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Ali's Feel-Good, Gain Control, Marathon-training Whole 30


Alisonlcarver

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These post-it notes have helped me figure out what to eat when I either don't want to cook or just don't want to use my brain to put a meal together. I just pick one item from each post-it note to put a meal together, including protein, veggies, and fat! As I use up a food, I cross it out, and as I add foods, I write them in. Super easy and helpful to me!

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Day 16 (12/12):

**Past the Halfway Mark!! Celebrate good times! Come on!**

M1: 3 cage-free scrambled eggs with pink sea salt and pepper, 1 large baked sweet potato with cinnamon, 2 tsp. ghee, 3 pieces of compliant BACON, herbal tea, at 9am (This was a LOT of food! I was very full after breakfast! I probably should have had just 1/2 of the potato.)

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Mid-morning: 1 cup of crio Bru, at 11:30am (I know I previously said no more for the remainder of my Whole 30 but it's Saturday, and I wanted some, darnit!)

M2: 2 Bilinski's Cajun-style andouille chicken sausages, celery, salsa, homemade coleslaw, blob of mayo-based remoulade, 1 banana, 2 T. organic sunflower nut butter, at 2:30-3pm (very full, ate too much--I probably should have omitted the banana and nut butter)

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Mid-afternoon: 1 cup of crio Bru

(Upset stomach in the afternoon, evening, and night. It could be caused by 4 things, including 1. eating too much at M1 and M2, 2. too much nuts, 3. Crio Bru, or 4. wearing pants that are too tight for the day, which I did. I've been thinking about this for part of the evening and I don't think it's #1 because I don't think eating a little too much Whole 30 food would upset my stomach. I also don't think it's #3 because I have drank quite a bit of crio Bru in the past and know it's negative side effects on me (achy shoulders, headaches, growing dependence, but never any upset stomach). Therefore I am ruling out crio Bru. Now I'm left with #2 (too much nuts) and #4 (tight pants). I honestly think it's #4, but just in case I am going to watch the nut consumption.)

(Exercise: Walk around the neighborhood with my husband.)

M3: Dinner out at a wing and burger restaurant, including 1/2 of a salad consisting of lettuce, tomatoes and grilled chicken with some sliced hard-boiled egg and avocado slices with olive oil, glass of unsweetened almond milk, at 8:30-9pm

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If Moderators are reading this thread, may I have some more 'official' feedback please? I greatly value and appreciate the opinions of my Forum friends, but think official advice gives me the most trusted guidance. Thank you. :)

 

Mostly, everything looks good, as long as you're feeling good, and your meals are keeping you satisfied for 4-5 hours at a time. Nuts/nut milks can definitely cause digestive issues, so you really might want to cut back on them for a while if you're still having issues. I'd also say drinking almond milk or coconut milk straight, while it's not against the rules, is not really the best option -- this quote from the Can I Have list sums it up:  

 

Tip: Nuts and seeds aren’t your best fat choice, in general, and drinking your food is always less healthy than eating it. So when it comes to almond milk, even if you make your own… we’d rather you just eat the almonds once in a while!

 

 

If it's that you're wanting something after dinner, but you're not really hungry, have you tried herbal teas? Or if you are hungry, it's okay to eat. Maybe a hard boiled egg with a little mayo, or some leftover meat.  Ideally, when everything is working right, you'll be hungry when you wake up in the morning, and then by the end of the day, you should be getting less hungry and not need a post-dinner snack, unless you're just having really long days and the time from dinner to bedtime is longer than usual -- I did notice a 12-hour work day in there. On a day like that, it's understandable you'd need an extra meal, since your goal is just to go 4-5 hours between meals. It might be a full meal, or it might be a mini-meal (protein, fat, and veggies, just in smaller than a full meal serving size) -- whichever seems to work best for you. 

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Mostly, everything looks good, as long as you're feeling good, and your meals are keeping you satisfied for 4-5 hours at a time. Nuts/nut milks can definitely cause digestive issues, so you really might want to cut back on them for a while if you're still having issues. I'd also say drinking almond milk or coconut milk straight, while it's not against the rules, is not really the best option.

If it's that you're wanting something after dinner, but you're not really hungry, have you tried herbal teas? Or if you are hungry, it's okay to eat. Maybe a hard boiled egg with a little mayo, or some leftover meat.  Ideally, when everything is working right, you'll be hungry when you wake up in the morning, and then by the end of the day, you should be getting less hungry and not need a post-dinner snack, unless you're just having really long days and the time from dinner to bedtime is longer than usual -- I did notice a 12-hour work day in there. On a day like that, it's understandable you'd need an extra meal, since your goal is just to go 4-5 hours between meals. It might be a full meal, or it might be a mini-meal (protein, fat, and veggies, just in smaller than a full meal serving size) -- whichever seems to work best for you.

Thanks ShannonM, I always value your feedback. :) I will watch the nut consumption--yesterday was the first day I had an upset stomach since starting the Whole 30, and I don't like it! My reasoning for occasionally drinking almond milk is mainly for the calcium. I am trying to get pregnant and get nervous about calcium being taken from my system once I do get pregnant so I am trying to get extra. Should I just focus on veggies for calcium instead? I actually do not find myself hungry after dinner (except for one time early in this Whole 30 where I didn't eat enough). Sometimes I do incorporate a fruit or nut into my dinner meal, but it's never stand-alone. I try to only eat fruit or nuts if I am still hungry after my protein, veggies, and fat. And I try very hard not to think of anything as a dessert. I have been drinking herbal tea, and I love it! I usually drink a glass with breakfast and I sometimes drink one after dinner. But I try not to drink a whole lot very late at night because then I end up waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom! For longer workdays, I will remember the extra meal and plan ahead so that I am not grabbing a less-optimal-but-still-compliant bar. Thanks again! I know I have to specifically ask for it, but moderator feedback is always welcome!

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I want to share my absolute *favorite* Whole 30 recipe for chicken salad. It uses the mayonnaise recipe from paleocupboard.com, but I use the whole egg instead of just the yolk. The actual chicken salad is also from paleocupboard.com too! I must like that website!

**Mayonnaise:

1 large whole egg (room temperature)

1 T. fresh lemon juice (I just squeeze 1/2 lemon, and that works for me)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 c. light-tasting olive oil

Immersion Blender

Directions for Mayo:

Add all ingredients into a jar and allow to settle for 1 minute. Use the immersion blender on high speed until the mixture is the creamy consistency of mayonnaise. I do sometimes have to scrape the sides of the jar and blender to make sure everything is mixed together. This yields about 1 cup of mayo, and all of it is used in the chicken salad recipe (no waste or leftovers, yay!)

**Chicken Salad:

1 1/2 lbs. cooked and shredded/chopped boneless, skinless chicken breast (this is cooked weight, and I boil my raw chicken breasts in water until they are done. It's so simple and only takes about 30 minutes.)

1 c. paleo mayo (the entire recipe above)

1/2 c. finely chopped bell pepper

1/2 c. chopped celery

1/4 c. chopped red onion

1/4 c. chopped water chestnuts

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp. paprika

Directions for Chicken Salad:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Chill for at least 1 hour or make a day ahead. (But if you eat it right away, it's still amazing!)

This recipe yields 6-7 cups/servings of chicken salad. Lots of protein and healthy fat! Here is what the final product should look like:

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P.S. If you look closely, you can see a blue ribbon for a cookie recipe for which I won 1st prize at the county fair this year!

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Have you read this article about getting enough calcium on whole30: http://whole9life.com/2012/02/what-about-calcium/?It talks about how consuming calcium rich foods is only part of the equation.

You might also google Whole30 calcium pregnant and read some of the past discussion here in the forum to see how others have addressed this, I know it's been discussed before.

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Day 17 (12/13):

M1: 3 cage-free scrambled eggs, 1 tsp. ghee, roasted butternut squash (roasted in coconut oil with salt, pepper, parsley, and cinnamon), canned pace salsa, 1/2 avocado with dark cherry balsamic vinegar, 2 cups of crio Bru, at 9:30am

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Pre-WO: 1 hard-boiled egg with a small spoonful of mayo-based remoulade, at 12:30pm

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(Exercise: Run 6.6 miles)

Post-WO: chocolate Rx bar, at 1:45pm

M2: homemade chicken salad with celery, at 2:45pm

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M3: bowlful of homemade chili (ground beef, veggies, tomatoes, spices), 1/2 avocado with grape tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and (not pictured) raw celery with canned pace salsa, at 7pm

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Alison - thanks for sharing your favorite chicken salad recipe. I make Melissa Joulwan's mayo and just mix it with shredded chicken, but I can see that adding in the other ingredients would make it even tastier! 

 

Today's meals look delicious! 

 

Are you already taking a quality prenatal supplement? That's something my OB recommended before I had my kids. I bet that the Whole 30 has a good one to recommend (but I have not looked). 

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Are you already taking a quality prenatal supplement? That's something my OB recommended before I had my kids. I bet that the Whole 30 has a good one to recommend (but I have not looked).

No. I should be, I guess. I was hoping that through the Whole 30 foods I might get to avoid that. I hate taking pills, but know the reason for it. I'll look into it and see if there is information in the Whole 30 pregnant forum. Thanks for the prompting. :)

Let me know if you make the chicken salad. It's so good!

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I'm feeling a little discouraged right now. It's day 17 so I was hoping to be getting into (and staying in) the Tiger Blood stage, but feel that I peaked around days 5-9 and now I am feeling good but not great. Yesterday my stomach was very sour, and today my stomach is also hurting. It's bloating and gas and fullness, even though I have not eaten more than to satiety at meals. Yesterday I was thinking that it could be because my pants were too tight, but today I am wearing a maxi long skirt, and you know how loose and flowy those are--not restrictive or confining at all! So, it's not that. I'm thinking it's either nuts or crio Bru. Other than those two foods, I really don't think it could be the other foods I've been eating. I've been getting enough sleep and exercising (but not over-exercising, I don't think.) I'm not constipated, so it's not that. (I know you were dying to know that.) I want to feel great again--Tiger Blood great! I'm just feeling bloated and gassy now, and blah. I am going to go back and do what I originally vowed to do and have no more crio Bru for the remainder of the Whole 30 and really decrease my nut consumption. Any other suggestions are welcome.

When I get discouraged I need to remember my NSV...

--generally feeling better (minus a setback for the past 2 days)

--workouts fueled, fat-adapted

--normalized and stabilized blood sugars, and no need to eat every 2-3 hours without having to slap somebody

--healthier, for sure

--food freedom, self control (today I made some holiday cookies and treat bags for my co-workers and did not eat any of the treats and do not currently have cravings for them. Abstinence is easier than moderation!)

--I get to eat yummy nutritious foods that I don't regret or feel bad about

--eating to satiety and not binging on foods

--I have been sleeping better

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Alison, it is not uncommon for people to discover on a Whole 30 that they may have a problem with high-FODMAP foods.  It took me awhile to realize it, and it was a really big problem for me when I was doing a Whole 30 and trying to eat so many vegetables.  Of course I was trying to get a wide variety, also -- you know, "all the colors of the rainbow" and all that.  Well... that was not great for me, personally.  FODMAP overload!

 

I felt like a different person when I followed the green part of this list for a couple of days.  (It is halfway down, in the middle of this article.  If you google you can find a printable version, too.)

 

http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/08/modifying-paleo-for-fodmap-intolerance.html

 

As much as I do not want it to be the case -- I do have an issue with avocado.  :(

 

Nuts can be very disruptive for folks, for sure -- especially if you are eating more than ~ounce serving size at a time.  I went through a period with nuts where I just had to ABSTAIN.  That is also not uncommon here on the forums.  If you find yourself craving them, looking forward to them, and eating more than you really think you should (feeling out of control with them in any way) -- it's time to break up with them.  It may be hard -- but I have been there, done that, and I can tell you that only good things will come.

 

Just take a look at the FODMAP list and consider that, as well.  Good luck!

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If you look at that FODMAP thing and feel overwhelmed I just wanted to say that it might pass... I had an awful IBS flare about 8 months ago for 2 weeks.  I had to go the the ER twice for the pain, it was unbearable.  I decided at that moment it had to be FODMAPS.  So I was pretty good with things for a while.  I tended to eat bigger portions than they suggest eating but if I kept to low FODMAP foods it was ok.  Onion and garlic were BANNED.  I upped my probiotic consumption (24 hour fermented yogurt - SCD yogurt) and kombucha.  I was feeling totally fine after a few weeks.  I kept up with the yogurt for months and was really symptom free (my issue was diarrhea 2-3x a day - that and the pain were gone).  When I started this W30 I couldn't do a no FODMAP W30 - way to restrictive.  So they all came back in :)  Onions, garlic, etc.  And I'm fine.  So if you decide to limit some FODMAPs it might not be forever.  

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Brewer5 and littleg--

Thanks for the advice. I have never had an issue with avocados, garlic, onions, peppers, or tomatoes before so I can't imagine why they would start giving me troubles out of the blue right now...I think for now, I am going to watch my nut intake and discontinue the crio Bru and see if that fixes things. In the past I did have a peanut butter problem (no self-control or limit to my consumption) but I am not a person who puts a spoon into a jar of almond butter or sunflower nut butter and eats 1/2 the jar. Now that I am doing the Whole 30, I don't think I gorge on anything really. Even on the days when I eat nuts, it's either a closed handful of nuts, nuts in a Larabar or Rx bar, 1-2 T. of nut butter from a jar, or 1 single-serving packet of nut butter...very measured and controlled, and I'm good with one serving. So, I really don't think I need to break up with nuts completely at this point. I think my plan is to see what cutting out crio Bru and cutting down on nuts does and go from there. Thanks so much for your advice and the FODMAPS link!

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Nuts certainly are easier to let go of than FODMAPS :)  If you really like the Crio Bru (which it seems like you do since you've given it up now 3-4 times in the last 3 weeks ;) )... just ditch the nuts for a few days and see if it helps.  If it doesn't, it doesn't - add 'em back in.  Cutting down on something probably won't help if you have a sensitivity to them.  Melissa once said on a blog post (or in the book, I don't remember) along the lines of "if you owned 10 cats and found out you were allergic to cats and gave 8 of them away but kept 2... you wouldn't really feel much better"... nuts and Crio Bru are kind of the same.  You've got 10ish days left right?  Just ditch the nuts - they are protein and fat, easy enough to get from other places.  And coconut butter doesn't count as a nut - so keep that in too!  But if Crio Bru is anything like coffee... well that is harder to substitute, so keep drinking that (and it will make a better experiment, not changing all the variables at once)!

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So if you decide to limit some FODMAPs it might not be forever.  

 

 

I have never had an issue with avocados, garlic, onions, peppers, or tomatoes before so I can't imagine why they would start giving me troubles out of the blue right now...

 

Right.  This was my point -- that if you are sensitive at all, it tends to really become noticeable on a Whole 30, when you are combining many.

 

I "never had an issue" with things, either, until I started eating them every day, every meal, etc.  It didn't just start up on Day 1 of a Whole 30, in an obviously noticeable way...  It's like a cumulative effect.  It creeps up on you.

 

The only way to know for sure is to eat off that green list for a couple of days and see how you feel.  Trust me, if you have a FODMAP issue, it will be a noticeable difference.  When the lightbulb finally came on for me, I was like, WOW.   :blink:   

 

Our bodies are constantly changing and healing, so as littleg said -- you could have a problem at some times in your life and not so much at others.  That has been my experience, as well.

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Sorry you are not feeling the tiger blood! Good job recalling your NSV's.

 

Interesting thoughts here from brewer5 & littleg. I hope you pursue one thing and find out if it solves your problem, then if not, move on to the next. Maybe what littleg suggested - start with simply removing nuts for the next 10 days. Then if that doesn't work, try the crio bru. Then if that doesn't work, try the FODMAPS. Or whatever. Keep us posted! 

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littleg totally called me out on giving up crio bru...3 times in 3 weeks! Haha, I love it! Ya'll keep me honest. ;)

 

Interesting thoughts here from brewer5 & littleg. I hope you pursue one thing and find out if it solves your problem, then if not, move on to the next. Maybe what littleg suggested - start with simply removing nuts for the next 10 days. Then if that doesn't work, try the crio bru. Then if that doesn't work, try the FODMAPS. Or whatever. Keep us posted! 

 

Yes, I agree that methodically giving up one thing at a time is the best way to experiment to determine the exact cause of my distress.  I think I am still going to give up both at this point though since it seems that nuts are the suspect culprit and crio bru has an addictive factor to me.  If my tummy troubles go away then great, I will add back in one of the two and see how I do!  If my troubles persist (please, no!) then I'll try giving up FODMAPS.  I am not looking forward to that though, so I'll cross that bridge when I get there.  Stay tuned...

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So today is apparently my day to say "NO, you are WRONG" to everything you decide... sorry about that!

 

..."crio bru has an addictive factor to me"

 

I'm just saying this because I had the same conversation with myself over coffee... If you were to say "I'm going to give this up for 30 days and evaluate" I'd say "go you!".  But when you say it like this it reminds me of the thoughts I had over coffee... I was thinking of giving it up simply, well, because I liked it.  And it made me happy... I am "addicted" to it.  Sometimes I feel like when you are in the middle of a W30 it gets too easy to take "food is fuel" to the extreme.  Food CAN bring you joy and make you feel good - it is ok!  You've mentioned that you think your headaches (?) might be caused by this drink so if that is really what you are after go ahead and cut it, but if by addicted you mean "enjoy a few cups a day", who cares?  You told me earlier to give up my coconut butter - and you were correct - I eat that in an uncontrollable way.  But are you really sitting there sneaking in cups of Crio Bru when no one is looking and pouring it down your throat until you can't really taste it?  That is addictive eating.  Simply enjoying a cup of something a few times a day is simply that - enjoying something.  

 

Ok, off to find some more posts where I can say Ali you are WRONG ;)

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Day 18 (12/14):

Poor sleep last night because my husband was tossing and turning! I did not get my 8 hours. Bummer.

Scheduled Rest Day!

M1: 3 cage-free scrambled eggs, 1 T. ghee, roasted butternut squash (roasted in coconut oil with sea salt, pepper, parsley, and cinnamon), canned pace salsa, and herbal tea, at 6am

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M2: 10 large cooked shrimp, large salad with lots of raw veggies, drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, 1/2 avocado, at 11:45am-12:15pm

Pre-M3: herbal tea, a few bites of homemade coleslaw, at 5:30pm

M3: 4 large cooked shrimp, 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 baked sweet potato with cinnamon and 1 tsp. ghee, homemade coleslaw, at 6:45pm

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I was not very hungry for dinner and kindof made myself finish most of my plate. I did have 1 hard-boiled egg left over and was thinking of eating a banana if I was hungry after dinner, but didn't eat that either. My stomach is still a little sour, so I am hoping without nuts and crio Bru, I'll start feeling better in a few days.

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Alison, it is not uncommon for people to discover on a Whole 30 that they may have a problem with high-FODMAP foods.  It took me awhile to realize it, and it was a really big problem for me when I was doing a Whole 30 and trying to eat so many vegetables.  Of course I was trying to get a wide variety, also -- you know, "all the colors of the rainbow" and all that.  Well... that was not great for me, personally.  FODMAP overload!

 

I felt like a different person when I followed the green part of this list for a couple of days.  (It is halfway down, in the middle of this article.  If you google you can find a printable version, too.)

 

http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/08/modifying-paleo-for-fodmap-intolerance.html

 

As much as I do not want it to be the case -- I do have an issue with avocado.  :(

 

Nuts can be very disruptive for folks, for sure -- especially if you are eating more than ~ounce serving size at a time.  I went through a period with nuts where I just had to ABSTAIN.  That is also not uncommon here on the forums.  If you find yourself craving them, looking forward to them, and eating more than you really think you should (feeling out of control with them in any way) -- it's time to break up with them.  It may be hard -- but I have been there, done that, and I can tell you that only good things will come.

 

Just take a look at the FODMAP list and consider that, as well.  Good luck!

Brewer5--I am just now getting around to reading this FODMAP article. Thank you for including it. It's amazing how many FODMAP foods I eat, EVERY SINGLE DAY! Just about every day I eat nuts, avocado, broccoli, butternut squash, sweet potato, celery, banana, and some form of coconut. Every day. I can see now how these foods eaten in such abundance could lead to GI discomfort. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with this information...I'll have to think about it. :)

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Day 19 (12/15):

I slept better last night, but still woke up sleepy this morning, even after getting 8 hours. I am going to aim for 9 hours of sleep tonight. My stomach is feeling a bit better than yesterday. Usually, when I am having tummy troubles, it takes about 2 days until I feel back to normal. By tomorrow, I bet I will be feeling back to myself again.

M1: 3 cage-free scrambled eggs, 1/2 baked sweet potato with cinnamon, steamed broccoli, canned pace salsa, 1 T. ghee, herbal tea, at 6am

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M2: about 1 cup of homemade chicken salad, Baggie filled with raw celery, carrots, and grape tomatoes, about 2/3 of a medium organic Granny Smith apple, at 11-11:30am

(I avoided the pizza and cake at a work party. I was "that girl" but I don't care. I don't even want to think how bad/bloated/cranky/lethargic I would feel after eating all those poor nutrition carbs and sugar! Yuck! My definition of what foods are 'worth it' for me is evolving. Thank goodness.)

Pre-WO: 1 hard-boiled egg with a small amount of mayo-based remoulade, open handful of unsweetened coconut flakes, at 3:30pm

(Exercise: Run 3 1/2 miles)

Post-WO: EPIC Beef Apple & Uncured Bacon bar, 1 banana, at 5pm

M3: 3 Applegate hot dogs (I started out with 2 hot dogs and then added a 3rd right after dinner), homemade ketchup, spicy brown mustard, homemade coleslaw, 1 tub of unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon, at 7-7:30pm

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