My Take on Whole 30

Whole 30... let's discuss.
Link to read my original Whole 30 post.

Did we go the entire 30 days? 
No. We did not cheat, we did not have a "slip". Half way through the 22nd day I called him at work and said I was no longer interested in this, that I was finding myself angry and resentful. I encouraged him to keep going but he chose to stop as well. We chose to end it.

Why did I stop when I was so close to finishing and had put in 3 weeks already? 
I realised half way through week 3 that I wasn't eating. Just the thought of making myself something compliant took too much energy. I no longer wanted eggs, a chicken breast for "meal one" (breakfast) made my stomach turn and eating nothing but nuts and bananas is not healthy. Honestly I was just sick and tired of thinking about food and what my next meal was going to be. I was done.

Does Whole 30 work (in my opinion)?
Yes. We saw results right away. Increased energy. Thinning out/bloat leaving. Skin clearing up. Cravings getting weaker & weaker- some gone still (sugar). Sleeping better. Sleeping through the night.

Were there side effects?
Yes, but not many. I noticed immediately my craving for sugar! Wow, was it intense a few days. There were certain days that all I could think about was sugar and eating! I felt like I was going crazy, I was irritable, couldn't focus, couldn't make up my mind, and did not accomplish anything on those days.
The increase in energy did not last. Half way through the second week I was sluggish and had a hard time waking up.

Was Whole 30 hard/difficult?
It wasn't hard, it was however, incredible time consuming and expensive! We both felt like all we were doing was preparing food. We found there was no place to eat out if you were on the run so you had to have something with you all the time! There is also no "quick" food like sandwich meat available in Edmonton that was compliant. I searched and searched. There are options in the USA but not here. Sad. We spent 2-3x the amount on groceries. That is a lot of money, too much money to keep up with on our budget. We are saving for trips this summer plus a trip to Disneyland and buying these groceries really dug into that. Eating healthy and buying "the best choices" is expensive. It is out of reach for many families and that is really shitty and completely backwards! I think it is incredibly unfortunate that that is the world/economy we live in. One where processed crap is easier to access. I could go on and on about this issue but that is a whole other post.
Below are just some of the examples of items I bought for Whole 30 and the item I would usually buy and the price difference.
On Whole 30                                                    Usual Buy
Cashew Butter $10.99/ 500g                                Peanut Butter $7.49/2kg
Extra Lean Ground Beef $6.50/package                 Lentils $2.79/900g
Steak $26-$30 for 5-6 steaks                                Didn't buy steak
Cashews $2.50/100g                                            Almonds $10.99/1.36kg
**Almonds were compliant but not the first choice, I bought almonds, walnuts, pecans & hazelnuts for a total of $69!
Coconut Milk $2.50/can                                       Milk/cream $2.50/$2.89 for 1 litre
Sweet Potatoes $1.29-$1.79 per pound                  Potatoes $5.99 for a 10lb bag
(sorry that this is all wonky, I couldn't get the formatting correct)

How are we eating now?
We have added in a few things in very small amounts. I am drinking my coffee with cream and no sugar. The no added sweetener is a huge win for me. I also kicked my soy creamer habit which was so loaded with things I couldn't pronounce. I was obviously ignoring that label.
I had bread and cake for my dad's birthday but other than that have had little to no gluten or other grains.
I don't feel the urge to eat something sweet after my meals like I did before. When I want something sweet I turn to fruit instead of chocolate. WIN!
I am not stressing about our food and that has made a huge difference in my overall feelings and healthy choices.

Would I do it again?
My answer right now is no. I have energy and am waking up early instead of having Anna force me out. She needs breakfast after all. I have the energy to go running and that makes me happy. Not being able to do those two things really bothered me during my 3 weeks. On the other side of it though- I fit into my cloths better. I feel more confident and my negative body talk has improved dramatically. That right there is worth every second and penny.

Would I recommend it to others?
Yes, but I don't think it's for everyone. I was fortunate to have Cory doing it along side me. I don't think we would have made it that far without each other's support & encouragement. Read the book- It Starts With Food. Read any book you can that deals with what you're putting into your body. READ YOUR LABELS! Make more informed choices. Buy local when you can. Ask questions. Choose to cut out one thing at a time.

Whole 30 - It works!

Photo 1: Day 1

Photo 2: end of week 3, 21 days on the program

Starting A Whole 30

This is my current read. I have been interested in learning about our bodies and the foods we eat for quite a few years now. It is astonishing to learn about all the crap out there and the things companies are allowed to do to our food. Eating healthy, good food is expensive and that is so very wrong!! Eating crap, processed, high fat, high sugar food is cheap and around every corner! So very unfortunate and sad and crap! I have read all sorts from the various Clean Eating books to Vegan books and now this. This book is the story behind "Food Should Make Us Healthy" and the author's program Whole 30. Whole 30 is"designed to be a nutritional reset to help people get their metabolisms back on track, banish their sugar demons back into the darkness, and figure out once and for all the way the food hey are eating is actually affecting them."  

 I have been reading about Whole 30 for awhile now on various blogs and Instagram accounts. It took me so long to go get the book because the program is intense! And I didn't want to commit to something that was going to be hard. Obviously that should have been a sign that I knew I needed something but didn't want to give up all the things in my diet that they were telling me to quit. 

A little background: 

Cory and I have both been trying for some time to loose weight, improve our diets and feel better overall. To banish unexplained aches & pains, headaches and for me- problem skin. I have struggled since having Anna with weight. Up & down. Low (or no) energy. Terrible sleep. Anxiety. Mild depression. Problem skin. Random rashes. Headaches. After finding a new doctor and discussing what I was experiencing she recommend a couple things to me and made me realise that these things were not in my head. That I could do something about them but I had to commit.  She validated me and let me know I was not alone. She gave me a prescription for an anti depressant that treats anxiety. I was reluctant at first because I was ashamed and angry that my body wasn't working the way it should. However, trying to deal with it on my own (for 3 years!) wasn't working and I knew I needed to do something. I get a little emotional when I think about it because it changed my life and in turn it changed my family's life. It has been just over 5 months (it is not something I will have to take forever) and now I can focus my energy on everything else- starting with my diet.  I am sharing all this because I realise that I am not alone. That by being brave and sharing my story I can help someone else and that I have nothing to be ashamed of.

Back to Whole 30:

Cory and I began this program a week ago and we have already seen benefits. We've also had a couple meltdowns. The program as mentioned before is Intense! The basics: NO to added sugar (including natural sugars like honey & maple syrup), alcohol, grains of any kind, legumes, dairy. YES to real, natural food like fruit, vegetables & meat. 

A little more background: I incorporated poultry back into my diet about a year ago. I have not considered myself a vegetarian since. I do not eat pork but for this program am willing to try eating beef and fish although I am not sure how that will go. I still believe in and care deeply for added hormones, animal welfare, their living conditions and the method in which they are slaughtered. That will never change. When possible and available the best meat to choose is organic, hormone free, grass fed and range free. I also know that these choices are very expensive and not possible for everyone all the time, including myself.

Cory & I are very committed to completing this and having each other for support and encouragement is so important. The cravings for sugar have been pretty crazy. Seeing first hand how not having them is affecting me shows me that I am making the right decision to complete the Whole 30. I miss peanut butter but there are a couple nut butters that I have found that I actually like. My morning coffee is now made with coconut milk and that was quite an adjustment but I am now enjoying it. I believe meal plans and variety are going to be key in completing this. It has already made me experiment with recipes and make meals that we loved and would eat even if we weren't doing this.

On day two (yes that soon) I woke up without an alarm, was bright eyed and full of energy! I literally bounced out of bed and got my day started. I actually caught myself off guard. Day four was really hard- I felt a little sketchy, like my brain wasn't working quite right. Another sign that I needed to keep going. I have more energy, am sleeping better and have noticed a difference in my skin already. It is brighter... happier. The cravings are getting less and less and it may seem silly after only one week but I am actually noticing a difference in how I see some of my favourite junk food- potato chips. I was surrounded by them on the weekend and was okay. I didn't need them. This thing with the program- there are no cheats, no slips. If you do, you start over on day one! No thank you. I am really proud of Cory & myself. 

Weight wise, you weigh day one and then you're encouraged not to weigh again until the end... I am curious like a cat and weighed on day 4, I was down 3lbs. That is water loss but still it is encouraging. We also took before photos (yikes), sometimes you think you're doing okay because you don't want to admit that you could be doing better. I was actually surprised that I looked the way I did (I wore bikini bottoms & a sport bra). A picture is worth a thousand words and these pictures were saying "it's time to make a change". I have noticed a difference already in bloating, swelling, and overall appearance. 

Maybe Whole 30 isn't your cup of tea but I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in what you're eating, healthy choices and feeling your best. 

That was a long post so if you made it here, thanks for reading. I'll keep you posted on my progress. 

Sometimes Life is Hard

On January 6 my Dad had a massive heart attack and was rushed to Edmonton. On January 7 at 7am I answered the most terrifying phone call of my life.  On January 14 my Dad underwent a successful triple bypass surgery. Yesterday he went home.

For the past two weeks our lives have been upside down and shaken to the core. These last two weeks have been full of emotion- from terrified, to joyful, to frustrated, to scared, to angry, to "my face is going to crack from smiling" because I am so happy. I feel shaken. I feel out of sorts.

My Dad is only 59, he is not overweight, he eats right, doesn't smoke, doesn't drink yet here he was laying in the hospital. I could not believe it. This was not suppose to be happening. The doctors said that if he hadn't had all those factors in his corner that he probably wouldn't be here. The thought makes my stomach turn.

I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep. I tried my best to not be emotional in front of him but the downside to that is by the time I got home at the end of the day I was a complete mess.

I just had no idea. Nothing could have prepared me for this.

I know I love him but until I was faced with losing him I had no idea how much and how deep that love runs for him & my mom. How grateful I am for him (them). When I hugged him the morning of his surgery I physically couldn't let go. I tried to back away but my body was frozen. I will never forget the feeling.

Waiting is the hardest part. Wondering. Waiting. Worrying. The surgeon came into the room we were waiting in, he shook our hands and told us the news, the surgery went good and they were closing, we could see him soon. I let out a breath that felt like I had taken a thousand pound weight off my chest. Trembling, I shook his hand and thanked him through tears. He squeezed my arm and nodded. I will never forget that moment. That moment of pure joy, relief and exhaustion.

I soon realized that recovery can be equally as terrifying as the actual surgery. All the tubes. All the beeping.  All the unknown.

Thankfully my Dad's recovery in the hospital only had a few hiccups & a few things to sort themselves out. I know that there is a very long road ahead but he his here. He is with us. He is healing. He is strong. He is determined. His heart has new piping. He is as funny as ever. He is amazing.

I am so full of love and hope, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. To his surgeon, Dr. Wong and his team- thank you- those words are not big enough to express my gratitude. To his nurses, especially the ones at the Miseracordia, the Mazankowski ICU and the ones who sorted out the issues in Ward 4- thank you, thank you, thank you. You're all kinds of wonderful!

Having our lives turned upside down has changed me. Has made me look at our lives and think about how easy it is to have it all ripped away in the blink of an eye. For me I will move forward, praying for a smooth ride for my Dad, for the health and well being of myself & my loved ones and for a new appreciation of life & love.

Taking Care

source

I have been thinking a lot about health lately. About how my body feels not just how it looks. How my head feels and how the things I think & feel affect my health. How the food I put into my body does or does not benefit me. How the few hours I sleep just aren't cutting it. I feel an incredible desire to be better, to take action and to feel alive. 

I read this post by Kelly Rae Roberts and felt inspired. 

What do you do to take care of your body, your mind & your spirit? I would love to know what inspires you to be better.