Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Thursday, April 14, 2016
whole30 round 2, next eight days.
i'm now in the middle of day 18 and my parents are halfway through the halfway mark today! i'm super duper proud of them, seriously. i'm so psyched about the way i'm feeling this round. it's been especially helpful in light of my strep throat and other health stuff. i think eating this way is keeping my hormones as balanced as they can be and keeping my immune system in a good place.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
adult illness.
last week i had a couple of rough nights of sleep and was feeling kind of draggy. i went to yoga on wednesday evening and had a hard time catching my breath and was just generally feeling pretty weak and depleted, which is not typical for me lately (even if yoga is hard). when i woke up thursday morning, my throat was sore and my whole body hurt. of course, i denied that this was happening and proceeded through my work day as normal. mid-afternoon, a neighbor called because she'd been in a car accident (no one was hurt) and she needed a ride. well, that pretty much did me in. by the time i got the kids home and jb got home, i was done. i had started running a low fever and my throat was not ok at all. jb came to the rescue and brought the kids to a playground and got them fed while i laid on the couch and slurped on some pho broth.
friday morning i was worse. i headed to the doctor around lunch and he confirmed i had "the worst case of strep" he'd ever seen. ooof. he hooked me up with some antibiotics, and i was in a bed basically the rest of the day and night. amazingly, after many naps and hours of sleep and two doses of antibiotics, i was like 40 times better by saturday morning. i've continued to improve since then, but this just confirms: being sick as a grown up is the WORST. i quarantined myself from jb and the kids because i didn't want to get anyone sick (which worked!), but it was super sucky to not be able to love on my babies for a few days while i convalesced.
friday morning i was worse. i headed to the doctor around lunch and he confirmed i had "the worst case of strep" he'd ever seen. ooof. he hooked me up with some antibiotics, and i was in a bed basically the rest of the day and night. amazingly, after many naps and hours of sleep and two doses of antibiotics, i was like 40 times better by saturday morning. i've continued to improve since then, but this just confirms: being sick as a grown up is the WORST. i quarantined myself from jb and the kids because i didn't want to get anyone sick (which worked!), but it was super sucky to not be able to love on my babies for a few days while i convalesced.
Tuesday, April 05, 2016
whole30, round 2.
i finally convinced my parents to do a whole30 with me! this is my second round and so far (day 9 today), it's waaaaayyyyy easier the second time around. mom and dad are on day 6 today and i am so unbelievably proud of them for giving this a chance. yay, parents!
jb is halfway doing this one with me. as in, when he's with me, he eats what i eat mostly. but he's not whole-hog, and that's ok. i feel like i can go it alone this time.
here's what i've eaten over the past eight days:
jb is halfway doing this one with me. as in, when he's with me, he eats what i eat mostly. but he's not whole-hog, and that's ok. i feel like i can go it alone this time.
here's what i've eaten over the past eight days:
health and families.
******this post contains potential triggers as it discusses fertility, pregnancy, loss, etc. please skip it if those things might upset you.******
i have had three chemical pregnancies since december. that is a lot. i found out i was pregnant right before christmas, had my betas done at the doctor (because of my history with an ectopic pregnancy), and learned the levels were dropping instead of doubling. my doctor, whom i love, assured me that i hadn't done anything wrong - sometimes, for whatever reason, implantation doesn't occur. so, your body produces the pregnancy hormone, but she told me to think of it as a "just passing through" type of situation. obviously, though i understand the science and all that, i still "felt" pregnant - i had determined a due date for this "baby", and i felt it as a loss. i know this type of loss is not nearly as intense as what a lot of women have experienced, but it is still a loss, and it is still upsetting. as my mom says, every day that you're pregnant, you bond with your baby a little more, so even a week is enough time to love the little niblet you think/hope you're growing.
we took a month off, more for our hearts than for my body. amazingly, i got pregnant again in february. another test with two pink lines, another due date. redemption. i felt pregnant this time. i'd spent a lot of time and energy after that december loss working to get healthier - yoga, lots of veggies, prenatals every day (not just when i remembered). i had my first beta and it was 10x higher than the (super low) first one i'd had in december, so i was feeling super optimistic. i headed back to the doctor 48 hours later, only to learn that the levels had dropped. again. i would have another loss - it was just a waiting game at this point. i was devastated, needless to say. i felt like i was doing all the right things and i was powerless to stop it.
i was on a work trip alone in southern california for that one, and that did help in some weird way. i was able to focus on going to bed early and spending quiet time with my thoughts. it was a strangely healing trip. i saw my doctor in mid-march, after the trip, and she assured me again that this wasn't happening because something is wrong with me - it's happening because my body is doing what it's supposed to do. she also advised me to start taking baby aspirin daily, which i've researched and decided is a good choice for me.
and then. we were planning to take another month off, but last week when things felt late, i decided to take a pregnancy test just in case. it was positive. faint, but positive. i was worried because i didn't feel pregnant this month, and the faint line was already a trigger for me. but i thought to give it 48 hours and pee on a stick again. the line would surely be darker.
but it wasn't. it was lighter. so here i am again, waiting. it's the oddest feeling. i'm trying to be optimistic and positive. i know a lot of women have a much harder time than i'm having conceiving a single child, let alone a third. i am beyond grateful for ek and hollis - they are perfection and i feel unbelievably blessed and honored that they are mine. and yet. justin and i believe there is room in our lives and our hearts for another child, another person. our family is whole, but maybe it's not complete, not quite yet. we will see,
miscarriages and pregnancy losses are such a taboo subject. they are incredibly, tragically common. as many as one in four pregnancies ends in a loss. but they are also extremely isolating. people don't talk about it. it's incredibly hard for your partner to understand it, even if they are super supportive and patient and loving through the whole thing (as mine is). it's hard to articulate all the feelings around it - sadness, guilt, denial, fear. and then there's the hope, hanging on. the hope that there will be one more person at our dinner table, someday. that i will eventually take a pregnancy test and see a blazing pink line that i know means a strong, healthy little human is getting ready. that i won't live in perpetual fear when i do ultimately get pregnant again. there's always the hope.
so for now, i am going to continue working to be healthy and calm and full of gratitude. i'm doing another whole30, with my parents this time! i'm doing a lot of yoga and it is making me feel really good. i'm hugging my babies as much as they'll let me and trying to take a lot of deep breaths.
i have had three chemical pregnancies since december. that is a lot. i found out i was pregnant right before christmas, had my betas done at the doctor (because of my history with an ectopic pregnancy), and learned the levels were dropping instead of doubling. my doctor, whom i love, assured me that i hadn't done anything wrong - sometimes, for whatever reason, implantation doesn't occur. so, your body produces the pregnancy hormone, but she told me to think of it as a "just passing through" type of situation. obviously, though i understand the science and all that, i still "felt" pregnant - i had determined a due date for this "baby", and i felt it as a loss. i know this type of loss is not nearly as intense as what a lot of women have experienced, but it is still a loss, and it is still upsetting. as my mom says, every day that you're pregnant, you bond with your baby a little more, so even a week is enough time to love the little niblet you think/hope you're growing.
we took a month off, more for our hearts than for my body. amazingly, i got pregnant again in february. another test with two pink lines, another due date. redemption. i felt pregnant this time. i'd spent a lot of time and energy after that december loss working to get healthier - yoga, lots of veggies, prenatals every day (not just when i remembered). i had my first beta and it was 10x higher than the (super low) first one i'd had in december, so i was feeling super optimistic. i headed back to the doctor 48 hours later, only to learn that the levels had dropped. again. i would have another loss - it was just a waiting game at this point. i was devastated, needless to say. i felt like i was doing all the right things and i was powerless to stop it.
i was on a work trip alone in southern california for that one, and that did help in some weird way. i was able to focus on going to bed early and spending quiet time with my thoughts. it was a strangely healing trip. i saw my doctor in mid-march, after the trip, and she assured me again that this wasn't happening because something is wrong with me - it's happening because my body is doing what it's supposed to do. she also advised me to start taking baby aspirin daily, which i've researched and decided is a good choice for me.
and then. we were planning to take another month off, but last week when things felt late, i decided to take a pregnancy test just in case. it was positive. faint, but positive. i was worried because i didn't feel pregnant this month, and the faint line was already a trigger for me. but i thought to give it 48 hours and pee on a stick again. the line would surely be darker.
but it wasn't. it was lighter. so here i am again, waiting. it's the oddest feeling. i'm trying to be optimistic and positive. i know a lot of women have a much harder time than i'm having conceiving a single child, let alone a third. i am beyond grateful for ek and hollis - they are perfection and i feel unbelievably blessed and honored that they are mine. and yet. justin and i believe there is room in our lives and our hearts for another child, another person. our family is whole, but maybe it's not complete, not quite yet. we will see,
miscarriages and pregnancy losses are such a taboo subject. they are incredibly, tragically common. as many as one in four pregnancies ends in a loss. but they are also extremely isolating. people don't talk about it. it's incredibly hard for your partner to understand it, even if they are super supportive and patient and loving through the whole thing (as mine is). it's hard to articulate all the feelings around it - sadness, guilt, denial, fear. and then there's the hope, hanging on. the hope that there will be one more person at our dinner table, someday. that i will eventually take a pregnancy test and see a blazing pink line that i know means a strong, healthy little human is getting ready. that i won't live in perpetual fear when i do ultimately get pregnant again. there's always the hope.
so for now, i am going to continue working to be healthy and calm and full of gratitude. i'm doing another whole30, with my parents this time! i'm doing a lot of yoga and it is making me feel really good. i'm hugging my babies as much as they'll let me and trying to take a lot of deep breaths.
Tuesday, February 02, 2016
spiralizing.
in january i started getting a CSA box delivered to our house weekly. the "farm box", as the kids call it, arrives every tuesday and it's a joyous day. i always have the best intentions of getting to the farmers market every week, but let's be honest: that happens basically never. at the same time, i really do believe in eating sustainably (is that a word? the internet is telling me it's not...) - local, seasonal, as many veggies as possible...these are all good goals. just hard to prioritize in the daily kerfluffle of my life.
anyway. one amazing outcome of our on-demand society (and living in central texas) is the availability of delivered farm boxes. for the bargain price of $39/week, someone drops off a box full of veggies at my front door, all grown within 40 miles of our house. rad. i think it's upped my creativity with cooking and my veggie intake.
last night, we had a few vegetables leftover that needed to be eaten before our new box gets delivered today. i made some lentils with onion, celery, carrot and green garlic (all from the box). then i roasted some broccoli and sweet potatoes, both from the box. then, while everything was cooking, the kids took down an entire bunch of raw carrots. they loved the "handle" left on the carrots by the greens. i also sauteed some spiralized turnips (you guessed it - from the box!) to eat under the lentil mix.
spiralizing is so fun and easy, even a three year-old can do it! literally. ek spiralized one and h the other. it was his first time and he was so proud! it didn't make him taste the turnip (he was missing out - it was delicious), but he tried pretty much everything else in our vegan feast. yay vegetables!
anyway. one amazing outcome of our on-demand society (and living in central texas) is the availability of delivered farm boxes. for the bargain price of $39/week, someone drops off a box full of veggies at my front door, all grown within 40 miles of our house. rad. i think it's upped my creativity with cooking and my veggie intake.
last night, we had a few vegetables leftover that needed to be eaten before our new box gets delivered today. i made some lentils with onion, celery, carrot and green garlic (all from the box). then i roasted some broccoli and sweet potatoes, both from the box. then, while everything was cooking, the kids took down an entire bunch of raw carrots. they loved the "handle" left on the carrots by the greens. i also sauteed some spiralized turnips (you guessed it - from the box!) to eat under the lentil mix.
spiralizing is so fun and easy, even a three year-old can do it! literally. ek spiralized one and h the other. it was his first time and he was so proud! it didn't make him taste the turnip (he was missing out - it was delicious), but he tried pretty much everything else in our vegan feast. yay vegetables!
Saturday, November 07, 2015
five years.
i have now been a mother for five whole years, thanks to the most amazing little girl i know. emme's birthday was in a cluster of alllll the activity this year, but we managed to have fun and celebrate in spite of the busy-ness. because this is a child that deserves to be celebrated.
my parents came in for halloween weekend and we had a little birthday brunch for her that morning. she requested rainbow cake, and jb found the most amazing rainbow cake mix, so we made that and egg casserole, fruit, corn grits, and biscuits. three families came over, plus kk & jj, and it was the perfect little gathering for this year.
the next day, we met up with several other families at stanley's farmhouse pizza for some playtime and cupcakes to celebrate emme and her fellow scorpio willa. the weather was perfection - i love it out there, and the kids did too.
on friday, the day before her real birthday, jb and i brought her lunch at school and got to read books to her class. it was so much fun - i want to read to preK kids every single day. they are so delighted by everything. i also made m&m cookies for her class and she got to pick out a "special rest time show" to watch during rest time - wildkratts, of course.
we left friday night for louisiana, so saturday morning we celebrated again for her real birthday. my brother and grandmother came over and my mom made an awesome red velvet cake for her. she also got to open presents - always a highlight. the adults had a wedding to attend that night, so my mom had arranged for three babysitting shifts to hang with the kids, which they obviously loved. lolo and g-dad got the first shift and the kids adored them, of course. then margaret arrived with chick fil-a and a doll. then joe joe brought in the late shift for bath and bed time. she had a great day.
i am so thankful every day that i get to watch this child grow into the person she is becoming. she is smart and funny, silly and kind. she loves to laugh and to make other people laugh. she wants to know and understand everything - her curiosity is one of my favorite things. she has a ridiculous memory, which is a blessing and a curse. she loves to play dress up and to pretend to be a kitty. she plays mommy and baby with any toy she can find. she loves her brother so fiercely and is really amazing with him 99% of the time. she's bossy and she can be a really bad sport, but she's working on sportsmanship. she is cautious but willing to try new things. she hates shots and being told no. she adores her family.
weight: 38 pounds
height: 42 inches
i love this kid with every fiber of my being and i cannot believe she is five.
my parents came in for halloween weekend and we had a little birthday brunch for her that morning. she requested rainbow cake, and jb found the most amazing rainbow cake mix, so we made that and egg casserole, fruit, corn grits, and biscuits. three families came over, plus kk & jj, and it was the perfect little gathering for this year.
the next day, we met up with several other families at stanley's farmhouse pizza for some playtime and cupcakes to celebrate emme and her fellow scorpio willa. the weather was perfection - i love it out there, and the kids did too.
on friday, the day before her real birthday, jb and i brought her lunch at school and got to read books to her class. it was so much fun - i want to read to preK kids every single day. they are so delighted by everything. i also made m&m cookies for her class and she got to pick out a "special rest time show" to watch during rest time - wildkratts, of course.
we left friday night for louisiana, so saturday morning we celebrated again for her real birthday. my brother and grandmother came over and my mom made an awesome red velvet cake for her. she also got to open presents - always a highlight. the adults had a wedding to attend that night, so my mom had arranged for three babysitting shifts to hang with the kids, which they obviously loved. lolo and g-dad got the first shift and the kids adored them, of course. then margaret arrived with chick fil-a and a doll. then joe joe brought in the late shift for bath and bed time. she had a great day.
i am so thankful every day that i get to watch this child grow into the person she is becoming. she is smart and funny, silly and kind. she loves to laugh and to make other people laugh. she wants to know and understand everything - her curiosity is one of my favorite things. she has a ridiculous memory, which is a blessing and a curse. she loves to play dress up and to pretend to be a kitty. she plays mommy and baby with any toy she can find. she loves her brother so fiercely and is really amazing with him 99% of the time. she's bossy and she can be a really bad sport, but she's working on sportsmanship. she is cautious but willing to try new things. she hates shots and being told no. she adores her family.
weight: 38 pounds
height: 42 inches
i love this kid with every fiber of my being and i cannot believe she is five.
Friday, August 21, 2015
eat this now: crockpot chicken curry.
as we all know, my food photography is more than a little lacking, so no pics of this. but y'all. this curry is the easiest thing to make EVER and it is freakishly delicious. i love things with just a few ingredients that work together and are amaze.
this recipe sizes well - double it, or just add a little extra of whichever ingredients to make it your own.
ingredients:
- 1.5-2 pounds chicken thighs (you can use breasts, but thighs are more delicious i think)
- carrots (i usually pile quite a few in there - you can use baby carrots or chop some up, whatever meets your fancy. probably 4-6 carrots' worth)
- red potatoes - for this size i use 5-6 smallish ones, diced to bite size
- garam masala - this is an indian spice that i love. use at least a tbsp or so
- kosher salt - just a little
- curry - you can use any color, powdered or paste. this most recent time i used powdered green curry, about a tablespoon because i don't like it crazy spicy
- 1 can of full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 a can of tomato paste
- cilantro and greek yogurt for garnish (optional)
method:
place chicken thighs and veggies in slow cooker (chicken on the bottom). sprinkle with garam masala, curry and salt. be generous, really. in a separate bowl, use a fork or spoon to mix the coconut milk with the tomato paste. pour that over the meat/veggie mix. let cook on low for ~8 hours. my slow cooker has a timer so i have it stop cooking and switch to the warm setting at the eight hour mark which i find keeps the veggies soft but not overly mushy. use a fork to mix it all around/shred the chicken, then serve. you don't need anything else, but i find it's delicious over a bed of cauliflower rice. regular rice would be tasty also, if you're down with grains. cilantro as a garnish is a nice finish, as is a dollop of greek yogurt (especially if you were a little heavy-handed with the curry).
modifications/options:
this is the most basic form of this recipe, but i have made it with sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, etc. as added veggies. also, if you don't have/can't find garam masala, it's not necessary - just add a little garlic powder and maybe onion power to round out the flavor profile. you could also do this with chickpeas, throw in some spinach...the possibilities are endless!
bon apetit!
this recipe sizes well - double it, or just add a little extra of whichever ingredients to make it your own.
ingredients:
- 1.5-2 pounds chicken thighs (you can use breasts, but thighs are more delicious i think)
- carrots (i usually pile quite a few in there - you can use baby carrots or chop some up, whatever meets your fancy. probably 4-6 carrots' worth)
- red potatoes - for this size i use 5-6 smallish ones, diced to bite size
- garam masala - this is an indian spice that i love. use at least a tbsp or so
- kosher salt - just a little
- curry - you can use any color, powdered or paste. this most recent time i used powdered green curry, about a tablespoon because i don't like it crazy spicy
- 1 can of full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 a can of tomato paste
- cilantro and greek yogurt for garnish (optional)
method:
place chicken thighs and veggies in slow cooker (chicken on the bottom). sprinkle with garam masala, curry and salt. be generous, really. in a separate bowl, use a fork or spoon to mix the coconut milk with the tomato paste. pour that over the meat/veggie mix. let cook on low for ~8 hours. my slow cooker has a timer so i have it stop cooking and switch to the warm setting at the eight hour mark which i find keeps the veggies soft but not overly mushy. use a fork to mix it all around/shred the chicken, then serve. you don't need anything else, but i find it's delicious over a bed of cauliflower rice. regular rice would be tasty also, if you're down with grains. cilantro as a garnish is a nice finish, as is a dollop of greek yogurt (especially if you were a little heavy-handed with the curry).
modifications/options:
this is the most basic form of this recipe, but i have made it with sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, etc. as added veggies. also, if you don't have/can't find garam masala, it's not necessary - just add a little garlic powder and maybe onion power to round out the flavor profile. you could also do this with chickpeas, throw in some spinach...the possibilities are endless!
bon apetit!
Thursday, August 13, 2015
how (and why) to make homemade mayo.
i started making my own mayo when we did our whole30 back in april/may and it is the best thing ever. i have always like mayo, but i can also take it or leave it. i realize people have crazy strong opinions about mayo, but i think even people who aren't mayo lovers would get behind homemade mayo. it's super versatile and one of those fabulous healthy fats. mayo (and the process of making it) doesn't photo very well (and i am not a food photographer in any capacity), but this is for instructional purposes.
homemade mayo (unlike store bought) has only a few ingredients:
- 1 whole egg
- 1 1/4 cup of light olive oil (seriously, do not use extra virgin! i've heard avocado oil works well too, but i haven't personally tried it yet)
- juice from half a lemon
- salt (to taste)
- dry mustard powder (to taste - i usually just sprinkle a lil in there and don't really measure, but i think a quarter to half teaspoon is plenty)
that's it! no additives, sugar, creepy preservatives, etc.
the secret to good mayo that's the right consistency is starting with ingredients that are all at room temp. so, take your egg out an hour before you're making this, or just plop it in a cup of warm water for 5-10 minutes. make sure your lemon is room temp too, if you keep your citrus in the fridge.
so, just whip out your food processor (i have tried to make it with an immersion blender and that works well too, but i like the more hands-free method with a food processor).
put the whole egg, 1/4 cup of the oil, lemon juice, salt and mustard powder in there. put the lid on and turn that puppy on. while it's whirling away, drizzle the remaining cup of oil into the top slooooooowly. seriously. it should take you more than a minute or two to drizzle all that business in there. your arm will get tired. but slow is what you need for that perfect texture (in addition to the room temp thing). once you've finished drizzling all that in there, you can stop the food processor.
use a spatula or a spoon to transfer all your gorgeous mayo into a cute mason jar. label it if you think expiry will be an issue - it's not at our house since we go through a jar in about a week here, but homemade mayo will last one week past the expiration date of the egg you used. so, a while.
some ideas for tasty mayo use:
- use a dollop with an acid (citrus, some form of vinegar) and a little sesame oil to make a creamy and delicious salad dressing (especially perfect for cole slaw)
- toss a little with sauteed veggies and fresh dill for breakfast or a side dish
- dip homemade sweet potato fries in it
- make a variation - i love cilantro lime (add cilantro and garlic to your food processor at the beginning and use lime juice instead of lemon), dill, garlic, and any other herb variation
- mix it with roasted red pepper sauce for the most delicious sauce of all time, perfect for zoodles
bon apetit!
homemade mayo (unlike store bought) has only a few ingredients:
- 1 whole egg
- 1 1/4 cup of light olive oil (seriously, do not use extra virgin! i've heard avocado oil works well too, but i haven't personally tried it yet)
- juice from half a lemon
- salt (to taste)
- dry mustard powder (to taste - i usually just sprinkle a lil in there and don't really measure, but i think a quarter to half teaspoon is plenty)
that's it! no additives, sugar, creepy preservatives, etc.
the secret to good mayo that's the right consistency is starting with ingredients that are all at room temp. so, take your egg out an hour before you're making this, or just plop it in a cup of warm water for 5-10 minutes. make sure your lemon is room temp too, if you keep your citrus in the fridge.
so, just whip out your food processor (i have tried to make it with an immersion blender and that works well too, but i like the more hands-free method with a food processor).
put the whole egg, 1/4 cup of the oil, lemon juice, salt and mustard powder in there. put the lid on and turn that puppy on. while it's whirling away, drizzle the remaining cup of oil into the top slooooooowly. seriously. it should take you more than a minute or two to drizzle all that business in there. your arm will get tired. but slow is what you need for that perfect texture (in addition to the room temp thing). once you've finished drizzling all that in there, you can stop the food processor.
use a spatula or a spoon to transfer all your gorgeous mayo into a cute mason jar. label it if you think expiry will be an issue - it's not at our house since we go through a jar in about a week here, but homemade mayo will last one week past the expiration date of the egg you used. so, a while.
some ideas for tasty mayo use:
- use a dollop with an acid (citrus, some form of vinegar) and a little sesame oil to make a creamy and delicious salad dressing (especially perfect for cole slaw)
- toss a little with sauteed veggies and fresh dill for breakfast or a side dish
- dip homemade sweet potato fries in it
- make a variation - i love cilantro lime (add cilantro and garlic to your food processor at the beginning and use lime juice instead of lemon), dill, garlic, and any other herb variation
- mix it with roasted red pepper sauce for the most delicious sauce of all time, perfect for zoodles
bon apetit!
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
whole 30: week 4 + results!
aaaaannnnndddd...we did it! woohoo. i won't say i'm shocked we made it, but i'm almost surprised and also extremely proud of us. 30 days is both nothing and a realllly long time when it comes to habits and consumption.
so, what did we learn? well, we will know more as we do a calculated, slow reintroduction of things and decide what/how much of other food groups to add back in to our diets. but, i can say without question that i feel amazing. probably the best i've ever felt in my life. low anxiety levels, great sleep, good, consistent energy. i definitely need to add exercise in to my day because it makes me even calmer and more even-keeled, but that's going to be the game plan this month.
i tried to make a list of stuff i miss and it's really short. way shorter than i expected:
- hummus (kinda)
- rice (kinda)
- cheese (mostly good parmesan)
- tortilla chips (duh, but these are off the list for a while since i can't stop)
i think that's it! weird, right? i think about bread a lot, but i don't really miss it since it's got lots of power over my brain and doesn't make me feel awesome. i love it, but i think it's going to be a rare treat rather than a daily or weekly part of my life. we'll see.
so the results! clearly, jb did awesome. i blame this on the fact that he's a man. but we were both pretty stoked with the outcome (so far!):
jb:
- lost 15.2 lbs
- lost 3.25 inches in his waist
- lost almost 2 inches in his hips
- lost inches in his thigh
pb:
- lost 8.4 lbs
- lost 5 inches in my waist
- lost 1.5 inches in my bust
- lost almost 2 inches in my hips
- lost 1.5 inches in my thigh
not bad, especially considering the other non-measurable benefits.
food for the final week-ish:
thursday:
meal 1 - eggs, avocado, cherries
meal 2 - salad with hb egg, french beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado, carrots, evoo. also had a burger patty at a team offsite as my protein.
meal 3 - ribeye with roasted broccoli and a salad of spinach, beets, avocado, almonds
friday:
meal 1 - sauteed spinach, avocado, and an egg with some grilled pork cutlet
meal 2 - steak salad with leftovers, spinach, beets, avocado, almonds
meal 3 - had some friends over so we had apps of guac with plantain chips and olives. for dinner we had fajita beef and chicken, grilled zucchini and squash with homemade cilantro lime mayo, sauteed onions and peppers and cole slaw
saturday:
meal 1 - leftover chicken and cilantro mayo over a bed of leftover veggies, topped with a sunnyside up egg
meal 2 - same as lunch - this stuff was tasty!
meal 3 - went to a bbq so i made my slaw and had lots of that with a burger patty
sunday:
meal 1 - eggs, spinach, avocado, plantains
meal 2 - leftover chicken, leftover slaw, leftover roasted broccoli
meal 3 - we went to central market - jb had a shrimp and cauliflower dish. i was feeling kind of weird (paint fumes?), so i had plain grilled salmon and some rosemary roasted potatoes
monday:
meal 1 - leftover broccoli, sauteed mini peppers, eggs, avocado
meal 2 - salad with grilled pork cutlet over spinach, bell pepper, radishes, carrots, hemp hearts, avocado. dressed with cilantro lime mayo and had an apple and some raspberries
meal 3 - moroccan salmon (spicy!) with roasted zucchini and squash with dill, sweet potato fries - we dipped the salmon in a little mayo because it was such a spicy dish
tuesday:
meal 1 - leftover zucchini and squash, eggs, avocado, cherries
meal 2 - leftover salmon, veggies, etc from dinner on monday
meal 3 - roasted acorn squash and a hodgepodge of onion, ground beef and cabbage with curry powder
so, what did we learn? well, we will know more as we do a calculated, slow reintroduction of things and decide what/how much of other food groups to add back in to our diets. but, i can say without question that i feel amazing. probably the best i've ever felt in my life. low anxiety levels, great sleep, good, consistent energy. i definitely need to add exercise in to my day because it makes me even calmer and more even-keeled, but that's going to be the game plan this month.
i tried to make a list of stuff i miss and it's really short. way shorter than i expected:
- hummus (kinda)
- rice (kinda)
- cheese (mostly good parmesan)
- tortilla chips (duh, but these are off the list for a while since i can't stop)
i think that's it! weird, right? i think about bread a lot, but i don't really miss it since it's got lots of power over my brain and doesn't make me feel awesome. i love it, but i think it's going to be a rare treat rather than a daily or weekly part of my life. we'll see.
so the results! clearly, jb did awesome. i blame this on the fact that he's a man. but we were both pretty stoked with the outcome (so far!):
jb:
- lost 15.2 lbs
- lost 3.25 inches in his waist
- lost almost 2 inches in his hips
- lost inches in his thigh
pb:
- lost 8.4 lbs
- lost 5 inches in my waist
- lost 1.5 inches in my bust
- lost almost 2 inches in my hips
- lost 1.5 inches in my thigh
not bad, especially considering the other non-measurable benefits.
food for the final week-ish:
thursday:
meal 1 - eggs, avocado, cherries
meal 2 - salad with hb egg, french beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado, carrots, evoo. also had a burger patty at a team offsite as my protein.
meal 3 - ribeye with roasted broccoli and a salad of spinach, beets, avocado, almonds
friday:
meal 1 - sauteed spinach, avocado, and an egg with some grilled pork cutlet
meal 2 - steak salad with leftovers, spinach, beets, avocado, almonds
meal 3 - had some friends over so we had apps of guac with plantain chips and olives. for dinner we had fajita beef and chicken, grilled zucchini and squash with homemade cilantro lime mayo, sauteed onions and peppers and cole slaw
saturday:
meal 1 - leftover chicken and cilantro mayo over a bed of leftover veggies, topped with a sunnyside up egg
meal 2 - same as lunch - this stuff was tasty!
meal 3 - went to a bbq so i made my slaw and had lots of that with a burger patty
sunday:
meal 1 - eggs, spinach, avocado, plantains
meal 2 - leftover chicken, leftover slaw, leftover roasted broccoli
meal 3 - we went to central market - jb had a shrimp and cauliflower dish. i was feeling kind of weird (paint fumes?), so i had plain grilled salmon and some rosemary roasted potatoes
monday:
meal 1 - leftover broccoli, sauteed mini peppers, eggs, avocado
meal 2 - salad with grilled pork cutlet over spinach, bell pepper, radishes, carrots, hemp hearts, avocado. dressed with cilantro lime mayo and had an apple and some raspberries
meal 3 - moroccan salmon (spicy!) with roasted zucchini and squash with dill, sweet potato fries - we dipped the salmon in a little mayo because it was such a spicy dish
tuesday:
meal 1 - leftover zucchini and squash, eggs, avocado, cherries
meal 2 - leftover salmon, veggies, etc from dinner on monday
meal 3 - roasted acorn squash and a hodgepodge of onion, ground beef and cabbage with curry powder
Friday, May 15, 2015
whole 30: week 3.
we are winding down the last few days of the whole30 and i kind of can't believe it. in many ways, it's been way easier than i expected. it's also been really rewarding and awesome. in week 3, we didn't go as crazy with planning and prep and still managed to stay compliant and eat delish foods. i also was able to put on some jeans i haven't worn in like 8 months, so that was a big win for me! we did get sorta bored in week 3 because we repeated a lot of meals (cole slaw) and we grilled a boatload of chicken and sausage early in the week, which was convenient, but also made me feel like that's alllll we ate.
emma asked if our kidlets are eating this way too, and the answer is...kinda. i have bread in the house for them to have sandwiches for lunch a couple days a week. they are still eating cheese. the day i made chicken coconut curry, they had applegate farms chicken nuggets with alexia tots and fruit. so...definitely not 100%, but maybe 80% for ek and 60% for hollis? it's way too hard to monitor it at school, so they are still having goldfish and popsicles or whatever other treats they get served. but they are making strides - especially ek. and hollis has taken some bites that he hadn't before, so...baby steps...
food!
wednesday:
meal 1 - leftover kale & sausage quiche with sweet potato crust; leftover broccoli and asparagus.
meal 2 - cabbage slaw with chicken; gazpacho (the kids helped me make it - fun!)
meal 3 - salad with baby spinach & kale, chicken, olives, carrots, onion, cashews; sunshine sauce as the dressing
thursday:
meal 1 - one egg and chicken/apple sausage with sauteed baby bok choy
meal 2 - salad with grilled chicken, carrots, radishes, onion, orange peppers, and blueberry walnut vinaigrette (homemade, of course)
meal 3 - paleo shepherd's pie (ground beef, carrots, onion, celery, topped with sweet potatoes); side of cole slaw
friday:
meal 1 - eggs and sauteed spinach/kale; half an avocado
meal 2 - chicken salad with a hardboiled egg and homemade mayo; leftover veggies
meal 3 - ny strips with salad of baby kale/spinach, oranges, avocado and beets; roasted carrots
saturday:
meal 1 - leftover beet salad wtih eggs and whole30 compliant bacon (pederson's from whole foods - yum!)
meal 2 - more slaw with leftover pork tenderloin and romesco
meal 3 - chicken & apple sausage with sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli
sunday:
meal 1 - jb made me a mother's day brunch with an omelet stuffed with chicken/apple sausage, spinach, yellow bell pepper and a side of bacon
meal 2 - tuna salad with a side of an apple and some kalamata olives
meal 3 - spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce and turkey meatballs
monday:
meal 1 - turkey and eggs; sauteed spinach; cherries
meal 2 - leftover spaghetti squash and meatballs
meal 3 - cauliflower rice with crockpot coconut curry chicken (yummmm)
tuesday:
meal 1 - chicken apple sausage with sauteed yellow squash and cherries
meal 2 - a random pile of stuff from the fridge: tuna, raspberries, mini bell peppers, french beans, hardboiled egg, leftover squash, cherries, olives, and pesto mayo
meal 3 - zoodles with grilled shrimp and pesto
wednesday:
meal 1 - sweet potato, chicken apple sausage, eggs, avocado
meal 2 - salad with chicken, onion, carrots, cherry tomatoes, spinach, olives, mini peppers, radishes, dressed with evoo and an apple on the side
meal 3 - we had a date this night, so i grabbed leftovers - more sausage, squash, sweet potato, french beans, and mayo
emma asked if our kidlets are eating this way too, and the answer is...kinda. i have bread in the house for them to have sandwiches for lunch a couple days a week. they are still eating cheese. the day i made chicken coconut curry, they had applegate farms chicken nuggets with alexia tots and fruit. so...definitely not 100%, but maybe 80% for ek and 60% for hollis? it's way too hard to monitor it at school, so they are still having goldfish and popsicles or whatever other treats they get served. but they are making strides - especially ek. and hollis has taken some bites that he hadn't before, so...baby steps...
food!
wednesday:
meal 1 - leftover kale & sausage quiche with sweet potato crust; leftover broccoli and asparagus.
meal 2 - cabbage slaw with chicken; gazpacho (the kids helped me make it - fun!)
meal 3 - salad with baby spinach & kale, chicken, olives, carrots, onion, cashews; sunshine sauce as the dressing
thursday:
meal 1 - one egg and chicken/apple sausage with sauteed baby bok choy
meal 2 - salad with grilled chicken, carrots, radishes, onion, orange peppers, and blueberry walnut vinaigrette (homemade, of course)
meal 3 - paleo shepherd's pie (ground beef, carrots, onion, celery, topped with sweet potatoes); side of cole slaw
friday:
meal 1 - eggs and sauteed spinach/kale; half an avocado
meal 2 - chicken salad with a hardboiled egg and homemade mayo; leftover veggies
meal 3 - ny strips with salad of baby kale/spinach, oranges, avocado and beets; roasted carrots
saturday:
meal 1 - leftover beet salad wtih eggs and whole30 compliant bacon (pederson's from whole foods - yum!)
meal 2 - more slaw with leftover pork tenderloin and romesco
meal 3 - chicken & apple sausage with sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli
sunday:
meal 1 - jb made me a mother's day brunch with an omelet stuffed with chicken/apple sausage, spinach, yellow bell pepper and a side of bacon
meal 2 - tuna salad with a side of an apple and some kalamata olives
meal 3 - spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce and turkey meatballs
monday:
meal 1 - turkey and eggs; sauteed spinach; cherries
meal 2 - leftover spaghetti squash and meatballs
meal 3 - cauliflower rice with crockpot coconut curry chicken (yummmm)
tuesday:
meal 1 - chicken apple sausage with sauteed yellow squash and cherries
meal 2 - a random pile of stuff from the fridge: tuna, raspberries, mini bell peppers, french beans, hardboiled egg, leftover squash, cherries, olives, and pesto mayo
meal 3 - zoodles with grilled shrimp and pesto
wednesday:
meal 1 - sweet potato, chicken apple sausage, eggs, avocado
meal 2 - salad with chicken, onion, carrots, cherry tomatoes, spinach, olives, mini peppers, radishes, dressed with evoo and an apple on the side
meal 3 - we had a date this night, so i grabbed leftovers - more sausage, squash, sweet potato, french beans, and mayo
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
whole30: week 2.
today is day 16, so we are past the halfway mark! woohoo! i am pretty impressed with our commitment so far. we've had social engagements, happy hours, barbecues and two weekends, and we have stayed strong. i'm especially proud of jb, mainly because it makes it about a bazillion times easier on me to have someone to do this with me.
results so far: about the same, i think? it's clear jb has lost lbs., but i don't think i've lost any yet. i have a long way to go and my body is extremely slow to respond to stuff, so i'm trying not to get discouraged. other than a couple of weird nights and extenuating circumstances, we are sleeping pretty incredibly. my energy is consistent throughout the day, and i don't want to collapse onto a couch the minute we get the kidlets down. my skin is much clearer, i think. so, all good. no "tiger blood" yet (which is what they say you hit in the second half of the program), but all good.
so what did we eat? so glad you asked:
wednesday:
meal 1 - leftover chicken breasts cubed with sauteed cherry tomatoes, topped with homemade spinach-walnut pesto
meal 2 - i had a lunch out at chipotle - lettuce, chicken, pico, guac, super satisfying. i was meeting a coworker and it had been scheduled for over a month, so i went with it. jb had mexican tuna lettuce wraps - tuna with cilantro, purple onion, avocado, etc.
meal 3 - crockpot brisket cooked in homemade bone broth with butternut squash and a greek salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red bells, cucumber, kalamata olives, and homemade dressing (evoo, red wine vinegar)
thursday:
meal 1 - sauteed power greens topped with fried eggs and roasted red pepper sauce; grapes
meal 2 - leftover brisket & butternut squash, topped with some pesto; more grapes
meal 3 - baked steelhead trout with a veggie medley of broccoli, onion, mushrooms, yellow squash sauteed in ghee, topped with roasted red pepper sauce
friday:
meal 1 - leftover trout with pesto; butternut squash soup i made with remaining bone broth (so. good.)
meal 2 - greek salad with olives, peppers, onion, power greens, and two hard-boiled eggs - homemade dressing
meal 3 - we met some friends at central market and there was oregano sauteed salmon on special, so we each ate that with double spinach (instead of the bulgur it came with)
snack - i was weirdly hungry friday, so i had a small apple and some cashews shortly after lunch
saturday:
meal 1 - scramble of eggs, mushrooms, onion, power greens, topped with pesto and half an avocado
meal 2 - paleo salmon cakes (i subbed coconut flour for almond flour and i didn't do the swap properly, so these were super dry, but i will make them again...); topped with homemade mayo to combat the dry-ness; butternut squash soup
meal 3 - baked sweet potatoes topped with crockpot carnitas and avocado mayo; roasted brussels sprouts
sunday:
meal 1 - leftover carnitas topped with a fried egg; plantains fried in coconut oil with a little kosher salt and cinammon (yum!!); leftover veggies from thursday night's dinner
meal 2 - cold thai salad made with zoodles, carrots, cilantro, cashews, topped with sunshine sauce; leftover salmon cakes with homemade mayo
meal 3 - brisket at the neighborhood bbq - super yummy! i brought cole slaw, so i knew it was compliant - green & red cabbage, cilantro, pineapple, green onion, carrots, dressed with homemade mayo, ACV, sesame oil
monday:
meal 1 - twice-baked sweet potato egg cups - half of leftover sweet potato topped with an egg and baked for 12-15 minutes...this wasn't nearly enough food, so when i got to work i had two hard-boiled eggs with homemade salsa and some grapes (no fat, so not ideal, but still compliant)
meal 2 - cole slaw with homemade dressing and chicken breast
meal 3 - steamed zoodles with garlicky shrimp and homemade romesco sauce (this was shockingly good and filling)
tuesday:
meal 1 - crispy kale & sausage quiche with sweet potato crust (i modified this recipe with chicken apple sausage)
meal 2 - chicken protein salad made with grilled chicken, mayo, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, basil from the garden, red wine vinegar, and pine nuts on a bed of baby spinach/baby kale, topped with a drizzle of homemade ranch
meal 3 - salmon with roasted broccoli and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears
so that's it! onward...
results so far: about the same, i think? it's clear jb has lost lbs., but i don't think i've lost any yet. i have a long way to go and my body is extremely slow to respond to stuff, so i'm trying not to get discouraged. other than a couple of weird nights and extenuating circumstances, we are sleeping pretty incredibly. my energy is consistent throughout the day, and i don't want to collapse onto a couch the minute we get the kidlets down. my skin is much clearer, i think. so, all good. no "tiger blood" yet (which is what they say you hit in the second half of the program), but all good.
so what did we eat? so glad you asked:
wednesday:
meal 1 - leftover chicken breasts cubed with sauteed cherry tomatoes, topped with homemade spinach-walnut pesto
meal 2 - i had a lunch out at chipotle - lettuce, chicken, pico, guac, super satisfying. i was meeting a coworker and it had been scheduled for over a month, so i went with it. jb had mexican tuna lettuce wraps - tuna with cilantro, purple onion, avocado, etc.
meal 3 - crockpot brisket cooked in homemade bone broth with butternut squash and a greek salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red bells, cucumber, kalamata olives, and homemade dressing (evoo, red wine vinegar)
thursday:
meal 1 - sauteed power greens topped with fried eggs and roasted red pepper sauce; grapes
meal 2 - leftover brisket & butternut squash, topped with some pesto; more grapes
meal 3 - baked steelhead trout with a veggie medley of broccoli, onion, mushrooms, yellow squash sauteed in ghee, topped with roasted red pepper sauce
friday:
meal 1 - leftover trout with pesto; butternut squash soup i made with remaining bone broth (so. good.)
meal 2 - greek salad with olives, peppers, onion, power greens, and two hard-boiled eggs - homemade dressing
meal 3 - we met some friends at central market and there was oregano sauteed salmon on special, so we each ate that with double spinach (instead of the bulgur it came with)
snack - i was weirdly hungry friday, so i had a small apple and some cashews shortly after lunch
saturday:
meal 1 - scramble of eggs, mushrooms, onion, power greens, topped with pesto and half an avocado
meal 2 - paleo salmon cakes (i subbed coconut flour for almond flour and i didn't do the swap properly, so these were super dry, but i will make them again...); topped with homemade mayo to combat the dry-ness; butternut squash soup
meal 3 - baked sweet potatoes topped with crockpot carnitas and avocado mayo; roasted brussels sprouts
sunday:
meal 1 - leftover carnitas topped with a fried egg; plantains fried in coconut oil with a little kosher salt and cinammon (yum!!); leftover veggies from thursday night's dinner
meal 2 - cold thai salad made with zoodles, carrots, cilantro, cashews, topped with sunshine sauce; leftover salmon cakes with homemade mayo
meal 3 - brisket at the neighborhood bbq - super yummy! i brought cole slaw, so i knew it was compliant - green & red cabbage, cilantro, pineapple, green onion, carrots, dressed with homemade mayo, ACV, sesame oil
monday:
meal 1 - twice-baked sweet potato egg cups - half of leftover sweet potato topped with an egg and baked for 12-15 minutes...this wasn't nearly enough food, so when i got to work i had two hard-boiled eggs with homemade salsa and some grapes (no fat, so not ideal, but still compliant)
meal 2 - cole slaw with homemade dressing and chicken breast
meal 3 - steamed zoodles with garlicky shrimp and homemade romesco sauce (this was shockingly good and filling)
tuesday:
meal 1 - crispy kale & sausage quiche with sweet potato crust (i modified this recipe with chicken apple sausage)
meal 2 - chicken protein salad made with grilled chicken, mayo, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, basil from the garden, red wine vinegar, and pine nuts on a bed of baby spinach/baby kale, topped with a drizzle of homemade ranch
meal 3 - salmon with roasted broccoli and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears
so that's it! onward...
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
whole30: week one.
well, we made it through a week of whole30 eating!
you're not supposed to weigh or measure yourself until day 30, so the literal results are yet to be discovered, but i can comment on the intangible results so far...and they are good! i'm not going to claim there has been any sort of miracle transformation (yet - mwahaha!), but i figure we've been eating very indulgently for months/years now, so it's unlikely everything will just be amazing in a single week. that being said, i definitely feel a difference. the first few days were draggy - low energy, cranky, i-want-to-nap-non-stop. but by the weekend, i was feeling waaaay better. specifically, i have consistent energy levels all day. am i ready to run multiple marathons and tackle the day with so much gusto immediately upon waking? no, though i'm told by the end it will be closer to that. but - there are no slumps. i can plow right on through until it's bedtime, without really any mood swings or bouts of wanting to pass out under my desk. i'm also sleeping like the dead, which is awesome.
so, what exactly have we been eating? some pretty delicious stuff. i was initially worried about the absence of cheese, no creamer for my coffee, and (of course) no vino for 30 days!! but seriously...so far, no crazy cravings. my homegirl's birthday was last friday and i even went to a brunch and a booze-y boat party to celebrate and managed to do so without drinking! and it was still fun! like, way way fun! not saying i'm off the sauce permanently, but i do think i'll be able to breeze through the next three weeks fairly well since that was my biggest social engagement of the month. woohoo!
here was our meal plan for week 1+ (since it's already tuesday!):
monday:
meal 1 - 2-egg omelet with spinach, red onion, cherry tomatoes; 1/2 an avocado
meal 2 - salad made with power greens (blend of baby kale, spinach, chard, etc), red pepper, carrots, broccoli, snow peas, strawberries, and chicken. dressing was just some evoo
meal 3 - flank steak (cooked on the stove with ghee as the cooking fat) with roasted sweet potatoes and roasted zucchini & yellow squash
tuesday:
meal 1 - two eggs over medium over a bed of sauteed kale with half an avocado
meal 2 - leftover flank steak on power greens with leftover zucchini and squash (side note: leftover roasted veggies on a salad is a genius idea), yellow bell pepper, dressed with evoo & white balsamic
snack - 10 raw almonds and an apple (snacks aren't super-encouraged, but they say to have one if you need one and i was dragging this day)
meal 3 - this was delicious: spaghetti squash sauteed in ghee with cherry tomatoes and power greens, topped with baked steelhead trout.
wednesday:
meal 1 - sweet potato hash (this wasn't as delicious as i was expecting it to be, but it was very filling and satisfying afterwards): cubed sweet potato sauteed with ground beef and red onion in coconut oil. topped with a fried egg
meal 2 - slaw of red and green cabbage, shredded carrots, green onions, pineapple, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds. topped with chicken and dressed with a blend of homemade mayo, sesame oil and ACV
meal 3 - amazingly delicious: roasted sweet potatoes topped with shredded pork from the crock pot then topped with guacamole. hella good.
thursday:
meal 1 - eggs, half avocado, sauteed snow peas
meal 2 - leftover slaw topped with leftover pork
meal 3 - grilled bratwurst with grilled sweet potato packets (foil packets made with sliced sweet potatoes, sliced onions, some evoo, orange zest and the juice from the orange), plus more slaw
friday:
meal 1 - eggs, ground beef, guacamole
meal 2 - more leftover slaw (this stuff makes a ton so we ate it for basically a whole week), leftover chicken, a zucchini and a squash sauteed in a little coconut oil with fresh dill
meal 3 - grilled chicken with mushroom tarragon cream sauce - recipe here (soooo gooood); roasted green beans with a splash of balsamic, roasted broccoli with lemon zest & juice
saturday:
meal 1 - leftover pork, sweet potatoes, avocado
meal 2 - 2 eggs over medium, sauteed spinach, bacon, tomato juice
meal 3 - brisket & shredded pork - we were on a boat, so no veggies. but the meat was delish!
sunday:
meal 1 - omelet with leftover brats & power greens, side of avocado - realized that i'm not a huge fan of omelets. so dry!
meal 2 - leftover slaw, leftover chicken, zucchini & squash with a little homemade mayo
meal 3 - salad at whole foods - side note: i was absolutely shocked at how sugar is in basically everything. i was wanting to add some meat to my salad, but every meat on the salad bar had sugar in the ingredients! ended up getting some prosciutto from the deli and two hard-boiled eggs to add to my salad of power greens, rainbow carrots, daikon raddish, and golden beets. also had some dried plantains and guacamole.
monday:
meal 1 - eggs with sauteed zucchini & squash, half of a leftover brat, leftover guacamole
meal 2 - chicken protein salad (chicken, onion, celery, grapes, slivered almonds, homemade mayo), power greens, yellow bell pepper (about a quarter of one), homemade paleo ranch, small apple
meal 3: spaghetti squash with ground beef and homemade whole30 tomato sauce (super super yummy and surprisingly satisfying)
tuesday:
meal 1 - leftover "spaghetti" from monday night
meal 2 - tuna protein salad (same as the chicken salad, but with tuna), half a red bell, small apple, ranch, baby carrots
meal 3 - chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and slaw
it's not always easy to find sample meal plans, so maybe this will help someone else. i don't make stuff with pretty graphics, but the content is there!
you're not supposed to weigh or measure yourself until day 30, so the literal results are yet to be discovered, but i can comment on the intangible results so far...and they are good! i'm not going to claim there has been any sort of miracle transformation (yet - mwahaha!), but i figure we've been eating very indulgently for months/years now, so it's unlikely everything will just be amazing in a single week. that being said, i definitely feel a difference. the first few days were draggy - low energy, cranky, i-want-to-nap-non-stop. but by the weekend, i was feeling waaaay better. specifically, i have consistent energy levels all day. am i ready to run multiple marathons and tackle the day with so much gusto immediately upon waking? no, though i'm told by the end it will be closer to that. but - there are no slumps. i can plow right on through until it's bedtime, without really any mood swings or bouts of wanting to pass out under my desk. i'm also sleeping like the dead, which is awesome.
so, what exactly have we been eating? some pretty delicious stuff. i was initially worried about the absence of cheese, no creamer for my coffee, and (of course) no vino for 30 days!! but seriously...so far, no crazy cravings. my homegirl's birthday was last friday and i even went to a brunch and a booze-y boat party to celebrate and managed to do so without drinking! and it was still fun! like, way way fun! not saying i'm off the sauce permanently, but i do think i'll be able to breeze through the next three weeks fairly well since that was my biggest social engagement of the month. woohoo!
here was our meal plan for week 1+ (since it's already tuesday!):
monday:
meal 1 - 2-egg omelet with spinach, red onion, cherry tomatoes; 1/2 an avocado
meal 2 - salad made with power greens (blend of baby kale, spinach, chard, etc), red pepper, carrots, broccoli, snow peas, strawberries, and chicken. dressing was just some evoo
meal 3 - flank steak (cooked on the stove with ghee as the cooking fat) with roasted sweet potatoes and roasted zucchini & yellow squash
tuesday:
meal 1 - two eggs over medium over a bed of sauteed kale with half an avocado
meal 2 - leftover flank steak on power greens with leftover zucchini and squash (side note: leftover roasted veggies on a salad is a genius idea), yellow bell pepper, dressed with evoo & white balsamic
snack - 10 raw almonds and an apple (snacks aren't super-encouraged, but they say to have one if you need one and i was dragging this day)
meal 3 - this was delicious: spaghetti squash sauteed in ghee with cherry tomatoes and power greens, topped with baked steelhead trout.
wednesday:
meal 1 - sweet potato hash (this wasn't as delicious as i was expecting it to be, but it was very filling and satisfying afterwards): cubed sweet potato sauteed with ground beef and red onion in coconut oil. topped with a fried egg
meal 2 - slaw of red and green cabbage, shredded carrots, green onions, pineapple, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds. topped with chicken and dressed with a blend of homemade mayo, sesame oil and ACV
meal 3 - amazingly delicious: roasted sweet potatoes topped with shredded pork from the crock pot then topped with guacamole. hella good.
thursday:
meal 1 - eggs, half avocado, sauteed snow peas
meal 2 - leftover slaw topped with leftover pork
meal 3 - grilled bratwurst with grilled sweet potato packets (foil packets made with sliced sweet potatoes, sliced onions, some evoo, orange zest and the juice from the orange), plus more slaw
friday:
meal 1 - eggs, ground beef, guacamole
meal 2 - more leftover slaw (this stuff makes a ton so we ate it for basically a whole week), leftover chicken, a zucchini and a squash sauteed in a little coconut oil with fresh dill
meal 3 - grilled chicken with mushroom tarragon cream sauce - recipe here (soooo gooood); roasted green beans with a splash of balsamic, roasted broccoli with lemon zest & juice
saturday:
meal 1 - leftover pork, sweet potatoes, avocado
meal 2 - 2 eggs over medium, sauteed spinach, bacon, tomato juice
meal 3 - brisket & shredded pork - we were on a boat, so no veggies. but the meat was delish!
sunday:
meal 1 - omelet with leftover brats & power greens, side of avocado - realized that i'm not a huge fan of omelets. so dry!
meal 2 - leftover slaw, leftover chicken, zucchini & squash with a little homemade mayo
meal 3 - salad at whole foods - side note: i was absolutely shocked at how sugar is in basically everything. i was wanting to add some meat to my salad, but every meat on the salad bar had sugar in the ingredients! ended up getting some prosciutto from the deli and two hard-boiled eggs to add to my salad of power greens, rainbow carrots, daikon raddish, and golden beets. also had some dried plantains and guacamole.
monday:
meal 1 - eggs with sauteed zucchini & squash, half of a leftover brat, leftover guacamole
meal 2 - chicken protein salad (chicken, onion, celery, grapes, slivered almonds, homemade mayo), power greens, yellow bell pepper (about a quarter of one), homemade paleo ranch, small apple
meal 3: spaghetti squash with ground beef and homemade whole30 tomato sauce (super super yummy and surprisingly satisfying)
tuesday:
meal 1 - leftover "spaghetti" from monday night
meal 2 - tuna protein salad (same as the chicken salad, but with tuna), half a red bell, small apple, ranch, baby carrots
meal 3 - chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and slaw
it's not always easy to find sample meal plans, so maybe this will help someone else. i don't make stuff with pretty graphics, but the content is there!
Monday, April 20, 2015
making some changes.
i have written about this a little in my personal journals and other places i don't share with the whole universe because this blog feels like a place for family stuff and pictures of my kids making weird faces. but, i'm the boss of what goes into this blog, and, honestly, it's the easiest place for me to chronicle what the haps is with our family, but also with my own life. me, being the author of this and whatnot. and also...i'm not a facebook sharer, really, especially not personal stuff, but i like the idea of some level of accountability or putting it all out into the universe.
so. the past...6 months? year? lifetime? i've been struggling a little bit. i have atrocious self esteem when it comes to my physical appearance. i can logic and reason through it all, but fundamentally, deep deep down in my heart, i am destructively critical of myself (particularly in the physical arena, although it extends beyond that a little bit too). beyond reason. beyond rational thought.
and here's the deal: it sucks. it is sucking the energy and joy out of me. it's interfering with all kinds of aspects of my life. and it is a horrendous example to my kidlets (even though i try super hard not to vocalize the negative self-talk, some elements of it eek into everything, and they are like wee adorable sponges that will inevitably soak it all up). and i'm freaking tired of it. i'm tired of hearing myself brush aside any compliment (verbally or mentally), tired of talking about how i used to look or that time when i was sorta kinda in shape. it needs to stop.
which brings me to now. i'm on a quest (meant to start this quest in january, but i didn't and that's ok) for self-healing. i need to heal my body from the abuses i've put it through (all the food i want, whenever i want, whatever it is), but i really really need to heal my mind from the barrage of awful self-talk i deal with minute-by-minute.
so what am i going to do? i'm going to take care of myself. i'm doing a whole30, starting today. for real. no excuses, just healing, good, real food. i'm going to move my body around every day - take the dogs for walks, chase the kids, have baby dance parties, do some sun salutations. i'm not going to criticize my inability to complete a crossfit workout today - i'm just going to do something every day. i'm going to drink a lot of water. i'm going to meditate. i'm going to read some healing, lovely words and i'm going to read some words that light my brain up. i'm going to love on my family and friends when i can and when i want to, and i'm going to give myself space to be by myself and focus internally when i need it. and i'm going to write, hopefully more than just sometimes.
so. the past...6 months? year? lifetime? i've been struggling a little bit. i have atrocious self esteem when it comes to my physical appearance. i can logic and reason through it all, but fundamentally, deep deep down in my heart, i am destructively critical of myself (particularly in the physical arena, although it extends beyond that a little bit too). beyond reason. beyond rational thought.
and here's the deal: it sucks. it is sucking the energy and joy out of me. it's interfering with all kinds of aspects of my life. and it is a horrendous example to my kidlets (even though i try super hard not to vocalize the negative self-talk, some elements of it eek into everything, and they are like wee adorable sponges that will inevitably soak it all up). and i'm freaking tired of it. i'm tired of hearing myself brush aside any compliment (verbally or mentally), tired of talking about how i used to look or that time when i was sorta kinda in shape. it needs to stop.
which brings me to now. i'm on a quest (meant to start this quest in january, but i didn't and that's ok) for self-healing. i need to heal my body from the abuses i've put it through (all the food i want, whenever i want, whatever it is), but i really really need to heal my mind from the barrage of awful self-talk i deal with minute-by-minute.
so what am i going to do? i'm going to take care of myself. i'm doing a whole30, starting today. for real. no excuses, just healing, good, real food. i'm going to move my body around every day - take the dogs for walks, chase the kids, have baby dance parties, do some sun salutations. i'm not going to criticize my inability to complete a crossfit workout today - i'm just going to do something every day. i'm going to drink a lot of water. i'm going to meditate. i'm going to read some healing, lovely words and i'm going to read some words that light my brain up. i'm going to love on my family and friends when i can and when i want to, and i'm going to give myself space to be by myself and focus internally when i need it. and i'm going to write, hopefully more than just sometimes.
Tuesday, February 03, 2015
menu.
i've been doing a decent job of menu planning lately. except when jb was traveling, but whatever. most of the stuff i've been making is very vegetable-heavy, so i'm in heaven. i am a veggie lover (much more so than fruit, which i can take or leave).
anyway. the hardest part about this is that the kids aren't super veggie eaters, especially in their current picky phase. i want to be a hard-ass and only serve what i'm cooking for the adults to them, but somehow i just know they're not going to eat a brussels sprout salad or cauliflower veggie stir fry. so, i cook two meals most nights. maybe if they just see us eating healthy stuff, it will normalize it for them a little?
the food is pretty, i think. points for trying.
anyway. the hardest part about this is that the kids aren't super veggie eaters, especially in their current picky phase. i want to be a hard-ass and only serve what i'm cooking for the adults to them, but somehow i just know they're not going to eat a brussels sprout salad or cauliflower veggie stir fry. so, i cook two meals most nights. maybe if they just see us eating healthy stuff, it will normalize it for them a little?
the food is pretty, i think. points for trying.
 |
| asian noodle jar salad (modified a little). |
 |
| steamed veggie salad with macadamia nut dressing |
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
feeling better.
i still have a voice that sounds like i've been chain smoking for 42 years, and hollis is still a wee bit snotty, but other than that we are basically better. whew. i never get sick and i don't do well with it. i think i've gotten sick more times since i had kids than the entire rest of my life combined.
anyway. this weekend was gorgeous and it was so amazing to be feeling better and not contagious and get out of the house. i stayed home with hollis on friday so we could have one more day to convalesce. i was still fairly sick that day, so since i was sticking close to home anyway, i kept him with me. we did have a hot date to whole foods while our housekeeper was there and that was nice, even if it involved driving around town in the pouring rain.
anyway. this weekend was gorgeous and it was so amazing to be feeling better and not contagious and get out of the house. i stayed home with hollis on friday so we could have one more day to convalesce. i was still fairly sick that day, so since i was sticking close to home anyway, i kept him with me. we did have a hot date to whole foods while our housekeeper was there and that was nice, even if it involved driving around town in the pouring rain.
friday night we took it easy, but saturday morning we had a birthday party for one of our neighbor's kidlets. they had a fun jump and cupcakes, so the kids were in hog heaven. hollis discovered tee-ball and we realized we have not been exposing our kids to enough sports.
both kids took great naps on saturday since hollis had had a rough night the night before. i used that time to rest a little and straighten up the house. when emme got up, she helped me clean the porch, which is always fun - i love to do projects with my little helper.
saturday evening we went to one of my co-worker's house. his family has two girls on either side of ek's age, and they also have all the toys, so the kids were in heaven. i always feel like we have way too many toys, then we go to other peoples' houses and i feel like we are depriving our children. sigh.
sunday morning we woke up and walked around the corner to cate's house (after some quality burrito time, of course). it was marathon day (the half i said i was going to run and then never did distance training for...), and their house is on the route, so we had breakfast and half-watched the runners. the kids are obsessed with cate's house.
and we ended the weekend with friday night meatballs (on sunday) since i didn't feel like anyone should be exposed to our germy house on friday. emme loved having buddies over - this is her friend oliver, the sweetest boy ever.
yay for good weather and wellness!
Thursday, January 22, 2015
things i hate about the flu.
3/4 of us got the flu shot this year, and 3/4 of us have the flu right now. it's super fun. emme got the shot and does not have the flu, but our rad pediatrician put her on tamiflu as a prophylactic measure anyway, so i hope she stays safe. hollis and i are plowing through - it's not as bad as it could be, i guess. they said we will likely have a milder and shorter case since we were vaccinated and hooked up the tamiflu in short order. i am not messing around with sickness.
i hate feeling insanely tired and energy-less, and i hate it even more when it's accompanied by an inability to get sound sleep. hollis barfed last night (i think it was from coughing so hard - poor dude) all over his bed, so he came into our bed, jb headed to the couch. sleeping with a toddler is like having a magnetized bowling ball with toenails in your bed. he's an insane person, for real. my jawbone wrist band thing told me i was up at least 6 different times during the night, and i feel like that's a conservative estimate.
i hate when i'm sick too because my need to deal with all the germs by washing all the things falls to me, but i feel crappy and want to just lay on a couch.
i hate the achy body stuff because i know my kidlet is feeling it in his little body and that makes me super sad.
i hate that i'm not "working", but i'm also not doing anything productive.
i hate coughing. hate it.
is this enough whining for today?
i hate feeling insanely tired and energy-less, and i hate it even more when it's accompanied by an inability to get sound sleep. hollis barfed last night (i think it was from coughing so hard - poor dude) all over his bed, so he came into our bed, jb headed to the couch. sleeping with a toddler is like having a magnetized bowling ball with toenails in your bed. he's an insane person, for real. my jawbone wrist band thing told me i was up at least 6 different times during the night, and i feel like that's a conservative estimate.
i hate when i'm sick too because my need to deal with all the germs by washing all the things falls to me, but i feel crappy and want to just lay on a couch.
i hate the achy body stuff because i know my kidlet is feeling it in his little body and that makes me super sad.
i hate that i'm not "working", but i'm also not doing anything productive.
i hate coughing. hate it.
is this enough whining for today?
Thursday, November 13, 2014
four year stats.
monday morning i was driving the kidlets to school when i remembered (somehow, magically) that ek's four year well-child appointment was at 8:30. woops. my mom asked me if i keep a calendar (answer: yes, of COURSE i do i couldn't live without it!), but i don't normally check it until i get to work in the mornings. and i still keep a written calendar because i like the exercise of writing stuff down, even though the lack of alarms/reminders is somewhat troublesome.
anyway. we made it with time to spare and emme was extremely nervous about getting shots. i remember at her 18-month appointment they warned me about the four year visit because they are so aware. she's had a few friends turn four and then show up at school with tales of shots, so she expected it.
but first. they weighed and measured her!
height: 40 inches - 60%.
weight: 34 pounds - 50%.
i was so excited. she loses weight really easily when she's sick, but lately she's been eating quite well, so i'm thrilled she's made it to the mid-30s. she still looks/seems so petite, but i guess she's right about average, so we'll take it!
next they did hearing and vision screenings. she was the silliest child ever during each of them, but managed to indicate that she can, in fact, see and hear, so that's stellar news.
dr. treybig asked all about what she likes to eat (she said roast beef and squash - neither of which she will really touch. funny kid.), if she drinks milk, what kinds of stuff she likes. she was super talky and personable, so that was great.
then it was time for shots. she got the flu mist in her nose, which made her a little mad, but she handled. then chicken pox in her right arm, which was a non-event. then MMR in the left, which i could tell hurt (and the nurse warned me about). she cried and looked at me and the nurse with big tears and lots of indignation. poor baby. on the drive back to school she kept saying "i really didn't like that shot, mommy". ugh.
anyway, that was it! so proud of my big girl. she's still a champ sleeper (naps most days 1-3 hours and sleeps a solid 11 hours most nights). she eats better than most from what i can tell (she says berries are her favorite food and she'll try almost anything at least once). she's working through some of the normal four year old struggles like sharing and defiance and exerting her dominion over everyone, but i like that she's so feisty and i feel like we'll ultimately be able to help her harness her powers for good. i love this niblet.
anyway. we made it with time to spare and emme was extremely nervous about getting shots. i remember at her 18-month appointment they warned me about the four year visit because they are so aware. she's had a few friends turn four and then show up at school with tales of shots, so she expected it.
but first. they weighed and measured her!
height: 40 inches - 60%.
weight: 34 pounds - 50%.
i was so excited. she loses weight really easily when she's sick, but lately she's been eating quite well, so i'm thrilled she's made it to the mid-30s. she still looks/seems so petite, but i guess she's right about average, so we'll take it!
next they did hearing and vision screenings. she was the silliest child ever during each of them, but managed to indicate that she can, in fact, see and hear, so that's stellar news.
dr. treybig asked all about what she likes to eat (she said roast beef and squash - neither of which she will really touch. funny kid.), if she drinks milk, what kinds of stuff she likes. she was super talky and personable, so that was great.
then it was time for shots. she got the flu mist in her nose, which made her a little mad, but she handled. then chicken pox in her right arm, which was a non-event. then MMR in the left, which i could tell hurt (and the nurse warned me about). she cried and looked at me and the nurse with big tears and lots of indignation. poor baby. on the drive back to school she kept saying "i really didn't like that shot, mommy". ugh.
anyway, that was it! so proud of my big girl. she's still a champ sleeper (naps most days 1-3 hours and sleeps a solid 11 hours most nights). she eats better than most from what i can tell (she says berries are her favorite food and she'll try almost anything at least once). she's working through some of the normal four year old struggles like sharing and defiance and exerting her dominion over everyone, but i like that she's so feisty and i feel like we'll ultimately be able to help her harness her powers for good. i love this niblet.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
no more sick kids.
wheeee. we are well! for now.
seriously, every time my kidlets get sick, i am a wreck. it's so much to deal with - worrying about them, dealing with doctor appointments, trying to keep up with work, interrupted sleep, all the things. i secretly like some parts of it just a little bit...like how they're extra cuddly and full of love and how it's a great excuse to wash and decontaminate everything in my house. BUT, of course, those things require lots of time and energy too, and time and energy aren't always in abundant supply around here.
i digress. the main thing my kids' illnesses do is remind me of how rarely they are sick. which reminds me of how extremely grateful i am of that fact. for kids who are in daycare all day every day, they are super healthy. hollis's recent bout with hand-foot-mouth was the first time he'd been to the doc since his well-child appointment at 18 months, and the first time he'd been for an illness-related visit since i don't know when...maybe an ear infection? emme ran fever for a day last week but bounced back with authority. she also barfed in the middle of the night on friday night and once on saturday morning, but that was most likely from something she ate and she recovered immediately from that episode, too.
anyway. i am just happy they're well again and we can continue the mayhem of our regular lives without the added bonus of germs and grumpiness.
seriously, every time my kidlets get sick, i am a wreck. it's so much to deal with - worrying about them, dealing with doctor appointments, trying to keep up with work, interrupted sleep, all the things. i secretly like some parts of it just a little bit...like how they're extra cuddly and full of love and how it's a great excuse to wash and decontaminate everything in my house. BUT, of course, those things require lots of time and energy too, and time and energy aren't always in abundant supply around here.
i digress. the main thing my kids' illnesses do is remind me of how rarely they are sick. which reminds me of how extremely grateful i am of that fact. for kids who are in daycare all day every day, they are super healthy. hollis's recent bout with hand-foot-mouth was the first time he'd been to the doc since his well-child appointment at 18 months, and the first time he'd been for an illness-related visit since i don't know when...maybe an ear infection? emme ran fever for a day last week but bounced back with authority. she also barfed in the middle of the night on friday night and once on saturday morning, but that was most likely from something she ate and she recovered immediately from that episode, too.
anyway. i am just happy they're well again and we can continue the mayhem of our regular lives without the added bonus of germs and grumpiness.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
diagnosis.
my poor poor baby. on tuesday, jb picked the kidlets up from school and brought them home. hollis had "bug bites" on his face and the teachers had told justin that they thought he'd "gotten into some ants". i thought it was a bit crazy that ants had gotten onto his FACE and been able to bite him to that degree before anyone noticed, but i just kind of rolled with it. we had guests staying with us, so we put neosporin on the bites and he went to bed quickly and easily.
when he woke up wednesday morning, there appeared to be more bites. and when i changed his diaper, they were all over his groin and on his legs and stuff too. this seemed crazy to me, but i still didn't really think anything of it. i dropped him off at school and as i was backing out, his teacher ran up to me in the parking lot. she was like "i think he may have hand-foot-mouth". i knew immediately as she said the words that of course that's what it was. but since he didn't have any kind of fever, it never even occurred to me. i feel like a ridiculous person, but when ek had it, and everyone else i've heard of with it, it was accompanied by a fairly high fever.
anyway. poor little bug. i brought him to the doc and of course he's got it and it's a BAD case. this morning he woke up and it's even worse and continues to get worse each hour it seems. it's in his nostrils, all over his face and ears, arms, legs, bottom, groin. pretty much everywhere but his belly. amazingly, he's still eating and drinking and he's in fairly good spirits in spite of it all. i can tell it really really hurts him - he keeps pointing at his body saying "chin. hurts. toes. hurts. nose. hurts." this disease is gross and terrible.
when he woke up wednesday morning, there appeared to be more bites. and when i changed his diaper, they were all over his groin and on his legs and stuff too. this seemed crazy to me, but i still didn't really think anything of it. i dropped him off at school and as i was backing out, his teacher ran up to me in the parking lot. she was like "i think he may have hand-foot-mouth". i knew immediately as she said the words that of course that's what it was. but since he didn't have any kind of fever, it never even occurred to me. i feel like a ridiculous person, but when ek had it, and everyone else i've heard of with it, it was accompanied by a fairly high fever.
anyway. poor little bug. i brought him to the doc and of course he's got it and it's a BAD case. this morning he woke up and it's even worse and continues to get worse each hour it seems. it's in his nostrils, all over his face and ears, arms, legs, bottom, groin. pretty much everywhere but his belly. amazingly, he's still eating and drinking and he's in fairly good spirits in spite of it all. i can tell it really really hurts him - he keeps pointing at his body saying "chin. hurts. toes. hurts. nose. hurts." this disease is gross and terrible.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
whole30.
a whole lot and not very much has been happening lately. these are always the weirdest times for me - when i feel busy (albeit not overwhelmed), but there's not anything specifically going on like an event or a definitive project or whatever.
justin and i decided to start/try/dabble in the whole30/paleo eating this month. it's been going amazingly well so far. i don't like diets (duh), but i love food and science and the complex interaction between our bodies and what we put in them. i'm definitely not the healthiest eater as a general rule. i am a big over-consumer...i don't really have an off-button, especially when certain foods are involved. foods like chips and salsa (hello, i live in texas). bread. cheese. butter. crackers.
but! there is hope, i think. because i do love vegetables. like, i really love them. more than fruits, for sure. and you sprinkle a little salt on 'em and saute or roast them in coconut oil and i'm a happy camper.
anyway. there were a few reasons for us to work on this conscientious eating shift. first, our energy levels haven't been the greatest. mine have been better because of the working out, but definitely with the heat of summertime upon us, i need to ward off the lethargy. second, our kids were pretty good about vegetables, but lately they've been struggling a little bit - preferring toast and cheerios and other low-nutrient foods. so, this helps have veggies around all the time, which should lead to them eating more of them, ultimately. third, we were in a pattern of eating out a ton, which is terrible for our health and our wallet. and finally, there's the whole over-consumption, can't-say-no thing i have with food. i wanted to see what i could do about breaking the psychological attachment i have to what i eat, so i'm giving it a whirl.
the rules are pretty simple. real, whole foods. no grains, legumes, dairy, or booze. focus on veggies, protein, and healthy fats. i was most concerned about drinking my coffee black, but it's actually been totally fine! i brew it a little bit weaker than usual so it's not so intense, but i normally drink it with only cream, so the taste isn't too extremely different. i was also concerned about cheese, since i adore cheese and find it to be an easy, delicious go-to protein/fat source. i don't think i have issues tolerating dairy (especially cheese), but so far it hasn't been bad to not have it. the hardest part so far has been the evenings...my energy levels haven't ramped back up (supposedly, after day 7 or so, your energy levels become amazing...but the detox beforehand is not energy-inducing), so i am sleepy after we get the kidlets down and really want some chocolate or a glass of wine. or both. ha. anyway...i've managed to hold off for now, so that's good.
what we do eat is amazingly delicious, and this week we've eaten breakfast and dinner as a family every day, which is SO nice. morning meals are eggs and veggies with a little fruit - this morning, we had eggs scrambled in coconut oil with sauteed baby bok choy and half a kiwi. delicious. mid-day meals are usually a salad of some sort. the best one from this week was our tuesday salad: baby spinach and arugula with leftover salmon, roasted peppers, roasted beets, roasted zucchini & squash, avocado, pistachios, and a drizzle of olive oil. the beets were so tasty! for the evening meal, it's the same, basically: last night was chicken with a sundried tomato/balsamic/garlic deglaze and carrots, zucchini and yellow squash roasted with garlic olive oil and sea salt. not too shabby.
i am still offering the kids some grains and cheese sometimes. for example, they both LOVE fresh mozz, so i keep that around and let them snack on it. they also love rice cakes, and get those at school during snack a lot, and i'm obviously totally fine with that.
my hope is that after these few weeks/month or so, we are all feeling really great and have tried lots of different foods. i fully intend to reintroduce some things and see how they work after a while off, but maybe i'll feel so incredible after this time that i'll never need to keep cheezits in the house again!
justin and i decided to start/try/dabble in the whole30/paleo eating this month. it's been going amazingly well so far. i don't like diets (duh), but i love food and science and the complex interaction between our bodies and what we put in them. i'm definitely not the healthiest eater as a general rule. i am a big over-consumer...i don't really have an off-button, especially when certain foods are involved. foods like chips and salsa (hello, i live in texas). bread. cheese. butter. crackers.
but! there is hope, i think. because i do love vegetables. like, i really love them. more than fruits, for sure. and you sprinkle a little salt on 'em and saute or roast them in coconut oil and i'm a happy camper.
anyway. there were a few reasons for us to work on this conscientious eating shift. first, our energy levels haven't been the greatest. mine have been better because of the working out, but definitely with the heat of summertime upon us, i need to ward off the lethargy. second, our kids were pretty good about vegetables, but lately they've been struggling a little bit - preferring toast and cheerios and other low-nutrient foods. so, this helps have veggies around all the time, which should lead to them eating more of them, ultimately. third, we were in a pattern of eating out a ton, which is terrible for our health and our wallet. and finally, there's the whole over-consumption, can't-say-no thing i have with food. i wanted to see what i could do about breaking the psychological attachment i have to what i eat, so i'm giving it a whirl.
the rules are pretty simple. real, whole foods. no grains, legumes, dairy, or booze. focus on veggies, protein, and healthy fats. i was most concerned about drinking my coffee black, but it's actually been totally fine! i brew it a little bit weaker than usual so it's not so intense, but i normally drink it with only cream, so the taste isn't too extremely different. i was also concerned about cheese, since i adore cheese and find it to be an easy, delicious go-to protein/fat source. i don't think i have issues tolerating dairy (especially cheese), but so far it hasn't been bad to not have it. the hardest part so far has been the evenings...my energy levels haven't ramped back up (supposedly, after day 7 or so, your energy levels become amazing...but the detox beforehand is not energy-inducing), so i am sleepy after we get the kidlets down and really want some chocolate or a glass of wine. or both. ha. anyway...i've managed to hold off for now, so that's good.
what we do eat is amazingly delicious, and this week we've eaten breakfast and dinner as a family every day, which is SO nice. morning meals are eggs and veggies with a little fruit - this morning, we had eggs scrambled in coconut oil with sauteed baby bok choy and half a kiwi. delicious. mid-day meals are usually a salad of some sort. the best one from this week was our tuesday salad: baby spinach and arugula with leftover salmon, roasted peppers, roasted beets, roasted zucchini & squash, avocado, pistachios, and a drizzle of olive oil. the beets were so tasty! for the evening meal, it's the same, basically: last night was chicken with a sundried tomato/balsamic/garlic deglaze and carrots, zucchini and yellow squash roasted with garlic olive oil and sea salt. not too shabby.
i am still offering the kids some grains and cheese sometimes. for example, they both LOVE fresh mozz, so i keep that around and let them snack on it. they also love rice cakes, and get those at school during snack a lot, and i'm obviously totally fine with that.
my hope is that after these few weeks/month or so, we are all feeling really great and have tried lots of different foods. i fully intend to reintroduce some things and see how they work after a while off, but maybe i'll feel so incredible after this time that i'll never need to keep cheezits in the house again!
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