Here We Go Again

September has so much in common with January, doesn't it? Feels like a fresh page. Feels like a good time for a reset in a lot of areas, but especially in the eating arena for Matt and I. So we're doing another Whole 30, God help us. The busier and more socially active you are, the harder these things become - there's always a church lunch, or birthday party, or cookout to tempt you. 

At least it's soup season! I could eat soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I adapted this recipe to make it Whole 30 compliant, and it is a life saver.

Other life savers this week: watermelon, plantains and the occasional Lara Bar. Bless you, you old Lara Bar. Life would be very sad without you.

So why do such a strict diet? I love the Whole 30 plan for healing me of a lot of inflammatory issues back in 2013. It was the first time I had ever tried a programmed "diet"just to heal health issues and not to lose weight. Not only did my body get better, but I had more energy than I had ever had since having children and dropped to my lowest weight since getting married - all without counting calories or carbs or measuring portion sizes or feeling hungry. It changed my whole attitude about food forever. I highly recommend the book "It Starts With Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, if nothing more than to learn more about the powerful effects inflammation can have on every aspect of your health.

You can read my posts about our previous Whole 30 HERE.

This is not a sponsored post - I just enjoy sharing things that I love! 

What to Eat For Breakfast When You Can't Eat Eggs, Dairy or Grains

While I've been feeling a lot better with my new dietary restrictions, I've had to make a lot of adjustments - physically and mentally.

Breakfast became a big problem for me after I was told I had an allergy to eggs. I had eaten eggs for breakfast every single day for the last God-knows-how-many-years (at least 3?) Eggs were fast, easy and filling. Now I had to figure out what to eat in the mornings since I couldn't eat  dairy (yogurt smoothies) grains (cereal/oatmeal) and eggs.

Matt and I came up with a very adjustable, customizable "breakfast casserole" recipe that I make a couple of times a week. It takes me a good 2 or more hours to make (lots of washing, peeling, cutting, etc) which is a pain, but it makes a large enough amount to last me several days, which makes it well worth it. The casserole also tastes like a real breakfast meal, even though it's just fruit, veggies and meat. It's been a lifesaver to me.

Ingredients:

1 lb. sugar free breakfast sausage (you can substitute any ground meat)

2 very large sweet potatoes

2 apples (you can substitute with pears or berries)

1 red onion

1 large bell pepper

(Optional ingredients: baby spinach, butternut squash, kale...anything goes.)

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 400F

Brown sausage until well done.

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small bite size cubes, place in 9X13 glass baking dish.

Peel apples and cut into bite size pieces and place in baking dish.

Finely chop onion and pepper and add to baking dish. 

Add salt and pepper to fruit and vegetables; mix.

Evenly distribute sausage on top of everything else in the baking dish. (If you want to add kale or spinach, I usually layer these on top of the sausage.) 

Cover with tinfoil and let bake for 45 minutes.

After the 45 minutes, remove tinfoil and let bake uncovered an additional 15 minutes.

45 Days (A Long Boring Post.)

I never really posted a final "wrap up" about my experience doing the Whole 30 last month - becaaaause, I kind of never stopped doing it. Well, I've made a few tweaks here and there...but let's go back a few weeks...

I started the Whole 30 in February with one goal in mind - to reduce inflammation. Since last October I had been having asthma attacks, severe allergy symptoms, fatigue and weird swelling in my mouth. I was also experiencing heightened anxiety and had frequent panic attacks. I felt ill in one form or another all the time. The swelling in my mouth was literally driving me insane. I was seen by a dentist and three doctors, all of them prescribed different medicines and treatments - none of their prescriptions worked.

I bought "It Starts With Food" because it was the first book to come up in my online search for "anti-inflammation diet." The book convinced me that I had systemic inflammation, and I decided to try the strict 30 day elimination diet to see if it would help relieve my symptoms.

The diet was not easy. The first 3 weeks were miserable, and I don't think I could have gotten through them successfully if Matt had not generously decided to do the diet with me. (I'm sure it also helped that we were in a new area, we hardly know anyone here, and we don't have much of a social life.)

The results of this experiment on myself: I don't want to sound like an annoying health-nut-preachy-person, b-b-b-b-b-but! I could seriously go on all day about the amazing things the Whole 30 diet has done for my health. My asthma totally disappeared. The swelling in my mouth was reduced to almost nothing. My energy shot up. I started sleeping better than I have since before I got pregnant with Olive. My acne and skin redness disappeared. The cherry on top, and biggest surprise to me, was that (to date) I've lost over 15 lbs. And that's without counting a single calorie, and exercising very very gently. All this in less than 2 months! My body loves eating paleo, obviously.

Right as our 30 days were getting close to being over, I visited a local allergist because even though I was feeling great, the swelling in my mouth was not healing completely. He did a series of blood and skin tests and the results were a bit bizarre. According to the tests, in addition to being allergic to gluten, wheat and rye I am also allergic to all dairy, eggs and chicken.

When the allergist told me I needed to go on an even stricter elimination diet, (cutting out eggs and chicken - 2 of the staples of my diet that I eat almost every day) I cried in his office. It was the most depressing news I could have received. My mood lightened up a little bit when he told me I could add back in beans, white potatoes and quinoa. That makes it bearable.

The goal of messing around so much with my diet is to give my body a break and time to heal. At some point after fasting from all these foods, my body will most likely be able to tolerate some of them again on a rotational basis. So there is hope for a more normal life in the future.

But for now, my diet is pretty limited. And weird. (I have turned into a sweet potato junkie.)

The crazy thing is, though - I feel amazing. Since cutting out eggs, my mouth is feeling much better already. I also feel more energized and calm and happy. It blows my mind that what we eat has such impact on our health and well being, physically and mentally! And I'm starting to realize that for me, the joy of feeling healthy and happy far outweighs any pleasure I might receive from food that isn't healthy for me.

My kids both celebrated their birthdays this week, and I made them a beautiful flourless chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting. My allergist gave me the green light to "cheat" and have a piece of cake with my family. I was nervous about eating some sugar after being off of it for over a month - I wondered if I would feel really sick, or if I would immediately start craving MORE sugar. The whole experience ended up being very underwhelming. The cake was pleasant but I ended up being satisfied with just half a piece and didn't crave anymore.

It was in that moment that I realized that as corny as it sounds, the Whole 30 has changed my life. Forever. It's changed my health, it's changed my body, and it's forever changed my relationship with food.

End of Week 3

Today, Matt and I have gone three whole weeks without:

Grains, (including corn and rice,) any form of sugars or sweeteners (natural and refined,) alcohol, legumes, dairy (including yogurt and cream) and preservatives! I'm proud of us.

For anyone who has read my previous posts about the Whole 30 experience and been discouraged from trying it themselves due to my struggles during the first 2 weeks, let me tell you, week 3 was a breeze. Last week was the week where all the cravings went away, my energy peaked, and my mood lifted. It was also the week where I noticed the most significant changes (for better) with the inflammation issues I have been having. The first 2 weeks felt like 2 years, but the third week flew by. I'm feeling really encouraged and happy!

I thought I'd share a few tips I've learned along the way that have helped make the last three weeks successful for us...

1. During the first couple of weeks of Whole 30 I had a really hard time eating enough vegetables to meet my body's carbohydrate needs. In our normal diets, it's so much easier to meet our carb quotas through grains and going cold turkey off of them sends your body into a tizzy. Sweet potatoes are your best friend on Whole 30. If you're feeling especially horrible in the first couple of weeks on the diet, eat more of them. If you don't have time to wait an hour for them to bake in the oven, you can nuke one in the microwave in under 6 minutes. Throw them in the soups or curries you make, bake them with apples for a comforting treat. Your body will thank you for it!

2. During the first 2 weeks, if you don't have to be anywhere, try to entertain yourself at home. Don't make plans to socialize where food is going to be a central player.

3. Before you give up in the first two weeks due to a horrible craving, can I suggest frying up a green plantain in olive oil? If you've never tried fried plantains (tostones) you are in for a treat. According to Whole 30 forums I've read, fried plantains are Whole 30 compliant, and they have gotten me through my few really, really hard days.

4. Eat more than you think you should in the mornings. Breakfast is my most important meal now. I've gone from the girl who would eat a little bowl of cereal in the morning, or one egg on toast to the girl who eats a 3 egg, veggie stuffed omelet. This carries me to at least to my 1pm lunchtime without my blood sugar dropping.

5. Get creative in the kitchen. The Whole 30 is just vegetables, fruits, eggs and meat. Trying to come up with a creative variety of meals with those limited ingredients can get tedious and dull. This is where I'm so thankful that Matt agreed to do this diet with me, because he gets creative where as I just want to quit. He encouraged me to mix foods that I had never mixed before (sweet potatoes baked with apples, ground turkey and onion? It became our favorite dish ever.) He also encouraged me to try vegetables I normally wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole (brussel sprouts? Baked, with lemon juice, garlic and salt - not bad at all. Spaghetti squash? Like, my new favorite food EVER.) So don't be afraid to turn your kitchen in to an experimental lab.

Just one and a half weeks left to go for us! I have a feeling they're going to be good ones!

Better Than Coffee. (Almost.)

62 / 365

It's good to "treat yo-self." (Morally and responsibly of course!) 

I used to treat myself with coffees and occasionally chocolate. My "coffee break" during my childrens' naptimes was an almost holy rite for me every day. What I didn't realize was, I emotionally depended on those coffee breaks too much just to get through the day. 

This Whole 30 process has taught me a lot, but one of the most important things has been "I don't need certain foods or drinks to make me happy and less stressed." I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with coffee (or even a little chocolate) every day. I guess I just thought life would be miserable if I had to permanently give up treats that I loved (and relied on.) And I have to say, the first 10 days or so without coffee + cream were pretty miserable. But now I've been 15 days without sugar, sweeteners, dairy, all grains, legumes and alcohol and seriously, guys - life goes on. Most of the time, I'm relieved to realize that I don't even think about those things or miss them. 

And I've found other ways to treat myself that are just about as good as a great cup of coffee (with cream) + a square of really good dark chocolate...

Baths. I know there are some people who don't like them, but I am a bath lover. I have fallen in love with Lush's bath products (the Softy bomb is amazing!) It feels so good to relax in hot water, unplugged from all electronics and social media, and just reflect for half an hour. 

Flowers. I've started making it a more regular thing to pick out flowers for my home. It's fun to do and seeing bright flowers on the table never fails to make my heart happy. 

Magazines. Making time to read a book is a hard thing for a mom to do, especially when your kids are on opposite nap schedules that rarely overlap. I enjoy picking out a magazine at the store and spending the next week poring over it, sticking tabs on the pages that inspire me. I get lots of ideas and inspiration from a wide variety of magazines and anything that makes me want to be more creative is a winner in my book.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

So now I'm going to recap how things are going as I've just finished week 2 on the Whole 30 (I totally understand if you find this heinously boring - I won't be offended if you skip this part.)

Pros So Far:

Skin. My complexion cleared up SO much in the second week. My husband's has too (he's doing the diet with me.) My skin is also softer and smoother, despite how dry our house has been this winter. I had flaky dry patches on my hands, elbows and legs before I started this thing and they're totally gone now. 

Hunger. I never get hungry anymore, and am completely satisfied by three solid, square meals a day. (I make sure I'm getting protein, vegetables and good fat with each meal.) I had always been told the best way to keep your blood sugar even was to eat several small meals a day, and (for me anyway,) I've learned that it isn't necessarily true.

Sleep. The best, best, best part of this process has been how much better I sleep. It's amazing! I fall asleep so fast, never wake up in the middle of the night anymore, and wake up alert and awake. This is huge for me, after years of of struggling to "turn my brain off" at night and fall asleep, and waking up at least once every night. I have never felt so well rested, and that is not an exaggeration!

Enzymes. I have wanted to try digestive enzymes since I had to have my gallbladder removed in 2011. My digestive system went into "shock" the first week I started the diet and I was really uncomfortable, so I decided to start taking them. Now I feel great, and believe I'm absorbing/processing my food much better than I was before. I have been using NOW Super Enzymes, one with each meal, and highly recommend if you have digestive issues. 

Sinuses. I have not sneezed or had a stuffy nose the last 2 weeks, which is unusual for me this time of year. Also, I have not had any more asthma issues. This makes me happy. (Matt has also noticed a lot less sinus stuffiness/drainage.) 

Weight. This process was never about weight loss for me, but as a happy bonus I have lost a pants size in just 2 weeks. I won't weight myself until the 30 days are up, but I'm happy with how much more comfortable I feel in my skin.

Anxiety. I always struggle with anxiety and stress management so I was curious how I would feel on the Whole 30. I didn't start to notice a difference until mid-last week. I had to drive to Grand Rapids by myself with the kids and would normally be scared to death driving somewhere in heavy traffic where I'm not familiar with my surroundings, but I handled it much better than I thought I would. 

So on to the negatives...

Cons:

Boring food. I am pretty bored with chicken, eggs, sweet potatoes and broccoli. A handicap I've had since starting this thing is that I can't eat raw foods. I have been having weird oral allergic reactions whenever I eat anything raw since October. The point of doing this diet was the hope that it would help calm my out-of-whack immune system down, but for the duration I've been staying away from salads and raw fruits. I have to cook everything, and it's a lot of work. 

CABIN FEVER. It's too stressful to go out to eat and worry about accidentally eating something not compliant with the diet, so we've been sticking close to home the last couple of weeks. I miss getting out. I miss going out for coffee and breakfast. I'm sick of being cooped up in the house, especially on the weekends.

Cravings. Most of the time, I really don't miss the forbidden food, but when I'm having a bad day I still find myself yearning for an Italian cappuccino or a square of dark chocolate. These cravings are always worse on the weekends, when I just want to get out.

Energy. While my energy levels seem to be (sloooowly) crawling back up, they're still too low for my liking. I haven't been working out as much as I would like to. I don't like feeling like I'm ready for bedtime at 5pm. 

Overall, I'm feeling really good and have seen a lot of cool improvements in my health and well being. Not only has it been good for me physically, it's also been good for me emotionally and spiritually. It was the perfect time to do something this extreme and I'm proud of Matt and I for getting this far on the diet. It's my hope that we'll see even more improvements by the end of the 30 days.

Just a Few Random Things

1. We all have cabin fever. I'm over you, winter - like yesterday.

2. Yesterday was one week completed of the Whole 30. I'm over the miserable part, but have yet to see miraculous benefits. Over all I feel good but my energy is way down. Hoping that improves soon.

3. Oversized white tees. I'm loving them. I think it has something to do with how much I want warmer, "tee-shirt" weather. Hanes or Jockey's small men's basic v-necks are the best. I liked Natalie's round up of the best oversized white tees. Some of them are scandalously pricey! 

4. If you love MAC lip colors, but like me can't afford them, you should try Maybelline's new Vivids collection. This is not sponsored - I am just in love with them! The lipsticks are super pigmented, in fun neons that are just screaming for summer. I have Neon Red and Pink Pop.

For such bright lipstick, it goes on really well (creamy and smooth.) When I've tried other bright lipsticks, even some MAC colors, they didn't look right without a liner. I haven't found the need for liner with the Vivids. And the color lasts a long, long time. I really love them!

5. Larabars! My new occasional treat. Some of the flavors are Whole 30 compliant (like my favorite, Cashew Cookie, which is made of cashews and dates - that's it!) I prefer the mini sized ones. They compliment a hot cup of tea well.

Secret Beach and a Castle

55/365

After days of gray skies and snow, we had a break today with some beautiful blue sky. We had been meaning for weeks to try to find this tiny "secret"beach on Lake Michigan we had heard about, but the weather hadn't been cooperative. Today was a good day to go exploring.

It was a bit confusing finding our way there. We knew we were on the right track when giant dunes sprung up in our line of view.

Yes, we stupidly bravely trekked up those 600 or so icy steps with babies in tow (and not great traction on our shoes. Well, my shoes anyway. It was a bit scary.)

At the top of the dune, we were met with the most beautiful view of icy Lake Michigan that I had yet seen. It literally took our breaths away. It was a rare, windless day and the water was perfectly blue and calm. 

It was a very steep drop, the picture doesn't do it justice.

If you look close though, you can see some brave person's tracks all the way down to the water.

We really couldn't tell where the beach ended and the water started, 

with most of the shoreline still iced over.

Unfortunately, the climb down the icy stairs was worse than the climb up. I'm glad the park was deserted because it was extremely embarrassing how long it took me to get down them without slipping. At least Matt didn't have to carry me. ;)

We also found a castle near the beach. Unfortunately not open for tours. I'd love to see inside of it.

We came home to a Whole 30 approved roast and carrots in the crock pot, that we ate with mashed cauliflower. 

These Last Three Days (52-54/365)

I've stepped away from the computer the last few days for a few reasons.

One being, I've got a new computer, a new version of Photoshop annnnd I have no idea what I'm doing yet. (But I'm having fun learning.) 

Secondly, this Whole 30 business.

The first day I was all arrogant and stuff. Like "this is so easy, I'm so awesome."

The second day I felt hung over all day. Migraine headaches and all.

Third day - migraines worsen.

Fourth day - I'm ready to die. Exhausted, weepy, head achy, irritable, just-want-to-hide-in-bed-all-day. Not really good with two active kids under 3.

But today's the 5th day and things are getting better. I'm already seeing some happy benefits (swelling and inflammation is already down a lot!) I am excited to see what improvements the rest of the month will bring.

Up above is a picture of a dairy free/crustless quiche I made with ground pork, spinach and peppers. It was pretty awesome.

Have you seen Life in a Day? I thought it was raw and human and beautiful and overall, pretty brilliant.

51 [Bare Feet]

I love winter light.

And I love having a little girl who loves to play dress up in frothy, pink tulle.

(My filthy kitchen floor adds so much character, don't you agree?)

So as I speak, I am enjoying GLORIOUS peace and quiet, because my saint of a husband cheerfully offered to take BOTH babies with him to the store to pick up some groceries.

I'm at the end of day two of the Whole30 and it hasn't been too bad. The coffee situation hasn't been fun and I've had some ongoing, killer "I need caffeine" headaches, but they should be going away soon.

This stuff has become my new lover. Totally clean ingredients, and when mixed with a jar of coconut milk you feel like you're in comfort food heaven. Goes well with any combo of meats + veggies. 

I've been to a Lush store in Raleigh, and thoroughly enjoyed all the scents, colors, and demos. Never bought anything though. Since my diet this month is so strict, I've been trying to think of non-food related ways to treat myself. I might have to make an online order for some bath bombs. They look so fun!

Kimchi

Ecote

These two bags have given me the lust of the eyes. The Ecote backpack would be perfect for traipsing around town or to the beach this summer with the kids. And it doesn't help that they're on super clearance on Urban Outfitters online. 

Last Few Days.. (46 - 50 / 365)

46 - Driving home

47 - Snowstorm in Cleveland

48 - Sunset, finally back in MI.

49 - Olive

50 - Wilting Valentines flowers

Some things:

1. It is good to be back in our house. After being in the car with two kids for over 24 hours total driving time last week, I was practically kissing my floor in happiness upon arriving home. Matt and I are so exhausted, and yet our kids have energy (fuh daaaze y'all.) This makes me a rather frumpled, grumpy mother. No more long road trips for us in the near future. (So let it be written, so let it be done!)

2. I've been struggling with inflammation related issues since last fall. The Whole 30 was recommended to me as a good anti-inflammation program, so I started it today. Hoping for good things! Though 30 days without my coffee feels like an eternity. 

(I am very emotionally attached to my coffee.)

"It Starts With Food" by the Hartwigs is a great read, if you're interested in food chemistry and health. It gives great information without being overly technical, (dull) and hard to pay attention to. 

3. Why did Downton Abbey have to get so edgy and political, yo? So disappointed by that show. The finale was a bummer. My mother in law lent us the first "Call the Midwife" series and I'm totally into it. (Poor Matt, not so much. There's a lot of screaming, laboring mothers and afterbirth.)

4. On the way home Matt and I listened to "Killing Kennedy" by Bill O'Reilly and I am now slightly obsessed. Yesterday I picked up this book at the library.

5. Over the last couple of weeks Olive has pretty much destroyed my cheap Toshiba laptop (The hinges are pretty much broken and you have to prop up the screen so it doesn't fall over!) So Matt somewhat surprised me by ordering me a Macbook Air yesterday. (I kind of caught on when he took me to the Apple store in Grand Rapids yesterday to "look at them.") I've kind of dragged my feet over switching to Apple (I've only ever used Windows) because I kind of roll my eyes at the group I like to call the "Apple Products Cult." But the Macbook Air will be a huge upgrade in terms of speed and capability, and though I am wary of having to learn how to use a whole new system, the new Windows 8 would probably be equally hard to learn. So all in all I'm kind of excited.

6. Has anyone seen "Big Easy Express"? It's at the top of my "to see" list.