Whole30 Week Two

Hey everyone!

I am back for your weekly Whole30 update! In case anyone missed my first post, Adam and I are doing a Whole30 this month. We were doing it with some friends of ours, but they actually ended the program early, as they decided it just wasn’t the best fit for them…so now it’s just us! 

I am happy to say that we are going strong. For me (and for Adam, too, I think), week one was pretty hard and filled with ups and downs. I know I may seem pretty healthy but I definitely relied A LOT on sugar to get me through! I used to have dark chocolate after lunch and (usually) some swedish fish from my “secret mom gummy stash” mid-afternoon to avoid that crash. Then wine…of course! When I cut all that out suddenly, I missed it. I felt foggy last week and lethargic. Every day at 1pm, I experienced a post-lunch slump. The sugar addiction is so real, you guys. I love sugar and I love desserts (heck, I used to be a pastry chef) but the addiction is real. And it hurts. Anyway, this week I am feeling a lot better. I am happy to report that I don’t experience a mid-afternoon slump at all anymore! Actually, I feel like I have much more energy than I used to…without the sugar. As of two days ago, I started sleeping better, too. Sleep was one of the reasons why I wanted to do a Whole30 in the first place. I have been in a rut the past month or so and just not gotten good, quality rest at night. I can shift some blame on the boys (Grayson “exploring” his room at all hours and Luke teething) but I wanted to see if doing this program made any difference…and so far, so good. I slept the best last night that I have slept in months.

This week, I also found I needed less snacks during the day. Week one was just filled with grazing…this week, I am feeling more satisfied with the meals and able to get through the day much easier (although a coconut milk cappuccino never hurt anyone). 

Wine is still difficult but getting easier. Obviously the weekends are the hardest. This past weekend we had family come visit and we grilled out. Normally, grilling out means a few glasses of red wine. It was difficult to say no but I did it and then felt proud afterward. Kombucha seems to be a Whole30 grey area, but I will tell you guys that I am drinking it on occasion and don’t feel weird or guilty about doing so. 

So about our meals this week!! Week one I sort of killed it with the eggs, sweet potatoes and sausage. This week I started exploring different breakfast options like smoothies and chia pudding. I am well aware that the Whole30 police might say that smoothies and chia pudding are not allowed, but, again, they seem to be part of that grey area. I am fine with it. The “pudding” isn’t to replace actual pudding. It’s just a nutrient dense snack. And my smoothies have just been almond milk, almond butter and banana. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty darn wholesome. 

Breakfast Chia “Pudding”

(serves 2)

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 dates, pitted

6.5 tbsp chia seeds

toppings of choice

Blend the almond milk with the dates until smooth. Add the chia seeds and pour into two mason jars. Shake shake shake. Put lid on and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, top with sliced banana, berries, almond butter or coconut.
Here are some other breakfasts I enjoyed this week:

Lunches, per usual, really just consisted of leftovers or salads with protein. My absolute favorite lunch salad so far has been salmon salad!

I mixed a can of wild salmon with a few tbsp of homemade mayonnaise and sea salt. I put this over a bunch of greens and drizzled the whole thing with a simple balsamic dressing. I swear I could eat this every day and not get sick of it. It is such a nice break from all the heavy, meaty meals we have been eating!

Not to toot my own horn, but we have been killing it on the dinner front. I got the new Nom Nom Paleo cookbook last weekend and have been pretty much cooking out of it exclusively. It’s SO great and makes me excited for Michelle’s event at our local Whole Foods in a few weeks. I highly recommend the cookbook to anyone! 

I would say our favorite meal this week was definitely the super flank steak salad out of Ready or Not. I even made the fried onion rings, you guys!!! Adam couldn’t stop raving about dinner – he said it was one of his favorites and I agree. It definitely has been my favorite meal of our Whole30 thus far and worth the price of the cookbook alone.

I think that’s all I really have to say for now! Adam and I are really enjoying this and we both feel good. It is A LOT of meat — too much for some people, probably. I feel more energized than ever, though, which makes me wonder about my iron levels. I have always been borderline anemic (same with my kids) and during pregnancy I took supplements. With all this red meat we have been eating though, I bet my levels have sky rocketed. I certainly have more energy than before. My nails are also stronger, which is a small thing but noticeable to me. We are also eating WAY WAY WAY more vegetables than we normally do!! We used to have bread at every meal and now we replace that bread with more veg. I have been getting the most incredible heirloom tomatoes in my CSA box so I have just been on a tomato roll this week. Doing a Whole30 in the summer is definitely the way to go!

We wrapped carnitas in jicama “tortillas” and topped with guacamole and salsa. SO GOOD! We might eat tacos this way from now on.

I got asked on Instagram how we are keeping this cost effective so I wanted to address that real quick. I do feel like I am spending more on groceries right now than I usually do (umm hellooo 2 dozen eggs a week!). But. Cooking and recipe development is my job so I do spend more money on food than, say, the average person. It’s also a priority to us to buy organic produce and sustainably raised meat. I’ve been pleased with the quality of the meat from Costco! To save money, it’s a good idea to buy cheaper cuts like pork shoulders, ground beef and organic whole chickens in bulk. 

We are about to roll into the weekend and I have some good stuff planned for us to eat. Be sure to follow along on Instagram and stories for live updates!