[Marjan]

I put on a pair of jeans and they were still tight   But the rest of my clothes are fitting better and I feel better so trying not to let that bring me down.  I like to wear jeans to work and these are my favorites.  But I shouldn't expect to lose the 18 pounds in a month.  This will be good motivation for October and beyond.

 

I am working tons this week (subbing for a lot of sick instructors) and so not much yoga.  Do not like.  I've overspent this month on food so the extra money from the extra work is helpful but I need my yoga.

 

I have some fish to broil for lunch today.  Any suggestions for a sauce?  I'm bored with what I usually make.

 

Day 26!

Helen, I do not think my pants are any looser, my tops seems to be (or so I like to think)

[misshannah]

Hi all, peeking my head in to say that our beloved cat returned after 10 days! WHEW.

[jpketz]

I'm been making Kombucha for about 6 months with decent success (I usually toss in a few berries at the end for a day and then refrigerate).  A few times mine has gone to vinegar which was a bummer.  How long do you ferment?  I live in the SE so pretty warm here.  Do you use black tea?  I think the GT ones carbonate theirs.  I mix mine with a little sparkling water when I want that extra fizz.

Hey...a fellow Kombucha maker!! I keep my batches in a cabinet above my oven so it stays pretty warm and I'm getting a good ferment in about 6-7 days, but I prefer a bit more vinegar and that will get longer as we move into Fall. I usually ferment two, 15-cup batches at once, one green and one black tea for variety. I really let the teas steep for a long time to get maximum flavor.

 

I think the fizz depends on  a) the thickness and quality of the SCOBY and how long you leave the fermented tea in the bottle before refrigerating. Also, if you add an unsweetened juice or fruit to the bottles it tends to increase the secondary fermentation and produce more carbonation so c) as a general rule, the longer you leave the Kombucha in the bottle at room temp, the more fizz you get. It's just so hard to wait! 

 

And yeah...I think a lot of commercial brands add carbonation. Not that there's anything wrong with that as long as nothing else is added. I've added pomegranate, blueberry, cherry and cranberry juices (all unsweetened of course) plus fresh ginger and whatever ripe berry fruit to the bottling stage with really good results. My favorite is blueberry-ginger (Kom-blu-cha). I hear Chia seeds are also a great addition. 

 

I'm always anxious to learn new flavor combos, etc. so please share any tips and tricks! I ended up taking a class after a few false starts on my own, but since then, nothing but net!!

[helen]

My SCOBY rocks (it is locally sourced).  It doubles it seems like immediately, lol.  My favorite is blueberry too (I'm lazy about ginger but love it so I should add it next time) mostly because I like the color that blueberry gives and I make my daughers a blueberry spinach smoothie almost every day so we always have them.  I think I've been letting mine ferment too long 10-12 days.  I am going to pull mine this time at 7 days and see if it is tart enough. 

 

I drink a lot of unsweetened iced black tea in the summer (being a Southerner and all) so I have just been using the black tea but think maybe I'll try a green tea if I remember to pick it up today at TJs. 

[helen]

Hi all, peeking my head in to say that our beloved cat returned after 10 days! WHEW.

Stinker.  I wonder where he/she was all this time??!!  My cat once spent 3 days in our neighbor's house and I was distraught with worry before they figured out she was ours.

[alexasaurusrex]

I think it's funny that we are all experiencing similar things. My pants fit somewhat the same but my shirts are way loose. Today was a very good day. I worked out in the afternoon about an hour after lunch and once again was panicking about how to eat. I just decided to let the day rule itself. So I got to the gym and the only scale I have owned ever was left in my last apartment and when I went to retrieve it after moving out and it was covered in body hair...so I left it. I use the scale at the gym and I did weigh myself two weeks ago and was very happy with the results and told myself I'd wait till Monday morning for my final results...but I decided when I walked past it today to just see what it said. I lost 12 pounds!!!! I'm so excited. It's so nice to see your work actually work. It really does validate that its 20% exercise, 80% nutrition. 

[djoyce]

Hey team... Feeling good, eating on plan and trying to get in daily exercise but, unlike my recent past, I don't worry about it if life does not allow me to get a workout in.  I have let the food planning lax a bit this week but still pushing through it (no vegies for me today at breakfast though). 

 

I am losing weight (I think) but I don't believe I will lose the 15 lbs I lost in my July 2013 W30.  Again, for me, the 1st of October is much of the same (other than a weigh in) because I am planning a W90.   Keep up the great work everyone!!!

 

Cheers

DJ

[Marjan]

I intend to keep on going as long as I can...I do plan to step on the scales on monday though.

[helen]

It is finally Friday!  Wow this has been a long week for me (lots of sick instructors at work so I have taught 3X my load).  I am feeling good but a little emotional about the end of the Whole30 because wonder how the offroading will go.  I want to add in a few non-meat protein sources (maybe greek yogurt and tempeh?) but have decided to see how gluten free goes (I saw a gluten free  IPA at the health food store yesterday).  

 

I need to cook this weekend and stock back up.  I'm going to go through my receipts and figure out how much I spent this month on food so will let you know. 

 

How is everyone else??

[djoyce]

Well I got an interview (Wednesday next week) for the job I put in for and I am not a big fan of everyone saying it is "my job" or I am a "shoe in" because i much prefer to be the underdog.

 

I have to go off to Moores (Men's clothing store) with my suit today at lunch to get my pants and maybe the jacket altered.  The pants wont stay up (due to a concerted effort over the last year or so, not just this month).  Don't get me wrong... I am a fan of having to get my clothes altered but the $$ is another thing!

 

Cheers

DJ

[jpketz]

@misshannah If your cat is like my cats when they escaped, for two weeks afterwards they'd sit at the back door waiting to be  let out. Caaaaaaats! 

 

@helen @marjan @sdoucette The deal with Kombucha and sugar is that unflavored, homemade Kombucha has about 2g of sugar per 8 oz. after a normal fermentation of 6-10 days. The longer it ferments the less sugar. By contrast, a glass of orange juice has about 24g of sugar in 8 oz., carrot juice about 14g. The sugar is required for making the good stuff in the Kombucha (converting the glucose to CO2 and ethanol). But the cool thing is most of the ethanol gets converted via symbiosis to amino acids and trace vitamins and minerals, which explains why the booch doesn't turn into hooch. 

 

Kombucha is actually recommended for diabetics and folks with low sugar tolerance and has been known to actually curb sugar cravings. I've never heard a moderator on the forum say that Kombucha isn't compliant, although it really comes down to how YOU react to it. I suppose in some people it could trigger impulses to drink alcohol or sugary beverages, and if so, that would rule it out. Relationships trump ingredients. For me, if that were the case, I'd know it in a heartbeat, being prone to both impulses, but that's never been the case.

 

If you read enough Paleo forums (forae?) you'll find responses to Kombucha running the gamut as folks try to navigate the pros and cons. For me, it's kind of "hippie miracle juice" and a really fun and healthy thing to make and share with folks. But that's me. 

 

The hardest thing about making it yourself is getting ahold of a SCOBY. After that, if you can boil water, you can make Kombucha.

 

The process is simple...

 

1. Boil 15 c. of water

 

2. Brew 5-10 bags of black or green tea for however long suits your taste

 

3. Add 1 c. of cane sugar (organic is good) and dissolve

 

4. Let it cool to room temp. Add the SCOBY and 1 cup of unflavored Kombucha from a previous brew or a commercial brand. 

 

5. Cover the container (must be glass...I use gallon pickle jars I got online) with cheese cloth or a paper towel or a thin cloth and secure with a rubber band. The SCOBY is a living thing so it needs to breathe but you don't want wee beasties attracted to the sweetness. 

 

6. Put the whole enchilada in a warm, dark place and check it every few days. 

 

7. Once your new SCOBY forms over the top of the tea, start tasting with a clean straw dipped into the brew. When it reaches the right level of sourness for your taste, it's time to bottle. 

 

8. Use any sterilized glass bottle with a good closure (Grolsch-type beer bottles are perfect but I use milk bottles, Pelegrino bottles, any jar that will seal tightly.) At gthis point you'll have your original SCOBY either at the bottom of the jar or stuck to the "child" that's formed on the top. Carefully separate them if that's the case and start your SCOBY nursery, which is just a glass container you keep in the fridge for your SCOBY's. Keep the top covered with cheesecloth, etc. like the brewing jar and add a bit of Kombucha for your babies to swim in. They'll be happy that way forever. 

 

9. Bottle your Kombucha and store at room temp for 2-? days, depending on how much fizz you like. Now is when you can add any flavors or fruit, like berries, fresh ginger, unsweetened juice. Don't add anything carbonated! This step is important as you get a secondary fermentation and the flavors intensify. 

 

10. Refrigerate until chilled and enjoy! Your gut bacteria will thank you. 

 

Notes: Cleanliness, like with anything in the kitchen is essential, so sterile equipment and clean hands are important. Also, if you ever notice black residue forming in your jars, toss the mix and the SCOBY's involved. Other than that, you just have to get used to the slimy, mucasoidinal loveliness that are SCOBY's. By the way that stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. Also called "mushrooms" or "mothers'. 

 

Cheers to all and onward to Day 27!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[helen]

I bought my scoby locally and it doubles each batch.  I keep mine brewing in the kitchen in a corner with a dark towel secured by a rubber band over the top.  I keep old GT Kombucha bottles around to bottle mine (and I just run them through the dishwasher between uses).  It is pretty easy and fun.  I have had a few batches go to vinegar (typically tasted on say a Monday and still not tart enough and then didn't get to bottling until Thurs and then yuck).  So, it is a learning process.  I've had several completely perfect batches too. 

 

This is the local company I bought from.  Looks like they ship too!  Before I found them I had bought a scoby at the local food coop and it didn't grow.  So I love these guys now.  Plus they are so into mushrooms it makes me happy.

 

http://everythingmushrooms.com/kombucha/

[Angela Poliquin]

I'm prone to the alcohol impulse.  I tried kombucha a couple of years ago, and I was like, oooh, this tastes like alcohol.  Scared me.  I swear I got a buzz from it, too! Maybe that's why you all like it so much! Haha (Just kidding, I know it's like .5% alcohol.  You'd have to drink a lot of it before you should give your car keys away!)

 

I'm not glad some of you are still having symptoms, but I am glad that I'm not the only one.  GERD still hasn't left me.  In fact, it gets downright ugly if I don't take my Prevacid.  So, I am gearing myself to -gulp- give up coffee.  And nightshades, but that won't be so hard.  

 

I plan to do the reintroduction as described, just to see, but don't intend to "off-road" in the sense of adding anything permanently.  I'll do re-introduction and then we'll see what happens next.

 

I'm still feeling great, and I will also post all the changes at the end. The ketchup turned out awesome.  I used a can in the crockpot with chicken thighs and made BBQ pulled chicken.  It was definitely edible.  There are a bunch of great veggies in my fridge and I am too bored to cut them up and cook them.  I did make chicken & veg soup though, which is yummy and warm.  It has been cold and rainy all week!  The mountains have snow on them! If only I had not said that I was not scared of winter coming.  I'm always jinxing things.

 

I also seem smaller up top than down below, but... I did get comfortably into a pair of jeans I haven't worn in a year.  Whoop!

[sdoucette]

Thanks for all the kombucha knowledge. I found a friend locally who has a scoby, so I'm going to give this a go.

 

I wanted to share this awesome recipe that I made last night with some shredded pork, cilantro, avocado and salsa.

 

Plantain tortillas.

 

Heaven:

 

http://zenbellycatering.com/2013/08/17/plantain-tortillas/

 

The husband was in love. I think next time I'm going to make them when the plantains aren't as ripe because they were pretty sweet. So yummy though!

[helen]

Also I'm celebrating getting this yoga pose today on both sides (the beer gut is gone, my twists are back, thank you Whole 30!).

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eka_Pada_Koundinyasana_I

[helen]

I drink the Kombucha for the fizz   I mix them now with sparkling water (1/2 and 1/2 to make them go farther and get more fizz).  I am done with diet coke but I liked them because of the fizz and that kind of bitter after taste and sparkling water is a good replacement.

 

You all have me interested a bit in plantains now.

 

And homemade ketchup!  Rock on Angela!

[raptah]

Proud of myself because we went to a jazz club last night, and I so wanted to have a glass of wine at many different points in the evening.  The mental negotiations were unbelievable ("26 days is almost 30 so its like the same thing").  But I surfed the craving wave and I'm back on the beach.

 

I had other moments of real clarity in which I was so grateful to be taking in the music and really soaking it up and not being under the influence of anything. 

 

With only a couple-few days left of this 30, I am experiencing more cravings.  It does give me pause in relation to what many of you are saying about your post 30 plans.  I need a little break (like maybe 2-3 days) but then I want to go back to the whole 30 template I think.  Is the  break a bad idea?  A good idea?  Neither--just one option? 

 

I am super impressed with all of you bone broth, kombucha, and ketchup makers.  No, inspired.  I was too embarrassed to ask before so I asked Siri "what is SCOBY?" 

 

I know I'm late to this party, but I'm so glad misshannah's cat came home.

[Marjan]

I missed the whole ketchup thing? Is there a good recipe? I ordered a kombucha kit, all i need to do now is find a scoby. You cannot buy them legally here...

[Marjan]

Anyway off to do a woman's 5K now ...

[alexasaurusrex]

@Marjann good luck! You're going to do great I wonder why you can't by a scoby legally in the Netherlands??

 

Yesterday I bought 3 GT kombuchas in different flavors and I am definitely ordering a kit and scoby today because $14 for three drinks is ridiculous - even if I split them up for the week. @sdoucette I am going to try the tacos! I love tacos and I love plantains so win win. 

 

I spent the day watching cousins of my kids and the littlest one was in the worst mood. They are wicked attached to their mom and she went away for the weekend so they literally cried for her the whole time. The only way I got him to stop was when I drove past a farmers market. I used to live a half a mile from the place and had never gone in. It was like wonderland. For $26 I got three nectarines (from a farm down the road), 10 dates (they were huge and unpitted), an apple, 2 seltzer waters (the kids call them BUBBLE WAH ER), 2 heads of cauliflower (one is purple), spaghetti squash, half an acorn squash, and some other things I can't remember. We sat outside by the hay bails and he ate his apple and we just relaxed. It was awesome. After babysitting I went over to Whole Foods which I try to only go to for meat if I can't find anything organic at my grocer. I plucked up the courage to talk to the butcher and got bone marrow! Going to make beef broth today  

 

Today I did the cross fit intro class. I went with my boss and another mom I sit for who's husband is part of Reebok Crossfit. His first response when I came in the house was "tut tut you're wearing Nike and Adidas" haha it was a joke but ended up being a real problem in the class because my Nike's were not flat enough and my ankle was rolling around. We learned the movements that we would be doing in the WOD and I was so excited that I had enough strength and practice with weight lifting and training to know how to do them. We did a squat stretch and I was the only one who didn't need to be corrected. The WOD was a partner task and it was however fast you could do it. I partnered with the woman who's husband did cross fit. We did 10 kettle bell swings while the other person was doing burpees, then swapped exercises, and then a hundred yard dash. And we did that five times. It was awesome. She is super fit, my boss is really fit and both of them were partnered with myself and this man who are both big people. But me and my partner won! We finished it in 5 min 30 seconds and I was sooooo excited to not be last. After I got to talk to the owner and she knew all about Whole 30 and was so excited that tomorrow is my 30th day but that I'm just going to stick with it. I'm really excited to start the On Ramp course so I can get into group classes. It was a high intensity and I was dripping but I know what I did was an honest to goodness workout and that I don't have to kill myself for two hours to burn fat. 

 

So Saturday has been a crazy day already. Day 29!!!