Random Thoughts & Tips

Hey guys, its been a while since I've written a blog.  It's winter, and I get crabby.  But the weather has changed and so has my mood!  Here are a few random things going on in my head and in my world:


Starting seeds
Yep, it's time to start seeds for the garden.  Technically, Im behind by a few weeks for the longest germinating little guys, but it is what it is.  As I've said before, I can get most of what I need at the farmer's market and flowers stores.  The plants are in better shape, and probably cheaper after factoring in electricity for the grow light.  At $3 a pop, sometimes 4 for $10, that's the way to go.  But every year I start the seeds anyway.  I think after our long, cold, winters, I just need to GROW something!   GROW FOREST GROW!!

Starting Whole 30 .... again
I've also decided I want to get rid of my winter body.  So I've restarted my Whole 30 diet from a few years ago.  The plan is actually set up to rid your body of common food allergens, and then add them back in one group at a time, in order to see which food types affect you.  Since I've already don't that, and Im going it for weight loss reasons, I'm going to be a tiny bit more lenient.  Im still going to follow the no grains, no wheat, no dairy, no sugar, no processed, no alcohol, no legumes, no peanuts (no fun).  But I am still going to allow myself a little honey, since I think it is good for my body.  I will not be making my own ketchup (sugar).  Im not going to beat myself up for eating salad dressing from a restaurant that probably has sugar in it.  I may have a small amount of corn in the form of corn tortillas for tacos, and that's about it.

The first few days have been the hardest as my body adjusts.  I have been a little bit tired, with no carbs as an energy supply.  I also have to remember to eat more.  I know, weird, right?  I have planned out my month of dinners so that I am never stuck without dinner.  Basically lots of roasted and grilled meats and fish.  I also have portioned out almond butter, and have apples and celery (as well as pistachios and cashews, on hand for snacks.  I tried eating hard boiled eggs, but I just don't like them.  So I'll still make them, but turn them into egg or potato salad for lunch.   I also have premade smoothie bags full of frozen fruit and veggies in the freezer so I can grab and go with a protein, fiber, smoothie.  Im not going to lie, this diet takes some weekly prep work.

I'll let you know how I do!
P.S.  I am eating WAY more than I ate before to stay full before.  My friend, and natural food guru, Katy, says it's because I don't have the grains bloating my belly and making me feel full.

Today's breakfast:  2 eggs scrambled with sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, basil, and turmeric.  Fried white and sweet potatoes with natural ketchup.  Fresh strawberries.    Pretty damn good.

Random Tips & Tricks


Tip #1 - Have you ever thought "is this egg still good?"
Here's a great way to tell - take a medium sized bowl and fill it with water.  Gently put the raw egg in the water.  If it sinks, its fresh.  If it stand on its end on the bottom, it's not super fresh but it's still good.  If it floats to the top, its time to throw it away, or in your compost heap!

Tip #2 - Cutting an avocado for a sandwich or guacamole
Pretty easy actually.  Cut it to the skin all the way around.  Open.  Whack the knife (sharp side, not tip) into the pit so it sticks, and twist.  Bang it against the trash to release.  Now with the avocado in your hand, use the knife to cut slices through the avocado down to the rind.  The rind is thick, so if you do this gently, you won't cut through.  If you want slices, use a spoon to scoop it out, and it is pre-sliced! If you want mashed, continue to cut in the opposite direction so you have cubes.  Now use the back of your spoon to smoosh the cubes right in it's shell.  Then scoop out your avocado mush!  Voila!

Tip #3 - Love fresh minced garlic?
Take this tip that I got from Rachel Ray - use a small-hole grater!  I now usually use a grater for this small task.  Just remember to rotate the clove or you will get stuck with a few larger pieces.  BONUS:  When you are done grating, rinse the grater under water and then rub your garlicky fingers along the safe side.  Under nails if necessary.  It will get rid of the garlic smell on your skin.

Tip #4 - Non-watered down drink
If you have leftover coffee or white wine (I know, who would possibly have leftover wine?), pour the leftovers into an ice cube tray.  They will be ready the next time you make iced coffee or need to cool down a glass of wine, and you won't be watering them down!

Enough of randomness for one day!

Enjoy your Spring!  Get outside!

Peace.  Love.  Serene.

Here We Go Again ...

Whole 30 Complete

I did it!  It's complete!  I went 30 days without sugar, dairy, alcohol, gluten, bread, corn, beans, or anything processed.

I promised that I would be honest so here it is:  I don't feel hands-down awesome like I thought I would.  I thought I was going to have a ton of energy, a ton of weight loss, and a big smile on my face. Maybe I was expecting too much.  I am sleeping better, and I have lost a bit of weight.  Granted, I wasn't a die-hard participant, but I just couldn't beat myself up over the little things.  I did have commercial ketchup when necessary (and organic sugar-free at home), I did eat peanut butter through most of the month, and maybe that was part of sensitivity and I screwed it up (I've decided that after adding all foods back in one at a time, I will do a stint of 30 days without ALL legumes, to see if they are an issue for me).  I also used bottled salad dressing, which is sugar and processed.




I will be honest that I accidentally cheated a few days ago - I bought "coconut bliss" dairy-free ice cream, because I was having one hell of a sweets craving (men-block your eyes .... Women-I was on my period, and I know all of you know what I'm talking about!). So I scanned the ingredients.  Coconut milk, cocoa powder, very few others.  Cool! I ate about a quarter of the pint and it was gooooood.  There was a little something missing in the aftertaste, and I think it's because the coconut milk doesn't coat your tongue like dairy does.  So as I'm putting it away, I glance at the ingredients again - agave.  Damn!  I wasn't supposed to have any sugar, sucrolose, honey, agave, stevia- nothing.  And I did feel crappy the next couple of days, but I think it may be a coincidence.  Could that little amount really set me off like that?

My super trying nails are also now weak again and breaking - could also be a time of month thing.

And to finish off the 30 days, I had a celebratory meal with my friends Katy & Jason, and my brother Seabrook:  King crab legs with melted clarified butter, and a big green salad with kale and parsley out of my garden.  Holy cow - what a way to graduate!  And wouldn't you know it - I was so excited to eat that I forgot to take a picture!

It was hard, but I did it!  Here are a few tips:

- Always be prepared - make lunches the night before - always make enough for leftovers - sometimes you just don't feel like cooking
- You won't always be hungry like you think you will.  These foods keep you way more full.

- Soda water with fresh lime makes a pretty good cocktail

- Tell people about what you're doing - they will be less likely to say "just one bite?"
- When you're sick of a type of food (for me it was eggs), try to change it up.  Add some new herbs or spices (towards the end I added curry powder to my eggs and cooked with red pepper and apples)
- Be strong - each craving will pass!  Sweets craving?  Eat some pineapple or watermelon.  Chocolate craving?  Have a banana smoothie with coconut milk and cocoa powder (make sure you get it from a health-type grocery store and that it doesn't have any added sugar)
- Don't beat yourself up if you found out you ate something off of your list (like in condiments).  You can only do your best!
- There are snacks you can have on hand.  Make sweet potato chips or see the pics below: cinnamon apple chips or freeze dried veggie chips.  You can also have dried fruit and veggies.
- Coconut aminos are a good substitute for soy sauce (buy at health food store).
- Don't try to fool your body and have simulations of the foods you can't eat.
- There is way more that you can eat than you think you can (see bottom of page).

Oysters in Pittsburgh with my brother, Seabrook,  & my sister's boyfriend, Josh

Tuna salad w/ extra veggies - celery, radish, & zucchini

Thai grilled chicken with thai cuc & radish salad + watermelon

Snacks you CAN have!  Cinnamon apple chips or freeze dried veggie chips

For your Whole 30, REMEMBER, You can make:
grilled chicken, poached chicken, chicken soup (no noodles), steak on the grill, grilled shrimp, shrimp scampi, pulled pork, beef roast with onions, carrots, and cabbage, grilled fish, sautéed fish, baked fish, steak, chicken, or shrimp stir fry, meatloaf (no oats or breadcrumbs), guacamole, almond butter on celery, freeze dried fruit, fruit smoothies (no milk), hard boiled eggs, fried eggs, poached eggs, veggie egg scramble, sweet potato hash, local sausage & bacon, fruit, tuna salad w/ homemade olive oil mayo, eggs salad w/ oo mayo, chili (no beans), lettuce tacos, burgers (no bun), chicken sate, zucchini "pasta" with marinara or pesto, salad / grilled chicken, strawberries & pecans, ham or turkey sub on lettuce wrap ... And much more!

Peace.  Love.  Serene.

Whole 30 - Day 22

Ok everyone, I'm feeling great!  I am not waking up in the middle of the night, I am being told I look slim, that my skin is glowing, and that my eyes are brighter.  I would like to say I have more energy, but frankly I haven't been getting my 8 hours of sleep, so I only have myself to blame.  I also have not been exercising at all (ok summer hockey is in season, but I don't count that).  I wish I would have been better about that because I feel like I would have seen some huge changes.

What do you think?  Can I still add that in and have a bikini-ready body by pool party time?

I am now in Washington DC for my little brother, Khyler's, high school graduation.  I wasn't prepared for breakfast before my flight, so I had three bananas in the car and airport to hold me over.  Surprisingly, it worked!  Because there was nooooothing for me to eat at the airport except for overpriced whole fruit.

Now that I'm here, I'm sticking to the plan.  My sister Sony, her boyfriend Josh, and I, went kayaking on the Potomac - super fun!  

We had BBQ yesterday, which was really good.  I also made stovetop popcorn for everyone.  Then it was pointed out to me that it's corn, which is not on the approved list.  So is it off plan?  My thinking is that I can't have corn because of the starch, but the kernel itself does not hold the same properties, so I think it's perfectly fine.  It better be, because I already realized my mistake on peanut butter and had to cut that out!

Today was the grad party, and probably the hardest day yet.  They had it catered by Baja fresh, which all looks amazing.  And besides the tortillas, chips, and cheese, there is a lot for me to eat!  I grabbed a piece of lettuce and made a huge burrito.

BUT I have felt like I'm missing something today.  It could be the amazing spread of chips and salsa,

Or it could be the incredible cupcakes ... As I said before, I don't have much of a sweet tooth normally, but these are killing me!

I can do this!  Resist the cupcakes!

Peace.  Love.  Serene.

Whole 30 - Day 16

Whole 30 Plan - Day 16 - WOO HOO!

I had every intention on writing on day 15, but we had a 2 big shows at Bloomfield Gymnastics yesterday (which went splendidly), and I just didn't have the energy to write the second blog last night.

So I am over the hump 

50% completed  

Moving towards the finish line

And I have to say - I feel great!  Yes, it's still a struggle to find things to eat.  I'm back to eating eggs - scrambled with various veggies and sausage each morning.  Also, last night I went out to dinner to the Moose Preserve, which hasn't happened many times during this program.  I only found a few options, and had to pick one.  I chose "naked & fit chicken" - charbroiled chicken breast with grilled onions a double side of veggies.  (see pic) The veggies were really good.  I also have a new appreciation for soda water with fresh lime.  The spinach artichoke dip looked yummy, but I resisted.  I'm getting a lot of people saying "just one bite" or "just one sip of beer" ... but other than unavoidable sugars (ketchup at a restaurant), I'm sticking to the plan!

On a great note, I am really starting to feel the difference.  My pants are fitting better.  Part of the program is to not weigh yourself, but I don't anyway, so I would have no starting point.  I'm sleeping a lot better (other than the crazy itchy bug bite - see previous post).  I am not having my 4am protein cravings that usually got my out of bed for a Babybel cheese and 4 Triscuits.

I had noticed my fingernails had gotten really weak.  They were easily bendable, and they split easily.  I am now noticing longer nails, and they are very strong.

Mood:  While my friend Donna, and the other coaches at Bloomfield Gymnastics may not agree with this statement, I really have been in a better mood the last couple of days.  The show yesterday was very stressful, so that may have come through, and Thursday I was crabby because I was trying to pull everything together, and it was also the last remnants of my healing crisis.  So yes, I think I do have improved mood.  Whether it is the food, or the weather, or what part of my cycle I'm in.  Who knows!

Are you thinking about trying the Whole 30 plan yet?

IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT!

Peace.  Love.  Serene.

Whole 30 - Healing Crisis

Im coming up to my halfway mark of this program, and I'll have to admit, it isn't all the smiles and roses that I reported last time.  Yesterday was the first time I was feeling some cravings for my forbidden foods.  I was looking through Pinterest on Halloween boards (yes, I look at Halloween stuff all year long.  This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone by now), and there were a lot of cool cakes, caramel apples, and other various desserts.  It looked good.  It looked really REALLY good.  More so than I've ever wanted sweets before.  And it's not the only time in the last few days that desserts have looked good to me.  Which is strange, because I really don't eat much sugar, so I thought that would be the easiest of the food groups to avoid.  Why do they look so good to me now?  Don't tell me Im going to want sugar just because Im not eating cheese?  Or is it because Im eliminating all of the sugar from my body, and the tiny bit I ate before was just enough of a "comfort padding" for my body, that now it is losing it and craving more?  This is a question for the more health-smart people in my life (Katy? Jason?)

I've also had some physical distress - I had a migraine (true migraine - sensitive to light - could be due to dehydration) over the past three days - thank goodness for strong meds!  I had also felt some flu-like symptoms.  Chills, nausea, achy.  But for some reason I knew it wasn't the flu.   I'm hoping this is the point that they call the Healing Crisis

• The healing crisis is the result of every body-system, in concert, working to eliminate waste products through all elimination channels and set the stage for regeneration. The end result: old tissues are replaced with new. When any treatment or cleansing program causes a large scale die-off of bacteria, a significant amount of endotoxins (toxins within the bacteria itself) are released into the body. The more bacteria present, and the stronger their endotoxins, the stronger the cleansing reaction. When any treatment or detox causes the organs of the body (particularly the liver, which is a storehouse of drug and poison residues) to release their stored poisons and toxins, a cleansing reaction may occur. Any program, such as fasting, which causes a rapid breakdown of fat cells (which are a storehouse for toxins), can cause a healing crisis as toxins previously lodged in the fat cells are released into the blood stream. 

If in fact I have hit this point, it means that my body has really worked through all of the stores of sugar, gluten, toxins, and all rest of the things I have eliminated, and are working them out of the body.  It means my body is truly getting healthier, and replacing the poisoned cells with new healthy ones. 

Strangely enough, my willpower is still going strong.  I know some of you are considering this plan and you don't think you could do it.  YOU CAN!  I considered not reporting the bad stuff from above, but it is part of the necessary healing process.  The worst was only 3 days.  Today is day 4 and while I'm not feeling awesome, I am going in the right direction.

To end this blog, I will share a collage of foods I have been eating - YUM! - While I might have to work a little bit harder for my meals and be prepared, nobody can say that Im not eating well!

Peace.  Love.  Serene!

Eggs and veggies, cherries!

Eggs and veggies, farmers market sausage

Panara fuji apple salad (no dairy in the dressing - I checked!  But probably a wee bit of sugar)

Tuna salad (olive oil Vitamix mayo) in lettuce wrap with shredded carrots and cucumber

Chicken stir fry (no rice) - no sauce

Grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, cherries

Zucchini noodles with marinara and fresh basil

Shrimp scampi with clarified butter (only dairy allowed)

Marinated grilled pork tenderloin, grilled apples, grilled onions, green beans, fresh pineapple

And my NEW FAVORITE:  Frozen bananas in vitamix w/ coconut milk, salt, & cinnamon

Whole 30 progress

So my plan was to blog for all of you once a week, but since this is the FIRST week, I thought I would throw in an extra blog to let you know how I'm doing, because, you know, I'm supposed to be kind of batty this first week.

Well, not so much.  But let me explain:  as I said before, I don't drink coffee.  Wait, I do drink coffee, but only when absolutely necessary, filled with milk and sugar.  I don't enjoy the taste, and I am certainly not dependent on it to start my day.  So obviously I didn't even think about that.  While there have a been a few sugary things that look good to me, I haven't had any cravings for them (not unusual for me).  I thought I would be longing after all the foods I can't have, but i really haven't.  My willpower has been pretty strong (I know, color me surprised!), but generally my meals keep me pretty full.  Yesterday I just had a handful of raw cashews for lunch.  That's a no-no, so I promise not to do that again. (I know, Hartwigs, 3 meals!).  At this point, you're saying, "Serene.  You've only made it through 4 days."  HEY!  I dare you to try it!

There have been things that I looked at and thought "just one taste?", but they (from now on you can assume that when I say THEY in relation to this program, I am referring to the authors of the book it starts with food, and the whole 30 program, Dallas & Melissa Hartwig) are pretty adamant that there are no "one-bite" cheats.  So alas, NO SOUP FOR YOU!  (Completely lost on you if you aren't a Seinfeld fan).

My mom will be surprised at the breakfasts I am eating (I'm not much of a breakfast person), which have been yummy, but I have a feeling I'm going to run out of ideas fast.  I'm already a little sick of eggs.  I might go back to my ways of high school and have dinner for breakfast.  I'm a weirdo.  I would eat leftover Chinese food at 7am.  So maybe now it will be grilled chicken and broccoli.  Sounds like a good way to start the day!  Gosh, I can hear you in my head! "Why not try those gluten-free waffles, pancaked, etc or some oatmeal?"  .... 1) Oatmeal is off limits too.  Grains.  2) I'm sure those gluten-free items still have a form of sugar.  I can't even have maple syrup or honey, which is the substitute for most people.   3). They generally say that you shouldn't eat the foods that fool your body.  It doesn't help you break the habit.

When I wanted to cheat (but didn't):

- Making dark chocolate brownies that my grandmother requested.  Mmmm batter.

- Red wings game:  0 items to eat.  Everyone eating pizza and beer.  Another time that I was surprised that it was the beer I really wanted.  Not even BW3 (buffalo wild wings for you younger folks - they changed their name) had their "naked" wings without breading.  I held out and just drank water, and ate a banana when I got home.  Surprisingly, I only needed to satiate my hunger, there was no cravings once I got home.

- I already know I'm going to want a tailgate beer after my hockey game tonight.  It's part of the game - hanging out in the parking lot.  Again with the beer ... And I know I'm not an alcoholic, but it definitely shows how much a part of life it is.

Yeah that's it in the 4 days

How I feel:

Not much different.  I haven't woken up in the middle of the night since I started.  I always get up to pee, or because I crave cheese.  I want to give this another week to make sure it's the program and not something else.  So far no extra clear thinking or amazing energy.  I didn't really expect that after 4 days.  Ok, yeah I did.  I also haven't seen any weight loss (Im actually not allowed to weigh myself per the rules, but I don't anyway - I mean I haven't FELT any weight loss), but I feel less bloaty.  You girls know what Im talking about.

Here's what I've been eating:

Breakfasts:  Sweet potato hash with 2 fried eggs, and Egg scramble with onion, pepper, sausage, tomato, and sprouts on top for crunch.  Side of strawberries.

 

Lunch at work:  Salad with grilled chicken, cuc, sprouts, peppers, blueberries, dried cranberries, pecans.  Guacamole on cucumber, fruit salad  (I had this twice).  Second day I added an apple with homemade almond butter made with raw almonds, coconut oil, himalayan salt, and cinnamon.  Yum!  I love my VitaMix!

I can do this!

Peace. Love. Serene.

It Starts With Food

ITS NOT A DIET!

Ok, so it's not a diet, but it is a PROGRAM called Whole 30, from the book "It Starts With Food" by Melissa & Dallas Hartwig.  So technically I am CHANGING my diet, which I guess is the definition of a diet, but it's more than that.

They include a lot of what they call "sciency" stuff that explains why grains, gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and legumes are bad for your system.  Let's not even start on processed food (this includes protein and "health" bars)  But the bottom line is that many of these food groups can cause systematic inflammation, which leads to pretty much a gamut of bodily issues:  weight gain, allergies, migraines, swelling, IBS, depression, and all kinds of other things.   Oh and also, they explain that milk is made by mothers to fatten up babies, and give them much needed nutrients very early in life.  That its not really meant to be consumed throughout your life.  And cows milk is for calves ... not humans.  I don't know - that all kind of makes sense to me.

So here's the plan:  30 days with none of the above mentioned food groups.  A diet of quality organic meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, veggies, and fruit.  To season food: olive oil, clarified butter (oh yeah, clarified butter and heavy cream are allowed - Im really not sure why), vinegars, and herbs.

Im not going to lie.  Im a little bit nervous.  One minute I'm saying "I don't drink coffee, and I don't have much of a sweet tooth - this will be a breeze!" Then I went to the grocery store.  Bad move.  I had gone too long before dinner, but I had to get some much needed "prep" food so that I can avoid this very situation in the future. I was hungry.  Then I saw some yummy looking crackers, and some delicious cheese.  DOH!  Ok, so maybe not so much a breeze.  Im not even going to talk about the pasta aisle.  BUT I kept reminding myself of the equally yummy meal at home I was going to make.  And it's only DAY 1 for cripes sake!

So I went home and made my dinner.  In fact, I took pictures of all of my meals today, and you will find them below.  Even my hamburger at the farmer's market!  What surprised me was that it wasn't the bun that I missed - but the beer the guy at the next table was drinking looked awfully good on this 90-degree day!

DAY 1

Breakfast:  Scrambled eggs w/ basil, vietnamese chicken sausage from the farmers market (I know every ingredient!), fresh strawberries.  It was amazing how sweet and flavorful the first bite tasted.  I realized that I didn't feel the same about the last few.  Is that normal.  Are we so used to not tasting our food?  I couldn't even finish this meal.

Lunch at Eastern market:  Perfectly cooked hamburger with grilled onions, ketchup, and mustard.  No, I did not eat the bun.  And Im sure that there was off-plan stuff in the condiments, but the book says sometimes you can't control it.  I definitely couldn't finish this - it was like a pound of meat!

 Dinner:  Marinated grilled chicken, steamed broccoli with olive oil, grilled carrots, fresh strawberries and blueberries.  And yes, that is a strawberry cooler in the background.  Strawberries muddled with mint and stevia.  Let it sit for a bit, then added club soda.

All in all, this could be any other day (other than the no bun).  Im told the first week is the hardest.  Im told that my cravings will go away.  Im told that I will sleep better, have more energy, have better athletic performance, be in a better mood, lose weight, have less allergies, and generally feel good.

I am striving to plan my meals so I am not tempted.  The plan includes NO CHEATS.  I know ... harsh.  Basically you have to start over.  I learned today that I just can't go too long without a meal or I get really really hungry, and thats when mistakes are made.  Im also suppose to eat enough at my meals that I do not snack.  That seems wrong to me, but if I'm going to do this, I have to follow it their way.  I will have a few little "snacky" options so that if I need it, its there.  Im not going to beat myself up about it as long as I have healthy choices.  They are adamant that we are not supposed to get super hungry in between.

I may need some help along the way.   Please don't offer me a cocktail at my little brother's graduation because I can't, and Im going to be bummed out about it.  Please forgive me when I only eat one thing when you invite me over for dinner.  Please understand when if I get a little bit crabby at the end of this week.  And please please don't mention cheese.  I already know that's my weakness.  The things I thought about today were:  cheese, crackers, pasta, and taco shells.  But ....

I CAN DO THIS!

Peace.  Love.  Serene

P.S. If anyone wants to join me in this program, Im happy to share the info, or the book, or the recipes.  I have posted a bunch on Pinterest.  Click here to see my Whole 30 board.