Every day is Post-Whole30

[PamH]

Here I am!  I am done with the intensity of the Whole30 even though I did not string together 30 consecutive days.  Since March 2013 I have been Whole30 compliant possibly as close as ½ of the time.  I made 3 attempts at Whole30 and never completed it.  I would always fall off around Day 15 and get back up.  So, I went 56 of 60 days, 28 of 30, etc.  Still, I felt pretty good and held on to some life style changes.   

 

Sugar always creeps back in… in the form of chocolate, usually.  I find myself eating a hefty portion of my daily calories in chocolate form (chocolate covered ginger, chocolate chips, raw chocolate, dark chocolate as a chocolate snob for sure).  That leads to calorie restriction, skipped meals, over exercising and other INvasive maneuvers to offset the poor choices.

 

So, post Whole30 will focus on eating BREAKFAST and the meal template.  I won't be compliant all of the time, but I will continue to avoid grains maybe 6 days a week.  Limit my hard cheeses full of glutamates.  No "Paleofying" desserts, and just eat a dessert every once in a while and enjoy it!  

 

Add fermented soy products slowly.  I am wondering at my age if some fermented soy would be beneficial?  I am almost 49 and close to menopause according to hormone testing.  Tempeh could be a helpful protein for me but I need to take a closer look at that one.  Organic, for sure.

 

Lots of changes in my life over the past year:  I've re-entered the (paid) work force after 15 years,  developed a life long condition that effects my ability to exercise hard and heavy like I love to do, tackled a failing marriage head on, and started the process of identifying and pursuing my passions.  It hasn't been easy!

 

I think I will keep a daily food  journal.  It is helpful to me and holds me accountable.

[PamH]

I have a bad cold.  First cold since I started working again, so that is the first cold in nearly a year.  It is a whopper.  Pretty sure I got it on the plane or at Disney World.  Lots of hacking all around me.  

 

So, yesterday I felt crappy and I ate crappy.  Today wasn't too horrible, but I found myself rehearsing the 'rein it in' mantra in my head.  I eat for comfort.  I eat when tired.  I eat when happy.

 

Drank ½ caff coffee with some coconut milk today.

 

Breakfast:  normal sized serving of scotch oats with mixed raw nuts and raisins

 

Tried oats.  I love them so I wanted to see how I do.  I tried reintroducing them a while ago but didn't do well.  I'm thinking it was the form (in a fruit juice sweetened muffin) and not necessarily the oats.  I feel fine aside from the head cold.  No bloating or brick in my stomach.

 

Lunch:  too much nut butter and about 12 raw macadamia nuts.  That was my binge moment.  Not proud.  Nut butters must go for now.

 

Dinner:  red cabbage, onion, broccolini stir fry

 

I didn't eat protein today.  It sounded horrible to me.  I should have eaten eggs instead of the nut butters but it is what it is.  I'm not even hungry.

 

Off to bed early to start another day!

 

Although I didn't go to the gym, I walked the foster dog 4 separate times on the 1+ mile loop around the neighborhood.  I'm a fast walker so it isn't' a stroll by any means.

[PamH]

Argh.  What a crappy night's sleep.  

 

Half caff coffee with coconut milk and then off to work for a long day.  I would love to say it is the weekend, but I work on Saturday.

 

It has been a long time since I've been sick enough to want to stay home from work (beyond the morning after feeling from a huge binge).  I just want to be lazy and pampered and covered in Kleenex.

 

Breakfast:  Chia 'pudding' (made with coconut milk; like a porridge) and a pear on the way to work.

 

I can't taste anything.  Who knows if it was good?

 

Lunch:  Chicken leg/thigh with skin and 1c mixed sauteed vegetables

 

Drank a bottle of unsweetened kombucha cut with water over the day.  Not a lot to do at work today so they asked if I wanted to cut out early.  Well, YES!

 

Bought ingredients for homemade chicken/ginger/daikon/spinach soup.  Pressure cooker method makes for a quick and awesome soul-feeder.

 

Dinner:  Lots of chicken soup with spinach/mushrooms/carrots plus the daikon/carrot I used to make the stock

 

Snack:  1 fig and 1/4 c raisins

[Talie1706]

colds are horrible miserable things indeed.  you need a big pointy stick to scare it away lol

 

when you are poorly and not hungry managing to eat real food instead of rubbish is an acheivement so i wouldnt worry about the nuts/nut butters they won't hurt and should give you some energy that isnt chocolate based   as one chocolate snob to another good quality choc is very different from mass produced candy bars and doesnt give those horrible sugar highs and lows well unless I've REALLY binged on it which costs too much to do regularly

 

You are doing really well all things considered and should be proud of what you've acheived x

[PamH]

Working on making good choices while sick.  

 

(Yesterday)

 

Breakfast:  coffee with coconut milk and a banana.  Just not feeling the appetite

 

Drank a ton of water and kombucha today.

 

Lunch:  chicken breast with skin and large serving sauteed vegetables

 

Snack:  bought and started to eat my dark chocolate covered ginger to make me feel better and I stopped at 3.  Pretty good!  Was able to look forward at the goal, even in the moment of just wanting to put sugar in my mouth because I felt crappy.

 

Dinner:  Big bowl of sautéed onion/cabbage/sundried tomatoes and 2 large plates of salad.  Salad was homemade by my sister-in-law, but was not Whole30.  I chose it over the pork chops and mashed potatoes to avoid obvious gluten and potato starches.  I know I am post Whole30 but I want to stay as clean as possible when I am not drawn to the non-Whole30 food.  This was one of those meals.

 

Salad:  mixed greens, avocado, candied almonds, red onion, blue cheese, strawberries and an olive oil based vinaigrette. 

 

Came home and finished watching the Badgers beat the Ducks.  Sat around for a bit and decided I just needed to go to bed.

[PamH]

Up at 6am to walk the foster dog in 15 degree weather.  When will it get warmer?  Where is my spring?  Beautiful time of the day to be out walking with the sun coming up but cold!

 

Enjoying my french press half caff with coconut milk all alone in the kitchen.  What a lovely silence… outside of the dogs going back and forth over tug-o-war.

 

Well, well well.  How does this happen?  Touting my lowered desire for sugar followed by a day full of sugar eating.  Sigh.

 

Breakfast:  left over beef stir fry with mixed vegetables and 3 mini drumsticks (chicken) that had soy in them and probably sugar in the marinade.

 

Lunch:  Honestly, it was chocolate and raw congo bar cookie dough

 

I did go to the gym for 75 minutes today after a 10 day hiatus for Disney vacation and a crappy head cold.  It felt great.

 

Dinner:  So many pieces of sushi!  I had planned on only eating 9 pieces, but my meal came with 12 and then I ate  4 of what my husband did not eat.  Oh, my.  I haven't had that much rice in a year or two!

 

Walked 4 miles with the foster dog today, also.  Lots of activity but still too much food to feel comfortable right now.  Kind of disappointed in myself for eating all of the cookie dough and chocolate but it is what it is.

[PamH]

Difficult night last night:  multiple hot flashes.  Is it sugar?  Is it the rice?  Is it just hormones and food has nothing to do with it?  I was also very, very tearful.

 

Lots of half caff and coconut milk this morning.  Nobody else wanted the rest of what is in the french press so I drank it after all were gone to school and work.  

 

No work today.  What a glorious feeling… all alone in the kitchen.  Sadly, the bathrooms and the laundry need attention.  

 

Breakfast:  2 eggs, 1 turkey sausage link (Shelton's brand looks compliant) and red onion with pink sea salt

 

Snack:  small pear

 

Lunch:  chicken breast and vegetables

 

Dinner:  chicken breast and vegetables

 

Boring!  I didn't want to have left overs so I ate one chicken breast at each meal.  Tons of vegetables, too.

 

Walked about 5 miles today in 4 separate walks with the dog.  Felt good, but I am tired from this virus.  Too tired for the gym tonight and I don't feel like pushing it.  The 'old me' would go to burn off calories from yesterday since I didnt' fast today.  Buh-bye old me.

[PamH]

Morning cup of half caff with coconut milk.  Fresh SNOW on the ground!  It is quite beautiful, but I was just getting used to the snow being gone.  Great walk with the dog this morning before sunrise; blessed to still be able to take great pleasure out of being the first being to put tracks in freshly fallen snow.

 

Breakfast:  raw bar (packaged.  boo) and a pear

 

Lunch:  huge chicken breast with skin and 2c veggies

 

Snack:  way too many nuts

 

Dinner:  flank steak, big bowl of roasted (in sesame oil/ghee/salt) cabbage, brussel sprouts, onion and snow peas topped with almonds/dried cranberries browned in ghee.

 

Huge fat bolus after 5PM.  I ate too little breakfast, lunch too early, and did not give the opportunity for a snack, so by 5PM I was starving.

 

Off to the gym for an hour, I think.

[PamH]

I'm already moving backwards.  Seems the freedom of post Whole30 is difficult!  I really am a stress eater and it works against me big time.  Tackling that would be beautiful.

 

I think I will read up a bit more about reintroductions and restrict myself that way.  I've never followed the recommended plan (gasp).

 

So, half caff with coconut milk this morning before work.  Off to work early today so I need all kids to catch the bus.

 

Banana in the car.

 

Lunch:  sushi (9pc) and a fruit juice sweetened oat muffin

 

Snack:  apple and 2pc ginger

 

Went to a short seminar today on herbs.  They focused on 5, but sadly for me I knew a lot about 4 of them already.   Still, it got me back into taking my turmeric and ginger daily.  I will try!  I did hear that you should take your turmeric with a fat source so I will do that (unless it processed to be bioavailable).

 

Drank a mug of Rishi turmeric/ginger tea.

 

Dinner:  paneer saag something with vegetables instead of rice

 

So, looks like I tested white rice, flour and oats today.  So far, I haven't had that urge to graze the cupboards.

 

No gym today, but walking the dog about 3 miles altogether.   

[PamH]

Hard to get to the site over the past 2 days but nothing much to report.

 

Doing fine, food wise.

 

Had some weird hives appear again this morning. I've had this 3 times in the past 6 weeks (pretty much exactly 2 weeks apart).  Always in the morning around 8AM.  Appears on my arms and knees and that's about it… with red hot ears.  This time it was before my shower, so the theory of hot water setting off a histamine release doesn't fly anymore.

 

Just not sure what to do about it.  They disappear within 90 minutes and do not itch but my skin feels oddly tight/dry for many hours afterwards.  Trying not to freak out!

 

Ah, getting older is sometimes blissful.  

[PamH]

Histamine Intolerance is the topic of the day today.  I am going to spend some of my day off researching.  So far, this is sounding like me!  Better than a mast cell activation disorder… or are they the same thing?

 

If I need to go low histamine, it is going to be rough!  But, it could explain the hives and the generalized anxiety and many of my other symptoms I just chalked up to hormones.  Hives are coming about every 2 weeks which can be explained by the slow build up of histamines and then the tipping point… and then back to the slow build up to make for a vicious cycle.  

 

How it relates to thyroid function will be more difficult.  It is all so complicated!  

 

So, starting my day with half caff and coconut milk.  Both seem to be allowed on the low histamine diet so I am OK for now.  I do feel tingling in my skin at my jaw, my tongue and my upper chest but I am so good at working myself up.  

 

No reaction today!  It is after 9am and a bit after I ate so I think I will be hive free today.  

 

Breakfast:  sweet potato with butter/sea salt and an apple.  Â½ of an organic almond butter/honey bar

 

I have no fresh protein ready to eat so I will skip it until lunch.  Leftover protein is apparently a big no-no for histamine intolerance so I will avoid it.  I need to go grocery shopping now and cook smaller meals for the time being while I figure this out.  I am so sick of troubleshooting symptoms.  

 

Lunch:  sautéed vegetables in olive oil, 1 generous Tbsp organic tahini and BBQ boneless chicken thighs (2)

 

Probably should not eat the BBQ sauce.  Tongue tingling disappeared maybe around noon today.  I suddenly noticed it was gone…

 

Just weird, weird weird.  Put on some Jason Vit E creme and immediately had my hands turn red and blotchy on the palms.  Hot, too.  Lasted about 10 minutes and then my jaw/tongue felt tingly again.  Hard to know if that was the tingle culprit or if the tahini I ate at about the same time did that… maybe Whole30 isn't where I should be journaling!  

 

Still going to hang in there with living a cleaner food life and staying active.  I am just exhausted since I picked up that virus in Florida 10 days ago.  Going to the gym is extra hard work.  I should have gone this morning but I opted to lounge around and read about histamines.

 

Dinner:  Â½ acorn squash, 1T quark with coconut oil and salt with ½ pear.  

 

I'm almost getting scared to eat.  Boo-Hiss

 

No reaction to squash and coconut oil as far as I can tell

 

Ate a piece of crystalized ginger because I love it.  That's all.

 

Hit the gym for about 70 minutes.  Noticed the faded hives on my knees while finishing the cardio.  Assuming I get it often and now am just noticing.  Totally asymptomatic.  

 

Snacked on a big yellow carrot and maybe 10 raw macadamia nuts

[PamH]

Wonderful Saturday morning!  Foster dog feels better after coming home from his first (and hopefully last) heart worm treatment.  I'm all alone in the kitchen since everyone is still sleeping.  My half caff coffee with coconut milk and grass fed butter tastes great.  

 

If only my jaw would stop tingling.  Damn.

 

I am going to cut out coffee completely for the next few weeks to see if that makes a difference in my skin reactions.  Maybe it is the caffeine and maybe it is coffee beans, period.  I am sad, but will take the loss if it helps.

 

Off to work in a few hours.  Trying to think about what to eat for breakfast that is low histamine and close to Whole30/Paleo.

 

Breakfast:  organic gluten free oatmeal with ghee/sea salt and a pear.  Chunk of crystallized ginger.  My husband hates oatmeal, and was even more grossed out by watching me put a blob of ghee in it.  

 

No reaction at all from the food.  Jaw sensation has been gone since before I ate.

 

Snack at work:  apple

 

Dinner:  large chicken breast with skin ( at husband's chicken skin, too),  baked sweet potato fries, almond cookie sweetened with maple syrup (gluten)

 

Had 2-3 spoonfuls of my son's cookie dough/fudge ice cream on the way home from the burger place.  That's the price he pays for not coming with mom.  The price I pay?  My lips and tongue are tingling.  Dang it… could it be chocolate?

 

Anyone ever heard of someone developing a chocolate 'allergy' from over use?  Over eating?

 

No gym or walk today.  Watching the WI Badgers play in the Elite 8 is my activity for the night. I did a bunch of walking around at work but that doesn't really count in my book.  Better than nothing, I suppose.

 

tomorrow we head to brunch with friends.  I'm not looking forward to navigating the menu.  I think it might be buffet.

[PamH]

Ugh, one long hot flash last night.  Why?

 

Drinking decaf coffee this morning.  Black.  I still feel the tingling and tightness in my jaw so I think I will stop the coffee altogether for a while.

 

Organic oatmeal with toasted almonds at brunch today.  Only had about a 2-3 minute time span where I wondered if I was going to have a 'reaction' or hives or whatever I'm looking for but it never materialized.  

 

Snacked on about 20 raw macadamia nuts when I got home and a big carrot

 

Dinner:  another bowl of organic oatmeal with ghee and sea salt (2 packets of instant organic thick cut oats) and about 2c roasted brussels/cauliflower in spiced ghee

 

Hesitated to eat the spiced ghee veggies but they looked too good.  I haven't had a reaction to the cinnamon (which I am supposedly trying to avoid on low histamine)

 

Went to the gym for an hour and only had minor redness appear on my knees during cardio.

 

Drinking a lot of turmeric/ginger teas

 

All in all a good day for me!

[PamH]

Tried coffee again (mostly decaf); this time with grass fed butter.  I feel fine.

 

Breakfast before work:  NY strip steak (did not reheat it; just ate leftovers cold), roasted brussels/cauliflower and a blob of quark

 

Trying some lower histamine dairy.  Quark is pretty good!  

 

Feeling a bit nervous to eat these things an hour before I have to work.  I hope they are all well tolerated.

 

Had to eat lunch:  chicken thigh/leg with 1c roasted vegetables

 

Snack:  apple and a few chunks of crystalized ginger

 

Felt pretty good all day.  I am really hoping I don't need to go low histamine beyond this experimental phase.

 

Dinner:  pan sauteed zucchini, 1/4 acorn squash with butter and ½ c quark/mascarpone all over the veggies with a few macadamias.

 

Not too sure what that was I ate tonight!  A mish-mash of stuff

 

Drank more ginger/turmeric tea

[PamH]

OK.  I decided to keep my coffee in for the meantime while I remove much of the other histamine high foods.  I had a mug of ½ caff with coconut milk this morning and was happy.

 

Only ate a pear for breakfast, but hopefully the 1/4c full fat coconut milk helped?

 

Snack:  a few pieces of crystalized ginger.  Kind of hooked on it.

 

Lunch:  chicken breast and 2c roasted veggies with 1/4 gluten free corn muffin

 

Snack:  Apple and mascarpone cheese.  Ginger/turmeric tea

 

Dinner: Sweet potato with too much Lifeway probiotic farmer cheese/quark.  

 

I think I need to rein in the soft cheeses.  I haven't had much cheese in a year as I've had in the past two days.  Once I heard they were low(er) histamine I kind of went nuts with them and forgot they aren't the best food choice regardless of the histamine content.

 

More ginger-turmeric tea before bed.

 

Went to the gym for 70 minutes.  Cardio and weights.  Still not back to my normal energy since getting sick 2 weeks ago.  Frustrating.

[PamH]

http://themenopausehistamineconnection.wordpress.com

 

Here is my latest life line!  I feel connected to this blogger since we share so many symptoms.  I love stumbling upon people who have already done a lot of the leg work research!  It also makes me more optimistic because, 1.  I am not experiencing nearly as bad of symptoms as some people (I know that might sound mean) and 2.  This hormonal link might mean there is an end in sight!

 

Having half caf again with lots of coconut milk.  I just don't want to give up this morning routine.  I love it.  I guess I will revisit (again) if I have a hive outbreak in a week.  I am on that 2 week cycle.     Hopeful that being careful to remove obvious high histamine foods and histamine liberators will either elongate the cycles or eliminate them.  They are also exercise induced (mildly) but that I will not give up.  I hope the warm summer months aren't disastrous!  Heat plus exercise?  I could be one red hot mama for a few months… literally.

 

Off to get ready for work!  Not sure what to eat for breakfast.  Organic, gluten free oatmeal sounds good but I should probably put a few more days of rotation in for grains.  I don't have any fresh proteins in the fridge today.  Need to shop after work.

 

Breakfast: sweet potato and a fried egg

 

Lunch:  chunks of crystalized ginger and 2c sauteed vegetables in olive oil

 

Snack:  apple and 4 raw macadamia nuts

 

Dinner:  homemade chicken vegetable soup and sweet potato with ghee

 

No work out today.  I am just exhausted.  Not happy about my energy level.  I've also been getting some sharp pains in my abdomen after eating.  The fun just continues!

 

On a positive note, I've made it through the entire day without mouth/tongue/jaw tingling and numbness.  Sometimes my lips have felt swollen during that time but I never notice it when i look in the mirror.

[PamH]

Morning cup of mostly decaf coffee with coconut milk seems to be doing OK.  I am going to keep it in.  I still have not pinpointed the triggers for the lip fullness and jaw numbing/tingling feeling.  Whatever I am doing is working; at least temporarily.

 

Breakfast out with a friend.  Not sure what to do!  The place does not have a full kitchen so I will probably opt for just talking.  It always brings up the awkward conversation of what is wrong, why I am "dieting" when I don't need to lose weight, and how deprived I must feel.  If I had a magic wand, I would strike them with random anxiety and hives so they could walk in my shoes for 30 minutes.  

 

Just talked at 'breakfast'.  She didn't eat breakfast either so the topic was avoided. Came home and ate:

 

Breakfast:  sweet potato with a fried egg and 6 raw macadamia nuts

 

Lunch:  peanut butter/honey on a spoon.  OK, stress eating.

 

Heading to the gym at 4PM.  Pretty good work out of an hour

 

Dinner:  chicken vegetable soup,  3c roasted mixed veggies and 1/4 chocolate brownie

 

Just wanted to taste chocolate again…  total high histamine food but it is probably crappy milk chocolate so maybe less of a problem.  haha

[PamH]

Skipped a few days.  Between being unable to access the Forum and struggling to keep my head above water I guess time flies.

 

Enjoying my coffee and coconut milk in relative silence this Sunday morning. I have to go to work in a few hours.

 

The past 3 days have been less than optimal.  I guess I am just not ready to take 1/4 of a crappy brownie and expect myself to be OK with it  I really don't believe I should be eating that at all anymore or at least for a long, long time.  It seems I 'regress' for lack of a better term.  The day after I had more chocolate than I needed to, and yesterday I ate along with everyone else celebrating the Final Four games and inhaled the sweets.  Just the sweets.  Why can I easily avoid pizza, chips, queso but eat 2 big brownies and a massive chocolate chip-toffee cookie without blinking an eye?  All within a 30 minute time span to give myself the sickest insulin rush imaginable. I just cringe afterwards about what I am doing to my poor body with an overload like that but the damage is already done.  It is puzzling. Easy way to solve it is to stop buying the crap!  It was my purchase for the kids to watch the game.  Who ate it?  Moi

 

So, I was able to hit the gym yesterday after my gut settled down.  I pushed myself to go extra long.  I can't use exercise as a way to compensate for my eating but for yesterday it was what I chose to do.

 

Back today to get on track.  Trying to decide what to eat for breakfast.  Shower first to think about it more.  I'm tired of eggs but have no ingredients for much more.

 

Breakfast:  sweet potato, fried eggs and 1/4 cucumber with ghee/sea salt

 

Lunch:  apple, carrots cooked in butter/honey.

 

Lunch was pretty close to breakfast and I just wasn't' hungry enough to spend $$ on a protein meal.

 

Dinner:  Carrots (butter/honey), beef country style ribs

 

Drinking a lot of water today to flush out the system.  Just too much sugar yesterday.

[missmary]

Hi Pam- I hope this isn't intrusive, but have you tried just following the template for three meals each day? I see a consistent pattern of restricted food quantity and low levels of protein, followed by low energy and increased consumption of chocolate/sugar. I feel sure these are linked. I know you aren't doing a whole30 right now, but I hate to see you struggle when the template is right there waiting for you.

[PamH]

Hi Pam- I hope this isn't intrusive, but have you tried just following the template for three meals each day? I see a consistent pattern of restricted food quantity and low levels of protein, followed by low energy and increased consumption of chocolate/sugar. I feel sure these are linked. I know you aren't doing a whole30 right now, but I hate to see you struggle when the template is right there waiting for you.

I know.  I struggle with my schedule to get 3 meals in and I need to prepare more ready to eat foods.  I'm trying not to eat reheated meats (histamines) for now which means I have to prepare meals every time I want to eat.  It sure isn't impossible, but another hurdle.

 

I am sure you are correct.  I'm a habitual snacker.  Probably a harder habit to break than chocolate.

 

I remain my own worst enemy.  I'm also a stress eater and stress is at an all time high here at home.  

 

Thanks.  Helpful criticism and suggestions are always welcome.

[PamH]

Going outside of my comfort zone and taking someone's advice.  

 

No, really, I think it is time.

 

So, I am only eating 3 meals by the template guidelines for the next few weeks.  No snacking… which means eating enough to take me from meal to meal.

 

Today?  Some mostly decaf coffee with coconut milk and off to the shower to think about what I want to make for Meal #1

 

Meal 1 (8am):  med sweet potato, about 5oz country style beef rib, carrots/onions, sea salt and 1T coconut oil

 

Meal 2 (1pm):  baked cod (generous filet), large mixed green salad with 1 hard boiled egg, red/orange pepper, green peas, pumpkin seeds, cucumber and my all time favorite blue cheese dressing.  Decadent; haven't had it in months and months.  We will see if it should stay off of my plate.  I really should not be eating the aged cheeses.  Added 1T tahini to the mix and realized I needed to be done eating.  I can keep on going quite easily without thinking until it is too late.

 

Big lunch meal.  Too big for my stomach.  

 

2:25PM:  red hot palms and warm rush over body.  I rarely get hot flashes these days during the day.  This is a doozy. Blue cheese?  Feels almost like the hives are coming

 

No hives.  I was able to make it at the gym for nearly an hour but felt tired and I think I had another hot flash.  That makes 3 (had another one after dinner) today where normally I only have them at night.  Usually, just 1 or 2.  So, blue cheese is out.  I think soy sauce is out, too, based on how quickly I had a hot flash after eating dinner.  They are like big waves of heat that come over me and sometimes I feel cold right smack in the middle.  So bizarre.

 

Meal 3 (6:30pm):  sweet potato, cucumber, jicama with sea salt and 'caramel' chicken with garlic.  

 

Chicken sauce was a teriyaki of sorts.  Really good, but not Whole30 and probably not sitting well with me.  Brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Harissa, chicken broth.  Reminds me of Mark's balsamic vinegar drumsticks on Mark's Daily Apple.

 

I have to get up and out the door by 6am tomorrow for training.  Not sure what I will do for breakfast, but I'll get it done.  I have a lot of leftovers but not what I think I should eat after tonight's experience. 

[PamH]

Need to figure out a way to eat my meals without eating meat/eggs/fish every time.  I *feel* the best when one of my meals isn't full of animal protein… just not so weighed down… or is it because I snack more when I eat this way?  Need pay attention to the portions?  Experiment time is in order.

[PamH]

Training day!  Opening the store.  Woo Hoo.  What to do at 6am at a food co-op?  

 

Half caff with coconut milk.  Need to figure out breakfast on these days.

 

Meal 1:  pear and 1 bite Macrobar before I chucked it.  Tastes pretty nasty these days.

 

Meal 2:  large chicken breast, 3c mixed vegetables, 1 fruit juiced sweetened oat muffin

 

Muffin not on my list of good things to eat these days but the rest of today has been good so far.  

 

Meal 3:  4c or more of roasted brussel sprouts, snap peas, black radish, carrots in ghee/sea salt and a few chunks of raw jicama.  Country beef ribs.  Glad to be done with leftover protein.  I want to avoid that for the short term to rein in histamines.  I try not to reheat them if I can get away with it but some meats just have to be hot to enjoy.

 

Man, I struggle not to snack!

[PamH]

Morning coffee with coconut milk.  Ah

 

Meal 1 (7am):  3, 2" chunks of boneless beef rib with 1c butternut squash/ghee/sea salt

 

Pretty awesome to be outgrowing that idea that breakfast should be 'breakfast foods' as others tell me they should be… no need for muffins, cereal, bagels, sweet yogurt or massive amounts of fruit.  I was never drawn to breakfast and I'm actually starting to look forward to it!

 

Going out with a friend for lunch.  

 

Meal 2 (12:30):  chicken breast with sweet siracha (no sauce; just marinade), 2c roasted vegetables with coconut oil, an apple and 15 raw macadamias.  Added several spoonfuls of raw almond butter to the mix. I guess I let myself eat until I was full but now I am stuffed.  I would have eaten more protein but it was gone.  

 

Gym time this afternoon!  Found some awesome spring clothes at REI today to help get me in the mood for being outdoors again.

 

Found my way to the end of a pretty successful day.  I think I had one hot flash while working out (THAT isn't fun) and maybe one while vacuuming up all of the dog hair.  Tried to avoid the obvious no-no foods.  The nut butter got the best of me.  I think maybe putting 2T in a bowl or on the apple and then putting the jar away would be smart for me.  I just can eat that stuff forever.

 

Meal 3 (6PM):  large romaine salad with cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, blueberries, walnuts, evoo and simple baked chicken thigh.

 

I bought quite a few organic and lower sugar energy bars from REI for my husband and the kids.  I really have a hard time not opening one to try it.  Chia seems to be all the rage these days.

[PamH]

Up early for a work shift.  Enjoyed my coffee with coconut milk at 5:30am

 

Meal 1 (7:15am): ended up being a chia bar (they are really small) and a pear in the car because I spent too much time hanging out with my daughter before she took off for Florida and lost track of time.

 

Meal 2 (12:30pm):  huge chicken breast with skin, 2c mixed sauteed vegetables and a smallish sweet potato muffin

 

Meal 3 (6pm):  flank steak, ½ apple and roasted mixed vegetables

 

Veggie medley ends up being broccoli, cauliflower, onion, tomato, zucchini, red/green peppers and red cabbage most of the time.  

 

Popped a raw macadamia nut and 3 walnuts into my mouth without thinking.  Trying not to snack.  Habits!