Whole30 Yum!

I wanted to share a couple of recipes I've made recently during my Whole30. I can make one or two recipes and that keeps me in leftovers for the whole week.  

Last week I made a hot chicken salad with broccoli.  It is an adaptation of a recipe I have that was loaded with cheese and topped with potato chips - which, I won't lie, is very good. That being said, it was just as good with my Whole30 modifications! 

 For recipe:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rVCbA1sDX1xpOznD5opF8QYC97JqxHzPjG9gSMnd880/edit?usp=sharing


Stuffed sweet peppers with a ground pork filling.  Would be equally good using ground beef.

For recipe:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FIfrok_Y_LQbl-qXGpw20gFpgNHyU7Zm56u1Adcfa6k/edit?usp=sharing

Whole30 Salmon Cakes:  http://www.afamilyfeast.com/whole30-salmon-cakes-tartar-sauce/

The recipe made 8 patties for me.  I cooked 4 and froze 4 uncooked for another week.

To be honest, I found this recipe to be a bit dry even though I added an additional egg to the recipe. Overall, a good, filling meal, but I will definitely tweak it next time.  Possibly cut back on the amount of sweet potato. I did not serve it with tartar sauce since I was having a creamy coleslaw on the side.

Salt and Vinegar Zucchini Chips:  http://www.sugarfreemom.com/?s=salt+and+vinegar+zucchini+chips

I thought the zucchini chips were good - will definitely make again, but I did over bake them...oops! Mine were in the oven probably 3 hours...

Half-Way Mark

Half way through Whole30 and feeling good!  After my initial beginning with a couple of minor slips, it's been pretty much smooth sailing.  With Daughter #2's success as a guide and motivator, I've been determined to finish the month out strong. I'm anxious to see what my final results will be. So far, I've felt great, been sleeping very well, and have avoided the flu bugs that have been hanging on my grandchildren for the last couple of weeks!

My daughter tackled the Whole30 during the month of January.  Although she was already in great shape from a year of hard work low carbing and working out (she is a Beachbody coach) she managed to lose an additional 8 lbs.  So I thought I'd do a little "interview" with Rachel to share with you all.

Rachel, you just finished Whole30. Why did you decide to do this? What would you say was the most difficult thing to give up? What did you not miss as much as you thought you might?

Why did I do the Whole30? You, Mom, were talking about doing it. When I heard what it was, my initial reaction was, "Heck no!" I had already given up so many foods by doing a low carb diet for almost a year. I didn't want to give up even more! But I started searching the Internet to find out more about it, and I was very impressed with the results people had. I was intrigued! I liked the idea of finding out how my body would function and feel if I fueled it the way it was intended to be fueled. So I decided to go for it! What was the most difficult thing to give up? Sweeteners! Although I had not been eating much sugar at all, I was using sugar substitutes in all kinds of delicious low carb desserts, and most days would have at least a truffle or cookie or something. I have a MAJOR sweet tooth! What did I find that I did not miss as much as I thought I might? Dairy! It was pretty challenging at times. I am used to eating cheese with pretty much every meal...cream in my coffee. Cheese in my omelet. Cheese on my salad and in casseroles. Even cheese for a snack! However, I was able to find enough great recipes that I didn't miss it too much.

Do you think you spent more or less time in the kitchen prepping food? More money at the grocery store? Did you find that it was easy to make Whole30 compliant meals without having to constantly go pick up some odd ingredient here and there?

Do I think I spent more or less time in the kitchen prepping food? More, by far! Most things needed to be made from scratch to avoid the added sugar, preservatives, dairy, etc. I definitely spent MORE at the grocery store. This surprised me since I was not buying alcohol. I thought it would even out, but it didn't. Produce is expensive, and so is grass-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic-free meat. Almond or cashew butter is MUCH more expensive than peanut butter. I did have to buy quite a few ingredients for recipes that I would not have just had in the house.

Did you have any slip-ups during the 30 days? If so, how did you handle it?

I didn't have any "slip-ups" as far as something looking good so I decided to cheat. However there were a couple of times that I took a bite of something without realizing it had an ingredient in it that wasn't compliant. For example, the second week I bought almond butter. Same brand I had bought the week before (Justin's) that only had almonds as the ingredient. Well I took a bite and immediately knew it tasted different (better!). Well I hadn't noticed the small word "Maple" above almond butter. So it had maple sugar in it. I did not say, "Oh well, I spent $9.99 on this so I'm just going to use it." Nope, I stuck it in the back of the fridge for next month and went out and bought another jar. Another time, during week 1, I opened a carton of yogurt for my daughter and automatically licked the foil cover! I could t believe I did it! So I ran to the sink and spit it out. LOL.

Four weeks can be an eternity if you are feeling deprived. Did you feel deprived in any way? Did you go through periods of wanting to give up? If so, how did you overcome that urge.

Four weeks IS a long time. Yes, I did feel deprived a couple of times. Mostly in social situations when my friends were all drinking and eating some good-looking food. I sat and sipped sparkling water and ate a few veggies. I did not want to give up, though. I was feeling good, even though I was craving cookies, ice cream, and sandwiches!

Are you happy with the results you realized after the first phase of Whole30? Would you do it again - was it worth it? What will be your eating plan moving forward?

Am I happy with my results? Yes! I lost 8 pounds and 7.5 inches! I was pretty shocked when I stepped on the scale for the first time. I knew I felt a lot thinner, but didn't want to get my hopes up. I would definitely do this diet again, probably once or twice a year. I plan to transition into a mostly Paleo diet.

The Whole30 book outlines many possible improvements in everything from weight loss to relief of illnesses, improved cholesterol levels, better emotional health to name just a few. What were the most significant changes you experienced?

I have had chronic stomach aches my whole life. Several times a day feeling nauseous. I would deal with it by drinking something carbonated, or drinking an apple cider vinegar concoction, eating something peppermint, etc. I just kind of was used to it and didn't really associate it with anything specific. I did not feel that way AT all, starting with Day 1 on this diet! So I am quite sure I have an intolerance for dairy. That is why I plan to go Paleo and really limit my dairy to maybe one or two splurges a week. It's just not worth it! Also, I have had some anxiety issues for the past few years, on and off. My symptoms had peaked again in Sept going back to school and a new busy schedule, and again around Thanksgiving and Christmas. At the very least, I would lay awake for hours at night worrying about money, my kids, everyone's health, etc. I did not experience any of that during my Whole30 either! It was great. I didn't feel as quick-tempered with my kids, either. Just a more steady mood. The other great change was my energy level. I was already energetic to begin with since I had already lost 30 pounds and exercise regularly, but I had even MORE energy on this diet. In fact, I decided after the first week to switch to the most intense workout program I have, Insanity Max:30, to take advantage of it!

Now that you will begin "re-introduction" how will you approach that phase? What is the first thing you plan to re-introduce? Is there anything you plan to keep eliminating at this time?

I am going to try to do the reintroduction phase as suggested in the Whole30 book. One thing at a time, over at least 10 days. Yesterday was my first day in this phase. I made a Paleo cookie dessert that uses maple syrup as the sweetener. Man, did that ever taste good! But I did go off plan in the evening when I was scooping my kids their ice cream. I decided to have a bite, which turned to 5 bites. I regretted it immediately! Right away I felt bloated, totally stuffed, and sick to my stomach. What a mistake! So I realized that I really do not miss the dairy! So not worth it! So I am back to a Whole30 day and will reintroduce alcohol next! I do miss my nightcap of Captain and Diet Coke. But I plan to limit that more as well.

Congratulations, Rachel! I hope my results will be as significant as yours!

For more information on the Whole30 program: http://whole30.com/

Whole30 Prepping

Whole30 DAY 1 - Now it's official.  I have begun and no slips today.  Can I get a high five?? One day down; only 29 to go...

Mayonnaise and butter - Staples in my kitchen - I use them all the time.  On the Whole30 program regular butter and commercial, chemical-laden, soybean-oil-based mayonnaise are both out.  So I made the mayonnaise recipe which I posted yesterday. I am happy to report that it worked just as the recipe said it would. It was a very quick and easy process using an immersion blender, which I just happen to have.  If you're not sure what an immersion blender is, see an example here:  

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-Blender-Brushed-Chrome/dp/B00ARQVM5O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485998242&sr=8-1&keywords=immersion+blender+stainless+steel

I have made mayo before in a blender where you stream the oil into the other ingredients   v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y while the blender is running. I may revisit that method at some point. It works well, but does take longer. Although I used the "light" olive oil for this recipe as suggested, the final product still had a slight olive oil taste; not what I'm used to (or want) in a mayonnaise. After tasting, I stirred in a little extra salt, some pepper, and an extra tsp. of lemon juice This is definitely a recipe you can play around with to suit your own taste depending on your use for it.  Next time, I will try making it with avocado oil which has a more neutral flavor, and instead of lemon juice, I'll use vinegar - or some of each. 

Feeling confident from mayo success, I decided to make a batch of clarified butter. I bought some ghee (a gourmet name for clarified butter) at the grocery store for the gourmet price of $7.99 for a 16 oz. jar. I'm not going to do that very often!  I made my own for a third of the cost. The process was very simple:

Take a lb. of butter, cube it up, and place it in a medium size sauce pan. Turn the heat on medium low and let it sit undisturbed until a thick white foam covers the surface. Using a spoon, carefully skim the foam and throw it away.  Finally, strain the clarified butter through a cheesecloth lined strainer to catch any remaining milk solids. Store it in a jar in the fridge. That's all there is to it. Easy-peasy, as my grandchildren would say!  

Here is what my clarified butter and mayo looked like after I finished:

I bet you can guess which is which!

And while I'm sharing photos...I might as well share the chicken chili soup I made for my dinner tonight:  

I was hungry for chicken chili but no beans are allowed on Whole30...so I substituted a package of spinach.  Wow - delicious and comforting on this cold February day! Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it. Enjoy!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1omkV6sx3eVBj_3UBQmk5KcI91lUSRVzCKQuDYUckGTU/edit?usp=sharing