Pinterest Thursday

My Pinterest has whiplash right now...these are my pins in exact pinning order yesterday:

Bacon and Eggs in an Avocado 

Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

Fajita Seasoning

S'mores "Crack" Dip

put a few tbsps of olive oil in a ziploc with some salt and pepper
and broccoli and shake, then spread on a cookie sheet and spread
minced garlic over it and roast at 425 deg F for 20-25 minutes!"

Oatmeal Caramel Cookie Bars

Clearly my mind (and cravings) are flip-flopping between staying disciplined on the W30 (Whole30 board) and enjoying delicious baked goods (Sweet Tooth board)...May 1 might just kill me!

Click here to follow me on Pinterest and here to see my Whole30 blog.

Pinterest Thursday

No surprise that my Pinterest is bursting at the seams with Whole30 pins...check out a few that really caught my eye...

Kale Cubes for Green Smoothies

Mini Meatloaves Loaded w/Veggies

Italian Baked Eggs

Slow Cooker Greek Chicken...
use coconut milk instead of yogurt and ditch the pita.

Pancetta Wrapped Balsamic Green Beans

Click here to follow me on Pinterest and here to see what I've been eating on my W30 adventure.

Gearing Up

Gearing up for the start of Whole30 on Monday.  Spent this week testing out some recipes, stocking up the freezer and trying to figure out how all this produce is going to fit into my fridge.

I saw a recipe for "Monkey Salad" on this blog and decided to try it.  If you don't feel like clicking the link I'll tell you what it is:  a handful of roasted unsalted cashews (I roasted my own in a pan because I only had raw in the cupboard), a handful of unsweetened coconut, and a sliced banana.  That's it.  It was pretty good.

Getting ready for enchilada sauce, simmering sauce, veggies for soup,
Mango Madness, toasted coconut...

I got bored of it though so I tried something similar and I named my invention "Mango Madness" which is just chopped mango, roasted chopped pecans (again, I roasted my own) and toasted coconut (I toasted my own and chopped it into little bits) throw it all into a bowl and you have a quick, healthy and delicious snack/dessert/addition to a meal.

Found a recipe for chicken enchilada soup I thought I'd try but it called for a small can of enchilada sauce...there is no such thing (at least to my knowledge) of canned Whole30 approved enchilada sauce so I found another recipe and made my own.  It turned out very tasty but quite thick so when I added it to the soup I got more of a stew consistency so I'm planning on adding chicken stock when I'm ready to eat it.

I'm halfway into making these salmon patties so I'll let you know how those turn out, should be good though.

I've also updated my "Paleo pancake" recipe...I've found it works best with either a quite large banana or one and a half small/medium sized ones.  Still just add one egg and toss in some of you pecan/coconut mixture along with a tiny pinch of salt and a dash or two of cinnamon.  Pour onto hot skillet coated with coconut oil.   Yum!

I plan to document (in photos and words) everything I put in my mouth during the month of April.  I don't think all my blog readers are interested in that so I'll link up each day with this new blog I started just for Whole30.

I've also started a Facebook group for anyone who wants ideas, encouragement and accountability.  Just let me know and I'll add you!

Hope everyone has a happy Easter!

Mother Knows Best (and a binge story)

Moms...why are they always right?

The lovely Mama Cindy has been my tour guide through this new world of Whole30.  She's answered questions I was too lazy to Google, she's passed along tips and tricks she picked up along the way and has listened as I recounted every single thing I ate that day.

She also warned me to not under eat.  Continually asked me if I really thought that was enough food and suggested I really try eating a little more.

Oh, Mom!  I'm fine.  Eating plenty.  

Sunday night in "Asia on Argyle"

And then, the crash.  Sunday I binged like crazy.  It started with a vietnamese dinner with the bestie and her in-laws.  I'll spare you all the details, but the middle was a blizzard with oreo and peanut butter cups and I finished off hours later with a few bowls of cereal.  Lets just say I hit every single thing Whole30 tells you not to eat, and I didn't just have a bite, I ate them in large quantities...peanuts, grains, MSG, sugar, dairy...I didn't have any alcohol however-we'll call that a win in that category.

I woke up Monday feeling like crap.  Not the usual post-binge mentally defeated feeling that normally occurs the morning after a binge like that.  I actually got over it pretty quickly mentally and emotionally.  Physically though, that's a different story.

Sure, it was one of my bigger binges.  If this binge had occurred while I was still  eating "normally," I probably would have only noticed a little bloating and some slight sluggishness.  But because I'd been mostly Whole30 for a whole week, and I had already started to notice changes in energy level, decreased bloating and other amazing "side effects" of the Whole30 plan, what I witnessed on Monday when I woke up was horrifying.  I actually looked like I was 8 months pregnant.  I was SO bloated.  I have never seen anything like it.  All day I was drowsy, couldn't focus, felt antsy/unsettled and my body revolted.

Really?  After just one night of eating crappy that's what happens?  Lets not do that again, Linsey.

Back to the part about Mama Cindy being right...she emailed me a link to a woman's blog showing everything she ate while on Whole30.  Each one of her plates had considerably more food on it than mine ever do.  I also (re)found this link to this Whole30 meal template.  Though I'd seen at the beginning of my research, I'd apparently forgotten about it...

I realized that Mom was right...I hadn't been eating enough at meals.  That's why I was hungry in between and much more prone to falling off the wagon.  Further research has shown me that most people start to feel full before finishing their Whole30 meals but eating those last few bites will help to stave off hunger until the next meal.  Sure, you don't want to stuff yourself, but a few extra bites of kale aren't really going to kill you.

So, my plates are now more robust than last week's.  Here's what I've been eating:

Passover Seder at Church Saturday night...Chicken, carrot salad,
a piece of potato and some matzo ball soup

Sunday Breakfast: paleo pancakes with mango and blueberries,
sautéed mushrooms with kale and spinach and a single piece of bacon.
After my research, this is NOT enough protein or veggies.

Monday breakfast: Paleo pancakes made with toasted chopped pecans and coconut,
topped with pineapple, ugly fruit and the same pecan/coconut mix.
Chicken sausage sautéed with kale, sweet potato, zucchini and yellow squash.
I probably could have added quite a bit more kale or spinach.

Lunch Monday: Fajita chicken and veggies (peppers and onion) with a side of
avocado and roasted asparagus.
Too small for a normal lunch but I knew I was having an early dinner.

Tuesday Breakfast: Sweet Potato hash (peppers, onion, sweet pots,
Italian chicken sausage) with spinach and two eggs.  A fruit smoothie of:
Coconut water, banana, frozen strawberry and peaches and a clementine.
Probably could have used more spinach or another veggie.

Tuesday Lunch: Fajita scramble using left-over chicken and peppers from yesterday,
with mushrooms and fresh cilantro, topped with fresh salsa and guac.  A side of
kale salad (Whole Foods) and fresh fruit salad.

See...portions are much better Monday and Tuesday.  If you don't wanna click the above link for the template, I'll break it down for you:

Protein: 1-2 times the size of your palm

Veggies: the rest of your plate

Fruit: Occasionally a closed open palm (yeah, I didn't know how to better describe it...click the link)

Coconut: Heaping handful

Nuts: Closed handful

Fats (oils/butters): Up to 1-2 thumb size portions

So...truth be told, I LOVE fruits and I don't feel bad eating more than they recommend.  It makes me feel like I've had a treat because it satisfies my sweet tooth and cleanses my palate of all the savory flavors.

I'm still working on getting my full veggie intake, slowly but surely I'll get it all figured out!

Alarm Clocks, Enchiladas And So On...

I was super skeptical about this whole new way of eating.  When Monday morning rolled around I was ready to prove Whole30 (and everyone who swears by a paleo diet) wrong.  

I have the same routine every Monday...wake up at 630, arrive at work at 7.  Make girls breakfast, and around 730 make myself a protein shake (usually chocolate powder with berries and maybe a banana and some greek yogurt) and have a little sausage patty too.  Drop the girls at their school around 820 and head to the gym.  Run for 15-20 min depending on time and then do a cardio/weights class.  At some point during class I usually feel a little woozy...blood sugar dipping, lights starting to fade.  By the end of class I'm pretty hungry but I immediately run to the grocery store for work to get that out of the way.  I might snack on something I have in the car--clementine, almonds, protein bar, etc.  I'll eventually eat something around 1130 but by that point I'm STARVING!

This Monday, I got up at 6 (enough time to make breakfast) ate my hash with two eggs at 630 and headed to work at normal time.  I got the girls dropped off at school and headed to the gym thinking, man, I ate a whole hour earlier than normal, this gym class is gonna suck, I might pass out.  I ran a mile because that's all I had time for and then headed into the class.  By the time class was over I realized, not only was I still not hungry but I also had never felt the low blood sugar thing.  I ran errands like normal but didn't have a snack at all.  Eventually, I made it home and had a hard boiled egg at noon because I knew I needed the protein and headed off to a daytime babysitting gig...ate my chicken taco salad around 1 and still wasn't feeling that dreaded starving sensation.

What the what?!

It actually worked.  I was shocked!  I talked to mom about it and she was like, yeah, Lins, this works and I think it will be amazing for your blood sugar issues.

Moms...why are they always right?!

Ok, back to that taco salad...I love me some taco salad and for the past year or so I've been using ground chicken and mixing in a pouch of Frontera Grill seasoning...super delicious.  However, my pouch-o-deliciousness is not Whole30 approved...time to make my own seasoning...

Click here for recipe

I googled "Paleo taco seasoning" and came up with this recipe which I followed exactly.

Delicious.  I put the chicken over a bed of spinach and added some onion, tomato and avocado.

That lunch kept me full till late afternoon when I hit my munchie phase of the day.  I was good though and had a cup of this amazing Tazo tea I saw for the first time at the store...seriously the Herbal (decaf) Sweet Cinnamon Spice tea tastes like dessert...but no sugar!  Even Phoebe liked it!  She thought I'd added sugar, that's how good it is!

I also had a small handful of cashews to hold me over until dinner which I didn't eat until about 8pm.  I've realized I'm not eating enough post-workout.  Instead of having a post-workout meal I've just been having a snack and I think though I'm not necessarily feeling hungry at the moment, I need to eat something sort of substantial pretty shortly after working out.  I think that will prevent me from being starving later on.

All in all, I think this is working.  I've spent a lot less time thinking about food.  Let me rephrase that--I have spent a lot of time thinking about food, but not in a "what can it do for me emotionally" way, but in more of a "is this good fuel for my body" kind of way.

Lucy's Dinner...

It hasn't been without a few temptations though.  I made the girls chicken/cheese/bean enchiladas Tuesday night for dinner...so even though I'm allowing myself to eat "normal" dinners the rest of March, I wasn't able to enjoy these enchiladas because I had dinner plans with a friend after work.

Their dinner looked so good...but I wasn't about to eat two dinners.  Plus, four off limit foods rolled into one delicious item?  Seriously, I could eat the chicken, and that's it...no cheese, no beans, no tortilla, no processed enchilada sauce...but man, did Lucy's plate tempt me!

I decided that since dinner Wednesday night was going to be crock-pot lasagna, and though I do like that, I wanted an enchilada more.  So, I packed up one enchilada (sans beans--I make some without because Mia doesn't like them) for myself for the following day.  I'd skip crock-pot lasagna and have the tempting enchilada instead.  Which is exactly what I did.  And it was so yummy.  I topped it with half an avocado...you know, for some good fats...

So, I ate the enchilada for lunch...what was I to have while the girls were eating lasagna for dinner?  Think, think, think...it needs to have veggies, protein and be delicious.  Here's what I came up with...it's a little unorthodox but man, was it delicious.

I spooned a ton of steamed broccoli I'd made to accompany the girls lasagna into a bowl, topped it with leftover chicken that didn't make it into the enchiladas the day before.  Simple, tasty and healthy.

While I was eating that, I was also making "paleo pancakes" which are simply just one mashed banana mixed with one raw egg, a little cinnamon and a tiny pinch of salt, spooned onto the griddle and then topped with fresh fruit salad I'd made earlier in the day.  Heaven.  Paleo Pancake Heaven.

Pinterest Thursday

Here are a few of the meals I've made so far on this Whole30 adventure...

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata.

To be completely honest, I didn't have zucchini and I had something with sweet potato for breakfast (see sweet potato hash below) so I made my own frittata...red peppers, onion, mushrooms, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, garlic, bacon (yum) and 4 eggs.  I cut it into quarters, had one and a half quarters for dinner topped with guac.  Delicious and filling.  Had some leftovers for breakfast a few days later too.

Fruit and Nut Bars (Homemade Lara Bars)

I'm a big snacker so when the Whole30 plan said No Snacking I freaked out a little.  I found these bars on Pinterest and decided they would be a good option to stick in my pocket and munch on after the gym while I run errands and such.  I made the apricot variety just as directed but I'm excited to try the other recipes too.  I wish I could find a way to get my food processor to chop dried mango because I would LOVE a mango bar...but they seem a little too hard for the silly machine.  Maybe I'll keep trying.

Sweet Potato Hash

I DON'T like sweet potatoes.  Like, at all.  Not even with marshmallows on top.  Yuck.  So, when I realized sweet pots are about the only "starchy" thing permitted on the Whole30 plan I freaked a little...you get the theme here...I freak a little a lot.  I decided to jump in and give it a try anyway.  Found this recipe and thought it looked easy enough.  I used Artichoke Garlic Chicken Sausage from Trader Joes and the only changes I made to the recipe were: using coconut oil in place of canola and adding a sprinkle of cinnamon as the sweet pots were cooking...seriously smelled so good it brought my roomie out of her room to see what I was making.  I divided the hash into two containers (2 portions in each) and the next morning pulled one out, threw half of the hash into a pan to heat while I cooked two eggs in another pan and sat down to give this thing a try.  First few bites I wasn't sure of.  Then I mixed it a little more and man, was it good!  Two mornings in a row I enjoyed this.  Still have the rest waiting for me!

My pics (which aren't as great as the ones above from the original sites, but thought I'd include them anyway)

Top L: Frittata, Middle: Fruit/nut Bars, Bottom L: Baked Apple
Top R: BLTEG Salad, Bottom R: Hash with Eggs

I also whipped up a few Linsey originals...Ok, the baked apples are a Hannah favorite...

Baked apples:  I love a good baked Jonagold apple...I heat the oven to 350, cover a pan in foil, core an apple and then all heck breaks loose.  This time I brushed a little clarified butter over the tops, sprinkled with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger then popped into the oven.  They took about 30-45 minutes, you want to cook them long enough until they "pop" you'll know it when it happens...the skin starts to pull away slightly and the flesh is tender.  I then added chopped pecans and a little more cinnamon and a drizzle more clarified butter...it's good fat, right?! Let it cook until fragrant then pulled them out and enjoyed.  Yum!

The BLTEG Salad: A bed of spring mix (or any greens I have on hand) topped with some crumbled bacon (I used two pieces I had left over from the frittata I made) sliced cherry toms, two eggs (I like mine over medium...whites done, yolks still runny) and a dollop of guac.  Stir it all up and enjoy...what the what?!?!  Yum!

And a few other pics from the week...my mound of dishes post cooking and the "oops, I guess that burner was still on" incident I'd rather not discuss...

Check back tomorrow for some thoughts on my first week of (mostly) eating Whole30.  And click here to follow me on Pinterest.  I even have a Whole30 board!

Prayer And Fasting

I spent the weekend fasting and in prayer.  My prayers were as follows:

*Remove food as an idol in my life
*Focus on spiritual health vs physical appearance
*Lean on God and not rely on my own strength to resist temptation and be disciplined
*Run my own race and don't compare to anyone else
*God centered eating and exercise going forward

My time in prayer and in the Word centered me again in Christ and revealed where I need to focus and which things I need to cut out of my life to reduce stress and striving.

As far as my relationship with food...

I decided to jump into this Whole30 thing.  (Check this blogpost if you don't know what I'm talking about)  I decided waiting till April 1st was going to be too hard...I was seeing myself binging until then which is not good.

Setting myself  up for success is the only way this is going to work.  My biggest fear is dinner.  I can (with the help of God) eat Whole30 all day and then dinner strikes...I cook for the girls Monday through Thursday and there is no way they are going to hop on the Whole30 bandwagon.  I decided to gear up during the next two week by sticking to Whole30 until dinner, then still making the wisest decisions possible...reserve a chicken breast for myself before assembling chicken enchiladas, put my spaghetti sauce over mushrooms or spaghetti squash instead of pasta.  And use this time to try recipes, get my freezer and fridge stocked with quick dinner options that are Whole30 approved so when April 1st rolls around it'll be an easy transition.

After fasting, I was psyched to go grocery shopping and start making some Whole30 meals...I ran into a slight problem...I only have one third of the fridge.  How am I to keep all sorts of produce, protein and eggs on hand when I only have half of one shelf, a produce drawer and a shared deli drawer...

Menu planning!  Turns out menu planning is pretty much a life saver...at work and at home!  I sat down, looked at my week and planned each workout and meal.  Made a list and minimized unnecessary impulse buys.  I vowed to try things I haven't liked in the past (like sweet potatoes) and give everything a fair shot.  I ventured into the world of coconut oil, clarified butter and vegetables like asparagus and brussels sprouts...

Next up...making the recipes!  Check back tomorrow for the first few recipes I've attempted!

Pinterest Thursday

Sorry about not posting yesterday, not sure what happened there...

Getting pedicures when Mama Cindy was in Chicago

Anyway, my mom, the beautiful Mama Cindy, started a new eating program almost 2 weeks ago called Whole30.  She told me it was like Paleo but even more strict.  More strict?  How can it be??

I've been anti-Paleo for years now.  Not that I think there is anything wrong with the plan, just not for me.  I've had friends thrive on the Paleo diet but I've chosen to believe I can be healthy while maintaining some sort of "normal" eating.

The past few weeks I've posted about my struggle with food and how it's affecting my spiritual health.  How I was going to eliminate binging from my life and find a healthy way to deal with food.  I was going to rely on God during my times of temptation, limit unhealthy foods that are my triggers (candy, sweets) and focus on healthier options.

I gave myself an inch...wiggle room...permission to eat things I know aren't good for me as long as I ate them in moderation.

Problem...I took a mile.  I, at this point in my life, can't operate in "moderation."  I'm addicted to food.  To eating.  If it was alcohol, nobody would ever say, "yeah, try not to have a drink, but if you have a few sips, its ok...just do it in moderation."  Much like an addict of any other variety, I have a hard time operating in the grey.  I'm  black and white, baby.  All or nothing.  I gave myself permission to have 4 malted eggs (my favorite Easter candy) and for the first few days I did fine.  Then...all hell broke loose! The bag is almost gone, I think I ate at least 20 eggs today...ugh!!!

After thinking about it, spending time in prayer and looking at a calendar I decided to start Whole30 on April 1st.

If I want to see drastic change in my relationship with food (and my body) I need to be willing to make a drastic change.

Giving myself "moderation" and "grey" isn't working.

I need to make it clear that my goal going into this isn't going Paleo longterm.  It's simply to take things back to basics...remember why God gave us food, reset my cravings, focus on health-emotionally, physically and most important, spiritually.

It's going to take planning and lots of preparation to fill my shelves, and subsequently my belly, with "permissible" foods.

Check out some of these pins for more info on Whole30:

To follow me on Pinterest, click here.