NatPatBen Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Ideas? Comments? I love fresh kale in my smoothies but I could use frozen. Okay, off to the races! I wish I could wear jeans everyday to work. I just bought my first bag of frozen kale (at Trader Joe's... first time I've seen it). Will attempt it in a smoothie later this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine19 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 My green smoothies used to be almond or coconut milk, spinach or kale (as much as can fit - usually 2 handfulls), some avocado or a spoon of nut butter, frozen fruit (about 1/2 cup), and brown rice protein powder (sometimes). Other occasional ingredients: coconut water, chia seeds, flax seeds, poppyseeds (in the super-delicious lemon/blueberry/coconut water/vanilla/almond nut butter smoothie), carrots, pumpkin... Lately I've been pretty basic & haven't used many of the occasional ingredients, and also haven't used the protein powder. One that was really good the other day had coconut milk, spring mix salad greens (so spinach, arugula, and more), sunflower seed butter, and frozen pineapples. It had a flavor I hadn't had before. Thanks to all for the green smoothie tips and recipes ! I was hoping the 'green' wasn't kale, but I'm not surprised!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine19 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Wow it's day 30....weigh-in, measure and pictures tomorrow. I need some kind of results to decide how to move forward. Fingers crossed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I use frozen kale but kale isn't a big expense fresh honestly. I found a recipe for homemade Larabars which I want to try but wouldn't have helped me out yesterday since I was on the road to say (I had forgotten our 'snack bag' which I keep in the car regardless so we don't buy food out---been doing this 10 years). And I love my kombucha. Some days the bottle lasts 3 days. Sigh. Just expensive to eat real food in America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Thanks to all for the green smoothie tips and recipes ! I was hoping the 'green' wasn't kale, but I'm not surprised!!! Spinach is fine. Broccoli would work if you have a super blender like Vitamix. I use cucumber a lot. Salad is fine. Just the darker green the healthier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolyn Koron Parise Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 The worst is spending a lot of money on something and it goes bad. I bought some Coconut Aminos from a local health food store and a week later it was growing mold. Wish I kept that receipt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeascending Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Loooooong post ahead: I can't believe it's Day 30. Pardon my language, but holy shit, what a journey. I did Whole30 to lose weight, manage stress, reduce anxiety, and get more energy, but let's be real, losing weight was far and above my biggest priority at the start. Strangely enough, I let go of it sometime over the past month. I'm sure I've lost weight--my clothes are all looser, and I feel leaner (even though I've been regularly eating spoonfuls of coconut fat, which blows my mind)--but the other benefits seem like a bigger deal now. Stress and anxiety: I'm perpetually stressed out and anxious because I'm high-strung. That's pretty much how I've always been. But I've definitely experienced a big reduction in both over the past month. Things that would have sent me into a tailspin before are easier to manage. I still get stressed and anxious, but I'm beginning to be able to just take a deep breath and do what needs to be done instead of being paralyzed by uncertainty. Energy: I'm not bounding from the rooftops, having suddenly decided to take up competitive handball and learning Esperanto (let's be real, this is what I wanted when I said "more energy"). But it's easier for me to get up in the morning, I work through the day without any energy slumps, I have the wherewithal to plan and make fairly elaborate meals, my fiance and I have been going on fun dates. This is all pretty normal stuff, but SUCH a huge improvement over before, when I was crawling out of bed, pouring coffee down my throat, waiting for the minutes to tick by at work, slumping home, watching TV, and then tossing and turning before sleep. Speaking of sleep, that was a major, unforeseen benefit. I'm an insomniac, and I've been trying to manage it without prescription medication. A week and a half into Whole30, I found that I was actually getting sleepy and falling asleep at normal times--such a coup! I ended up increasing my sleep budget to 9-10 hours/night, which does squeeze out time for many other things, but which has made such a huge difference in my mood and energy because, duh, of course it does. Almost everyone I know has commented on my skin. I'm not particularly acne-prone, but my skin texture has always been not great, and I get really splotchy sometimes. I'm not quite down to going bare-skin-only, but I have to say, I look awesome with two dabs of BB cream. My skin feels so, so, so soft, too--not just on my face, but all over my body. Also, I've managed not to get sick even though most of my co-workers, my fiance (and most of his co-workers), and many of my friends have been. I may have been battling something three weeks in, but I definitely beat it. As someone who always get sick in the winter, I'm impressed. I do regret not exercising... like, at all. But 24 hours - 10 hours for sleep - 2 hours for commuting - 8 hours for work = 4 hours to run errands, cook, eat, etc., on the weekdays. Yes, I could definitely have squeezed in some time on the weekends, but the spillover of moral superiority from eating so cleanly made me feel virtuous enough not to (haaaa). I also regret not making a greater effort to support my psychological well-being. Yes, my stress and anxiety went down, but I wonder how much the decrease would have been if I'd eaten cleanly AND, say, had made daily gratitude lists, spoken to a career counselor, explored therapy, etc., etc. I think I probably overate protein this time around, especially in the beginning when I was constantly ravenous. I was definitely more focused on staying compliant than keeping protein and fat in balance. My appetite did eventually regulate itself. I'm thinking about tracking macronutrients for a while, until I get a better handle on what an appropriate amount of protein is. I'm also interested in pursuing intermittant fasting. Going forward, I'm planning on staying on-plan for another week or so, since I'm currently mid-cycle and want to weigh myself after what I hope is bloating subsides. After that, I plan on reintroducing liquor; then fermented soy (miso and wheat-free soy sauce); then cheese; and then rice. I might venture out further with milk and butter, but I'm not sure--I don't really miss milk, and clarified butter is fine by me. I might go back into Whole30 for March, too. It's just been a great reset button. So, that's that. I haven't been super active posting on the boards, but I've read every single post in this thread. It's been great reading about all of your experiences, positive and negative; the emotional solidarity has been really important to me. Good health and best wishes to y'all, no matter what path you take forward from here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtota Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Sooo . . . Given my last post I attempted to back to my oatmeal breakfast And crazy Insanity workouts and well. . . I am hungry. Constantly hungry for 2 days and sleepy/foggy again. Needless to say this morning I was vey excited to find eggs an bacon still available in the cafeteria at work at 10:30. I had oatmeal thus morning at 0600 and hungry by 0800 and fighting cravings. So needless to say, I am somewhat "re-convinced" that there is something to this afterall regardless of the weight loss issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torena Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I agree, holy shit (I think we're all adults here.. ), day 30. Now that it is here I swear we just started. At the same time I feel confident because I've got my "easy" meals figured out and I am adding other new meals as I go along. I started the Whole30 because I've learned so much over the last 6 years of learning about food that I know that the paleo/evolutionary way of eating is the healthiest for me. The increasing amount of studies/literature forming a link between wheat/gluten/grains/carbs and modern disease (including things that I suffer from: asthma, seasonal allergies, hypothyroidism, gallstones, anxiety, acne, etc.) has convinced me. It was hard for me over the last couple of years to get a firm grasp on HOW to do it. The Whole30 plan gave me this 30 days to learn, get control, and gain confidence. I plan on eating this way for the rest of my life and for treats I will enjoy paleofied treats rather than dipping into grain territory. I hope I've lost weight. I can feel it in my upper body, around my rib cage, which is not usually the place I lose weight. I thought my bras were just stretched out but even after washing/drying them they are still looser/easier to get on. My pants, well, I wear yoga pants all the time so there's no real way to decide without a drastic loss in inches there since they're meant to stretch/cling. This morning I noticed the last of the bumps on my face have cleared and my skin is softer. I got one pimple from my period, it never came to a head, it never got painful, and it's going away already. They usually hang around a long time.. that reminds me, too, of the decreased healing time of a nasty burn I got on my arm while cooking a couple weeks ago. The scab was gone very quick and the pink continues to lighten, and the sensitivity has gone down. I had to use my inhaler once this entire 30 days which is a drastic improvement over the last 4 months or so where I had to use it almost daily. I don't know if I'm sleeping any better because I have kids who wake up in the middle of the night. I know that it's normal for my youngest who nurses a couple of times a night but not so much for my 6 year old and I am focusing on getting them onto some form of paleo way of eating. Given that they aren't crazy about meat protein that is tricky. I do notice that I am tired earlier and I've been focusing more on listening to that desire even if it means cutting down on my limited "fun" time. I'm excited to weigh myself tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatPatBen Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 ... I do notice that I am tired earlier and I've been focusing more on listening to that desire even if it means cutting down on my limited "fun" time. Same here. They're testing me a lot at work today. This morning: leftover muffins and bagels & cream cheese. This afternoon: peach cobbler (yummmmm), soup, sandwich boxes, and pickles. Of it all, I ate 2 slices of pickle. What I decided to do about non-paleo junk/snack food: only have it if it's intentional & pre-meditated. I have a health coach through my job who will call as frequently as I request. Last week, I made the goal of not indulging in left-over snacks at work, no matter how hard it is to turn down free food. Had I been thinking about peach cobbler and told myself: Next time I see peach cobbler, I'm going to get some, then I would've had a small amount. But since it wasn't pre-meditated, I let it go. Just had a thought... my husband isn't keeping up paleo-style eating. I better go grab a sandwich box for him for dinner! Updated: Too late Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 The worst is spending a lot of money on something and it goes bad. I bought some Coconut Aminos from a local health food store and a week later it was growing mold. Wish I kept that receipt! Take it back! Most health food stores are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtota Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Updated plan of action: so after my 2nd day of experimenting with my Old oatmeal breakfast and then quickly reverting back to eggs I have come up with a new plan. I apologize in advance if this offends anyone but I found it hysterical given my past year if "diet" experimentation. While explaining what I was feeling today to my hubby he says "I've got it! Your plan needs to be vegan with a side of meat!" hehehe! And he's so right. I dint know why I didn't think of it this way before, but whole30 IS a plant heavy diet with just the rigt amount of Protien. So Instead of a meat free for all, I need to prepare my favorite plant based dishes (without grains etc) and then just add a small servig of meat, hence, vegan- with-a-side-of-meat a new blog may have been born today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatPatBen Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 ... vegan- with-a-side-of-meat a new blog may have been born today That DOES sound like a great blog name. It sounds like you'd still be eating Whole30-style, just with a smaller-than-a-palm of protein and no ghee. Is that right? (I'm not very familiar with veganism.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine19 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Sooo . . . Given my last post I attempted to back to my oatmeal breakfast And crazy Insanity workouts and well. . . I am hungry. Constantly hungry for 2 days and sleepy/foggy again. Needless to say this morning I was vey excited to find eggs an bacon still available in the cafeteria at work at 10:30. I had oatmeal thus morning at 0600 and hungry by 0800 and fighting cravings. So needless to say, I am somewhat "re-convinced" that there is something to this afterall regardless of the weight loss issue. Not being hungry all the time is really the best feeling...next to losing weight, of course! It's a very close second! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine19 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 vegan- with-a-side-of-meat a new blog may have been born today I am LOL...that is awesome! I needed to hear that when I was a vegan a few years back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contessa Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Sooo . . . Given my last post I attempted to back to my oatmeal breakfast And crazy Insanity workouts and well. . . I am hungry. Constantly hungry for 2 days and sleepy/foggy again. Needless to say this morning I was vey excited to find eggs an bacon still available in the cafeteria at work at 10:30. I had oatmeal thus morning at 0600 and hungry by 0800 and fighting cravings. So needless to say, I am somewhat "re-convinced" that there is something to this afterall regardless of the weight loss issue. Maybe you start off the day with protein and fat, as ISWF advises... and then you incorporate some other non-plan meals into the later part of the day....? I scoffed a few weeks ago when I read that green smoothies are not part of the plan (what's not to love about green smoothies? I thought). But I had one this morning in a pinch, and burned through it by about 10:30 am. Had major growling stomach — so I know it wasn't just a craving for a distracting snack. Dallas and Melissa win again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatPatBen Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I scoffed a few weeks ago when I read that green smoothies are not part of the plan (what's not to love about green smoothies? I thought). But I had one this morning in a pinch, and burned through it by about 10:30 am. Had major growling stomach — so I know it wasn't just a craving for a distracting snack. Dallas and Melissa win again Did you have protein with it? I find that it doesn't last in my system long without protein, but if I have 2 or 3 eggs, too, I'm good for hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Did you have protein with it? I find that it doesn't last in my system long without protein, but if I have 2 or 3 eggs, too, I'm good for hours. Same with me. And mine include avocado. I prefer to eat veggies but I won't get it together in the morning. I had mine (3 cups fresh spinach, 1/2 avocado, coconut milk and 1/2 cup blueberries, matcha green tea) with 3 eggs and I didn't feel hungry again until 1:30 when I got home from yoga. And I ate a sweet potato and grilled chicken for lunch and still feel satisfied. I get why smoothies aren't the best but for me they work well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dukunbayi Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 whole30 IS a plant heavy diet with just the rigt amount of Protien. So Instead of a meat free for all, I need to prepare my favorite plant based dishes (without grains etc) and then just add a small servig of meat, hence, vegan- with-a-side-of-meat a new blog may have been born today I love this! Way to spin it! I would definitely read your blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dukunbayi Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Happy Day 30! Some random reflections.... 1. The rules have been essential for me, and I have made the effort to be 100% food compliant. 2. My experience has been nothing but positive. Really, I cannot think of one negative thing (and believe me, I am very good at thinking of negative things). Even concerning the cost. When I factor in all the previous take out and packaged goods, I think I am spending less now. Plus, I'm a cheap date! I went out to a post-meeting dinner with some colleagues earlier this week, and while everyone spent $40-60, I spent $20 incl tax and tip for a club soda, Thai steamed mussels in a coconut milk base and kale salad with eggs and EVOO&BV (both split with a friend), and a decaf espresso. 3. I've had some food dreams over the course of the month (crackers and swiss cheese, and a blueberry bagel-which I don't even like) but not that many. Last night, however, was full of them... along the lines of shoveling into my mouth potato chip dregs from the bottom of the bag. 4. Food dreams notwithstanding... -I am without cravings. That is nothing short of miraculous. -I have slayed (or at least caged) the sugar dragon. That door is staying locked. -I have lost weight. I don't know how much exactly, but I can feel it, and others can see it. Yesterday I received no fewer than 4 comments about it. -I have begun to heal my gut and reduce IBS symptoms. The food made a big dent, and now I have started digestive enzymes and I believe it's helping even more. 5. I am trying to conjure up a desire to eat cake tomorrow, or dark chocolate at the stroke of midnight tonight (I'll be at work) and can't seem to manage that desire. If it ain't broke... My ongoing goals are to continue to work on: -Improved sleep (got Natural Calm 2 days ago, too early to know anything) -Muscle aches, starting AI protocol for 30 days as I believe it may be nightshades and nuts related. -Chronic fatigue. Suspect adrenal fatigue. I am willing to look at my coffee intake. It's a start. I'll be 48 tomorrow. I look at that number and can't fathom it. It's like when kids grow up and you realize that, truly, 'the days were long but the years were short.' I am seeing friends and co-workers suffering from ostensibly preventable illnesses and injuries, and I don't want to be one of them. And, whereas I used to be inwardly annoyed by (though outwardly supportive of) all my friends and co-workers who were "weird food people" (come on, just order already, wouldja?!), now, given the choice of one of the "sick" vs. one of the "weird," I'll choose the latter, thank you very much. I am so appreciative of this thread and the support from you all. I wish you all the very best as you keep on keepin' on in whatever way works for you. I'm not going anywhere, so I'll 'see' you around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Happy Day 30! Some random reflections.... 1. The rules have been essential for me, and I have made the effort to be 100% food compliant. 2. My experience has been nothing but positive. Really, I cannot think of one negative thing (and believe me, I am very good at thinking of negative things). Even concerning the cost. When I factor in all the previous take out and packaged goods, I think I am spending less now. Plus, I'm a cheap date! I went out to a post-meeting dinner with some colleagues earlier this week, and while everyone spent $40-60, I spent $20 incl tax and tip for a club soda, Thai steamed mussels in a coconut milk base and kale salad with eggs and EVOO&BV (both split with a friend), and a decaf espresso. 3. I've had some food dreams over the course of the month (crackers and swiss cheese, and a blueberry bagel-which I don't even like) but not that many. Last night, however, was full of them... along the lines of shoveling into my mouth potato chip dregs from the bottom of the bag. 4. Food dreams notwithstanding... -I am without cravings. That is nothing short of miraculous. -I have slayed (or at least caged) the sugar dragon. That door is staying locked. -I have lost weight. I don't know how much exactly, but I can feel it, and others can see it. Yesterday I received no fewer than 4 comments about it. -I have begun to heal my gut and reduce IBS symptoms. The food made a big dent, and now I have started digestive enzymes and I believe it's helping even more. 5. I am trying to conjure up a desire to eat cake tomorrow, or dark chocolate at the stroke of midnight tonight (I'll be at work) and can't seem to manage that desire. If it ain't broke... My ongoing goals are to continue to work on: -Improved sleep (got Natural Calm 2 days ago, too early to know anything) -Muscle aches, starting AI protocol for 30 days as I believe it may be nightshades and nuts related. -Chronic fatigue. Suspect adrenal fatigue. I am willing to look at my coffee intake. It's a start. I'll be 48 tomorrow. I look at that number and can't fathom it. It's like when kids grow up and you realize that, truly, 'the days were long but the years were short.' I am seeing friends and co-workers suffering from ostensibly preventable illnesses and injuries, and I don't want to be one of them. And, whereas I used to be inwardly annoyed by (though outwardly supportive of) all my friends and co-workers who were "weird food people" (come on, just order already, wouldja?!), now, given the choice of one of the "sick" vs. one of the "weird," I'll choose the latter, thank you very much. I am so appreciative of this thread and the support from you all. I wish you all the very best as you keep on keepin' on in whatever way works for you. I'm not going anywhere, so I'll 'see' you around! At work and this just MADE MY DAY!! I feel a lot of similar things but will wait and post after my 30 days are up (first two days I wasn't 100% compliant so going 32). I am so happy for you for your changes!! "Thai steamed mussels in a coconut milk base and kale salad with eggs and EVOO&BV (both split with a friend), and a decaf espresso." YUM. I bought some individual packets of Natural Calm. All the research I am reading is that it is good to take your Mg++ and Ca++ together so I am going to by one of those 'Fizz' supplements from the health food store this week that is Ca, Mg and Vitamin D all rolled into one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torena Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Happy Day 30! Some random reflections.... 1. The rules have been essential for me, and I have made the effort to be 100% food compliant. 2. My experience has been nothing but positive. Really, I cannot think of one negative thing (and believe me, I am very good at thinking of negative things). Even concerning the cost. When I factor in all the previous take out and packaged goods, I think I am spending less now. Plus, I'm a cheap date! I went out to a post-meeting dinner with some colleagues earlier this week, and while everyone spent $40-60, I spent $20 incl tax and tip for a club soda, Thai steamed mussels in a coconut milk base and kale salad with eggs and EVOO&BV (both split with a friend), and a decaf espresso. 3. I've had some food dreams over the course of the month (crackers and swiss cheese, and a blueberry bagel-which I don't even like) but not that many. Last night, however, was full of them... along the lines of shoveling into my mouth potato chip dregs from the bottom of the bag. 4. Food dreams notwithstanding... -I am without cravings. That is nothing short of miraculous. -I have slayed (or at least caged) the sugar dragon. That door is staying locked. -I have lost weight. I don't know how much exactly, but I can feel it, and others can see it. Yesterday I received no fewer than 4 comments about it. -I have begun to heal my gut and reduce IBS symptoms. The food made a big dent, and now I have started digestive enzymes and I believe it's helping even more. 5. I am trying to conjure up a desire to eat cake tomorrow, or dark chocolate at the stroke of midnight tonight (I'll be at work) and can't seem to manage that desire. If it ain't broke... My ongoing goals are to continue to work on: -Improved sleep (got Natural Calm 2 days ago, too early to know anything) -Muscle aches, starting AI protocol for 30 days as I believe it may be nightshades and nuts related. -Chronic fatigue. Suspect adrenal fatigue. I am willing to look at my coffee intake. It's a start. I'll be 48 tomorrow. I look at that number and can't fathom it. It's like when kids grow up and you realize that, truly, 'the days were long but the years were short.' I am seeing friends and co-workers suffering from ostensibly preventable illnesses and injuries, and I don't want to be one of them. And, whereas I used to be inwardly annoyed by (though outwardly supportive of) all my friends and co-workers who were "weird food people" (come on, just order already, wouldja?!), now, given the choice of one of the "sick" vs. one of the "weird," I'll choose the latter, thank you very much. I am so appreciative of this thread and the support from you all. I wish you all the very best as you keep on keepin' on in whatever way works for you. I'm not going anywhere, so I'll 'see' you around! I agree on all of this post. I have suspected adrenal fatigue for years, but my endocrinologist doesn't believe in it, so tomorrow starts day 3 of no caffeine. I bought rooibos tea today, I believe that's caffeine free. The cost hasn't changed too much from how we ate before. I started transitioning us to grassfed meats several years ago and I'm not perfect on organic foods but I do my best. I did switch from the local health food store to a bigger chain store that has a good natural foods section (they're a customer of UNFI, I used to be in a buying club for them) but that has more to do with the social security holiday that ended after two years and dropped our paycheck plus wanting to make upgrades to our home than anything else. I also just took my first dose of digestive enzymes with dinner, so I'm crossing my fingers that this improves things! I'm not going anywhere either. I'm still going to track my food on my log because I think that is super helpful for me to look back and pinpoint things. I am suspecting that clearing out my system has allowed my body to show that it is sensitive to something (I already discovered the possibility of pineapple of all things) so I need to keep track to follow the symptoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtota Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Maybe you start off the day with protein and fat, as ISWF advises... and then you incorporate some other non-plan meals into the later part of the day....? I scoffed a few weeks ago when I read that green smoothies are not part of the plan (what's not to love about green smoothies? I thought). But I had one this morning in a pinch, and burned through it by about 10:30 am. Had major growling stomach — so I know it wasn't just a craving for a distracting snack. Dallas and Melissa win again I do the same thing! I love green smoothies but I drink them and then think- ok where's the food.? NatPatBen - I think I'll still use ghee. We love vegan food because it is so very flavorful and there is some real psychological thing that makes me eat more veg if I think like a vegan. We have a lot of great recipes and I plan to continue making them but when it calls for beans ( like in a soup) ill use chicken or meat instead. Should be a fun experiment. A lot of the vegan food we ate has tons of veg all mixed up so its not a plate of this and that but a big bowl of crazy, delicious, yumminess. I eat alot more variety of veggies because i can hide some of them, in the mix. yes- im a picky eater! We just got so wrapped around the meat main course and a little veg on the side that I'm sure our portions ended up out of line. Really this approach will be entirely whole30 and not vegan at all, but, it's a lot more fun to think of it this way right now. Once I start the blog it will make sense and the title is more about how I got to this point then what I am actually eating. I am very excited and happy to say that I have new recruits starting the whole 30 on the 1st Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtota Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Happy Day 30! Some random reflections.... 1. The rules have been essential for me, and I have made the effort to be 100% food compliant. 2. My experience has been nothing but positive. Really, I cannot think of one negative thing (and believe me, I am very good at thinking of negative things). Even concerning the cost. When I factor in all the previous take out and packaged goods, I think I am spending less now. Plus, I'm a cheap date! I went out to a post-meeting dinner with some colleagues earlier this week, and while everyone spent $40-60, I spent $20 incl tax and tip for a club soda, Thai steamed mussels in a coconut milk base and kale salad with eggs and EVOO&BV (both split with a friend), and a decaf espresso. 3. I've had some food dreams over the course of the month (crackers and swiss cheese, and a blueberry bagel-which I don't even like) but not that many. Last night, however, was full of them... along the lines of shoveling into my mouth potato chip dregs from the bottom of the bag. 4. Food dreams notwithstanding... -I am without cravings. That is nothing short of miraculous. -I have slayed (or at least caged) the sugar dragon. That door is staying locked. -I have lost weight. I don't know how much exactly, but I can feel it, and others can see it. Yesterday I received no fewer than 4 comments about it. -I have begun to heal my gut and reduce IBS symptoms. The food made a big dent, and now I have started digestive enzymes and I believe it's helping even more. 5. I am trying to conjure up a desire to eat cake tomorrow, or dark chocolate at the stroke of midnight tonight (I'll be at work) and can't seem to manage that desire. If it ain't broke... My ongoing goals are to continue to work on: -Improved sleep (got Natural Calm 2 days ago, too early to know anything) -Muscle aches, starting AI protocol for 30 days as I believe it may be nightshades and nuts related. -Chronic fatigue. Suspect adrenal fatigue. I am willing to look at my coffee intake. It's a start. I'll be 48 tomorrow. I look at that number and can't fathom it. It's like when kids grow up and you realize that, truly, 'the days were long but the years were short.' I am seeing friends and co-workers suffering from ostensibly preventable illnesses and injuries, and I don't want to be one of them. And, whereas I used to be inwardly annoyed by (though outwardly supportive of) all my friends and co-workers who were "weird food people" (come on, just order already, wouldja?!), now, given the choice of one of the "sick" vs. one of the "weird," I'll choose the latter, thank you very much. I am so appreciative of this thread and the support from you all. I wish you all the very best as you keep on keepin' on in whatever way works for you. I'm not going anywhere, so I'll 'see' you around! First of all - Happy Birthday!! Second - I say screw the cake! I can tell you first hand that its not worth it. There's the sugar hangover, and the recovery from the "flour". The headache that comes with the sugar rush. And once the sugar dragon gets a taste who knows what will happen. On the other hand the cake may strengthen your resolve to continue eating this way. That's what oatmeal did for me. All That being said - I believe in you! If you make the pre-meditated decision to eat cake I know you will prevail and lock the dragon right back up. Enjoy your day! You've earned it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine19 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I bought some individual packets of Natural Calm. All the research I am reading is that it is good to take your Mg++ and Ca++ together so I am going to by one of those 'Fizz' supplements from the health food store this week that is Ca, Mg and Vitamin D all rolled into one. The Natural Calm I have has calcium in it...not sure what the other one looks like but this has a green label. 350mg Mag 230mg Cal plus D3, Vit C, Potassium and Boron. A fizzy medley of fun...my latest cocktail creation is to mix it with Kombucha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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