Friday, June 2, 2017

Whole30, 1 Month Later

So, I am embarrassed to admit, I took a day off of Whole30 and...it turned into a month. 🙁  And I have slowly put on nearly all I took off in terms of weight. I still obsess about food because I want pastas and perogies and dammit, I want convenience!!!
I started a bunch of research too. Granted, it heavily leaned against the dairy, grains and sugars. But a lot of what I read wasn't just the food per sei; it is the processing and separating of the nutrients and adding of substitutes and fats n' shit. And pesticides and hybrids and oh my gosh it hurts my brain. And then I drew my own conclusion because in not one of the research pieces I read/watched did the term "Big Pharma " come up. And yet, everyone is always posting shit about how "Big Pharma" wants us to stay ill because healthy doesn't fund pharmaceuticals and health agencies. My conclusion was why isn't anyone looking at the huge, billion dollar food industries who load the shelves with "convenience" foods and how everything has added sugars masked as something like agave syrup or palm sugar leading us to believe that this is a healthier version of garbage? The food industry is in bed with the agricultural industry and somewhere along the lines it was insisted that grains are good for you.  You know what grains are good for? Filler. Keep pumping out more garbage to sustain this gluttonous race of rabidly hungry beings who will never be satisfied until they have raped and pillaged the last corners of the earth. And do you know why we have to do this? Because in our Western society we work 50 hours a week, 50 weeks of the year with 3 kids in 3 activities a week and  two incomes to have a bigger house, a nicer car and a little money in the bank. We don't have time to spend hours in the kitchen cooking wholesome food and eating until we're sustained; no, we gouge ourselves on crap because likely we haven't had time to eat all day and now we can make up for 3 meals in one.
And the Active industry feeds off this perfectly. Gyms, supplements, vitamins, gadgets to make you healthier, gear to sustain a healthy lifestyle; it all plays in.  Do you think our ancestors jogged 5 miles a day? No. They were active I suppose, working in fields, tracking a deer, looking for food, daily chores; but none of that tells you a solid 5 mile run is a cure all. Maybe not sitting in front of the TV/computer is a good idea; maybe getting some fresh air is a better idea; maybe 4 hours of homework was a terrible thing to introduce  to grade 7 students and maybe we need to get away from the desk every couple hours and walk around the building at least. Our corporate world is killing us. Do more, downsize, work longer, take a pay cut, eat a sandwich at your desk between conference calls. If OH&S were so concerned they might realize this is horrible for the long term health and wellbeing of the workers.
The real reason we are an unhealthy, obease, disease and syndrome laden society is because we move too fast! We stopped caring where the food came from, why we eat it or what it is fed. We care too much about humane treatment of animals, but we stuff them full of grain and by-products and by comparison, there isn't much more to a cow from a feed lot than fatty pseudo-meat. Let animals eat grass! And then allow us to nurture our bodies on a little bit of animal protein. It has served our kind for tens of thousands of years! Give a shit about your vegetables. If a carrot came out of the ground at a foot long and you buy bags of baby carrots that have had all the nutrients removed and that were washed in bleach, ask yourself if there is any nutritional value there. I bet there is very little if any. And flavour? Gone. Tasteless. When did we become robots, just shoving crap inside of us for filler, boredom or habit!
There is so much out there that can fuel us. We just need to be smarter. We need to slow down . We cannot sustain our lives as they are. We are in pain physically and mentally and we've forgotten about how good we can feel, before inflammatory disease, before IBS, before depression, before behavioural disorders that weren't around fifty, a hundred years ago. The right fuel for your body can do wonders to ailments. I'm not a doctor and do not claim this to be a magic cure-all, but don't we owe it to ourselves to consider that the very fuel that fuels us could also be killing us if we run on diesel but fill ourselves with gas?
I pulled something in my back 2 days after being off Whole30. It has manifested into a bad case of sciatica. Today, I decided to get back on Whole30 and see if it helps. Because I had more energy on that, than I have had all this past month and my health plan isn't good enough for me to see a physiotherapist. Plus, I need to take off some pounds again. So, as I endeavour to relive this , I urge you to consider what you're putting in your body too. Isn't your life worth more than garbage?
#whole30

Friday, May 5, 2017

Whole30 Days 29-30 and Beyond

I did it, you guys!  Even midnight rolled around and I made it till breakfast the next morning! I completed Whole30 without breaking!
On day 31, I binged a little... I ate a Cabury Creme Egg and about 17 Whopper Eggs that I had in my Easter basket and had been saving. And I ate 4 mini Reece Peanut Butter Cups.  All YUM!! Well worth saving.  I had a little bit of International Delights coffee creamer; decadent! I also had a leftover Whole30 lunch and I had unintentionally planned a Whole30 dinner. The next day (day 32 or Day one of my second Whole30) I went back to coconut milk in my coffee and clean eating again. The day after that, I cheated and added a little cheese on my spaghetti squash dinner because T. had cheese the other day and I had to use it up. Yesterday at work, I snagged a small handful of homemade popcorn someone had brought in. Today, I thought, 'a wrap might be good for lunch!' I got a steak n' egg whole wheat wrap.  Ok, I instantly bloated. And then my ass was... very unhappy, to say the least. So, there ya go...! TMI and also, this is my biggest noteable thing about this Whole30 business. I have said before, I don't have chronic pain of any kind, inflammation, joint issues or anxiety or depression (all things that people who have done Whole30 comment to having "cured" by clean eating). But I did notice a couple of things related to wheat/grains/gluten: as much as I eat vegetables, I am not gassy.  Before, give me a too large a serving of broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and I was not even pleasant to be around. (TMI again, I know this.)  The first thing I learned is that high fibre veggies, when mixed with the grain aspects of my previous diet, caused bloating, gas, cramping and an overall very unhappy tummy.  When I removed the grain aspect, I can chow down on whatever, whenever. (One night I made a stir fry and ate damn near a half a head of cabbage without issue- at all.) And second, that even adding in something as trivial as a wrap, a whole wheat wrap at that- made me sick. Never mind all of that... I am hooked on this clean eating business. Am I perfect? Nah, but I can easily do this as a 90/10 or better.
So, all my posts together, that's about as honest a review I can offer on this. I lost, to date, 15 lbs. and that was my goal in the first place.  I learned to eat better and make better food choices. I learned new recipes and I really was able to reset my eating habits and cravings. I eat more 3 times a day instead of needing snacks and I have no crashes. I have more energy and I sleep better. My skin looks great and my hair and nails are growing a bit faster too.  I would tell anyone who wants to try clean eating, it's a 30 day commitment. No one should deny themselves 1 short month of well being. It could potentially change what you think you know about food.
#Whole30

Friday, April 28, 2017

Whole30 Days 24-28

I'm on the home stretch!  I am almost done!  In classic-J-Style, I have wanted to cheat so friggin bad, because I am notorious for not really finishing most everything. But in this case, it was a 30 day journey to better food, better choices and overall well-being.  And I'm gonna do it too!  Eff-yeah!!
I am not cured of my unhealthy choices.  Just the other day, one of my colleagues brought in some All-Dressed chips.  I smelled the bag and my mouth watered.  There have been gummy candies at work most days. I fucking love gummies!!!  I missed birthday-cake-day.  I can't eat the Timbits (doughnut-holes for Canadians addicted to Tim Horton's) that sit on the counter taunting me.  My work loves snacks.  I eat a handful of nuts instead.  
But hey, I bought new jeans and a new pair of capris for work, because I'm getting skinnier!  For the record, the jeans are a size 7 and the capris are a size 6.  It's been a few years since I fit those sizes!
I have no "goal-weight'.  I have no preconceived notions of what I think my body should look like. Right now, all I care about is feeling better in my own skin. I enjoy not grunting when putting on a sock and I appreciate that I can wiggle into a pair of jeans easily instead of with difficulty.
I still begrudge the constant prep and thinking about food.  I'm serious when I say that.  If you don't plan your meals you will fuck yourself and the whole deal.  (If you cheat, you need to start over.  30 days could become 59 days, just like that!)  Therefore, you constantly think about food. Not that you're hungry, but because you're committed to a 30 day commitment, and it shouldn't be that hard to go 30 days.  But always. And everything will need to be made from scratch because as soon as you start your shopping and reading the labels, you realize EVERYTHING has added sugar.  Ketchup?  Nope, can't have it. BBQ sauce, mayo, Miracle Whip, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, everyday sauces and seasonings, nope, nope, nope, big fat nopes all over the place. Soy is out on so many levels, mostly because it's so GMO and stomped on it barely qualifies as food as far as I'm concerned, Whole30 doesn't allow it for that reason. So you improvise. You make your own sauces.  Here were a few of my favorite things I made though:
  • Mini Meatloaves with sweet potato topping and *homemade bbq sauce. (bbq sauce was my own recipe) 
  • Buffalo Ranch chicken stuffed peppers
  • Egg Clouds
  • Turkey burgers
  • Homemade guacamole (will post recipe, it's my own concoction)
  • Homemade BBQ sauce (also my own concoction)
  • Creamy coconut-cilantro-lime chicken
  • Apple cashew "oatmeal" (this is sort of SWYPO, but damn, it was so good. No added sugar, grains, sweeteners so I don't care, it wasn't cheating.)
  • Curried butternut squash soup (own concoction)
All of this I found online.  Most of it was me, playing with a version of a recipe.  But I can't take credit for all of it, except for what I specifically mentioned.
Here are a few staples you should stock up on:
  • Coconut milk (full fat, low fat, whatever.  I prefer the full fat, myself. Read your labels.  NO ADDED SUGAR ALLOWED!) This gets used in probably 50% of my food intake in some capacity.
  • Avocado (this little fruit is really quite versatile!)
  • Apples (sweetness and awesome as a snack with some almond butter!)
  • Bananas (awesome for a thickener in smoothies, awesome for sweetness, a delicious snack all on its own)
  • Dates (or in my case- I almost detest dates- raisins and dried figs) These are used to sweeten dishes/sauces occasionally. And a handful of raisins takes me back to being a kid; my mom used to stock up on little boxes of those for us kids as snacks.  Still a tasty little treat!
  • Onions, garlic, (both of which I am not overly fond of- these are accents, IMO, not flavours.) mushrooms (canned or fresh, they are a versatile way to add flavour and texture to a dish) and peppers
  • Healthy oils (coconut, olive, avocado- I got through this whole thing without ghee)  
  • Eggs
  • Spices.  Have a well stocked spice cabinet! Himalayan pink salt, kosher salt are Whole30 (most table salt has added sugar... like seriously??)
  • Larabar, for on the run. (Just remember the peanut and peanut butter ones aren't Whole30 compliant) Just buy lots of these.  If you can't stop to eat or if you don't have time to plan a lunch or a breakfast, grab a Larabar. 
  • Dry roasted nuts, peanut free (did you know that peanuts are a legume? And beans and legumes are not Whole30 compliant) and raw cashews
  • Frank's Red Hot. Perfectly Whole30 compliant, And a delicious addition to most dishes.
  • Fresh herbs, I especially went through basil and cilantro, but those are two of my favorites.
  • Bacon.  Read those labels!!  Every breakfast meat (sausage, bacon, back bacon) which has undergone a curing process typically has added sugar to balance out the salt.  Either find yourself a good butcher, or shop at Costco.  Their low sodium blue label Kirkland brand is the only bacon I found without added sugar.  Most sausage (unless you make your own, and I sure as hell don't have the time for that!!) has a tonne of added crap like milk solids, cornmeal, wheat, sugars, syrups... dream on- just rule out sausage,
  • Get yourself a blender, food processor, mini-chopper, or magic bullet.  I grabbed my magic bullet from Walmart for 50$ and an electric mini-chopper for 15$.  If you like soups, sauces, etc, get yourself an immersion blender as well.  And a good, sharp knife for prep.
This post has gone on  too long.  I will add recipes, I promise,  You need to know what you're getting into if you're going to succeed.  If you're thinking of doing a Whole30, prep yourself, don't just jump into a decision.  It takes planning.  It takes dedication,  And it takes willpower.  I was totally surprised at how hardwired I was to pre-made foods and breads/grains and sugars.  I was not prepared to battle over 2.5 weeks over my weaknesses. It sounds like a short amount of time, until you're in that battle and everywhere you turn, there is junk, waiting to be eaten, (T. ate my pizza pops.  I actually thought I might engage in sweet, vindictive revenge.) But with only two days to go, I am looking forward to the end, and as crazy as it sounds, I'm going to start planning a second Whole30.  
I will post a separate entry with just recipes.  I keep calling this a diet, but this is the only "diet" where I have not felt deprived, I don't feel hungry and I actually eat more than I ever have and I am still losing weight. Eating this much shouldn't ever be called a diet.  Just remember, all it is, is real food.  We just seem to have forgotten what that is.  I encourage you to do your research and engage in feeling better about yourself.  We only get one body and one life. 
#Whole30

Monday, April 24, 2017

Whole30 Days 20-23

Keep on keepin on! It has become surprisingly easier, and I feel like when this is over I will be able to maintain this lifestyle. My goal is 90/10, but it's possible I could slip a little to 80/20.  I am starting to resent less and less as my days go on about prep and convenience. I am starting to avoid those middle isles of garbage at the store. I have moved on to being resentful of the cost of foods that are "good" for you. I went to Planet Organic and bought a couple things. Coconut aminos, which is a sub for soy sauce. (Soy, btw, is horrible for you. I have never liked the smell of soy but the more I read about how genetically modified it is, and how stomped on it is, trust me, you are better off nutritionally, eating Cheez Whiz.) Ok, ok, so coconut aminos, avocado oil, toasted sesame oil... 37$!!! And these were all really small bottles! Try to find raw cashews anywhere though! Walmart was where I bought them last time. As far as I can tell, not many places carry those. Not even Planet Organic! (I did find them at Save-On Foods in bulk for a low, low price of 12$ for probably 2 handfuls.) I mean, yes, it costs money to grow this stuff and get it at the local store, and doesn't it piss you off that a frozen pizza that will feed 4 is 12$ and to make a stir fry for two with Whole30 ingredients costs probably more than 40$????  If it doesn't piss you of, it should! Here's an example!
Shrimp Stir Fry
Container of fresh crimini mushrooms 2.99
Bag of snap peas 4.99
Bag of coleslaw (because it's already shredded) 1.99
Head of cauliflower 4.99
2 broccoli crowns 3$
Red pepper 2.99
Yellow pepper 2.99
Ginger root- .58$
Toasted sesame oil- 13$
Coconut oil (already have, but low, bought another) 12$
Bag of frozen shrimp (20-30 per bag) 10$

Shrink the water out of that, it feeds 3... enough for healthy portions for two and a lunch left over for me. Did you do the math? That's like, 60$. Groceries for one meal! (And the only thing bought at a specialty market was the toasted sesame oil.)
If I had gone with pre-chopped veg. Just a bit of coconut oil and a stir fry sauce from the Asian isle, I could have halved that! And had probably 25g of added (hidden) sugar to one meal, GMO soy sauce, GMO rice, or heavily greased noodles full of artificial egg and GMO flour. No wonder we're fat! No wonder we have aches and pains and skin issues and IBS. Our food is fake for the sake of convenience. Our convenience food is cheap because we are stretched to our means. We are tired because we eat crap and fuel our bodies with crap and people need to get mad about it and fight back!
I don't get a 3 o'clock crash anymore (I know, I still think it's weird), I eat 3 meals a day. I don't drag-ass anymore. I have energy and I feel stronger. And I'm not working out either... saving that for my next Whole30.  I am just properly fueling my body.
It's 30 days. You owe it to yourself to at least try it. You owe it to yourself to feel better. Stop fueling your body with garbage. Stop dragging your ass around. You can do it.
#Whole30

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Whole30 Days 12-19

It's been 19 days!!!  I am so stoked that I've made it this far!  Here are some new things I've discovered:
Fuck you, processed anything!  Fuck you added sugar in everything!  Fuck you, constant food brain! Fuck you, constant food preparation! And still... fuck you, black coffee. :(  Yes, this post might be full of fucks.
I just came home from spending some time with family over Easter.  They are mostly all living Whole30 right now, so I didn't cheat!  Yay me!!
And, speaking to my parents and sister and brother-in-law, I learned that my body was constantly battling me the first 3 weeks, so really- be super prepared for that!  Like I'm not even kidding; I am a hell of a stubborn person, you cannot tell me how to think.  But I battled my brain for the first 3 weeks!  You may have read the posts; they are really negative.
But now, I have turned the corner.  Whole30 claims to change your outlook on food, well it does in a number of ways.  Firstly, you have the all-I-think-about-is-food battle and the all-I-do-is-prep-and-cook battle and the my-kitchen-is-always-a-mess battle.  It has the grocery-shopping-blues battle, it has the time-crunch battle.  Then around week 2, you're seriously questioning if this is all worth it or not.  (Hang in there, this is your brain fighting for junk.)  Then a holiday rolls around and you see your niece eating a tray bun (dinner roll, whatever, you know, those soft, yeast-y gluten-y, melty, buttery goodness rolls served with holiday dinners, you know what I'm talking about) and you seriously consider attacking her to steal that chewy goodness!  And then, you suddenly stop at the grocery store on the way home, grab just a couple provisions for dinner and all of it just stops.  It just seems natural that dinner will be an hour and a half of prep and cooking.  So what?  I don't have any babies around or mouths demanding I feed them.
It has gotten easier.  And here's another thing.  I think you can do Whole30 and drink smoothies.  I think you can do Whole30 and accidentally and unintentionally cheat and you don't have to start over. Teavana Peach Tranquility.... augh, there is NO need to add sugar to a tea bag!!!!  Just, don't intentionally go for that blob of icing from the cake from the work birthdays.  Don't sneak a dessert just because.  Don't break and have that beer just because you deserve it after a hard day.  Don't.  If you do, start over.  Otherwise, roll with it.
Today, I tried to mix coconut milk in with my coffee again (it worked at my sister's house).  I got the grainy weirdness again... it's even the same brand.  My coffee in Calgary hates coconut milk. But I am down 13 lbs, so pft.  10 whole days to go.  Just watch me.
#Whole30 

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Whole30 Days 6-11

I am still on track!!!!
Like barely, people, I am just hangin on... I mean this is prep, prep, and more prep, oh, and prep!!! Like seriously, who has time for this? There is a reason we are unhealthy... because no one has time or energy to constantly think about, shop for, prep and cook and clean allllll dayyyyyy longggg! I am barely making it!
I made a meatloaf the other night? Wildly underwhelming! Bordered on gross, actually. But, I ate it, and ate it the next day for lunch too. And what's the freakin deal with no smoothies? It's the fastest way for me to get a decent, filling breakfast with tons of healthy stuff in there, so, too. So tough shit Whole30, I'm drinking breakfast smoothies. I don't have time to cook breakfast every day, And don't even get me started on sausage and bacon- that shit is loaded with crap you can't have. There are no Whole Foods places near me and I am not paying 12$ for grass fed sausage!
Needless to say, I am frustrated. I think about food all day long. I mean, for one, my constant skin itch has subsided. I no longer break out in random rashes. My skin looks amazing, and my clothes are starting to fit a little better. I am sleeping relatively better. I am not drinking as much coffee because coconut milk in coffee is disgusting. I'm still trying to drink it black but yes, I do miss cream. Dearly. If it has no other place in my diet, coffee is best with a splash of cream, period. I'm not much of an achy person so I can't attest that this is working for inflammatory ailments.
But guys, this is hard!  I work a weird schedule. Days off are fine but I sometimes don't get home until 9 pm... who wants to do an hour's worth for prep, and hour's worth of work and then another time period of cleaning because my kitchen is constantly destroyed! Oh and the food garbage! I go through a bio-bag a day from veggies and fruits and entrails of... stuff! T. and I even had a huge blow out because I have PMS and all I do is cook and clean... it's not his fault. I'm in a funk about this!!!
So, here I am, nearly half way through. I am still on track. Bitter, but on track. I got this. I may be miserable about food today, but a good night's sleep oughtta cure what ails me.
I shall now go.... and dream up ways to make food taste awesome with little to no prep. (Rocking it, btw. Meatloaf aside, I can make some pretty mean food!)
#Whole30

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Whole30 Day 3-5

I still haven't broken.  I'm still on-board, haven't cheated and I still feel mostly full.  I'll tell you what... I'm sick!  I have a nasty cold and fortunately, I'm off today, so I'm blogging from my bed.  All my past remedies haven't worked  and I have succumbed.  And I'll tell you what else...I am pissed!  All I wanted for dinner last night was chicken noodle soup, but nope, fuck that, wheat, added sugar... make your own, right?  Yeah well I wasn't planning on feeling like I had been hit by a truck and all I wanted to do was eat and go to bed; not prep for an hour, wait for an hour and maybe have a bowl of soup by 10 pm. I mean, I had considered the noodle factor wouldn't exactly work.  So how about vegetable soup?  Nope, frickin alphabet pasta, wheat and added sugar.  Yeah, after this, I will attempt to make some chicken soup, GF, non-dairy, no sugar added.  Sigh, this diet of sadness and deprivation continues....
I am getting to be a very good master of smoothies.  Coconut milk is added to almost all of them, and my concoctions taste quite good.  Added nuts or a banana adds protein and texture and creaminess.  I haven't really done the whole green smoothie thing yet...green tastes like plants.  And Larabar is my good friend on the run.  Currently addicted to the apple cinnamon.
Coconut milk is my dairy (but I really miss yogurt!!), avocado is my mayo, salsa is my flavouring for now, bananas are my thickener... eggs are my chicken soup (from last night anyway).
I want to say I feel better, have more energy, etc, etc.  But with this stupid cold kicking my ass, all I have are body aches and sleepiness.  So, I am going to have a nap.  Then run to the grocery store for fixin's for chicken soup, sans noodles. Sad face.
#Whole30


Whole30 - Day 1-2

This is my first attempt at an actual hard-core "diet". I am going to share my journey through this as best I can.
First of all, Whole30 is not about counting calories or portion controlling. It does make you cut out dairy, grains and sugar. My sister and brother-in-law tried it and loved it, and my parents followed and loved it as well.  I bawked at it at first saying it sounded like sadness and deprivation. But I did the research and talked to them in detail about it, and decided come April 1, I would try to pull this off.  It's only 30 days. 30 days of clean eating. If I can't do that, I may as well admit to not being able to do anything. 
I did terribly on day one. I didn't eat enough because I was a little unprepared and sort of over-thinking what I couldn't eat.  I managed to eat a few bland bites of food that was considered okay to eat, but I didn't get enough... I went to bed feeling like a bowl of cereal before bed might be somewhat satiating. But I didn't cheat! I was unsatisfied, but still on-track. Yay!
I have just finished day two. Already missing cream in my coffee, or at least international delights; dairy or sugar... booo, I can't. My coffee (two cups) felt like it was missing something but I only ever use a bit of cream; I'm not into the tablespoons... so while I missed it, it hardly tasted different. I ate a decent sized breakfast within parameters. I didn't miss my toast. But by mid-day I was craving something to "stick to my ribs" like a pb&j. Instead I made a fruit filled smoothie with some raw cashews and coconut milk.  I was full after that! Until dinner time rolled around and I made a stir fry with cauliflower rice. Huge portion, but actually full, two hours later. 
I took a selfie where I am basically naked, so I'll see if I post that at all... maybe some fancy blackout editing might work. And I stood on the scale. I probably frowned... but the Whole30 deal is no scales. It's simply re-training you to eat better and make better choices. But let's be real... it's about the weight. For now.  I made it through two days! Only 28 more to go.  
Tonight, I feel confident. Tomorrow, I tackle black coffee again. Go me!!
#Whole30