Whole30 second round (starting Jan 4)

[Brooklyn esq.]

I did a whole30 in Jan 2015. While I didn't enjoy the experience, exactly, I got some good results. This time around I am hoping for similar. In particular, I hope for the following:

-reduced neck pain

-reduced frequency in migraines (definitely saw this last time!)

-resolution to itchy skin (this is a new problem this year)

-wake up feeling refreshed

 

Day 1: Jan 4

Breakfast: 2 eggs; 1 sweet potato with ghee, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne; 1.5 c coffee; 2 medjool dates

WO: 38 min walk/run (week 5, day 2 of C25K, or Couch to 5K)

[Brooklyn esq.]

Day 1: Jan 4 cont'd

Lunch: Applegate salami with mustard, 4 olives, marcona almonds, homemade butternut squash soup (frozen from last week), pickled radish, asian pear, LaCroiz grapefruit water

I generally prefer to eat green veg at every meal, but I just got back from the holidays--will hit the grocery store tonight!

[Jenny B]

Hi Brooklyn.  Your applegate salami doesn't have added sugar?  I am so jealous!  I live in Texas and my Whole Foods has Applegate Salami but with added sugar. I was so bummed. I love salami, but have not found one compliant!  Please enjoy and savor it!  LOL!

[Brooklyn esq.]

Hi Jenny,

That's right, no sugar in mine. I'm in DC, so I guess maybe it's regional? (I was in NY when I started in this forum but moved this year.) I'll make sure to enjoy it on your behalf!

 

 

Day 1: Jan 4 cont'd

Afternoon: Dried mango, citrus chamomile tea

Dinner: Zucchini-turkey burgers from the cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. I made this recipe a month or two ago and knew it would be perfect for the Whole30. The burgers are turkey, ground spices, fresh herbs, eggs, and shredded zucchini. The recipe calls for a sumac yogurt sauce (which I made last time and is delicious), but this time I subbed the tahini sauce from the back of the book (tahini, lemon, water, garlic) and added some sumac to that and it was perfect.

Also: butternut squash soup (added some ras el hanout to make this taste a little different), olives, pickled beets and radishes. Medjool dates.

 

Reflections

This time around, I am aware that dried fruit is a crutch. However, I also have several challenges this time around that I didn't have before, and I am ok with easing out of the dried fruit habit over the course of my Whole30 rather than going cold turkey. 

I'm trying to get more involved in the forum this time around, which I'm hoping will enhance my experience!

[Jenny B]

Please do!

[Brooklyn esq.]

Tuesday 1/5, Day 2

Whoops! Sorry I was away so long. Had a work trip.
 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, roasted sweet potato, black coffee, dates

 

Lunch: 3 zucchini turkey burgers with tahini sauce, butternut squash soup

Afternoon: 1.5 cold zucchini burgers--I got very hungry!

Dinner: Rotisserie chicken from WF; roasted carrots and broccoli; small portion of grapefruit

 

Wednesday 1/6, Day 3

Breakfast: 2 eggs, roasted broccoli and carrots, black coffee, dates

Lunch: Kale and spinach salad with grilled chicken, beets, pomegranate seeds, broccoli, avocado, lemon juice and olive oil

Afternoon: dried mango, marcona almonds

Dinner: Shishito peppers, steak with potatoes and cipollini onions; a couple blueberries when I got home

 

Notes: Every week, I travel from DC to NY for work and back, spending 1 or 2 nights in NY with my family. This involves 2 4-hour train rides and being away from my own kitchen. I ate breakfast on the train on the way up and hoo boy does broccoli stink! Will go in some other direction next week.

Long pause between lunch (noon) and dinner (8:15), so a snack was necessary. Felt jittery starting around 11 pretty much through 8, when I got a headache. Fun! But ultimately not too terrible.

 

Thursday 1/7, Day 4

Breakfast: 2 eggs, black coffee, smoothie of kale and spinach, almond milk, almond butter, banana, coconut oil, chia seed

Lunch: Spinach and romaine salad, roasted chicken, beets, carrots, broccoli, nuts, acorn squash, lemon juice and olive oil

Headache in the afternoon L

Coffee at a long meeting

Dinner: Kale and spinach salad with grilled chicken, beets, apples, broccoli, avocado, lemon juice and olive oil; fresh berry cup—eaten on the train home

 

Notes: I understand that smoothies are discouraged on W30, but this is one of the places where (for my second round) I decided to relax and roll with it. When I’m away from my own kitchen and rushing with my rolling suitcase to work, it’s the best option for me to stop at a trusted juice place for a smoothie to get my greens and fats in. I make a couple of boiled eggs at my dad’s place (easy to access and not cause a big mess), and this combo will keep me full ‘til lunch given the almond butter and coconut oil.

I've had some GI distress/bloating the last two days, which has been unpleasant! Don't remember this the first time around and I hope it clears up soon!

[runcherylrun]

Wow - that travel must really make this extra challenging to you.  I applaud your efforts.  

 

I've never heard of a zucchini turkey burger before...is this a recipe you make yourself?

[MzMeka]

The zucchini burger recipe sounds great and I have all of those ingredients on hand! I live in Baltimore and my brother lives in Sunnyside, NY. I couldn't traveling on a weekly or monthly basis on the train.  It really takes a lot of prep and discipline to stay on track. I also read that smoothies aren't encouraged, but hey sometimes they are just easier! Keep up the good work!

[Brooklyn esq.]

Thanks for the comments, runcherylrun and MzMeka! I don't think I could have handled the travel my first time around (I actually did travel for work during my first W30, but it was only a  one-time thing and I did a lot of prep and worrying!). But I just moved from NY to DC, so I already have good routines set up in NY--makes it a LOT easier! 

 

For the zucchini turkey burgers, the recipe is from the cookbook Jerusalem. Here's a link a blog where they made the recipe:

http://weekendtable.com/2013/05/05/turkey-and-zucchini-burgers/

 

As you can see, the sauce that goes with it is definitely not W30, so I made a different sauce using tahini, 1 clove garlic, juice from 1 lemon, sumac, and enough water to make it sauce-like. I made the burgers once exactly as written and they were great. This time around I didn't have green onions, mint, or cilantro, so I chopped up a bunch of parsley and added some dried spices: thyme, granulated garlic, a pinch of cayenne, and some coriander. I also doubled the recipe (so I could have leftovers and some to freeze!) and used half white turkey meat, half dark turkey meat. I fried most of them (using coconut oil), but I also cooked some fully in the oven and they got some nice browning that way too (plus, much easier). Even with all these substitutions and the W30 changes, the burgers were great, which makes me think it's a very very flexible recipe. Might try using Tex-Mex style spices next time! Also, I used an ice cream scoop to portion out the burgers and then flattened them with a spatula, which was faster than doing it by hand.

 

Guys, I love to cook, so I can go on and on forever about this stuff!

 

 

My first W30 log is here, in case anyone is interested--my work travel was on days 24-27, and includes my discovery that airports are an emotional eating trigger for me!

http://forum.whole30.com/topic/24380-first-whole30-starting-jan-11/

[Brooklyn esq.]

Friday 1/8, Day 5

Woke up SO tired today, though that is typical for a Friday after I come home from NY!

Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled with mixed greens and compliant hot sauce; small piece grapefruit; 1.5 c coffee; small amount of nuts on the side for a healthy fat

Mint tea; 1 Tbsp almond butter to bridge the gap between breakfast and lunch

Lunch: leftover WF rotisserie chicken, greens sautéed this morning, sweet potatoes, compliant jarred harissa, compliant mayo, dates

Dinner: Found a local Mediterranean restaurant that has notes on its menu for dishes that are gluten free, dairy free, and nut free. That doesn't mean it's totally compliant, but what a relief to have the options narrowed down--and they had tons of options. I shared with my husband: sauteed kale, shrimp with garlic and chiles, baby lambchops with potato and tomato. It wasn't hard to resist drinking wine, as my husband did, but I missed the warm pitas served with the meal. Had a little sliced grapefruit when I got home.

 

Notes: I find it a lot easier to eat 3 eggs when they are scrambled or fried as opposed to boiled, so I did that. I sautéed a whole container of pre-washed organic “super greens” (mixed baby chard, spinach, kale,tatsoi); took half out of the pan when done and reserved for lunch. Cracked the three eggs into the pan and scrambled real quick. Nothing about this meal had finesse, but it was done quickly!

 

My favoritepaleo-friendly fast food place in NY, Dig Inn, serves their roasted sweet potatoes in big chunks with peel still on. I really enjoy them this way, plus this seems like a time-saver (no peeling, no careful dicing), so I prepped these and stuck them in the oven while making breakfast this morning. Roasted in coconut oil at 350 for about 45 minutes, these came out quite lovely, soft and carmelized.

[Brooklyn esq.]

Saturday 1/9, Day 6

I was very sleepy last night, so I went to sleep at 11 and didn't get up until 8. It was hard waking up, but I got a surge of energy shortly thereafter! 

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs, leftover sweet potatoes, 1/4 avocado, 2 c coffee

Lunch: at a Peruvian restaurant--had a large portion of ceviche mixto. This was SO good, tons of lime, chile, and cilantro, along with some sweet potato! 1 c coffee to finish the meal. 

Dinner: I made the pork chops with applesauce from the Whole30 cookbook, using boneless pork chops and my thermometer to cook them to the perfect temperature. Served with arugula with a homemade (compliant) dijon vinaigrette and roasted parsnips. This was great because I got to use up some cider and apples that had been hanging out in my fridge for too long. Started with hors d'oeuvres of compliant salami and olives because we got home so late from the grocery store! 3 dates and mint-ginger tea to finish the meal.

 

Notes: No GI distress today, but I did get very, very sleepy around 4 pm. Bummer. I may have to re-examine my coffee intake. 

[Brooklyn esq.]

Sunday 1/10, Day 7

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, slow scrambled; 3 slices WF smoked salmon; 1/4 avocado; leftover parsnips (not pictured); 1/2 cara cara orange; salad with tomatoes and dijon vinaigrette; 2 c coffee. This was a special Sunday brunch, eaten at a leisurely pace with my husband. I love this time of the week. 

 

Notes: 8 hours of sleep, but it was very hard to get out of bed this morning, and no compensating burst of energy like I had yesterday. I also woke up with a terrible headache, another bummer. I saw a lot of this with my first W30--lots of headaches at first, then a dramatic decrease. I get migraines, and I know that W30/eating paleo helps diminish them dramatically, so that's one of the reasons I'm doing this. 

Woke up with twin blemishes on each of my cheeks. This is really annoying, as it's just in the last year that my skin finally retired from adolescent pimples (I'm 33!). 

[VickiB]

Hi, Brooklyn esq!

 I started my second Whole 30 on Jan. 4, too.  I'm focusing this one on not breaking any rules, as I realized I had broken some last time (such as eating salad dressing at restaurants or making something with Sunbutter, which I cannot find without added sugar). 

 

 You're doing great, and thanks for posting your meals. Great ideas for me as I plan my second week.

[Brooklyn esq.]

Hey Vicki! Thanks for the comment. Good luck with your second W30. It's nice to meet someone on the same timeline!

 

Sunday 1/10, Day 7 (cont'd)

I continued to be tired and heavy-feeling throughout the day, though at least I went for a walk midday when it was sunny and 60 degrees. I was also reeeeally hungry throughout the day. 

 

Lunch: pulled pork over salad of iceberg, roasted brussels and zucchini

Afternoon: dried pears and a tablespoon of cashew butter (first time I had this, and it was great!). Later, some nuts and a clementine.

Dinner: I made the stirfry from the W30 cookbook using flank steak and my own spin on everything, including the Asian dressing (also from the W30 cookbook) that I used to sauce up the veggies. This was pretty delicious, all in all. 

 

Here's hoping for an energetic week!

[Brooklyn esq.]

Work is getting very busy again, and I have a weekend of travel coming up--so I'm not as forum-available.

 

Monday 1/11, Day 8

My mantra for the day was “Day 8 is not Day 30.” In other words: patience.

I had a hard time getting out of bed again today. The lack of winter light has been really hard on me this year. I used to be so good at jumping out of bed as soon as the alarm went off—not because I wasn’t sleepy, but because that was my routine. In the last 6 months I’ve been snoozing my alarm multiple times. I think I need to re-embrace the routine.

 

Breakfast: Bowl of mushrooms and greenbeans left over from last night’s stirfry, with roasted sweet potatoes and two eggs. Seasoned with lemon, dried thyme, hot sauce, and avocado oil. 2 c coffee.

 

WO: 35 minute jog/walk—week 5, day 2 of C25K. First time running in a week(?) and it feels like it’s been forever.

 

Lunch: Leftover stirfry; 3 Tbsp cashew butter; 2 dried pears; black cherry sparking water.

 

Snack: 2 dried pears, 2 dried figs. I was hungry, but also wanted sweet. I resisted this morning, but not this afternoon. Sigh.

 

Dinner: Small meal of 1 chicken thigh, green beans braised in tomato sauce with olives. This was from the great resource Vegetables Everyday by Jack Bishop.

 

Second dinner: Small portion of leftover stirfry. We had a very rushed dinner so we could meet friends at a bar for the NCAA championship game. I had club soda with lime while there, which wasn’t hard because our friends were doing “Sober-uary.” But the tater tots they ordered were tough to resist. So I got through it by promising myself I could eat more when I got home.

 

***

Tuesday 1/12, Day 9

Breakfast: Woke up with a headache. 1.5 to 2 c coffee. 2 eggs over sweet potatoes, with a green salad on the side.

 

Lunch: Leftover porkchop. Salad. I must have eaten more than this, but I can’t remember.

 

Snack: Dates, dried pears. I knew I’d be having dinner after 8 (with lunch at noon), so I made a smoothie of spinach, banana, almond butter, and coconut milk. Delicious!

 

Dinner: 2 roasted chicken thighs, greenbeans with tomato sauce. 1 cara cara orange.

 

Wednesday 1/13, Day 10

 

Breakfast: 1.5 c coffee (the reduction has begun!). 2 eggs over sweet potatoes.

 

Lunch: Leftover porkchop. Greenbeans with tomato sauce. Hardly had time to grab this between phone calls. 

 

Snack: Another a smoothie of spinach, banana, almond butter, and coconut milk. The smoothies are getting a little out of hand, I know. I’m going to limit it to no more than 2 each week.