tablets of human hearts

Day 5

My main man and I went to the Home and Garden show.  We started our trek through the booths on the side opposite the food.  The toughest part were the roasted nuts for sale in a booth in the center of the exhibition.   Their sweet smell permeated the middle of every isle.   The last two isles were filled with all kinds of food vendors, with samples galore.  Normally, we would have made our way down the isles, grazing as we went along.  But since everything was served with crackers or bread (so much for tasting the olive oil and balsamic vinegars) or was loaded with sugar, we avoided it all.  We planned ahead, however, and packed a Whole30 healthy lunch (I say Whole30 healthy because chapter 5 in the book, It Starts with Food, really debunks my understanding of healthy food).  Instead of sugar filled treats, we ate tuna salad, made with homemade mayonnaise (yes, sugar is even found in most mayonnaise), raisins, apple chunks and chopped pecans.  We ate it on romaine lettuce.  We also had veggies and some fruit.    Although I missed all the yummy delicacies, I did not miss that guilty and stuffed feeling I would normally have felt afterwards.

Chapter 5:  Healthy Hormones, Healthy You

Wow, this was a long chapter.  And not as easy a read as the preceding chapters.   The authors do an excellent job providing examples and images to help the reader understand  some of the harder concepts.   They discussed four important interacting hormones: insulin, leptin, glucagon, and cortisol.  When these hormones are functioning properly, our body is in balance, but when certain factors drive them to over or under produce, bad things can happen, like obesity, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and even alzheimer’s disease.   Interestingly enough, many of the so-called “healthy foods” we have been taught to eat are major contributors to knocking these hormones out of balance.

Overall
Ok.  So I caved a little.  Not a big cave and kind of within the Whole30 list.  I really wanted some coffee in the morning.  However, black coffee is just too bitter.  I found a website (http://www.livebetterforever.com) featuring a recipe for almond milk.  The Whole30 book warns against making a sweet concoction out of coconut milk to have with coffee and I wonder if this would fit into the same category…  But I decided to try it anyway.   It consists of water, almond flour, 2 dates and vanilla.
Soap box time!  After I added the teaspoon of vanilla, a thought occurred to me: surely “they” wouldn’t put sugar in vanilla.  Seriously.  I checked.  And was stunned.  The store brand “pure” vanilla we bought had sugar listed as the second ingredient.  Sigh.  Since I’m only on day 5, and its a minuscule amount (vanilla doesn’t “taste” sweet), I decided to let it slide.  But I will be on the look out for vanilla-only vanilla extract (or make my own from vanilla beans).
Back to the almond milk and the coffee.  I tasted the almond milk and it’s pretty good, definitely cheaper than the store-bought kind.  And a splash in my coffee made it not bad.   (I can’t really say good yet because my taste buds are still rebelling from sweets being eliminated).  After I drank a cup, I realized I was satiated and didn’t need a second cup, like I often crave.  There just might be something to this.

5 down, 25 to go.

Day 4
My main man (MM) and I went to a potluck dinner.   Those attending posted ahead of time what their menu items would be and we stuck with what we brought and by passed the other items (the pumpkin ravioli looked amazing), although there were a couple of green salads we loaded up on.  We took a Whole30 dish of almond crusted chicken.   I served it over a bed of almond green beans.  I also tried coconut crusted chicken.  It was ok, but didn’t turn out as tasty.  We brought fruit for dessert and avoided the cherry dump cake.

Chapter 4: Your Brain on Food
Definitely a longer chapter than the ones previously.  Addresses the psychological effects of food on us.  Don’t believe it?  Then why do we call certain foods “comfort” foods?  The author explains how unhealthy foods have an unfair advantage in that they are designed to mess with our brains, built for us crave them, and are made so its hard to give them up.  Side note: based on what we’ve been told are “good” foods and “bad” foods over the years, you might be surprised as to what is considered a “good” food, what is considered a “bad” food, and what should be eaten in very limited quantities.  Goes a bit against the food pyramid we’d been taught to build our food choices around.

If anyone has issues with food, this is definitely the chapter to read.

Overall
Another easy run this morning.  A bit achy and a bit lethargic.  And kind of grumpy.  A friend recommended high quality fish oil supplements to help with the joint pain.  Not sure if I want to start them now or wait until my 30 days are up and see how the joints are doing without supplements.

Soap box time:  My MM and I stopped at Costco to pick up a few things.  We stayed away from the processed food section and the “buffet.”  However, we spotted a server with sliced turkey and, delighted to find something we could try, we took a sample.  It was good and since our son has been making sandwiches for school lunch, we picked up a pack.  I stole a peek at the ingredients and wouldn’t you know it, brown sugar is listed as the second ingredient!!!  Seriously.   Our society is crazy.  No wonder our weight continues to escalate, along with heart disease, cancer and diabetes.   Food manufacturers are pumping sugars into everything and making us crave it even more.   Needless to say, we promptly returned the sliced turkey to the display case.

4 down, 26 to go.

Day 3
No run today. But a busy day, with something scheduled morning, afternoon and evening, and a few errands along the way.  We had a get together at a friends house to kick off our fall bible study.  A bit of a challenge as they had some very yummy dessert concoctions.  My main man (MM) and I were able to pass them up and just nibble on some fruit we brought.  He was able to have a cup of black decaf coffee, but (sigh) I passed it up, along with the sweet creamer.

Chapter 3: What is Food?
So far, the book is a fairly easy read. Chapter 3 is a bit of a review for me, since I had a nutrition course a few years back. It discusses the basic components of food: micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients) and macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats). The authors’ premise consists of 4 components: foods exert powerful psychological influence, influence our hormones, affect our digestive tract, and impact our immune system.

Overall
Better night sleep, a little less tossing and turning. Might just be readjusting to my own bed.  Not too bad as far as fatigue or brain power.  Kind of missed my coffee this morning. Sipped on a different flavored herbal tea. It’s the Lipton flavored green teas. Again, no sweetener. I had previously discovered if I eliminated real sugar from my creamer (and instead used a sugar substitute) I had less sugar cravings throughout the day. By eliminating all sweeteners with Whole30, I’m supposed to lose my perpetual “sweet tooth.”  That would be amazing, since I’ve always been a chocoholic.

3 down, 27 to go.

Day 2
Yesterday my main man (MM) made a yummy breakfast of eggs, sausage, spinach and tomato.  Very filling and very good.  Today, he had an early class.  So I was on my own.  No cereal, toast or bagels for breakfast, since wheat products are another off limits area for Whole30 (this is only for 30 days and the goal is to identify food sensitivities, allergies, and problem makers).  Really, not a big deal, because in the past I have tried to limit grain products based on the concepts from a book called Wheat Belly (by William Davis).  So,  instead I had some sausage (for my protein) and fruit (for my carbs).  I also restocked the fridge and pantry as we were getting a bit low on the fresh items and I needed some of the allowable snack items I like.

Chapter 2: Our Nutritional Framework
Thankfully, the chapters are quite short, providing me with a quick read each day.  This chapter introduces the upcoming 5 chapters which will cover the “science-y stuff” providing the foundation for the Whole30 concept.  My MM appreciated the upcoming chapters because he is definitely a why person and not just a how person.  I sort of am too.

Overall
Went for an easy run today.  Knee pain, nonetheless.  Hoping Whole30 will identify a food culprit for my joint pain.  A bit fuzzy brained and tired.  Could be from my recent travel and trying to catch back up on everything.   Some sugar cravings.   But I’ve had way too many sweet treats lately so it’s a much needed elimination.

2 down, 28 to go.

A new book recently made its way into our house.  The fact it’s a book is not really a big deal.  We have a plethora of books in our home and have given away just as many over the years.  The fact it’s a book about healthy eating is kind of a big deal.  However, I have bought several books over the years on healthy eating, in my endeavor to eat healthy in a culture of overabundance, where it is hard to consistently eat healthy.  The fact the book was bought, read, and tried by my main man (MM) is an even bigger deal.

He read the book, It Starts With Food (by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig) while I was away and decided to try it.  He’s been happy with the results thus far.  Which makes me happy.  Because, while I know the Lord is the author of our lives and has ordained each one of our days, I also know the Lord has given us our bodies and the responsibility for the proper care and feeding of them.

I am a big advocate for healthy eating, so of course I have decided to read the book and try the plan, called the Whole30 program.  30 days.  I can give it a go for 30 days.  And, in the spirit of a writer, I thought it would be worthwhile to keep a journal of my 30 day journey.  And, of course, in the spirit of a blogger, I thought it would be interesting to share it with my readers.

Since my MM has read the book, he is able to coach me through the plan and I can read the book as I go along.  There are 22 chapters in the book (along with the 2 appendices) and since I currently have several other books I am reading, I decided to read a chapter a day, which will take me through most of the 30 days.

Today is Day 1
What are the big changes?  Well, first off no coffee.  Not because I can’t have coffee.  Whole30 allows it.  But because I can’t have my sugary creamer with my coffee.  And I just can’t bring myself to drink black coffee.  So, I made myself a cup of herbal tea, no sweetener.  It wasn’t bad.  And I was still able to wake up to a cozy cup of something warm.

The second thing is no sodas.  They have sugar or a sugar substitute as well.   Not too big of deal, since I usually only drink one diet soda a day.  But no coffee and no soda meant no caffeine.  Kind of tough today, since I am still jet lagged after returning from my trip yesterday.  I think the little nap I took helped me survive.

Chapter 1: Food should make you healthy
True statement.  But in our culture today, food does not always fulfill that role.  Especially when we’re rushing through the drive through or trying to throw together a quick meal, or snack on the run.  We are a very busy society and our food choices and, therefore, our bodies, suffer for it.

The first chapter, as well as the foreword and preface are, of course, geared to convincing the reader to check out the amazing plan.  Because it will change your life, it claims.

We’ll see.

My attention was drawn to one of the many areas Whole30 is supposed to provide relief: joint pain.  Something I have been suffering from over the last 5 years or so.  Nothing debilitating or keeping me from my normal exercise routine.  But annoying and a bit disconcerting nonetheless.  I would be delighted to find out if there is a certain food causing it.

1 day down, 29 to go.