Did you find yourself sweeter and kinder after Whole30 reintro?

[MeadowLily]

Shadow Beliefs

 

 

 

 

We can predict the future

 

We know what our body wants after we have a couple of weeks of Whole 30 under our belt

 

Others don't have the stress that we do

 

We can advance the Whole 30 plan in progress

 

We're smart enough to just trust our gut....and not the data

 

 

Trust But Verify

 

Show Me the Data....Read the Book, It Starts With Food.   Read the articles and forum answers to your questions

 

Ponder

 
Think it Through

 

Write Things Down

 

Move Forward

 

 

The Shadow Clues have been left for you all along the way.  Follow the pathway to heal your relationship with food and exercise.   Seek the data  and keep moving forward.

 

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

 

1. Mark Strand

   Poet
2. Mark Strand was a Canadian-born American poet, essayist, and translator. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1990.
3.  
4. Born: April 11, 1934, Summerside, Canada
5. Died: November 29, 2014, Brooklyn, NY
6. Awards: United States Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, More

    

   

    

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

 

[MeadowLily]

DEAR MELISSA: YOUR WHOLE30 HOLIDAY STRATEGY

 

10 November, 2014

Welcome to Dear Melissa, where we answer your questions about transitioning into or or maintaining a healthy Whole9 life, helping you make what you learned during the Whole30 work in the real world. Today, we’re talking about how to make sure your Whole30 holiday is as family-friendly and stress-free as possible.

 

Dear Melissa,

I am on Day 3 of my second (attempt) at the Whole30.  I feel more prepared and educated this time around, and I am determined to see this through. Thanksgiving falls on Day 27—I usually stuff myself like a turkey (no pun intended) on this particularly holiday and deal with the ramifications afterwards, but I wanted this year to be different. My question is this: Would it be rude of me to ask my mother and mother-in -law if they could bake me a sweet potato and make compliant green beans to go with my turkey?  Should I offer them my clarified butter and coconut milk for the mashed potatoes?  Neither mother will allow me to make anything, so I am completely at their mercy.  (I’m not so concerned about dessert, because I do not like pie on a good day.) What would you suggest? 

 

I’m going to answer your specific questions here, but I’m also talking to everyone else who is consciously choosing to take on the Whole30 over U.S. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa—otherwise known as the general “holiday season.”

 

As you probably know, we generally steer people away from doing the Whole30 over the holidays. (Didn’t know that? Read more about why a holiday Whole30 may not be the best idea.) So I’m guessing you have a really compelling reason to take on the program now, over Thanksgiving—and sharing your personal goals with your family members is the first step in making sure  your holiday is easy, stress-free, and Whole30 compliant.

Action item #1: Well before the holiday, schedule time to speak with each key family member. 

 

Talk to them about your commitment to the Whole30 over the holiday, and share your very personal reasons for taking on the program over the holiday. Now is not the time to quote It Starts With Food, speak in generalities, or come out of the gate defensively. Speak from your heart. Share your struggles, your fears, your hopes for the next thirty days. Tell them you would have have waited until January 1st like the rest of the resolutioners—but you really felt like your health and your well-being just couldn’t wait. Finally, ask them outright for their support. “I know you care about me and want me to be healthy—can I have your support in this?”

One more thing—if you can tell they think you’re being silly or seem kind of annoyed, acknowledge it. Say, “I know you think this is crazy, I get it. Can you humor me, though? Trust me, I’ll make this super easy for you—in fact, you won’t even notice I’m eating a little differently on Thanksgiving day, and my holidays will be so much happier because I’ve made this commitment to my health.”

 

Note, you haven’t talked about the specifics of the program at all. That comes later, after they’ve agreed to support you through this process. (If you open with, “Hey, I can’t eat bread or milk or cheese or sugar on Thanksgiving—just letting you know,” the conversational train you were hoping to board will derail fast.)

Action item #2: Talk about what you will be eating, and how easy this will actually be.

After you have their support, it’s time to talk about the specifics of the day, but focus on the foods you will be eating, not all the stuff you can’t eat. Find the common ground for them, and all of a sudden this Whole30 Thanksgiving actually sounds pretty easy.

 

Do this ahead of time, so when you pass on mom’s macaroni-and-cheese on turkey day, they aren’t upset or offended.  Ask them about the menu they have planned, and internally evaluate what you’ll be able to eat, and what you’ll have to pass up. (The turkey is good to go, but the gravy or stuffing isn’t… the mashed potatoes probably have butter or cream, and the green bean casserole probably has fried onion crisps.) Then, create a plan with your family to either make their dishes compliant for you, or for you to bring your own compliant side dish.

 

It’s easy to say, “Can you set aside a plain boiled potato for me, before you mash them all with butter and cream?” or “Can you just save me some steamed green beans before you mix it into the casserole?” That’s no more work for your family, and means you get to enjoy these side dishes too. Bring your own coconut mlk, ghee, or salad dressing if it makes things easier. Find a way to make as little extra work as possible for your family members, while making sure you’ll have more than just plain, dry turkey to eat on the big day.

 

Action item #3: Bring your own side dish

Katie, I know you said neither mother will allow you to make anything, but after the conversation you just had, ask them again. Since you have a good idea of what’s on the menu and what you could bring to supplement their dishes,tell the moms that you’d really like to contribute to the gathering, and thanks for letting you test out your recipes on the family, (Of course, make sure you bring enough for everyone.)

 

Phrase it like this: “I’ve been teaching myself to cook, and came across this recipe that sounded perfect for Thanksgiving. I’d really like to make it for the family, can we serve it with your potatoes and green beans?” (You can find Whole30 compliant recipes on our blog, or on the @Whole30Recipes Instagram feed.) You can mention that it would be really nice to share a little bit of the way you’ve been eating with them, and that you’d really like to participate in the gathering by doing more than just washing dishes (although you’re happy to do that too).

 

This also works well for dessert. Bring something fruit-based* that you know you can eat, and make enough for everyone to enjoy it. You can never have too many desserts at these holiday gatherings, and chances are people will appreciate having at least one lighter, healthier offering.

*Like this apple crisp, which we’d say is borderline SWYPO on a regular day, but hey, it’s THANKSGIVING. 

 

Action item #4: Relax, and roll with it

Come Thanksgiving day, if your mother forgets and puts plain old butter in the potatoes or pours gravy on your turkey, just roll with it. Unless you have a serious sensitivity or allergy to a particular ingredient, Whole30 rules aren’t as important as protecting someone’s feelings. Just do the best you can—scrape off the gravy, eat around the butter, and don’t use this as an excuse to stuff your face will dinner rolls and apple pie. Stick as closely to the Whole30 as you can, and consider your holiday a success because you stuck to your convictions and shared in the experience with your loved ones..

 

Finally, even if your meal wasn’t 100% Whole30 compliant (as you planned), be sure take a moment during dinner to compliment the chefs and thank your family from the heart for supporting you in your commitment. Your mothers will appreciate hearing how grateful you are, and will be far more likely to stay supportive through the rest of your program (and in life after your Whole30) if you show them how much it means to you.

And who knows—this experience may just prompt family members to ask you more about the program and your experience. Share everything you know about the Whole30 and the amazing results it can bring—just don’t do it over dessert.

Happy holidays to all.
Melissa

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2014/11/dear-melissa-whole30-holiday-strategy/#sthash.8iFegntL.dpuf

[MeadowLily]

Holiday Prep Guide

 

 

For faithful readers and Whole30® veterans, the upcoming holiday season may be just another few weeks during which they’ll get to practice the skills they’ve learned during past Whole30’s—what we call “riding their own bike.”

 

To this first group, the Whole9 veterans, we say, “Go on with your bike-riding holiday self.” Whatever you decide to do this holiday season, make it deliberate, make it worth it, and most of all, savor the time with family, friends, and the food you choose.

 

But for those new to the Whole30 and a Whole9 life, the upcoming weeks may be making you nervous. How will you handle the pressure from family and friends, and the temptation of all that less healthy food? What if the frenzy of this holiday season sends you right back to square one: a slave to the Sugar Dragon, feeling tired, cranky, and bloated?

For this group, please don’t worry—because for you, we have a plan. Well, to be clear, by the time you’re done with this exercise, you’ll have a plan… and that plan will make all the difference for your self-confidence andyour holiday results.

 

Your Rational Brain Does All the Hard Work

The rational part of your brain is responsible for making decisions—do I eat the pie, or say no thank you? Do I tell my Mom I’m not eating bread, or let her push a hot dinner roll on me? Do I want seconds now, or should I take a break and see whether I’m actually full? These decisions require careful attention and self-control—and as you might imagine, the more decisions you have to make, the more exhausted your brain (and your willpower) gets.

This is where your emotional brain steps in.

 

When exhausted by too many decisions requiring too much willpower, the rational part of your brain gets tired, and your emotional brain steps in. And here, friends, is where we all get into trouble. Because the emotional part of your brain wants to take the path of least resistance, the familiar path, the path with the most immediate reward.

 

Which means, whether you want to or not, you eat the pie, accept the dinner roll, and automatically take seconds on your plate. The worst part? So you don’t feel quite so bad about your choices, the rational part of your brain will subsequently attempt to rationalize these “decisions” so they don’t sound so bad. “It’s Christmas—you can afford to live a little,” or “Mom is happy when she’s feeding you, it’s better just to agree.”

 

These automatic, emotional, not-easy-to-justify-but-you’ll-try-to-anyway decisions are not the kind of decisions we want you to make during this first difficult test of your bike-riding skills.

 

The Brain Loves a Plan

The way to prevent this situation is by taking as many on-the-fly decisions out of the equation as possible, by creating a plan for the holidays. You know how, when you have something you have to remember, you feel this little uneasy sensation in the back of your brain—this feeling that something is left undone? And you know how that totally goes away the second you write down your to-do task? You haven’t completed it yet—but the fact that you now have a plan for completing the action makes your brain feel so much better.

 

In this spirit, you’re now going to walk through your upcoming holidays, and create a detailed plan for overcoming challenges and potential stressors. Granted, you can’t account for every situation, but we bet your know your family, friends, and holiday setting well enough that you can plan for most things that may pop up. This gives your brain a chance to sit back and relax, because the decision-making just got a whole lot easier, and you’ve now eliminated a number of scenarios in which you’ll have to make on-the-fly decisions requiring vast amounts of willpower.

 

We like using “if/then” statements when crafting our plans, so think about writing yours out in that format. Here’s how you can get started.*

*Note, if this all feels way too anal-retentive to you, then you’re probably in a good enough place with your new habits to just wing it this season. See how it goes, and learn from the experience. But if you are really nervous about this holiday, and feel like you need a little extra help to stay whatever course you’ve laid out for yourself, these exercises will prove invaluable.

 

If/Then Scenarios: Pre-Holiday

Consider talking to family and friends ahead of time about what strategy you’ll be employing this holiday season. If you’re braving the Whole30 or really need to stay away from gluten or dairy because of a health issue or sensitivity, make this clear before the holidays. Walk yourself through the conversation, and imagine some of the responses you might get—things that may throw you off your game.

 

Some if/then scenarios that may come up (with a few sample answers for the first few questions):

 

If your Mom says, “But it’s Christmas—why can’t you just relax and enjoy yourself?” then you’ll respond:

• Mom, it’s not that fun spending the whole day with a stomach ache. That’s what bread would do to me. I’ll have way more fun if I just skip it.
•  
• I’m doing so well with my sugar cravings these days—I promise, I’ll still enjoy spending time with all of you without eating 12 servings of dessert.
•  
• I totally will, Mom! I’m just going to try not to fall face-first into the whoopie pies, so if you see me taking breaks throughout the day to relax and digest, cut me some slack.

If your family says, “You may be on this funny diet, but we sure aren’t!” then you’ll respond…

• No problem! I love turkey, butternut squash, and green bean casserole too, and I’m making an awesome dessert to share with all of you.
• I know—and I don’t care what anyone eats on Christmas day! It’s not about the food, it’s about spending time with all of you.
• I know you think it’s weird, but I feel so good eating this way… and when you taste the dishes I’m bringing, you’ll see I’m still eating really delicious food.

Craft your own scenarios for this pre-game discussion, using the if/then structure to anticipate potential objections from friends and family.

 

If/Then Scenarios: The Big Day

Think about what you’re likely to face on the big day—pressure from family and friends, temptation from less healthy food, a lack of Good Food available while staying at Mom’s house for the week. Now, craft if/then plans for how you’ll handle these situations.

 

If the temptations or pressures get too intense, then you will…

• Enlist a few family members to take a refreshing walk around the block.
• Excuse yourself for a few minutes to call a friend, do some deep breathing, check your email, or otherwise distract yourself from the pressures.
• Be honest with your family about how you are feeling, and politely ask them to stop pressuring you—you’re feeling awesome and you’re totally satisfied, thank you very much.

If Mom breaks out her once-a-year famous apple pie, then you will…

If Gram is giving you a hard time for your “funny diet” while at the table, then you will…

 

If your family is asking questions about Paleo or the Whole30 over the holidays, then you will…

 

If the whole family ends up snacking on less healthy (but tempting) desserts and treats all day, then you will…

 

If you’re staying at Mom’s for a few days and know she won’t have enough Good Food for you to eat, then you will…

If after a glass of wine, you realize your Good Food plan is about to go out the window, then you will…

 

You know your friends, family, and holiday situations better than we do, so use these common challenges as a good place to start, and craft your own plan to face these issues head-on. Remember, the more specific you can get, the easier a time you’ll have when these situations come up.

 

Live, Laugh, Love

 

 

If, after all this, your big holiday plans end up crumbling for one reason or another, please do not stress. Remember, changing your life doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s going to take more than one holiday or family gathering to decide upon just the right strategies, plans, and goals. Know that this year, you’ve done a really wonderful job making yourself healthier—and that, with our help and the help of others in our awesome community, you’ll go into next year’s holiday situation healthier, happier, and even better prepared.

 

So this holiday season, live a little, laugh a lot, and spend time with those you love—and from all of us here at Whole9, we wish you the best in health.

Get ready, get set… January Whole30®! Join us on January 1st for the largest Whole30 ever. Details to follow soon…

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[MeadowLily]

Whole30 to the Rescue

 

 

This all sounds fine and good, but what if you find yourself sliding down that slippery slope of a vacation, holiday, or stressful time? Before you know it, you’re eating more “dirty” than “clean,” and you’re no longer in full control of your food choices. If this happens, you know exactly what to do: another Whole30. And it doesn’t even have to be a full Whole30—maybe you do a Whole14 or a Whole7, just long enough to get back to feeling awesome and reminding yourself why you usually pass on those less healthy foods-with-no-brakes.

Give yourself another reset, start over with your Life After strategy, and watch those periods of less healthy get shorter and shorter as the years go on. Congratulations! You are officially riding your own bike—and looking pretty darn good, we think.

- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-four-finished/#sthash.PydFVm9P.dpuf

 

 

 

 

[MeadowLily]

Your Life After Strategy

 

 

All in all, we want you to understand three very important things about Life After. First, the Whole30 was just a starting point. You cannot erase decades of unhealthy food choices and damaging behaviors in just a month. Our program gives you an amazing jump-start, but you’re not “done” yet. Second, you will slip back into old habits. At some point, no matter how good you feel now, no matter how much you swear you’ve left those less bad foods behind… they’ll creep back in, maybe a little, maybe a lot. And finally, this is okay. Expected, even. (See point #1.) And it does not mean that you have failed. Hear us clearly on that one.

 

So how do you allow yourself to indulge in less healthy (but totally worth it) foods without turning back into a Cookie Monster? Here’s our basic strategy; but first, a word from our sponsor: Do not plan cheat days. That is just setting yourself up for failure. Do not decide ahead of time that on Saturday, you’re going to want pancakes, brownies, ice cream, and movie theater popcorn. Because when Saturday rolls around, even if you don’t want pancakes, brownies, ice cream, or popcorn… you will eat them anyway, because you told yourself you could. This is the opposite of the strategy we want you to follow.

 

So what should you do instead?

1. Continue eating Whole30-ish every meal, every day, as long as that feels good to you. (We say “Whole30-ish” because added sugar may creep back in, like ketchup with your burger. That seems reasonable to us. If ketchup is the worst thing in your diet, you’re doing okay.)
2.  
3. When something comes around that is too good to pass up—too special, too sentimental, to important culturally, or simply too darn delicious—make a conscious, deliberate choice as to whether or not you are going to indulge. (Use our Guide to Off-Roading if you need a little help developing your own “worth it” thought process.)
4.  
5. If you choose to indulge, take your time. Savor it. Eat consciously. And eat only as little as you need to satisfy the situation, your experience, or your taste buds. Maybe that’s a bite, maybe it’s the whole cookie, maybe it’s 6 cookies—just make sure you don’t fall into automatic consumption.
6.  
7. When you’re done, move the heck on. No guilt, no shame, no remorse. You made a conscious decision to eat something you deemed worth it. Good for you. Now let’s move on back to our normally scheduled healthy meals.

You may find that you indulge once every few weeks, because nothing really amazing comes up in between. Or you may find that you indulge every day for 12 days, like on a vacation in Europe. Both are oaky, as long as you are following this protocol. Conscious, deliberate decisions. Honest evaluations of “worth it.” And then a return to your normal healthy habits, no beating yourself up.

- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-four-finished/#sthash.PydFVm9P.dpuf

[MeadowLily]

Thinking About a Holiday Whole30®? Think Twice.

 

As we approach the holiday season, we find ourselves preparing for all kinds of festivities – 97.2%  of which include buffet tables laden with unhealthy food. (1)  We’ll be tempted all season long with breads and cheeses, chips and dips, pies, cookies and cakes – and we haven’t even mentioned the wine, brandy and eggnog.

 

There’s a reason our January nutrition workshops are so popular – the holidays bring out the worst in us (nutritionally, that is).  The stress of the season, the endless availability of sweet treats and social pressures at holiday gatherings create a recipe for overindulgence, a few extra pounds and a sleigh-full of guilt and remorse.

 

One counter-strategy is to commit to a 30 day nutrition challenge, and white-knuckle your way past unhealthy holiday temptations.  But we think embarking upon a Whole30® during the holiday season may be exactly thewrong thing to do.  Surprising, coming from the tough-love champions of the Paleo-sphere? Let’s discuss the three reasons why a holiday Whole30 is a bad idea.

 

Lack of Awareness

First, programs like the Whole30 are primarily about awareness.  The only way to learn how certain foods are actually affecting your health is by paying close attention during the 30 day elimination , and the subsequent reintroduction period.

 

But during the holidays, really, nobody has time to pay attention to anything.  So why go through all the effort of giving up foods you like if you’re not going to learn anything from the experience?  From an awareness perspective, you simply can’t give this important nutritional effort the energy and attention it deserves during the holiday season.

 

Too Much Stress

Reason number two:  according to a 2009 survey, 90% of adults said they experience anxiety about the holiday season. (2) People stress about everything from family conflicts to gift purchasing to finances – and that stress can have a seriously deleterious effect on your mental and physical health.  So why would you add to that stress with a 30 day nutrition challenge during the time of the year when it’s most difficult to avoid temptation?  Sounds like a recipe for failure, unhappiness, or both.

The point of any nutrition challenge is to add to your health – not undermine it.  Under normal circumstances, changing your diet can be difficult, especially in the beginning.  But during the craziness of the holiday season, when you’ll be faced with temptation on a near-daily basis, the added pressures of a Whole30 may prove more stressful than helpful.

 

Special Traditions

Finally, the holiday season is about more than just parties, gifts, and desserts.  It’s also about family traditions, celebrating your culture and heritage.  Often, it’s when Mom, Gram or Uncle Charlie breaks out that once-a-year cake, pie, or gnocchi for which they are famous.  And we think it would be a shame to tell your poor Gram, “Sorry, but your baklava isn’t allowed during my Whole30.”

 

Some foods hold a significance that far exceeds the sum of its vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. That kind of food should be honored, savored and shared in the company of those you love.  And in this special instance, in the company of those you love, it doesn’t matter that your Mom uses an entire cup of Crisco in the cake batter. Because that cake is full of memories, history and tradition, and makes you feel as warm and safe and loved as you did when you were a kid.  And there is no way we want you to miss out on that simply because you chose to do the Whole30.

 

Prepare Your Holiday Game Plan

Now, we aren’t giving you a free pass to go completely off the rails during your holiday season.  (Your Gram’s baklava may be special, but the donuts your co-worker picked up at the grocery store are most certainly not.)  Here are some ways to stay happy, healthy and sane while still enjoying the special offerings of the season.

• Get your nutrition in line before the madness begins.  Consider a few weeks of the Whole30 in early November to remind yourself how good clean eating feels before the temptations roll in.

• Try interspersing days of Whole30 in between special holiday occasions. The more you remember how good you feel when you eat healthy, the easier it will be to pass on those things that aren’t special.

• Plan and prepare. Identify situations where you may encounter peer pressure, stress, or temptation, and come up with a (nutritional) plan to deal with them.

• Save your nutritional off-roading for things that are especially delicious or emotionally significant.  Ask yourself, is this really worth it?  If not, skip it.

• When you do indulge, be smart.  Don’t eat things you know will wreck you, or things you’re allergic or sensitive to. (Gram will understand if you’re allergic to nuts.)

• Eat only as much as you need to satisfy that craving or participate in your family’s tradition. Eat slowly, savor it and share it with those you love.

• Most important, remember that there is no guilt associated with a deliberately-made food choice.  Don’t add to your stress by making a conscious choice, then beating yourself up.

However, some people may still feel like they need the rules and structure of a Whole30 to see them through these tempting holiday months, and are prepared to deal with the challenges this entails. If you do choose to Whole30 for the holidays, make sure you have the support of friends, family, and a community who understands. Our Whole30 forum is a great place to connect with others for support, advice, and motivation, and the accountability you’ll find in our Whole30 Daily newsletter may just make the difference between staying on track, and falling face-first into a fruitcake.

 

So this holiday season, Whole9 encourages you to eat, drink and be merry – and to create your own set of healthy holiday guidelines.

 

 

 

 

 

[kirkor]

Those cookies are pretty damn adorable.

[MeadowLily]

Thanksgiving

JUST ANOTHER THURSDAY

 

 

 

 

1 December, 2014

 

by Whole30 co-founder Melissa Hartwig, who doesn’t understand why a perfectly good sweet potato needs marshmallows anyway

 

Last Thursday was U.S. Thanksgiving,  a family and food-centric celebration kicking off what is generally known as “the holiday season.” Earlier in the week, my social media feeds were full of articles from all the big national outlets detailing their best Thanksgiving day strategies, all geared towards keeping you from over-consuming.

 

The tone of most of them was… pessimistic, to say the least. The articles might as well have read, “Here are some things you can do to keep from stuffing your face until you hate yourself for as long as humanly possible, even though we all know you’re going to end up stuffing your face until you hate yourself.”

 

To be fair, the advice given was generally good. Don’t show up to the event hungry. Get in some exercise during the day (often described as “create a caloric deficit before you sit down to dinner”). Be discerning at the table—only eat the things that you think are really going to be worth it. Eat smaller portions. Don’t eat mindlessly. Don’t drink too much alcohol. Wear tight pants so you’re less tempted to over-eat.

 

This is solid advice. (Well, not that last one. That just sounds uncomfortable.) But it’s all given with the strong implication that we will all be rushing to the table frothing at the mouths, barely able to hold ourselves back from double-fisting slices of pie, bathing in gravy, and stuffing buttered dinner rolls down our pants for later.

 

In all honesty, this used to be me. (Well, not the rolls-down-the-pants part. Mostly because I always wore my tightest pants.) I’d stay on my low-fat calorie-counted diet, working out six days a week and resisting all temptations in the name of being healthy. But come Thanksgiving, I’d tell myself I deserved to indulge. That I only see some of these favorite desserts once a year. That I’ve been working so hard for exactly this kind of situation. But mostly, I didn’t rationalize at all because my calorie-and-energy-starved body and willpower-depleted brain took over and turned me into a pie-eating zombie.

 

That was a long time ago.

 

This year, as I skimmed through these “get ready for Turkey Day” articles, I didn’t really think anything. I didn’t take notes, I didn’t worry about my “pre-Thanksgiving strategy,” I didn’t calculate how many calories I’d need to burn to afford that extra dinner roll. I may as well have been reading an article on goat breeding. Or Ruby on Rails. Or sportsing.

 

I had zero interest.

 

Because for the last few years, Thanksgiving has been just another day. I mean, it’s a special day, but not because I allow myself to pig out for the first time since Halloween. It’s because I have the day off and get to see family and friends and share a delicious meal with them.

 

But I have no strategy, because I don’t need one.

 

After five-plus years of doing the Whole30 and living a Whole9 life, events like this are just another opportunity for me to do what I always do—evaluate my food opportunities, decide what’s worth it based on how I know particular foods make me feel, and then make a conscious, deliberate decision about what to eat. My plate changes from year to year, because my awareness changes the more experience I have with the program, but that’s what I’ve been doing since my first Whole30.

 

This year, I went to the gym in the morning not to burn extra calories, but because it was Thursday and Thursday is a training day. I ate a hearty breakfast (a three-egg vegetable omelet, bacon, and fruit salad) not to take up room in my stomach, but because I always eat breakfast. I wore tight pants not to deter me from eating too much, but because my favorite jeans just happen to be skinny. (High-waisted, with lots of stretch, though. I’m no dummy.)

 

We were invited to dinner at a friend’s house. I ate lots of turkey (naturally), but passed on the gravy—it was thickened with flour, and gravy’s not my thing. I ate the butter-and cream-soaked mashed potatoes with glee, enjoyed a delicious Moroccan-spiced rice dish  with apples, pear, quince, and pecans, but passed on the homemade rolls because I didn’t want to take up room in my stomach that could be used for homemade cranberry sauce.

 

I ate so much cranberry sauce.

 

I skipped dessert entirely, but came home and had a few bites of pumpkin pie my sweet assistant hand-made for us. It contained gluten, but that pie was my thing. It was delicious.

 

And then I went to bed, and woke up, and went to the gym because Friday is a training day, and ate eggs and spinach and potatoes for breakfast because I always eat breakfast, and made buffalo chicken salad for dinner because we were too stupid to ask our host for leftovers.

 

That’s what a few rounds of Whole30 (and practicing your new, healthy habits between programs) will do for you. You’ll never again have to plan a holiday “strategy.” You’ll never again try to trick yourself into eating less, use up all your willpower before the second course is served, or leave the table feeling full of stuffing and shame. (For the record, there is nothing shameful about eating food, ever, but don’t we put that on ourselves when we feel like we lose control?) This is called “food freedom,” and it’s the one thing Whole30 participants consistently describe as a benefit of the program.

 

So for those of you considering joining us for a site-wide Whole30 on January 1st, welcome. Read more of our articles, introduce yourself on our Forum, and stay tuned later this week as we announce some new resources for you. But more important, know that you’ve read your very last “Plan your Thanksgiving strategy” article, because next year will be different.

 

Welcome to the Whole30.

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

   I do.

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

The most obvious characteristic of Scarlett is courage.

 

Every obstacle she encountered, she faced head-on.  It gets better when times are tough.

 

No matter what, just look forward and you will get through it.

Be strong.   Be yourself.

 

Have loyalty to your family.  HOLD UP!

 

Be a forward thinker.   Make vows.  Don't let your family starve or eat SAD-ly.

 

Be tenacious and driven by promise.   Be smart, empowered with fortitude and courage.

 

[MeadowLily]

 

 

Whole9 shared a link.

December 3

Why Everything You Think About Aging May Be Wrong. Myth No. 2: Cognitive Decline Is Inevitable http://ow.ly/Fbh0W

 

 

 

Myth No. 6: More Exercise Is Better

 

 

When it comes to improving health and longevity, exercise is key. But a growing number of studies show that more exercise may not always be better.

 

“You get to a point of diminishing returns,” says James O’Keefe, a professor of medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

In a study to be published this month, Dr. O’Keefe and co-authors tracked 1,098 joggers and 3,950 non-joggers from 2001 to 2013; all were part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, under way since 1976. Overall, the runners in the Copenhagen study lived longer than the non-runners: 6.2 years longer for the men, and 5.6 years longer for the women.

 

But the new study discovered that those who ran more than four hours a week at a fast pace—of 7 miles per hour or more—lost much, if not all, of the longevity benefits.

 

The group that saw the biggest improvements? Those who jogged from one to 2.4 hours weekly at 5 to 7 mph and took at least two days off from vigorous exercise per week.

 

Other studies have come to similar conclusions. In research published this year, scientists at institutions including Iowa State University found that the death rate for runners is 30% to 45% below that for non-runners. But the mortality benefits were similar for all runners, even those who ran five to 10 minutes a day at speeds of 6 mph or less. “Fairly modest doses of running provided benefits as great as…a lot of running,” says Russell Pate, an author of the study and professor at the University of South Carolina.

 

Dr. O’Keefe believes long-term strenuous endurance exercise may cause “overuse injury” to the heart. His recommendation: Stick to a moderate cardiovascular workout of no more than 30 miles a week or 50 to 60 minutes of vigorous exercise a day, and take at least one day off each week. “You don’t need to run a marathon,” he says.

Ms. Tergesen is a Wall Street Journal staff reporter in New York. 

[MeadowLily]

Whole9 shared a link.

December 2

Genes matter. But they are not destiny. Helen Messier & Dallas Hartwig.http://ow.ly/F7os8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MeadowLily]

How to Stop a Binge Before It Happens

 

 

 

Long-Term Strategies

 

Follow a regular meal plan. “The most important thing to do is to get on a regular pattern of eating,” says Doug Bunnell, PhD, former president of the National Eating Disorders Association. Dietary restriction and under-eating -- often in an attempt to lose weight or “make up for” a binge -- drive people to feel hungry, then overeat or binge, he says.

 

Focus on health, not weight. The desire to lose weight can actually keep someone stuck in a bingeing cycle, Bunnell says. Focus on overall fitness and health rather than pounds.

 

 

Learn your triggers. “For me, a binge never really began with the first compulsive bite, but much earlier. It began with my not taking care of myself in some other way,” says Jenni Schaefer, co-author of Almost Anorexic: Is My (or My Loved One’s) Relationship with Food a Problem?

 

 

 

Learn what feelings, moods, interactions, and relationships drive your urge to binge, Bunnell says. A therapist can help you ID your triggers. Once you do, “you want to reframe the problem from being one of ‘I’m hungry’ to one of ‘I’m feeling ignored or unimportant’ or whatever it might be, and line up the solutions for that.”

 

Remove temptation. “Don’t keep foods that you like to binge on,” advises Leslie Anderson, PhD, training director at the Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research at University of California, San Diego.

 

Look for other ways to feel good. People with binge-eating disorder often have underlying depression, Bunnell says. He suggests seeking out non-food sources of pleasure. For example, try something you enjoyed as a kid -- perhaps an art class. And get more physical activity. “It’s actually one of the most powerful treatments we have for improving mood, and that’s often a critical part of helping people manage the binge eating,” Bunnell says.

[MeadowLily]

Binge Eating

Road Sign to Diabetes

 

 

 

Out of control binge eating can be the precursor and road sign to diabetes down the road.  If you need the motivation to stop binge eating in your teens, 20's and 30's....

think of a future with diabetes.

 

 

 

 

People with binge eating disorder feel out of control as they eat large amounts of food. Unlike those who have bulimia, people who binge don’t purge, fast, or exercise excessively to lose weight afterward. Binge eating disorder also has been called compulsive overeating, emotional eating, or food addiction.

 

“It’s not just overeating,” Dr. Mazzeo said. “Binge eating is what we call ‘loss of control eating.’ You feel like you can’t stop, even if you want to.”

The most common of the three types of eating disorders, binge eating affects more women than men, and it usually starts during their early 20s.

People with binge eating disorder tend to:

• Binge at least twice a week for at least six months

• Binge in secret

• Binge during a negative mood

• Feel uncomfortably full afterward

• Often feel distressed, guilty, and depressed after binging

• Be overweight or obese

 

Because binge eating can lead to type 2 diabetes and weight gain, obesity...binge eaters may also experience a poor quality of life and nutritional problems.

 

What Causes Binge Eating Disorder?

 

Psychologists don’t know exactly what causes eating disorders, but research suggests that there’s a strong genetic risk, Mazzeo said. “Identical twins are more likely to be consistent on whether they have an eating disorder.” In fact, if you have a relative who has anorexia, you’re roughly 10 times more likely to have an eating disorder compared with someone who doesn’t have a relative with anorexia.

 

However, it may take factors in your environment to trigger the behavior — anything from magazines filled with thin supermodels to stress to abuse, Mazzeo said. Also, people who have careers in which being thin is a requirement, such as models, actors, TV personalities, dancers, and athletes, tend to be at risk for eating disorders.

 

Experiencing depression and anxiety may increase the risk of developing anorexia or binge eating. Those who have bulimia may have other impulsive behaviors, such as alcohol or drug abuse, or may injure themselves.

 

Over a lifetime, someone could have all three disorders, crossing over from one to another, Mazzeo said. The good news: Eating disorders can be treated with psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or group therapy; some medications may also be helpful.

[MeadowLily]

 

[MeadowLily]

          "Would it have been worth while,

  To have bitten off the matter with a smile,

  To have squeezed the universe into a ball

  To roll it toward some overwhelming question
  "Do I dare

  Disturb the universe?

  In a minute there is time  

  For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.  

  For I have known them all already, known them all:

  Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,  

  I have measured out my life with coffee spoons

 

 

 

And would it have been worth it, after all,  

 Would it have been worth while"