We’re still chugging right along doing the Whole30. I expected to start feeling like roses and sunshine immediately, but that’s…Not happened yet. In fact, last week I had a little cold, which I can blame on one of two things: LG and the nasty daycare germs she brings home and/or all the toxins leaving my body from this diet. Would the latter even make sense? I don’t know, but I was literally just sick the week of August 27th (I remember because it was the last busy week of work — the one where we were there till 1am — so that was all sorts of awesome.)
Anyway, Whole30! There have been a lot of vegetables. Like, a lot. Like, if you need some kale, I must apologize, for I have eaten all the kales in all the world. Kale is the new gorgonzola, didn’t you hear?
Not kale, but quick-pickled green beans and peppers, which I highly recommend (we omitted the sugar, obvs, and didn’t have/use pickling spice. They were still delicious and gone in one day.)
I’ve been trying to get more fat in my diet, so I’m not so blasted hungry all the time, but being that I don’t really care for coconut (although will eat it when necessary, say, in a German chocolate cake), I’ve been eating a lot of avocado and putting a lot of olive oil on my roasted veggies. Speaking of roasted veggies, I fear we’re going to have to break up once Whole30 is over, because it’s already getting to the point where if I see another Brussels sprout again…
Oh hey, girl, just kidding, I didn’t mean anything by that…
Despite already feeling a lack of things to cook (hard-boiled eggs for breakfast? Again? Sure?), I do feel good and (minus the cold), am getting some rocking sleep, to the point where I didn’t need coffee in the morning. So: Win.
Steelhead with spinach pesto and roasted vegetables. It was only 100-degrees this day.
I found a couple Whole30-compliant dinners in this month’s Better Homes & Gardens that I’m excited to make once the weather decides that Balls Hot is no longer acceptable for October, so I’ll report back once I try those (pork and poblano stew and shepherd’s pie with butternut squash topping instead of potatoes.)
In running news, Holly and I ran 7 miles yesterday and my foot felt cool the entire time. Today, of course, it hurts again, so we’ll see what happens between now and Saturday, when we’re tentatively scheduled to run 8 miles.
Oh! (I started this post last week, so some things have changed) I used some coconut milk (and bananas and strawberries) to make a pre-run smoothie and it was delicious. I might never go back to yogurt as a smoothie base.
That’s it! Until next time!
So is it bad that I STILL feel smug about running 7 miles? At least today I feel like I have a young, spry person’s hips and not old lady hips.
Things I meant to mention yesterday but was too busy gasping for air to remember to say:
Easy way to get more fat:
1.OLIVES. Do you like olives? I hope you like olives. Because it’s such an easy thing to throw a few into whatever you are eating (stuff at breakfast — add olives on the side! salad at lunch? toss in olives! Eat as a snack! And they provide a way easier way to get some fat instead of just, you know, dousing things in olive oil (not that you’re doing that, but you know, that can get gross at a certain point.)
2. Nuts — specifically macadamia nuts. I know you always hear to be cautious with nuts, but I think in the beginning YOU MUST eat nuts otherwise you will be kind of starving. It helps while your body is transitioning from being glycogen/car-adapted to fat-adapted. Hunger sucks. I mean, obviously feel free to eat cashews, walnuts, pecans, whatever-pick-your-poison. My poison just happens to be macadamias and they are also a nutritional powerhouse! Green Light, I say!
3. Ghee — are you using ghee (or clarified butter? Make your own by melting butter and scraping off the solids and just keeping the butterfat. Easy peasy and you don’t even have to spend $9 at whole foods) It’s Whole 30 compliant and (not surprisingly) just tastes like butter. And guess what tastes amazing with butter, salt and pepper all over it? ALL VEGETABLES. Plus? You’re getting fat. Yay!
4. Nut butters — I know we talked about this already, and almond butter is cool and all (if you’ve been eating that) but OMG, let’s discuss cashew butter and pecan butter and even coconut butter….holy hell, YUM. They sell them in individual packets at Whole Foods (or hippie stores…do you have a Whole Foods in Vaca-veezy?) and anyway, they are good plain or with fruit and also? Fat. Yay!
Protein:
Also make sure you’re not skimping on the protein (especially for Chris — it seems easier when us ladies don’t have enough, but for some reason giant boys need all sorts of that shit, especially if they are only eating vegetables too and no other “filler stuff.”) I try and and stick to 4-6 oz of protein per meal along with 2-3 cups of vegetables. Chris would probably need AT LEAS 6-8oz I’d think to not risk getting all man-orexic on you. 🙂
Lastly, I heart this post of Melissa’s because it includes some of her favorite “sauces” (http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/01/14/paleo-kitchen-the-method-behind-my-madness/) and seriously — sauces make super boring “grilled chicken and veg” meals become SUPER AWESOME instantly when you are feeling like “Holy shit I have to COOK AGAIN???” I highly recommend sunshine sauce and moroccan dipping sauce. Holy amazeballs. Staples in our house. (Also: FULL OF FAT.)
Better than being full of shit, right?
//end novel
I almost ate a Whole 30-compliant breakfast this morning but managed to sneak some beans in, thank goodness.