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Day 5--feeling a little better


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Day 5 today! Yesterday I felt a bit more energetic, still not up to par yet. The amazing thing is, since starting the Whole 30, my restless leg syndrome(RLS) has completely disappeared! I have taken medication for this condition for years, so this is very exciting and encouraging. Also, aches and pains are fading--I've had tendonitis in my upper right arm for almost a year, and it's disappeared. 

I do have a question I'd like to put out there. When do most of you stop drinking coffee for the day? Because my energy has been flagging, I've been having a cup when I'm really tired.  I'm sure it's affecting my sleep. I've always been an early riser, but sleep was a bit more broken yesterday than it had been.

Anyway, we can do this!

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The recommendation is to limit coffee consumption to 1-2 cups before noon so as to avoid sleep disruption.

Your energy could be flagging due to the composition of your meals, and your sleep disruption could be aided by a few tweaks too. Are you eating fruit early in the day? Are you including starchy veg late in the day? Are you getting enough fat? Salting your food? What have your meals looked like over the past 3-4 days?

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Hi, thanks for replying. I'll give you an example of how I've been eating. Yesterday breakfast was a half avocado, and a small burger, slice of cantaloupe. Made the burger with a little ghee and salt and pepper. I am using ocean salt. Lunch was the other half of the avocado, and wild caught salmon--sauteed in olive oil and salt and pepper. Dinner was a salad with onion, avocado, and two hard boiled eggs with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and a small tin of sardines in spring water. For a midmorning snack, raw almonds and a half of a banana. Lots of water. I did have coffee late in the day though--around five pm. Also two cups when arising. The previous days were pretty much the same with variations like broccoli and cauliflower, larger salads. Yesterday I had bursts of energy--but also bursts of extreme fatigue.

It's day 6--would some exercise help my energy levels? I've just done some gentle yoga a few times so far. I was thinking of going to the gym this morning and getting on the treadmill. 

Thanks! How's life in Ireland?

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Ok, so you look a little low on veg to me - breakfast & lunch don't mention any - vegetables provide valuable nutrients so don't skip on those and don't let the fruit push the veg off of your plate. Fruit, when eaten at breakfast having fasted overnight, can impact blood sugar and cause a crash in energy, faux hunger, unstable mood etc. I'd suggest keeping the melon for lunch and adding in some power greens alongside breakfast - start with a bed of spinach and/or kale, and then add a handul (or mixed handful) of things like lamb's lettuce, dandelion greens, & watercress.

Add more veg at lunch too, and if you're still hungry go ahead & have that melon.

For dinner add in some starchy veg. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that they improve sleep when late in the day. You could also add a magnesium supplement if you're not already taking one.

Keep the coffee to early in the day. I find green teas (even with caffeine) and herbal teas much more soothing later in the day and they don't impact my sleep.

You will probably find that by removing the morning fruit & replacing it with the  greens that you won't have the dip in energy, and you probably won't need that mid-morning snack either.

Ireland is great by the way - we could do with a little more sunshine every now & then, but then we wouldn't have all this glorious green if we did so [for the most part] I wouldn't have it any other way...!!

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I thought avocado was a vegetable??

Thanks so much for all the advice. I just had meal one-- two eggs and steamed cauliflower with ghee. I don't have any greens on hand--but will get some today.

When you say "starchy vegetable" are you referring to sweet potatoes, white potatoes?

Our family has roots in Galway Bay. I've never been to Ireland, but my brother has and fell in love with the greens and the Guinness.

And does it matter that I'm using sea salt? Is the iodine in table salt important for energy?

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Avocado is a fat for Whole30 purposes.

Pretty much any root veg is starchy - so yes, all varieties of potatoes, parsnip, turnip/rutabaga, carrots, yam etc.

Sea salt is fine  - unless  you have an over active thyroid there's nothing worng with a little extra iodine in the diet - most of us don't get nearly enough.

Galway is an amazing part of the country - and who could help but fall in love with the Guinness!! :lol:

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