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July 14 Support Thread


peacefrog

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Jenn - I now almost exclusively make my own chocolate so I can make it added sweetener free. I do something like this: http://www.sarahwilson.com/2012/04/my-sugar-free-raspberry-ripe-2/ without rice malt syrup. I now prefer my chocolate super dark, and find adding bits in like fruit, nuts of coconut flakes is enough sweetness or flavour. Its also a great way to use up pulp from making almond milk (if you're that way inclined! Its my go-to option for a period too. No nasty sugar in there (even "natural" ones like RMS or honey - it all increases my pain!) and lots of good fat for assisting hormone balancing. Perfection!

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And on a compliant recipe note, here is one from Luke Hines, paleo advocate, former My Kitchen Rules contestant (Australian reality show) and was the MC for the recent Pete Evans/Nora Gedgaudas tour of Australia - http://trainerluke.com/recipes/2014/8/8/whole-baked-ocean-trout Looks like a great day celebration meal! 

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TGIF! The final weekend of W30 - remember how hard the first one was?  Not as daunting anymore,right?

 

Thank goodness I'm dedicated and prepared.... I realized that between now and the end of our W30, I have FOUR social events - and all will involve food and alcohol. Since I've been Paleo for quite awhile, I manage the food part pretty well, but I have to admit I'd really love to have a glass of wine during one of these late summer gatherings. It's weird that the wine is the thing I'm missing most - I really don't drink all that much - generally just at these type of events. Sigh....so be it. I'll survive. On the upside, I recently purchased a few new cute clothing items (in smaller sizes!), so I'm pretty excited to wear them and show off my new slimmed down figure. That will make up for the lack of wine!

 

Have a great weekend, everyone! Betsie

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Jenna- thank you so much for sharing the chocolate recipe, that looks really interesting! As much as I love to bake, I never thought about making my own chocolate before. I did make a few batches of almond milk and was looking for ideas for the leftover almond meal. I made a mock granola with it- though all I had on hand was sweetened coconut and dried cranberries. Hubby ate it all up and really liked it. It did smell good anyway! :)  I do want to make more, though need to get a nut milk bag, I'm plowing through cheese cloth too quickly!

 

Betsie- good luck this weekend and congrats on picking up a smaller dress. Definitely makes it all worth it! :)

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Hi everyone-man, can't believe it's day 29 already! Family stayed for the weekend-went great. Lots of hearty eating with great foods for me that everyone shared, which was cool. And even with all the additional processed treats around, and going out for ice cream, I was just fine. One thing that helped was telling everybody as soon as we got cooking, what I was eating (and not), and quickly explaining the goal (in my case, allergy relief). Everybody, including my seven year-old niece got it. A few questions followed here and there throughout the weekend, but mostly just out of curiousity. My sister-in-law even thinks she might choose to go without dairy for a month. My niece was adorable too...I think she just needed to make sure I wasn't missing out, and always offered to share her most treasured treats with me.

 

I am definitely planning to continue with the whole 30, with a little adjustment. I've seen some big improvement with my allergies, and I want to keep that rolling. The whole 30 for me feels like a lifestyle shift, not just a 30 day cleanse. I do want to feel good about what, and where my food comes from, and feel that my values are well thought out in this regard. I think I've used this word before...it feels grounding to me.

 

I really do have more improvement ahead of me too though, and at one point I realized that there was more than one food list option for the whole 30. I've been following the omnivore food list. This next month, since I already know I'm allergic to one kind of nut, and tuna, it makes sense to eliminate all nuts, and shellfish, to see if that works even better for me. I've used pistachios and almonds as snacks all month, so I'll have to find a replacement snack....!

 

There have been a couple of times when I've had setbacks this month. Once may have been when we were out to eat, but the other was right here at home, with all whole 30 foods. Food allergies are weird too...the reaction isn't always immediate for me, so I have to trace back to think what might have been a problem. And the reaction can take a couple of days to work itself out of my system too....definitely a drag.

 

So yes! With clear goals in mind, I'm continuing onto the next thirty, but ready to celebrate the completion of the first leg this whole 30 journey! It's great sharing with you all on this forum. I'll continue coming back to share....

 

sandy

 

 

 

 

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Ok, day 29 - who else is still in??

 

Congratulations Sandy! Big hurdle to have house guests and still stay compliant - and not fight the battle over why you're eating the way you're eating.

 

I agree that W30 is a lifestyle switch vs a cleanse. I can't imagine why anyone would do this for 30 days and the go back to the old ways. I plan on sticking with it - but I've been Paleo since last Sept. anyway. I don't plan on going crazy with anything I've eliminated or changed during W30, but I will add back a little wine and the occasional bit of honey if a recipe calls for it - but not in my coffee or tea.

 

Anne - I don't think I will do any other drastic eliminations right now - just stay the course. But, I have a feeling that in the future I'm going to get up the courage to eliminate coffee/caffeine - not sure when yet, but eventually :)

 

I have survived 3 of the 4 social events I had scheduled since Friday - the last one is on day 30 - how fitting, right?  While I did miss a cocktail and was a little hungry at one event, I got through all of them just fine. I know to take a dish that is compliant and is substantial enough that if it's the only thing I can have, I won't starve. Well...Friday was a crazy day and I didn't have time to do much cooking, so I only brought a fruit salad. I was able to have a bunless burger, but nothing else was compliant, so I was little hungry - made an egg when I got home. :)

 

What is nice, after a year of eating like this, nobody negatively questions me anymore - in fact, everyone is very curious about what I eat because they see how it's paying off. They want to know how they can do it, too.

 

Home stretch! Betsie

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I'm having a few rule breaks over the weekend, but I'm hoping to pop into a pharmacy to test my blood pressure on Thursday or Friday. I think that I have a very mild casein sensitivity (primarily caused by the drugs I'm on, but due to that pre-existing inflammation from the drugs I think its still making a difference to my blood pressure). Sorry, that's all a bit confusing isn't it! Lets see if this post from last year helps: http://mymissingfactor.com/a-very-unlike-me-shout-from-the-rooftops/

 

Lets share some wins! How is everyone doing this close to the end? I've been having some inflammation issues around my belly for the last 3 months or so, and I've seen that all fall away in the last week or two. I've also had a cold that knocked my other half flat pass me by (which is most unusual for me!), and the injury healing benefits (for me as a bleeding disorder patient) kept coming - I accidentally dropped a wardrobe drawer on my foot a week ago and it didn't swell or bleed into tissue or joints it just slightly bruised and I can now plank on it again. My friend who I did this with has had amazing results! She's started to see weight shift that has been stubborn over the last year (despite being mostly paleo ish), an injury from a car crash 8 weeks ago has healed to the point her chiro hasn't needed to continue readjustments, and her relationship with food has massively changed. Through experience and reading the why in ISWF, she has motivation and purpose (which you all know is so important!). Very proud of her!

 

Only 2 days left for most of us, finish strong everyone! :)

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Day 30 tomorrow, can you believe it!!! :D   Big congrats to all of us!!

 

Today ironically was one of my tougher days. We called my boss in for a meeting, then surprised him with a belated birthday cake. Normally when we do this for one of the employees, it's Costco cake or some other kind of treat. Today was homemade chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream that one of my coworkers made from scratch. I politely declined of course, even when they all teased me. But oh my gosh it smelled heavenly. And was there to torture me for a full 30 minutes. But I'm proud of my willpower, it carried me through. No way I'm giving in on day 29!  Tomorrow I have an event, and everyone wanted to meet at Panera, which I haven't been able to find anything compliant at (sugar in their spice mix they use on chicken!). I may bring extra food to work, or just grab a late dinner when I get home and hope it's not too late. ;) 

 

It's funny, part of me is celebrating that we're at the 30 day mark tomorrow but another part of me isn't ready to quit. I will definitely maintain most of the habits I've picked up over the past 30 days- healthy "real" breakfast, coconut cream and no sugar with coffee, no sugar with tea, etc. I thought I would be so worn out on eggs by now, but find that I really like my little spinach mushroom frittata muffins every morning. I dish them up with sauerkraut and avocado. Plus I can make a batch Sunday night and they will basically last the full week for me, which is even better as my kiddos start school soon and I'm back to the crazy rushed mornings again! I do miss the flexibility on the weekends with eating out- I will still be very careful and try to remain fairly compliant, but maybe allow a small splurge here or there. Not having to be quite so militant on the restaurant choices would be a welcome choice for my family at this point!

 

This morning I woke up and felt good. I don't know that it was quite "tiger blood" (maybe if I had more sleep), but I had good energy and got through my workout. I've always felt more confident when I am taking better care of myself and that really hit me today as well. It's nice to have that extra boost- I am working on a tough project lately which can sometimes be overwhelming. I had a few difficult meetings to get through today and felt like I handled them well. When you take care of yourself well on the inside, it shows on the outside. No wonder people keep going on this!!!

 

On to day 30!

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You definitely don't have to stop. The Whole30 is a learning tool to work out which foods fuel and serve you best, and if what you're doing right now is working, there's not need to change! Though I have to say that the real learning often comes with the reintros. That's when you can really test how you cope with some things. There will often be one or two things you won't need to reintroduce because its so damn obvious what they do to you, but others you will want to test. But don't feel you now have to "go back" or anything!

 

BUT - when we all inevitably cave to a craving or get dosed with something (an inevitable part of riding your own bike), you'll go through a process of working it out of your system. I loved this post from Sarah Wilson (a paleo advocate, health coach and hashimotos patient) - http://www.sarahwilson.com/2013/08/i-ate-sugar/. THere's several posters in the comments that think she has an eating disorder or is orthorexic, but I hope you all understand that the apprehension she felt about eating what she did wasn't because she has a bad relationship with food, but because she knows what those particular items do to her and her illness and wasn't looking forward to dealing with it. Which I totally understand! Let me know what you think!

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Well, met with my holistic doc today, who really thinks eliminating more things from my food list is probably not necessary. In fact, they suggested adding just a bit of grain, like quinoa, or brown rice, back in after tomorrow. Also suggested that I head back to my GP, to figure out why some of my symptoms are persisting, rather than rely on food solutions alone. Not exactly where I hoped to be on day 30, but on a positive note, the whole foods have really helped with the sinus part of my allergies. Definitely will continue with most of the food list as general lifestyle choice. I'm going to miss our shared feedback here after tomorrow! Our reflections have been motivating to read all month. 

 

FYI-Mayo-a-go-go recipe is hands down the beat mayo recipe I've tried!

 

Sandy

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Sandy - I love that you're working with a holistic doc! I'm a little worried about adding grain back, though - yeah, quinoa and rice (white) are the less irritating for most, but if you've been successful without them, I'd ask myself why I would need them again. Some people need some resistant starch and white rice does fill that bill, but other grains have not been shown to add to our nutritional needs.

 

Are you familiar with The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballentyne? Her book focuses on healing autoimmune issues - I don't know if you have those kinds of symptoms - but I have learned that her protocol helps with a lot of varied health issues. No idea if it would apply to you, but something you might be interested in: http://www.amazon.com/The-Paleo-Approach-Reverse-Autoimmune/dp/1936608391/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407873024&sr=8-1&keywords=paleo+approach

 

She has a blog here, too: http://www.thepaleomom.com/

 

And, finally - there's a private FB group loosely attached to her book. It's a great community and people really are knowledgeable about so many health issues and how they relate to not only our food but other environmental aspects. I don't have any serious health issues, but I learn a lot just by following it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPACommunity/

 

Of course, you should definitely see your GP, but also rely on your gut (pun intended :) ) when making health choices.

 

Love that homemade mayo, too!!!

 

Happy day 30!

Betsie

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Sandy - were you intending on doing reintros on rice and quinoa anyway? I did after my first whole30 because they're widely available options and its good to know if you're at someone else's place or out to lunch if you can have them safely. If you were planning on doing reintros anyway, give it a test (in a controlled way) and then see if you want to have them on a semi- or more regular basis. It doesn't have to feel like an obligation or a need, just give it a go and see how you react. If you react badly, then chat to your nutritionist a bit more next visit. Don't forget, these things can take longer than 30 days to heal or even see signs of improvement. My other half used to get horrible seasonal allergies, and it wasn't until after the second seasonal change that he noticed he was having less symptoms. 

 

Good luck!

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Betsy-thanks for The Paleo Approach-I'll definitely check it out. I have to say, my 'gut' still tells me I'll see things really come in balance when I get to the heart of my food intolerances...I will follow up again with GP-although I have to say, I've been a bunch of times already this past spring, and they say everything checks out...(except for the fact that my body doesn't agree!)

 

Jenna-Thanks-It completely makes sense that for longer standing things like allergies and their various symptoms, they're not going to disappear in one short month.  I guess the truth is, I was still hoping I'd be the happy exception! Definitely set to continue with overall whole 30 plan...(and give some thought to a small amount of grain).

 

Oh- I've been doing a yummy, healthy fake out with egg salad or deviled eggs-I mush avocado right into the yolk mixture....it's creamy and tasty....

 

Sandy

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I love that they sent us a day 31 email...such a great website. I woke up this morning thinking that I'm extending the whole 30 without changes at this point...ride through the puzzling setbacks and keep seeing the slow and steady progress for right now.

 

Betsy n- I had to look up what autoimmune disease means...it sounds like my allergies could lead to autoimmune if I don't get them figured out--I think(?)... I like the paleomom website...I'll be looking at it some more.

 

About to check out the whole9 blog too....congrats to all of us who finished this leg of the journey together!

 

sandy

 

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Woohoo! Made it all the way through 30 days!and today is day 31 and nothing has changed for me, yet. I know I will have a glass of wine soon and I will probably have something with a sweetener in it eventually, but I don't plan to make any big changes.I don't he feel a huge difference, but I think having been Paleo before starting the Whole 30 was the reason. I have learned to balance my macro nutrients throughout the day much better than before, so I don't have late afternoon hungriness anymore.

And, it was nice to see. I have lost 5 pounds during the past month, bringing my grand total to an even 50 pounds! That feels amazing!

I have really enjoyed this community and I am so impressed with those who dove into the Whole 30 straight from the SAD diet! I cannot imagine what a challenge it would be to go cold turkey on everything for 30 days. In the beginning I eased in over time, so I have huge respect for those who did it this way. I wish you all the very best of health and happiness!

Betsie

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Hooray!!! I officially completed my Whole 30! I'm technically still doing it, I haven't reintroduced anything just yet. I forgot to take measurements at the beginning, but I did weigh in. 30 days later I am officially down 11 lbs. The last 4 of which are a new low for me, and broke through a plateau that I’ve had the past 3 years. Nobody is more surprised by how easy that was than me- I've been watching my food intake, logging, exercising... and never broken through until now.

 

More importantly, I really feel like I’ve changed my relationship with food and reset my taste buds. I was a big coffeemate junky every morning- I can now drink my coffee straight (something I NEVER thought I would do), or with some unsweetened canned coconut milk. I used to think grab and go foods in the busy mornings meant grabbing a granola bar, yogurt or cereal and that I had no time for a “real” breakfast. Now instead I have my mushroom and spinach frittatas that I can heat up in a minute every morning and eat those with sauerkraut and sliced avocado. I bake those up quickly on Sunday nights and they last the entire work week. I used to add sugar to my iced and hot tea- don’t need that anymore. And thought I could never ever give up bread- and find that I’m not missing it like I thought I would. It’s hard to explain, but feeling more in control of my food has led me to feel more in control of my life. I have more energy to get through the day. The first few weeks were rough, but so very worth it.

 

I am so excited with the progress. It’s amazing the effect that “real” food will have on your body and spirit. Congrats to all of us! :D

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