Where is the Tiger Blood?

[JoCha]

I'm on day 20 and have yet to have this Tiger Blood that the book talks about.  The first 2 weeks were tough.  Sore joints, tired, wanting a cookie.  Now, the cookie craving is over, joints dont hurt anymore but, I'm still exhausted.  I'm sleeping as much as I can but with 2 small kids, that's sometimes hard to do.  I was tired before but it feels worse now.  Any advice is appreciated.

Here's a sample of what I'm eating:

breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and veggies (cucumber, carrots, celery, radish). black coffee

lunch: salad (romaine, cucumbers, carrots, celery, kale), 1/2 a chicken burger, light olive oil & white wine vinegar

dinner: chicken with curry and cauliflower rice (recipes from book), cherries

drinks: mostly water and some sparkling water, plus black coffee

[ShannonM816]

First, know that not everyone experiences tiger blood in the same way. Some people feel like the Energizer bunny, and just keep going and going. Others find that it's more that their energy levels and moods are more even, no crash in the afternoon, they have more patience for dealing with other people.

That said, there are a couple of things I'd change to what you're eating that will probably help.

For breakfast, add at least one more egg, or some other protein (when eggs are your only protein source, have as many whole eggs as you can hold in one hand, which is probably 3-4), and be sure you add some fat -- make some mayo or guacamole or ranch dressing to dip those eggs and cucumbers in. 

For lunch, make sure the 1/2 a chicken burger is at least the length, width, and height of your palm, and remember that the meal template says 1-2 palm-sized portions, so even if it is the size of your palm, you can have more if you're hungry. And be sure you're using a fair amount of oil, or go ahead and add some olives or avocado or coconut flakes or occasionally some nuts or seeds to your salad. And be sure that salad is huge, or you might try adding some denser vegetables -- some beets, or peppers, or chunks of roasted potato or sweet potato.

Dinner is probably good, since there'd be fat in the curry. Remember that the guideline for vegetables is to fill your plate with them. 

In general, most people feel best if they have at least one fist-sized serving of starchy vegetables each day, and people who are active, who are prone to depression or anxiety, and women who are nursing, pregnant, or in the week or so leading up to their period often need more. While you're still feeling tired, you might try having a couple of servings a day and see if it helps, and then once you're feeling better you can play with the amount and see how you feel.

For water, aim for 1/2 oz per pound of body weight, so if you weigh about 120 lbs, you need at least 60 oz a day (and obviously, more if you're sweating a lot either from working out or just being out in the heat). 

Also, don't forget to salt your food to taste. We do need some salt in our diet, and when you remove all the processed foods, there's not really going to be any unless you add it.

[JoCha]

Great advice.  Thank you Shannon!