Finishing the Whole30 challenge with a Bang... and thinking about the next steps

So here we are in the final days of the January 2013 Whole30 challenge - how ya feeling?  Has it been as good for you as it has for me?  Or have you spent the last almost 30 days pining away for some food favorite?  For myself, I've felt eating super clean paleo has been a good experience and while I don't notice any difference in the fit of my clothes, I am experiencing better overall health, more restful sleep and more energy.  I just feel better than I did at the end of December.  Now if I could just shed those five pounds gained while on antibiotics I'd be in full-on nirvana-like bliss.

As far as personal food pining, richly delicious dark chocolate rests at the top of my list ~ actually the whole lists consists primarily of dark chocolate in all its various glorious forms.  That and the creamy goodness of raw milk cheese.  (Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my chin.)  Even so, I won't be making any major changes to how I'm currently eating.  For the past year and a half, I've eaten a primal diet, and as I come off this Whole30 I will be returning to that eating style.  Which is basically the same as what I'm doing now.  Minus the dairy.  And the chocolate.  You see the pattern.

As you're looking ahead to the potential consumption of some presently forbidden food, keep in mind finishing off with gusto.  You've been in disciplined food marathon so end with style!  Now is also the time to start planning ahead about how you're going to handle your eating choices post-Whole30.  Here are a few thoughts to contemplate:

1. Don't go overboard.  You've been eating clean for 30 days and are probably experiencing some of the health benefits of those choices, so don't just chuck it out the window in an all-out food orgy.   Take it slow, add foods back in gradually and monitor how your body responds.  You may find there are some foods that you should just avoid as a matter of course.
2. In all things moderation.  This goes hand in hand with #1.  Keep in mind if you felt this good without consuming something for 30 days, it might not be wise to make said food your number one dietary choice.  
3. Plan ahead.  Just like getting ready for the Whole30, wisdom suggests planning ahead for post-Whole30.  How do you envision your eating style to change (or not)?  What can you do to prepare?  Should you really load your cupboard with beer, fake cheese-in-a-can and chips?
4. Honor thyself.  You've taken good care of your body these past 30 days as you've made healthy, whole foods choices and added more movement to your life.  And I'm sure your body has said a great big thank-you.  So how can you continue to honor your body by making good food choices and continuing to move?  What aspects of the Whole30 are you going to take away?
5. Staying the course.  Maybe this has been such an amazing and life-changing experience that you're not going to change anything.  If you've decided you're a paleo/primal convert, then congratulations!  The Internet contains a whole host of excellent resources including discussion forums, recipes and information to help you along the way.  Make the most of your new lifestyle and get the support you need.

Regardless of how you decide to handle post-Whole30 life, take a moment to savor the accomplishment.  Well done!

Well-Fed Survey

Hey, all!

Mel at the clothes make the girl is looking for some feedback for her upcoming Well Fed 2 cookbook.  As you may have noticed, I'm a big fan of her first Well Fed cookbook (and her awesome-sauce blog) and am eagerly awaiting the new tome of tasty eats.  The survey takes like a minute and you can enter to win a prize pack of Well Fed goodies.  I know Mel would appreciate the help.

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Or is it?

Hard to say, I'm mostly a big fan of any meal regardless of time of day but will admit to breakfast holding a special place in my heart (or stomach).  In this country there is something comforting about breakfast and breakfast foods, at least if the plethora of pancake houses serving breakfast 24-7 are anything to go by.  But if you're a Whole30/paleo/primal kind of person what can you to do for your morning repast?  American breakfasts are notoriously carbohydrate-centric, enough to induce a glucose-overload coma.  Eggs represent a natural fall-back and, of course, bacon - seriously, folks, you really can't go wrong with a nice plate of scrambled eggs with a side of bacon or a lovely veggie omelet with a side of bacon or a mushroom and ham frittata with a side of bacon (see the pattern here?).  But after a week of exploring all the possible reincarnations of the egg (with a side of bacon), you might be looking for something to liven up the ol' breakfast routine.  Of course, a little searching on the Interwebs will produce a bevy of paleo knock-offs of the old stand-bys like paleo pancakes, paleo waffles and even paleo sticky sweet pastries.  And while these foods are all fine and technically paleo/primal legal, they also may represent the beginning of a slippery slope back into carb consumption.  Or if you're eating strict Whole30, they're just not an option because of the addition of sweeteners (sometimes lots and LOTS of sweeteners).  And honestly, most (not all) fall short of the mark when compared to the original.

So here are a few of my fav go-to suggestions for the opening meal of the day.



Sweet Potato Carrot Cakes.  I love these little morsels from Multiply Delicious, especially when sandwiched around a sausage patty and tomato with schmear of mayo.  Make a big batch and use throughout the week for breakfast sandwiches or on their own.  Seriously good stuff. 




Paleo Granola.  Full of nutty goodness, especially tasty with a generous splash of coconut or almond milk.  Two recipes I prefer:  Pumpkin Granola from PaleOMG and Apple Pie Paleo Granola from Multiply Delicious.  Both contain maple sweetener, so technically not Whole30 legal, but something to look forward to when you're done.



Banana Nut Porridge.  Oh. My. Goodness.  This stuff is so yummy and satisfying and filling, especially on a cold day.  I'm a bit of an oatmeal fan, as evidenced by the fact I CRAVED oatmeal and tuna (not together, ew!) when pregnant with oldest, and this recipe from Against All Grain is way better than standard fare oatmeal. In my humble opinion.




Bacon Cups.  So how about those eggs baked in your bacon?  Oh yeah!  Easy, delicious recipe from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body.




Green Monster Spinach Smoothie.  I slurped one of these down for breakfast this morning.  Easy to make, surprisingly satisfying and an awesome way to get a big dose of vegetables vegetables vegetables.  A few mods need to be made to this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats to make it Whole30 legal - I used full fat coconut milk instead of greek yogurt, almond butter instead of the pb and added a generous shake of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla (for fun).  Looking for more smoothie recipes?  Amy at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free put together a list of Five Fantastic Smoothies to liven up your blender.  Or just throw some berries, coconut milk and a banana in, give it a whirl and enjoy!





Other excellent idea lists for paleo/primal breakfasts can be found at Mark's Daily Apple and Eat Drink Paleo.

Bon Appetit!

Chuck E. Cheese GF Offerings Go Live!

As I mentioned in a previous blog post last spring, Chuck E. Cheese has been test marketing two gluten-free offerings in select midwest locations.  Well, it seems that the test is over and Chuck E. Cheese has announced their gluten-free cheese personal pizza and chocolate fudge cupcake will now be available nationwide.  See their information page for all the details.  Good news for those with kids wanting in on the whole Chuck E. Cheese experience.

High Value Enjoy Life Coupon

Mambo Sprouts currently has a $1.50 off any 2 Enjoy Life (gluten-free) products (click the coupon link at the top of the page).  We like Mambo Sprouts for their more natural and often gluten-free coupons and the wealth of information they provide.  They also preview new products and producers on a regular basis.

Whole30 - Kicking It Up a Notch!

Here we are, half way through the Whole30 January, 2013 Challenge!  Woohoo!  If you're participating than by now you've discovered this kind of lifestyle adjustment, while super rewarding, can also be very, well, challenging.  Personally, I found last week to be a struggle as I did not meal plan as well as I could have ~ I spent a lot of time staring into the fridge puzzling about what I should eat.  But no more!  We're kicking it up a notch with a few tips and tricks on how to have a successful Whole30.

1. Plan Ahead.  Duh - this seems like a no-brainer, but in the rush of life we often overlook it or  just fall back on winging it.  Big lifestyle changes require thinking ahead to be truly successful.  Have the right kinds of food in the house, hide those temptations, look ahead on the calendar for upcoming social events that could result in eating pitfalls, select a handful of go-to, easy recipes for when you're in a pinch, and grocery shop.
2. Meal Plan.  Actually this can be more challenging than it seems, especially if you're the only one in your household who is doing a Whole30.  With a house full of hungry, growing boys, I am a anal committed meal planner right down to rotating weekly and monthly meals and "theme" days (for example, Tuesday is always spaghetti day and Wednesday is soup of the week).  That said, I've done a piss-poor job of planning for my specialized eating, instead making the erroneous assumption that I'd just have the what the rest of the fam was eating minus the no-no foods.  This strategy in my experience has only a so-so success rating.  First, it can be difficult to get enough calories if you're only eating those things that are Whole30 legal.  Second, it can lead to some booooorrrring meals and trust me, that is NOT a recipe for success.  Think about it, in a meal where four dishes are planned, if only two are available for your eating pleasure you're either not going to get enough to eat or you're going to be eating a LOT of only two choices.
3. Go out on a limb.  Hey, you're changing your whole eating style so why not go out on a limb and try something new and/or exotic?  Since white potatoes are out, jazz it up by searching out some veggie you've never tried or experiment with a new recipe.  Make it fun!
4. Water, water everywhere.  Water tends to only get a cursory mention in Whole30 discussions since focus (understandably) swings to the more sexy topics of CrosstFit WODs, proteins, and vegetables vegetables vegetables.  But keeping the body hydrated, especially during a diet and exercise change, is crucial.  If you're experiencing detox symptoms, pure clean unadulterated water needs to be your new best friend.  And if you relate to much this from Crappy Pictures, then you probably need more water in your life.
5. Eat more fat.  This seems counter-intuitive, especially if your goal is too loose weight, but recent studies show eating more of the right kind of fat can actually increase weight loss.  Now this doesn't mean you can load up on deep fried Twinkies, instead eating a little extra healthy fat such as extra virgin olive, grass fed ghee, coconut oil and even - gasp - bacon can aid in your weight loss journey by increasing and prolonging the feeling of satiation.  See the book Eat Fat Lose Fat by Mary Enig (the queen of fat!) for a full discussion.
6. Spice it up!  Spices become the gold standard when not relying on deep frying, breading or drowning in ketchup every morsel of food to pass your lips.  Spices make food more interesting to the palate and take what might otherwise be bland fare to extraordinary.  Plus spices allow you to travel around the world on your plate - Mexican, Vietnamese, Indian, etc. come alive based on the spice blends you use. 
7. Sauce it up!  Like spices, interesting sauces make food more interesting.  And since sauces are often fat-based, this can be an easy and healthy way to get a little extra healthy fat.  Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple  and Primal Blueprint fame just came out with a comprehensive cookbook dedicated solely to sauces, Primal Blueprint Healthy Sauces, Dressings and Toppings that would be worth a look if you're needing creative ideas.
8. Trust an old stand-by.  Eggs.  Soups.  Big-ass salad.  If it was good pre-Whole30, see if you can adapt it to your current eating plan.  There's something to be said for those well-loved comfort foods.  In addition, think outside the box about timing - who's to say that a bowl of comforting paleo legal stew isn't just as good for breakfast as it is later in the day? 
9. Get your short-order cook on.  In a well planned restaurant kitchen and even in your blue plate diners, basic ingredients are prepped ahead of time to streamline meal assembly.  Doing the same in your own kitchen makes meal assembly quicker and presents you with a myriad of options when you open the refrigerator door to stare in.  Chop vegetables in advance.  Make double and triple batches to freeze.  Roast lots of vegetables at once for future meals.  Precook ground meat or chicken breasts to add to salads or lettuce wraps.  Boil eggs and save for later.  Melissa Joulwan has an excellent discussion of this in her cookbook Well Fed:  Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat; while there, check out her excellent hot plate recipe.

This week I've got my meal plan in place and have been sure to include some interesting new recipes I'm excited about trying, including Southwest Shrimp Cakes from Multiply Delicious, roasted cabbage, and spaghetti squash with truffle oil.  Yummo!  Enjoy your eating adventure by making the most out of every mouthful.

My Whole30 Challenge

from the Whole9 website

As I mentioned in my New Year blog post about resolutions vs. intentions, one of the intentions I've purposed for myself this year is to make healthier choices, and for me this means making getting back on the primal-paleo bandwagon.  For the most part I feel like I do a good job with my nutrition but let's just say the holidays kicked a hole in my otherwise good diet: too many little trips into the world of bread, a bit too many sweet treats and an overindulgence in dairy have left me feeling sluggish and not on my best game.  Thus the need for better health choices and my commitment to clean eating for the month of January by participating in the Whole30 Challenge.

What is a Whole30 you might ask?  Basically it's eating paleo for 30 days:  lots of lean meats, vegetables, vegetables, vegetables, vegetables, healthy oils such as olive and coconut, nuts and seeds, and limited amounts of fruits.  Eating these foods in the whole, unprocessed form is best. In addition, foods that can have a negative impact on your health should be avoided: grains of all kinds, legumes, dairy and sugars.  For a full rundown of the program see the Whole30 website.  For me, since I already eat a primal diet (usually), this means dialing back on the dairy (good-bye, cheese *sniff, sniff*) and eliminating primal-approved sweeteners such as maple syrup.  It also means I'm putting away the brand new ice cream maker I got for Christmas.

There are many excellent websites out there for advice, recipes and encouragement if you're interested in embarking on a Whole30 now or in the near future.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• The Official Whole30 January 2013 website - basic information, helpful hints, lots of support (also several ways to get extra help ~ if you're willing to pay for it, that is).
• Nom Nom Paleo's Whole30 - one of my fav paleo bloggers, love her recipes and her slightly irreverent take on life.
• The Clothes Make the Girl - Melissa Joulwan has a rocking blog full of lots of great recipes and authentic honesty.  Her Well Fed cookbook is also totes awesome.
• Danielle at Against All Grain is also participating in the January Whole30 Challenge and will undoubtedly whip up some tasty recipes to share (see her Banana Nut Porridge from today ~ know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow!)
• You can also check out my Pinterest board for several paleo-primal recipes and resources.

New Year, new effort

Currently in the blog-o-sphere, bloggers are posting a lot of look back retrospectives and look forward resolutions for the New Year.  Understandably, being as it's the start of 2013 and all.  Well, in an effort to keep up with current trends I'm jumping on the look forward bandwagon (since the look back would primarily be about chickens, and I think we've had enough of that for awhile).  Herewith is my obligatory discussion on my resolutions for 2013.

Actually, I don't make resolutions (sounds like the making for a really short blog post, doesn't it?).  I'm of the camp that thinks New Year's resolutions are actually just a recipe for setting oneself up for failure and the resulting self-flagellation that usually follows.  Not being a fan of self-flagellation, instead, I like to set intentions.  What do I mean by that?  Basically, instead of making hard and fast resolutions which require a lot of manufactured will-power and self-determination which ultimately sputters out in early spring, I fix my mind on a more general guideline that then can be spun off into more concrete goals.  For example, instead of making a resolution of losing 10 pounds which would necessitate companion resolutions of exercising x number of times per week and going on some kind of restrictive diet, I instead set an intention of living a more healthy lifestyle.  For me this currently looks like adding more movement and exercise in my life, doing a Whole30 Challenge this month and making a commitment to getting more sleep.  It also allows me to add mental health aspects if I so desire, like giving myself the gift of an afternoon off or getting back into journaling.  I like the flexibility this affords me, the lack of pressure to live up to some (often) arbitrary goal.  I also like how setting an intention focuses on the positive instead of on the razor edge of failure resolutions seem to tiptoe along.  In a way intentions vs. resolutions may seem a bit like a po-tae-toe po-tah-toe kind of argument, but for me it's a healthier mental exercise that allows for more authentic and evolving year long goals and habit patterns.

So join me, won't you, in setting some healthy intentions and let's make this the best year yet.