Whole30: Two Weeks Down

Well here I am, I made it to day 14 on Whole30, and doing great! Here is a recap of how it has gone so far, including pros/cons and how I feel about the next two weeks.

Physical: The bloat is gone, my joints don't ache, I definitely feel less inflammation - which is incredible. I really love getting rid of the bloat the most. My belly feels flatter (it isn't; more on that later) and my rings slide off and on easily.

Mental:   For the most part I'm feeling the clarity that comes from cutting alcohol and increasing water consumption. However as the days have progressed, there's a fogginess that sets in every day by 4:00. So far I haven't figured out how to correct that but I'm trying different things like having a snack, chugging water, and drinking a small amount of caffeine (green tea). The snack seems to help the most, so I'll continue to plan that into my day. It also helps with The Hangries that have been setting in by dinnertime.

Emotional:   Despite Aunt Flo making a visit in week 2, my mood has been surprisingly consistent! No mood swings. I LOVE that. Before, I would easily fly into a rage over sometimes stupid things, but I've been able to manage whatever shitshow is going on without needing to take a timeout. This might have surprised me the most. I've used wine to cope for the last X years and didn't trust my own ability to handle life without it. I know I can do it now and even better than with the wine. Win.

Weightloss:   I really expected the pounds to melt off, due to ridding myself of all the bloat and cutting calories in the meantime, but alas I am .5 lb heavier two weeks in. I'm trying not to get frustrated at this and let it derail me. I have no explanation other than guesses.... I've been exercising more, so maybe there is muscle being built. Maybe I'm not exercising enough still. Maybe my body is going into hoarding mode from cutting calories (doing the math from my tracker apps, I cut 2000 cals the first week and 3300 the 2nd, which should be about 1.5 lbs - usually this isn't drastic enough to put someone into hoard mode). But I do *feel* slimmer, and my clothes aren't tight anymore, so I guess that's something.

Overall it hasn't been as hard as I thought it might be, and I feel like I can easily continue another two weeks. There have been some extremely difficult times (a concert last weekend where I cheated with straight tequila - my only cheat I might add!) and certain days where I had to fight my craving for a glass of wine. But things like seltzer water and Lara Bars have saved me through those times!

Whole 30, Day 1

First, a recap of what I ate this first day of my attempt at Whole30. Below is a short bit about how it went, then a recipe for the Spanish "rice" I made from riced cauliflower (it's super yum and is definitely a keeper).

Breakfast:
1 egg, 3 egg whites, sauteed mushrooms all cooked in ghee

Lunch: 
1 apple, 2 T almond butter, turkey patty cooked in cast iron in olive oil (from frozen)

Dinner: 
Lettuce wrap tacos using ground turkey, bibb lettuce, chopped avocado, cilantro, and Spanish "rice" (recipe & pic below)

Snack: Banana with 1 T almond butter


Surprisingly, today went very well. Much better than expected! We had a 4 year old's birthday party to attend, and I managed to avoid all snacks and even the cake (I mean it wasn't chocolate, so it wasn't that hard...). The key so far seems to be about not counting calories. Since I don't have to account for an entire bottle of wine, or the usual tortilla/tortilla chips, or cheese, you can really load up on veggies and healthy fats to feel full and not guilty. We'll see how this progresses once my body catches on and starts saying 'Hey wtf!' but for now, I feel positive.
Other great effects from today: no bloat, no headache, no sniffles/sneezing, and a clear head. Dammit, I'm sold.


Spanish "Rice"
2 T olive or vegetable oil
1 bag riced cauliflower (from Trader Joe's)
1/3 each: red, green, yellow, and orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, oregano (maybe 1 teaspoon), and generous black pepper

Using dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in oil on medium heat. Once translucent, add bell peppers and cauli rice; season to taste, turn heat down to med-low, and let simmer for 10-ish minutes stirring occasionally. Turn down to low and cover til ready to serve. Excellent with chopped avocado, green onion, and cilantro, and if you're not doing Whole30, top with shredded cheddar cheese! I stuffed bibb lettuce leaves with this "rice" along with a spoonful of cooked, seasoned ground turkey.

Lettuce leaf tacos using Spanish "rice" and ground turkey

Low Carb Turkey Curry

I love a good curry when it's cold & rainy out.  It's like comfort food.  I cooked a turkey earlier this week (who says you can only cook turkeys on Thanksgiving?) so this is a perfect way to use up leftover meat. 

This makes a huge dutch oven's worth, so depending on how big your family is you should have enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

2 T olive oil
1/2 Mayan sweet onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large carrots, peeled/chopped
1 small head cauliflower, chopped into bite sized chunks
1 1/2 - 2 c chopped pre-cooked turkey
1 15 oz can organic pumpkin puree
1 can organic coconut cream (you may only use half - shake can to blend before opening)
2 T curry spice (find pre-mixed in the bulk spice section of most stores)
S & P
Optional toppings:  cilantro or parsley, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Hot cooked rice or quinoa

Heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions, garlic, & carrots.  Saute a few minutes til onions just start to get translucent.  Add cauliflower and turkey, one full can of pumpkin puree, and as much of the coconut cream to desired consistency.  If I'm serving over rice, I like to add the whole can of coconut cream to make it saucy!  Cover, turn down heat to low, and simmer about 5 minutes.  Add curry spice, and salt & pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer on low for another 15-20 minutes and serve either on it's own (to keep it low carb) or over rice or quinoa.  Top with chopped cilantro.

Low Carb Jambalaya

I don't make this often because it's a bit labor-intensive.  But since I started meal-prepping a lot more on Sundays and Mondays, I had a lot of these ingredients already ready to go!  Replace the regular rice with cauliflower rice and this becomes a super yummy low carb option to throw into your dinner rotation.

2 cooked/cubed chicken breasts
2 andouille sausages, sliced (I love Aidell's Cajun style)
1-2 cups peeled/tail-off shrimp (depending on size used)
2-3 T olive oil
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 Mayan sweet onion, chopped
3 large celery stalks, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz cans chopped tomatoes, with liquid
2-3 T cajun/creole seasoning (I just tweak Emeril's recipe a bit! Or use whatever store-bought brand you like best)
Celery salt, pepper

1 head cauliflower - riced
1-2 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Throw in onions and garlic, and saute just a few minutes til translucent.  Add the rest of the veg - peppers, celery, and tomatoes - and bring back up to a simmer.  Then add the chicken, sausage, and shrimp.  For the seasoning, I like Emeril's "Essence" creole seasoning linked above - make it ahead so you have it on hand for future cajun/creole recipes.  I don't put as much oregano or thyme as he calls for, and you can lighten up on the cayenne if you like it less spicy.  But use at least a couple tablespoons for this big of a batch of jambalaya.  Simmer on low for at least 20-30 minutes for the flavors to meld.

While jambalaya is simmering, rice your cauliflower and add to a pan heated on med-low with the olive oil.  Stir to distribute oil and cover for a few minutes to help steam and soften cauliflower.

Serve hot jambalaya over riced cauliflower with a little celery salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  Trust me, you don't miss the grain rice.  Enjoy!

Roasted Delicata Squash Boats

I can't believe it took me so many years to jump on the delicata squash bandwagon!  When I bought them at the farmer's market, the guy ringing me up said they were "the new kale".  Well alrighty then, I'm sold.

Cut ends off one large squash and slice lengthwise down the middle.  Scoop out seeds (do I really have to list this step??), smear with butter, and roast at 400 for 30-40 minutes.  You can put them right on the rack in the oven.

Meanwhile:
2 chicken breasts
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chopped tomatoes
4 T Zatarain's Creole Mustard
1-2 T spicy brown mustard (start light, add more for more kick)
1-2 T maple syrup (to taste - start light then add more if you want a little more sweetness)
1 t Spike seasoning
1 t dried thyme
fresh cracked pepper to taste
Shredded parmesan

Saute onions & garlic in olive oil til translucent.  Add chicken breasts and tomatoes (do not drain - rinse can with a tiny bit of water and add to pan for liquid) and simmer until chicken is cooked.  Remove chicken to a wooden cutting board, turn heat off or to low.  Shred chicken with two forks or chop finely.  Add chicken back to pan, add remaining ingredients (mustards, etc), stir together, and taste to see if more heat or sweetness is needed.  Simmer for a few more minutes.  By this time, squash should be done. Turn oven on to broil.  Place squash halves on baking sheet, stuff with chicken mixture, top with shredded parmesan, and brown under the broiler until bubbly.  Yum!