The end of my Whole 30 or is it?

As you may recall, it was almost 30 days ago that me and my husband began the Whole 30 journey together. In the beginning, it was really hard as I struggled with my cravings for comfort foods. Somewhere during week two though things turned around and I began to feel really good.  Our plan was to finish on April 30th and just continue to eat an 80% Primal diet with some cheat days.  We decided to end on April 27th so we could celebrate my husband's birthday.

Now my husband has a major sweet tooth at times but he also has good self discipline.  He decided awhile back that he was going "all out" on his birthday.  Personally, I didn't really feel like indulging in a bunch of junk but I agreed to his dinner request for pizza.  In addition, I sampled a few of the sweets he brought into the house on this "binge day".  Wow, we were both miserable and the sounds and smells coming from my husband were unpleasant to put it politely.  We both agreed that we enjoyed how wonderful we felt on the Whole 30 and with the exception of adding some organic dairy, we plan to continue.

Here are just a few of the benefits I encountered:
1. I lost 7 pounds all the while gaining muscle!
2. My hair changed.  It is really odd but the texture became very flowing and shiny.
3. My complexion cleared some
4. My bathroom schedule was very predictable (I know TMI)
5. I had close to zero stomach issues. My only issue was if I ate eggs every day
6. I never caught a single virus that my kids brought into the house (and they brought several)
7. I learned how often in the past I would just sample my kids foods or finish their plates when they were done.  All of this really added up as I fought off my temptations in doing so.
8. My toddler ate almost all Paleo foods and has no more stomach problems
9. I no longer felt the need to eat any more than four times per day. Previously I was hungry every 2-3 hours.
10.  I just felt wonderful!

So how can I not continue?  Me and my husband both agree that if we really crave something, like ice cream, we will do it only once per week on a work out day.  But the way I've been feeling, I doubt I'll be craving much!

So I'll leave you with a few more pictures of some meals I made.

This was a quick and simple lunch.  I stir fried the chicken with coconut oil and fresh pineapple. I baked the sweet potatoes with cinnamon and coconut oil and the broccoli was just steamed.

This was grilled chicken with BBQ sauce (homemade), grilled zucchini and pan fried basa.  We weren't sure we would like the basa but we loved it!  I just breaded it with almond flour, italian seasoning and salt.  I dipped the pieces in egg, flour and then pan fried them in oil.  It was fabulous!

I think I woke up extra hungry this day.  I fried some eggs in the bacon grease and then the zucchini, mushrooms and turnips in the remaining grease.  It was really good.

So there you have it!  Today is the day after our little binge fest and I am so happy to be eating healthy again!

Whole 30 Update and Menu ideas

As you may recall, I began another Whole 30 meal plan (I hate the word diet) on April 1st and I thought I'd update you on my progress and show you some of my yummy creations.

My first week was very very hard!  My son had his 8th birthday and it was torture to bake and frost cupcakes for him but I did it without a lick.  That first week I lost 4 pounds!  I know most of that is water but it was so nice.  My body fat barely budged so I was disappointed with that.

I just finished week 2 and it has been much easier.  Me and my husband both agree we feel so much better eating a whole diet.  I lost 2 more pounds and my body fat percentage went down almost 2% so I was very excited with that progress.  The other benefit for me has been noticing all the times I finished my kids snacks or just had a small treat throughout the day.  It really adds up and I notice now that I can't have those things. Another benefit has been that Ellie now asks for carrots, cucumbers and apples for her snacks. She rarely eats junk because its not around during the day.

So I've taken a few pictures of some of our meals for you all to see.  I have to use my iTouch right now so I apologize about the quality but I think they still look yummy!

Here you have two ground pork burgers seasoned with cinnamon and salt.  At he advice of a dear friend, we placed them on top of a lightly grilled red pepper and that was outstanding. The greens are spinach and avocado.

Here you have two eggs over medium with sweet Italian sausage stir fried with orange, red peppers and asparagus.  A very tasty breakfast.

This is my quick go to lunch.  It really only takes about 10 minutes.  I stir fry a little chicken in coconut oil and then add tons of veggies with some coconut aminos.  Today, I added pecans and shredded coconut at the end and it was heavenly.

And last but not least is a simple delicious salad.  I have mixed greens, avocado, cucumbers, blueberries and bacon.  I topped it with some oil and vinegar.  It was really simple but delicious.

Hope this gave you some healthy ideas!

Is the Whole 30 for you?

Some of you may recall last summer when I completed the Whole 30.  What is the Whole 30 some of you may wonder?  The Whole 30 is a way to reset your body from all the junk you've been feeding it so that you can discover what makes you tick.  It is also in line with the Paleo/caveman style diet.  The book we follow, It Starts With Food, does an excellent job of describing how food leads to autoimmune disorders.  So who should do the Whole 30?

First of all, kids with SPD, Autism, severe allergies, asthma, arthritis or any immune related disorder can greatly benefit from this eating plan.  Personally, I do not force this on my older two, but I do strongly encourage and reward them for eating the same as me.  My toddler is pretty much stuck eating what I eat.

The Whole 30 is also for any adult who wants to lose weight, gain energy, and rid their body of autoimmune related disorders.  It is not a cure for anything but you would be amazed at the effect food has on diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, thyroidism and the list goes on.

So how does this diet work.  Well, to keep it simple, you eliminate all dairy, grains, legumes and processed foods.  Sounds impossible to some but once you get the hang of it, it really feels right and becomes much easier. After the first week of misery, you'll find that three meals a day is all you need to feel wonderful.

So me and my husband are starting the Whole 30 tomorrow!  Yikes. I am eating my last taste of cheese tonight for 30 days. But that's it folks.  After 30 days, you get to reintroduce your favorites for two day, then take a break for two and introduce another.  If you find those foods make you miserable, then you know not to eat them.

I thought I would include our meals for the next several days just to give you an idea of how it goes.  I am not including fruit in the meals because I only eat it if I need something sweet.  But for my kids, who don't need to loose weight, I give them a bunch of high carb fruits and veggies.  I also feed them potatoes which is not Whole 30 approved but they love them as french fries and it gives them the carbs they need.

So here is our first few days:

Tuesday:
Breakfast - 4 eggs, 4-5 pieces of bacon over spinach  (Gary will do 6 eggs); coffee with coconut cream
Lunch - Very large salad with grilled chicken and avocado; iced tea
Dinner - California style chicken with asparagus, sweet potato and cucumber slices

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Frittata with ground pork, asparagus and red pepper
Lunch - Large salad with left over chicken and avocado
Dinner - Sweet potato hash (ground meat, spices and potatoes), broccoli, zucchini sticks

Thursday:
Breakfast - Left over frittata
Lunch - Tuna over salad
Dinner - Burgers wrapped in lettuce, sweet potato fries, kale chips

Friday:
Breakfast - Eggs, bacon over spinach
Lunch - Left over burgers over lettuce
Dinner - Thai wraps, cauliflower "fried rice"

So how does it sound?  Add a little fruit and your on your way to feeling great!

Guiltless Apple fry

Lucky for you, I'm very sleep deprived today which makes me crave something sweet. So I came up with this yummy apple dish that tastes very much like apple pie to me. I'm calling it "Apple Fry" just to make sure no one gets upset when they see no crust around this yummy dish.  Enjoy!

Apple Fry
1/2 cup walnuts
1 apple (I used Fuji)
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
butter (optional)

Melt the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.  Add the nuts.  Cook until they start sizzling and then reduce to medium low, stirring frequently.  Continue to cook for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, peal, core and dice apple.  Toss cinnamon with diced apple until evenly coated.  Add to walnuts and stir until well combined.  Continue cooking over medium low heat until apples are soft (about 15 minutes).  Add a large pat of grass fed butter.  Don't be afraid.  Butter is not your enemy.
Enjoy! (Serves 1-2)

*Again, I apologize for the lack of pictures but I'm still searching for that darn cord to transfer pictures.  Perhaps I should clean my hording daughter's room tomorrow?

Whole 30- Day 6 and Blackberry nut recipe

I am almost at the end of my first week and what a week it has been.  I think eating healthy really hardest when we are plucked out of our daily routines and/or sleep deprived.  I had both this week.

On Thursday, my two oldest had outpatient surgeries.  For two nights before the surgery I fretted and stressed surrendering to little sleep. Then, being stuck at the hospital for over four hours and watching my two children deal with the pain of surgery was really taxing.  In the past, we would have went through a drive-thru on the way home, but we drove past the urge and made it home.  First temptation passed!

Brayden had his tonsils and adenoids out so I bought him three different types of ice cream.  The only time I am really tempted by ice cream is when it is hot out. It happens to be approaching 100 here this week so some ice cream would be great!  To add salt to the wound, Brayden has been wanting Orange Leaf frozen yogurt everyday and frankly, after what he went through, I am sucker for anything he wants.  Somehow just knowing I can't have it though has been enough for me to say no.  Temptation two passed!

Today posed one final challenge.  It is hot, our air conditioning is not keeping up, and ice is falling short with all our water consumption.  Simply put, no one felt like cooking. I looked high and low for a take out that could accommodate Whole 30.  I do not believe it exists.  So I made myself a salad while the rest of the crew indulged in some pizza, my absolute favorite food.  Then they all headed to Orange Leaf to cool off while I stayed with Brayden.  Temptation three passed!

This has simply showed me that if I can make it through these situations, then there is no reason for me to fail.  I am still functioning on sleep deprivation as Ellie has a double ear infection and Brayden's nights are difficult.  For me, that is the biggest hurdle in making healthy choices.  It takes a great deal of will power and an occasional yummy recipe.  So here is a quick little yummy snack for you!

Blackberry nut delight (serves 1)

1/2 cup total of walnuts and pecans broken into little pieces
1/4 cup blackberries chopped
1 TBSP coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 banana sliced thinly

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add nuts.  Saute until fragrant but watch for burning.  Reduce heat to low and add blackberries. Stir and cook until juices have sufficiently leaked out.  Turn off heat.  Add coconut milk and banana slices.  Stir until warmed, about 30 seconds. Enjoy!

Zucchini boats

So my garden is exploding with zucchini and I couldn't be happier. It is such a versatile vegetable.  I thought I would share our new favorite meal with it.

Zucchini Boats
2 zucchini's cut in half and inside scooped out
1lb of ground meat
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
garlic
1 tomato
mozzarella and parmesean cheese (optional)

Preheat your oven to broil and put the rack on the 2nd shelf from the top. Microwave zucchini face down in an inch of water for 2-3 minutes depending how soft you like it.
Brown the meat along with the garlic and italian seasoning until done.  Evenly distribute the meat into each zucchini boat. Add 2 slices of tomato and cheeses if desire.  Sprinkle a little salt. Broil until starting to brown (about 8 minutes).  Enjoy.
*Tip: Cut a slice off the bottom of the zucchini boats so they don't rock on your pan.

I apologize for the lack of pictures lately but we are having camera issues. Heck, I can't find the darn download cord so it's really my issue!

Mistakenly good crackers!

Since going Paleo, I've really been wanting to make paleo crackers so I decided today was the day. I was planning to make the cinnamon walnut crackers from Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy meals but as I glanced over the ingredients, I realized I didn't have most of them. So I improvised and was quite pleased with the results.  If you want yours sweeter, then add more honey because they aren't really sweet at all.  After making these, I decided to put cashew butter and jelly on it for Ellie. She wasn't interested it so I ate it and OMG!  It was so yummy. We use Bionaturae strawberry fruit spread because it does not have any sugar added to it.  So without further delay, here is the recipe I adapted from Sisson's recipe.

Almond Sunflower crackers

3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sunflower butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line an 8x8 dish with parchment paper.  Mix all ingredients and spread on prepared pan. The spreading takes some time so be patient with this step to get it even and smooth.  Bake 12-15 minutes until browned on the edges.  Let cool mostly before cutting.

The best Paleo brownies ever!

Warning!! These are super moist yummy brownies.  There are many recipes out there claiming to be the best Paleo brownie and I'm pretty sure I've tried most of them.  This recipe is not only the best, but it is nut free, dairy free and gluten free. It can be easily adjusted to be vegan as well. It packs in 3 grams of fiber for one piece and only 15 carbs!

A friend of mine recently sent me a recipe for fudgy brownies. It utilized almond butter which my palate has not quite adjusted to yet.  More importantly though, I'm making these for my kids as I generally don't crave sweets other than fruit anymore. I figure if I can get Brayden to eat his sweets Paleo, then I'll be off to a good start in transforming him.  On to the recipe.

I decided to use sunflower seeds as I wanted to make them nut free for purposes of taking them to school and possibly bringing them to my nephew next weekend who has a nut allergy. I was so excited at how great these turned out.  Here it is:

Paleo Brownie Bar

1 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs, tempered (optional, see below)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk, room temperature or warmed 10 seconds
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/3-1/2 cup of carob or cocoa powder (I used carob powder)
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (*this is key to a rich caramel flavor and can be found at Whole Foods)
Optional add ins: chocolate chips, shredded coconuts, nuts, dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8x8 pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper.
In your food processor, ground the sunflower seeds until thickened about 3 minutes.  Stir in the coconut oil until smooth. (You could alternatively use sunflower seed butter from the jar). Add your tempered eggs (microwave for 10 seconds), milk, vanilla, and salt.  Stir until smooth. Add cocoa, sugar and any add ins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool before cutting.

To make these vegan, increase the sunflower seeds by 1/2 cup. They will be chewier than this version.  I prefer eggs in mine.  The reason you have to temper your eggs and warm your milk is because of the coconut oil.  You can mix a different oil with your sunflower seeds to skip the warming part or if you use the jar version of sunflower seed butter then you can skip it.

Let me know what you think.  I'm having trouble not eating the whole pan!