Whole30 Results

My husband and I completed the Whole30 a few weeks ago!  We're pretty proud of ourselves, but to be honest, we're not planning to go back to our previous eating habits, so  there's no major hurrah over the ending.  It's only the beginning.

If you've read my previous posts describing our experience during each week, you know that we had planned to continue eating the same way.  But I'll bet that what you really want to know is whether or not we've had any major changes as a result.  Did we lose weight?  Did our various health concerns improve?  Are we back to eating like we did beforehand?

Did it work?
Remember our list of symptoms?  Here it is, including their status post-Whole30 with 100% honesty.  It did change our lives as promised in a lot of ways, but with regard to our health, the song remains the same.  Wellness takes time...and commitment...and in my opinion, naturopathic care.  So while we aren't cured, we are feeling better and have made yet another step level up in our journey.     

Jen's list:

·Cyclical breast pain - still present from day 20 on, but less intense. 
·Anxiety - somewhat better.
·Allergies - these got worse!  Allergies will probably be something my ND and I are always chasing.  But who knows?  My next treatment plan tackles them pretty aggressively.
·Rarely sleep through the night - I continued to sleep poorly for weeks on the Whole30 until I remembered the book "Potatoes Not Prozac".  Now I have sweet potatoes before bed and I sleep SOOOOOOO much better.  (I call them "Sleep Potatoes" now.)
·Sugar cravings - mostly gone.  These days my food longings are more like memories than cravings, and they're much easier to manage...or I just crave good stuff (hello caramelized onions!).
·Intermittent musculoskeletal & myofascial pain - this is better, as I expected, since any time my inflammation is down my pain is down.  Clean diet + exercise always keeps my pain tolerable.
·Itchy scalp - ha!  I hadn't thought about this at all since we started the Whole30!  GONE!  :)
·Twitchy at night - 95% gone.  I think of this as my version of Restless Leg Syndrome.  Whatever it is, in the past I would lay in bed, or on the couch late in the evening, and feel like I couldn't stay still from the waist down. It's pretty rare now.
·Lingering bronchitis & ear ache - GONE GONE GONE!  I had bronchitis for almost two months before starting the Whole30 and it utterly disappeared by the end of day two.  (Hello!?  Sugar!)
Also, the ear ache is gone unless I overdo things like raisins. 
·Occasional reappearance of tinnitus - it was pretty much gone for weeks before the Whole30, but it hasn't come back, and that's nice too.
·Dry hair - I don't think my hair is less dry (cuz I've been too lazy to go get it cut I think) but it's for sure not shedding as much as it has been.  Moreover, my leg hair is thicker.  Not exactly desirable but good from a health perspective.
·My hands sometimes fall asleep at night depending on how contorted I am sleeping.  Still dealing with this; will discuss with Dr. Birr at next monthly appointment.
·Gallbladder pain which I usually get from coffee, gluten, and sugar during the second half of my cycle - still the same; avoiding coffee and sweets keeps the pain away.
·Asthma during aggressive cardio the second half of my cycle  - no difference (although the really hard riding season has yet to start).
·Multiple Familial Lipomatosis (genetic encapsulated lipomas on my thighs & glutes) - no change, but I didn't expect it.  It's pretty clear that surgery is the only way to get rid of these bad boys.

My husband's list
·Minor but persistent psoriasis, eczema, & dermatitis and dandruff - no change yet, but we just stopped eating nightshades to try that approach.
· Unusual head rushes unlike any typical dizzy spell or vertigo - no change on the normal Whole30 except that each episode may be less intense.  We'll see what the nightshade elimination brings.
·Brief but substantial sinus reaction to most meals - gone!  GONE!  This has been an issue for years and years.  Exciting eh? 
·Circulation issues; his hands and feet are always cold - and they're still cold.
·Constipation - gone as long as he follows the "P*** Protocol" detailed later on.
·Arm bumps; Keratosis Pilaris - no change; trying to affect by removing nightshades.
·Fungal toenail - same.
·An occasional large, painful zit - none that I have seen.
·Early waking; can't go back to sleep - he's sleeping much better and longer.
·Intermittent fatigue - gone.  The Energizer Bunny has moved in with me.
·Cranky & blurry eyes if food is not RIGHT on time -  no change, but he's less likely to be hungry these days, given how much care he takes with getting enough food.
·Sinus headaches - none since starting the Whole30.
·Plugged ears - only once since starting W30.
·Elbow pain  - turns out this is musculoskeletal and prevented with good alignment and regular maintenance of glute and core strength.
·Historical shoulder pain - none since Whole30...even after putting in a massive 10 foot tall garden fence.
·VERY systemically sensitive to poison ivy; if it gets on him in one spot, he can have breakouts everywhere as a result.  Fingers crossed this one won't get tested any time soon!

So there you have it!  I will post another update on our symptoms in a few weeks since we're sticking with the diet and have now removed nightshades from the pantry.

Just a note on the exhaustive list of symptoms: I included our biggest health complaints along with symptoms that come and go depending on how clean we are eating & how closely we are following our Naturopath's advise.  The truth is, a lot of this stuff doesn't really bother us terribly, but as naturopathic patients, the goal is to address the root cause of your ailments...and if there's a symptom, there's a root cause.  That's why I included it all; to find out how an eating plan like the Whole30 effects them all. 

But weight!  There's more...
Weight loss.  I know that's what everyone wants to know.  :)  I lost 5 lbs, which may not sound like much after 30 days of such healthy and controlled eating, but it took me 3 years of dedication to lose 40 lbs, so I'm thrilled.

My husband's weight loss was probably more than he'd have liked (he's always been fit, trim, and is usually the only guy in the room with a healthy weight) but losing it has really motivated him.  I'm so impressed with his new determination to put on muscle weight.  (And I'd be lying if I didn't say I like checking out his "results".)  Today, he works hard to eat the right things while making sure to get extra calories that are still clean and beneficial. 

Thoughts after the first four weeks...
On the less-than-fun side, we both developed some digestive symptoms that weren't there before the Whole30.  For example, I dealt with quite a lot of bloating before Dr. Birr knocked that out for me.  My husband had some heartburn for a time, which was new for him.  But honestly, any major change in diet has the potential to affect your digestion so we didn't worry too much, and we're good now. 

I have a few opinions on the Whole30 that some may not love.  I think the crazy strictness definitely sets you up for obsessiveness.   When your goal is to foster a healthy relationship with food, the super-strict rules were a little much.  I don't think the rules should change, but I think there ought to be more discussion about healthy expectations.  I was thrilled to see this post from the authors on that topic:

http://whole9life.com/2012/12/the-january-whole30-progress-not-perfection/

After I read it, I was happy again.  It was insane to me that someone might feel a failure because they are a PIECE OF FRUIT or snacked between meals because they were starving.  That blog entry discusses the issues in a great way.  Pursue health, not perfection!   

I also think the limitations on seeds and nuts is a little over the top.  I get that we shouldn't be eating seed oils (gross) but a reasonable amount of nuts and seeds is healthy!  When we were off nuts and seeds, our bathrooms visits were really a step in the wrong the direction.  According to Dr. Birr, seeds especially do a fabulous job of absorbing water and bulking up your poo (sorry if TMI but we talk about poo in our world).  She's right.  Once the seed consumption resumed, so did our healthy bathroom trips.  With a proper balance of omega 6's and 3's, nuts & seeds are welcome in our house.  They're filled with nutrition.

Speaking of TMI stuff...Having trouble in the constipation arena?  Check with your naturopath to see if the "Poop Protocol "is ok for you to try (our term, not the ND's).  A little applesauce and a tablespoon of ground flax washed down with Magneleuvres once a day works so well we had to name it!  Hello regularity!    

Another thing that could use more airtime in the detox world is your mental state.  It seems like it's a given that you will be miserable for awhile and that you just have to wait it out.  But I'm here to tell ya, some of us just need carbs!!  Mood problems while cleansing is not necessarily a need for sugar or just detox misery.  Without some kind of starchy, healthy carbs in my life, I have a terrible tendency toward irritability, worry, and apathy.  Nothing seems pleasant, or worth it, or remotely do-able.  But alas - not long after a small serving of sweet potatoes or squash and I'm content and comfortable.  Be aware of that; you may be one of those folks who needs the carbs more than others.
 

Yep.  That's about it.  For the most part, the Whole30 was a great way to do a winter/spring cleanse.  There's so much info on the Wold Wide Web on the program that there's a built-in support network to get you through the rough parts, compare notes, and find recipes.  We're glad we did it, and we're especially glad we did it together!  ...But it's far from over.  Stay tuned for future adventures in eating for wellness naturopathic style!  My next couple of posts will focus on the food that really made a difference for us.  I hope you enjoy it.   (The homemade sausage recipe is next up!!  Woohoo!)

 

Whole30 Week Four

We've got week four of the Whole30 under our belt!  As you may know, the Whole30 is a nutritional reset designed to restore healthy digestion, eliminate cravings, and create a positive relationship with food.  I'll soon post our results, from weight loss, to effect on symptoms, to our overall opinions on this process.  But first, let's cover this last week. 

FOOD REVELATION:   Caramelized onions are my new favorite food.  (Seriously.  Over chocolate.)  Each week I've pointed out some new culinary learning that happily changed our kitchen; week four made me realize I should have mentioned caramelized onions on day one!  Slice them thin, salt, and saute on low for as long as it takes for them to get brown and delicious.  (About 25-30 min for me.)  Then enjoy them with EVERYthing.

And now some things I noticed during week four...

Observation #1: I'm happy to report that we have both reached the point where emotionally, food equals fuel.  It's no longer the immediate answer to stress.  It's not the primary means to celebrate success.  It's not replacing something that's missing.  It's fuel!  Delicious, yummy energy.

At first on the Whole30, with no sugar, food can seems like something you are either missing, or that is controlling you...particularly if you had an unhealthy relationship with food.  But if you continue to eat this way long enough, the healthy approach becomes habit (versus just a set of rules).  Food becomes more friendly.  It's energy.  And a way to take care of yourself and show your love for someone.  And it's even uplifting!  As I've said before, doing something the right way perpetuates itself.  So it goes with healthy eating. 

Here's an example of how our perspectives have shifted: we've discovered that it doesn't matter if there aren't "breakfasty" foods available in the morning; we eat whatever fills our protein, veg, & fat template.  For example, leftover pork & peppers plus avocado = fuel!  Morning food doesn't have to be eggy or pancakey.  Also, if we try a recipe and it's not that great, we finish it anyway because it's fuel even if it isn't super-tasty.  When the Whole30 started, it felt so much like our entire lives revolved around food.  Turns out that the lesson we needed to learn was that it doesn't!  Hurrah!  And we don't mind the time that is "consumed" by food because of the innumerable benefits.  (As a lifelong sugar freak, that's a fun one.)     

Observation #2:  A new diet brings new recipes, and we've been getting a kick out of playing around in the kitchen together.  But after a month I noticed that I felt like we always had to be "creating".  Here's the thing!  We don't have to all the time!  Before the Whole30, we had certain dishes fairly regularly because we liked them and they suited our lifestyle.  It took us awhile to figure out that we can continue to do that with our new recipes.  So now, braised pork and sauerkraut is a staple; meatloaf muffins once a week?  Sure!  I could eat chicken apple salad for lunch seven days out of seven. 

HOW IT'S GOING

My bloat is way better.  My monthly naturopathic appointment focused primarily on digestion and after about a week on the new treatment plan things settled back down to normal.  Today, I'm finding that the bloated feelings are occasional, increasingly rare, and thankfully not painful (as opposed to feeling like some kind of parasitic alien was blowing up birthday balloons in my gut).

In all honesty, we didn't really notice the fourth week start or end; we'd stopped counting days.  All is well and we have nothing to report from our fourth week...except that we are not stopping on day 31.  We're not planning any re-introduction.  We're not celebrating with any particular food.  I intend to make paleo pumpkin muffins, but I'll only sweeten with applesauce and I won't be eating them as a pastry.  (They're fuel!)

Other tidbits:  When looking for recipes online, I search on my ingredient and "paleo" or "paleo auto-immune".  This yields a wealth of Whole30 friendly recipes since there is such a large community of cavepeople out there.  If you're unsure of the rules, add "Whole30".  The number of people out there working on their nutrition is supercool.

A suggestion: when planning and executing your own Whole30, do it one week at a time.  Think about your meals for a week.  Plan your workouts for a week.  Approaching this in chunks was a huge boon to our attitudes; we weren't burdened with more than we could handle.  It reminds me of how we learn math.  Until you learn to add & subtract, and then multiply & divide (etc) you can't fathom a quadratic equation. 

NOTABLE MEALS

We made Chicken Parmesan this week; holy cow.  (Holy fowl?)  For breading, we used almond flour.  For pasta we used spaghetti squash.  And at this very moment while typing I realize that we didn't seem to miss the garlic bread.  (Fun!)

Make homemade tartar sauce with avocado!  One avo, plus mayo, chives, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and capers.  Mmmmm.

Another super delicious/quick meal for us is a burger on a portabello cap.  Cook both with salt, pepper, and coconut aminos, then smother caramelized onions over the top.  Trust me: these will make you forget cupcakes.  At least for awhile....

We started precooking omelet filling to amp up our morning veg intake.  This version is fab: saute onion and the stems from Chard or other greens, along with zucchini plus dijon and rice wine vinegar.  Add greens and enough full fat coconut milk to create a little sauciness; cook until soft & reduced to your liking.  In the AM, add a plop of the mixture to your pan, reheat, crack 2-4 eggs over it, mix until cooked.  

WEEK FOUR RECAP:

We are not planning to stop our Whole30 eating habits.  My husband has a lot more energy at this point, but I've yet to feel any major physical benefit.  But believe me, I'm not complaining.  The increased healthy food intake as a household is awesome.  Having a partner in all of this is awesome.  The new recipes, changes in attitude, and even the effect on people around us is awesome.  Enough so that I'm willing to beat that adjective to death.  (At least I didn't use "amazing".  Uhg.) 

Finally, since this is my own blog & I can express my opinion freely, those folks who are weighing themselves on the Whole30? Even though it's not allowed? Cheaters.  :)  I wanted to check the scale as much as anyone, but I also wouldn't have minded getting a lightly flavored, decaf mocha latte & I'm not doing that either.

Stop back in to see our results from the Whole30 in a few days!

Whole30 Week Three

My husband and I have completed week three of the Whole30, an eating plan that is intended to reset and balance your system while helping to eliminate cravings and unhealthy food habits.  Let's start with this week's...

FOOD REVELATION:  Homemade sausage is a precious gift to oneself.  And if you do it my way, it's easy too.   It's so good I'll soon do a post dedicated solely to this happy thing.  Stay tuned!

Each week I reflect on what notable moments or lessons I've experienced.  Here are a few:

OBSERVATION #1: The Whole30 plan is self-perpetuating in a way similar to naturopathic medicine.  When you work with a naturopath, things get fixed.  Naturopathic physicians address the root cause of your conditions and everything just gets better.  It's addicting.  And therefore self-perpetuating.  For example your pain gets better so you work on your fatigue.  Your fatigue goes away and you ask your ND to address your allergies.  Your allergies disappear so you ask about weight loss.  The inevitable success of doing something the right way makes you do it more. 

In a way, the Whole30 plan is similar.  Surf the World Wide Web; you'll see that people everywhere are closing their Whole30 with resolve to just keeping eating that way.  Living without grains, sugar, dairy, and crappy seed oils just feels better.  So you keep doing it!! 

OBSERVATION #2: Being on the same page from a diet perspective brings a couple TOGETHER!  I'm already the luckiest gal in the world.  My guy and I are best friends with a pile of shared hobbies; we're always together and it's my favorite place to be.  Constantly cooking and planning meals as a team is a new & sweet bonus!  ("Sweet" as in awesome, not as in honey, frosting, and sprinkles.)  Some days, I'm the Chef and he's the Sous Chef; the next day we switch.  Sometimes he does dinner while I prep for future meals.  Whatever the gig, we're sharing the experience. 

This mutual effort is definitely the reason the Whole30 hasn't been very hard; good company improves everything.  And the togetherness is part of the increased health!  A naturopath will tell you that experiencing your food fully is an important part of absorbing the nutrients.  The tastes, smells, chewing; the breaths you take and the mood you're in all contribute to getting the full benefit of the meal.  Good company, low stress, and yes, love, all make a difference.      

OBSERVATION #3: My husband is looking very lean.  He already looked great beforehand - fit and thin.  But it's fun to get a look at his muscle definition so clearly!  He's even feeling inspired to put on some muscle weight.

HOW IT'S GOING

Bloat bloat bloat.  I'm bloated.  BLOATING.  In every tense and sense.  That's how it's going.

There's been much discussion of why; detox symptom most likely.  But it sucks and it went on all week, so by day 21 I was convinced I was probably a leaky gut victim.  And even if I'm not, clearly my system needed the Whole30 more than I thought.  Yuck.  Peppermint tea and Ginger tea are my friend.  (Thank you Mother Nature for keeping me out of the drug store!  Y'all with your tums and prilosec, go see a naturopath.  There are lots of healthy ways to make digestive distress feel better without drugs!)

We are both feeling normal energy levels in the exercise department again, which is nice.  But the idealistic "Tiger Blood" mentioned in the book It Starts With Food eludes us.  You're warned on the Whole30 not to expect too much or at a certain time, but there's all this chatter on the internet from people who are suddenly able to move mountains by now.  We've decided those people are probably 24 years old.  (Or akin to fisherman.  With delusions of really large fish.)

My sister, who is doing this with us, called one evening to ask if I'd been super emotional.  She recounted a pretty crappy day, with tears and all.  I assured her that I was feeling very precarious much of the time, doing ok though not fabulous in any way, but I hadn't had any crying spells.  When I called her two days later to describe my wallpaper removal meltdown, she shouted, "THANK GOD.  I thought it was just me!"

The moral to the story is, do not undertake any renovations that involve wallpaper removal while on the Whole30.  And if you do, don't do it with anyone around.  Oh...and expect some mood swings.  Wallpaper or not.

I'm still having low blood pressure issues & I noticed a correlation.  When my blood pressure was low, so was my mood, which reminded me of the two or three times I've done very low carb diets in my life.  They made me sad.  Sad, unmotivated, and irritable.  Sweet potatoes and various squash help!  Don't forgot your starchy veggies, folks.  Without the right balance of food, your neurotransmitters will be outta whack.  That means sad, unmotivated, and irritable.

My hands were a little numb this week, which is an an issue I got rid of with my ND's help, but I'm not surprised to see it pop back in for a few days. Detoxing can bring up old issues. I like to think my body is getting more balanced so the little devils lurking in corners are being forced out. They just like to go out kicking and screaming.

What else.....  My allergies still suck and I can't wait to talk to Dr. Birr about them next week.  I don't think I have lost any weight, and though it's not the goal, I'd be full of it if I didn't say I couldn't wait to see what the scale has to say.  And lastly, cravings were much less common this week.  We're looking forward to our meals instead of craving crap. 

I wonder if I should be taking anything for the bloat, but I'm not internet-dosing myself based on what people are saying on blogs and paleo forums.  We'll see what my naturopath has to say.

NOTABLE MEALS

Chicken Salad with homemade mayo is sooooo deliciously yummy.   I shredded baked chicken, added mayo, celery, white onion, apples, white pepper, salt, coriander, and paprika.  Good gosh.  It's also pretty tasty for breakfast when a quick fix is in order.  (The website to which I linked is filled with fun Whole30 and Paleo stuff.  I'd like to have lunch with author Melissa Joulwan.)

For a treat, I like to slice Fuji or Honeycrisp apples and shake cinnamon all over them.  Then I add cinnamon and vanilla to coconut cream and the pure joy of real, natural food coats us like honey...without the honey.

Ribolita must be on your Whole30 meal list.  It means "Reboiled" in Italian and is usually a mix of whatever veg are available plus spices and tomato sauce.  Make homemade Italian sausage and brown it, then set aside.  In the same pot, saute onion, celery, and carrots, half a head of thinly sliced cabbage, and fennel until soft; add garlic and Italian seasonings. Add a bunch of chopped greens and then let it meld a bit.  Add chopped tomato, tomato sauce, and some rich balsamic vinegar to taste then add the sausage back in.  Simmer and eat!

WEEK THREE RECAP

All of the rules and preparation and food management has become pretty automatic by the end of week three.  The only thing I'd like for us to improve upon is the availability of emergency dinners.  Even cooking a fish dish can take more energy than one has from time to time.  Then again, we didn't prepare any large pot meals this week.  That would have helped.

Aside from the air pressure crowding my belly from within, this week felt like a normal week...except we're on the Whole30 & eating better.  No big woop!  Pretty cool.

Here's a fun little quote I found from a cool kid who did a presentation on the industrial food industry versus natural farming: 
"It seems to me that we can either pay the farmer or we can pay the hospital." -Birke Baehr
 
Aside from the onions left from fall, we are paying the grocery store - but it's way better than a hospital.  I can't wait until spring when we can pay the farmer again! 

Whole30 Week Two

This particular "Naturopathic Patient" has completed week two of the Whole30 plan.  The Whole30 is a nutritional reset on which you can eat meat, veg, healthy oils, and a little fruit.  You don't eat grains, sugar, dairy, legumes, white potatoes, seed oils, or alcohol.  You can read more about what it is and why we're doing it here....and here.....

FOOD REVELATION from week two: full fat coconut milk is the bomb when it comes to making, flavoring, & thickening a sauce.  Who needs heavy cream from cows?

OBSERVATION 1: This has been easier than expected & I think it's because trying to change and making a commitment to change are two entirely different things.  When you mentally decide upon a new path and accept it as a must, it gets easier.  Not easy, but easier.

Until something snaps/clicks/gels, people will struggle and cheat and lament their inability to stay the course.  It's that internal switch that, once flipped, allows us to do as we set out regardless of the obstacles (cupcakes, parties, insert stressor or temptation here).  As long as you have a choice, you struggle between good and bad. 

The Whole30 is built upon the idea that you do not slip or cheat; it's a commitment.  There's no question of cheating because it's not part of the plan.  You suck it up, act like a grown up, and just do it cuz it's only 30 friggin days.  I love how direct authors Melissa and Dallas Hartwig are about cheating.  You can't.  And it's not that hard to do anything for 30 days.

OBSERVATION 2: I was talking about some of the yummy stuff we can try to eat once the Whole30 and re-entry are over, and my husband said he didn't feel deprived at all.  Well great, Mr. Perfect.  30 minutes later we were driving down the road with me thinking how unfair it is that I have spent my whole life craving sugar while he is content with the occasional treat.  He interrupts my thoughts and says, "I want to eat everything I see!"  (Phew!  He's human!!) 

So I told him about real cravings versus triggered cravings.  If you are sitting at work and apple pie visions start floating around your mind, that, friends, is a real craving.  But if you're watching tv and a character serves themselves up a steaming slice and THEN you decide you're craving pie, you are not.  They were.  And that's a trigger.  You've just been reminded of some pleasant pie past & the memory made you want more.  But it's not real.

While you're on the Whole30, take note of the trigger cravings you get (a million) and the real ones that come your way.  If it is real, and distraction techniques don't get rid of the Big Want, then decide if it's something you should plan to have once the program is done and you've figured out if you can tolerate the ingredients.

When the time comes, be honest....is it still a real craving or has it become an ideal you don't really want anymore?  Still real?  Get the best possible version of it, make coffee, serve it on china, and pay attention to Every Single Bite.  (Otherwise you won't savor the moment and you'll still be craving the  darn thing later!)

HOW IT'S GOING

Low carb diets make me feel like crap.   Granted the Whole30 is not specifically a low carb plan (it's a good carb plan), but it's possible to have too few of them.  If I don't have at least one hefty serving of sweet potatoes at every other meal, my low blood pressure kicks my ass.  I'm dizzy when I stand up from a horizontal position.  Climbing a couple stairs feels like hiking up Rainier.  I feel funny.  Like fizzy and funny and not at all fine.

I can fix it in the moment with salty olives and lots of water, but only more carbs makes it stay away.  Hopefully this will level off as my body adjusts. 

Low BP aside, apparently the thrill of a new plan, this mutual effort with my husband, is over.  The newness is gone and the cravings are back.  Why do I keep thinking about cheap grocery store cake mixes?  I don't even use those things!

Some other stuff: My normally clear skin is back.  Fatigue and weakness are gone.  My allergies still suck.  Energy is fairly good.  We haven't seen any change in our various symptoms - but we didn't expect it yet.  And my guy is a rock star; he hasn't complained or wavered or had issues.  So proud!

Finally, a musing....I wonder if Whole30 disciples would consider it cheating when we snack on coconuts and carrots and such while prepping our meals?  No matter.  The prepping, sampling, smelling, and crunching raw food helps your body produce the enzymes that will allow your meal's nutrients to be more fully absorbed.  
 

NOTABLE MEALS

• Napa cabbage leaves make awesome wraps, taco shells, tortillas, bread, or pitas.  Name a vessel for protein and veg; napa cabbage leaves can replace it.   
• Costco carrots are awesome.  You can get a massive amount, organic & cheap, even though your farmer's market is closed for the season.  And check out recipes for carrot ginger soup like this one.  (I also put paprika in mine, and I added the leftover sludge from a beef roast.)  http://paleomg.com/ginger-carrot-soup/      Mmmmmm.
• Chipotle!  We are fairly certain we can eat there safely.  We can't eat most of the menu items but you can get carnitas in a bowl with mild salsa, lettuce, & guacamole.  We went Friday night...bliss.  Someone else cooked it.  There were no dishes afterward.  Hurrah!

WEEK TWO RECAP:

Downside: Nothing has really changed from an overall health perspective, and the excitement of starting the Whole30 was replaced with the inevitable cravings.  Wah.

Upside?  Very up!  Our meals have been delicious and we aren't feeling deprived in any way.  Moreover, we've pretty much gotten used to (and better at) prepping all our food at home; meals are much easier and faster to put together.  Looking forward to what week three will bring!

And I miss mints.

Week 1 on the Whole30

Let's start with a fun FOOD REVELATION.  Roasted beets are beyond delicious!  And diced fine, they make a damn fine sub for the dried cranberries we usually add to salads.  But wait, there's more...

OBSERVATION #1: ONLY THREE MEALS A DAY?!?

 I have always been a happy grazer, with lots of tiny meals & frequent reheating trips with my mug of coffee or tea.  My habit is to hop in and out of the kitchen all the live long day. 

Being on the Whole30, the goal is to eat three meals a day without snacking in between.  My first observation is how obviously I have been chasing some kind of food constantly.  A handful of walnuts, a few olives, a couple raisins...but ALL DAY.  Seems the 3-meal-limit is something I needed in order to realize my grazing was perhaps too on-going. 

As for The Man - he and I are active folk, so there will be days when we have to eat more.  We're learning that so far my lean & fit guy cannot make it to the next meal without low blood sugar symptoms.  Rather than cut himself since he's too shaky to slice a carrot, he's eating a small, clean snack in between.

Personally, I'm tortured by my urge to go to the kitchen!  I'm bearing with it though.  I like a good set of rules.

OBSERVATION #2: DISHES

We are going to be doing A LOT of dang dishes.  If everything you eat is truly real food, then you are manipulating a ton of it with some kind of cookware or utensil.  I'm trying to apply my considerable quality & efficiency skills to reduce the workload.  (Cleaning pots while still warm helps, for example.)

OBSERVATION #3: PLANNING
It's a very good idea to plan ahead for the Whole30.  Even though creators Melissa and Dallas Hartwig tell you to "start right now" once you get the idea in your head, my opinion is that you should PREPARE BEFORE YOU START THE WHOLE30.  Start AFTER you have shopped for a supply of meat, veg, and the appropriate oils.  And give away or feed the birdies your carbs.  Get them out of your sight.  Whole30 food prep is time-consuming and a touch overwhelming at first; being prepared will take the edge off.  Don't forget - you might be coming down HARD from a firmly rooted carb high; be kind to yourself and prepare. 

OBERVATIONS #4: The commercials for carby American crap food are EVERYwhere!  And other people's grocery piles gross me out as I watch them rolling down the conveyors in front of me at the store.  I am not above judging strangers' food choices.  Keeps me occupied while I stand in line.

HOW IT'S GOING

Day one - why the hell are my allergies so bad?!  And I cannot sleep longer than 1.5 hours without waking.  My Guy seems to be doing pretty good; no whining (as usual).

Day two - why the hell are my allergies so bad?!  :)  But I think we're still doing well since we're pretty geeked about this whole thing (get it?).  And since we are so intent on eating delicious food, we don't feel deprived.

Day three - grumpity grumpity grump.  These allergies are obNOXious.   Things are still fine on the male side of this effort.

Day four - He called around 0900 and instead of some kind of morning greeting, I heard "You sound as bad as I feel."  We'd both had some nausea, aching, and the fatigue felt like a loaded backpack we hadn't trained to wear.  CARB FLU!  Search for "carb flu" on the internet.  Whole30 and Paleo People everywhere will tell you that once you get rid of the grains like this, at some point your bod is gonna let you know that a change is afoot. 

But by noon we were pretty much ok.  I happened to talk to my naturopath and she said that our bodies just aren't very toxic after how hard we have been working on our health.  Any carb flu we get should be short-lived since our emunctories already work effectively at getting toxins out.

                This is a happy benefit of seeing an ND.  All the exit ports (emunctories) in your system WORK!  You sweat, digest, eliminate, and even emote in a way that lets the bad stuff out when it needs an exit. 

But there's always room for improvement!  Howdy Whole 30.

Day five - flat tummy!  I wondered how long that would take to reappear.  (Un-appear?)  I am also experiencing some low blood pressure again.  It's been months since I'd kicked that issue.  Some salty olives and a big glass of water knocked it out lickety split.  Thanks, Dr. Birr, for your easy-peasy low BP solution.

The Man has a temper today.  This is an extremely rare occurrence so it's notable.  He has a good reason, & it sucks, but I do think the reaction was fueled by his body's attempt to make sense out of a new diet.

Day six - Saturday - a LOT of prep work, shopping, cooking, & dishes today.  But I realized that I actually had the motivation and energy to do it all.  Cool.  The Man is also observing a surprising amount of physical energy despite an unplanned and very unusual 16 hour workday.

Day seven - We had enough energy to go out and do some hard skiing, but then I spent the rest of the day with very low blood pressure.  We relaxed quite a bit after a week of so much cooking, prepping, shopping, and change.  I had a brief, second round of the carb flu too.

What else...?  Both of us thought our hair got greasy faster this week (more emunctory movement!).  My PMS was fine, but that's normal since my ND has already eradicated all but the breast pain. 

And finally, if I've learned nothing else, I know for sure that I CAN EAT HOMEMADE MAYO OUT OF BOWL LIKE ICE CREAM.  I have not.  But I sure the hello can.

NOTABLE MEALS

We focused hard on something new and exciting for dinner so that we'd have something to look forward to after a long day of not eating grains or sugar (we are already mostly dairy free). 

Dinner.  Oh dinner!  Sauerkraut and country ribs with apples and turnips.  Lordy, if avoiding snacks and carbs means a nightly nosh like this, we are IN!

Mahi Mahi tacos served in Napa cabbage shells.  The Man was particularly vocal about how much he liked this.  The Man is not particularly vocal.

I made stew because I needed a break from the kitchen.  Once that was done I had the basis for leftovers that would give the scullery maid some time on the couch for a few meals.  (The stew is fab. If you haven't gotten a dutch oven yet, go get one now.)

Leftover roast beef is unbelievable diced up and quick-sauteed on high with some lime, cumin, and pickled jalapenos.  Layer it with avocado & salsa - all served up in a cabbage shell.  YUMMY YUM!  (Check the salsa jars closely for sugar; it took me forever to find one sans the sweet stuff.)

WEEK ONE RECAP: 
This was NOT as hard as we expected it to be at first.  The excitement, all the planning, reading the Hartwig's book through the days, & surfing for others' success stories served to keep our spirits high. 

Cravings were minimal but it's because we purposefully ate like culinary kings.  The flavors, nutrition, and new things we tried on top of our normal tasty fair served to keep us completely content with our food.

Energy available to exercise was LOW.  I had to look down to see if I was picking up a larger weight than intended!  A lot.

I was surprised to have as much carb flu as I did.  I was already gluten free, dairy free, and low sugar (thank you Dr. Birr).  However, the cheats I have allowed myself since Christmas were clearly enough to un-do some of progress my naturopath and I had achieved.  It seems this whole Whole30 thing was a good idea.

Stay tuned for week two! 

The Whole30 - Naturopathic Style

My guy and I are doing the Whole30.  Hurrah!

Let me start with a disclaimer: I give full, gleaming credit to the authors Melissa and Dallas Hartwig. I'm talking about their program as outlined in the book It Starts With Food.  We will be doing the Whole30 according to their specific plan but with a naturopathic twist because that is how we do everything.  We are NOT altering their program and I do not suggest it needs changing.  We're just incorporating naturopathic approaches to wellness because it's how our house runs.

The Whole30 is a 30-day nutritional reset in which one eats only vegetables, fruits, meat, nuts, and healthy oils.  Here are the no-no's:
· No grains. None at all; not quinoa or rice or anything ancient or sprouted or otherwise supposedly better than wheat.
· No Sugar - real, fake, organic, plant-based or otherwise.   None.
· No Dairy
· No legumes (no beans or peanuts or soy).
· No corn, which is usually treated as a grain in America anyhow.  It's just not veg.  Also no white potatoes.
· No eating between three meals a day unless necessary due to physical activity.

Please see their site for details and specifics, particularly if you have any health conditions like diabetes. Remember folks, I am not a doctor or health professional of any kind! I'm a blogger.
Get your advice from a pro, get your naturopathic entertainment from me.

Check it out: http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/

This plan is similar to my ND's program minus Biocleanse Plus (yum), minus beans, plus coffee... hurrah for the javahhh!

I like the idea of a reset.   A detox program is attractive, but I get very annoyed by the judge-y looks I get when I use the word "detox".  Hello! I'm not dumb enough to think that cayenne pepper and maple syrup comprise a healthy way to support my body after a period of poor diet or stress (uh...Christmas anyone?).  Nutritional reset shuts up the judges.  It also feels more accurate.  By the by, I like "cleanse" too but people still get all frowny-faced.

Our naturopathic twist will include the castor oil packs, dry skin brushing, and treatment plans from our ND (woot woot Dr. Alicia Birr) that are already in place for the month.  We'll take a closer look at our environmental factors.  For instance I'm setting aside any lotion or potion that contains soy ( in the sneaky form of vitamin E ingredients); instead I'll use plain coconut oil for the month.  I am also going to see if my husband will give up his petroleum pillow (Tempurpedic).   We're already pretty environmentally conscious; all our cleaners and products are homemade, organic, or flat out natural (really natural, not marketing/advertising "Natural").   We keep fake fragrances out of the house & NEVER put plastic in the dishwasher or microwave it.   That kinda stuff.

Why the Whole30?
I've fallen off the Wellness Wagon since Christmas.   Obviously I still struggle intermittently with sugar, and when I'm in the throes...oy yoy yoy.   The symptoms sneak back in - even those my ND had previously eliminated.  I'm ridiculous.  The severity is never as bad as before my first days as a naturopathic patient, but guess what everyone?  Junk food makes you feel like crap.

My husband is also much healthier since working with an ND.   Part of his issue is 100% compliance with the treatment plans.  He can't bring himself to do castor oil packs, or drink apple cider vinegar for example.  Ultimately, his symptoms get progressively better but never disappear and it's hard to know exactly why since he's not quite as diligent as he might be.

We're hoping the Whole30 will trash the symptoms along with the habits that keep them around.   Also, after being a Naturopathic patient for a few years, I've come to know that switching things up with new approaches & new frameworks reinvigorates you!   It's a great way to get motivated again.   For reals.

And...I am really good at compliance when something is strict, finite and has potential for good results.  The Man is really good at following rules.  I'm thinking this is going to work!   (I bet our ND ends up being stricter with us going forward.  lol.)

Time passes no matter what; we may as well do something productive with it.

My husband has never done a cleanse/detox/reset of any kind.  He's eliminated specific foods one at a time for a few months to test their effect on his skin issues, but he's never done it all at once.  The reason we always did things piecemeal (harhar) is because he is both thin and very active; lots of meal options and ease have always been important.   Translation: grains fill a guy up with very little effort.   However, since his skin issues are so stubborn, he's now ready to give this a try.   I'm so glad to have him as a partner in this!

THE COMPLAINTS:

My big three are breast pain, allergies, and anxiety
The Man's big three are skin issues, sinus issues, & circulation issues

Next post on the Whole30?   A full list of our symptoms and complaints.   This way we'll be able to track how the Whole30 helps us . You can compare our progress to your own situation - and try it too! START NOW!   (That's what Melissa and Dallas recommend. Why wait?)

Stay tuned for our Whole30 Story....naturopathic style.

(Ha.  One of my favorite songs just came on as I'm finishing this up.  "Cornflake girl" by Tori Amos.  Good thing I "never was a cornflake girl" either - cuz they ain't allowed on the Whole30.)

The Sick Naturopathic Patient

I have the flu.  I have the blarging flu for the first time in a few years and I am not happy about it. 

Naturopathic physicians will say that catching a bug isn't necessarily a bad thing.  As long as I'm not getting sick every month, this is a good sign that I am not immunosuppressed and it's also practice for my immune system.  This is how my body is supposed to work.  OK fine.  But phooey.  I feel like host to an energy-draining, spunk-sucking organism of unknown origin.

A day in the life.....
4:45AM - If I didn't have dogs, would I have stayed asleep?  Shouldn't some pet-to-master symbiosis prevent them from whining to go out before I've woken up?  My man will surely take care of the pups, but I know I'm not dropping back to dreamland quickly. 

5:00 - Still dry-coughing. "Can I get you anything?"  God, I love this man.  I loved him that much before he offered to mitigate my misery, but I can FEEL that love like an extra quilt right now.  Yes, please.  After 2 tablespoons of my homemade cough syrup & a dose of Oscillococcinum, I wriggled deeper under both the real quilt and the love quilt; I snoozed once more.

7:00 - Given that it is Saturday, I had wanted to let my Sick Self sleep in, but I guess Dr. Birr's adrenal approach is working because I wake up at 7.  Sick or not.  But I dug in my heels and refused the day for another hour.

8:00 - Removed my (dry) warming socks.  Did some dry skin brushing to keep the lymph moving, then drank my giant AM glass of water.  Then coffee, then tea (decaf green and chamomile for this round).  And by gosh, I had been craving blueberry muffins for days.  So, assuming I was about to use up all my allotted umph for the day, I made them.  (Gluten free, dairy free, coconut oil, all that good stuff.  Hurrah.)  Yum.  Time to sit.

11:00 - It's like the couch has its own time zone!  Tea round two: one bag ginger, one bag chamomile.  Plus a protein shake and some nuts since I have been terrible about feeding myself (or asking to be fed).  Duh.

12:30 - Why are we treehuggers again?  Do you have any idea how long it takes two grown adults to get the wires off of 40 feet of real garland?  You're welcome, mother nature and the deer who will nosh on the still soft cedar. 

12:35 - Tea round three: echinacea with elderberry tincture.  Took another Oscillococcinum.  So far I'm hanging there with this @&*^$% flu.  My throat feels so raw from the sneezing and coughing.  (Sigh.)

3:00PM - I really do think this couch has a very unique thing going on here...is it still Saturday?  Thank goodness for all those people out there Hunting Houses & keeping me entertained!  And did you know the Cooking Channel has a show called Grow Your Own Drugs?  How did I not know this?  Today they greatly improved a guy's athlete's foot with some kind of plant-based foot bath.  Nice.  Ate some sunflower seeds and avocado to accompany my tv time.

5:20 - Feeling good about myself.  Used my second (brief) burst of energy to clean the holiday travel detritus from the car (and found my awesome new scarf - thanks mom!).  Made veggie soup, heavy on the antibacterial garlic and onions; lotsa pretty purple cabbage - it's simmering now.  Must sit.  Tea round four: more echinacea. 

6:00 - My guy walks by with a glass of wine and winks.  "Medicine."  Medicine?  What?!  Me too, me too! 

6:05 - My martini contains orange juice left from the holidays and ginger.  Medicine.

6:20 - Sweet couch.  Lovely book: Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior.  (Recommend.)

7:00 - Dinner was a very spicy, veg-packed stir fry, heavy on the onions and ginger.  Lots of shrimpy protein because I just feel better that way.  Washed it down with an Emergen-C, from which I intend to get my extra C versus from a string of martinis.  The one was fabulous, but my immune system doesn't need the OJ sugar right now (or ever for that matter).

9:15 Tea round five:  Yogi Soothing Caramel Bedtime.  Antibacterial chamomile & skullcap, anti-inflammatory & anti-viral rooibus, & poppy; all of which will help me get to sleep (like I need help).  This particular tea is so tasty!  It smells like caramel and the flavor is the mildest of spice.  (Also recommend.)

10:00 - More cough syrup and off to bed I go.  A little more dry skin brushing.  Finished Flight Behavior.  Such a good read; the main character makes me think more kindly of my own faults and I feel prouder of my strengths - and Kingsolver clearly loves this earth, which makes me love her.   

9:45AM day two.  Slept very well with the exception of one coughing session, which was quickly quieted with the berry syrup.  Woke up with a head full of snot but I think I'm gonna be ok.

In hindsight, I have to say, this is not as bad as I expected.   My nose is either running or stuffed, my throat hurts, and the coughing bouts are even more annoying than a stubbed toe, but I know it could be way worse.  And I know it's not over.  Even so, I wouldn't allow the news stations to send me searching for shots and pharmaceuticals.  I'm over 40, and have had bad colds and flu often enough to know that symptoms have to run their course; drugs don't stop them.

And has anyone noticed that despite all the increased flu shots & mass-marketing thereof, the flu seems to be more prevalent?  I'm just sayin'...

I'd like to think that my cumulative naturopathic care has set me up to succeed in such circumstances and my immune system is putting up a valiant effort.  Is it the vitamin D my ND prescribes?  The high veggie/high protein diet?  Probiotics & healthy gut flora?  Regular exercise?  Having a naturopath to guide me through the right balance of all those things?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Yep.