Still On the Journey... September Plan for Food

I am heading toward another Whole30 journey for the month of September.  This time I am adding the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) restrictions.  I just finished this book to help me with my planning.  Eileen Laird is the AIP blogger at PhoenixHelix.com.  This is not an all inclusive guide but it is very helpful for those who are starting and want to understand more about the Autoimmune Protocol for reducing inflammation in the body.  If you have an autoimmune disease/disorder then you, likely, suffer with some kind of inflammation on a regular basis.  

I have Lupus (SLE) and Fibromyalgia and my biggest battle seems to be with the arthritis that comes with it.  I have triggers that are external such as the rise in barometric pressure, excessively hot summer days, lack of sleep, and overexertion.  

I have food triggers, too, that I discovered last May (2015) during my last Whole30.  I struggle with soy, wheat, corn, dairy and a whole slew of preservatives and chemicals found in many prepackaged foods.  Since May 2015 I have struggled to keep those things out of my diet and have found that I seem to be sensitive to the nightshade plants as well.  I need to be back on track after all the crazy summer eating while we were traveling and dealing with a bazillion changes in our lives as a family.  Well, maybe not a bazillion... but it felt like it.

The book gives a good overview of what you should NOT be eating and then an extensive list of things you can eat in abundance.  It gives you helpful information for setting up your kitchen before you begin.... which is what I am doing this next week.  It gives you a basic grocery list, how to deal with spices that may be causing issues and how to make your own blends.  She addresses eating out at restaurants and travel tips, and my favorite... HOLIDAY EATING!

She encourages you to write everything down.  Keep an eating journal and a symptom journal as you go.  She even shares common mistakes and how to troubleshoot as you move through the changes you are making.  I wish there had been a more extensive list of resources because I know they exist but she really just shares things from her website and a few friends that she has worked with in this realm.  She has loads of personal experience so it is all great information.  The book is very practical and can help you right away as you start your journey to feel better.

I will be using this book in conjunction with the Whole30 book and website resources and It Starts With Food from Dallas and Melissa Hartwig.  I highly recommend everyone read It Starts with Food before you dive into the Whole30 plan.

Something you need to remember is that this is not a diet to be sustained longterm.  It is meant to be a 30 day elimination plan.  Once you get the junk out of your system you start reintroducing things back in.  The goal is to see how you tolerate them until you build a healthy eating plan for you that does not trigger inflammation and sickness in your daily life.

If you have any questions on this please feel free to ask and I can answer or point you to an answer.  We should never have to be on this journey alone.  I am grateful for my fellow sojourners that encourage me daily.  No man is an island.... 

I will be sharing, in the coming days, about two other resources I will be using through this, too.  They are from Amy Myers MD and address Autoimmune and Thyroid issues specifically so stay tuned for those resources.  She certainly warrants a separate post.

PS.  This is not a book sent to me for review.... it is just one in my stack that I wanted to share.  I paid real money for this one!  LOL

Whole30 - Permanent Changes

The verdict is in on several foods now and I will be making a clean sweep of my kitchen and rebooting the gluten free lifestyle.  I have had adverse reactions to several things to such a degree that I do not ever want to put those things in again on purpose... (or by accident if I can avoid it)

I will no longer be able to eat:

*  Dairy in any form other than maybe yogurt is out.  I still need to do the test on that to see if my stomach tolerates it.  Ice cream was a HUGE NO!

*  Soy of ANY kind in ANY products... no soy flour, oil, beans, tofu, soy sauce... etc.  It is not a good food for me at all.  It makes me quite ill to have it even small amounts now.

*  Wheat products.... I had a very strong reaction to it yesterday and am still feeling the effects 24 hours later.

*  Nothing with nitrites or sulfites....also no MSG EVER.  I get headaches and immediate hive like responses on my skin.

*   Sugar is still a no no as a general rule and I will be finding alternatives for some occasional treats because a girl needs something chocolate every now and again.... and I can have cocoa/cacao.

I still have to test beans/lentils, oats (it will be gluten free oats), quinoa, rice, peanuts, I still have a great deal of work but at least I know some of my triggers now and can actively seek to make those changes.  I am seeking to be ready to do another Whole30 in the fall with the Autoimmune Protocol revisions.

I am not dwelling on the negative, though.  There are some awesome foods I can eat and do more regularly now.  I do feel better on the days when no allergens are in my system and the testing phase is a bit hard but it is so very profitable.

I will share more changes as I make them and a plan once I figure all of this out.  In between allergy testing I am sticking to the Whole30 safety net and trying new ways of making veggies and adding some new meats to the mix.  It is a new adventure and if you have read my blog very long you know I love a new adventure!

Until next time...

Blessings,

Leann

Whole30 - The Results

Are you ready?

I lost 8 pounds and 8 inches total in the month of May.

The other No Scale Victories include but are not limited to...

No more hot flashes

better skin

better digestion

no bloating... or very little if I do have any

less sinus and ear pressure

eating less naturally

I stop eating when I feel satiated

I realized I needed to start a multivitamin

inflammation is less and less each week

better sleep

more energy

clothes fit again

I am going to keep at it with this as my primary way of eating and I will add in a few things to see how I react but for the most part I think I am done with bread and sugar.  I will indulge with birthdays a bit but not go over the top.  My first big test is this week with my youngest's birthday.

I feel better than I have in years eating this way.  That is not to say I don't get tired or need to rest but I can tell it is making a difference.  I am adding exercise this month and will do an end of June update.  If anyone has questions about food or the process feel free to contact me or to check out the www.whole30.com website for more.

I get my new Well Fed cookbook today.... stay tuned for more yummy as I explore more recipes this month, too.

Whole30 - I WIN!!!

I have completed my first Whole30!

A summary post will come but for today....

I am so pleased with the progress and the results and I start the next phase of maintaining my new way of eating.  I am starting with a little Paleo Pancake for breakfast with a bit of fruit on the side.

The book Well Fed is on the way and I will start diving into that one and making new menu plans and cooking new nutrient rich foods.  I cannot imagine going backward at this juncture.

Stay tuned for the finish line photos and stats and the last big favorite foods collage.

Happy Sunday and enjoy your last day of May!

A new month and a new plan are on the way, too. 

So what is next?  I am heading here to think through it all

Whole30 - Day 28 and counting down

I am still moving toward the end of May nicely.  I am not struggling with my food at all.  I am not craving sugar or bread or feeling hungry most of the time.  I am also NOT experiencing Tiger Blood and still have arthritis and fatigue symptoms and some digestive issues but they are all a bit better each week.  I am contemplating adding a few things in during the month of June and then heading back into a modified 30 days for July if I am able to coordinate that with any possible travel we might be doing.

Can I just say out loud that I am kind of tired of eating meat every meal?  I want a night where I can just have a lentil soup or something vegetarian.  I am going to test the waters on that and see how it goes soon.  I was eating vegetarian at least 2 full days a week before I started this and would like to move back to some options to do that again.

I am also suspicious of the Nightshade vegetables again, too.  I would like to do an AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) version of the Whole30 and be very strict with it to see how that affects my body, too.

I am not done with this Whole30 thing by any stretch of the imagination.

I know I don't want to start putting sugar back in regularly.  I might need to make some rules for me to keep me on track.  I would allow for desserts for very special occasions like birthdays and a holiday celebration but keep it in check the rest of the time.  I still need to think through that.

I also want to find some more Paleo versions of things for me to eat to keep gluten at arm's length.  I want to stay more with veggies and fruits and not bread and pasta dishes for my meals.  I know already that the pasta for lunch would make me super draggy the rest of the day so I want to put better things in throughout the day.

Saturday is my last full day.

I will measure and weigh in on Sunday morning and report back on progress with photos.  I don't anticipate a huge weight loss but I know I am not puffy and swollen like before.  I know my clothes are fitting more loosely and Dan says he notices a difference in my shape.  We will see...

I am hoping to write more regularly through the weekend and into June but this week has been a bear. We have had so many thing we are trying to finish for the end of another school year and we should start slowing down drastically come Monday June 1st.

I will be grateful for some lazier days of summer.

Thanks for following my journey this month and know that I am not done and that I will still be reporting on health and home and family.

Thank you for all of your support!

Blessings,

~Leann

Whole30 - Day 22 and counting down

After thinking that I had totally missed the weird dreams about food phase I had one last night.  It was crazy... I inhaled a loaf of bread in the dream but the funniest thing is that I don't even think about bread anymore.  I think it was more about the panic I felt after I ate it and the feeling of not ever wanting to be in that stage of eating desperation ever again.  I have decided that when I do put whole wheat back in to test the old system it will be homemade bread and not store bought ever again.  I say never again because I want only whole food going in from now on... that may not be possible but I can sure try.  I need to institute a weekly baking day again like I used to have before this Lupus mess took over.  I think I can pull it off.  

I have been repeating a lot of my meals and eating simple things for breakfast like the granola, fruit and a breakfast meat and the sweet potato hash with an egg on top.  They are becoming favorites and I know I will continue to enjoy them long after this is over.  

I have had some leg and foot cramping this week some.  I am adding a multivitamin back into my routine and am upping my water and a bit more salt to see if that is helpful.  I know I am getting enough potassium because I get a lot of potatoes and bananas weekly.  I also still enjoy a variety of nuts and dried fruits.  I think the issue is more a lack of magnesium and potassium.  I dropped a lot of mag heavy foods out when I started this 30 day process.  I think my body is rebelling due to that deficiency.  

Here are a few newer foods I have eaten lately...

In other news we are closing in on the end of school.

The band concert is over and we are biding our time until the choir concert is over next Wednesday night.  The kids have finished up all their major state and college prep testing and they are moving into "dead week" and then class semester finals.  I think they are exempt from most of them so that will be a very light week.  They run school here until the second week of June... which I have always thought was absolutely insane!  That is too long.

Em starts driver's education and then we start packing and prepping kids for their various summer camps and trips.  There might actually be one week all summer where we are all home together.  It will be a little crazy but the kids have really been looking forward to scout camps, youth camps and mission trip adventures so I am not sweating it.  I will take them when I can get them and pray for them non-stop along the way.

We will have a new senior in a little more than two weeks and that has enough crazy of it's own.  I am letting my girl enjoy the summer she has with friends and trips before that consumes our world.  They grow up so quickly!

I am ending this post with a few pics for Mamaw...  

The middles at their band banquet

Mother, please stop taking pictures!

Emily trying to get David to do something and he is refusing....

 I have no idea!  

LOL  It was just a funny photo.

The boys prepped food for Mother's Day... 

Josh is quite the grill master when Dad is supervising

David tossing salad at Grandma's house

Em playing her solo at the school class piano recital.

Now, you have been photo blasted!  LOL

Have an amazing Memorial Day Weekend.  

I will check in if I get a chance tomorrow and probably Monday.  

Blessings to you and yours!

Whole30 - Day 20

STILL NO TIGER BLOOD!

I must confess, at this point, that I have been off my Lupus medication (not a bad thing folks.... I am not going to die).  It is not like going off blood pressure or heart meds where I would have a stroke if I don't take them.  People go off them all the time if they find they have vision issues.  I merely got off temporarily to see how the diet plan would affect my inflammation.  It has helped drastically but I am having skin issues still and my energy level is not where I would like it to be.  As a matter of fact it is nowhere close to where I would like it to be.  I am not sure why no tiger blood has happened but my clothes are getting more and more loose by the day so something is happening.  I am not craving any sugar or fast food.  I am enjoying my food and my taste buds are awake again so things are much more flavorful.  I am going to go ahead and restart my lupus medication today to see what happens next.  I am hoping it will boost the process a bit to bring on more energy and more clarity from my ongoing Lupus fog.  

I am hoping to try some new recipes over the coming 10 days because I am feeling I am in a bit of a food rut the last few days.  I am just resorting to easy and I want to challenge myself a bit more.  I am also finding that I am filling up on smaller amounts of food and there are times I am not even hungry when mealtime rolls around but I eat anyway because I am not suppose to skip meals.

 A grocery run is in order.

I will do a food post by Friday with more yummy photos!  

I just posted a bell pepper recipe I made Monday.

Stuffed Bell Peppers.... Paleo Style

Just so you know up front... I do not measure anything on this recipe.

I have made these for many years with rice added to them but needed a Paleo version for this Whole30.  I added far more veggies to this version and find that I like it better than the meat and rice version.  So, here is what I did...

I chopped a rainbow of bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, green) and then I chopped an onion and some zucchini into medium dice as well and then I sauteed it all and then put it aside in a bowl.

The green one will become the vessel to fill shortly...

I added olive oil to a hot pan (medium hot or you will have smoking oil)

This is my favorite sauteing pan

I just saute until the onions are shiny and starting to become opaque and the other veg is slightly softened

I use ground turkey but you could use ground anything... pork, beef, chicken, etc...

If you are not using the lean version then you may need to drain off some liquid before adding veggies into the pan with them.

I saute until thoroughly cooked and crumbly

While I am cooking the turkey I hollow out the green peppers... you can use whatever color you wish but I happened to have green this day.

Once the turkey or other meat is browned and crumbly you can add the veggies back into the pan and saute together for a few minutes to blend flavors.  I salt and pepper to taste at this point.

Once everything is mixed I add a can of tomato sauce to pull it all together and add extra flavor.

Once this is thoroughly blended you are ready to stuff the peppers.

Once they are stuffed you put them into a deep dish with water at least halfway up the sides and I have started adding a lid to them to steam the peppers a little more when I bake them.  Pop them into a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until peppers are softened.  If I have any Marinara sauce in the refrigerator (which I often do because I make it a lot) I would add some on top of the filling toward the end of the baking period.

Sometimes I have a little leftover filling when I am not accurate so I just serve a little extra spilling out the top for my men folk.  They don't complain.  My husband has been known to pack this with extra rice for lunches.

Here they are... ready to serve!  I don't even miss the rice but if you want you could serve this with rice and a salad and it is a fine and filling meal.

Whole30.... The Halfway Mark

So, I have reached the hump, so to speak.  I will start the downside of this beast tomorrow.  It has been great so far.  I have followed along with the timeline pretty much but my energy level is still waning.  I am hoping this next week will prove to change that.  I am staying strong with my eating but I am still not diving into an exercise plan yet.  Maybe I can add some walking three days next week or some light weights or Pilates.  I am finding that water plays a huge role in my energy level, too.  My afternoons are better when I have been hydrating early and often each day.  I am trying to tank a 32 ounce water before I start with coffee in the mornings and my coffee intake is down to 1-2 cups a day now instead of 4-5.  If I crave a hot beverage in the evenings I will have a chamomile or mint tea to wind down with.  

Here is a glimpse of a few more things I have eaten this week.  

I am getting a little more creative with it and making things with shrimp some this week and adding some squash noodles for lunches instead of the typical pasta I used to eat.  My clothes are fitting looser and I feel better overall but still have the aches and arthritis in the mornings and evenings after being sedentary for a bit.  I am moving enough throughout the day that I am not so stiff during daylight hours.  Another crazy thing is that my nails are growing like CRAZY!!!  I have always had stubby short nails with the thyroid issue but they are getting stronger and growing faster than ever.  My hair seems to be growing faster, too.  Em and I are going to get haircuts tomorrow.  

So, Day 15 comes to a close with a yummy meal I have not photographed yet...

Grilled Chicken/Pineapple Kabobs with Asparagus

and the family will add rice to their meal.

Hopefully, I can do some photo organizing to share a catered event I did yesterday for my MIL's piano recital.  It was just cookies and punch but everything was lovely!

Tomorrow is our last Korean Language Class for the summer and I am putting a plan together for me to continue studying through the summer on my own.

I am also working on a Summer Reading Post...

Stay tuned!

Whole30 - Day 14.... a chatty post

Some mornings you wake up early and check your messages to find that your employer has cancelled you for the day because she is sick.  So, you grab a cup of coffee, your Bible and computer and head back to bed.  At least that is what I have done this morning.  After being on my feet baking and cleaning a kitchen all day yesterday I am grateful for the slower morning today.  I am sad my friend is sick but I am taking advantage of the down time.

It has been overcast and muggy here lately.  That is typically not the kind of weather we have in May.  It has been a cooler May this year and I am hoping that trend continues a bit longer before we head into the 100+ days.

If you are following along at home you will know that I am currently in the middle of the "Boundless Energy - Now Give Me a Damn Twinkie" phase (Days 12-15) of the Whole30 right now.  I am neither bounding nor craving at this point.  I am just plugging along.  I have not had any crazy dreams but on days 11-12 I did experience the "tighter clothing" to a small degree (a few days late)... just a bit of the bloat for a day or two.  Everything seems to have gone back to normal now, though.

I suspect I have not moved through some of the phases as others have because of several factors.  One, I had pretty much eliminated soy, MSG and nitrites/sulfites from my diet before I ever started this process.  I am allergic to soy and have some pretty serious reactions to the other chemicals... like massive headaches and hives.  So, I ditched those some time ago.  Secondly, I have Lupus and Fibromyalgia junk going on that other people don't deal with.  I think it slows the process of recovery a bit because I still have arthritis, pain and stiffness, and fatigue.  Those won't disappear quickly I am afraid.

I also began eating a more whole food diet several years ago.  This round, for me, was more about ditching sugar and other possible allergens.  I am finding that some things are getting better but I feel I still have a long way to go in relieving the arthritis, body aches and stiffness.  I find that overdoing it activity wise is playing a greater role in the aches and pains than diet right now.

The only thing I am still hanging on to is the coffee.... I do love my coffee but I drink mine black so the only issue is the caffeine.  If I go on to do a second Whole30 at some point I might ditch the coffee and see what happens.  I am limiting my coffee intake to mornings only at this point and am certainly sleeping better because of it and the food choices I am making now.

I don't miss dairy except for my occasional yogurt.  I find that healthy fats and avocado are a great way to curb the cheese I thought I could not give up.  I had stopped drinking milk a long time ago and drink the Cashew and Almond milks with 25 and 30 calories per serving (no sugar) and they suffice very nicely for me.

The only grains I miss are the occasional bowl of oat porridge at breakfast because I just like it. I miss a good bowl of rice to put stuff on top of at dinnertime.  I did eat a lot of rice before I started this process.  I don't know about wheat.... I don't seem to be craving a sandwich or dinner roll and such.  I think over a longer period of time I would miss the treat of biscuits with gravy or a scone or cookie with coffee but it is not something that is torturing me.  I baked cookies yesterday for that event and had no trouble, whatsoever, resisting the urge to taste anything.  My 10 year old was a fine taster of all things sweet yesterday.  My husband came in and devoured a plate of samples I left for him and approved, too.  He is still a sugar addict.  LOL  If it is in the house he will eat it.  His day is coming.

I have been eating some repeat items this week.  I made up a batch of the Sweet Potato/Brussel Sprout Hash and have had that several mornings this week.  I also finished off my Paleo Chili and have had another round of the Zoodle Spaghetti with Paleo Meatballs.  I made a few chicken breasts up to cut up on top of salads for lunches and a homemade vinaigrette to go with it.  We had a Curried Chicken Broccoli Coconut Soup last night that the family ate over rice and I just had plain.  I have also had my Paleo Shrimp Fried Rice (grated cauliflower) a few times.  I will post a collage of food from the week tomorrow.

I think Dan is getting hamburgers for the kids tonight because it will be a rushed evening and the recital falls at dinnertime.  We have to leave the house very early to set up a reception table for a recital with those cookies I baked and a bowl of punch for my MIL.  She is playing a piano recital tonight that she has been preparing for over a year.  I will eat something here before I go and pack a Larabar and a bottle of water just in case.

Well, I am off and running now.... getting breakfast and another cuppa coffee and then gathering supplies for tonight while my youngest is plugging away with his school stuff.

I will have some links, books, and a recipe or two to share with you tomorrow.  I will have more time to work on a collage and putting that together in the morning.  Have I mentioned how much I love www.picmonkey.com ?  It is FANTASTIC!  See you soon!

Whole30... The Hard Days

I have zero pictures for today because I am just too exhausted to bother.  LOL  

Well, it is not that I have no pictures because I do and I will share them.  But today... no.

This week is hectic.

Days 10-11 were suppose to be hard days.  

Well, they were not any harder than any of the other days and I am doing fine.  I am staying the course and hanging in there.  I have had a bit of a headache today but I have a crick in my neck from sleeping wrong on it last night.

Tomorrow and Thursday might be harder days than any other because I got an order for cookies for a reception in the midst of this whole thing.  I love baking and I love customers and filling orders but I am going to have to be diligent with not tasting stuff.  Since I cannot eat or taste any of what I bake I am going to have to rely on my husband and kids to do that for me.  

The hard part will be watching myself to keep from habitually tasting stuff.  It is so ingrained in me as a chef to taste my food as I work to make sure it is worthy of the customer's event.  I won't be able to this time.  I will have to keep my eye on the prize and trust my family to tell me the truth.  They usually do a good job as taste testers.

I am going to try and knock out all the cookies in the morning so I can put them away and store them out of sight and mind.  Then I have to be at the event where it will all be out on the table.  I am also serving one of my favorite punch recipes and I can have NONE OF IT!  

Now, that is what I call the Hard Days.... the rest has been a piece of cake (without actually eating cake).  

I am also not experiencing the boundless energy promised for Day 12 (today).  I am hoping that by Friday I will have some recovery time from working two days with my friend Sherrie, evening events and then baking cookies.  

With Lupus I try not to do more than one night out a week because it really wears me out to be out after dinner.  This week I have to break that rule and I might need a week off to recover.  

Ha!  I have teens... that will never happen.

Oh, and today I picked up my new glasses... I look like an old lady with big kids but I love that they are purple and that I can see again.  Hurrah for seeing and for PURPLE!!!

Note the little photo bomber!  Silly boy!!!

Whole30 - Days 7-9

Ok, let's just start this post out right today.... 

Both pairs of jeans that I have been wearing were in the wash and I had to drag out the old pair that I have not been able to button or zip since before Thanksgiving and guess what..... 

THEY FIT... AND I AM NOT DYING IN THEM!  

Something is happening and I am so glad to see some kind of progress because the first week was dang hard.  I was exhausted, as predicted, on days 6-7.  It was true that all I wanted to do was nap.  I went to bed before 9:30 pm both nights and slept straight through until 6:30 am the next morning.  This is day 9 and I am suppose to be in the "My Pants Are Tighter" day 2 but they are not!  

Tomorrow is deemed the hardest day (Day10) where most people decide to quit but I am holding strong.  Dan bought thick cut pork chops to grill and is making me baked sweet potatoes to go with it.  I have a bag of asparagus I can make sure he is aware of, too.  I could eat roasted asparagus every day but I am sure no one really wants me to do that.  LOL

I am finding new recipes to try daily and I am not bored with the food at all.  I can honestly say that I am not craving much outside of maybe some rice but I found a solution to that, too.  I eat a lot of rice when I am not on a Whole30 but if you grate cauliflower and saute it in a little coconut oil it will do the trick.... at least for me it has.  

Since I skipped a few days posting the food I will do a big collage of my favorites over those days.  I repeated a few things because I made them in bulk to cover lunches so I would not have to work so hard on those NAP days.  Three pictures of Paleo Chili and baked Sweet Potatoes just gets boring anyway.  ;)

The large photo is, of course, a roasted chicken.  Top right is a Paleo Waldorf Salad (sans celery... not a fan) on Romaine Lettuce.  Below that is a Sweet Potato/Brussel Sprout Hash made with my homemade sausage.  Inn the bottom right corner is a Paleo "Fried Rice" made with cauliflower for the rice and I added a scrambled egg, zucchini and shrimp.  That is a kitchen sink type recipe where you can add whatever Whole30 compliant veggies you have in the fridge.  It was delicious!  The bottom middle dish is Brussel Sprouts sauteed with red onion and bacon.  The last one on the bottom left is a batch of Baked Curly "Fries"  made with my new Spiralizer.  

I will try to get some recipes up for these... I was inspired by some Pinterest things but I made my own versions on all of these so they were my recipes in the end.  If there is something you are particularly wanting soon just let me know.

Other things I had over those days included more chili, hash and a big baked sweet potato with bacon and avocado.  The meals are never boring, that is for sure.  I am working on a recipe for a Crustless Quiche that is dairy and cheese free.  I plan to use coconut or cashew milk in place of milk and cream.  I will let you know how it turns out.

In other news I got a new Wok this week...

My friend Sherrie (I cook for her a lot) ordered it for me and it is BEAUTIFUL and FANTASTIC and PURPLE!  I have already used it three times and I just got it on Thursday.   Yes, that is a TARDIS cookie jar in the background.... I am a geek!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day (as you all already know) so I want to wish you all a lovely day with your families.  I am one kid shy this year here at home but I know where he is and that he is happy and doing what he loves most and that is truly the best thing I could ask for.  

Celebrate well, my precious Mama friends!

Soak it all in.... it goes by far too quickly.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Whole30 - Days 5-6

I am still snapping pics of all the food. If you want to know how I make anything let me know.  It is all pretty straight forward so far.  Simple whole foods either sauteed, baked, roasted, boiled (par boiled mostly) or raw.

I have had a couple of No Scale Victories (NSV).  We are not allowed to weigh or measure during the 30 days so we pay more attention to the changes taking place in our bodies instead.  I have had chronic sinus congestion for years and I am seeing that slowly go away more each day.  My ears are opening up and I am having less and less pressure in them.  Another thing I have noticed is that my stomach is more calm and indigestion is lessening.  My skin is less red and more healthy looking already and I am not having the blotchiness and bumps like I am having an allergic reaction after I eat.

I am also moving through the phases as predicted.  I was pretty on edge on days 4 and 5 and today for day 6 all I want to do is sleep and chill.  

So, here is the food...

I had two of my meals at work and Miss Sherrie has all orange stuff... table cloth, plates, mugs, etc...  

The sausage is homemade for breakfast, lunch was a baked sweet potato with avocado and bacon on it.  Dinner was a Chicken Primavera that I shared earlier and it is from the Whole30 Guide that was just released.  

For breakfast today I had some homemade coconut yogurt with a paleo nut granola and fresh fruit.  I had another one of those homemade sausages with it.  For lunch I had some paleo turkey chili with avocado and a half a plum.  The third picture is my new "toy"... a SPIRALIZER that makes any vegetable just about into spirals.  I did zucchini noodles (Zoodles) for dinner with paleo meatballs and a Whole30 friendly Marinara sauce with a side of broccoli.  It was very good and I did not miss the real pasta.

I will be having a cup of tea shortly.  Most tea and coffee is allowed on this as long as it has no sugar or artificial sweeteners, harmful chemicals, soy or anything else unnatural.  I am enjoying my nightly chamomile tea.  I have cut coffee to mornings only and the symptoms have been very manageable.  I have not had any headaches just some mild body aches and tiredness.

So, tomorrow is one week down and three to go.  The next 4 days are said to be the hardest so I might go into hiding.  LOL  Just kidding... sorta.  I am going to be kind to me for Mother's Day weekend.

Has anyone else had any experience with a Spiralizer?  

I would love to hear some of your creative recipes using one!

Whole30 Day 4... No one died today!

 So, today I did not kill all the things....  LOL  

I only had one big outburst when everyone was invading my kitchen and I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the crazy.  I am hoping for an early bedtime.  

I spent the day working on some things around the house and working on some food things to get me through the week.  

I made some paleo granola.  I used this recipe but left out the honey so it would be Whole30 compliant.  I boiled some eggs, cleaned out the refrigerator, made some more paleo Chicken Primavera from the new Whole30 Cookbook but I used cilantro and sent it more of a Mexican direction with it's flavors and then made some homemade breakfast sausage.  

I bought two pounds of ground meat... chicken and pork and then set to work adding some green chilis and some spices (all listed in the recipe linked above).  It was so easy I don't think I will ever buy the premade stuff again!

The ground meats of choice

I used one of my scoops and my two stone pans from my Pampered Chef set to make beautiful round patties that are all about the same size and cooked evenly throughout.

We sampled one and they are so yummy!  Precooked and ready for the rest of the week.

Here is my food for today.  I ate an extra snack and had a Kombucha  today to help with the digestive issues.  (a bit of a treat with the compliant store bought one)  I think I got fewer calories in breakfast and lunch than I have on other days so I was hungry for that afternoon snack.  I am not allowed to weigh myself or my food for this.  I am suppose to have a protein and a healthy fat at each meal and snack.  I added some ghee to the potato for the evening meal because I needed that fat.  It was pretty good on a sweet potato.

I will try to remember to share some NSV (No Scale Victories) tomorrow... you are welcome to remind me.  LOL  I do forget stuff sometimes.

I have my meals prepared for tomorrow already because I have to head to work tomorrow and take all my food with me.  Preparation is the biggest factor in this whole eating plan.  I spend a lot more time thinking through all my meals.  I am sure it gets easier over time but right now it consumes a lot of time.

So, until tomorrow.... I bid you adieu.  :)

Whole30 - Day 3

Today has been harder.... I am feeling the detox all over.  It was noticeable to other people today, too.  I am moving slowly and look a little "rough" in the words of a friend at church.  I am achy and my digestive tract is rebelling a bit.  I have been eating a little more gentle food this evening in response to that and had a cup of Dandelion Detox Tea to work through the liver.  I am retaining water a little bit, too.  

Here is the food...

Whole30 - Day 2

I spent the day a little foggy and tired.  I suppose the sugar detox is working it's magic.  I am struggling just a little with joint stiffness and a bit of achy-ness.  I am not having cravings or needing more than just the three meals to make the day.  I am not hungry at all and, as a matter of fact, I seem to be getting full very quickly with the meals I am eating.  I am upping my water to keep things moving nicely.  LOL  I am following this timeline as I go just for some reassurance that all is on track.

Here is my collage of food for today:  

Note the eggs in the first photo... my youngest made those for the whole family this morning.  

My Whole30 Journey Begins....

I think I am going to do this in photo collage form so here is my start up and food for day 1... I am officially in love with PicMonkey!

Here is me today... at least I have purple on.  LOL

The food was great today... not missing bread, sugar or cheese yet.

A New Month... a New Plan

Tomorrow I start the Whole30 plan.  I have decided to do the Autoimmune Protocol version for those who have Autoimmune issues (Lupus is one).  It is also Lupus Awareness Month so I will be sharing some stuff on that, too.

Goals for May...

1.  Restarting the 100 Days of Change challenge and the first 30 days will be Whole30 for eating.  I am restarting an exercise program, too.  Pilates, some walking, and light weight training.

2.  Choose four areas to clean and clear... one per week, and work through clearing and purging more stuff from the house.  There will be photos.

3.  Drink 64 to 80 ounces of water per day

4.  Read at least 50 pages in a book other than the Bible every single day.

5.  Continue with BIAY Bible reading plan on YouVersion.  I have a few days to catch up but I can do that tomorrow and Saturday and then be back on track.

6.  Whole30 requires detailed meal planning and shopping and I will be reserving one day per week to cook meals ahead of time.

7.  Blog at least 3 days per week.

8.  I just joined a few book reviewer sites and will be reading and reviewing more books each month.  I am very excited about this prospect!

9.  Get herb garden and tomato and pepper garden in order for the summer.  There will be photos here, too.

10.  Photograph something every day.... no particular themes just take more pictures and share them here, Instagram or FB.

Ten is plenty!

Do you have some goals for May?

What are you working on improving in your world this coming month?

Someone had a birthday yesterday 

(Dan turned 50) 

and we celebrated with Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake.  Thought you might like to see it.  It was so rich and yummy.  It doesn't take a very big piece to overload your sweet sensors.

Cake and frosting made with Dr. Pepper in them

This cake took me about two hours start to finish and I refrigerated it to solidify all that frosting so it would not run.

Such a yummy cake!  We will be having this one again.

Computer damage....

Mercy, I cannot catch a break with computers.  I have now spilled water on my newest computer and it is in time out until Sunday.... in rice.... hoping it dries out.  Prayers are appreciated.  I am setting another computer up with a monitor for the weekend for the Read-a-thon just to be able to use something other than my phone for checking the blog for all the fun stuff.  I am on my daughter's computer right now.  She is at school and gave me "permission" to use it.  She really does not mind at all.  

Secret Church is happening tomorrow night and I am scrambling to find a good way to set that up, too.  I was going to use my computer and it would be simple but now I am not and it just got more complicated.  Pray for this event that is being held all around the world.

Dewey's Read-a-Thon happens all day Saturday.  If I long term use of someone else's computer I will be online and if not I won't.... but I will be reading!  All day....

I also got my book in the mail today....

Full weekend ahead for me but in such a fun and relaxing way.

Pray for my computer.... God can even restore those!

Thanks, my friends!

May will bring some new into my life...

I have finally decided to take a challenge to cut the sugar.  I have searched and searched for just the right time and the right plan.  Well, there is really no bad time to give up sugar I suppose but the right plan has waltzed right into my life.  It is called Whole30.  

Do I want to lose some weight? 

Who doesn't, right?

But, that is not why I chose this one...

I have Lupus

I have tummy issues

I have skin issues

I have arthritis

I have been sick for a solid month with sinus/allergies and 

am just coming off one of the worst sinus infections I have had as an adult.

I have also gained 15 pounds since last October and it has to stop.

This plan has been proven to help with some, if not all of these issues.

I will begin this plan on May 1, 2015.

I have already started the process of testing recipes and reading the original book that goes with this program.  I have also ordered the new one to be released today to the public.

I have several friends who have tried this and there has been nothing but positive feedback because it is not a DIET... it is a detox/reboot that leads to a new way of life.  It is a plan to detox and reboot the system safely with great whole foods that don't deny the palette or the body of any nutrients.  It is meant to use my own body as the means by which I discover what my body can tolerate and what triggers things my body doesn't love.  Once you detox the system for 30 days on proteins, healthy fats and veggies and fruits then you can start to reintroduce grains and dairy back in to see how your body reacts.  Once you KNOW what causes the problems you can make a conscious effort to cut that in your life for good.  This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for.  

I am starting here...

and then reading this once it arrives in the mail...

and then I am menu planning using the information in these books along with help from other bloggers and friends who are doing the plan and, of course, PINTEREST resources.

I am going to blog it.... 

that is the scary part for me because 

I am making it public and making myself accountable for all to see... 

the good, bad, and ugly.  

Yes, you will get before and after pictures.  

*shivers*

If you have done this or are doing this or are interested in doing this then chat with me...

Shout out in the comments with any advice you have.

All questions about this program should be directed to the Whole9 site where the original author and experts reside to answer any questions you have and get you started on your own Whole30 journey.  I am on the journey, too, and will be checking in with the experts daily.

Wanta join me?