Day 7 of 30

Trust me, it was really and truly my intent to journal everyday.  I just looked up and here I am at day 7!  Holy molly...how did that happen?
The good news?
I have been completely committed to this Whole30 program.  Completely.
But, I'm not going to lie to you...it's not easy.
Not for the weak at heart or lazy.
But then again, nothing worthwhile comes without a price, right?
So, let me just recap for you ( or me since I'm pretty sure I have no readers).
The first few days were extremely difficult.  When I woke up the second day I was nauseated, my head was pounding and I felt like I had been run over by a Mac truck.
Last week I was tired, snarky and had difficulties focusing at times.
Somewhere toward the end of the week things started smoothing out for me a bit.
Here is what I did that made me successful this past week.

• Wrote down my commitment and I shared my plan with anyone who would listen...accountability.
• Threw away things that I knew would get me off track.
• Shopped for fruits, veggies and lean meats.
• Cooked...even when I was really tired at the end of the day.
• Planned for the next week and spent time preparing yesterday.
• Rested when I could.
• Drank fizzy water with lime because it felt like a special treat.

I'm not going to chart my menu's for you because honestly you can find much better blogs than mine out there with really good day by day meal plans.  I will link up with some very delicious recipes that I made. 

Prosciutto Mini Fritata Muffins
These were like mini quiche delicacies.  I made them twice; once without the prosciutto and once with...both ways, they were yummy.
Tomato Basil Salad
Pretty happy I planted basil earlier in the summer.  My plants are hanging in there.
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Mexican Enchiladas

I also juiced a couple of times this week which helped to curb my appetite between meals.


If the Whole30 plan seems a bit daunting to you, just spend some time reading about it on the web, google Paleo Diet and Whole 9 and you will have more than enough reading material to keep you very busy,  I didn't enter into this commitment lightly.  I thought about it and prayed about it for about three months.  Sit back and wait to see how my 30 days end up; that's what I did.  My blogging friend over at Live and Learn inspired me in so many ways.  Check out her journey; she was much, much better about keeping tabs on every meal and sharing.  She is a "rockstar"!

Don't just sit there, started searching the web and then come back sometime next week and see how I'm doing!

Day 1 of 30

photo credit

I have a super, sweet blogging friend who just completed the Whole30 challenge.  I am so very proud of her.  If you want to read about her journey, click here.

Even before she started journaling about her challenge, I had found the website, read about it completely (at least twice) and had been toying with the idea of jumping into that same program.  When I read that Julie had taken the challenge and I thought I would just sit back and see how she did.  I know, a true friend would have jumped in with her, right?  I just needed time to wrap my brain around this way of living.

A few months ago I read Dr. Don Colbert’s book on Get Healthy through Detox and Fasting.  It made a lot of sense to me and I was successful with the 21 days. I seemed to have more energy and really enjoyed eating clean.  It’s a good short term program.

Nutrition: 

Breakfast

**egg and veggie frittata, banana, 1/3 avocado

*Snack

Green juice (celery, cucumber, kale, spinach, lime, papaya, pineapple

Lunch

Grilled chicken breast w/ sautéed spinach and ½ avocado

*Snack

Boiled egg, almonds

Dinner

Green salad w/ grilled chicken breast

Exercise:

Strength training w/ my trainer

Physical therapy

*Snacks are really not a part of the Whole30 but I have been used to eating 5 small meals and just didn’t believe I could do the “cold turkey” no snack thing today.  I have kept my snacks within the eating program and one of my goals will be to knock out one of the snacks per day.

**Egg and Veggie Frittata

1 egg yoke + 4 egg whites gently stirred

1 cup frozen mixed cauliflower, broccoli and carrots

1 TBS coconut oil

1 TBS chopped jalapeno pepper

1/3 cup cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Microwave the frozen veggies until they are not cold…10 or 15 seconds. Heat the coconut oil and sauté the veggies and jalapeno pepper about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs and cook on low heat, cover until eggs are almost cooked through, then add the cilantro.

Today has been a very busy day as I started my day at 4:10 and will not be back home again tonight until about 8:30. 

Day 1….check!

Day 26

No, I did not chunk the whole 28 day detox and fasting plan.  Not one morsel of food or drop of drink that was not supposed to pass my lips… did!  That, my friends is a miracle.  I’m not sure I have ever gone 26 days without chocolate.  Oh, wait.  Do we count the two periods in my life when I was pregnant?  Cause if we do, then this will only be the third time in my life.  You see, both times I was growing a baby I was too sick to eat much of anything.  But, that is a story for another time.

So now that I am at the end, what have I learned? 

·         Change takes time.  It’s important to stick with something even when no results are seen or felt.

·         I have exercised my discipline muscles and they are stronger.

·         There are really good recipes out there that don’t require one to use pounds of butter, sugar, cheese.  Not that those are things that are bad for you all the time.  

·         Moderation, moderation, moderation!

·         For me, I believe that there is a link between what I eat and how I feel.  I have especially seen a decrease in the level of pain from my arthritis.

This weekend marks the last two days.  In Dr. Colbert’s program he actually has juicing only for the last 7 days.  I really didn’t think that would work well for me so I have saved it for this weekend.  I will let you know how successful I am with only juicing for two days.

I have tried a lot of the recipes from the book that I read and have liked all of them.  I highly recommend that you look into this book and try some of the recipes.

Easy Breakfast Wraps

4 medium Ezekiel Tartillas

2 tsp. almond butter

2 cups diced peaches (apples, bananas, favorite fruit)

2 cups diced pears

Cinnamon to taste

Agave nectar (optional)

Warm tortillas in the oven; then spread almond butter on each tortilla.  Add fruit and cinnamon.  Drizzle with agave if added sweetness is desired.  Fold in the ends of the tortillas, roll tightly, and place in heated skillet, cooking until all sides are lightly browned. Serves 4

Granola Crumble

3 cups steel-cut or rolled oats

1 cup hulled sunflower seeds (or nuts)

1/3 cup EVOO

2 bananas, extra ripe (I do not add banana)

1 TBSP agave nectar

1 medium apple, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Mix oats, sunflower seeds, and olive oil.  Set aside.  Mash bananas and stir in agave nectar and apple.  Add oat mixture, stirring well.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  Crumble mixture onto ungreased baking sheet and bake in oven for 15 minutes.  Cool completely on baking sheet. Store in airtight glass container.

Day 10

Day 10

Wow.  First I typed day 8 but checked the calendar and realized I was off by two days.  I can absolutely tell you that I have surprised myself with this endeavor.  At best I thought I was only going to make 7 days and that was perhaps with some “cheats” along the way.  But no, it’s day 10 and not once have I strayed.  I can’t tell you what this has done for my confidence in my ability to stick to a goal and work toward an end.

Here is what I think has made the difference:

Spent about a month thinking and praying about what I was going to do, researching and reading up on different kinds of fast.

Typed out a grocery list for the first week…way before the trip to the grocery store.

Organized  the menus and typing out my meal plan for that first 7 days.

Talked to several people about the plan and used those conversations as a sort of accountability.

Took one day at a time.

Five-Bean Soup

1 TBS EVOO

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 stalk celery

1 medium carrot, diced

1 TBS barley, rinsed

2 cups veggie broth

1 cup each Pinto, black, kidney, navy, chickpeas rinsed and drained (if using canned)

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1 bay leaf

1/4 tps. chopped basil

Sea salt to taste

Heat oil in a stock pot. Saute garlic and onion until translucent.  Add remaining ingredients in order listed. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes.  Serves 4.

I’m not going to lie to you; it has not been a piece of cake…pardon the pun.  I have had to work at it. There has been some reframing of thoughts.  What I can tell you is that I have more energy. 

I have been frustrated that the exercise component has had to be put on hold due to some minor injuries that are healing.

I’m hopeful and feeling better.

A Delicious Lunch

I'm been home just being lazy all day so I decided to try out one of the recipes from the Dr. Don Colbert book, get Healthy through Detox and Fasting.

I made the Quick and Tasty Black Beans and Mexican Rice and topped this delicious dish with slices of avocado. It was easy to make and very satisfying.

Quick and Tasty Black Beans
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed ( I didn't drain)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
2-3 cups veggie broth
Simmer all ingredients in medium saucepan until beans are tender but not mushy, approximately 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain, and serve with Fresh Salsa.

Mexican Rice
1 TBS. EVOO
1 TBS. garlic, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups peeled tomatoes, chopped in food processor
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/4 cups water ( I used veggie broth)
Heat EVOO in sauce pan and saute garlic and onions until soft.  Add rice and cook until translucent.  Add tomatoes, spices, and liquid.  Cook for 45 minutes until rice is tender, adding more liquid if necessary.

I have been chatting today with a very good friend who has also been fasting in the same way only using different resources.  It is wonderful to know that she is going down this same path and we can encourage each other.
Stay tuned, I think I have this thing!

The Weekend

When I started this trek to detox and to get focused on my health again I was a bit nervous about the weekend.  I generally let myself be a bit more lax on the weekend.  I typically eat out more and don't follow such a regimented schedule as during the week.  Not that I have really been on any regimented schedule for awhile!!!  Thinking about the weekend made me a bit nervous that I might not stay on track. 
Well, so far, I want to say that things are looking up!
Yes, it's only Saturday morning before noon, but it's still going well! And I'm being positively optimistic.
My tummy was rumbling very noisily this morning when my eyes popped open.  Actually, I'm pretty sure that it was the noise coming from my gut that brought me back to life.  I jumped up out of bed...well, more like hobbled out nursing my hurt heel, my aching hip and swollen knee.  Yes, I am falling apart!
Breakfast this morning was scheduled to be a buckwheat pancakes and I was anxious to get into the kitchen and see what this recipe was going to taste like.  I adapted the recipe just a bit (of course, I did!)  Adapted is code for making substitutions...hehehehe.  I'm even thinking I should change the name of the recipe.

Buckwheat Pancakes (made with 10 grain flour into a waffle)
1 cup buckwheat flour (I used 1/2 cup 10 grain flour pancake mix +1tsp olive oil + 1 tsp powered eggs substitute)
1 tsp active dry yeast ( didn't use this at all)
Pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (1/4 cup almond milk)
1/4 baking soda (didn't use)
1 tsp. molasses ( agave nectar)
1 cup fresh blueberries ( I also added some cinnamon and walnuts)

So basically you can see that I pretty much veered away from the recipe to make my own waffles.  They were mighty tasty!! I looked at the ingredients in the 10 grain flour pancake mix and it all was organic and didn't seem to have any of the foods I'm to stay away from so I deemed it OK.   However, if you want to be true to the recipe in Dr. Colbert's book Get Healthy through Detox and Fasting, then just follow it as written without my changes.  Let me know if it's good.

The one thing that I am sad about is that right now I am not really able to do much exercise so my results will most probably not include much if any weight loss.  Monday I am seeing a doctor about my heel that has been hurting for sometime and I have self diagnosed as Plantar fasciitis.  I'm anxious to see if the doctor concurs and what the treatment will be.  In addition to that issue, my left knee is swollen, clicking and painful.  Yes, I am falling apart at the young age of 54.  So, while I would like to be doing cardio or walking I am sticking to upper body strength training right now.

Ok, I'm off to grab another cup of ginger tea and do my Bible study.  I'm going to be totally lazy today. May even stay in my pj's all day!

Day 4

I have not gotten to the point where I am jumping out of bed because I feel so great and maybe that is not even going to be a side effect from this detox fast I am working through.  I will tell you that it has not been as hard as I thought it would be.  Perhaps because I really took a lot of time thinking, researching and praying about what I would do and how I would accomplish my goals.

There is so much written about the link between health and foods that we take into our bodies.  It’s really hard to discern truth from myth.  I do know that I have had a complete physical and other than a few minor things, I’m healthy.  Yes, I need to lose a few pounds.  I have sleep apnea which is unrelated to my weight and osteoarthritis has moved into stay.  On top of the issues mentioned, this season of Menopause has been rather vexatious. You see, all of these concerns are really pretty normal for someone of my gender and age. Truthfully, I just think I should feel better than I do. Therefore, I am trying this fast to see where it leads me.

The one thing that I will say about this fast is that it requires a lot more preparation than I have been accustomed to in regards to putting my meals together.  I’m eating a lot more fruits and veggies which requires cutting up and preparing them for consumption.  Don’t hear this as a complaint, just a fact. I did the work prior to beginning this adventure Monday by making my grocery list and organizing the menus so I knew exactly what to eat on what day and which meal.

Yesterday I made a granola crunch that is just OK.  It called for bananas and apples which I have never put into my granola before and I’m thinking that I may not have baked the recipe long enough.  The granola is not as crunchy as I prefer.  It was, however, an enjoyable snack for today.

Granola Crumble

3 cups steel-cut or rolled oats (I used 1 cup steel and 2 cups rolled)

1 cup hulled sunflower seeds ( I used a variety of nuts to make up the 1 cup)

1/3 cup EVOO

1 TBS. agave nector

1 medium apple, chopped

2 extra ripe bananas (I think this makes it less crispy and mushier)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix oats, nuts and EVOO. Set aside.  Mash bananas and stir in agave nectar and apple.  Add oat mixture, stirring well. Let sit for 30 minutes.  Crumble mixture onto ungreased baking sheet and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet and store in airtight container.  Makes 5 cups.  (Next time, I will cook in two or three pans)