tablets of human hearts

Day 20

Ten days left.  Not to be discouraging, but there are extra days beyond the 30 required for the reintroduction phase.  Consider these days as the culmination of your science experiment.

Chapter 19: Reintroduction

I’ll soon reach day 30, but its definitely not the end.  An additional 12 days are required to slowly reintroduce each of the food groups, one at a time, in order to determine which ones might be the source of a health problem.

Day 1 – reintroduce legumes to the three meals.

Days 2-3 – return to Whole30 and evaluate.  Determine whether or not, and how much, legumes may be incorporated as a food choice

Day 4 – reintroduce non-gluten grains to the three otherwise Whole30 meals.

Days 5-6 – return to Whole30 and evaluate.  Determine whether or not, and how much, non-gluten grains may be incorporated as a food choice (keep in mind, they do not offer much by way of nutrients)

Day 7 – reintroduce dairy to the three otherwise Whole30 meals.

Days 8-9 – return to Whole30 and evaluate.  Determine whether or not, and how much, dairy products may reincorporated as a food choice (I really hope I can reincorporate cheese)

Day 10 – reintroduce gluten-containing grains to the three otherwise Whole30 meals.

Days 11-12 – return to Whole30 and evaluate.  Determine whether or not, and how much, gluten-containing grains may be incorporated as a food choice (for me, I will mostly choose not to, even if I can, because, along with sugar/sweeteners, I really think these contribute to my belly fat and I do not want it returning.)

Days 13+ this is where we, based on the results of our experiment, individualize the program our self.

Chapter 20:  Strategies for Long Term Success

Reminder by the authors of It Starts with Food:  “Whole30 is just a springboard into a lifetime of healthy eating habits.”

When the time comes and we find ourselves slipping back into old eating habits, do NOT consider it a failure.  Merely the point in which we reevaluate, recommit , and return to the new healthy eating habits we have learned.

Get rid of the idea of “cheating,” cheat days,” or tacking numbers to the way we eat (eating 90% healthy or following an 80/20 eating plan.)  Those ideas encourage us to make less than healthy choices.  Instead, remember, it is all about choices.  Choosing to eat healthy and choosing where, when and why we will enjoy the occasional guilt-free indulgence.

Overall

Two incredible meals.  My main man (MM) made sweet potato hash with fried eggs on top for breakfast.  Delicious.   Seemed indulgent.  But completely gut healthy.  Then we had shrimp scampi for dinner, with zoodles instead of angel hair pasta.   We used almond flour to coat the shrimp and fried them in olive oil.  Another delicious meal.

However, the next night was a bit challenging.  Attended a women’s fellowship at church. Stayed away from the dessert table.  Which wasn’t a problem –  until one of the gals at my table brought her plate over with the apple cake smothered in carmel.  Which wouldn’t have been a problem  – except she left the half eaten piece sitting next to me all evening, allowing me to smell the carmel sweet, cinnamon-y  aroma all evening.

AND.  A handful of hershey’s kisses had been scattered in the center of the table.

They were both a bit of distraction.  Especially when my stomach growled toward the end of the evening.  I did a mental check.  Yes I was hungry.  Did I want the sweet treats? (I had to ask myself, even though I knew I would not have any.)  I tried imagine eating either one (a bit of self torture) .  And neither one appealed to me on a palate level.

I decided when it came time to indulge, I think I would choose something different.  Even now, thinking about it, the old craving, longing, gotta-have- it feeling is not what it used to be.  Still thinking there might be something to the idea of sugar/sweet addictions.

Another great tip.  We have been using cauliflower rice in the place of regular rice for our asian dishes.  It is really good and on a whim I looked up the nutritional value of cauliflower.  It has an abundance of vitamin C and also a good amount of vitamin K.  Plus, it’s glycemic index is only 2, as apposed to white rice, which is over 20.  Good stuff.

20 down, 10 to go.

Day 18

I’ve noticed a positive change in my sleeping.  Prior to Whole30, the arthritis in my right shoulder would often wake me up at night, aching.  I couldn’t sleep in certain positions on my right side (if I could sleep on my right side at all) and I had started taking ibuprofen and tylenol before bed to ease some of the discomfort.  The past few days, mobility in my shoulder has increased (without the time consuming, I-always-forget-to-do-them physical therapy exercises the doctor had given me) and it is not waking me up at night.

I really hope this lasts.

The other great thing is the fit of some of my pants (the ones pinching my waistline).  They are fitting comfortably now.  And my main man (MM) says he has noticed my belly fat (where I gain all my weight) has gone down.  Yea!

Chapter 16: Meal Planning Made Easy

The great thing about Whole30 is the absence of counting calories, or carbs, or fats, or anything else. No weighing or measuring.  Some foods are merely eliminated – just an easy, nope won’t eat it, and the rest of the foods are permissible.  To make it even easier, It Starts with Food, provides some simple guidelines for personal serving sizes – using one’s own hand.

Protein – have it with every meal (as high quality as affordable)
serving size of meat, poultry, seafood: the size of the palm of one’s hand
serving size of eggs: as many whole eggs as can fit in one’s hand

Vegetables – fill up the plate, try a variety to keep things interesting and have them with every meal
serving size: eat as much as desired until satiated

Fruit – one to two servings a day
serving size: the size of one’s fist

Healthy fats – one or more per meal (I know, crazy, right?)
serving size of healthy oils (remember vegetable oil is NOT healthy): 1-2 thumb-sized portions
servings size of butters: 1-2 thumb-sized portions
serving size of nuts and seeds – 1-2 closed handfuls
serving size of olives – 1-2 heaping handfuls
serving size of coconut – 1-2 heaping handfuls
serving size of avocados – half to whole

Adjust as necessary for energy levels and satiation. The premise of Whole30 is once the “supernormally stimulating, nutrient-poor, calorie-dense and highly processed foods” are no longer in our diets, our bodies begin to reset themselves and our hungry vs full signals to our brain become reliable.

Chapter 17: Preface to the Program

The authors, to this point have assumed the reader has not started the program yet, and has merely been reading about it. I had the advantage of my mm who had already read most of the book (he stopped at the reintroduction of the eliminated foods chapter) and had already cleaned out the cabinet and fridge of the unhealthy stuff and was already in the habit of making Whole30 meals.

So, at this point, if one has not started, it is decision time. Will you or will you not choose to conduct your own personal science experiment for 30 days and see if what the authors say is true.

“No cheats. No slips. No excuses.” Doing it halfway won’t provide accurate or reliable results.

What do you have to lose, besides the possibility of a healthy, abundant, free from all the pain (physical, emotional and mental) of food addictions, life.

Chapter 18: Process of Elimination

From It Starts with Food,For 30 days, you do the following:

Say yes to foods that make you more healthy (meat, seafood, eggs, lots of vegetables and fruit, naturals fats)

Say no to sugars (in any form), alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy

Say no to recreating junk food, baked goods, or treats with “approved ingredients” Remember, the goal is to break old, unhealthy lifelong habits. (Pinterest has revealed many who missed this point)

Say no to stepping on the scale or taking body measurements. (ok, we cheated here, we didn’t believe the belt loops and just had to check)

The book breaks down some of the crazy symptoms to expect at certain points in the 30 days. This way, you know how it might impact you and understand the symptoms are not a sign of the program not working, but, the fact, it is.

Overall

My mm loves the return of mental alertness. He was saddened by the thought he was “getting older” and his mental sharpness was diminishing. Imagine our surprise when we found out it wasn’t age. It was the food he consumed. Since he restarted his 30 days with me when I started, he is now at 40 days. He has more energy, he is more alert and focused, and his cravings have significantly diminished.

We both agree, even as we move through the reintroduction phase and beyond, we want to continue to make this our new normal. Yes, after the 30 days (and reintroduction phase) are done, we can enjoy treats and special occasions. But that is what we want them to be: treats and special occasions. We no longer want our choices to be driven by cravings and addictions. We want real freedom to choose where, when and what we want to indulge on.

18 down, 12 to go.

Day 15

Halfway there!  And feeling really good.

Chapter 14:  Vegetable and Fruits
News flash! Vegetables are good for us.  Ok.  Maybe not that big of a news flash.

Confession time. I used to be an extremely picky eater. In fact, there are not many who were pickier than me. But, thanks to the awesome cooking skills of my main man (MM) and the array of different herbs and spices, I slowly expanded my likes over the years and now eat just about every vegetable I find (there’s still a few we need to experiment).

Additionally, vegetables are anti-inflammatory. Great news for those with systemic inflammation issues that can lead to things like stroke, heart disease and certain cancers.

Also keep in mind, corn is not a vegetable, it is botanically a grain. And peas and lima beans are legumes. (Technically so are green beans, snow peas and sugar snap peas, but the actual seed is itty-bitty so most of what we eat are the plant pods.  These three are allowed on the Whole30 cleanse).

Fruits. Sweet (especially when we retrain our tongue by ridding ourselves of all the supernaturally sweet stuff), juicy and very good for us. For those with diabetes or systemic inflammation, it is not the fructose and glucose from fruit causing problems for you, it is, as the authors of It Starts with Food, like to say, the overconsumption of supernormally stimulating (from concentrated high fructose syrups or other added sugars/sweeteners), nutrient-poor, carbohydrate rich foods.  Those inflammation-causing, empty calorie foods.  However, those with diabetes need to proceed with caution in eating an abundance of fruits.

That said, vegetables first.  They are the best place to get the fiber, vitamins and minerals and carbohydrates.   The best food choices include more vegetables and a compliment of fruit.

Chapter 15: The Right Fats

Another mind blower.  I feel as if I have built my food consumption with a deck of false fact cards.  My concept of a “healthy” meal choice is constantly being challenged and found wanting.

Red meat is not evil.  Butter (Whole30 clarified butter) is not evil.  Even, gasp, lard is not evil.   The authors, however, highly recommend as much organically raised meat as possible, because “the fat in factory-farmed meat is loaded with unhealthy toxins – residues from antibiotics, hormones, heavy metals, and pesticides.”   Again, another thank-you nod to my brother-in-law and his wife.

Seed oils are bad.  Any one else shocked to find out cooking with vegetable oil is NOT a healthy choice?  However, I think we are aware trans fats (partially hydrogenated) are also bad.  So, margarine.  NOT a healthy alternative to butter.  It’s bad.   If you want the scientific details, you really need to read to book.

Also, as I cautioned in a previous post, the authors emphasize the importance of context.  A high-fat diet along with highly processed (typical of all grain products) food choices can be dangerous and damaging.  One of the goals of Whole30 is to train our body to burn fat for fuel/energy throughout the day and not carbs.  If we consume nutrient-poor, carbohydrate rich foods, our body takes the easy road and continues to use their sugars  for fuel/energy and not fat.

Overall

While I still have cravings and struggle with habitual snacking (especially in the afternoon and evening), I think my sweet tooth, sugar cravings are decreasing.  How amazing is that?  Those who know me, know my love for chocolate.  I haven’t had chocolate for 15 days.  Like I said, amazing.

15 down, 15 to go.

Day 13

A busy schedule limits my time in posting my Whole30 progress every day and since I don’t want to short change you with haphazard and rushed words, I decided to finish out the journey by posting every few days.

As I move into the summaries for chapters 11-13, keep in mind some of the recommendations made by Whole30 are for a complete change in eating habits.  I’m sure many can be added to one’s current diet (cooking with olive oil and avocado oil rather than vegetable oil, eating more vegetables because you can’t eat enough vegetables, and fruits are always a better snack choice than processed empty calorie foods) but some of the others might lead to further health issues if they are only added/increased in a diet still filled with sweets, grains, and processed/packaged foods.

Chapter 11: Dairy
I love cheese. And ice cream. I enjoy half and half in my coffee. And greek yogurt has made its way into our refrigerator. But, for the Whole30 cleanse, dairy is one of the foods to avoid in order to determine problems and sensitivities. The authors of It Starts with Food explain in detail why milk proteins (especially casein and whey) and lactose may cause numerous problems in the human digestive and immune systems. It addresses the issue of calcium as well. Yes, healthy bones need calcium, but they need more than just calcium to grow and stay strong. They also need vitamins C, D3 and K.  And we are always better off getting the combination of calcium and vitamins naturally from foods rather than from supplements or as an additive.  Our current diet may actually be hindering our bodies’ ability to absorb the calcium and the vitamins we need. A diet rich in calcium and vitamin filled vegetables, meat and seafood, and nuts and seeds is a much better choice.

Chapter 12: It All Adds Up
A quick summary on the section of less healthy foods.

Moving into the section of more healthy foods.

Chapter 13: Meat Seafood and Eggs
Another revelation. Meat is actually more healthy. Did you know protein is the most satiating of all macronutrients?  Which means, as the authors like to say, it is better than any food-with-no-breaks, such as a meal filled with carbohydrates (pasta, breads, rice and such). So, when I was searching for and making meals for my main man (MM) consisting of less meat and more of these filler foods, I was actually making him hungrier, which led to him to eating more, not less, spiking an overreaction in insulin and all sorts of other cascading internal responses.

The real truth of Whole30 (or any food choices) lies in the results. He is losing the weight he has been wanting to lose and he is not feeling cheated or deprived at dinner time. We both have actually looked at our plates and said, “wow, I am actually satisfied without being full/stuffed.” I kind of think that’s pretty cool.

The authors encourage as much organically grown meat, poultry, seafood and eggs as possible. I am so thankful for my brother-in-law and his wife. For the past few years they have raised a couple of cows and pigs on their farm for us. Aside from the $$ savings at the grocery store, we know how they were raised and what they were fed. Not everyone can do that, but we can try to find those areas where we can pay a little extra for a healthier choice. You can’t afford it, you say?  I say, if we’re not buying all kinds of processed crap from the center isles of the grocery store, that gives us a little extra money to purchase the healthier options.

Foods/meals we have made
Asparagus and tomato scrambled eggs
Broccoli egg bake (made a head of time in a cupcake pan for quick breakfast on the go)
Asian meatballs (made with shredded carrots and coconut!) served with veggie stir fry
Discovered almond milk turns out much better with whole almonds than with almond flour (which is too fine to strain completely)

13 down, 17 to go.

Day 10
I must admit, I find it hard to adjust to eating eggs every day.  In the past, the poor little guys have been given such a bad rap. But now studies are showing cholesterol does not necessarily beget cholesterol.  The processes causing plaque build up in our arteries, leading to heart disease are much more complicated than that.  I feel sorry for all the older gentlemen who gave up their egg breakfast for the sake of their health, when in fact the toast they ate with it were the probable culprits.

The true evidence of the basis of It Starts with Food will be when my main man goes in to have his blood work checked.  He is currently on both blood pressure and cholesterol medicine.  I must say, he is looking quite good and he is pleased to be moving to the smaller belt loop holes.  I will be interested in my cholesterol levels as well.  Since high cholesterol runs in the family, my levels have been borderline high.  One military doctor was ready to start me on medication and another encouraged me to add more “heart healthy” grains, like oatmeal and such, to my diet.

Which leads to the next chapter.  Is it a coincidence when our government created the food pyramid with grains on the bottom, that our country’s weight began to climb, and subsequently cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Chapter 10: Grains and Legumes

I mentioned the book Wheat Belly in an earlier post and in the past have tried to cut back, contrary to the food pyramid, on the amount of grain products I consumed.  It is hard, because who doesn’t enjoy a loaf of warm crusty french bread or a pile of fettucini with alfredo sauce?  We’ve been led to believe that a whole grain bagel, a bowl of oatmeal and a turkey sub on a whole wheat roll are healthy meal choices.  Choices I have made in the past.

This chapter is a long and detailed one.  A bit more than I can regurgitate.  It Starts with Food lays out the case on why the authors believe grains may be a culprit in many health issues.  They have determined grains fail all four of the Good Food Standards (see my previous post for the standards).  The chapter describes in detail how refined grains lack most of their original nutrients but still have all their calories.  Additionally, any health promoting substances found in grains can also be obtained from vegetables and fruit.  And apparently, one doesn’t have to have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity for grains to negatively affect the digestive system and create chronic inflammation.
The chapter also includes legumes, which fail three and four of the Good Food Standards. For this reason, both groups are eliminated in the Whole30 day cleanse. It provides the opportunity to determine, through gradual reintroduction, how they affect one’s system in order to make wiser food decisions.

Overall
My energy levels are starting to level out.  A bit tired in the afternoon, but I suspect it was our after midnight bedtime due to finding and investigating the additional water leak.

10 down, 20 to go.