The End…? Whole30-Day 30!

I made it!

(Admittedly with one or two small cheats–most unintentional, but one or two calculated) 🙂 Greg and I feel great and plan to do this cleanse again in the future. In the meantime, we also intend to take it easy on the filler foods, sugars, and adult beverages so that we can sustain a better overall relationship with our food to the benefit of our bodies. And so that when date night comes around, we can actually enjoy some of those things as special treats in moderation, and not feel too guilty about it !

What I’ve learned/gained from this cleanse:

• How addicted to chocolate I really am! Besides dreaming of it a lot in the first couple of weeks, and being tempted to lick up a nasty old candy bar off the pavement in the parking lot, I did pretty well. But, one of my small, yet calculated, cheats was 4 or 5 of those mini Enjoy Life chocolate chips last week (we’re talking tiny, people!). And just that taste of chocolate triggered something in my brain. For a second I found myself thinking, “MUST pour myself a bowl of these immediately and go to town!” Thankfully, I did not indulge beyond those few VERY SMALL morsels. But it did reveal to me just how wired I am, even still, to overdo it on the chocolate. This is something I will be continuing to reign in post-cleanse!

• More sustained energy throughout the day (no more bursts of energy brought on by popping a chocolate almond as a pick-me-up, then crashing into exhaustion mid-afternoon).

• A more sensitive palate. I actually taste the sweetness of fruit and it satisfies. I’ve enjoyed the taste of herbal tea without added honey, and haven’t needed as much salt to “bring out the flavor.”

• A more sensitive nose! Surprisingly, I find myself more sensitive to the smell of things as well. Although, it’s  really not that surprising when you consider how tied to your sense of taste your nose is. Any scotch lover or wine connoisseur will “nose” their beverage thoroughly before sipping in order to fully taste it. Why should the experience of eating be any different?

• A happy gut. Let’s just say, eating more fresh veggies and gut friendly foods makes things “flow” a little easier 🙂

• More knowledge about my body and how I respond to certain foods. 

Final Thoughts & Tips On Doing The Whole30

1. Avocado with everything! A perfect source of good fats and oils. Dice it and use it to round out just about any dish. We found ourselves enjoying a slice or two with our morning eggs, in soup, on salad, and any time we just needed a little somethin’ extra. 

2. Eating out is hard nearly impossible. By the time you’re done inquiring about what exactly is in the salad dressing, and what oils they used, and asking for no rice, or cheese, or beans on the side, most of the time, you’re left with something rather bland and uninteresting. We did find a couple of places in town that had accommodating options, but it was hard, and I’m sure we inadvertently cheated once or twice with things like salad dressings. But we really did try!

3. Eating IN is best. Kinda goes without saying. You know exactly what is in the food you prepare, plus you save money and get to learn and be creative!

4. Nursing mom’s on Whole30 still need sugar and starch. Around day 3 I was feeling a bit woozy and nauseous on and off. A friend, and fellow mama, who has done the cleanse several times advised that we should up the intake of approved starchy foods and make sure I got plenty of fruit. After a couple of meals taking her advice I was feeling much better! I made sure to include things like sweet potato, spaghetti squash, yams, and parsnip.

5. Eggs, eggs, and more eggs! You use a lot of eggs on Whole30 and in the paleo diet. 2 Costco sized packs of organic eggs feeding two adults and one child would only last about a week and a half, or less sometimes! They are the best breakfast option by far. I had 2 scrambled every morning, and hard-boiled them for snacks,  and cut them up in salads.

 

Recipes Of The Week

 

Tortilla Espanola

This was a BIG hit! A friend sent me the recipe, and I substituted sweet potatoes. In addition, I browned up some ground beef, seasoned it with garlic, salt, and pepper, and used it as a “topping” of sorts.

Click HERE for the original recipe!

 

Kombucha Tea

I’ve had a “home brew” kit for kombucha in my pantry since before we moved. Finally this week I started making it! It looks disgusting right now, but I love the final product, and since it is so expensive to buy individual bottles, and lately they are bottling a less effervescent version to regulate the alcohol content (what little there is), I wanted to try my hand at it!

I used THIS STARTER KIT

But there are many other ways to get started, and I am no expert on which is the best. This is my first attempt!

This website has a lot of helpful info on the benefits of kombucha tea, and how to make your own, etc. But I’ve pasted a few of the health highlights from their site

*Probiotics – healthy bacteria
*Alkalize the body – balances internal pH
*Detoxify the liver – happy liver = happy mood
*Increase metabolism – rev your internal engine
*Improve digestion – keep your system moving
*Rebuild connective tissue – helps with arthritis, gout, asthma, rheumatism
*Cancer prevention
*Alleviate constipation
*Boost energy – helps with chronic fatigue
*Reduce blood pressure
*Relieve headaches & migraines
*Reduce kidney stones
*High in antioxidants – destroy free-radicals that cause cancer
*High in polyphenols
*Improve eyesight
*Heal excema – can be applied topically to soften the skin
*Prevent artheriosclerosis
*Speed healing of ulcers – kills h.pylori on contact
*Help clear up candida & yeast infections
*Aid healthy cell regeneration
*Reduce gray hair
*Lower glucose levels – prevents spiking from eating

Slaw Stir Fry

 

There’s not much to this fast lunch or dinner option. Just tossed together the following ingredients with a bit of coconut oil, and, as you can see, enjoyed some avocado with it!

Garlic Chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s bag of raw carrot and broccoli slaw

Cherry tomatoes

Kale

Asparagus, chopped

JUST Fruit Smoothie

 

We have a great cafe nearby that does yummy smoothies using just organic fruit and nothing else, so we indulged in a couple of those. But they are ridiculously easy to make yourself. Here’s one recipe, but you can sub any old fruit you want! (Berries are the best!)

1 Cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup frozen mango

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup coconut water

Blend

 

 

** And here’s the snapshot that sums it all up! From an evening when we had some neighbors over and I put out my favorite chocolate almonds for everyone else to enjoy while I had to stick with this avocado. I was tempted, but prevailed!!!