Whole30 - Day 21

21 days to break a bad habit or set a good habit. I'm on day 21. I'm not gonna lie - a huge piece of chocolate cake brownie with buttercream frosting sounds pretty good. I'm not craving it, but I have thought about it. What is stopping me? Well, I'm still on Whole30, silly! There are Paleo versions of brownies that are pretty good and I could enjoy following the 30 days. I'm just not sure I want to ruin such a good thing. I've conquered my sugar addiction and know I will end up eating sugar (in the form of honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar) in the future, but want to limit it the best I can. I want to spend my sugar allowance on something really phenomenal.

Today was a rough day. I woke up to the 5:30 alarm and managed to get myself out of bed within a few minutes. I put on my cycling clothes and headed to the basement for an early morning workout. I did 3x15min segments of cycling with jumping rope, squats, sit-ups and push-ups in between. It felt pretty good and was the best part of my day (up until I got home from work). I worked for 8+ hours straight and was on the phone with our payroll service provider for a good portion of my day. I just couldn't figure out a specific issue. At least the customer service rep was a nice girl. We were on the phone for quite a while. Our names are almost identical (first and last) and we are the same age. Good conversation. Everyone needs some conversation. Next time you talk to a customer service rep, ask where they are. They'll usually tell you. You may have a connection with that location and it'll start a conversation while they're helping you. 

Breakfast: 2-egg omelette with mushrooms, green bell peppers, sliced turkey hot dogs and a smear of cashew "alfredo" sauce. There was a little bit of banana pancake batter left, so I cooked those. (I only ate half of them... just wasn't in the mood.) I had a small glass of strawberry-banana juice on the side. I couldn't get a good picture of the juice, but you can find it here. 

Lunch: Leftover pork chop, roasted zucchini/yellow squash and an apple with almond butter. I didn't snap a picture because I was rushed to eat while on hold. It was a crazy day. 

Dinner: Crockpot Beef Stew - my own creation. I chopped all the veggies on Sunday and put everything together this morning. I'll write up the recipe this weekend. Here's a summary of ingredients: onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, celery, beef roast (grass-fed), tomato paste, combo of veggie and chicken broth, thyme, basil, oregano, sea salt and pepper. I did coat the roast with coconut flour and then browned it in a frying pan with a little coconut oil. I cooked everything on low for 8 hours and then shredded the beef. It would have tasted good with diced tomatoes as well. In addition to the stew, we ate some crackers. I also made these biscuits using coconut oil. We were going to eat the biscuits along with the soup, but ended up saving them for dessert. I pureed some blackberries in my Magic Bullet and poured it over our biscuits. Yum! 

I would have to say the biscuits were the best food I ate today. Perfectly flaky. We have leftovers for lunch tomorrow, so I'm already looking forward to that. 

Question: What was the best thing you ate today? 

Well, I'm ready to hit the hay at 7:30pm. I think it's about time to take my medicine and turn in for the night. By the way, "Big Bang Theory" is probably the funniest show on TV. OMG, I cannot stop laughing. Laughter is good for the soul. Good night!

Whole30 - Day 12

Morning

I took some allergy medicine again last night to ensure I slept well, since I've been missing a lot of sleep lately. Boy, did I sleep! I slept nearly 10 hours last night. My body is feeling a bit worn out today, even with a day of rest yesterday from working out. I really need to get in a long run today and it'll have to be on the treadmill. Breakfast first. I made Against All Grain's Banana Nut Porridge.

After eating, my stomach was a little uneasy so I relaxed for a bit to allow my stomach to calm down. I laid in bed and watched Home Alone. I've watched this movie so many times. It's definitely a childhood classic. I made the executive decision to postpone my long(ish) run until tomorrow or Tuesday. I can probably squeeze in a 5-mile run in the morning or during lunch. Instead, I set up the bike trainer in the living room and did 3x20 minutes on the bike with squats, sit-ups and push-ups in between sets. I watched the Ohio State vs. Michigan basketball game while riding, so it made the time go by quickly.

Afternoon
I heated up some leftovers for lunch and watched football. After eating, I prepped a couple small spaghetti squashes to roast in the oven while I showered. When those came out, I made Banana Muffins. Use all baking soda with some Cream of Tartar instead of baking powder to make it 100% Paleo. I needed something different for breakfasts this week and thought these would do the trick. They're wholesome and healthy without any added sugars (other than the sweetness from the bananas).

There may be some controversy over making muffins while on Whole30. I strongly believe that Whole30 can be a sustainable lifestyle with some flexibility in how foods are prepared. Who cares what form the ingredients take? I could eat a handful of cashews and a banana with an egg for breakfast and it would be Whole30, but I can't turn those ingredients into a muffin with additional spices? Really? Why be so strict? Honestly, it makes me not want to associate with Whole30 when you are so anal about the form of foods. Yes, I did just say anal. This is directed towards specific individuals in the Whole30 community who live and breathe Whole30. I just wanted to clear the air on the muffins so others don't have to critique my food choices. The benefits I'm reaping from Whole30 so far are immense. I no longer feel the need or desire to have a "dessert" or "treat" everyday. I have broken away from my sugar addiction. My taste buds are definitely resetting from just cutting out the honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar that I used in/on my foods previously. Isn't that the point of Whole30? I have a healthier relationship with the food I eat. I understand the decisions I make are going to impact the way I feel. Food can be a poison, but it can also be a powerful medicine and fuel. It's all about the choices you make everyday. Do I really want to eat that Paleo doughnut or cookie knowing it's not the best nutrition? Most likely not. Every once in a while, it's ok to indulge. Moderation and variety are the keys to any lifestyle.

Moving on... While the muffins were baking, I prepared cauliflower "rice" for a meal later this week. When the muffins came out of the oven, I threw some red bell peppers into the oven to roast for a soup later this week as well. I also made some Herb Crackers to eat with our soup. They're so easy to make and taste amazing. I had to taste a few to make sure they were good. I used a combination of herbs: minced dried onion, garlic powder, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme and sea salt. Incredible!

All in all, I'd say it was a productive day in the kitchen.

Breakfast: As I mentioned above, I made Against All Grain's Banana Nut Porridge. I topped mine with a little bit of unsweetened shredded coconut and berries (combo of blueberries and blackberries).
Lunch: Leftover portobello mushroom casserole after my workout. It did the trick.
Snack: Handful (or two?) of roasted unsalted cashews, one fresh-out-of-the-oven banana muffin and about half a Kombucha.
Dinner: We ate a salad of mixed greens, tomato, avocado and chicken with a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. For the chicken, I made nuggets out of antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken breast. I dipped them in egg and seasoned almond flour. Cooked them in a pan with olive and grapeseed oil. So good.

I'd have to say today was a day of delicious food. My taste buds have been dancing with all the flavors.

What was the best part of your weekend? Did you eat something really amazing? Do something fun or extraordinary? My favorite part of the weekend was my little shopping excursion yesterday where I took my time and enjoyed the moment. A close second was sleeping in both days.

Off to bed. Work comes way too fast. Good night everyone!