Final thoughts on Whole30

I've had a very good experience and will continue with this style of eating. Simply, I feel good.

Like many, for years I've used food to stuff down emotions. That bad habit is hard to break but I'm finding you can over time. My mantra over this past month has been: Food is fuel for my body, nothing more.

At certain times, out of the blue, I would have strong cravings for crappy food like twinkies and fries but I was prepared for that. I knew there would be times when I'd have to make choices. Stay on plan or screw up once again? This article and flowchart about Nutritional Off-Roading helped me.

Summary of results (template borred from Enz)
Pros:

• I've got more energy throughout the day. Before, my energy levels would rise and fall like a roller coaster. I'm not half-asleep on my desk in the afternoons anymore!
• No more brain fog
• I've lost almost two inches off my waist and thighs
• Complexion is somewhat improved
• Clothes fit better and can fit into some of my size 13/14 summer clothes
• Saved money by not buying pricey processed franken-foods
• Enjoyed trying sauerkraut. No idea it was so good.
• PMS symptoms lessened greatly
• Bonus: My man said I had a glow about me...aw shucks!

Cons:

• My gut really had a hard time if it got an overload of a certain veggie, like kale, which would lead to intestinal unpleasantness.
• Still having trouble falling asleep at night, so I'll look for other solutions to that problem

So the pros outweigh the cons. Anyone surprised? I'm convinced. Will be adding back in some foods once in a while, but it will be an exception. I'm not looking to go back to old habits. I'm looking forward to implementing these new ones.

Day 30 of Whole30

So this is my last day of Whole30. I'll post separately about my results and thoughts.
 
Not so hungry this morning and I was in a big hurry to get out the door...

Breakfast
1 hard boiled Egg
1 Apple

Lunch
4 oz Bison rib-eye Steak  on a bed of Mâché (Some people know this as lamb lettuce, it's sweet, nutty but not bitter)
2 tbsps olive oil balsamic vinaigrette
1 cup Cucumber

Snack
Handful of natural almonds

Supper
Grilled Chicken breasts on wilted Spinach and Mushrooms
1 cup Cucumber

Day 29 of Whole30

Another so-so kind of morning. Having a difficult time getting to sleep as thoughts keep pounding through head. Getting an average of five or six hours per night these days. At least I am sleeping straight through the night.

Breakfast
Smoked salmon
1 1/2 cup Pineapple

Lunch
Spinach salad with diced Chorizo, cherry Tomatoes and 1 cup thinly sliced yellow and red Peppers on top
2tbsps olive oil balsamic vinaigrette

Snack
1 small handful natural Almonds
1/2 dried Fig (Didn't like it!)

Supper
3oz Bison rib-eye steak on a bed of Spinach
1/4 cup Cucumber

Snack
Apple with 2 tbsps of Sunflower seed butter

Day 28 of Whole30

Not a bad day today... just wish I could wake up all refreshed in the mornings. I keep having that sleepy and groggy feeling until about 10am. Coffee or no coffee.

Breakfast
1/4 cup left-over omelette
Nori wrap with smoked salmon, mushrooms and thinly sliced red and yellow peppers
1 1/2 cups pineapple
Lunch
Grilled chicken on lots of spinach with thinly sliced red and yellow peppers
2 tbsps olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette
Snack
1 handful natural almonds
Supper
1 Hamburger patty with 1/3cup sauerkraut, mom's home-made relish, bruschetta
Snack
apple with sunflower seed butter
2 dates

Days 24 to 27 of Whole30

Took another long weekend to get stuff around the house done. Lots of weeds to pull and a hedge that needed expert trimming. The sunshine is doing wonders for my morale and I'm glad that my experiment Whole30 is almost over.

Day 24 (Friday)
Breakfast
Egg scramble with mushrooms, green peppers cherry tomatoes
Lunch
1 Medium stuffed pepper
carrots
Snack
Handful of natural cashews
4 dates
Supper
1 cup borscht
Grilled chicken breast
1 cup cucumber salad
Snack
Apple with Sunflower seed butter

Day 25 (Saturday)
Slept in... zzz..zzz...
Brunch
3 egg omelette with mushrooms, green peppers cherry tomatoes
1 cup coffee with organic almond milk
Supper
BBQ skirt steak on lots of arugula
2 tbsps aioli sauce (paleo-version)
roast purple potato

Day 26
Breakfast
Egg scramble with mushrooms, green peppers cherry tomatoes
Lunch
1 Medium stuffed pepper
1/2 cup carrots
Supper
1 cup borscht
Grilled chicken breast
1 cup cucumber salad
Snack
Apple with Sunflower seed butter
4 dates

Day 27
Breakfast
Omelette with smoked salmon, mushrooms, green peppers cherry tomatoes
Lunch
Hamburger patty with 1/2 cup sauerkraut, mom's home-made relish and bruschetta
1/2 cup carrots
Supper
Grilled chicken breast
1 small sweet potato

Day 23 of Whole 30

Weather here is turning cold again, winter-like almost, so I  stayed in, cleaned the refrigerator (good times!) and made some borscht for tomorrow night's supper.

Breakfast
Nori wrap with smoked Salmon and shaved Carrots
1/2 cup Cantaloupe and Blueberries
Lunch
1 small stuffed pepper
Spinach salad with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette
Carrots
Snack
Banana
Supper
1 piece Haddock
1 1/2 cups Green and Yellow Beans

Days 17 to 22 of Whole30

Just back from vacation at a friend's cottage and taking advantage of the Victoria Day holiday this past Monday. (Also known as Patriots' Day here in Québec). Her place is in the woods and nowhere near a computer. Made for a nice relaxing mini-break.

Whole30 is going much better and I think my tiredness was a symptom of PMS. Although my cravings for baguettes and pastries were strong, I rode it out and feel better for not giving in. 

Day 17
Breakfast
Two eggs with mushrooms
3oz raspberries
Lunch
Grilled chicken breast with stir-fry mushrooms, eggplant, broccoli, a few cherry tomatoes to garnish
Sweet potato
Supper
Salmon patties
1/2 cup guac in lettuce "cups"
Snack
Apple

Day 18
Saturday slept in...
Lunch
1 tbsp Sunflower seed butter on apple slices
1/2 cup sweet potato
coffee
1 cup pineapple
Supper
Roast beets and fennel
2 slices prosciutto
2 slices cantaloupe

Day 19
Breakfast
2 slices prosciutto
spinach and mushroom stir-fry
Snack
1 handful natural cashews
1/2 a pomegranate's seeds
Lunch
Hamburger patty topped with sauerkraut, mom's home-made mustard onion relish and  bruschetta
2 slices cantaloupe
Supper
2 tbsp diced chorizo sausage stir fried in 2 cups boiled fiddleheads

Day 20
Victoria Day and I slept in to celebrate :)
Brunch
2 slices prosciutto
2 slices cantaloupe
1/2 cup pineapple
coffee with organic almond milk
1 handful natural cashews
Supper
1 Medium Stuffed Pepper (recipe from the Practical Paleo cookbook)

Day 21
Breakfast
3 slices prosciutto on lettuce
coffee with organic almond milk
Lunch
1 Medium Stuffed Pepper
Handful of natural cashews
Pomegranate seeds
Supper
4 scallops stir-fired with mushrooms served on a bed of spinach

Day 22
Breakfast
omelet with mushrooms, green peppers and cherry tomatoes
coffee
Lunch
Hamburger patty topped with lots of sauerkraut, mom's home-made mustard onion relish and bruschetta
Snack
2 dates stuffed with 1/2 tsp sunflower seed butter
Supper
Nori Wrap with smoked salmon, shaved carrot, cucumber
Snack
Got hungry about 9pm stomach growling hard... that's never happened before so I was not too sure what to eat... or even if I should. After 15 minutes I had:
1 hard boiled egg

Day 16 of Whole30

Very tired today, so very tired. Want to give up the Whole30 but trying my best to hang on right now.

Breakfast
Two eggs
3oz raspberries

Paleo compliant coconut macaroon (boss at work made them herself)

Lunch
Chicken breast
Spinach salad

1 handful of natural cashews

Supper
Not too hungry but had...
Half a chicken breast
1 small banana

Day 15 of Whole30

Had way too many pistachios today. I can't trust myself around them, so I won't buy them anymore... unless it's from the Bulk Barn and it'll be buying one serving only.

Breakfast
Smoked salmon
Cucumber
Raspberries

Coffee

Lunch
Hamburger patty
Spinach salad
Cherry tomatoes

Pistachio overload! Three big handfuls.

Supper:
Grilled chicken with stir fired broccoli, eggplant, red pepper, mushrooms and a few cherry tomatoes to garnish

Day 14 of Whole30

Breakfast
2 Nori rolls with salmon and avocado and shaved cucumber and carrot

Lunch
Hamburger patty
1/2 Sweet potato
1 cup Spinach

3 Dates
1/3 cup Coffee

Supper
Coconut shrimp
Didn't burn them to a crisp this time!
Cucumber and apple salad
1 small white potato

So I caved in and ate a baked potato with Ghee with green onions... felt great and was very tasty and filled my cravings. Not planning a repeat. I plan to stick with the Whole30 until the end of the month but I am finding it long.  I'm still having intestinal issues that I thought would have resolved themselves, but haven't. I never had similar problems before. I'm not really feeling super-energised so I think I might revise my menus. Except for being a bit more alert overall, honestly,  I'm not feeling what is described here: Whole30 Timeline I wish I did. I hope I will.

Day 13 of Whole30

Breakfast
1 Egg scramble with onions, red and green peppers with 1 strip bacon chopped

Lunch
Chicken breast
Cucumber salad

Snack
5 Dates
1/2 cup Coffee

Supper
Tried to make coconut shrimp... Fail!
Hamburger patty
Avocado and sliced cherry tomato salsa topping
1/2 Sweet potato
Bed of Spinach greens

Feeling really tired today and that's a sure sign of PMS. We'll see if this Whole30 thing actually helps with the symptoms or not.

Days 10, 11 and 12 of Whole30

Day 10:
Since we ate out at a restaurant last night, I really wasn't too hungry for breakfast...
Breakfast:
2oz smoked salmon
1 Small banana
Handful of nuts
Break
Coffee with coconut milk
Lunch
1 hard boiled egg
Spinach salad with cherry tomatoes
1/2 Large Sweet potato
Supper
3 egg omelette with red peppers, mushrooms, smoked salmon
Snack
1 handful cashews
1 cup cantaloupe

Day 11:
Slept in...zzz....zzz.
1 egg
1cup pure juice
Supper
Roast Beast with carrots and mushrooms
1 small handful pistachios
1 cup cherries
1 cup grapes

Day 12:
Slept in again... zzz...
1 cup cantaloupe
Supper
1 grilled salmon
lettuce
antipasto

Really missing bread now. Watching family and friends eat pizza and other bready carbs in front of me is not easy, but I'm holding firm and not giving into temptation. Must remember matra: Food is only fuel for my body, nothing more.

Day 9 of Whole30

Breakfast
2 Eggs scrambled
3 Dates
Coffee with coconut milk

Lunch
Bison steak on spinach salad with cucumber and tomatoes
Olive oil dressing

Snack
2 dates

Supper
Ate out at a Restaurant... was able to find a few items on the menu but I decided on this:
100% Beef burger (no filler in the meat, just spices) topped with 1 strip bacon, avocado, tomato salsa and onion. No bun.
Mixed salad with olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing
Sparkling water with a slice of lime

Was craving sugar today, the dates seemed to help ease that. I wasn't hungry at all after supper, just drank a couple of big glasses of water once we got home from the restaurant and that was it for the night.

Day 8 of Whole30

Breakfast
Nori rolls with avocado, smoked salmon, green onion and shaved letttuce

This really didn't sit well on my stomach as the first meal of the day.

Lunch
Chicken curry with coconut milk, broccoli, green peppers, onions, curry powder, a dash of cayenne

Someone brought in TimBits (doughnut holes) into work... I popped one in my mouth, chewed it, then thought "What the eff are you doing?" Then spat it out. It's behaviour like this that scares me... automatically giving into temptation for crappy processed food.
Must fight these cravings! I never was the type to down a whole cake or demolish an entire pizza at one sitting, but those are the images that crop up in my mind.

Snack
Green apple

Supper
Grilled Bison steak
Stir fry of green peppers, 1/2 sweet potato, onions and cherry tomatoes on a bed of spinach

Snack
3 Dates

Thought I'd be feeling amazing and full of energy, but that hasn't happened yet. I am more alert in the mornings so I guess that is a good sign. Most mornings I'm on the run from the get-go, so having a long leisurely breakfast is just not possible. 

Day 7 of Whole30

Breakfast
Scramble of spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes (forgot to pick up eggs)
2 strips bacon

Coffee with coconut milk

Lunch
Grilled chicken breast on a large salad with balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing

Handful of almonds
2 dates

Supper
Pan fried cod in olive oil
Mixed veggies on the side (carrots, green and yellow beans)
Handful of blueberries

Still having some intestinal issues and still having a difficult time falling asleep. Looking to reduce or eliminate my need for coffee in the morning, I find that harder than giving up cheese !!

Day 6 of Whole 30

Breakfast
2 strips bacon
Small banana
Sunflower seed butter

Getting a bit tired of eggs...

Lunch
Chicken breast
Big salad with cucumbers and cherry tomatoes

Had to cut lunch a bit short... so had left-over salad after my meeting at 3pm.

Snack
1 cup salad
1 handful almonds
1 date

Supper
Nori salmon roll with sliced cucumber and avocado
Carrots

Dessert
2 dates stuffed with 1 tsp sunflower seed butter and topped with a bit of coconut

Feeling good generally but sleep is still an issue. It's still taking me a hour before actually falling asleep... too many thoughts in my head. Drinking camomille tea and spritzing lavender oil in the bedroom helps somewhat.

Days 3,4,and 5 of Whole30

Day 3:
 
Breakfast
2 eggs and wilted kale
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds

Coffee with coconut milk

Lunch
Salad with cherry tomatoes and 1/2 avocado
6 meatballs
1 date
Supper:
2 pieces of cod
1 sweet potato
1 1/2 cup mixed veg (yellow, green beans and carrots)

Feeling different today. More relaxed, less anxious. Was hungry at about 4:30pm and was considering ordering in a pizza... something I haven't done in a long long time. I remembered the It Starts with Food book explaining that the cravings are normal so I just ignored the feelings. One thing I have to work on is eating more slowly! I ate supper in 10 minutes... too fast.

Day 4:

Breakfast
2 eggs scramble with wilted kale and a few cherry tomatoes
Lunch
1/2 can salmon on lettuce with avocado and few cherry tomatoes
Supper
Steak brochette on the grill with onion and red peppers
Spinach salad with mandarins and  walnuts with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dressing

Didn't feel too good today...allergies acting up (birch pollen is everywhere) and had some intestinal issues.

Day 5:

Breakfast
2 egg scrambles with mushroom, onion, a few cherry tomatoes
Handful natural almonds
Lunch
Nori seaweed roll filled with salmon, avocado, cucumber and carrots
Supper
Chicken breast
Spinach salad
1/2 sweet potato cut into rounds and pan fried in 2 tbsp coconut oil
1 date rolled in chopped almonds

Feeling less bloated and achy in the mornings. Took a long walk outside--it's too beautiful out there to stay indoors. Felt awful afterwards because of allergies. No rain forecast until later on in the week to wash away the pollen. Will be high on Benedryl until then!

Day 2 of Whole30

Breakfast
1 egg with mushrooms
1/4 large sweet potato

Was running late so had a quick meal. Forgot chicken breast for lunch in fridge... d'oh!

Coffee with coconut milk

Lunch
Salad with egg and 1 slice bacon
1/4 large sweet potato
6 small meatballs
1 date

Hungry at about 4pm. Had some organic ginger green tea.

Supper
Chicken breast with mediterranean spices
Wilted kale
Brocoli
Cherry tomatoes

Dessert
2 dates with 1 tbsp of sunflower seed butter and 3 walnuts

Since I used to "graze" all day, I'm getting used to the new feelings in my stomach... trying to differentiate between stomach actually working to digest food and the nagging of hunger. I figure after about 3-4 hours, then it's hunger, pretty simple. Had a bit of a sinus headache, pain under cheekbone and under the eyebrow, so that's probably allergies to pollen, mold and dust which as flying around like crazy here. Otherwise so far so good :)

PS I don't like to do any internet stuff on the weekends so I'll be retro-posting on Monday.

Day 1 of Whole30

Breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs with mushrooms
Half a large sweet potato
Tablespoon of pomegranate seeds

Found I really had to make time for a 20 minute sit-down breakfast.

Lunch:
Salad with grilled chicken and 1/2 strip of bacon
1 tbsp Organic EVOO as salad dressing
2 dates
1 apple

Felt tired and had a headache in the afternoon at work. Might be a variety of reasons like the six hours of sleep I got last night, the weather which is much warmer than usual or allergy season is in full swing.

Supper:
Piece of cod
Wilted kale with 3 mushrooms sliced
Carrots

Dessert:
2 dates stuffed with 1/2 tsp sunflower seed butter and 1/2 a walnut.

What I found was since my lunch was a bit skimpy, I was hungrier at the end of the day and ... not a good thing in my case as I tend to overeat and make bad choices in the evenings. Will try and incorporate more veggies, like maybe julienned beets into the salad. Drank a lot of water during the day, sometimes with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.

I wasn't able to give up chewing gum... oh well, in the grand scheme of what I'm trying to accomplish, to me gum is the least worrisome of my bad habits right now.

Trying my best to realise that food is fuel for my body, nothing more.