Join A 2016 Whole9 Challenge!

[init2winit]

Soooo I had a food dream last night. I can't remember if I had them the first time around but I'm pretty sure I did. I don't remember all of the details but someone was making me a monte cristo sandwich (weird because it's not something I would normally eat) and I remembered I was on W30 right before I shoved it in my mouth. Then I was somehow at an airport searching franticly for compliant food but all they had were drinks. I was freaking out! 

It's funny because when I quit drinking I would have similar dreams about booze! Our minds are so crazy! Anywho... on day 4 and all is well. No monte cristos for this gal. I've noticed this time around that I am keeping things much more simple. I'm sure I'll do some fun recipes over the weekend but weekdays consist of mixing and matching veggies with ground meat of some sort or chicken I've thrown in the slow cooker and adding some sort of fat. My favorites are avocado (I don't think a day goes by where I don't have one) and mayo because you can add herbs and spices to...well...spice it up!  Usually do a can of tuna for lunch with mayo or Tessemae's and lots of veggies. I'm one of those people that can eat some sort of variation of the same thing every day. I think I have been eating eggs almost every morning since my last W30 and, as long as I switch up how I prepare them or what I put in them, I don't seem to tire of them. What can I say, I like routine!

Really enjoying the posts and keep on keepin' on everyone! Happy Wednesday!! 

[Zoe]

My brain never tires of eggs either - but sometimes my body lets me know it has had enough and i take a break from them 

[SoutheyFarmGirl]

So going to try this

Just another quirk for mum - my kids think I get weirder and weirder every day - anyone else in the same boat

Speaking of weird things - will be going out on a training walk tonight - does anyone else go for walks with a rucksack full of bottles of water ? - the plan is to get up to 25kgs - hope the police dont stop & search me !!!

[SoutheyFarmGirl]

My kids definitely think I'm crazy sometimes! Or quite possibly most of the time. It's ok though, they love me anyway:)

[FoodieCG]

Well, my daughter dropped by last night to pick up spaghetti sauce for her squash and tropical chicken (skin on, on the bone poached in pineapple and orange juice with rosemary...yum), mayo and aoli. I am doing some extra cooking for her because she has a very high energy three year old and works a demanding job.

As a coach and a consultant, I have more freedom to spend time cooking. I was really pleased about the mayo, which I got from the "cooking" thread. And the aoli was slightly more runny, but a tasty sauce for salmon or other wild caught fish.

Anyway, I am releived she is doing so well, but today is Day 3 for us, so we are both going to focus on the gift this Challenge is for us. Honoring our bodies with healthy eating and spiritual centering around nourishment.

For me, giving myself this incredible gift of only consuming foods that honor the life of the foodstuff (whether animal or plant) and that honors me, is part of a centering life practice. I don't want to sound too hokey, but I truly connect clean eating with laying a foundation for aware living.

[AmyS]

Foodie, your last paragraph really resonates with me.

[cottagequeen]

So, had a Dr app this am for my facial rash, which BTW has improved immensely in just 5 days of Whole30! Went because mt boss requested it due to someone at work calling her concerned that I was contagious or would pick something up. She looked it over and talked to a Dr. I saw out on the floor and he told her he thought I was safe. She told me that he said he asked me for a hug, LOL. He didn't, but thought it sweet he told her that. Anyhoo, of course they wanted to weigh me and I told her I wasn't going to look because I was doing a Whole30. She said Oh, ok. Seems by her comment she'd heard it before. My B/P was excellent, 118/62. Dr. told me my kidneys were exceptional and liver great from labs they did when I had the appendectomy on Oct.  Not bad for an almost 52 y/o. He agreed with me that it was a fungal rash and I am safe to work... So, am getting a lipid panel done. It's been a long while since I've had it checked. Tomorrow is going to be interesting, 12 hrs fasting for the test. So, got to come up with something for tomorrow.  Unfortunately, M1 will be more than a half hour after I get up tomorrow. It's a half hour drive to the lab...It's just one meal, not the end of the world!

 

Tried something new last night. Thought I'd get my Thai/Asian cookbook out and see if there was something I could do with the chicken breast I had to cook. Did a whole30 remake to a recipe for chicken and broccoli. Cut up the breast and cooked it in some coconut oil. The sauce called for peanut butter and soy sauce. Didn't have any coco aminos. Next shopping trip! So, I used almond butter, some pineapple/coconut juice, the toasted sesame oil called for and crushed pepper it called for. After I cooked the chicken, I removed it from the pan and used the juices + a little more water and sauteed the broccoli rabe that was in the fridge. Added the chicken back to warm it up a bit, put it in a bowl and stirred in the sauce. It was YUMMY!

[Born Sandy]

Well, my daughter dropped by last night to pick up spaghetti sauce for her squash and tropical chicken (skin on, on the bone poached in pineapple and orange juice with rosemary...yum), mayo and aoli. I am doing some extra cooking for her because she has a very high energy three year old and works a demanding job.

As a coach and a consultant, I have more freedom to spend time cooking. I was really pleased about the mayo, which I got from the "cooking" thread. And the aoli was slightly more runny, but a tasty sauce for salmon or other wild caught fish.

Anyway, I am releived she is doing so well, but today is Day 3 for us, so we are both going to focus on the gift this Challenge is for us. Honoring our bodies with healthy eating and spiritual centering around nourishment.

For me, giving myself this incredible gift of only consuming foods that honor the life of the foodstuff (whether animal or plant) and that honors me, is part of a centering life practice. I don't want to sound too hokey, but I truly connect clean eating with laying a foundation for aware living.

 

Foodie, absolutely agree. Was thinking about this last night doing food prep and cooking and taking scraps to my worm farm and reusing food and just respecting it (for want of a better word). I'm quite anti-consumption anyway, (at least, it's certainly a value I try to instil in my kids by role modelling and teaching them) but I do recognise some of the lazier habits I have got into of late around food prep and/or purchasing ready made food for the kids and us which even though I try to aim for clean food sometimes misses the mark as far as environmental impact (packaging etc), perhaps a lapse in some quality family time that might have been had making a meal together (the kids love cooking with me), nutritional quality and really just feeding into that unnecessary, hurried, rushed momentum of daily life. If anything, this W30 aside from helping me feel better, is definitely encouraging me to reframe my thinking around my eating and cooking habits in a way that feeds into other areas of my life in a far more balanced way. I feel calmer and and far more at peace, I think you are right Foodie, it is a foundation for heightened and aware living. 

[Flygrrl]

Hi all,

 

I'd like to join this group too. Currently on Day 3 of the W30 (my second, did the first some time ago) and enjoying it but feel I need to commit to something longer term for sustainable health and well being. I'm 46, reasonably fit and active,  mother to two and while I feel I've reached a point of self acceptance and peace about myself, recognise the areas in my life that need tweaks as well as major changes. I do work in a pretty stressful area [child protection] and I think I have increasingly of late, used the stress of my work as an excuse for lapsing into some poor habits. Key to this is re-evaluating the role of alcohol in my life and realising I don't enjoy it as much anymore, even though I have been increasingly depending on it to 'take my mind off the day' and that 2016 may be the year in which I ditch it completely from my life. 2015 had some pretty significant life changing events for me and I guess I've realised to make the most of every day I need to be more physically, mentally and spiritually present and in the moment for myself, my children, my partner and in fact, the children and families I work with-all of which I am absolutely 100% committed to. I guess in a nutshell I want to live my life as fully as possible, like all of us I assume. It is nice to be in like minded company though I have to say, very inspiring all of you.  Here's to 2016 positive life changes!

Boy, when I read this I was like...did I already post here? I could have written most everything you said. It's so weirdly comforting to see I'm not alone or crazy in my thoughts. Tweaks. Yes, in an otherwise really good life. I haven't felt this at peace for as long as I can remember.

My goals this month are to put the magnifying glass up to the habits I don't even realize I'm doing on autopilot. That was very clear in my first round but not doing a good reintroduction lost all that progress really fast. Habits really run my life. I don't do the same thing every day so I need some rules and I read lately that 99% is hard. 100% is easy. That is DEFINATLY true for me. I don't moderate anything well.

Exercise less is another. I felt exhausted all the time my first round and I know I have to be really careful with energy expenditure to keep the hunger under control and the little voice that tells me I deserve a treat for going to the gym. I find I can convince myself of anything and that's not always good.

Alcohol is another. I'm by no means a lush but there is definitely a pull there in certain circumstances. There are so many times I can NOT drink for legal reasons due to work regulations that I think I rebel when I "can." But maybe it's my age...I don't recover from even a glass of wine lately. So WHY am (was) I still imbibing? In this first "honeymoon" first week it seems easy. I know it will get harder for me. Especially once I get home. Exhausted.

I feel much calmer this round. That's a good thing. I enjoy lurking through your comments. I feel I can relate and I find that comforting.

[Flygrrl]

[quote name="FoodieCG" post="359584" timestamp="1452092379"I am doing some extra cooking for her because she has a very high energy three year old and works a demanding job.

As a coach and a consultant, I have more freedom to spend time cooking.

Ummm....are you open for hire???!! Where do you live??!!!

[Flygrrl]

Hi Flygrrl

I have never got the tigers blood either when on W30 which is a shame but it is a proper reset (even if you eat paleo) 

Really interested in hearing about your time in Nepal - I am going there in Nov 2016 (EBC) and was hoping eating paleo would not be a problem - maybe need a rethink and a stash of snacks !!

I get the being good at everything (or having to be good at everything) but the healthy eating plan - As I stated earlier my big challenge is eating 3 meals a day - I am OK at the healthy but probably do more protein and less veg than I should & eat too much on the run - having said that I did an AIP W30 last Apr / May and kicked a big nut habit 

Great to have you on board

Zoe

Hi Zoe.

My experience in Nepal was really great both times...except for thinking about how I eat now. We went in 2011, did 17 days up over 3 passes each around 18,000 feet ( EBC is only like 17,500). We were above 10,000 for 2weeks. The good news is that as soon as I got to Lukla I completely lost my appetite. The guide tried to force us to eat something. Up until about 14,000 you can get veggies pretty regularly ( we went in October) but the staples are DEFINATLY rice, noodles, beans/lentils and breads. Our guide told us no meat above Namche but what he meant was do not eat meat above Namche because there is no refrigeration. We saw one generator the entire trek. Everything is fresh and takes forever to prepare so plan on waiting an hour for food most days. We were fed cookies and popcorn in the afternoons when we got in to take the edge off. I forced myself to eat eggs for breakfast, my hubby and I SPLIT a snickers bar for lunch ( no lie, that even sounds ridiculous to me) even on the 12 hour summit days and I usually has "shepards stew" for dinner which was basically potato soup. Mo mo's are very popular which are like Japanese gioza or pot stickers from China.

I was in the best shape of my life when we went, I had competed in an Ironman 70.3 that summer and a tri or half every other weekend for 2 months and I still could not have carried more thsn the bare necessities that I needed daily in my day pack, which was the required 3-4 liters of water, layers for hiking and a snickers bar. We were limited to 33lbs that the 2 Sherpas carried for us (each, and there were 2+2 of us and the other couple each has 3 bags!!! Do the math) and please be cognizant of that. Those people work insanely hard and brought me to tears more than once when I saw them Running with our bags strapped to their heads in order to charge ahead to get us a "decent" place to stay that night before the guest house filled up. Knowing what I know now, I would have INSISTED and paid for another porter for the 4 of us because looking back it seems ridiculous what they did. ( I would NOT have contracted a porter through the tour company but tried to hire one in Lukla or Namchi through the guide being afraid of the company charging a ton extra for him then paying him next to nothing for his work. I believe the guides and porters make only a bit more than you tip them. Truly. The tour company keeps most of the money) I considered our tour operator to be pretty responsible but even the good ones abuse their "lower cast" help. We just returned from Peru and the porters there are regulated and weighed daily to keep this from happening. My point is to please be very aware of what you ask someone to carry because unless you are high altitude adapted, my guess is you will be able to carry about 15 lbs. and EVERYTHING is carried EVERYWHERE. Everything you see above Lukla was carried by someone (and Lukla is a 7 day walk from the nearest road in Jeri) and most likely for next to nothing. The other couple had to give up even their day packs daily above 14000 to the guide and assistant because they could not carry them.

I'm sure you COULD stay paleo if you really tried. I could not have done it or it would have been so difficult on the wonderful people in the mountains that I was just not willing to be a pain. I didn't need to so I didn't. I stayed gluten and dairy free in Peru but I was asked ahead of time because the food was brought for the entire trek. At high altitude, we were fed by locals running guest houses with limited menus of what they had fresh. I dumped weight so fast in Nepal that we had to find strapping to keep my hiking pants on and that was eating anything I could. I wasn't nauseous. Just zero appetite and you need to eat for energy.

When I went in November, we were low altitude and staying with a host while we worked on the school. Again, no refrigeration so when they asked us if we liked chicken (after 10 days of lentils/dal) we said YES. The chicken showed up to the party very much alive and probably wondering why she was invited but she was awfully tasty after a hard days work and hike. Meals there often took over an hour also. Again, i subsisted on mostly rice, beans and bread although we had Swiss chard or spinach daily and usually fruit. I felt guilty eating their eggs for breakfast but to have dal and rice twice a day got a little much. They eat only two meals a day so we would snack on crackers or fruit as the day went on while working. I did not have the heart to be picky as they were recovering from the earthquake and I was just happy to not be camping and making my own meals after putting in a long day.

I'm trying to plan a return trip for the school opening in May and I am not at peace with what I will do at that time. My thought is to go with the flow but moderate better. I do not need 4 pieces of toast for breakfast or 2 cups of rice for dinner!! They try to be so generous but I realized quickly that food is finite and what I ate, someone else went without. Not a concept I generally thought about. At home and work, I'm a pain in the butt when it comes to sticking to this. When I'm relying on the extreme kindness and generosity of a people who have a life so difficult, I'm going to eat it and not complain.

I made a movie of both my experiences and if you would like to see them let me know. They are entertaining and may prepare you for your adventure. The Nepali people are some of the kindest, happiest, most giving people I have encountered and that's why I'm giving back.

EBC is fairly difficult but totally do able. (The 3pass trek I signed up for, I found out when we arrived in Kathmandu, was the most difficult trek they offer and they were very interested in WHY we had chosen that one being from low altitude, very little hiking experience, and no backpacking time. I can still hear the snap of my husbands neck as his head whipped around to face me going WHHAAATTTT???!!!! He's such a trooper!). One foot at a time got me through some rough spots. Knowing that my life at home is EASY compared to the people there shut me up from ANY complaining and knowing that I got to go home to a warm house, soft bed and I didn't have to spend hours cooking from scratch daily was a comfort that I carried to enjoy every minute of the experience. Sometimes a very trying experience. It can and probably will be life changing. I HOPE it will. Enjoy every second, even the difficult times because the brain does not remember pain. Only the good. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Ciao.

[LucieB]

Flygrrl...I LOVE your report! Wonderful and detailed look at your adventures, I've read it multiple times already. That poor chicken! LOL! 

 

One week in gang, how's it going? I've struggled with avoiding distractions while eating the past few days, so typing it here will expose me and you can hold me accountable now

 

I plan my recipes on Fridays, and I'm wondering what you're cooking this weekend? I found the Thai Carrot soup recipe in a recent Whole9 email that I plan to modify to fit my FODMAP needs and be less of a soup. Thinking more like a steamed carrot casserole. But I need a substitution for the almond butter, that bloats me. Ideas? Maybe I'll just leave it out altogether and see what happens. Or use sesame oil for fatty flavor.

 

Also I roasted a turkey, so I'm planning recipes that will accommodate herb-roasted turkey. Thinking frittata...these wraps... Mel's turkey curry...a curried cold salad...

 

For my fellow FODMAPers, I modify these dishes by substituting garlic infused olive oil for garlic, green tops from onions for onions, lightly steamed turnip or carrot for crunchies like apple and celery. But I'm inspired by jmcbn and her FODMAP goals, might make Feburary a FODMAP challenge month!

[jent103]

Ooooh, I like recipe ideas! I'm watching my niece & nephew this weekend and then heading out of town next Thursday for a few days, so I'm doing really simple meal prep - I'll probably make Mel Joulwan's sunrise scramble + kale salad for breakfasts (in WF2 - but the delicious spice mix is here), various leftovers or tuna salad for lunch, and make up a batch of burgers and eat them with crisped prosciutto and some kind of aioli + Japanese sweet potato "fries", supplementing with raw bell pepper and that kind of thing. I'm suspecting a possible FODMAP issue myself, so I'm planning to stay away from them next week and see what happens.

 

I've been doing better about ignoring my phone while eating, though I'm still not sure I'd call what I've been doing "mindful." Something to keep progressing toward for sure.

[ladyshanny]

I did my menu plan already for next week:

 

SBJ Burgers w/ roasted butternut squash & brussel sprouts. Salad w/ sliced pears

Gyoza soup (I already had the balls done from our NYE appy night and I overestimated so I have 110 of them available!)

Indian Cauli Rice w/ chicken thighs

Brined pork chops w/ mashed potatoes & roasted brocolini (the only way to make juicy pork chops!)

Tacos (mine on salad w/ guac & mayo)

Breakfast all week will be chopped up leftover burgers fried with roasted butternut and spinach

BONUS MEAL: if we end up without enough food for the week, I have this tuna casserole recipe waiting in the wings.

[mergthemagnificent]

Ladyshanny, you can ship some of them Gyoza meatballs to me...LOVE THAT RECIPE.

[LucieB]

Would the Gyoza meatballs work without the mushrooms? Could I use fish sauce to replace the mushroom umami? Or can you recommend a replacement?They sound great!

[Laura P.]

Thanks Ladyshanny for that cauli rice variation...I hate cooked cauliflower and it's real hard for me to get it right. 

I'll definitively try that Indian Pineapple Cauli Rice!

[jent103]

LucieB - it's been awhile since I made those meatballs, but I would think that would work!

[ladyshanny]

Would the Gyoza meatballs work without the mushrooms? Could I use fish sauce to replace the mushroom umami? Or can you recommend a replacement?They sound great!

I would be careful on the fish sauce because that's going to add a tonne of saltiness....but then I cannot get salty enough, so........  I've done these before without the mushrooms all together and with regular button mushrooms.  They are delicious any way!

[FoodieCG]

Hi Ladyshanny,

You've probably already thought of this, but I add homemade pico de gallo to taco salad:

Chopped sweet onion, chopped tomato (as it's winter, canned is ok), chopped tomatillo (peel first), pomegranate seeds, chopped pickled jalapeno to taste, chopped cilantro (or parsly/chervil if you are a soapy taste person), juice of a small lime. Toss together.

So easy!

I also try to serve the salad with oven roasted ripe plantains if you can find them...

[ladyshanny]

Hi Ladyshanny,

You've probably already thought of this, but I add homemade pico de gallo to taco salad:

Chopped sweet onion, chopped tomato (as it's winter, canned is ok), chopped tomatillo (peel first), pomegranate seeds, chopped pickled jalapeno to taste, chopped cilantro (or parsly/chervil if you are a soapy taste person), juice of a small lime. Toss together.

So easy!

I also try to serve the salad with oven roasted ripe plantains if you can find them...

That sounds SO good, thank you!!! (and I would use cilantro, the more the better as far as I'm concerned. Cilantro, lime and ginger and I'd be happy forever!

[Flygrrl]

I did my menu plan already for next week:

 

SBJ Burgers w/ roasted butternut squash & brussel sprouts. Salad w/ sliced pears

Gyoza soup (I already had the balls done from our NYE appy night and I overestimated so I have 110 of them available!)

Indian Cauli Rice w/ chicken thighs

.

Ok I glazed over this the first time but now I went back and followed the link cuz I'm like "gyoza?" That's the dumplings I eat in Japan and China. After reading over the recipe, I don't CARE what they're called. They look AMAZING.

Thanks. They will be on the menu when I get back home. Yyyuuuummmm.

[Laura P.]

Happy week 2 everyone!

 

Looking back at what I had over the last week, I realize that I am eating too much potatoes.....It has been reintroduced as compliant food over a year ago...but I feel it's my go-to in order to compensate for bread, pasta and rice...

 

Anyone else? Any suggestion on how to keep that in control?

Tks.

Laura

[FoodieCG]

Hi Laura, I had the same thought. I notice that sweet potatoes are eaten with abandon :-) and now I have been enjoying all kinds of white, yellow, purple, red and so on. They do seem to be crowding out other potential starchy veg, though.

Soooo, I went to the market and picked up lots of the other wonderful --and colorful-- starchy winter foods:

Baby beet, parsnip and radish salad with a dash of white truffle oil; this works with mature veg as well, but it feels so fancy when the roots are tender and small:

Parboil tiny veg briefly in acidulated water. Cool to room temp, toss with thinly sliced radiccio and shredded bitter winter greens (endive, frisee, etc). Mix champagne vinegar, best olive oil, salt and pepper to dress the salad. Finish with a careful sprinkle of truffle oil.

Simple acorn squash (lovely to have with a roast chicken):

Wash, then cut squash in half, and take a thin slice off the uncut side so that squash sits steadily on a lightly oiled (avodado, preferably) pan, cut/cavity side up. Remove seeds and fiber from center cavity. Place 1 Tbl. ghee, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 2 Tbl. apple cider, few fresh rosemary leaves in each cavity. Sprinkle (sea) salt and freshly ground pepper over whole halves, including in cavity. Bake at 400 until soft and tender, about 45 minutes. If the cavity area starts to brown too much, just loosely cover with aluminum foil.

I love this parsnip and celeriac puree with chops (lamb or pork):

Peel a medium celeriac, getting rid of brown spots. Peel a few medium parsnips. Cut into chunks, lightly salt and steam or gently boil until soft. CAREFULLY puree hot veg in food processor, adding a little salt, 1 or more Tbl. softened ghee, pulse. If puree is too thick, add a dash of veg stock or chicken bone broth.

So, YES! Let's get out of the potato habit. Obviously, on busy days, we can just roast the delicious harvest of winter squash, beets, parsnips, carrots, etc with just salt and oil of choice (coconut is nice). I often toss in whatever herbs I have, such as thyme, just to jazz it up, but it's not necessary for deliciousness.

[AmyS]

I agree with this search for variety, but for those on a budget, would note that at Target I can get five pounds of white potatoes for $1.99. Sweet potatoes and other squash are between $1.99 and $2.99 per pound. So five pounds for two bucks versus five pounds for ten bucks. It may not be a huge deal to everyone, but for those for whom this distinction is important, I want to say that going for the five pounds for two bucks option is perfectly fine too. I'm in sort of an intermediate place, budget-wise, so I do both kinds, but my starchy veg budget has mercifully diminished since white potatoes were added back to the acceptable list. I do still do sweets and other squashes, but whites are important for my starchy veg consumption too.

 

That said, I'm all in favor of the recipe-loving folks on this thread forming a neighborhood cooking service for the less cooking-aligned folks. I'd like to place an order for the gyoza meatballs at once. I'll be over to pick it up this afternoon.