Re-integration

Well it's been over a week since the ending of the Whole 30 and I'm happy to report that I'm still mostly eating Whole30 approved foods!  For me, this is a HUGE change and I'm both proud and excited that the experience has changed my habits.  I still haven't had a bowl of cereal, a glass of milk, or a piece of regular ol' bread (or pasta).  I have had an AMAZING white chocolate macadamia nut cookie, a tiny bit of sour cream and cheese on my chipotle salad, and a few corn tortilla chips.  I did try eating a burger but ended up scraping off the ketchup and mayo because it just tasted artificial to me.  And I had only part of the bun because I didn't know how my stomach would react to gluten.

I can tell you that I do notice when I don't eat enough vegetables or have had more sugar than I should.    Thankfully.

I did branch out for happy hour on Thursday and have a vat of my favorite appetizer ever invented- Queso Fundido - from Chino Latino in Uptown.  It still tasted amazing but I noticed that while my stomach wasn't totally upset, it definitely didn't feel as awesome as it did while on the Whole30.

Chino Latino

The Epic Queso Fundido

Last night we had a friend over so I made homemade pizza, a previous weekly staple in our dinner repertoire.  Everyone else was impressed with the pizza (did they really think I'd forget how to make it?) but to me, it just didn't satisfy me the way it used to....maybe I just felt out of practice or maybe my taste buds have been reformed - who knows.  But I did indulge a little for dessert last night when I made chocolate covered bananas and strawberries rolled in coconut or nuts.  I do still like chocolate and I'm glad I can have it every once in awhile.

Today I made Grandma Rosen's amazing caramel rolls in preparation for her service next weekend.  I can only hope I've done her recipe justice and to represent the full 96 years of mastery.  I know you are jealous.

Nothing you've had could compare to Grandma Rosen's Caramel Rolls

Day 31

Boom!

Well, it's here.  The day after the completion of the Whole 30 challenge.  

I finished strong last night with a BBQ with some close friends.  We went from snowstorms to 70 degrees in a week.   So at the first hint of spring, we were itching be be outside and grab some Vitamin D, therefore, a BBQ was deemed necessary for our souls.  We had beef kabobs, tea, veggie roll ups, eggplant and fresh fruit.   The HolyLand garlicy hummus looked and smelled amazing, as well as the grilled potatoes but those were still off limits.  I knew there was only 6 hours left but I wanted to finish strong.  And I did.

Raw Zucchini, Carrot, Cashew Salad Rolls

I recommend doing mini roll-ups.  Trying to roll 8 zucchini together at the same time proved to be a first-timers nightmare.  Spread a teaspoon of guacamole and cashew spread over the zucchini, loads up with veggies and roll!  The hint of mint and cilantro provide a refreshing taste of summer!

I will say this....I did not do this challenge because it was my goal to lose any weight.  I had been slowly working on changing my diet a couple of years ago so I had reached a weight that I felt comfortable.  I realized that I spent all of college studying and drinking lattes.  No, really - I love to learn so I spent a majority of my time working a few jobs OR studying.  Nutrition wasn't quite my focal point at the time.  And when I graduated from college, I was probably 175 or 180 pounds on a 5'7-8" frame.  I started working out, hiking, playing derby and training for a marathon.  I lost weight but a couple of years ago, I wanted to really think about what I was eating and be more mindful about it.  I wanted to really eat three solid meals a day (previously I would skip meals because I was too busy at work).  I learned that you need to make time for your body to enjoy food.  And I lost more weight.

Before starting the Whole 30 my weight was just about (and even 5 pounds less) than the weight I was when I graduated high school.  And I'm sure you all already know this if you are aging - the weight just appears differently as you get older.

While my goal wasn't to lose weight, I am incredibly surprised to see the scales drop as much as they did.  I thought I'd lose a few pounds from eradicating all those delicious sugar treats I make as part of my job and part of my hobby (baking!) but I wouldn't have expected this much.

I did this diet because my stomach was acting weird.  My eczema was going crazy (hands and feet).  Was it from derby pads?  What it from my diet?  Everything I read pointed to my diet so I wanted something to help guide me in figuring out how my body responds to specific foods.  And, I wanted to be healthier.  Plus, I didn't want to go to a doctor who would just prescribe me a pill or a cream and be done with it.  I wanted to find the root of the issue, not just a band-aid.

The Results

                 Weight          Bust           Waist         Hips
Before        145               35"            31.5"         40"
After          135.4            35"            30"            37.5"

Aftermath

I am the first to say that it is important to have a well-balanced diet.  And I still believe that to be true.  I felt like I had a pretty well balanced diet before (I could still eat more veggies).  But the Whole30 helped me to realize that my body feels WAY better without those foods I depended on for so long - dairy, legumes, grains, SWEETS.   I didn't experience being "hungry", starving after a long day at work.  I didn't get the energy highs and lows throughout my day.  I was just always awake.  And, I think my husband would say that I wasn't an emotional nutcase - which he was worried of the chance that sweet, dairy and grain depravation would lead me to be an angry person without knowing it.

I'm going to slowly integrate foods back into my diet, starting with dairy to see how it goes and assess my body's reactions.  Then add some grains - evaluate and process.  But overall, I'd like to keep up what I've learned over the past 30 days and continue eating this way, for the most part.

Unlike running a marathon, I would definitely take on the Whole30 challenge again.  Next time, I'd like to focus on eating even more vegetables and trying to get rid of the "sweets".   Our minds are powerful things.  I know I personally need a challenge, something that helps keep me accountable to the rules - even if it's just knowing I'm doing a challenge.

For more information about the Whole30 check out: http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/

Day 26

April 22, 2013

Heyo!

Well it's been quite awhile since I've last written.  We've had two huge snowstorms within the last week, making commutes less than desirable and cutting into my evening activities and writing.

My intention was to make this a daily journal, cataloging all of my new foods I have been trying while on the Whole 30.  I've read over and over again that keeping a food journal, helps you to not only be more reflective about what you are eating but can help identify if you have food sensitivities.  The only hiccup with keeping a food journal is that if you miss a day, it makes it incredibly difficult to get caught up.  Especially if you miss a few days in a row.  I'm pretty sure I have pieces of postings here and there, on this or that computer along with an updated cover letter, resume, a business plan, and other pieces I've been working on recently.

But to bring you up to speed here are the things I've been eating since Day 16.

• Meat - lots and lots of meat.
• Sweet Potato Fries - LOVE this recipe and I've now perfected it!
• Green Smoothie - because a little bit of fruit with a lot of spinach is a nice after work "cocktail"
• Broccoli - I despised this vegetable until recently starting the Whole 30.  I steamed it and then tossed it with a tiny amount of ghee and freshly cracked pepper and sea salt.
• Chicken Curry - best comfort food since we keep getting snowstorms in MN and it's almost May   
• Soup - my most favorite option for work lunches during the week!  Check out this tortilla-less soup recipe I got from my awesome co-worker who is also on the Whole 30 with me - we used pork!
• Tea - My go-to is caffeine free Good Earth Original.  I LOVE the cinnamon overtones!

I still feel really good (aside my reaction to raisins/dates).  I have WAY more energy at night.  And I've always been a morning person but I feel like I wake up even more "ready to go".  I don't have energy highs and lows and I never feel starving or have a deep hunger rumbling in my stomach.  To be honest, I haven't really worked out at all since April 6th (rollerderby championship game) so I'm not sure how my caloric intake would hold up to a rigorous work out schedule.  I would assume I'd need to consume even more vegetables.....since I'm consciously doing that on this first round of the Whole 30.  The biggest "problem", if we can even call it a problem at all, is that when you eat foods high in nutrients, they fill out up so you are less likely to over eat or feel super hungry.  You know...the kind of hunger where you definitely don't want to be in a grocery store because then you leave having purchased 2 boxes of different cookies, a frozen pizza, and a wealth of other treats.  Now, when I walk into Whole Foods, I can't wait to try their produce samples!  What happened to me?!?!?!?!?          

As I wrap up my last few days, I've been beginning to plan for life after the Whole 30.  I have some more reading to do to ensure I'm not going to get myself ill within the first 24 hours from eating donuts, cheese and pizza crust.  I end the Whole 30 this Friday but I have two major events this weekend - The Wheelies and a Spring Gala.  I'm going to give it my best effort to eat as cleanly as possible but I'm just not sure what will be offered on the menu.  That's the issue with going out to fundraisers, parties or just "out" in general....it takes a lot of work to know what's going in your food and how it's prepared.  I've found that it's easier to plan ahead and eat at home.

Until tomorrow!

Day 16

Friday, April 12th

Overview of Day
Breakfast:  two eggs, 2 slices of bacon
Lunch:  Cantaloupe, Carrot Ginger Soup
Dinner:  Rotisserie Chicken with Garlic Mashed Cauliflower; Mixed green side salad with onions, olives, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette; 1 cup of coffee; fried bananas with cinnamon

When I got home from work today, I went on a cleaning/cooking spurt!  I had kale, medjool dates, cauliflower and salsa materials that I needed to use up.

So I've learned that my body HATES raisins and dates.  My body flat out rejects these items despite however small the quantities I eat are.  Stabbing pains in my stomach, almost so awful that the other night it woke me up and I felt like a trip to the hospital was in order!  After doing a lot of research, it is common that some folks have this issue.  Raisins and dates are high in fiber and since the stomach can't break it all down, it passes into the gut as this bloated mass of gas.  In talking with a friend, she said she had the same happen to her when she had black beans.  Sure enough, beans were on the list...but so were many other things.....even milk products.  The manfriend wondered why I didn't exhibited these symptoms before....and that's because I only ate raisins once a year (maybe) and medjool dates - NEVER.

So I'll try some supplements to help break down the fiber in foods but basically, I just need to stay FAR AWAY from anything that resembles a raisin. Watch out people.....raisins will stab you in the gut!

 The Lunch of "Orange"

Homemade Blueberry Muffin larabar straight out of the food processor

 Homemade Blueberry Muffin larabar, panned

 Kale Chips!

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower with 1 T. ghee

Pride & Inspiration

This isn't at all related to the Whole 30 challenge but I figured I'd write a little something about things that inspire me.  One of those things is the work of my students.  Sometimes I just want to burst with joy when I see what students can do and where their creativity brings them!  I think about where they were when they started my class and where they end up.  I think about how each of them struggles with one thing or another during the semester and by the end, mot are quite proficient in baking!

Here are some cool pics of the things students have created within a week or two of learning about cake decorating.  I can only imagine their greater success as we spend more time working on these skills this semester!

Where do you find your culinary inspiration?  Pinterest? Friends? Family? TV shows?

Day 15

Overview of Day
Breakfast:  two eggs, two pieces of bacon
Lunch:  Leftover Pot Roast
Dinner:  Taco Salad w/ guac and onions

Well, we didn't have a snow day today so I wasn't able to relax and catch up on my student's culinary adventures.  I guess that will have to wait until this weekend.  I was a little sad we didn't have a snow day because I knew that my 26 mile commute was going to be a rough one - and I was right!  It took me one hour and fifteen minutes to get to work today.  That's not the worst commute I've had but I do look forward to warmer weather, clear roads and sunshine on my commute.
During inclement weather I feel like I drive super cautiously mostly because I'm not interested in having  the air bags in my car deploy - the smell is one I won't forget.

After work, the roads were better so the commute home was normal.  I welcomed this as my friend was coming over to update my resume as soon as I got home.  While we were working, I had the manfriend prep the ingredients for the Carrot Ginger Soup.  Since I tend to make the soup, I completely forgot to tell him how I have modified the recipe.   For this particular recipe I just fry up the butternut squash with the onions and garlic rather than roasting it.  I also use chicken broth instead of water - this time I used 3 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of water.  He had piles of bright vegetables waiting for me.

I kicked him out of the kitchen because his eyes were watering from the strong onions, finished the soup and started to pull together some guacamole.  I really love this guacamole.  It's super easy and quick to pull together.  It goes well with...pretty much everything!

 The massive amount of vegetables for the soup!

 Delicious avocado with freshly squeezed lime juice

The soup in progress!

After I had the guac together, I needed to use the ground beef in our fridge.  So I made some taco meat.   I love making taco meat because it's one leftover that I actually enjoy eating.  I'm kind of weird about leftovers.  There are some things I love as leftovers but most things I'm just not interested in.  For the most part, I think I just get bored with leftovers.  I absolutely have no interest in reheated chinese food but curry is a different story.  Now that the King and I Thai restaurant closed its door, I really miss green curry.

I was hoping to try a curry recipe this weekend to shake things up.  Time to experiment to find a copy cat recipe...

Day 14

Overview of Day:
Breakfast:  Two eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, cup of tea
Lunch:  Leftover sweet potato chicken patty with a tiny portion of mashed root vegetables, cup of tea, handful of raisins
Dinner:  Leftover potroast w/ vegetables

If you haven't heard or read from afar, there is a massive winter storm moving into Minneapolis this evening.  Projected totals: 6-10 inches.  And it's supposed to snow more tomorrow!  I'm always intrigued at how weather patterns can drastically differ from year to year.  Last year, it was 80 degrees on St.Paddy's day and now it's mid-April with massive snow and ice storms.  If mother nature won't bring us spring, I'd settle for a horrible snowstorm making it impossible for children to go to school tomorrow!  I could really use a day on the couch, grading loads of blogs my students submitted recently.

Day 13

Overview of Day:
Breakfast:  two scrambled eggs, bacon, 2 cups of decaf Good Earth Tea
Lunch:  Chicken vegetable soup
Dinner:  Pot Roast with vegetables!

I really can't believe that the Whole 30 is nearly half done!  Where did the time go?  I feel like I have so much more to learn and understand.  I know I'm only 13 days in but the experience has been easier than expected.   And I'm incredibly grateful for that.

Being on this journey does require vigilance in planning.  Otherwise, I could see how it could be less than eventful.  I find pinterest one of my best planning tools to help find new ideas.  Where do you go to find ideas on your meal planning?

Day 12

Monday Overview:
Breakfast: 1 cup of tea, 1 cup of watermelon
Lunch: Chicken Vegetable Soup
Dinner: Sweet Potato Fries; Grass Fed Bacon Hamburger with onions and a side salad
Snack: Coffee; Sauteed Cinnamon Walnut Bananas

I was determined to start this week off better than I ended last week. I'm really surprised at how little I feel hungry.  In fact, I don't notice that I'm hungry at all (unless I've not eaten the whole day but it still feels so different than before)!  Previously, by the time I got home, I'd be craving a snack of some sort.  I'd usually reach for a few slices of cheese and some Triscuts.  I love the crunch of grains.  Out of everything I can't consume during this Whole 30, it's the crunch of grains I miss most.  I don't really miss the dairy which is rather surprising since I'm a Wisconsin girl at heart - raised on a steady diet of milk and squeaky cheese curds from the time I was in the womb.  Pretty sure I was eating cheese curds the day I was born.  If you don't know what squeaky cheese curds are check out this picture from http://www.eattoblog.com.   These, my friends, are squeaky cheese curds and they are pretty fantastic.  They exhault all other cheesecurds and there isn't a need to deep fry them to hide inconsistencies.  They are just perfect as they are.

Let's get back on track.  This week was going to be better than the end of last week.  I was able to convince a co-worker (another foods teacher) to go on the whole 30 journey with me.  She has been a great resource to not only share ideas or recipes with but someone I can talk to about the experience.  In any case, she had texted me on Sunday morning to say that she would be making Chicken vegetable soup.  Since I had just frozen some of my butternut squash soup (whole 30 friendly), I asked her if she wanted to swap out some soup so we could each try our recipes.  She brought some in on Monday and it looked (and smelled) so fragrantly delicious - I couldn't wait for lunch. I wish I had taken a picture but I'm sorry - I forgot!

I had happy hour plans with a friend and afterwards we were supposed to go to a public lecture on the Physics of Cooking.  Seems intriguing, right?  In any case, we went to The Republic that is known for it's grass fed beef burgers and cocktail selection.  I knew that I was going to be a little high maintenance when ordering so I was trying to be really nice about it.  No bun, no cheese, raw onions - side of sweet potato fries.  When the food was given to us, it was missing the bacon completely and our fries didn't come out.  I asked for the bacon and after a few minutes, we realized he had forgotten to put in the fry order.  Yeesh.  Who knew that it would be so difficult to get a meat patty with some bacon on it?

Our conversation was engaging and before we knew it, we were running late for the lecture.  Parking was atrocious so we ended up just going home.  Sorry I don't have fun new learning to report on here.

When I got home, I made up a little cup of coffee for myself.  My hubby loves his coffee super dark.  I loved my coffee medium with sugar and cream.  Now, I just prefer light coffee without those additives.

I had recently seen an idea on a blog about frying up some bananas.  I decided that I'd put my coconut oil to good use and how frying up some bananas would go.  I dropped less than a tablespoon of oil into the pan, dripped in a little vanilla and placed the sliced banana pieces in the pan.  Fry for a few minutes on a side then flip.  Spinkle some cinnamon on top of fried bananas and then drop some walnuts on top for the finishing touch!  Yummmm............................  but a little sweet.  A nice way to end the night.

Links to Recipes:

The Weekend of Glory (Day 9-11)

If life weren't chaotic enough, let's pack the weekend full of great adventures, family and friends!  One of my dear friends got surprised married on Friday night!  Okay, in reality she gave us a a week or so's notice but overall, it was a surprise.  I had a leadership board meeting on Saturday and then family and friends in town for my last ever rollerderby bout with the Minnesota RollerGirls Saturday night.  Jam packed.


Friday Overview (Day 9):
Breakfast:  2 cups of tea (my eggs weren't done!)
Lunch:  nothing - my dressing was frozen!
Snack: Green smoothie
Dinner: Steak, sweet potato fries, asparagus


I am sad to report that this weekend's food consumption was SO POOR.  Nearly malnourished.  It began with breakfast on Friday.  When I got to work Friday morning, I realized my hard boiled eggs that I had set aside for breakfast, were not completely cooked through to my liking.  In the trash they went and I didn't plan for a back up.  Note to self: have a larabar or something small to use as a backup in case a meal doesn't work out as planned.

For lunch, I was excited to have a big salad waiting for me until I noticed that my balsamic vinagrette has hardened because it was near the back of the fridge.  And it stayed that way until a few hours later when I was done with work.  I munched on a handful of raisins but I was really, really craving some wholesome food.  Unfortunately, that comes later.  After work, I rushed to St.Paul to reconcile tickets for the Minnesota RollerGirls' home season championship bout.  By the time I got home, my family was waiting at the door.

I began to immediately prepare dinner - steaks, sweet potato and regular fries, rolls and asparagus.  The manfriend was at a leadership retreat so luckily while my family relaxed, my friend Maggie helped me prep all the vegetables while I attended to the steak and other welcome train activities!

I really wanted to eat at the restaurants where my friend was getting married but after reviewing the website, I determined there really wasn't anything on the menu that I could eat.  This is why the fall back meal became steak and potatoes and all of us sat down to enjoy a nice dinner all together.

After we cleaned up, we ended to the cocktail reception for the wedding.  It was a great gathering but we had to leave by 10 pm because I wanted to apply for a job, where the deadline was at 11:59 pm.

Saturday Overview (Day 10):
Breakfast:  Plate of fresh fruit (strawberries, grapes, melon) & 1 cup of coffee
Lunch:  two scrambled eggs, 2 slices of bacon, 1 smoothie (spinach, carrots, strawberries, banana)
Dinner: N/A
Snack:  Apple, 2 eggs (at 2 am!)

Saturday morning:  Stopped at panera to enjoy a cup of coffee before my meeting.  When I got to my meeting at 8:45 am, they had a nice buffet of fruit, juice, meat/cheese, and bagels.  I loaded up on a lot of fresh fruit, mostly because there wasn't another option.  When I came  home, I inhaled eggs and two slices of bacon that were left over from the family breakfast I had missed.  I made a veggie smoothie and enjoyed a cup of tea.  My family stopped back over to hang out and relax for a bit before we headed out to derby.

Saturday night: The main event - ROLLERDERBY!  I've been skating with the Minnesota RollerGirls for 6 years.  I love it and quite frankly, it's been a hard decision to leave.  However, I've torn both of my PCL's in the past and last summer had a really awful ankle sprain which kept me from anything athletic for over 3 months.  Sometimes your body is trying to tell you something that your heart or mind aren't quite ready for....and for me, that is leaving rollerderby.

So, my manfriend did a phenomenal job coordinating 55 people in the Venus ThighTrap VIP section.  They all went to dinner beforehand so they were all well nourished.  In the past, I've typically eaten pretty light on bout days and then eat a PowerBar and beef jerky during the two hours warm up process.  It has always held me over until right after the bout when I go grab a burger and fries.  This time, there were only CLIF bars with many processed ingredients in them and gatorade.  I was really disappointed that there wasn't jerky on hand.  It probably wouldn't have been Whole 30 compliant but I needed some serious food in my body.  The apple and raisins I brought along just weren't going to cut it.

And, I felt fine through most of the bout.  That is, until the very end when we clinched the Golden Skate.  I'm not sure if it was the super low levels of electrolytes, the lack of nutrients in my system or something else but as I stood up to skate over to our victorious team, my legs had no power and I found myself kneeling for a moment to gather my strength.  I was light-headed and woozy.  When I pictured my final bout, I definitely didn't think of being light-headed or woozy.  Still, it was an amazing moment in my derby life.

The Atomic Bombshells

2013 Golden Skate Champions

Venus ThighTrap (me)

and the

Mighty Golden Skate

While I'm usually too tired and dehydrated to go to the after party, I figured this was my last shot to be with my team and celebrate our big achievement.  So we headed to the bar - with a delicious buffet of pizzas waiting for the skaters.  Again, while I wasn't craving pizza - I just wanted something in my stomach.  They bar didn't serve any other food I could eat so I had my apple on the way over.  That helped my wooziness but I still felt a little out of it.  We hung out with fans and even danced a little.  By 1 am, I really wanted real food.  We headed home.  I ate.  I slept.  And I loved every moment of rest.

Sunday Overview (Day 11):
Breakfast:  woke up too late!
Lunch: Chipotle Chicken Salad
Snack: a handful of Kale Chips
Dinner: Sweet Potato, Kale, & Chicken Patty, Mashed Root Vegetables (turnips, parsnips)
Snack:  1/2 of a homemade apple pie larabar, 1 cup of coffee

Sunday: Since we woke up way later than expected (9 am), by the time my family left, it was about lunch time.  The manfriend and I went to Chipotle and I devoured my salad. 

I ran some errands and got some fresh greens.  Since I knew that we'd be using kale in our chicken patties, I wanted to find a good recipe to try kale chips for the first time.  I've heard nothing but great things about kale chips.  And, they turned out pretty good.

Also, I wanted to learn how to make ghee.  There is a great tutorial on how to make your own homemade ghee at Veggiebelly.com  filled with many helpful photos.  Our neighbor had previously offered to mentor me through my first attempt of making ghee, and I gladly took her up on her offer.  She came over and within 20 minutes, I had some very beautiful ghee to call my own!

By that time, I wanted some dinner.  The manfriend worked on the mashed vegetables while I fried up the chicken patties in a little bit of bacon grease.   Here is a picture from the website where I got the recipe:

Until tomorrow!

Day Five

Sorry this was short...the week got away from me!

Overview of Day:
Breakfast: Egg Scramble with bacon, onion and mushrooms
Lunch: handful of raisins, Mixed green salad with onion, tomatoes, hard boiled egg and olives
Dinner:  Almond coconut chicken tenders with guacamole and homemade sweet potato chips.

Details of the day:
First day back at work and it was a little bit more challenging than spring break Whole 30.  I didn't awake hungry.  I went grocery shopping at 6:45 am so by the time I got to work, food seemed like a good idea. Since it was leftovers, I wasn't too dazzled but it was food and it did the job!

I made this delicious guacamole tonight!  It went well with the almond coconut chicken breasts and the homemade sweet potato chips.  Simple but hit the spot!

Day Four

Woke up to find that I accidentally left my zucchini soup on the counter over night!  UGH.  There goes a waste of money and a few lunches.

Since it's Easter, most stores are closed.  I have some frozen butternut squash from the pre-Whole 30 journey but it has 1.5T of butter in the entire batch.  A nominal amount but I'm not supposed to have butter.

Today, I ran another experiment.  Because those Larabars are just too expensive, I scoured the internet to find a copycat recipe.  I found one that most resembled the ingredients listed on the package and gave it a shot!  Sweet lord - they are tasty!  And, SO simple to make.  If you have a food processor and 5 minutes, make these today!

The ingredients

The final product ready for chilling (not packaged yet)

This week is going to be difficult.  I'm teach Baking and Pastry so I'm always around unhealthy but delicious treats.  For the next two-three weeks we are learning about yeast breads.  Cinnamon Rolls, croissants, sourdough, homemade pretzels......

Links to Recipes:

• Larabar Apple Pie CopyCat Recipe

Day Three

Overview of Day One

• Breakfast:  Scrambled eggs with bacon, onions, mushroom; 1 cup of Good Earth decaf tea
• Lunch:  Brasa pulled pork & yuca with chiles and lime; Green smoothie with spinach, carrot juice, strawberries, 1 banana and some raspberries
• Snack: less than a handful of raisins while at the mall
• Dinner: Salad with tomatoes, onions, olives and 1 hard boiled egg; 1 cup of Ginger Zucchini Soup w/ cinnamon
• Dessert: Cherry Pie Lara Bar (meh); a cup of coffee with a smidge of coconut milk

The Details
Awoke with energy and not feeling too hungry again.  Overall, I do still think about delicious treats.  I know I don't need it and I know I can do this for 30 days.  Still doesn't mean homemade cinnamon rolls or chocolate chip cookies aren't amazing though.

Breakfast was pretty simple.  The eggs were close to expiring so I threw together a mish mash of whatever we had in the fridge.  Probably would have been even tastier with some homemade salsa.

Later in the day, I went on a mission.  In helping a friend look for wedding garb, we went to the mall.  First attempt was to Mall of America but after we saw the line of traffic to exit to the mall, we skipped out.  After a few stores we wandered to the south end of Southdale.  Delicious, freshly baked waffle cones filled the air.  Man, those waffle cones smelled delicious!  But, I've always thought that and I never buy an ice cream cone when I'm out.    I snacked on a few raisins but overall, wasn't too hungry.

For dinner, I decided to try the Ginger Zucchini Soup recipe I found online.  Very easy soup to make and was ready within 30 minutes.  The only problem was that it was pretty bland, even when I accidentally put double the amount of ginger in the soup (I halved the recipe but not the ginger).  It still tasted like something was missing.  It wasn't a fully body soup like I'm used to making....and I'm just talking about chicken stock soups.  I did a little research and decided to put some cinnamon in there.  Why not try something new?  Turns out - it was better.  It doesn't compare to my butternut squash soup I make but it was better.

Links to recipes:

• Check out delicious and amazing Brasa menu!
• Ginger Zucchini Soup

Day Two

Overview of Day One

Breakfast: 1 egg, 2 slices bacon, 1 cup of coffee w/ a teeny bit of coconut milk
Snack: Apple

Lunch: Chipotle Salad (chicken, green peppers & onions, hot salsa, corn)
Snack: handful of raisins, Green Tea

Dinner: 1/4 of T-Bone steak, Cucumber Salad, Banana Bread Larabar & cup of coffee

The Details
Last night I wasn't even hungry after practice!  And when I woke up today, I wasn't really hungry either.  So, with the foods I'm eating - I'm satisfied!

Well today I learned just how difficult it is to eat out when on the Whole 30 journey.  Not impossible but it does require a lot of diligence in asking how things are prepared.  I didn't expect to go out twice today but after a meeting, we ended up going to lunch at Chipotle.  It was the first time in my life that I haven't had sour cream or cheese (or a tortilla) on my Chipotle order.  I also didn't get chips like usual.  I think that has been one of the most challenging aspects so far.....I really like to eat thin, crunchy things - croutons, crackers, chips, etc.  I know that I can eat nuts or fresh vegetables that have a crunch to them but it's just not the same.  Despite this, lunch was pretty awesome!

I also had happy hour plans.  My friend was great about asking where I might be able to eat so I chose a restaurant that offers grass-fed beef and sweet potatoes.  After asking many questions about how the burger was prepared or if it contained any additives, I then found myself asking how the sweet potato fries were prepared.  Turns out that while the burgers contained no additives the sweet potato fries are cooked in canola oil.  Since I had just consumed chipotle a few hours before, I wasn't really that hungry.  My friend got regular french fries and they definitely looked delicious but I refrained.  I can't imagine

Despite my ongoing desire for a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, I'm not too sad about cutting out dairy yet.  I don't really have headaches, which is a great thing, but overall I'm just tired.  I'm not sure if that's because I've had a crazy week or if I'm getting sick.

I researched how to make homemade Larabars so I can save some cash.  Check out my pinterest page for the recipes!  New experiment for tomorrow!

Overall, not too bad of a day.....just want a really long nap.

Links to recipes:

• Israeli Tomato Cucumber Salad

Day One

Spring Break 2013!  It's a good thing Heather and I are doing this before we head back to school.  It gives us the opportunity to work out the sugar craze kinks before having to interact with students!

Overview of Day One

Breakfast: Green Smoothie, Good Earth Original Decaf Tea

Lunch: Mixed Greens salad with tomatoes, onions and olives w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette (BV) Dressing,  Apple Pie Lara Bar; coffee w/ a teaspoon of coconut milk; 1 hard boiled egg; 2 slices of bacon

Dinner: 1/2 of T-Bone steak, Sweet Potato Coins, asparagus spears

The Details
Day one - woke up a little later than usual.  Had to run out the door for an appointment, so for breakfast I made a green smoothie with carrot juice, frozen spinach cubes, strawberries, bananas and blueberries.  Not my best effort but still bearable.  I didn't really have the time to make it taste better, I was already running late - so tomorrow will just need to be better.

Side note: before I left for home last week, the fresh spinach was on the verge of going bad.  So, I pureed the spinach with a little bit of water and froze it in ice cube trays.  From what I've read online because put in 4-6 cubes.  I found that for my beginner tastes, I didn't prefer that much.

On my way home, I stopped by Trader Joe's and Whole Foods again.  I've been struggling to find bacon and sausage without added sugars and other things.  Whole Foods didn't even have it.  :(  So, I'm using up the rest of the bacon we have on hand in the next few days so we aren't wasteful.  I have checked into buying our meat from reputable, local sustainable farmers and I think we've found one!  I'm guessing their products will be better than what we can find in the store.

Side note: If you ever need to find local, organic farmers for your area - check out www.eatwild.com 

When I got back from the appointment, I was hungry.  I nibbled on some of the Tomato Cucumber Salad as I put together the taco seasoning and vinaigrette dressing that I planned on using for my lunch. After the salad, I was still a little hungry so I tried a hardboiled egg I had just made and an Apple Pie Lara Bar.  Seriously....that larabar is like crack.  SO DELICIOUS.

For dinner, the lovely manfriend picked up some steaks on his way home from work.  I made some asparagus spears and some sweet potato coins.  Made a handful of them with sprinkled cinnamon on top - what a lovely little treat. Most of them, I just ground some fresh salt and pepper on top.  Delish.  

Tonight I have rollerderby practice.  Typically, when I come home I eat a little cereal (my favorite is Cinnamon Toast Crunch) .  Definitely not the best post-exercise snack option but in truth, it just relaxed me at the end of the day.  Tonight I'll have to pack an apple.

Links to recipes:

• Israeli Tomato Cucumber Salad
• Taco Seasoning

Mission Preparation

Like any good solider, one must be prepared as much as possible for a mission.  Today, I stopped by Trader Joe's to pick up some pantry items to kick off the Whole 30 the right way!

Not going to lie - I'd like nothing more than to eat a chimichanga, margarita and chips and salsa tonight.

For the Last Supper, I ended up meeting Nina out to have calamari, wontons, fresh spring rolls, and a glass of wine.  I'm a little sad that during this Whole 30 I can't have any sort of rice products, including rice paper.

I think it's going to not be more difficult than I had hoped.

It's almost here.

Less than 48 hours until I embark on this new adventure called "The Whole 30".  A little nervous.  A lot more excited than nervous though.  Hopeful I won't become a crazy pants the first few days while my body detoxes from 30+ years of sugar love.  Hopeful that my hubby can still put up with me after the first five days and won't want to throw me off our 3rd floor patio.  Determined to make this work.

After having come across this lifestyle shift, I've been way more mindful about what's in my food.  If you are diligent in looking at your labels, you'll find that there is a ridiculous amount added sugars and preservatives that none of us need.  Good lord - it's difficult to find wholesome food that comes in any packaging.  Pretty certain it doesn't exist.

Being back home in Wisconsin the last couple of days, I've been hanging out with Maggie.  She's on a mild strain of the Whole 30 - something like the "17 day diet".  She's allowed a lot more freedom though than the Whole 30 - sweeteners, cheese, yogurt and after the initial 17 days - grains!  I tried to convince her to just do the Whole 30 with me but my persuasive powers did not work.  Looks like Heather and I are going to be the only two on this adventure this time around and that's fine with me.

I've stocked up on some of the essential pantry ingredients....now I just need to find some grass fed meat.

See you in 48 hours.

Getting to this point.

Thanks to some awesome parenting, I've always firmly believed in mind over matter.  That I am able to accomplish whatever goals I set for myself.  Problem is there are just some things that I've had no desire to set a goal for; case in point - running.  

Years ago, I despised running unless it somehow included a ball of some sorts - basketball, volleyball, hell - even soccer, despite the massive amounts of running in that game.  To me, running for endless miles just seemed so boring.  Perhaps part of the reason was because I had always been involved in team sports so competition was enjoyable to me.  Running against no one except myself and scoring no "points" didn't seem like fun.  

That being said, I ran when I had to off the court.  I could easily do the mile run in junior high and high school.  I didn't enjoy it but the need to finish within a 12 minute time frame added a "competitive" element.  I think I may have even ran a mile under 7:30.  I couldn't understand how other kids could run a mile in under six minutes.  At the time, that seemed insane.  At that time, three miles felt like I was running across America - so I didn't do it.  I just kept playing team sports and training when I had to. 

Until I met, Leann.  She taught with me at my first school.  Everyday about 8-10 of us would sit in the cafeteria with the students, eating our lunch together and playing the M&M game.  She was getting certified as a Personal Trainer.  One day, she tried to convince all of us to register for the Twin Cities Marathon.  I told her I HATED running, that there was no point in just running for miles and miles and running 26.2 of them seemed RIDICULOUS.  

Somehow, I decided that it would be a good idea to prove myself wrong.  I wanted to prove to myself that I could accomplish a goal even if I didn't like it. So, I signed up for the marathon, bought two pairs of running shoes and stuck to my training regime every day as outlined by Leann.  We even did cross training and hill running as part of the training and when Leann said jump I asked how high because I had this massive goal to reach.  

I lived near Lake Calhoun at the time and since it was summer break, I soon found it enjoyable to be out in the summer sun (with loads of sunscreen for my glaring white skin).  Half way through training, I realize that running wasn't so bad, after all.   Maybe it was all that Vitamin D making me happier and healthier.  I still didn't like running three miles but my body felt really good running six to twelve miles.  Odd, I know but that's what my body enjoyed the most.  

During that summer, I not only trained for the marathon but hiked about half of the Superior Hiking Trail and tried out for (and made) rollerderby.  It was a big summer and I felt on top of the world physically.  I completed the TC Marathon in Fall 2007.   I didn't make it in the time goal I had wanted due to an impending injury but I finished and the sweeper truck didn't catch me.  I finished in 5:15 - I was going for 4:30 or less.  

I went to hating to run even one mile to really enjoying 26.2 and I proved to myself that my mental fortitude can drastically impact my life.

Which brings me to why I started this blog.

Those of you who know me, know that I LOVE baking and learning.  I teach a college-articulated Baking and Pastry course to high school students.  Baking is so much of a science, it's awesome to test out theories and to identify how ingredients impacted the final product.  It's like a scientific puzzle.  Cooking is much less of a precise science so while I enjoy cooking, I find myself not AS excited about it as baking.  

In any case, every day we have fresh cookies in our house or some other baked treat.  I see this mostly as experiments for my own classroom.  I wanted to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie and I did.  As a culinary arts teacher, I am fully aware of what I should be eating and why but again - I just really find chocolate chip cookies delicious (as well as a wide assortment of baked goods!)

Lately, I've noticed that my gut starts hurting when I eat and that my eczema has flared up.  At first, I attributed this to my derby gear.  However, I wash my derby gear frequently but I can't wash my skates.  Since it's near the end of my career, spending another $200 on gear seems a little crazy.  I went to a natural doctor who helped me get back on the nutrition track with a variety of basic supplements.  My gut stopped hurting as much but the eczema is still lingering.  Yes,  I could go to the dermatologist like I have in the past and be prescribed a steroid cream.  However, that's not so great for your body over the long-term either.  I wanted to have more control (direct) over my health.

Having read a lot about how diet is one of the main contributors of eczema, I was determined to find a way to naturally rid myself of whatever the hell was causing my flare up.  Which brings me to my new challenge, probably more challenging than running a marathon: I'm going to turn my diet upside down and really focus on putting stuff in my body that's of the earth and not of a machine (processed).

I've never really been excited about vegetables but as I've gotten older, I've introduced a lot more into my diet.  Not nearly enough as I should be consuming but it's a process - much like most things in life.  I don't see this challenge as a weight-loss journey or a "dieting fad".  I see this challenge as a way for my body to reset expectations of how poorly I've treated it over the 32 years and find a new balance on how I want eat for the rest of my life.      

This challenge/goal will last 30 days and I'm hopeful both my gut and eczema will like me after that.  After the 30 days, I'll probably start re-introducing foods back into my diet to see what had adverse effects on my skin and gut.   I firmly believe that most things are okay in moderation so I'm not one to wipe out an entire genre of foods.  So I don't expect this new endeavor to be easy.  But for 30 days I will do it and I will succeed because I don't like to let myself down.  

I'll be scouring http://whole9life.com/, pinterest and talking with my very good friend Jordyn about recommendations to make this an enjoyable experience.

This blog will catalog my journey and quest to be healthier.

I've gotta start somewhere and that place is here.

“When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur. When you improve conditioning a little each day, eventually you have a big improvement in conditioning. Not tomorrow, not the next day, but eventually a big gain is made. Don’t look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens – and when it happens, it lasts.”

-- Coach John Wooden