ginsinnot Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Clearly you're just passing on your awesome taste in t-shirts to the next generation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 I'd like to think so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Day 38: Sick and Grumpy Been feeling achy and tired all day, and started getting feverish in the afternoon. Got really grumpy about it, as if I had somehow earned the right to not get sick by eating well. When I think about it, I'm really glad there isn't someone in the sky deciding whether or not I 'deserve' to get sick. Had to laugh, but still didn't entirely shake the grumps. Made myself a vile concoction in the vitamix - 1 beet, 1 carrot, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 shiitake mushrooms, chicken broth. (Probably would have been nice without the garlic and shiitake.) Then made chicken soup for dinner. By trick-or-treating time, I was feeling much better, though I'm looking forward to bedtime! Trick or treating with my kid was amusing. Whenever someone tried to give him extra candy, he politely refused it. I can't believe he's so well trained. I'm pleased, though I certainly don't feel like he gets this restraint from me! I guess our 'one treat a day' rule is paying off - why hoard if you know you'll only get one and you'll never have to go without? I need to incorporate this into my own thinking. The stuff I crave will always be there. It's fine to set it aside for however long I need to. I've noticed two schools of thought among parents about Halloween candy. One is, have a bit every day until it's gone. The other is, eat all you want for X number of days, and then it disappears. Surely the latter encourages binging? Food Breakfast: Turkey sausage, sweet potatoes, green smoothie Snack: Foie gras, carrots, slice of apple Lunch: Tuna mayo, mixed greens Snack: beet, carrot, garlic, shiitake, broth Dinner: Chicken soup Dessert: Coconut manna, berries Activity None Sleep 9:30 - 6:30, 4 wake ups, nap 9 - 9:30 Mood Sluggish all morning, Grumpy in the afternoon, Happy in the evening. Gratitude I'm grateful that I live near a Whole Foods and that they have almost everything I need, even if they charge exorbitantly for it ($4 for 4 shiitake mushrooms?!?!) I'm grateful for my Vitamix. I'm grateful for all of my awesome neighbors who love kids. Little Victories I'm down to just kale and cinnamon in my green smoothies. I feel like a grown up now. Might start adding beet and carrot. Not tempted at all by the Halloween candy, except for one moment when I smelled Reese's peanut butter cups on my kid's breath. Chocolate and peanut butter - such a divine combination! Ignored my iPod for morning nap time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Day 39: Tired Today, I am tired of the cold, wet duvet smothering this city, of the splotchy decay of summer's lushness, of the greedy darkness swallowing both ends of the day. I am tired of workmen raining down bricks and rooftiles, smashing bathroom walls, digging trenches through my hydrangeas. I am tired of messy desks that swallow ballots, of overdue books and overstuffed shelves, of the constant 'redistribution' of anything that's been put away. I am tired of safety gates left open, of doors that won't stay closed, of being held responsible for pint-sized maniacs. I am tired of being jolted awake to the sounds of distress, of being the enforcer of rules, of being a main source of comfort. I am tired of being crawled over, pinched, pulled, and scratched, of being spat up on, drooled on, and covered in snot, of being obligated to be involved in other people's bodily functions. I want to be a fattened, furry bear cub curling up for its first deep winter sleep, a wide, smooth stone in a long-neglected Japanese garden, a wise old woman, amused from a distance. But when I am that old woman, I imagine I will long for the vitality of now, the urgency of my children's need for me, the warm little bodies seeking me out for cuddles at any hour of the day. I'll long for my sons to come home and mess up my house and run into my arms for comfort, burrowing their heads under my chin so furiously you'd think they were trying to make their way back to their beginnings. I am tired, but I will remember to savor this messy, chaotic love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Beautifully expressed xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 Day 40: Utterly defeated Feeling utterly defeated by my week. It's been so long since I've had an hour to myself. It's been so long since I've slept for more than a 3 hour stretch. Please universe, let me have just one night of rest. Food Breakfast: Carnitas, salsa, sweet potato fritters Lunch: Pork loin and apples, carrot/beet/kale smoothie Snack: Coconut Manna Dinner: Roast chicken, coconutty kale, spaghetti squash Bedtime remedy: raw garlic, shiitake, broth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Aw it's so hard Hopefully the weekend will allow you to get some me-time & rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 Day 41: Surprising Milestones I decided to have some chocolate today, in the form of 100% cacao melted into coconut milk. It was just okay; nothing as wonderful as I remembered. And I actually hated the way it made me feel. I was expecting a nice energy lift from the caffeine, and a bit of a feel-good hit from the theobromine, but I mostly felt anxious and 'stirred up,' like if something stressful were to happen, I'd overreact. I find this SHOCKING. Chocolate was my favorite food in the world and something I ate daily for many years. But even now, a few hours later, I'm regretting that cup of chocolate because I feel all jittery. This is amazing to me. The other thing I realized was this: last week was a helluva endurance test, both physically and emotionally. I worked overtime with an unhappy kid and battled a cold all week. And not ONCE did I comfort eat. NOT ONCE! Pre-Whole30, I would have made it through a few chocolate bars and a couple of jars of nut butter. This is big. AND, I didn't get sick! I used to be the girl who would catch anything that was going around. And with no rest, I would have been pretty much doomed this season. I did feel like my body had to put up a big fight, but I pulled through! This is also amazing to me. I put the scale back in the closet today. It was making me focus too much on weight loss. And that is clearly a fool's game, especially when I'm breastfeeding and my hydration levels are all over the place. Food Breakfast: carnitas, salsa, sweet potato fritters Lunch: Chicken, avocado Snack: Cacao, coconut milk, coconut manna, berries Dinner: Pork sausage, kale, sauerkraut, bbq sauce Activity 3km walk Sleep 9:30 - 6, 4 wake ups Mood Decent, except I'm getting stressed by the dynamic btwn my husband and my kid. Jittery after chocolate. Gratitude I'm grateful for lessons cast in stark relief. I'm grateful for my awesome public library. I'm grateful for my restored immune system. Little Victories Chocolate no longer has its allure. I'm not sick! I didn't comfort-eat this week. I put the scale AWAY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 Day 42: RASH!?!?! Is there anything more maddening than all-over itching? Oh wait, yes there is - trying to figure out what caused it! I woke up today with an itchy neck and back-of-head. As the day progressed, it spread down my back, around to the front, and now it's gone down my arms. It's almost eczema like in that it itches before there's any sign of it, and if I scratch, it turns all red and irritated. I'm going to go take a cold shower and then put on my baby's barrier cream. I don't think it's a contact allergy because it's behind my ears and on my eyelids as well. I'll call the doctor in the morning. The only two things that I can think would have caused it are chocolate or natural calm. Chocolate is the only thing that was different about yesterday. I wouldn't normally think of it as an allergen, but my dad was severely allergic to it. Could my body have possibly shifted that much in 30 days without chocolate? It may also be Natural Calm. I've been reacting strangely to it, so I've had to back off it a few times now. Maybe this is my body's way of saying, "Enough already!" Made my version of cottage pie this evening. OH MY GOODNESS, it's almost too delicious. I just used arrowroot instead of flour, chicken stock instead of bullion, coconut aminos instead of Worcestershire sauce, and sweet potatoes and coconut oil instead of white potatoes and butter. I think I'm ready to paleo-fy my favorite recipes instead of relying on other people's whole30 versions. Food Breakfast: carnitas and salsa, sweet potato fritters Lunch: chicken, avocado, mixed greens, cress Snack: coconut-creamed kale, bacon, berries Dinner: Cottage pie Activity None Sleep 10:30 - 4:30, 4 wake-ups (stayed in bed till 7:30 but was woken up every 20-30 min) Mood Ok, except going slowly insane from the itching. Hubby and kid got along much better today. Gratitude I'm grateful that I have such a voracious reader AND an amazing library collection. (They have SO MANY star wars early readers!!!) I'm grateful for my affectionate baby. I got a hair stroke and open-mouth kiss at bed time. Silly little person. I'm grateful for my playful, involved hubby. I'm grateful that my friends are still inviting me out, even though I usually have to say no. Little victories It definitely simplifies things to have so many allergens already removed from my diet. It's been a while since I had nuts and the only eggs are in my sweet potato fritters. The thought of a chocolate allergy would have been devastating just a few weeks ago. Now, I think it's something I could live with. It would certainly cut down on dessert temptations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginsinnot Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I'm so glad you're feeling better (and hope the rash has fled), that was quite a week for you. I put my scale in the basement too. I never go down there, too many creepy crawlers:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 That's genius to have spiders guard your scale! Making myself a little crazy googling the mysterious rash. But I found an interesting thread where people are saying going into ketosis makes them break out in a rash in a pattern similar to mine. I eat lots of sweet potato, but maybe I'll try eating more fruit. I don't know how much it takes to stay out of ketosis while breastfeeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 Day 43: Itchy Mania There is a certain mania that accompanies an itch that you just can't scratch. Spent the first half of the day basically sitting on my hands and thinking, "Argggghhhh!!!!" while also baffling the doctors. They say it's definitely an allergic reaction to something, and it looks like a reaction to a drug. But I haven't actually taken anything or eaten anything unusual so we don't know what it could be from. And I can't take any antihistamines besides benadryl because I'm breastfeeding. I have an appointment with the pharmacist tomorrow to see if he knows of any I could take. Finally decided that if today was going to be unpleasant anyway, I may as well tackle some unpleasant tasks. So I cleaned out a closet and sorted out my finances. Felt good to channel the "Arggggghhh!!" productively. Still feeling all wound up. The rash doesn't seem to be getting any better. I'm starting to worry that I've suddenly become allergic to pork. That would be really inconvenient. I have 3 big packs of bacon and about 14 chunks of carnitas in the freezer! I've put some cortisone on the itchiest parts so I can sleep. I'm just waiting for the Benadryl to kick in. Was very hungry and thirsty today. Food Breakfast: Cottage pie, 2 eggs, salsa, smoothie (banana, strawberries, kale, coconut milk) Lunch: Carnitas, salsa, avocado Snack: Coconut manna, berries, apple Dinner: Roast chicken, brussels sprouts, chestnuts Activity Cleaning out closets Sleep 9:30 - 6:30, 4 wake ups Mood Wound up maniac, but managed to act like a normal person. Gratitude I'm grateful that this is just an episode, not a way of life. I'm grateful for the awesome Canadian health care system. Little Victories My palate has clearly shifted, because the fruity smoothie tasted sickly sweet to me. Didn't snap at anyone even though I was feeling seriously wound up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 Day 44: Phew!!!! Phew about the election, not the itchies. But the election matters a whole lot more! I might even move back to the US now! The itchies continue, and now they're everywhere but my face. The pharmacist told me that not only was there no breastfeeding-safe prescription antihistamine I could take, I probably shouldn't take much Benadryl either. So, the only thing that leaves me is to smother myself in hydrocortisone, which I'm not too keen on, either. This evening I took a cold shower and covered myself in Calamine lotion. I'm hoping that will calm it down enough to sleep. They're going to try to get me into see a dermatologist by the end of the week. If there was ever a day I would nervous-eat, it would have been today! Was wound up all day about the elections, and still feeling all frenzied about the itching. I did pretty well about not, though I did have a few extra berries. Right now I would REALLY like a glass of wine to soothe those frazzled nerves! I guess it's too late to work out. And deep breathing sounds a bit boring after all that excitement! Food Breakfast: Cottage pie, green smoothie of kale, berries Snack: cashews, goji berries, prune Lunch: Smoked salmon, crudite Dinner: Ground beef, sweet potatoes, spinach Dessert: raspberries Activity Walk 2 km Sleep 10 - 5:45, 3 wake ups Mood Anxiety-ridden, but still able to act like a normal person (or at least that's what I want to believe!) Gratitude I'm grateful for democracy, not matter how twisting and vulnerable the voting process has become. I'm grateful for realtime reporting, so I don't have to fret all night about the results. I'm grateful for careful doctors. I'm grateful that even though I'm 90% covered in an ugly rash, it's not yet on my face and hands so I still look normal. (Not sure this will last, though.) I'm grateful for craigslist - made two great sales so far this week! Little victories No nervous eating! I did have some cashews, but they were an 'uh-oh, don't leave the house hungry!' snack. I'm glad I did because I lunch was a couple of hours delayed for me - we ended up at a friend's house after school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginsinnot Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I'm laughing, but in a feel bad for you way! "still able to act like a normal person". I hope that you figure it out quickly, or that it just spontaneously remits! How awful to even contemplate being allergic to pork!! Of course, I would have said that about a number of food groups before the Whole30 that I feel totally different about now.... I'm grateful for getting to know such a clearly awesome chick through Whole9! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I'm grateful for getting to know such a clearly awesome chick through Whole9! x2! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Aw, thanks guys! Yes, I would miss pork FAR MORE than chocolate!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Day 45: Pictures! I feel like this log has gotten a bit gloomy, so I thought I'd liven it up with some food pictures. Thanks for the inspiration, Derval! The itching has subsided enough that I can forget about it for whole minutes at a time! Seriously though, I think it's getting better slowly. I'm still all marked up; I hope it disappears eventually. I have big red scratch marks on my neck and belly, like I was in a nasty girl fight! Should have folded laundry today but I went for a bike ride instead, at sunset (4pm *sigh*). It was glorious! Yay for day 45! I think I'll go till day 60 and reassess. Maybe I'll even get reflective or sumpin'. Food Breakfast: I'm calling this my Paleo Porridge. It's so steamy and satisfying on a cold morning. It's hamburger, fried apples and sweet potato, with a stock and arrowroot gravy, a bit of coconut milk, and lots of cinnamon. Sounds weird, but it is SO GOOD! Snack: Coconut manna, berries Lunch: Hot smoked salmon, mixed greens, avocado, the last homegrown tomato, mixed sea vegetables Snack: Chicken sausage, coconut manna, berries Dinner: Roast lamb, crispy brussels sprouts with chestnuts, roast squash Dessert: Coconut manna, berries Activity 6km bike ride Sleep 10 - 4:30 with 2 wake ups, 5:30 - 7 Mood Pretty good. So happy about the election. Gratitude I'm thankful for my babysitter and the couple of hours of freedom that buys me. I'm thankful the rash is going away. I'm thankful for my camera. Little victories Day 45! I can hardly believe it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Bike ride trumps laundry any day, awesome choice . I hope your itchies get better soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Laundry would not have lifted your spirits int he same way I betcha! Your photos are awesome, you're using a real camera aren't you? So sharp! and yummy looking! Very food mag! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginsinnot Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I'm curious how you prep the chestnuts with brussel sprouts. I loooove brussel sprouts, and am usually quite alone in my love for them I happen to have a jar of peeled chestnuts in my cupboard that I found at William Sonoma. I think they're a little past their best buy date, but they still look good.... I have horrible memories of making chestnut stuffing for Thanksgiving once. Peeling those $*@# things was not fun and my fingertips punished me for like a week after that. Which also makes me laugh thinking of the time my sister and I made my mom a surprise lemon meringue pie from scratch (it was her favorite) as kids. But we ruined her stand mixer by using a metal spoon to stir the filling and got it caught in the blades. We were sooo proud to have made that pie from scratch (squeezing lemons and all). Come to find out, my mom always used a Jello lemon custard packet when she made it! To her credit, she didn't kill us for breaking the mixer and praised our pie! I think the holidays approaching have me in a memory lane kind of way the past few days... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 The chestnuts come all peeled and soft in a vacuum pack. And amazingly, they're only $1.29 for a 2 serving pack of organic ones! OMG your mom was a saint! I can't imagine having my mixer ruined!!! That's hilarious about the lemon custard packet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 Day 46: A Beautiful Day All that rain makes me really appreciate how gorgeous it is when the sun shines. I went on another bike ride this afternoon. First, I rode over my favorite bridge: Said hello to the bunnies: And admired downtown at sunset: Then I came home to see what they'd done to my veg box. Sigh. Laundry still isn't folded!!! Food Breakfast: Paleo Porridge with collard greens and toasted coconut Snack: Chicken garlic sausage, lots of carrots and bell pepper, far too much toasted coconut flakes Lunch: BBQ Eel and seaweed salad. Washed off the "BBQ" sauce that came on it, and improvised a teriyaki sauce from coconut aminos, juice, and arrowroot. Also had some raspberries. Dinner Roast lamb and garlicky spinach with bacon Activity 5km bike ride Sleep 10 - 4:45, 6 wake ups, nap 7 - 8 Mood Pretty good considering how badly my night went! Gratitude I'm grateful my rash is mostly not itchy. Really hoping the marks go away, too. I'm grateful I can just take a morning and cross the border. I'm grateful for my awesome bike and beautiful places to ride it. Little Victories No coconut manna today! (Felt like I was eating too much of it.) Really want dessert tonight but I'm sticking to tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Great photos, love the bunny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 Thanks! The bunnies always make me smile. And yes, it's a real camera and it makes me feel like a grown up for once! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginsinnot Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 So I just finally got on a computer that let me see the pics you've posted during your log (my work computer blocks most and I rarely get on computer at home). Wow, you look fantastic in that pic with the tank top! And your kids are cute and happy looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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