Zoodles and Whatnot...

So up until now, whenever I have a hankering for some pasta or Italian flavored goodness, I have turned to the faithful spaghetti squash or the classic zucchini boat. Although it was good, I knew in the back of my mind that I wanted more.  I wanted something more "noodle-ish".  

Well, my wish has been granted. I was given a gift card to Sur La Table at CHRISTMAS. I had been saving it for something special.  The day arrived and I was not disappointed.  As I walked into that little bit of heaven (seriously - it's like a foodie's or chef's playground), I spied the item that I had been holding out for: A Spiralizer and IT WAS ON SALE!!  Oh yes. Come to mama!

[Photo Source]

It's got three different blades and worked like a charm!

This is about three large zucchinis, I did a total of 7 zukes for the whole family.

Patted them dry then tossed/sauteed them in my cast iron skillet with some olive oil and sea salt/cracked pepper. Let the zoodles sit for a couple minutes after it's done in a colander so that the natural liquid will drain from it.

For the sauce, I used the Trader Joe's brand of marinara.  It's in a green can.  There is no sugar added and only contains: Tomatoes, Tomato puree, garlic, onion, herbs and salt.  I added some quality ground beef, roasted mini heirloom tomatoes and Italian Herbs.  The kids got a bit of shredded cheese sprinkled on top.
Everybody from my four kids to my hubby loved it.  It was very filling and satisfying for all!
I am going to try sweet potatoes with my spiralizer next!
Do you have any ideas for me and my spiralizer?  Let me know in the comments!

Dietary Rumspringa...

Yeah. So I wanted my next post to be about movement and strength and exercise and... and...

Well, instead I have to need to stop and confess chat with you about something.

I was so confident, after such a bee-you-tee-ful Whole30, that I had kicked all of my food issues to the curb.  I mean I completed the program, with not one desire to cheat, nary a craving in sight.  I knew all the right words and ways to think about food and the vice that it can have on a person.  I had purposed in my heart that I would never again eat this or drink that and well, for some part, I've stayed true to that.

However, for one thing, I did not do the reintroduction that is designed to help you figure out to which foods you may be intolerant.  I decided I would just jump in and have some Pho and you know about that experience, but since then I've had other things like RICE (of course) and maybe some dairy and foods at a buffet that were "outwardly compliant", but only the good lord knows what they were marinated in or what they actually contained.  And there may have been a very yummy cookie that my mother-in-law brought us from Costco.  I refrained. At first.  But I only had one.  And then there was the taco guy at the retirement party. I could have totally skipped the tortillas and beans.  I could have said no to the ice cream cake... but I didn't.

Okay, I may not even be making sense and my grammar is probably out of control right now, but I am spilling my guts here.  Have mercy.  I know that most people would not think that I have any reason to feel guilty, 'cause hey - I'm not curently on Whole30.  But somehow, these bad CHOICES have made me feel like an Amish teenager on Rumspringa.

I knew that I would feel crappy after consuming some of these items and for over-indulging even on foods that may have been okay, and I ate it anyway.  I guess I'm writing this post to OWN my choices.  To kind of just say it out loud.  "I messed up.  I let the food control me."

So am I going to just throw in the towel? No. Am I going to wait until the 1st of the month to start over? No.  I am starting today. I know I have some special events coming up and sure, it would be easy to wait until those celebrations have passed, but I can't.  I don't want to.  I know that I need to take the control back.  Like Rumspringa - I have to make a decision.  Do I want to beat these bad life habits? Do I want to cut the negative emotional ties I have with food? YES!! I want to remind myself that the food I put in my body will either make me more healthy or less healthy.  It's that simple.  The work I do in my head and heart regarding how I feel about it all - that's something I will continue to work on.

So - I am going to post a photo from my first round of Whole 30.  I did not include this before and have not posted it publicly, except to a closed group of Whole30 peeps.  But I want to go ahead and post it because it reminds me of how hard I worked for my first round.  I posted about all of my "non-scale" victories, but now I am posting this.  It may not seem like a huge change, but it's a change and I want to keep going. I don't want to stall this and I don't want to go backwards.

It is my hope that I can be transparent to help motivate YOU and to also remind ME that I am capable of doing this!

Whole 30 | 30 Things | Day 31

30 things on Whole 30:

1. Weight loss was NOT the main goal, but it was one of my goals and I am happy to report that I lost 16.7 lbs.  I know that my clothes fit looser, but I did not measure myself so I'm not sure about inches.  
2. Being prepared MAY be the most important requirement for a successful Whole 30. Meal planning is so important.  Do not go into this with an empty refrigerator or pantry.  Research what foods are allowed, check EVERY label - even on your spices and sauces - and then check again. You'd be surprised what all is added to seemingly healthy foods.  I found soy and sugar in almost everything that was packaged/canned.
3. Going cold turkey is the way to go.  There is no "slowly weaning" yourself off sugar, grains, frappucinos, dairy, etc.  Starting on Day 1 there is NO MORE of that.  You can't even make paleo versions of those items like paleo "muffins" or paleo "breadsticks".  This was great for me 'cause I don't do well with moderation when it comes to food right now.  I am getting better at it, but I follow the meal template guide I've posted about before and that is it.  
4. My blood pressure is healthy again, my joints do not hurt and I do not get my frequent headaches anymore.  Seriously.  I used to get thee worst migraine and tension headaches.  They are completely gone.  
5. I don't ever feel hungry.  On Whole 30, you eat 3 solid meals a day.  That's it. No snacking, no grazing... If you follow the meal template as I have mentioned so many times - you will be full! The key to staying full, I learned, is having enough healthy fats.  Also, no HANGRYness (being angry because you're hungry).
6. Roast all the things.  I haven't met a vegetable yet that doesn't taste better when roasted. This goes with meat too.  
7. Sweet potatoes make me happy.
8. My skin is clearer and more supple than it's been in years. I think this is due to the healthy fats and lots of water mostly.
9. My joints don't hurt anymore.  I don't feel like I'm inflamed.
10. You can celebrate an event and still stay compliant and eat well. Not every situation has to be a "special event" where you eat off plan.  I was able to go to Universal Studios, attend a birthday party, go to a beach, go out to eat with old friends from college and celebrate Easter all while staying on plan.  It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  Again, I had to plan - I had to prepare, but it was totally do-able and I felt empowered after sticking to it!
11. Homemade mayo is SO easy and yummy.
12. I have more energy throughout the day.  I am still working on sleeping better.  I sleep great once I GO TO SLEEP, but I stay up too late due to my crazy schedule.  Working on that!!
13. I was constantly cooking and thinking about food.  Now this was a part of Whole 30 that I didn't love. I love to cook, and usually cooked at least one meal a day before the life of Whole 30.  But now I was cooking enough for 3 meals a day.  This meant that if I had any spare time after my full-time outside the home job, raising 4 children, etc. I was either cooking or planning on what to cook or shopping for stuff to cook.  This also meant a lot more DISHES to wash. My two oldest usually do this as one of their "chores" but it got to the point where I'd wash most of it out of pity for them! haha.  I don't regret any of it.  Just gets old pretty quick.  I think it will be easier once I get to a schedule where I can do some larger "batch" cooking and just spend a few hours one day to prep for the week ahead.  Working on that too.
14. Learned the difference between real hunger and boredom or eating out of habit.  Having 3 meals a day that were satisfying to my taste and also filled me kept me from really ever feeling hungry, however I did find myself once in a while wanting a snack or "something" just out of the blue.  Instead of reaching for something right away, I stopped and asked myself what it was that I really wanted and why.  It could have been something that was a "trigger" from a t.v. show or commercial or maybe somebody else was talking about it.  For this reason, I unfollowed every Pinterest board that had anything to do with non-compliant foods.  I literally went to every person's board I was following and either unfollowed them altogether or unfollowed their food/recipe boards.  If I was still truly hungry, I ate a handful of nuts.  I think it happened twice.  I also kicked the habit of chewing gum and eating mints/candy.  These contain sugar or artificial sweeteners and also make my brain think that more food is coming, therefore causing me to want more sweets or snacks.  It didn't make me healthier - so it had to go.
15. Avocados and olives are beautiful. Like for real.  They are my favorite thing to add to any meal.  Healthy fats. That's where it's at.
16. I'm being a good example to my family.  Not by obsessing and spending every waking hour thinking about or preparing food, but by being very conscientious about what I am putting into my system.  I know that it will all become easier and will become a normal way of life for us and I won't spend so much time on it, but I like that they can see that it takes effort in this grab n' go and convenience food society in which we live.  It is a CHOICE toward better health.  It's up to us.  Just like teaching them other good lifestyle habits.  It is so important!
17. It's important to know why eating this way works.  READ and educate yourself.  I recommend you begin with "It Starts With Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. This may seem like a "fad diet" right now because it has recently become more popular, but this way of eating has been around for a long time and I really feel that after all I've read and researched - it's the best thing for me. 
18. Spices are the spice of life.  I've tried, and now love, so many new herbs and spices.  No more Lawry's season salt or pre-mixed whatever.  If I do use a pre-mix I always check the label. There is almost always sugar mixed in somewhere. I love the Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute.
19. I no longer drink or even crave soda.  I drank diet soda and Mt. Dew on a regular basis.  I knew even when I drank it that it was trash.  I now drink either water, flavored seltzer water (like LaCroix) or Kombucha.  I don't miss it at all.
20. Simple meals don't have to be boring meals.  I can do chicken breast and green beans, but then I'll throw some red beets in there or something like that just to add color.  Makes a difference.  Try it!
21. Speaking of beets, I've learned to eat so many new and healthy things because of eating paleo and Whole 30. Just to name a few: Kombucha, red beets, golden beets, fennel, Bulletproof Coffee, Coconut milk, Curry, sardines, and the list goes on.  You can retrain your taste buds, you know.  
22. I've recognized my emotional reliance on food.  Food has always been the center of celebrations, comfort after a hard day, reward for a job well done and so on.  Now I know that food is FUEL for my body.  It can still be something I enjoy, but I need to focus less on the food part and more on all the FEELS part.  The people. The moments.  Catch my drift?
23. I realized that I may end up losing my Starbucks Gold Card status and I'm okay with it.  That is huge. haha.
24. Thoughts are more clear.  Less brain fog.
25. Good kitchen gadgets are a plus! My most used items: Cast iron pans, blender, veggie slicer/grater and immersion blender.
26. All the info you need to do the Whole30 challenge can be found at this website.  And it is completely FREE.  
27. You can become addicted to Farmers Markets.  That's not a bad thing!
28. You can't eat too many eggs and there are zillion different ways to prepare them!
29. That bloated and gassy feeling is GONE.  Don't laugh. You know what I'm talking about. It's gone!!
30. Eating this way and seeing the results has given me hope that I can be healthy and fit once again.  Whole 30 is not meant to be something you do forever. But I will be sticking as close to it as I possibly can. It really doesn't make sense to do it any other way.  As they say, "The food you eat either makes you more healthy or less healthy. Those are your options."

Sauteed Fennel, Golden Apple, Lime Juice, Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper

Beets: Red and Gold

Fingerling and Baby Potatoes tossed in Ghee and sprinkled with herbs

Dinosaur kale and Beet Stems

Look at that color!

My dinner on Day 30
Grilled boneless pork chops, red and gold beets, fingerling potatoes, sauteed kale and beet stems and sauteed sliced fennel and apple with lime juice.

So, have you ever done the Whole30?  Would you like to? You can do anything for 30 days! 

If I can, you can!

Whole 30 | New Habits | Day 8

Learning to LOVE some new habits...

This is the BEFORE and AFTER of my desk drawer at work.

I tried - for a very short few weeks - to do a low-calorie diet and count and track all of my calories. This may be very good and well for some people, but it was horrible for me.  I was buying frozen diet meals and snacks that I had never eaten before.  They were not filling or satisfying in taste.  I also felt like it really took all of the thought process of eating out of the picture.  

So in the first picture I've got my flavored coffees and low-calorie snacks and in the second picture, a bit of salt for my hard-boiled eggs, a paring knife for my fruit, plain black coffee, teas and vitamin supplements called Damage Control.  These are Whole 30 compliant.

I love coffee. Love it.  But I got to where I could hardly ever drink it anymore unless it was sweetened with flavored creamer.  When I started calorie counting or eating "low-carb", I'd buy the same fakey creamer, but I'd get the Sugar-Free version.  Ugh.

On Whole30, you are not to have ANY added sugars or sweeteners of any form. This includes honey, stevia, Splenda, aspartame, etc. I saw on the support forum that a lot of people doing Whole 30 or Paleo like to add a bit of Coconut cream/milk to their teas and coffees.  I tried this the first week, but could only handle a few sips before I lost interest.  The cream looked like it had curdled and would separate and I felt like the black coffee was tasting like I imagine an ashtray would.  Strange, I know! haha!  Then I read that people actually pop their coffee into the blender or in a shaker to really get the cream blended into the coffee.  Eureka!! Back in the game!  Comes out like a LATTE and I love it. Sticking to just one cup a day, but it's a cup I enjoy and can finish.

Kombucha.  If you've never had this - you should at least give it a try.  First time I tried it, I gagged. It is basically fermented tea.  I tried a new flavor and guess what??  La la LOVE it.  Seriously. Addicted.  It's great for your gut, it's refreshing and it is compliant.  WINNING all around!

This is the only other drink I've really had other than plain water and coffee these last 8 days.

Farmer's Markets. Okay, it is no shocker that I love Farmer's Markets and better quality foods grocery stores like Trader Joe's and Sprouts, but when it comes to a lot of it - let's just say that I admired it from afar.  Hey.  It's not easy trying to keep a tight budget when you are feeding 6 people of all ages and sizes with crazy, busy schedules.  Don't even get me started on how CHEAP the cr*p food is and in comparison to whole, organic or natural foods.  Watch the documentary FOOD Inc and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.

Well, after talking to Marco, we both agreed that it would be better for us to start buying meats and produce that are more natural and less processed, hormoned to death and covered in chemicals.  Is it going to be tough? Maybe.  Will the portions be smaller? Most likely. We won't have NUCLEAR chicken anymore which is what we buy at our regular grocers.  That's the chicken that is just so huge it could pass for a turkey.  Yeah, it goes a long way, but we just don't feel good about that now that we know just how bad it really is.  These are all personal choices and I don't blame anybody that has to try and make the dollar stretch, but we know that for us - we have to at least try.  It may be just a little decision here, a little change there, but we're doing it!

Besides, it's hard to resist the natural colors and tastes that come from unaltered foods.

Along with these changes, I've also:

• stopped chewing gum and eating mints/candy - can't have the sweeteners and it just sends crazy mixed messages to your brain making you think you want something sweet or that more food is coming
• stopped eating fast food - for one, it's too difficult to find compliant foods (see the Carnitas post about Chipotle) and two - it is an easy way out.  I need to be thoughtful and this pushes me to plan ahead.
• stopped drinking soda/diet soda/sweet tea - not allowed and I'm glad.  I don't mind the water one bit.
• stopped having a late night snack or dessert - I wasn't a big snacker before, but I loved a bowl of ice cream or even a bowl of cereal late at night.
• stopped weighing myself - it's not allowed during Whole30 and I don't want to obsess over it anyway
• started making a conscientious effort to move more - I have a desk job. I sit almost all day. So I make myself get up and walk, bend, reach as much as I can. 
• started paying attention to how I feel when I wake up, after I eat, during/after exercise - just being more aware of my body has really helped me clear my mind
• started reading every.single.label that I can - I used to make the price a priority. Now it's the ingredients that I care about most.

So what do you think?  What changes have you made or would you like to make?

Whole 30 | Yummy Eats | Day 4 - 7

One thing I decided at the beginning of this was that I was not going to obsess over this blog and the way that I chose to record my progress.  Those of you that know me in real life probably know why I have to give myself that permission!

If I miss a post or get a post out of order, it would normally keep me from going forward on the blog. OCD issue, I guess, but I don't want it to be a stumbling block in my sharing or recording - so we get what we get.  Life is busy and sometimes you can't stop to post a photo or thought!

I thought I'd share some of what I have been eating lately.  We are a family of 6.  My husband and I and four kids ages 19, 15, 9 and 7.  

My husband is not currently doing the Whole30 with me, but Hannah, my 19 year old is on Day 8 with me. 

Marco has been doing very well though with what I would call a low-carb way of eating.  He has cut out all bread and has not had one soda in 8 days!!

Taryn is very active with swim and hasn't really changed up her eating habits and his happy with anything I make for dinner.

The two youngers are a different story.  They have been doing alright with what I've been serving and I am not the type that will stop and make another meal for a picky eater - so they make do!

Oven-roasted chicken wings, fresh green beans and sweet potato

Roast Chicken, Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, canned green beans (only gb and water), sweet potato

Lunch: Grilled chicken tenderloin salad with veggies and strawberries - topped with salsa

Left-over sweet potato with ghee

Stewed chicken and vegetables with avocado

Breakfast at work: Hard-boiled eggs, Aidells chicken and apple mini sausage (compliant), avocado and sweet pepper for color and crunch. 

Coffee with a bit of Coconut Cream.  No sweetener or sugars added.  Shaken.

Whole 30 has a suggested Meal Template that I try to follow.  On Whole30, you are encouraged to eat 3 meals a day without snacking.  I was never much of a snacker, but found that I began to look forward to regular "snack times" at work because that's what everyone was doing. ha! I also was not eating a very filling or nutritious breakfast or lunch and so that led to me being hungry just a couple hours after I had eaten.

This new mindset has really helped me a lot in just these short 8 days.  I am really starting to see how food addiction and emotional eating are really a mind thing.  Not that it doesn't exist, but that we can re-train or re-direct our minds and our stomachs WILL follow.  More in a later post about all of that!