Meals for day 10-14

Thursday (Day 10)

Breakfast: 1 huge leaf of chard, ½ cup roots, probably a bit under a tbspn olive oil (to cook 2 patties and everything else in), 1 turkey patty, 1 egg

Lunch: Meatballs, veg, spaghetti squash, sauce, grapefruit

Snack: apple

Dinner: baked butternut squash slices, white meat turkey patty, sauteed mushrooms and onions, ½ small avocado, mustard olive oil dressing
___________________________________________________________

Friday (Day 11)

Breakfast: 2 medium large leaves kale, ½ cup roots, 1 turkey patty, 1 egg, 1 tbspn coconut oil

Snack: apple

Lunch: butternut squash, turkey, mushrooms/onions, ½ small avocado, dressing, grapefruit

Dinner: homemade Spicy Green Curry, bok choy, carrot, kabocha, chicken, broccoli, (other vegetables I'm blanking on), and coconut milk

Snack: date roll
___________________________________________________________

Saturday (Day 12)

Breakfast: salad with avocado and a wiccan brew

Lunch : turkey patty, egg, coconut oil, 1 egg, 1 large leaf chard, 1/2 small avocado

Snack: 1 date roll

Snack: 1 date

Dinner: turkey, salami, sunbutter, guacamole, berries
___________________________________________________________

Sunday (Day 13)

Breakfast: persimmon, small tangerine, 1 small slice asian pear

Lunch: two chicken sausages, guacamole, jicama, salad

Snack: guacamole and grape tomatoes


Dinner: pork chop, brussels sprouts, apple and raisins sauteed in coconut oil and spices, oven roasted butternut squash wedges

Snack: mango, a bite of carrot and sunbutter, a strawberry, and a few blueberries
___________________________________________________________

Monday (Day 14)

Breakfast: 4 small kale leaves,coconut oil, 1 turkey patty, guacamole, ½ cup roots

Lunch: pork chop, Brussels, apple and raisins, butternut squash and a persimmon

Snack: celery and sunbutter

Dinner: smothered chicken

Meals for days 6-9

Sunday (Day 6)

Breakfast: roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabega, onion, sage, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of sea salt), sauteed rainbow chard with a spritz of meyer lemon juice, 2 ground white turkey patties all cooked in coconut oil on the cast iron.

Snack: guacamole and jicama

Lunch: homemade marinara, sauteed yellow onion, bell pepper, zucchini, brussels sprouts, rainbow chard and chicken breast

Dinner: curly kale salad with slices of meyer lemon, avocado, walnuts, chicken, red onion, with meyer lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper

Snack: body ecology coconut water

_______________________________________________________________

Monday (Day 7)

Breakfast: roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabega, onion, sage, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of sea salt), sauteed rainbow chard with a spritz of meyer lemon juice, ground white turkey patty, and 1 omega 3 egg all cooked in coconut oil on the cast iron.

Snack: guacamole with jicama

Lunch: curly kale salad with slices of meyer lemon, avocado, walnuts, chicken, red onion, with meyer lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper and a grapefruit

Snack: apple, small tangerine, and a slice of dehydrated mango

Snack: jicama, red bell pepper, eggplant dip, veggies in marinara, and walnuts

Dinner: mesclun greens, beef patty, zucchini, onion, mushroom, sweet potato oven fries, eggplant dip

Snack: part of a date roll

_______________________________________________________________

Tuesday (Day 8)

Breakfast: roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabega, onion, sage, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of sea salt), sauteed rainbow chard with a spritz of meyer lemon juice, ground white turkey patty, and 1 omega 3 egg all cooked in coconut oil on the cast iron.

Snack: apple

Lunch: mesclun greens, beef patty, zucchini, onion, mushroom, sweet potato oven fries, eggplant dip

Snack:most of a mall avocado and a small handful of walnuts

Dinner: chicken, zucchini, brussels sprouts, onion, butternut squash simmered in coconut milk

Snack: coconut milk, frozen blueberries, part of a date roll, lemon juice, sprinkle of salt (blended...omg amazing)

______________________________________________________________

Wednesday (Day 9)

Breakfast: roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabega, onion, sage, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of sea salt), sauteed rainbow chard with a spritz of meyer lemon juice, ground white turkey patty, and 1 omega 3 egg all cooked in coconut oil on the cast iron.

Snack: Apple and 7 walnuts

Lunch: chicken, butternut squash simmered with coconut milk, brussels sprouts, bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and a ruby grapefruit

Dinner: meatballs, spaghetti squash, marinara, zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, rainbow chard

Day 5 of 30

Well - I got a fever that popped up out of nowhere. I've been bouncing around between 100.8 and 102. I feel perfectly fine with the exception of being exhausted. I forced myself to go on a 3 and a half mile walk (to and from the market) to get some fresh air, vitamin D, a tin of tomatoes, and a bottle of coconut water. I can't help but wonder if I'm experiencing Candida die-off (if it is..this would make for the third time in my life I get to experience that joy..).

Back to that tin of tomatoes. Whilst at the market (mind you this is a tiny "Natural Foods Market") I couldn't find a single jar of tomato sauce that fit into my guidelines. If it didn't contain dairy, sugar (or in rare occurrence wine) it wasn't gluten free and vice versa. I was perfectly happy making my own sauce - but I couldn't help but feel somewhat taken aback. This is a health food store for crying out loud! I was also shocked to find that 365 Organic Tomato sauce contains not olive oil but SOYBEAN OIL! That's not very Italian of them. However, Trader Joes does have a basic tomato sauce that is completely Whole30 compliant.

That's all for now.
_______________________________________________________________

Breakfast: roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabega, onion, sage, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of sea salt), sauteed rainbow chard with a spritz of meyer lemon juice, ground white turkey patty, and 1 omega 3 egg all cooked in coconut oil on the cast iron.

Snack: romaine, 1/2 avocado, radishes, olive oil, drizzle balsamic, cracked black pepper

Lunch: brussels sprouts, yellow onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, serrano sauteed in coconut oil with lemon juice, 1/2 an avocado and a buffalo patty topped with a fried omega 3 egg

Dinner: homemade marinara, sauteed yellow onion, bell pepper, zucchini, brussels sprouts, rainbow chard and chicken breast

Snack: body ecology coconut water

Day 4 of 30

Trying to weed through the nuances of what could considered permissible foods has been taking up a fair amount of my free time. Curiosity more than anything else.

I'll sit there and wonder:
"Can I have coconut milk if it contains Guar Gum (in what I can only assume is negligible amounts)? Guar gum comes from the endosperm of Guar Beans. So is the dehusked milled seed of a legume allowed?"

I have had quite a time finding Organic Coconut Milk that doesn't contain Guar Gum or another additive. After reading this plaeohacks thread and then this mothering thread - I might just throw down for Coconut Cream Concentrate and dilute it to make my own milk. Wait, who am I kidding? I'll probably attack the jar with a spoon.

Coconut obsession aside, I've been pondering the use of Balsamic Vinegar. It's naturally gluten free but does contain sulfites and is not considered "Paleo". I'm assuming I should just leave it be. Trouble is, I really don't want to. I know Whole30 says that a bit of vinegar is okay as dressing or in salsa but to not over do it. If you eat salad with a decent drizzle each day or even a few times a week would that be considered overdoing it? By the by - if you haven't experienced the pleasure of romaine with radish and avocado drizzled with excellent olive oil and perfect balsamic with a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper - fix that immediately.

Can I have Jicama? It is a tuber after all...it can be considered a "New World" food...

At the end of the day it all comes down to your discretion. You have a goal and you have to figure out how much you want to play within the set boundaries/what feels right for you.

________________________________________________________________

Breakfast: roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabega, onion, sage, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of sea salt), sauteed rainbow chard with a spritz of meyer lemon juice, ground white turkey patty, and 1 omega 3 egg all cooked in coconut oil on the cast iron.

Lunch: salad of mesclun greens, red onion, hijiki, red bell pepper, sunflower sprouts, roasted garlic, beets, carrots, daikon radish, chicken breast, avocado, sunflower oil/lemon/thyme dressing

Snack: korean pear

Dinner: brussels sprouts, yellow onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, serrano sauteed in coconut oil with lemon juice, 1/2 an avocado and a buffalo patty topped with a fried omega 3 egg

Snack: 1/8 lb turkey patty and an apple - how am I still hungry?

Day 3 of 30

I'm tired, grumpy, and hormonal...this has nothing to do with my diet - it's just a fact. Now that I put that out there I can continue.

I went to a natural foods market after work to pick up a few things (including some date rolls - which are just mashed up medjools rolled in unsweetened shredded coconut - I'm keeping them around to slice off the tiniest bit just in case things get ugly - read - when I finally start my period) and while I was looking around all of a sudden it felt like everything was off limits. It was like wanting someone who had a crush on you who you didn't have a crush on but the second they start seeing someone you get all weird - this hasn't happened to me but apparently such things occur..wait um what was I saying? Oh yes, food. Even though I didn't want..say..a slice of pizza, a wrap, or biscotti it just seemed like anything and everything that was available premade had some form of sugar, impermissible oil, grain/cereal/or pseudo grain, white potato, or other 'naughty' ingredient. I managed find a permissible dressing for my salad and after much probing found that one of my favorite blended beverages was a-okay (and I split it so I found the mild indulgence justifiable). I feel satiated and although I consumed a bit more fruit sugar than I realized - I did pretty damn good.

Also as a side note -

You know you have gnarly taste in cheese when the rotting trash from the can you are about to empty wafts up in your face and you think to yourself "Man, I could really go for a hunk of Winnimere..."
______________________________________________________________

Breakfast: roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabega, onion, sage, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of sea salt), sauteed rainbow chard with a spritz of meyer lemon juice, ground white turkey patty, and 1 omega 3 egg all cooked in coconut oil on the cast iron.

Lunch: salmon cooked in coconut oil and lime juice , yellow onion and zucchini sauteed in coconut oil, guacamole, persimmon salsa, jicama slices, salsa, kabocha/sweet potato cakes, and a ruby grapefruit.

Snack: korean pear

Dinner: half of a "wiccan brew" (almond milk, banana, blueberries, spirulina, flax, coconut milk) and a salad of mesclun greens, red onion, hijiki, red bell pepper, sunflower sprouts, roasted garlic, beets, carrots, daikon radish, chicken breast, avocado, sunflower oil/lemon/thyme dressing

Day 2 of 30

Day two and feeling fine...mostly. I must confess that prior to starting the Whole30 plan I did a test run last week. I felt amazing and had almost too much energy... then the weekend happened. It all started out with my dear friends birthday cake.

Friday night I made a Flourless Chocolate cake (hey that counts for something, right?) with German Chocolate Cake filling and cream cheese frosting. Saturday rolls around - I had eaten very well all week...amazingly clean so far that day..so I have a sliver..with a few sips of Scotch. I ate a clean dinner (especially given my options) and then went out to a Karaoke bar where I sipped on a Bourbon throughout the evening. Okay...not wonderful..but I could have done worse.

Sunday and I'm eating picture perfect until I have a hormonal melt down. I still have some elements of the aforementioned cake in my fridge and come Tuesday I am going 30 days sans sugar...so naturally..I break down and eat a tiny piece of cake with filling and frosting in a small ramekin with a diminutive fork...time passes..and another tiny piece. Now the cake is gone and there is just filling and frosting. I will donate that out...I can hang. I eat well the rest of the day.

Monday - The day of the Belated-Birthday dinner/last meal before the Whole30. I ate a beautiful late breakfast so by mid-day I wasn't feeling particularly hungry - I split a Kombucha and felt satiated until about an hour before dinner. By the time we were ready to eat I was famished and of course we were about to dine on one of my greatest addictions - Sushi...and not just any Sushi...Sushi from the restaurant that has ruined all other Sushi for me. We ordered Sake for the table and Mango with Seabass and Alabacore Stuffed Jalapenos to start. Then we shared a glut of Spicy Scallop Nigiri, Sake Nigiri, Albacore Nigiri, and a Spicy Hamachi roll. I pinched off a bit of rice from each piece (which took quite a bit of willpower) but enjoyed my rice and Sodium-Soy-Magic. After dinner we went out for drinks. I split a Decaf Brown Sugar Molasses Irish Coffee and a Decaf Blue Bottle Coffee Cocktail. Then at home whilst playing Droid Words I had a few sips of "Lucky Bastard" and some Bourbon.

I felt like I was going to throw up.

Fast forward to today. I still want sugar and my energy isn't quite as high - but I am keeping my cool. I know within a few days the overwhelming urge should subside and my energy levels will go up. I just have to remember why it is I'm doing this and know that it is worth it.

______________________________________________________________

Breakfast: roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabega, onion, sage, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of sea salt), sauteed rainbow chard with a spritz of meyer lemon juice, ground white turkey patty, and 1 omega 3 egg all cooked in coconut oil on the cast iron.

Lunch: chicken breast cooked in olive and coconut oil with a squeeze of lemon, guacamole, salsa, jicama, red bell pepper, mesclun greens, olive oil

Snack: korean pear

Dinner: salmon cooked in coconut oil and lime juice (with the skin removed and crisped), yellow onion and zucchini sauteed in coconut oil, guacamole, persimmon salsa, jicama slices, salsa, and kabocha/sweet potato cakes.

Guacamole:

Avocado(s)
Diced Red Onion
Minced Jalapeno, Serrano and Habanero
Minced Garlic
Lime Juice
Sprinkle of Sea Salt

Persimmon Salsa:

Fuyu Persimmon(s)
Diced Red Onion
Minced Jalapeno and Serrano
Cialntro
Lime Juice
Sprinkle of Sea Salt

Kabocha/Sweet Potato Cakes:

Grated Kabocha Squash
Grated Sweet Potato
Grated Yellow Onion
(Squeeze the mixture to remove most of the liquid)
Egg to bind
Sprinkle of Sea Salt
Form into patties and cook in coconut oil in the cast iron

Day 1 of 30

There is so much to say in ones introductory post. So much, in fact, that I don’t think I can actually lay it all out in one deep exhalation…but I’ll see how far I get.

I am a 5’9” 25 year old woman whose biggest vice has always been food. I was obese. Childhood through early twenties (save for a couple of years in my late teens when I struggled with an eating disorder) was spent being miserable in my stretched out skin. I felt ugly, I had no energy, I had no self esteem, and worst of all..I had no drive to change.

At my heaviest I was in the 250s; I was about 15 at this time. Needless to say my adolescence was an absolute nightmare. Growing up in Los Angeles I was surrounded by unachievable standards. I was the fat girl…the doormat with a sense of humor. Things were terrible at home and I couldn’t seem to overcome my struggles. Food was my security blanket and my cage.

This continued until 3 years ago this coming March (all but the doormat part - I became sharp of tongue rather quickly). I remember the day I knew it all had to change. I was 197 lbs - just teetering on 200 - I felt horrible about myself. I went to REI to get some new cross trainers and left with a great pair of Merrells along with suggestion for a hiking trail. I had always enjoyed hiking (or what I had considered hiking up to that point) and figured I would give it a go. I remember driving to the location, getting out of the car, and starting along the path. I thought to myself “this isn’t so bad”..then I saw the bulk ahead. This trail wanders up along side a beautiful range of waterfalls but the view comes at a price - a seemingly endless climb of very steep stairs and slick mountainside. I started my way up and became winded very quickly. I took a multitude of “scenery breaks”..and then I noticed something. People were bounding up this path…and several of them were easily in their 60s/early 70s. Arthur De Vany is 72 and he is a total benchmark. I am by no means trying to be disrespectful - there are some amazingly fit people in that age group. It was being struck with the reality that I was in my 20s and being left in the dust of my elders that left me feeling completely deflated. I went out the following day and got a gym membership, completely changed my eating habits, and within 5 months dropped down to 157 lbs. 40 lbs lighter I had a new confidence. I finally fit into clothing at just about anywhere I went into. The positive attention was overwhelming. This was a new me…a new reality.

Life happened and my diet and strict training deteriorated quite a bit, yet somehow I managed to continue losing weight. Today I weigh 149 lbs and I am getting back on track. I want to be fit, healthy, and most of all happy. I have decided to take on Whole9s Whole30 challenge and today is day 1. No dairy, no grains/pseudo grains, no legumes, no sugar (save for a reasonable amount of fruit)…only good lean proteins, good fats, vegetables, limited fruit and nuts, and of course...plenty of water, exercise, and sleep.

I’m excited to reset my body and finally achieve my health goals.

___________________________________________________________

Breakfast: roasted root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabega, onion, sage, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of sea salt), swiss chard, ground white turkey, and 1 omega 3 egg all cooked in coconut oil on the cast iron.

Lunch: salad (mesclun greens, beets, carrot, red cabbage, hijiki, cucumber, red onion, roasted garlic, avocado, ground white turkey, red bell pepper, sunflower oil and lemon juice based dressing)

Snack: korean pear

Dinner: chicken breast cooked in olive and coconut oil with a squeeze of lemon, guacamole, salsa, and jicama