Monday, January 18, 2016

Whole30 Day 19

It's Day 19 and today is the second day I've woken up without a sore throat! I still am a bit congested, but I have been able to go running three times this past week, and I think my body is appreciating the increase in exercise. I hope it helps speed the healing process.

I didn't sleep too well last night, compared to most nights, because I had to wake up for multiple bathroom breaks. Today I'm trying to drink plenty of water throughout the daytime, so I won't be drinking any before bed. I typically enjoy my rooibos tea before bed, but that's not working out so well anymore! I'd much prefer to sleep through the night.

Thus far, I haven't experienced the "Tiger Blood" or "Magic" that Whole30 devotees rave about kicking in around week 2 or 3. And for how well Week 1 went, I must admit that around the half-way point of Day 14/15, I was feeling pretty irritated and discouraged that my congestion, sinusitis, and headaches hadn't seen any improvement. But I'm certainly not about to let 2+ weeks of elimination go to waste ... I still want to see what 30+ days of elimination brings. 

It just so happened that I had an appointment with my General Practitioner on the 31st of December (the day before I began the Whole30) and I have a follow-up appointment with her on the 1st of February (the day after my Whole30 is officially finished and I'll be starting to 'reintroduce' certain foods slowly, to see how they affect me). I'm certainly glad I'll have this follow-up, because my scale was not working properly (hence why I decided to destroy it and buy a new one when this thing is over), so now I know I'll have an accurate record from my doctor's office of how much I weighed on the 31st of December, compared to the 1st of February, with all these changes I'm tracking in between. In addition to the Whole30, which my doctor did say was an awesome plan, she prescribed 10 minutes of daily meditation and 30 minutes of daily exercise, any intensity. I haven't done the exercise every day, because I had a pretty bad cold and was worried about getting sicker and not being able to go to work. But I have been doing the 10 minutes mindfulness meditations every day, and noticing a lot of benefit from that! I am looking forward to seeing how much noticeably/measurably changes over the course of this month.

One of the Whole30 related goals I made at the beginning of the month was that I would make prepare-ahead meals every weekend, to keep a good variety of options available for breakfasts and lunches during the weeks. I didn't want to experience the same food boredom as I had during my last Whole30 attempt, and be stuck feeling like I 'had' to eat fried eggs with veggies every morning, because I knew I would just get so sick of the same thing that I would either refuse to eat, or eat too much fruit instead. It helps to be honest with yourself, and know your habits and areas of stubbornness! I'm not opposed to eggs or veggies at all, I just need variety in my diet - so preparing the eggs and veggies many different ways is key. 

Yesterday, I searched for some ideas for Freezer Meals, that can be prepared all at once and proportioned out for quick-fixes, and I found this wonderful recipe! I changed it up a bit, by using 1/2 lb. ground beef and 1/2 lb. ground turkey, but the spice blend was wonderful just as-is. We mixed in the 1 cup of chopped broccoli, put that mix in the muffin tins, and poured the egg mixture over them as directed - but the egg mixture didn't seem to go quite as far as the meat mixture. So we ended up chopping up much more broccoli to stretch the leftover 'sausage,' then whipping up another 8 eggs, coconut milk, and coconut oil for a double batch! The second round was much heavier on the veggie side ... but both are delicious! They're supposed to re-heat well - two of them at 50% microwave power for a minute and a half will be a perfect on-the-go breakfast option.


Ground Beef & Turkey 'Sausage,' Broccoli, & Egg Muffins

Another big-hit item this week was the The Sunshine Sauce - a simply divine dip, with sunflower seed butter, coconut milk, and a few other delicious surprises. It has a coco-nutty, thai kick and once it's thickened up in the fridge has a consistency similar to hummus. Delicious accompaniment to any chopped veggie! I can stand to eat celery sticks again, without my standard cream cheese & raisins!

Have any of you reading this been trying new recipes thus far into the new year? I'd love to hear about them in the comments! We're always looking for new, delightful things to add to our repertoire.


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