Days 23-31: Whole30

Day 23: One day of not writing led to quite a few so playing some catch up.

Breakfast: Egg scramble with apple chicken sausage, asparagus and avocado.

Lunch: Lunch at Seva and to stay compliant, I didn’t follow the plan for protein but enjoyed some solid veggies – steamed broccoli, roasted root vegetables and brussels sprouts.

Dinner: Chicken, Apple & Avocado salad with roasted plantains

Day 24: 

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs & avocado

Lunch: Made lettuce wraps with the Chicken, Apple, Avocado Salad

Dinner: Made up nachos. Seasoned ground beef with avocado, pico de gallo and roasted plantains.

Day 25: I was under the weather and didn’t have much of an appetite.

Day 26:

Breakfast: I made Sweet Potato toast with avocado and eggs over easy.

Lunch: I had leftover nachos with roasted plantains, ground beef, pico de gallo and guacamole.

Dinner: Roasted up some butternut squash and eggs over easy.

Day 27:

Breakfast: I made the Skinnytaste recipe for spiralized sweet potato latkes with avocado and eggs. This recipe was so good.

Lunch: I was busy helping prep for my cousin’s shower that I didn’t eat a true meal – just grabbed an RX bar.

Dinner: Made what I had in my fridge work – roasted sweet potatoes with avocado and a slice of apple chicken sausage with roasted brussels sprouts and bacon. d

Day 28:

Breakfast: Simple breakfast – scrambled eggs, butternut squash and blueberries.

Lunch: I wasn’t sure about my lunch. I brought it to my cousin’s baby shower where we served all this yummy comfort breakfast type food that I helped make the day before – especially all the desserts. I am surprised by how my taste buds have changed.

Dinner: I made the Salmon Cakes recipe that is in the book It Starts with Food.

Day 29:

Breakfast: Made egg muffins with asparagus, broccoli and onion and some roasted sweet potatoes.

Lunch: Ate out and the only thing on the menu that could work was the Strawberry Chicken salad. I requested that my chicken not be cooked in anything and with the oranges, I didn’t use any dressing. It tasted good, just was still hungry after I ate.

Dinner: Leftover salmon cakes with cabbage and cauliflower rice with avocado.

Day 30

Breakfast: Ate the same breakfast as the Made egg muffins with asparagus, broccoli and onion and some roasted sweet potatoes (same pic).

Lunch: Made up cauliflower rice with brussels sprouts and topped it with a burger, avocado, pico de gallo and guacamole.

Dinner: Ended up with roasted plantains and avocado. I stopped at Whole Foods with the intention of grabbing something compliant from the hot buffet but this location seemed to be out of pretty much everything.

 

I made it! I’m not quite sure of the full impact just yet. It has me thinking a lot about how I view food and in some ways this program showed me how much sugar is in pretty much everything that I’ve previously eaten. In some ways, this became something to control. And I am noticing that I am still not drinking enough water. I think that would help even more based on one of the main reasons I wanted to try this was to see if this way of eating changed how much inflammation I had.

Day 1 of Reintroduction: Legumes:

Today I wasn’t sure what I would reintroduce. I haven’t eaten peanut butter much since I tried almond butter and cashew butter. So I stayed compliant for breakfast and lunch.

Breakfast: Butternut squash noodles with a couple of eggs over easy.

Lunch: Work brought in Buddy’s pizza and salad. It’s interesting noticing how much people bond over eating the same foods and how when I anticipate that I’m not eating what everyone else is eating that my food won’t taste as good — and it has been the exact opposite. I decided to grab some of the lettuce and squeezed lemon over it and heated up my burger and added guacamole and some roasted plantains. It helps  me to keep reminding myself why I’m doing this.

Dinner: I debated on what to do for dinner. I knew I would get home late and decided I wanted to try something so I picked up Chipotle on the way home – a salad with carnitas, black beans, salsa and guac. I do feel more bloated and I’m not sure if that’s the black beans, feeling dehydrated, how salty the dish seemed, or a combination of it all.

 

Days 19-22: Whole30

Day 19: At the end of the work week, I feel like this prep definitely comes in handy. Noticing that as this goes on, my will is strong for following the plan, but not as strong for writing about it everyday. Plus after awhile it feels like here’s another day where I’m having exactly the same thing. Here’s the recap:

Breakfast: Breakfast Hash.

Lunch: I didn’t take a pic – was in a rush to eat. Work brought in lunch for clients and I ate a couple pickles (compliant) before eating leftover Buffalo Chicken Casserole.

Dinner: Stopped at Trader Joe’s on the way home to mix it up on Friday night. Made my own stuffed portobello mushroom with ground chicken, asparagus, broccoli and a side of butternut squash.

 

Day 20: Today was an interesting day. I feel like I only ate one true meal but stayed compliant the whole day with working TigerFest. Here’s the meal plan:

Breakfast: Made my favorite Breakfast Bowl.

Lunch: I tried a couple new bars. I know bars aren’t really meals but I was working so I did what I could. I tried the RX bar and an Epic bar. Both compliant and both are also available at Trader Joe’s. And it was so nice to have something other than a Larabar.

Dinner: Avocado & roasted plantains and had some grapes and strawberries – I know, I know – no protein. I just couldn’t stomach eating any meat or anymore eggs.

 

Day 21: Today was about trying to use up some of the ingredients in my fridge to not waste food. Yesterday was definitely an egg overload day. And I wonder why I get sick of eggs 😉 Noticing that the more simple I keep it, sometimes the more I enjoy the food.

Breakfast: Butternut squash is one of my favorites. This meal was quick and tasty – avocado & egg.

Lunch: Needed something quick so I heated up the ground chicken that I made on Friday night, added some broccoli and an egg for a quick lunch.

Dinner: I put a portobello mushroom in the oven, filled it with ground chicken (and a bunch of spices), topped it with two eggs over easy and some broccoli.

 

Day 22: I’ve been thinking a lot about the end of Whole30 lately. Especially when we went out to lunch for work today. Still feeling tired but noticed I slept a bit better last night. Here was today’s meal plan:

Breakfast: Simple – scrambled eggs with apple & chicken sausage with avocado.

Snack: an RX bar

Lunch: A grilled piece of salmon.

Dinner: Avocado, Apple & Chicken Salad with roasted plantains. Really enjoyed this recipe.

Days 17 & 18: Whole 30

This week seems to be getting away from me in terms of the whole sharing what I’ve eaten – the prep each day has helped a ton with the events this week. Been pretty darn tired this week but still fully committed to staying Whole30 compliant.

Yesterday’s meal plan:

Breakfast: My favorite Whole30 Breakfast Bowl: scrambled eggs, banana, vanilla powder with almond butter, apple slices and unsweetened coconut flakes.

Snack: Cashew Butter Larabar

Lunch: Leftovers of the Buffalo Chicken Casserole from jaysbakingmecrazy.com.

Snack: Celery with almond butter

Dinner: The Easy Paleo Chili

Today’s been more of the same.

Breakfast: Made a new batch of the Breakfast Hash this morning.

Lunch: Leftovers of the Easy Paleo Chili – added avocado and roasted plantains

Dinner: I decided to mix breakfast and lunch together. Kind of over the same thing today. Might have to make a new recipe tomorrow to help mix this up.

Going to keep this short & sweet so I can get in some yoga tonight. How are you guys doing so far?

Day 16: Whole30

Today was a decent day. I wasn’t so sure when I woke up because the thought of eating the same breakfast again was not appealing.  I think food prep is really important for success with Whole30 but I’m the type of person that likes to be excited to eat and food prep for one person means eating a meal more than twice unless it freezes well. I like to try different recipes and don’t typically eat the same thing everyday for a week. Even today’s breakfast was only day 3. I know I’m lucky to be able to prepare this food and eat it for as long as it lasts — just noticing what encourages success for me. Here’s today’s meal plan:

Breakfast: Same breakfast as the last two days. Today it was hard to eat. It still tasted good but for whatever reason I just couldn’t eat it anymore. I did. But I didn’t want to! Egg muffin scramble with sweet potatoes – my own creation.

Snack: Apple Pie larabar

Lunch: Second day of the Chili and it tasted even better today. It pairs really well with plantain chips. Here’s the recipe in case you missed it yesterday.

Dinner: Made a new recipe to share with my friend Caryn who was in town tonight. Even more fun with a friend visits that is doing Whole30 so they are totally on board! The Buffalo Chicken Casserole was incredible. It helped mix things up this week. And even made my own ranch! Actually looking forward to eating this one again.

 

Day 15: Whole30

The halfway point. Well only if you don’t look ahead to the reintroduction period. Today was a good food day. Let’s just get to the meal plan:

Breakfast: The same as yesterday and just as good. Good thing it heats up well since I will be eating it again tomorrow. It’s my own creation – cooked the mushrooms, brussels and sausage ahead of time, mixed up spaghetti squash and 4-5 eggs together. I put the mushrooms, brussels and sausage in the muffin pan and poured the egg mixture over it. Baked it at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Just kept checking it. Had the sweet potatoes baking at the same time with a drizzle of olive oil, garlic powder and salt.

Lunch: I was hungry when I got back from yoga so decided to try a smoothie recipe while I made my real lunch. It was a Carrot Cake Smoothie. I didn’t have hemp seeds so added Chia seeds and used nutmeg oil because I didn’t have the spice. It was really good. Like felt like I was cheating good. I probably didn’t need to make that up first as my lunch was really easy. I made Avocado Cauliflower toast with an egg. This was good – and I’m excited to try the variation with sweet potato.

Dinner: I wanted something quick for dinner so decided to make this Chili recipe. It’s hearty and has a good bite to it. Just thinking up the ways now to reuse it and not have it taste the exact same as tonight. Tonight I baked sweet potato and grabbed some roasted plantains to dip into it.

 

Day 14: Whole30

Yesterday was a day of my own creation. Definitely noticed though after a full day that I started craving a nice glass of wine while I made dinner. I opted for a hot cup of tea to relax along with diffusing some Valor essential oil. This week I am noticing I also want more sleep. Trying to focus on the basics – start with food, rest and movement. Here was yesterday’s meal plan:

Breakfast: I made egg scramble muffins with apple sausage, brussels sprouts and mushrooms. I roasted sweet potato with a drizzle of olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. This was so good – I had leftovers for this morning and added avocado.

Lunch: Had leftover spaghetti squash so decided to cook up some chicken in coconut oil with garlic powder, salt and pepper. I made my own sauce with crushed tomatoes, mushrooms and sausage. Spaghetti squash continues to grow on me.

Dinner: Created a stir fry with spaghetti squash, brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli and chicken. Used some of the coconut aminos, salt and pepper for seasoning.

Dessert: Apple with almond butter

Magic

Today was about stepping into a more truthful story about ourselves. I sat in awe today watching Anthony Grupido, a 21-year old from my hometown of Lake Orion, share his powerful story of mental health while weaving in his magic.

Even the word Abracadabra derives from an Aramaic phrase meaning “I create as I speak.”

I’m glad more people are speaking up like Anthony because we’ve already lost so many. Globally, there is one suicide about every 40 seconds. In the U.S., there is a suicide every 13.7 minutes.

I want to help continue the conversation in honor of my friend Eric. Because life can be hard and you may not know where to get help.

Here’s one of my favorite resources: TWLOHA.

 

 

 

Day 13: Whole30

 

Yesterday was an extremely full day and honestly being on Whole30 made it easier. I didn’t have to waste time trying to figure out what to eat or eat my emotions out after attending a funeral. I kept it simple and used up a lot of the leftovers in the fridge.  Here was yesterday’s meal plan:

Breakfast: I ordered nutpods and they arrived Friday so I couldn’t wait to try my first one on Saturday morning with coffee. I did black coffee and cinnamon and I could continue to do it but just wasn’t enjoying it as much. Hazelnut is pretty good but excited to try the other too! Breakfast was simple – egg scramble with sausage and mushrooms.

Lunch: I led a yoga & oils meet-up for Lole Royal Oak at Shanti Yoga and brought my lunch to the studio. Adding the lettuce helped keep these rollups intact and added a nice crunch. While I’ve eaten this meal a few times this week, even minor adjustments made it feel new and still satisfying.

Dinner: I worked the Red Wings game last night and instead of the normal media meal – which usually includes a slice of pizza, I brought spaghetti squash with crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, brussels sprouts and sausage. Unintentionally I poured the sauce into a heart shape – this hit the spot. Old habits are hard to break. Usually during the game, I might have a cup of popcorn so instead I brought blueberries – which tasted even better.

It’s been interesting having conversations around Whole30 and noticing what people are willing or not willing to give up even for 30 days. I know it’s all personal and what’s most important to you. Right now, this Whole30 is about getting clear on what works for me and what doesn’t — food, relationships, work — all of it. It’s about creating more awareness on my choices and the impact they have on all the areas of my life. ❤ If you’re doing Whole30, what’s your why?

Day 12: Whole30

 

Two full work weeks completed! Today felt easier – not sure why but I’ll take it! I kind of put my food together last minute (even rushing to throw lunch together as I walked out the door this morning). Let’s get right to it – today’s meal plan:

Breakfast: Wanted something other than eggs and yet this one does have eggs in it – the Oatless Oatmeal. I put unsweetened coconut, blueberries and almond slices. I still need to work on the texture as I think I would want it a little thicker next time.

Lunch: I’ve posted this one a couple times this week. I made some minor adjustments, adding more Plainville turkey slices, baking the sweet potato in bigger thinner slices (I like that variation best) with some garlic powder and pink salt. Today I added apple slices – a good combo.

Dinner: I debated on going to the grocery store after yoga and decided to make what I had at home work. I had previously picked up the turkey burgers from Trader Joe’s and decided to heat those up with some peppers and onions. Threw some avocado on there. My acorn squash just has coconut oil and sprinkle of cinnamon. The brussels are just a light garlic powder and pink salt. Sometimes keeping it simple is the best choice.

Day 11: Whole30

Definitely felt the full moon today. Or maybe that’s just what Day 11 feels like? I’m noticing my energy levels are low these days and my face is noticing the impact of whatever my body is getting rid of. Oh the joy. But my stomach seems happier so that’s progress. Here’s the meal plan from today:

Breakfast: I am still not loving the idea of eggs and yet I made them this morning. Thankfully this recipe doesn’t taste egg-y. It’s the Breakfast Bowl. If you haven’t made it, do yourself a favor and try this.

Snack: Celery with almond butter

Lunch: Same as yesterday but decided to layer up two slices of that Plainville Farms turkey to make up the wraps. They become sturdier and more filling. You can add what you want to it. I had spinach, avocado and sweet potato seasoned with garlic powder.

Snack: Apple Pie Larabar and plantains — too many plantains.

Dinner: I got home a bit later than anticipated so I tried a quick new recipe: Grain Free (Whole30) Oatmeal. I know the goal isn’t to make recipes of your favorites and make them compliant. I don’t even love oatmeal but wanted to expand what I was eating and this one was quick. Basically throw it all in a food processor and add the almond butter and splash of almond or coconut milk and BOOM you’re eating.