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The Evening Before Day One of Whole30


Jlee

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I am doing the Whole30 to solve a couple of medical issues (issues that no conventional doctor/pills/expensive and iffy surgery have been able to resolve, and boy have I tried) as well as lose some weight/fat. Right now, I'm kind of skinny-fat. Right now, I'm extremely bloated but I don't know what is causing it. Before my current weight, I was chubby and somehow believed that I could never change my body, and be one of those girls who can wear a bikini.

 

I have read a lot of nutrition books lately and I really do believe that food can be your medicine and that conventional doctors are great for certain illnesses like if you really need surgery, but not all illnesses. Esp. vague illnesses that are just general symptoms of your body telling you that it's not being properly nourished and so, is not functioning right. Instead of taking three pills a day with various side effects, I want to resolve these issues of mine. I am a big supporter of being as natural as possible, and minimizing the amount of toxins and chemicals and artificial stuff we put into our bodies. I also refuse to accept that there is no reason as to why my body is malfunctioning, that there is no cure and the only thing I can do is manage with pills. I accept that it could be my genetic weakness, but I have read from several sources that genes can be turned off and on.     

 

I lost about ten pounds by cutting down on refined carbs, junk food and meat, and eating lots of veggies, brown rice, sushi and some fruits. During the two to three months I did this, I noticed my body size decreasing effortlessly, my belly getting flatter, much less bloating, my digestion was AmazingAmazing. And by cutting out coffee, I was able to sleep through the night instead of waking up 5+ times to pee. 

 

Recently, I read up on Systemic Candida and Adrenal Fatigue as possible causes for my medical issues. While I was trying to be close to a vegan or vegetarian before, I know that I cannot resolve candida and adrenal fatigue if I rely on sugar and carbs as my main source of calories. In a standard Candida diet, I am not allowed to have refined carbs and most other complex carbs except the ones I don't really want to eat anyway. I also really cannot have sugar. 

 

Therefore, I am using the Paleo Diet and adding in some factors from the Candida/Adrenal Fatigue diet. This is an experiment to see how I will feel at the end of 30 days. Who knows what is wrong with my body? It could be anything. And a "Reset" sounds like a great idea. It certainly can't hurt. 

 

At the end of 30 days, I want to re-introduce rice, tofu, buckwheat, and oats so that I do not have to consume so much meat. I am happy to eat meat just once a day and since I have increased my consumption the past few weeks, my digestion is wacky again. Mostly I am doing the Whole30 to decrease the amount of sugar in my body and I can only do it if I can rely on protein for most of my calories during the day. I am having a hard time imagining myself eat meat for breakfast. 

 

Ah, one of my more minor issues is that my blood sugar is quite unstable. If I don't eat, sometimes I get really dizzy, faint and sweaty and it happens very suddenly. I also have to rely on coffee and sugar in the morning to get going. Otherwise, there is no "going". I really would like more stable energy.  

 

I was at Whole Foods today in preparation and got an entire organic chicken for just $15 (which is not a lot compared to getting a salad anywhere with a few nuggets of chicken on top). I'm not crazy about how much meat this diet requires, coming from the mindset of someone who read three-five books on how awesome being vegan is. But I will try this out.

 

Starting tomorrow, I will not let myself cheat. In the beginning, I will have fruits so my carb intake does not decrease dramatically, but I will decrease fruit as I get used to eating more protein. 

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Trying to combine the Whole30 with advice you have found on the internet about candida and adrenal fatigue can be a problem. We don't know if the advice about candida and adrenal fatigue actually applies to you and that advice "might" be contrary to recommendations we know work in the context of a Whole30. I recommend that you try one thing at a time. The Whole30 for the next 30 days and then experiment with adjustments based upon other research when you have finished the Whole30. 

 

If you have been minimizing meat consumption for a long time, your gut bacteria may not be up to the task of digesting healthy portions of meat. Your gut bacteria will eventually grow to support your new diet, but the transition period can be unpleasant. You almost certainly need to take digestive enzymes for a few months to smooth the process. See this article for more info: 

 

http://whole9life.com/2012/09/digestive-enzymes-101/

 

Getting probiotics into your diet can be important too: See this article for more info:

 

http://whole9life.com/2012/04/probiotics-101/

 

Getting your carbs from fruit is a bad idea. Instead, make sure you eat starchy veggies regularly... sweet potatoes, winter squash, rutabagas, turnips, carrots, beets, plantains, etc. The sugar spike from fruit is more challenging than from veggies. 

 

Many former vegans find fish a good transition food for eating more animal protein. After getting used to the idea, I have found that I can eat fish at breakfast and enjoy it. :)

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I used to be veganish.  I now eat a lot of eggs and tuna.  It's more comfortable for me than other meats.  I've worked up to adding the rest.  Good luck!

 

I second Tom's note about enzymes.  HCL enzymes made a world of difference for me.  I'm off them now, but at first, the meat just didn't agree with me and HCL helped.

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Great suggestions, Tom. I will be sure to stick by Whole30 instead of over-complicating it. I also will make sure to take my digestive enzymes before my meals. Good thing I already bought it weeks ago.  

 

The first time I noticed any improvement with my digestion, I took Advocare Herbal Cleanse, which came with probiotics (though I didn't know it at the time). A few months ago, I started taking Align but I'm about to run out. A few different probiotic brands have been suggested to me and I'm still exploring to see which one is the best to take. 

 

It's 5:27pm and I have not cheated. 

 

However, I did skip breakfast, which I know is a no-no. I had two bananas and some calamari/leafy greens (half a pint) for an early lunch. Now I'm having two Applegate sausage links for an early dinner with olive oil. In a bit, I will make myself some collard greens sauteed in ghee. Since I didn't have my first meal, I'm having another dinner at 9:30 (another habit for me to break). For my late dinner, it's two eggs scrambled with olive oil and one good-sized mango.

 

Tomorrow, I'm planning on having papaya, eggs, chicken, some tomato and leafy greens.  

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Ooops, I missed breakfast again. Since my spring semester is over, there is no reason for me to have a regular sleeping schedule. However, I should regulate it for my own benefit. What happened was that I woke up at five am wide awake so I started reading a book until seven am. Then I woke up in the afternoon after a total of eight hours of sleep.

For "breakfast", I had one banana sprinkled with shredded coconut, two eggs w coconut oil and a cup of coffee. Last night, I had major digestive issues so today I want to take it easy (from taking three chlorella pills and three magnesium citrate). My bloating is less than yesterday, but still there for some reason. ??

I found the below passages yesterday and I will read it for inspiration whenever I falter. Saturday and Sunday I will be at work and around a lot of junky food so I'm going to need some extra self-control. Usually when I'm at work and starting to feel tired, I reach for a bag of chips or a candy bar.

Dr. Chutkan wrote a book about Gutbliss, all about digestive health, which I love so I value her thoughts.

 

Dr. Chutkan: "I love the paleo diet. For those who may not know what that is, it's basically eating like a "cave man" from the paleolithic era, which means fruits, vegetables, some nuts and seeds and lean animal protein. No dairy, gluten or other processed grains. If done well, so you include lots of fruits and vegetables, in addition to the animal protein, it's a terrific diet. If you turn it into a low-carb diet and just eat animal protein, not so great."
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And

"Another diet that may promote a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut is the Paleolithic or Paleo diet, added Chutkan. "It's an early low-carb diet, in which people eat as cavemen or women did before the advent of fire," she said. "You cut out sugar and processed grain and eat unlimited amounts of animal protein, fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds. You avoid peanuts and other legumes as well as dairy of any kind." Chutkan noted the Paleo diet is popular among endurance athletes. "If you look at a lot of chatter in those communities, it's all about how this diet improves acne, rosacea, and joint pain. My patients do very well on it from a digestive point of view, and very frequently their skin clears up" - Dr. Chutkan (http://www.everydayhealth.com/rosacea/eating-right-for-rosacea-answers-from-dr-chutkan.aspx)

I really want to stop eating by 8:30/9:00 at the latest and go to bed earlier. I think I will have a big snack at five, my dinner at 7:30 or 8 and call it a day.

 

My second meal of the day in the photo: one applegate sausage link, one avocado, one good sized tomato and some green leaves. 

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I derailed during the two days I worked. It started on Saturday when I had a stomachache and wasn't sure I'd tolerate any real food. Instead of real food, I had a small bag of chocolate chip cookies and a handful of chips to keep myself from getting dizzy. Then around 7pm, I had real food, which was chicken stuffed with mushrooms, mashed potatoes and a plain salad with olives. Then yesterday, I had like ten swedish fish, another handful of chips, another small bag of chocolate chip cookies, an ice cream bar, a salad with chicken and olives, and some noodles. That was disastrous.

 

I will start over today. I knew that my work days would be a challenge because on those days my blood-sugar is very sensitive (for some reason). I think the physical endurance of standing for 8-9 hours straight is harder on my body than my college days. I will have to plan ahead for the next weekend and figure something out.

 

Today, I will re-start my #Whole30. I'm not upset about it as I only started two days prior to my weekend. It's okay by me. I'm surprised how tempting sugar is, though. I woke up today craving sugar. And I'm someone who never thought I was a big fan of sugar. I was always a salty snack kinda girl.  

 

My first meal of the day is leftover chicken, salad with one avocado and vinegar/olive oil dressing. Plus one big mango. 

 

My second meal of the day is two eggs scrambled with ghee, another small avocado, and one big tomato.

 

My third meal of the day is some leftover meat.

 

On to the next day. I will be sure to get sweet potatoes when I go grocery shopping next. Also, yes, eliminate fruits for the next few days and see how that goes.  

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If you are having intense sugar cravings I would suggest laying off the fruit for a few days and use starchy vegetables instead. In order to keep your blood-sugar level through out the day make sure your meals are large enough with enough fat. Your first meal today looks excellent on that end. 

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