May 31, 2014

Whole 30 Snacks

Since I can't make it through the day with just 3 meals like most people do during their whole 30 journey I had to find good snacks and products to get me through the day. Here is a good list of things that got me through!

Larabars

I tried to only use these when I was on the go. I kept them in the car so I wouldn't snack on them just because. They are very dense in calories and sugars so they don't fill you up for long but they are packed with nutrients. It seems like lately when I leave the house I only plan on being gone for an hour or so but then that turns into 3-4 hours and I get hungry so having these were nice to hold me over until I could get some real food. Even in the book It Starts With Food they recommend you staying away from bars and smoothies that combine whole foods and make them into dense nutrients because then your brain can't fully process the calories you are intaking so keep that in mind when eating bars/ smoothies. 

Turkey Epic Bar 

There are 3 kinds of epic bars turkey, beef, and buffalo. The beef and buffalo have ingredients that don't work during the whole 30 but I have heard they are pretty amazing. I tired the Turkey and I really liked it even though it was really different! It was like having jerky and trail mix all mixed up into a bar. lol It filled me up for awhile so thats why I liked it so much. But again it is another bar so your brain can't register it properly so you don't feel as full as you would if you were to eat a handful of almonds and cranberries with a 2oz side of turkey. Also, these are pretty spendy at around $2.50-$3 a piece. For an active person or crossfitter doing a whole 30 though I could see them being the perfect post workout meal. 



Trader Joe's Mixed Nuts

Nuts are one of the easiest snacks for on the go. Having healthy fats with you keeps you fuller longer during the whole 30. Trader Joe's has mostly all of their nuts in a dry roasted form now which is awesome. I chose the mixed nuts, cashews and macadamia nuts all in the salted and dry roasted variety. Not having salt on my nuts is a little too boring for me but it's just personal preference. 


Made In Nature Dried Fruit

I found these gems at the commissary, which I was blown away by! They have no sulfates added to them, they are just tree ripened/dried. Also, they are organic so you can't go wrong with them! They are a little spendy as well at $3.99 a bag but they were perfect for after my workouts. I would have 2-3 pieces and that would satisfy me. I also ate them if I was craving something sweet and they always did the trick. 



Sardines

Most people say sardines are absolutely disgusting but I feel the complete opposite… I ate a can a day through my whole, whole 30. They are full of omega3s, calcium and protein. You can't go wrong with this snack. I tried many brands and by far my favorite was wild planet! They were also the most expensive at $2.69 a piece. Most of the time I ate King Oscar brand ($1.69) or chicken of the sea ($1.00) just to save the money. I also tired trader joe's smoked sardines which were super good! My advice, take the dive and try some sardines, I promise it won't kill you!   
Coconut Aminos

I used this to add flavor to a lot of my foods when I was feeling they were pretty bland. I made stir fry, cauliflower fried rice, and shepards pie with it and they all turned out amazing. 

Bubbies Pickles and Sauerkraut 


These are amazing!! They are fermented and full of healthy probiotics which is great for your system. I would eat the sauerkraut with eggs or my sardines. The pickles I would just have as a snack here and there. I liked them mostly just because they helped me increase my probiotic intake which I think is very important to optimal health. A healthy gut is a happy gut!!


All of these things made me a happy camper during my whole 30! I hope these things help you get through your own whole 30! 

Whole 30 Reintroduction

I learned so much during this phase of my whole 30. Things that I thought never caused me problems were actually really hard on my body....

The first reintroduction I did was legumes... 


















I had my normal whole 30 approved breakfast but added some peanut butter on top of my sweet potato. About 30 mins later I felt like complete crap and looked about 6months pregnant with a peanut butter food baby! haha I used to eat peanut butter every day and not even think about why I was having gastro issues but now I know I have to be an almond butter girl versus a peanut butter girl! 
Later for dinner I had some black beans. I remember always getting an upset stomach after eating too much chipotle so I was convinced they were going to give me problems. I was totally wrong though... no bloating no nothing. I guess my body does well with black beans which makes me happy because they are SOOOO delicious! lol 



















I went back to my whole 30 routine for 2 days and then introduced non-gluten grains back in. 

For breakfast I had my oatmeal that I have missed so much. I had some slight bloating but no stomach upset. I thought I had no problem with oatmeal so I was surprised to have any sort of reaction to it. I decided oatmeal that I love so much will be turned into a treat breakfast so I don't cause myself any gastro problems. 
For lunch I had some white rice and it went awesome. No problems at all which I'm not surprised by at all. So yay for rice, I need some heavier carbs since I'm breastfeeding so I'm glad I found something that works for me! 
Lastly, for dinner I made up some quinoa. I love quinoa.... quinoa does not love me back though... I think of all the foods I tried this was my worst reaction. I looked even more pregnant then when I had peanut butter and my stomach was so cramped up from it, I went to bed so uncomfortable. NEVER AGAIN!! 
I also remember by the end of the day I was in a really cranky mood, I'm not sure if it was the day or if it was my body reacting to the change in my diet. Either way I remember being a big B word to my hubby all night and I didn't understand why! lol 

Again I went back to my whole 30 for 2 days and then had some dairy! I was so scared for this since Olivia seems to have a hard time with dairy... 

















For breakfast I had some yogurt, I was so excited for it but once I tasted it, I didn't even finish it. I ended up with a tiny bit of bloat but really overall no problems. It just didn't taste good to me so I don't think its something I'm going to add back in or have any time soon. I will stick to the almond milk yogurt which is simply delicious! 
Dinner, I had some cheese on top of my lettuce tacos for dinner. I had no problem at all. No bloating no nothing. I had some shredded organic cheese which didn't have any crazy ingredients and it was totally fine! I was so excited about this because I like being able to have some cheese here and there to add some flavor to things such as tacos! 
After dinner I had a tiny single serve coffee flavored gelato. Super simple ingredients, milk, egg yolk, sugar, coffee. I got a tiny bit of bloat from it but no other tummy troubles. After I finished my reintroduction phase I did have ice cream again, some ben and jerry's craziness, that made me bloat up like crazy and even my husband commented on how pregnant I looked! lol So I think if I want ice cream I have to keep it simple because the dairy seems to agree with me but the other crazy things they put into ice cream now a days does not! 
Also, when it comes to Olivia, I noticed that day and the day after I had dairy she had a lot more spit up, nothing crazy and she wasn't overly fussy or gassy so that was good, seeing that she grew out of her sensitivity a little! YAY! I did  notice personally I did get more of my acne back the days after having dairy. So for me, dairy is pretty much out the question until Olivia is a little older and my hormones balance to get rid of this postpartum acne business. ick. 

Then here we go on the home stretch! 2 more days of whole 30 and then I got to have some gluten. 

By this time I had family in town and it was memorial day weekend... I had fallen off track a little. Had wine one night and had some potato chips as well. So my body wasn't optimally cleaned out still like it should be but these are the reactions I got... 

For breakfast I had 2 pieces of Ezekiel bread, it was so crunchy and good and I had no problems with it at all. 
We went into DC for the rest of the day to enjoy the beginning of Memorial Day weekend and Rolling Thunder. We met up with some friends and I ended up having a few beers (Guinness to be exact). I didn't seem to have any problems with it and had a great night out with my hubby and friends. 

Most people have a really hard time with gluten but every time I have it I seem to do fine... I swear I have the weirdest body in the world sometimes. 
For example today I had a maple glaze donut and yes it was simply amazing because I have been craving one since I was still pregnant with Livy so I had one. I had no reaction to it at all. No bloating, no sugar rush, no anything. I guess I should feel lucky but I sure do find it weird.  

Overall I loved doing the whole 30 and I learned so much. I now know what I can eat and what I should stay away from. I decided that I will stick pretty close to the whole 30 just because I feel so good when I do it. 
Eating whole foods and giving my body what it needs is very important to me so I will keep doing it!  

Now it's time for more fun paleo/whole 30 and fitness posts! 
STAY TUNED!!

May 14, 2014

Whole 30 Week 4

Day 22:

Breakfast: 
2 eggs cooked in ghee, curry ground beef with tomato, mushroom, and spinach, and broccoli, and avocado. Don't forgot my decaf coffee with coconut milk 
Lunch:
Bowl of everything, curry seasoned beef and vegetables, broccoli, spaghetti squash with ghee and a small piece of lamb. 
Dinner:
Cube steak with leftover mushroom cream sauce, and sautéed kale with onions, mushrooms and garlic olive oil. 
Post Workout: 
Cold decaf coffee blended with coconut milk and 2Tbsp of Great Lakes gelatin 
Snacks: 
5 baby bell peppers, 7 strawberries, handful of almonds, and a spoonful of coconut butter 


Day 23:

Breakfast:
2 eggs cooked in ghee, cube steak, broccoli, and coffee with coconut milk 
Lunch: 
Paleomg spaghetti squash pizza pie, a handful of mixed nuts and 7 strawberries 
Dinner: 
Slow cooked chicken thigh in medium salsa, spaghetti squash, green beans and a handful of mixed nuts. 
Snacks: 
Can of sardines, 6 bell peppers, a few almonds, a big spoonful of coconut butter, 2 dried figs, 1 bubbies pickle, and 4 slices of applegate farms pepperoni ( I was super hungry today!) 


Day 24: 

Breakfast:
2 eggs cooked in ghee, a small piece of lamb roast, sautéed kale with mushroom and onions, 3 strawberries and my coffee with coconut milk
Lunch: 
Paleomg spaghetti pizza and a small sweet potato with coconut oil and cinnamon 
Dinner:
Curry seasoned ground beef with tomato mushrooms onions and kale topped with avocado. Also, green beans and garlic cauliflower mashed potatoes 
Snacks: 
1 fresh apricot, 3 dried figs, 4 baby bell peppers, 1 bubbies pickle, 2 pieces of applegate farms pepperoni, a can of sardines, a big spoonful of coconut butter and a la croix grapefruit drink.

Day 25:

Breakfast:
2 eggs cooked in ghee, a small piece of lamb, spaghetti squash, an apricot, and my coffee with coconut milk
Lunch:
Curry seasoned ground beef with tomato, mushrooms, and onions topped with avocado with spaghetti squash and cauliflower mash for sides
Dinner:
Herb and Lemon roasted chicken, brussel sprouts, and diced sweet potato with 2 dried figs for desert
Snacks:
A can of sardines with hot sauce, plantain chips, 1 strawberry, a few carrots,  a spoonful of coconut butter and a handful of almonds


Day 26: 

Breakfast:
2 eggs cooked in coconut oil, seasoned ground beef, roasted sweet potato, and my coffee with coconut milk (forgot to take a picture! So my awesome workout summary is the picture you get!) 
Lunch: 
Leftover curry beef and lamb roast, cauliflower mash with ghee and spaghetti squash 
Dinner: 
Went out for Mother's Day! Got a 12oz NY strip and broccoli. Also had a small salad as a starter! 
Post workout: 
Diced sweet potato, an apricot  and shredded chicken! It was the first time going back to a real gym today, got an amazing workout.
Snacks: 
Plantain chips, 5 baby peppers, 3 dried apricots, 3 dried figs, 2 strawberries, a small handful of mixed raw nuts, and a large spoonful of coconut butter 


Day 27: 
Happy Mother's Day! 
Breakfast:
2 eggs cooked in coconut oil, shredded chicken, broccoli, a banana and my coffee with coconut creamer
Lunch: 
Big salad, spinach, tomato, orange bell pepper, avocado and topped with chicken and hot sauce 
Dinner: 
Crockpot cooked pork ribs, sweet potato with ghee, and broccoli 
Snacks: 
A can of sardines in olive oil, handful of carrots, a spoonful of coconut oil, a few plantain chips, 2 strawberries and 2 dried figs 



Day 28: 

Breakfast: 
2 eggs cooked in coconut oil, small side of pork, broccoli, a few strawberries, and my coffee with coconut milk
Lunch: 
Wild planet sardines, a handful of carrots, an apricot, and cauliflower mash with coconut oil 
Dinner: 
Simply balanced spinach and garlic chicken sausage, a chicken thigh, sautéed kale and spinach with mushrooms and onions, a sweet potato with ghee. 
Snacks: 
3 leftover ribs, a handful of macadamia nuts, 2 dried figs, 4 baby bell peppers and a small handful of plantain chips


Day 29: 

Breakfast: 
2 eggs cooked in coconut oil, a chicken thigh, sautéed kale with mushrooms and onions, strawberries and my coffee with coconut milk 
Lunch: 
Whole 30 salmon cake, avocado, and broccoli with my new addiction... La croix sparkling water! 
Dinner: 
Baked cod, asparagus, and mushroom cauliflower rice
Snacks: 
A banana, 3 slices of applegate farms pepperoni, 2 dried apricots and a dried fig, a spoonful of coconut butter, and a few macadamia nuts! 


Day 30!!!! 

Breakfast: 
2 eggs cooked in coconut oil, cauliflower mushroom rice, seasoned ground beef, strawberries and a cup of coffee with coconut milk
Lunch: 
Whole 30 recipe salmon cake, 1/4 avocado, sweet potato with ghee and broccoli 
Dinner: 
Stir fry with mixed vegetables and grass fed london broil served over zoodles 
Snacks: 
8oz of kombucha, a handful of macadamia nuts, 2 dried apricots and 1 dried fig, a spoonful of coconut butter and plantain chips




Summary of the end of my Whole 30:

This last week and a half has been pretty good. Eating this way is now just the normal and I don't even have to think about it. I find myself always grabbing more healthy choices now because I now know how some foods make me feel versus others. 
I have been working out daily still so I have had to keep my carb intake pretty high. I have learned that I really don't do well on a high fat diet. I have to watch my fat intake very closely or I end up getting moody and very run down with major muscle fatigue. How a high fat/ low carb diet effects my body has really come out during this whole 30 since my body is now so sensitive to changes. I love finding this stuff out though. 
I have decided that I will get mostly all my fats from coconut sources and avocado. Those sources seem to work really well for me and not cause any system upsets. Also I'm going to keep up the high carb. I see a lot of sweet potatoes and butternut squash in my future oh and don't forget those plantains that I have learned to love! 
Other things I have learned this last week by listening to my body even closer is that very fatty meats such as lamb, ribs, or a fatty roast don't sit well with me so again I will have to watch that as well. I do better with fish and chicken which is fine by me! 
I have also found La Croix flavored sparkling water. It is heavenly and whole 30 approved! Sometimes water gets boring and now that it's getting hotter out it's nice to have something bubbly to sip on. I highly recommend checking them out! 
This next week I will be reintroducing foods to my diet. Im looking forward to see how they make me feel! I'm hoping non gluten grains such as rice and quinoa sit well with me because I do miss them and they are a good filler with all the extra food I need to eat while breastfeeding. (fingers crossed!!) The rest I could really be ok without. I haven't had really any dairy for almost a year so I think Im totally fine without it but Im still going to reintroduce it to see how I feel. 
I will keep you guys updated on how I feel after testing each thing (legumes, non gluten grains, gluten grains, and dairy). 
Lastly, I made it through! I did it with still making non whole 30 foods for my husband. He has bread, beer, bacon and rice daily. Those things didn't slow me down one bit. If I can make it through with being surrounded by 'bad' food the whole time I think anyone can do it. I see it as a commitment to myself and making myself better. Who doesn't want to be better? Being at your best always feels good. 

Commit, try it out, you can do it, don't doubt yourself, invest in you, I promise it's worth it!

May 12, 2014

Whole 30 Week 3

Day 15:

Breakfast: 
2 eggs, cod, and broccoli with my cup of coffee with coconut milk 
Lunch: 
Sweet potato shepards pie 
Dinner: 
Sautéed kale in ghee with mushrooms and onions, chicken apple sausage cooked with onions and a small gala apple. 
Snacks: 
Handful of cashews, a few plantain chips,  a handful of baby carrots, a small side of cauliflower mashed potatoes with ghee, and a can of sardines


Day 16: 

Breakfast: 
2 eggs, leftover chicken stirfry, broccoli and coffee with coconut milk 
Lunch: 
Sweet potato shepards pie, a handful of carrots and 2 dried apricots 
Dinner: 
Huge salad: spinach, kale, red bell pepper, grape tomato, and avocado then I put leftover meatloaf on top 
Snacks: 
A few leftover plantain chips, a small bowl of cauliflower fried rice, coconut cream pie larabar, wild planet sardines and a handful of macadamia nuts



Day 17:

Breakfast:
2 eggs, ground buffalo meat, cauliflower fried rice and my coffee with coconut milk
Lunch:
Sweet potato shepards pie and a handful of cashews
Dinner:
Chicken thighs in coconut cream mushroom sauce with a side of baked asparagus and butternut squash
Snacks:
3 dried plums (made in nature brand) after my workout, 5 baby bell peppers, a can of sardines, spoonful of coconut butter I made (had to try it out)! 


Day 18: 

Breakfast: 
2 eggs (one double yolk!), ground bison, butternut squash, fourth of an avocado, and my coffee with coconut milk
Lunch: 
Roasted cauliflower mushroom chicken soup, 6 baby bell peppers 
Dinner: 
Lamb shoulder steak, sweet potato with ghee, and green beans. A spoonful of coconut butter for desert 
Snacks: 
A leftover chicken thigh in cream sauce, a handful of carrots, a handful of mixed nuts, 3 dried apricots 


Day 19: 

Breakfast: 
2 eggs, half an avocado, ground bison, green beans and decaf coffee with coconut milk 
Lunch: 
Leftover shepards pie with extra ground beef on the side 
**Went to a concert and had a little bit of whole 30 no no. I'm not going to stress about not being perfect though!**
Dinner: 
It was 'BBQ turkey' from the BBQ booth at the concert... Turned out to be thick turkey lunch meat... I wasn't not going to eat it after paying $10 for it!!! So this was my first slip up... I had it with the packed macadamia nuts and carrots that I packed. After the concert we went to copelands and had their chicken cob salad. I got it without the blue cheese or bacon. The dressing was supposed to be on the side... But it wasn't so I had balsamic vinegarette on it... It probably had sugar and soybean oil.. So that was my second oops... Oh well though I could have done WAY worse. 
Snacks:
I packed a blueberry larabar, macadamia nuts, baby bell peppers and sardines and I ate them all :) oh and I had a venti unsweetened green tea from Starbucks on the way to the concert. 

Day 20: 
Breakfast: 
2 eggs, ground turkey, 3 baby bell peppers, 4 strawberries and my decaf coffee with coconut milk.
Lunch:
Salad: spinach, red pepper, grape tomatoes, avocado, topped with ground turkey. 
Dinner: 
Cod, roasted butternut squash, broccoli and for desert a big spoonful of coconut butter! 
Snacks: 
4 dried apricots, a handful of mixed nuts, a tablespoon of almond butter and a banana. 


Day 21:

Breakfast:
2 eggs cooked in ghee, ground turkey, broccoli with ghee, coffee with coconut milk
Lunch:
Paleomg pizza spaghetti pie  , a side of green beans, 1/4 avocado, and a handful of mixed cashews and macadamia nuts.
Dinner:
Lamb leg roast, sweet potato with ghee, and green beans
Snacks:
Handful of carrots, a small bowl of roasted cauliflower chicken soup (in my freezer meal blog post) and a handful of almonds
Post workout:
small amount of ground turkey, 4 baby carrots and 2 dried prunes


RECAP: 

This week for some reason was tough. I felt hungry all the time again. I'm not sure if it was because I had an imbalance of carbs, fats, and proteins or if it was just emotional. Maybe it was just my increased metabolism, either way I feel like I fell off the whole 30 train a little. I didn't eat any bad foods (besides at the concert by mistake) but mentally I wasn't giving it my all. I'm making it a goal for this next week to stay more on track and push harder on my workouts.

Also, I wanted to talk about the concert I went to and how I had the worst time trying to find food that I could actually eat… in the book, It Starts With Food, they talk about how it's 'not that hard' to eat out. Well… lets just say that's a bit of a lie. I packed some food with me but not enough so I was subjected to eating some lunch meatish turkey. Eating out when you are living a paleo lifestyle is pretty easy but not the same with whole 30. For the next 9 days I'm not planning on going anywhere so I should be safe from eating anything else.

On a side note, It took me 24hr+ for me to feel better after eating that turkey. My stomach was sooooo messed up and I looked like I was 6 months pregnant for that whole time. I can now see how 'crap' food react in my body and how 'crap' really does mess with our fine tuned machine that we call our body.

The book advises you to start your whole 30 over if you slip up at all. I say that is WAY too much work and puts way too much stress on yourself for no reason. We are all human and it happens. I'm not going to restart the program just because I may have had some chemicals and sugar in my turkey. I know most people won't agree with how I feel about it but to each their own.

Before I know it will be done with this whole 30 and I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick pretty close to the program. I know for sure that I'm going to go through the testing period and spend different days introducing different foods to see how my body reacts to them. I'm excited to see what works well with my body and what doesn't. I love being in tune with my body so this will help me even more which I find so awesome. I know… I'm a little bit of a food freak. lol

Lastly, I wanted to talk a little about my workouts. It has been going great! I have been rocking out in the basement doing Efitmama's 8 week Bikini Body Program (click on link to find the program) I spent $20 on the program because she was running a special on it at the time. I would say it is totally worth the money! It even gives you nutritional advice which for someone new to working out is awesome.

I'm just starting Week 3 and it's still keeping me interested which has always been the problem for me. So I give the program a thumbs up for sure! I do miss the gym dearly and I can't wait until I can go back. Even if it's not Crossfit going back to a normal gym will be so nice when it happens. I miss cardio, and for the people that know me, that is totally not a 'me' thing to say!! When you don't have it in your life though, you miss it and want to get back to it! Once Olivia turns 6 months old and I can take her to the childcare you bet your butt I will be back though!! :)

Overall, I feel great. I would say this whole 30 thing is totally worth it. It's helping me lean out and also gain a lot of my muscle tone back which I'm thrilled about! I hope the results I'm seeing inspires people to give the whole 30 a try! 

May 5, 2014

Whole 30 Chicken Thighs and Cream Sauce

What You'll Need:
4-5 Chicken Thighs (I used boneless/skinless)
1 Small Sweet Onion- diced
2 Cloves Garlic- minced
1 Tbsp Ghee
1 Cup Chopped Mushrooms
3/4 Can Coconut Milk
Salt
Pepper 
Thyme

Steps: 
1. Over medium heat add the onion, garlic and ghee to a large pan that has a lid.

2. Once onions are translucent add in mushrooms and cook for a minute or two.




















3. Add in chicken thighs, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme and brown outsides.







































4. Lower the heat and add in the coconut milk.




















5. Cover and let simmer for 20-30mins or until chicken thighs are tender.
6. Add some water or more coconut milk if sauce becomes too thick. If it's too thin add some arrowroot powder to thicken. 
7. Enjoy. Can be served over cauliflower rice or by itself with a side of veggies such as Asparagus.






May 2, 2014

Whole 30 Week 2

Day 8: 

Breakfast: 
1 egg, Italian seasoned ground beef, asparagus, and broccoli. Egg and asparagus cooked in coconut oil. Coffee with coconut milk. 
Lunch: 
Ground beef, pot roast, spaghetti squash, broccoli, and beets with some ghee on top. 
Dinner: 
Chicken thigh, asparagus, and sweet potato with ghee. 
Post workout: 
Shredded chicken and a small banana 
Snacks: 
2 applegate farms hot dogs, saurekraut, and a handful of cashews. Also I splurged before bed and had a coconut pie larabar... It was heavenly! 

Oops... I forgot to take a picture of dinner before I ate... Picture of me after my workout instead... 

Day 9: 

Breakfast: 
1 egg, ground beef, kale, and sweet potato sautéed in ghee. Also my cup of coffee with coconut milk.
Lunch: 
Big salad again! Spring mix, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, and avocado topped with Italian seasoned ground beef. Also had a few carrots and baby bell peppers on the side. 
Dinner: 
Herb rubbed pork loin, spaghetti squash with ghee, and broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix. Watermelon for dessert! 
Post workout: 
Leftover chicken and a kiwi 
Snacks: 
2 applegate farms hot dogs, sauerkraut and a handful of cashews and macadamia nuts. 

** Working out has for sure upped metabolism... I'm still only eating when I'm really hungry but between high intensity workouts and exclusively breastfeeding my little one I'm burning through calories like crazy!! Adding snacks into my whole 30 is a must I am learning! ** 

Day 10: 

Breakfast:
Herb rubbed pork loin, 1 egg and green beans. All cooked with ghee. My morning coffee, caffeinated today with coconut milk! 
( I have been having smaller breakfasts so I can workout sooner after I eat!) 
Lunch: 
Spaghetti Squash, seasoned ground beef, and muir glen tomato sauce. 
Dinner: 
Homemade meatloaf, roasted asparagus and cauliflower mashed 'potatoes' 
Post workout: 
A few bites of ground beef and a handful of plantain chips
Snacks: 
A can of sardines, a cup of watermelon, a handful of cashews and a small spinach salad. 



Day 11: 

Breakfast: 
2 eggs, seasoned ground beef, leftover cauliflower broccoli and carrots, sautéed kale with ghee. My decaf coffee and coconut milk. 
Lunch: 
Leftover pork loin, sweet potato with ghee, and asparagus (I totally forgot to take a picture!) 
Dinner: 
Leftover pork and pot roast, cauliflower mashed potatoes and ghee, and mixed vegetables. Watermelon for desert 
Snacks: 
A turkey epic bar (it was surprisingly really good!), a handful of macadamia nuts and carrots, also some plantain chips after my workout and later in the night because they are just so good! 



Day 12: 

Breakfast: 
Pot roast, 2 eggs, sweet potato with ghee, mixed vegetables 
Lunch: 
Chipotle!!! Salad bowl, carnita meat, pico de gio, and lots of guac! It was so amazing! Oh and I packed some baby bell peppers so I had 5 of those too. 
Dinner: 
Leftover meatloaf, cauliflower mashed potatoes with ghee, and mixed vegetables. A handful of plantain chips for desert. 
Snacks: 
Trader joes lightly smoked sardines, 4 strawberries, handful of macadamia nuts, a spoonful of almond butter, and a few handfuls of baby carrots 



Day 13:

Breakfast: 
2 amazing eggs, ground chicken, broccoli, 4 strawberries, a few macadamia nuts and my decaf coffee with coconut oil. 
Lunch: 
Leftover meatloaf, broccoli, banana, and a handful of cashews. 
Dinner: 
Cod, Brussel sprouts with ghee
Snacks: 
Cauliflower fried 'rice', handful of plantain chips



Day 14: 

Breakfast:
2 delicious eggs, ground chicken, cauliflower fried rice, regular coffee with coconut milk in it. 
Lunch:
Salad: spinach and baby kale, yellow pepper, grape tomatoes, avocado. Topped with ground chicken and hot sauce 
Dinner: 
Chicken stir fry (chicken breasts and a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables with coconut aminos and ginger) over cauliflower fried rice. 
Snacks: 
Handful of plantain chips, handful of macadamia nuts, handful of cashews, handful of baby carrots and a small bowl of cauliflower fried rice (yes I'm obsessed with it!)



Review of the week:

Overall the week went really well. I no longer really have any cravings and I no longer really have to think about what I'm eating, it's now just how I eat. Hitting this stage makes it a lot less stressful and makes me like this whole thing even more. Also, daily I have more natural energy and I no longer even want coffee, I am sleeping better, and emotionally I'm very balanced. Thank god for foods nourishing my body and naturally balancing my hormones. 

I have noticed that I have been over indulging on nuts/fats but I think it is just because I feel like I need some more calories. This is my body's way of telling me I need it because I always want fats at night. 

My workouts have been really good, I didn't miss a workout and Olivia has been good through every workout so I can finish them without her fussing.  I am doing a bikini babe program that was created by an instagrammer I follow (efitmama) and so far I really like it. Sometimes I feel like it's not enough (workouts between 25-35mins) and I want to do more but I think I'm going to stick to it and pace myself. I have always been one of those people that obsess about exercise and always want to do more so I'm going to try and break that habit. Well, for at least these 8 weeks so I can see this program through. 

I can tell I'm losing weight still which is always good. I'm back in my skinny jeans which is awesome and totally amazed by. I guess sticking to a program (workout and diet) is worth it in the end. 

New things this week: 

I am trying Lush Cosmetic products for the first time. I want to keep all my body care products very natural because I am breastfeeding so Lush is what I decided on. I will keep you guys updated on how it works for me but so far (after 3 days) I absolutely love the products. My skin is so soft and the redness on my face is already decreasing 

Also, Last night I ordered all the things I need to start brewing my own kombucha which I'm super excited about. One of the things I'm making more of a priority is making sure I get enough probiotics in my diet. I take a probiotic daily but I would much rather get them from whole foods. I bought some bubbies brand pickles and sauerkraut which are both amazing… but expensive… same with store bought kombucha… so that's why Im determined to make some of my own Kombucha and maybe eventually venture into making sauerkraut and pickles. 

Well thats all for this week… 
Any Questions? Just ask! 

May 1, 2014

Whole 30 Sweet Potato Shepards Pie

What you'll need: 

9x11 pan

Filling: 
2lbs ground beef
1 cup chopped green beans
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup kale
1/2 large sweet onion- diced
2 cloves garlic- minced
1 Tbsp Ghee
3 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
Salt
Pepper
Smoked Paprika

Meat Filling














Topping: 
3 Large sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
1Tbsp Horseradish Mustard

Sweet Potato Mash














Steps: 
1. Heat large pan on medium, add in ghee, garlic and onions and cook until onions are translucent
2. While your onions are cooking add water to a large pot, when it boils add in your sweet potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft and can easily be pierced. Drain and let cool.
3. Once onions are translucent add in ground beef and both the carrots and green beans.
4. Cook meat mixture until the meat is cooked through and both carrots and green beans are starting to become soft.
5. Add in Coconut Aminos and salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste. Take off burner and set aside to cool.
6. Preheat oven to 375 F
7. Take the cooked sweet potato and either mash them or put them into a food processor or blender.
8. Add the coconut milk and mustard to the sweet potato mash to help it become creamier. Also, if still very thick you can add a little water or more coconut milk to your liking.
9. Add meat mixture to a 9x11 pan and flatten. Add the sweet potato mash to the top and smooth down evenly.
10. Pop the pan into the oven for 45mins or until the sweet potato top is firm and has a golden brown hue around the edges.
11. ENJOY!!


YUM!! 
Finished Product!