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How strict do I have to be?


angmilky

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Good Morning!

This is my third Whole30 over the past 5 or 6 years.  My main goal is to tame my sugar dragon and control my energy levels.  I don't really have anything I would consider to be an issue likely coming from food, such as irritable bowel or anything like that.  Actually I had swore that I wasn't going to do another Whole30 (because I don't actually feel much different when I do it...actually if anything I feel exhausted by all the time I spend in the kitchen).

Anyhow, after a visit to the ob-gyn in Feb, the topic came to weight loss (I need to lose about 40 lbs) and she strongly recommends a Paleo diet.  My husband probably needs to lose about 60 lbs and he has a lot of difficulty following things like counting calories, so she suggested it for him as well.

So I figured another Whole30 would be a good way to ease into a Paleo lifestyle.  I think after 30 days I will be able to do say a green smoothie with almond milk for breakfast, or make Paleo waffles on a weekend without sending me over the edge.

Meanwhile, I live in an area that does not have many shopping options that are Whole30 friendly.  I buy pretty much all of my meat at Publix from the "Greenwise" line.  I also have  access to a WinnDixie or Walmart, but to me their meat is junk (I always bought from the Greenwise line even before Whole30).  My question today is more for things like bacon, sausage and ham.

I have always made an effort to buy sausages and bacon that are from the healthier brands and nitrate free (Applegate, Al Fresco).  I do eat the Aidell's organic chicken and apple breakfast sausage, but that gets old.  I am strongly leaning towards the line of thinking that if I buy Applegate Sunday bacon or Al Fresco country sausage or Publix greenwise chicken italian sausage....these are very healthy choices, sugar is on the ingredient label but pretty far down and there is like 1g per serving.  In the grand scheme of things, is that REALLY so terrible?  Especially if I pair them with fresh veggies and eggs. Fruit easily has way more sugar.

I know that the official Whole30 guidelines say that these items are forbidden and that sort of militant attitude is what has driven me away from this plan in the past.  Its only day 6 and I can easily see that boredom and exhaustion will set way in before day 30.  And yes, I know I can look on Pinterest or google for Whole30 recipes....I have done this, and I try new recipes, but a lot of them are just too out there or flavors we wouldn't normally eat. 

As a reminder, the main goal for both Dh and I is to get rid of our sugar dragons and eat healthier overall without counting calories.  I believe that eventually I will probably some high quality organic dairy back to my diet in moderation.  I also think that we will likely end up being "primal at home". As I mentioned, shopping in our area is limited and restaurants are even worse...yes I can order a steak and steamed veggies, but I eat that at home, so its no longer a treat. 

Sorry if this is bloggy.  We have no Aldi, no Trader Joe's and our Whole Foods is over an hour away so it takes half the day (and half our paycheck) on a weekend to trek out there, shop and trek back. 

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  In summary, just how bad is it to eat sausage/bacon with like 1g of sugar if its balanced with veggies, healthy fats, other proteins and no grains/dairy/sugar/soy, etc?  I feel like I am eating pretty damn clean, but then feel guilty if there is an inkling of sugar in something.  I feel like this level of perfection is not reasonable for every day life (and yes I know 30 days isn't that long, but it is when you are trying to run a household and work and exercise on top of it).

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5 minutes ago, angmilky said:

just how bad is it to eat sausage/bacon with like 1g of sugar if its balanced with veggies, healthy fats, other proteins and no grains/dairy/sugar/soy, etc? 

It's not inherently bad, and it's how most people manage their postW30 lives, but rules are rules and so it wouldn't be a Whole30.

Do you need to do another Whole30? Have you ever carried out reintroductions?

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I felt that I needed another Whole30 as a way to get transition into a more Paleo lifestyle.  In the past, I have tried to add things back in like a grain or cheese and not do them all on the same day (ie toast for a couple days, cheese and no toast on a different day).  I didn't notice any difference with how I felt.  I sometimes have a small bit of acid reflux, but its not so much that I even need to take anything for it and on Whole30 it doesn't go away.  I truly believe that my acid has more to do with the stomach  weight I carry and will go away over time with weight loss.

As for DH, he does have chronic acid reflux (he chews Tums like its going out of style).  I have seen him taking them while doing the Whole30, but i don't know if its as bad as on-Whole30.  He has been complaining about lower energy and had a terrible headache Saturday (day 4).  This is his first Whole 30 and he will not read the book, I barely got him to glance at the sheets of rules I printed out for him.   He tends to just follow my lead and eat the meals I prepare for us or for breakfast he will make eggs with some other protein and potatoes.  I have been getting after him that he needs more produce with his breakfast, so today he steamed up some broccoli as well.  If left to his own devices, he would for certain focus on the protein aspect.

Tonight we are having sauerkraut and kielbasa for dinner.  I did check the ingredients on both and they were compliant (although a $6.99 for one jar of kraut...yikes).  Tomorrow's dinner is prosciutto wrapped chicken with basil and dijon mustard (the Publix greenwise brand does not have wine...white wine vinegar I believe). With a side of veggies.

We'll get there, but its my job to do all the cooking and menu planning.  There is a one skillet meal I love that is a TON of veggies and the only thing that makes it not Whole30 is that pesky measly amount of sugar in the Italian sausage.  Just things like that bug me....it feels like almost none of my pre-Whole30 recipes are compliant, so it gets quite time consuming. Does WholeFoods carry compliant italian sausage?  I may drive out there this weekend, but I hate to drive all the way there to find out there is sugar in it.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/summer-vegetables-with-sausage-and/

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Is the sugar listed in the ingredients or in the nutritional info?? If it's the latter then it's okay...

Re the sauerkraut - that seems like a lot of money, and if it's in a jar rather than in the fridge then it's been pasteurised and will actually lack any of the good bacteria, so you may as well be eating cabbage, which is probably MUCH cheaper!!

I think you need to do what you think is best for you. Your husband is an adult, and there is only so much supervision you can offer - either way even if it's not a true Whole30, the switch to Whole foods should result in some improvements to health that he wouldn't otherwise see...

Re Whole Foods - I'm in Ireland so can't help with specific brands, but I'm sure others will pipe in with possible options for you - as always though read the labels as ingredients can change from month to month, or region to region.

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For the sausage and bacon...sugar does actually appear in the ingredients.  Pretty far down which I know is still not considered Whole30.

As for the kraut...well, they had some in plastic bags and they had some in jars.  They were both refrigerated, although found in totally different sections of the store. The one in bags was not compliant due to the additives.  You make a good point about the good bacteria though, as on Whole30 I do think that is something that is severely lacking for a lot of us.  There are not many fermented foods I enjoy and I'm not eating yogurt, so I will add a probiotic supplement.

I do have half a head of cabbage in the fridge as well.  I kind of promised DH that we would have the kraut and cabbage and he will be VERY upset if that plan wavers.  (I already mentioned a recipe I saw for a kraut and cabbage soup I could make instead and he pitched a fit).  He knows deep down we both need this, but there is a certain part of him since its still early that thinks this diet is punishment/no fun/etc.  He is eating the meals I prepare and he enjoys them, but not as much as pre-Whole30 foods.  Things like throwing a ribeye on the grill (I did this on day 1 to show him thanks for committing to the diet) and adding a couple small diced red potatoes to his breakfast have gone a long way to pacifying him.

DH is very stressed at work all the time as he works IT and is basically on call 24/7.  He is expected to respond to emails pretty much at all times, including nights and weekends.  Work is very demanding and not willing to hire additional staff for his dept at this time.  So as a result, he generally doesn't take the time to take care of himself, despite constant reminders from me.  And a doctor won't really scare him into it as its very difficult to get him to actually go. (I have got him to start taking more time for massages and chiropractic though).  Long story short, the fact that he agreed to do the diet with me is HUGE and I try not to nag him too much b/c I know he might decide its too much and throw in the towel.  So it falls on me to shop and cook healthy lunches and dinners.

I also find that cooking batch meals doesn't seem to work very well for Whole30 as most of the fresh veggies taste best freshly cooked. I do sometimes make a big batch of soup (which I used to do prior to Whole30 for my own weight loss) and he turns up his nose at it. He just gets sick of eating soup no matter how much I vary them.

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@angmilky If you have access to Whole Foods they have compliant sauerkraut in the refrigerated section next to the fresh produce. 

As for batch cooking vegetables, you can roast veggies in quantity and as delicious as they are they are even better reheated. I personally also love leftover steamed veggies with ghee. Both of these are staples of my work lunches and only require 30 seconds in a microwave if you don't like them cold or room temperature. 

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8 minutes ago, ArtFossil said:

@angmilky If you have access to Whole Foods they have compliant sauerkraut in the refrigerated section next to the fresh produce. 

As for batch cooking vegetables, you can roast veggies in quantity and as delicious as they are they are even better reheated. I personally also love leftover steamed veggies with ghee. Both of these are staples of my work lunches and only require 30 seconds in a microwave if you don't like them cold or room temperature. 

Thanks for your response Art. I do have access to a WholeFoods and its a little over an hour away.  And actually, both my town and the one its in are heavy tourist areas for spring break, and that is the main road to get there....so it could easily be more than an hour one way. I can probably take a trek over there this weekend.  Although the kraut I found is refrigerated and does have compliant ingredients.  Actually, I looked it up and it says that their customers love it for its live cultures, so maybe its not pasteurized as Jmcbn thought (http://bubbies.com/sauerkraut).

I do roast veggies in the oven frequently. Actually, the Italian sheet pan dinner from Skinnytaste was dinner once last week...it had carrots, zucchini, peppers, onions and carrots and mushrooms along with boneless chicken thighs.  I ate the leftovers yesterday for lunch and pretty much all the veggies were mush (I reheated about a minute to get everything hot. ).  In the past, I haven't had a ton of luck re-heated roasted veggies and my husband doesn't care for them all that much.

I plan on buying some sunflower butter online to make Sunshine sauce as I checked 3 different places this weekend and could not find the organic one with no sugar.  I looked on Amazon and its like $10/11.  I'm going to go broke on this diet.

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Kraut is really easy to make at home - just cabbage, water, and salt fermented in a wide-mouth quart jar.  You can google recipes.  It takes a few weeks.  I have a Kraut Kap (I think that's what it's called) that makes it pretty near foolproof.  I bought mine at the local co-op, but you can order them online.  

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1 minute ago, Stegner said:

Kraut is really easy to make at home - just cabbage, water, and salt fermented in a wide-mouth quart jar.  You can google recipes.  It takes a few weeks.  I have a Kraut Kap (I think that's what it's called) that makes it pretty near foolproof.  I bought mine at the local co-op, but you can order them online.  

Stegner-Many things are easy to make myself (almond milk, bone broth, etc) but acquiring the ingredients and equipment takes time and money as well as the actual process.  I'm in the kitchen enough without making my own kraut.  I truly mean that in the nicest way possible, but I am already cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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6 minutes ago, Stegner said:

Kraut is really easy to make at home - just cabbage, water, and salt fermented in a wide-mouth quart jar.  You can google recipes.  It takes a few weeks.  I have a Kraut Kap (I think that's what it's called) that makes it pretty near foolproof.  I bought mine at the local co-op, but you can order them online.  

Yeah, well, my options are pretty limited for shopping.  The kraut I saw at other stores was the bagged stuff with preservatives.  This is a special treat for DH, I had the idea after I noticed the kielbasa was compliant.

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I think you could have another look at your goals and where you want to spend time, money, energy. If you're not totally on board with the Whole30, then i would say don't do one. You can eat whole 30ish and Paleo without a strict whole 30. What did you learn about sugar from your last whole 30? (If it easily destroys you, then  strict whole30 may be worth it, for instance). Otherwise, you might try to make your own spice mixture for sausages. I've never personally seen compliant ham regardless. 

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13 hours ago, angmilky said:

I plan on buying some sunflower butter online to make Sunshine sauce as I checked 3 different places this weekend and could not find the organic one with no sugar.  I looked on Amazon and its like $10/11.  I'm going to go broke on this diet.

I'd look around and see if you can find almond butter and use it instead. Personally, I like it better than sunbutter, but more importantly, I can actually find it with no added sugar in my grocery store, while the only sunbutter I ever find locally has sugar added.

 

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14 hours ago, slc_melissa said:

I think you could have another look at your goals and where you want to spend time, money, energy. If you're not totally on board with the Whole30, then i would say don't do one. You can eat whole 30ish and Paleo without a strict whole 30. What did you learn about sugar from your last whole 30? (If it easily destroys you, then  strict whole30 may be worth it, for instance). Otherwise, you might try to make your own spice mixture for sausages. I've never personally seen compliant ham regardless. 

So far I am still sticking with the Whole30.  There are a lot of things I can make homemade that are compliant, but that takes time.  I'm trying to figure out how to make Whole30 work with my schedule.  I did have a sugar dragon before, but as things like italian sausage are not sweet in nature, I don't think they would affect me that way. I do have some breakfast sausage recipes I will try this weekend.

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8 hours ago, ShannonM816 said:

I'd look around and see if you can find almond butter and use it instead. Personally, I like it better than sunbutter, but more importantly, I can actually find it with no added sugar in my grocery store, while the only sunbutter I ever find locally has sugar added.

 

I do have compliant almond butter, but I wasn't sure if it had the same flavor as the sunbutter.  It looks like they have it on Vitacost, if I need anything else.

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2 hours ago, angmilky said:

I do have compliant almond butter, but I wasn't sure if it had the same flavor as the sunbutter.  It looks like they have it on Vitacost, if I need anything else.

It doesn't have the same flavor, but it works well in the sunshine sauce recipe anyway. I actually prefer it, but I like almonds better than sunflower seeds.

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I prefer almond butter and extra lime in my sunshine sauce to the sunbutter... sunbutter can have an edge of bitter to it that almond butter doesn't have... AB is a titch sweeter tho so I add a lot of lime and usually the zest to offset the sweetness...

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3 hours ago, SugarcubeOD said:

I prefer almond butter and extra lime in my sunshine sauce to the sunbutter... sunbutter can have an edge of bitter to it that almond butter doesn't have... AB is a titch sweeter tho so I add a lot of lime and usually the zest to offset the sweetness...

That's good to know.  Have you tried cashew butter?  I *believe* I saw that as well, and there are many dishes that have cashews in them, so I thought about that as well.  I am for sure going to make a batch of Sunshine Sauce in the very near future to use up some protein and veggies in a flash.

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Cashew butter would make the sauce even sweeter I think as cashews have the highest natural sugars for a nut...

I haven't tried it tho, but have used cashew butter and it's quite... stiff.... that could have just been my jar tho...

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30 minutes ago, SugarcubeOD said:

Cashew butter would make the sauce even sweeter I think as cashews have the highest natural sugars for a nut...

I haven't tried it tho, but have used cashew butter and it's quite... stiff.... that could have just been my jar tho...

That's good to know.  I'll try it with whichever butter is cheaper.  Some of them are quite expensive!

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