Lauren's Random Reintroductions

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Post-Whole30 Day 15 (Sunday, January 3):

Reintroduction – What?: Corn

 

Reintroduction – How?:

M1: ~1/4 cup whole kernel corn added to my breakfast skillet of shredded cabbage and zucchini cooked in bacon fat.

M2: Homemade corn tortillas made with Bob’s Red Mill Masa Harina (ingredients: corn and lime) and warm water and sea salt, pan-fried in EVOO.  I filled these with homemade compliant guacamole, taco beef and compliant salsa for my own homemade soft tacos.

Snack, Post-M3: Stove-popped popcorn, cooked in canola oil and topped with ghee with curry powder, cumin and sea salt.

 

Reintroduction – Why?:  Again, this was mainly for the popcorn, my favourite movie snack (at home; buttered squid is now the front-runner at the theatre because of the questionable oil used on movie theater popcorn).  But corn and its byproducts are in many packaged goods and I also really like corn tortilla chips (probably a food with no brakes for me) and whole kernel corn in soups, salads and chili.

 

Reintroduction – What happened?:  The whole kernel corn at M1 did not seem to have any impact, and I even seemed to digest this more completely than in the past (if you know what I mean).  However, the psychological impact at M2 was dramatic and immediate.  As soon as the warm water hit the corn flour to make the tortillas, the smell had me in throes.  Going out for Mexican food and/or nachos was a restaurant “treat” for us.  I instantly wanted a Diet Coke to wash it down (and I haven’t had one in 2 months), and I wanted ice cream and/or chocolate for dessert.  The tortillas themselves were also delicious and hard to put the brakes on (I did manage to wrap up two and hide them away in the fridge).  I settled on a small bowl of frozen berries, thawed slightly and topped with thick, cold coconut milk in lieu of ice cream (probably too much an approximation of ice cream, but I did resist the urge to put the frozen berries in the blender to make a “sorbet”).  I also ignored the rest of the fair trade organic dark chocolate bar that was calling out loudly to me after M2. 

 

The evening popcorn was a completely unnecessary snack after a full template meal (Paleo Butter Chicken served on cauliflower rice with a side of “Paleo” grain-free flatbread).  Also a food with no brakes for me (I ended up “fighting” with my four-year-old over the last of the popcorn in the bowl), and it stirred up cravings for even MORE carbs – I then ate an apple with a tbsp. of almond butter (!).  Definitely the wrong direction!

 

Conclusion: The psychological impact of corn in the form of tortillas or popcorn is stronger than the physical impact of disrupted digestion.  I can probably handle a small quantity of whole kernel corn in soups, salads or chili but I need to tread cautiously around corn tortillas, corn tortilla chips and popcorn, and be mindful of increased cravings caused by consuming these foods.

[Brewer5]

I just wanted to share that I am skimming this quickly on a tiny phone and I read "uncomfortable bowel movement" as "uncontrollable".

SO glad that was not the case!

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

I just wanted to share that I am skimming this quickly on a tiny phone and I read "uncomfortable bowel movement" as "uncontrollable".

SO glad that was not the case!

LOL - me, too!

 

Lots of insights gleaned from the corn reintro!  (You know, the *really* important psychological ones!).

[Brewer5]

Lots of insights gleaned from the corn reintro!  (You know, the *really* important psychological ones!).

 

I just went back and read through it all again, now that I am on my computer.

 

I am having quoting issues.  

 

"increased cravings caused by consuming these foods" -- THIS is what is so easy to let take hold of you, and before you know it -- months have gone by, you feel like total crap again, and you're back for another Whole 30.

 

So... I am not talking about having another piece of buttered chicken -- which does not cause this reaction.

 

It's this sort of stuff (with the corn) that causes people to look back so fondly at their Whole 30 and wonder:  What happened?  Where did I go wrong?  Why don't I feel good anymore?

 

It's sad.

 

I call it The Creep.  It creeps up on you!

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Post-Whole30 Day 19 (Thursday, January 07):

Reintroduction – What?: Oats

 

Reintroduction – How?:

M1: Half a serving (1/4 cup) of oatmeal with a few tbsp. of coconut cream and sea salt (plus three eggs and mixed green salad with EVOO & balsamic). 

Post-WO: Half a serving (1/4 cup) of cold oatmeal with sea salt and cold cooked chicken.

 

Reintroduction – Why?:  I don’t have a compelling reason for reintroducing oats, other than they are one of the non-gluten grains in the sample reintroduction program from Whole30.  I do like oatmeal and I have a few recipes calling for oat flour as a binder (zucchini fritters).  Just adding information to my arsenal about how different foods affect me!

 

Reintroduction – What happened?:  My morning oatmeal with coconut cream was delicious.  I was worried what the carbs were going to do to me, but I just enjoyed them and moved on.  I felt steady-eddy all morning.  Cold oatmeal with salt was surprisingly good after my workout.  I don’t see a nutritional benefit to having oatmeal vs. potato or squash as a starchy carb, though.  There are more micronutrients in the latter without any of the potential downsides of oats.  Oats/oatmeal incorporated into baked goods or pancakes are going to cause me the same psychological challenges as any other sweets, so I’m best off avoiding them.

 

Conclusion: No physical effects noted (digestion, congestion, etc.).  I was in a terrible funk during and after my workout but this also happened during my Whole30 and on other reintro days and NON-reintro days, so I can’t currently make a strong link to oats and poor mood.  I don’t think I’ll bother with oats unless it’s some incredibly “worth it” treat (and I suspect those will be far and few in between, or I hope that is the case – date squares come to mind) or in a pinch as a starchy carb if there is no root vegetable or squash available (i.e. workouts while traveling – a packet of plain dried oatmeal is easier to pack in my suitcase, especially if it’s a long trip and cooked food would spoil).

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Post-Whole30 Day 23 (Monday, January 11):

Reintroduction – What?: Quinoa

 

Reintroduction – How?:

M1: Fifty grams of cooked quinoa with sea salt on the side of my breakfast (2 eggs sunny side up and 2 cups spinach sautéed in 1 tbsp. coconut oil).

Post-WO: Fifty grams of cooked quinoa with sea salt and cold cooked chicken.

           

Reintroduction – Why?:  I like quinoa, that’s why!  It’s also touted as a “super-food” in some nutrition circles and I view it as a nutritionally superior alternative to rice (but nutritionally inferior to meat for protein and to vegetables for micronutrients).  I just wanted to see how my body would handle this non-gluten pseudo-grain (seed).

 

Reintroduction – What happened?:  The quinoa was delicious and non-eventful in terms of its impact on my gut and my mind.  Like the oatmeal, it tasted delicious served cold with sea salt after my workout (everything tastes better after a workout!).  I ate it and carried on with my day.

 

Conclusion: Like oatmeal, this is another dish that I often think of sweetening.  In that context, I need to avoid it.  I think I can safely include it as a substitute for a starchy vegetable from time to time in a savoury recipe/meal, simply for variety (or desire), not because I think it’s nutritionally superior.  And I’m currently reducing my carbohydrate intake, so I expect these occasions to be rare. 

[JenHZ]

In my  opinion quinoa tastes even better when it is cooked in broth.  that might fight your temptation to sweeten it if you want to eat it again.

[ThyPeace]

I really like the structure and format of your reintroduction posts.  Nice!

 

ThyPeace, exploring this forum.

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Thanks, ThyPeace.  I'm trying to be just as structured as DURING my Whole30, since I consider the reintroduction phase to be MORE important than the 30 day program itself.

 

Thanks for the tip, Jen.  I just need to find some broth that doesn't have any sweetener in it.  Mind you, even if it wasn't perfectly compliant, you're right - I wouldn't want to stir additional sweeteners in!

 

Cheers,

 

-Lauren (GGG)

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Post-Whole30 Day 25 (Wednesday, January 13):

Reintroduction – What?: CHEESE: Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan & Ricotta

 

Reintroduction – How?:

M1: 1 ounce of cheddar cheese with my breakfast (2 eggs sunny side up, 2 strips of crispy bacon and ~2 cups spinach sautéed in the bacon fat in the pan).

Pre-WO: 1 mozzarella cheese string (this was my pre-WO protein & fat combination).

M3: Parmesan cheese in my Caesar salad (a generous amount – probably >1 tbsp.) and the cheese (mild cheddar and/or mozzarella and ricotta) out of one small piece of lasagna.

 

Reintroduction – Why?:  I like cheese.  In fact, I would even go so far as to say that I LOVE cheese.  Or I used to.  However, as of today, it had been over two months since I last had cheese and I honestly wasn’t missing it or craving it (perhaps it helps that there are very few high-quality cheese available here, and the ones that do exist are ridiculously over-priced).  The real reason to do a cheese reintroduction today is the fact that our neighbours invited us over for dinner (lasagna) tonight.  So I figured I might as well use the opportunity to do a full reintroduction of cheese (but not gluten; skipping the noodles in the lasagna).

 

Reintroduction – What happened?:  I thought that eating cheese after so long might be a revelation but it was still just cheese.  I ate the cheddar at breakfast and carried on with my morning.  I REALLY enjoyed the cheese string pre-WO, as this brand is heavily salted (I love salt!).  The individually-wrapped packages are good for portion control in this case. 

 

I ate the cheese (mild cheddar and/or mozzarella and ricotta) and beef out of one small piece of lasagna, leaving the noodles.  So, I also got a small quantity of tomato sauce, but not enough to worry about.  My Caesar salad dressing turned out AWESOME (Foodnetwork.com recipe - I omitted the anchovies), so I focused on that.  Our hostess even went back for seconds!  (Of course, who doesn't love REAL bacon in a salad?).

 

Conclusion: I noticed some increased bowel activity in the afternoon and the wee hours of the next morning, but there was nothing unusual about the stools themselves (sorry for the detailed information, but that’s the whole point of this log!).  I also feel as though I have plugged pores on my forehead, but I may also be over-zealous in watching for this because others have posted of acne issues related to dairy.  I’ll have to monitor to determine if I develop any full-blown zits. 

 

Overall, it appears as though I can safely consume small amounts of various hard or soft cheeses.  Because of their high fat and protein content, they do not produce the same cravings that higher-carbohydrate foods (corn, oats, or quinoa) do.  I doubt I’d likely consume this many different cheeses at this many different meals on a “regular” day. I still consider fatty meats, coconut products, ghee, avocados and macadamia nuts to be superior fat sources vs. dairy cheese.

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Post-Whole30 Day 27 (Friday, January 15, 2016):

Reintroduction – What?: PEANUTS / PEANUT BUTTER!

 

Reintroduction – How?:

Pre-WO: 1 oz. of salted, roasted peanuts with ¼ cooked chicken breast.

Snack: Over the course of the day, I consumed 4 tbsp. (2, 2-tbsp. servings) of natural creamy peanut butter (only ingredients: roasted peanuts and salt).

M3: I made Mel Joulwan's Sunshine Sauce with peanut butter instead of sunflower seed butter and served it with chicken and zucchini noodles.

 

Reintroduction – Why?:  Because: PEANUT BUTTER!  I just want to see if the phytic acid in this legume has a noticeable effect on me (I still might avoid it because of the risk of silent damage to my digestive system/gut permeability/nutrient malabsorption).

 

Reintroduction – What happened?:  I already knew that nuts and nut butters (or legume butter in this case) were foods with no brakes for me.  This is still true of peanuts, especially when they’re salted and also still true of peanut butter.  I have to remember that Mother Nature put nuts and peanuts in shells for a reason, and she did NOT salt them!  (The latter makes them even MORE addictive for me).  If I ONLY have access to a single serving (a 1-ounce package of peanuts or a single-serving squeeze pouch of nut butter/peanut butter), it’s fine, but there is no need for me to purchase a large container of roasted/salted nuts and I might as well just put peanut butter back on the BANNED list to keep me from dipping into my family’s jumbo jar of natural creamy peanut butter.  I successfully avoided it for over two months, up until now!

 

Conclusion: Eating peanuts is not going to kill me (I don’t experience any anaphylactic or histamine responses on consumption) so they’re okay if they are part of an overall dish but I need to avoid eating them as a snack.  Same goes for peanut butter.  Steer clear of peanuts and peanut butter, Lauren!

[SimpleNotEasy]

Lauren - looking good on your re-intros! 

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Thanks, Sara! I'm staying mindful, open and aware and that's the key!

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Update: Peanuts seem to cause more digestive distress for me than other nuts, including inflammation.  I'm curious whether that is a reaction to the lectins in peanuts.  Also, Mel Joulwan's Sunshine Sauce tastes much better and has a better texture when made with sunflower seed butter than with peanut butter.  All the more reason to continue avoiding peanuts, peanut butter and other peanut products (peanut flour, etc.)!

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Post-Whole30 Day 33 (Thursday, January 21):

Reintroduction – What?: RICE: Brown rice & Arborio rice

 

Reintroduction – How?:

Post-workout: 50g cooked brown rice with a few bites of cold cooked chicken breast with sea salt.

Snack: Two “fat bombs” made with coconut oil, unsweetened cocoa powder and brown rice protein powder as the main ingredients.

M3: A small serving of risotto made with Arborio rice (including sautéed mushrooms and Parmesan cheese).

 

Reintroduction – Why?:  Again, we were having dinner with the neighbours (to thank them for having us over for lasagna, naturally).  I knew I wanted to test this non-gluten grain, so the timing just made sense.  I also have a small quantity of brown rice protein powder and might consider incorporating this, depending on how I react to rice.

 

Reintroduction – What happened?:  The rice post-workout was fine as a starchy carb and was not even as appealing as quinoa or oatmeal.  I was not aware of any reaction to the brown rice protein powder (not that I think I need to consume protein powder; I am getting plenty of protein from real-food animal sources, a.k.a. meat and eggs).  I sampled the risotto several times as I was preparing it and actually did not bother plating a serving because I decided it was not “worth it.”  I focused on my oven-roasted salmon and broccoli instead and felt fully satisfied by my dinner – so much so that it was easy to pass up dessert (a pan of freshly baked brownies; it’s not time for my gluten reintroduction yet!).

 

Conclusion: No noted physical reaction to ingesting rice in this quantity.  Psychologically, it did not produce any cravings or associations (the way oatmeal and quinoa did).  I don’t envision choosing to consume brown rice regularly on a go-forward basis as I would rather have potato as a starchy carb.  It might be something to consider as a non-gluten alternative to wheat pasta, depending on how my reintroduction of gluten goes.  Even then, I prefer spiralized vegetables (zucchini, carrots, beets, potato) vs. pasta noodles and they pack a lot more nutrition than ANY grain-based noodles.

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Post-Whole30 Day 35 (Saturday, January 23):

Reintroduction – What?: Stevia (white stevia powder and flavoured stevia drops)

 

Reintroduction – How?:

M1: 5-10 drops of flavoured stevia (English Toffee) in brewed coffee with full-fat coconut milk.  I also made a chocolate “pudding” with avocado, unsweetened cocoa powder, unsweetened almond milk and 3 packets of white stevia powder all blended together in a mini food processor.

M2: I made a low-carb Dark Chocolate Hazelnut spread by roasting my own hazelnuts with sea salt, then grinding them into a butter with a little bit of coconut oil and adding unsweetened cocoa powder and stevia to taste.

 

Reintroduction – Why?:  A lot of keto/LCHF recipes call for the use of non-caloric/carbohydrate sweeteners such as stevia or erythritol, on the premise that these products do NOT provoke an insulin response and therefore do not cause “false” hunger through rising insulin levels.  I wanted to test out personally how stevia affects me, as I have both powdered packets and flavoured drops on hand.

 

Reintroduction – What happened?:  The coffee was a disappointment.  I used to LOVE having flavoured stevia added to a latte (to get flavour without calories); I was completely turned OFF by the taste as it now seems like nothing but artificial chemicals (I see this as a victory – thanks, Whole30!).  What a waste of a coconut milk coffee!  The pudding was easy to eat and then set aside – there was no urgency to eat it all in one sitting.  The hazelnut spread was a different matter (not surprising, given how much nuts/nut butters are foods with no brakes for me in the base case!).  As soon as you start thinking how good a food will taste on ice cream or a muffin or spread on pancakes or waffles, you know you have a problem on your hands (I didn’t do any of those things, for the record).

 

Conclusion: Stevia on its own does not seem to produce additional cravings for me but it CAN in conjunction with the food/food product it is incorporated in.  Since I didn’t enjoy it in the coffee, I won’t continue to use it in that manner.  I will have to stay mindful if I start making avocado pudding more often than just eating avocados.  The hazelnut spread shows me that I can steer clear of Nutella, but I have to tread cautiously if I do choose to make it.  Thank goodness the recipe only makes 4 servings, and my husband will eat it, too!  I don’t envision purchasing stevia drops or packets again (of the two products, I found that I now prefer the packets).

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Post-Whole30 Day 38 (Tuesday, January 26):

Reintroduction – What?: Dairy (cow) milk, dairy cheese & plain (unsweetened) Greek yogurt

 

Reintroduction – How?:

M1: I had a bowl (~1/2 cup) of plain, unsweetened non-fat Greek yogurt with a spoonful of flaxseed meal and sliced apples with my breakfast.

Pre-WO: I had a cheese string and a few spoonfuls of nut butter for protein and fat before my workout.

M3: I had shredded cheddar cheese on my sautéed bell peppers and chicken breast, along with salsa in a coconut flour tortilla* for a “Paleo” fajita (no, tortillas are NOT compliant DURING a Whole30).

Snack, Post-M3: I had a glass of milk with warm (Paleo) cookies (again, NOT compliant DURING a Whole30).

 

Reintroduction – Why?:  I used to regularly consume Greek yogurt as a protein source, along with whey protein powder.  There are certain foods that I enjoy with a glass of milk and I wanted to see whether, what and how pronounced my reaction(s) to dairy would be.

 

Reintroduction – What happened?:  The yogurt was not thrilling to eat but also did not seem to cause any problems.  I think the cheese may have contributed to some minor constipation.  The milk was instantly soothing/comforting.  I don’t know if that was instinct or past association or hormones, or some combination of the three.  In any event, I felt abdominal discomfort after drinking a full glass of milk.  Interestingly, the cookies did NOT send me into a sugar binge the way my prior Paleo baked goods did – perhaps because I was very mindful during my small, planned serving and because they incorporated egg yolk, whole egg and coconut oil, giving them lots of satiating fats.

 

Conclusion: I would like to try a full-fat unsweetened yogurt.  I will avoid sweetened yogurts of any kind, as I have ZERO interest in added sugar in my yogurt.  Fresh fruit or berries are sweet enough!  I am getting enough real food animal protein that I do NOT need to supplement with whey protein powder or products.  I would like to enjoy gourmet, specialty cheeses from time to time but I do not need to include run-of-the-mill cheddar or cheese products (like cheese slices) in my life on a regular basis.  Dairy milk seems to be the most problematic for me, from a digestive standpoint.  Proceed with caution!  At some point, I would also like to test my reaction (physical AND psychological) to ice cream, but I did not want to contend with both dairy AND added sugar in one product.