Now the science experiment starts!

[angledge]

I finished my Whole30 yesterday. I think I did a pretty good job - there might've been some fugitive non-compliant foods during the 30 days, because I did eat out at restaurants a few times. But I was very diligent about checking things with servers & cooks when I ate out, & I was very strict at home. Here are my victories:

• I lost 7 pounds in 30 days;
• Slept better than I have in years;
• My hair & nails look great; and,
• The semi-permanent aches & pains in my shoulders & hips are gone - & that hasn't been true in a decade or more. I didn't take ANY painkillers for the entire duration of the Whole30.

But now it's Day 31, & the part I've been looking forward to is starting - reintroductions! Specifically, I am curious to see if I can figure what food group causes me to have a permanently stuffed-up nose. Top suspects are dairy & gluten, but now I'm in a position to figure out which one it is!

 

I also want to figure out what caused my hip & shoulder pain to go away. Systemic inflammation is a likely suspect, if I understand It Starts With Food. We shall see, we shall see....

[angledge]

So the legume reintroduction went off without a hitch. I don't think I have any sensitivity to this food group. Not much of a surprise, because I was a vegetarian for 12 years & during that time I leaned heavily on legumes for protein. 

 

I veered off-track yesterday (which was supposed to be a "clean" day). My partner & brother, knowing that my 30 days were up, scheduled a meal out at a Mexican restaurant. I caved in, & ate beans & corn. I'm going to go back to pure Whole30 eating for three days & then do a proper reintroduction of non-gluten grains.

[Rwilk44]

I'm right here with you Angledge. I reintroduced legumes Friday. No problem with black beans. Tried edamame with dinner. Felt bloated and had some digestive issues. But kept it clean yesterday. Today I tried steel cut oats and corn. Feeling uneasy going back to clean tomorrow for two days. But like you I have allergies and sinus trouble. I suspect dairy is and has been the culprit. I am very curious about the gluten grains.

[angledge]

So.... I think I owe MeadowLily an apology regarding Larabars!

 

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/24094-whole30-for-lent-starting-february-18th/?p=274035

 

I was warned about Larabars! Yesterday I bought a couple boxes of them & ate one in the car on the way home. I immediately wanted another & as I was mindlessly reaching for the box, I realized - hoo boy, this is a FWOB moment! I'm not even hungry!

 

MEADOWLILY TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN.

 

So, now that I've realized that even healthy-ingredient Larabars can be a trap set by the Sugar Dragon, I will not buy them just to have around. They will be a mission-specific food only - only to be considered for specific things, such as portable foods for the ski slopes or hiking trips. I will NOT eat them any more as snacks around the house.

 

I WAS WARNED.   MEADOWLILY, YOU WERE RIGHT!

[angledge]

So, I haven't done any other reintroductions yet. I got off the rails last weekend & decided to go back to Whole30 eating for several days to make sure I would get good results from a proper reintroduction. Today I'm going to try non-gluten grains. What to eat, what to eat? I guess I'll have some corn tortilla chips with lunch & rice with dinner. It's crazy to me how unappetizing these options seem!

[MeadowLily]

So.... I think I owe MeadowLily an apology regarding Larabars!

 

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/24094-whole30-for-lent-starting-february-18th/?p=274035

 

I was warned about Larabars! Yesterday I bought a couple boxes of them & ate one in the car on the way home. I immediately wanted another & as I was mindlessly reaching for the box, I realized - hoo boy, this is a FWOB moment! I'm not even hungry!

 

MEADOWLILY TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN.

 

So, now that I've realized that even healthy-ingredient Larabars can be a trap set by the Sugar Dragon, I will not buy them just to have around. They will be a mission-specific food only - only to be considered for specific things, such as portable foods for the ski slopes or hiking trips. I will NOT eat them any more as snacks around the house.

 

I WAS WARNED.   MEADOWLILY, YOU WERE RIGHT!

I don't want to be Mrs. Peevy Preachy Pants.     Gaaaaah,  that's not my intention at all.  

 

I believe in pulling what we need from lots of different sources with a bunch of sugar avoidance.  Larabars are one of those BIG Kahuna trigger foods.     The longer we stay away from trigger foods, the less we deal with serious cravings.  

 

Now get back, Jack.....give the rest away, Angledge.  If you don't,  they'll tempt you to polish them all off and then start over again tomorrow.   Don't make me come over there and pry them out of your lil hands...pulling back and forth until I have to run after you down the street.   You are equipped and reinforced to help others now.     

 

[angledge]

I won't give them away - as I said, they are still going to have a role to play in my diet going forward. Just because they're around doesn't mean I will eat them. I've dealt with all kinds of tempting foods during my Whole30, because my partner didn't do the Whole30 with me. If I can resist orange-chocolate biscotti from my favorite bakery (on the kitchen counter nearly every day throughout my Whole30!!), then I can keep my hand out of the Larabar box. 

 

The important thing for me was to realize that - yes - they are a trigger food & I need to look at them as a pitfall, just like the biscotti. In my head, they have moved from the "They're fine, they are a Whole30 food!" category to the "Watch out, Sugar Dragon bait!" category. As long as I keep that clear in my mind, I can leave them in cupboard until it's a high-energy, outdoor activity day (skiing, hiking, open-water swimming, etc.) where I need easily portable, non-refrigerated food. I will not consider them an acceptable food to eat while I'm in the house.

[MeadowLily]

I won't give them away - but I will pack them away with my ski gear. 

I have food squirreled away in my closets for a rainy day.   I've loaded up on tuna, salmon, kippers, jerky and dried berries.  I don't have any room for my shoes.    I'm going to give all my clothes away.   

[angledge]

So, the non-gluten grains reintroduction was a mix of results. I didn't notice any physical symptoms of intolerance or sensitivity. However, psychological problems? YEAH.

 

I was planning on having ONE serving of corn tortilla chips with lunch. An hour later, I was pouring the chip dust from the bottom of the bag in my mouth. FWOB!

 

I was planning on having a bowl of Crispix (no milk) as a snack while watching TV (since this is how I used to use/abuse this food). I ate three-quarters of the box. FWOB!

 

Worse yet, eating all those chips & all that cereal meant I wasn't hungry for dinner, so I passed on the healthy fish/vegetable meal I had meant to eat. These..... worthless, empty, crunchy filler foods displaced much healthier choices from my plate. What an awful trade!

 

http://angledge.livejournal.com/433206.html

[MeadowLily]

But your self-honesty is priceless. 

[angledge]

OK, finished my reintroductions over the weekend & it was a train wreck! For the full write-up, click here:

 

http://angledge.livejournal.com/436199.html

 

My summation of my six-week adventure in Whole30-Land: I am completely convinced, based on my personal experiences, that the Paleo eating template – pasture-raised meats & eggs, wild-caught fish, organic vegetables & fruits, & small amounts of nuts & seeds – is the proper way for me to eat. I like the way I feel when I eat clean. Going forward, I will relax some of the Whole30 restrictions – I will drink the occasional alcoholic beverage, & when we go out to eat, I’ll probably have dairy &/or gluten. But at home, it’s going to be pretty much Whole30 all the time.

 

It's been a great experience - thank you to all those on the forum!

[kirkor]

TIL livejournal still exists