I'm not sure I've mentioned it on here, which is weird because I literally mention it to every person who comes near me around meal time, but I've been doing the Whole 30 program for the last 25 days. For those of you who don't know, Whole 30 is basically a 30 day reset where you forgo grains (no bread, pasta, quinoa, oats, etc. no gluten free anything, nada), dairy, soy, beans, legumes (no peanut butter), added sugar (no honey, stevia, maple syrup - this one was hard because sugar is literally in everything...), alcohol, processed anything and treats even if they are made with approved ingredients (no paleo pancakes or primal cupcakes). So far I've cheated twice, once at our company outing where I had two glasses of wine and then the night after when we had friends over and I had 2 then. Other than that, I've completely stayed the course. In whole 30 land, if you cheat once, you have to start over, but I don't think I'd be able to do another 30 days in a row so I'm staying with it.
So, what do I eat, you ask? Lots of grass fed beef, chicken, wild caught fish, LOTS of eggs, veggies, fruit and nuts. I've had to cut down on the amount of fruit and nuts I was eating because I cheated and weighed myself(you're not supposed to take any measurements until the end) and I had only lost about 2 pounds halfway through (most people lose around 8-15 during the whole program).
I wanted to write about a few things that helped me stay on track for the past 25 days to help any other whole 30 wannabes who are looking for tips. Also, a few of my favorite whole 30 approved things.
Meal Delivery: I would have had an extremely hard time without Model Meals and Sunbasket. Sun basket is a food delivery service that sends you ingredients that you then prepare. They have a paleo option and, for the most part, it's all been Whole 30 approved. I am definitely going to keep my subscription past my W30 time period. The box is delivered on Tuesday morning with 3 meals (2 servings), which I cook on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then I eat the leftovers the following day. I've really loved practicing my cooking skills and having high quality ingredients to work with. Plus, no creativity needed. Model Meals is a southern California company that makes Whole 30 meals and delivers them to your door. The box arrives on Monday morning with your pre-made meals and it is completely a la carte, which I love, because some weeks you just can't commit to a food delivery service! The food has been delicious and is obviously MUCH healthier than the food delivery I was doing before. Both Sunbasket and Model Meals are pricey but no more so than my Postmates habit... You can get 3 meals free from sun basket by
clicking this link and I get $25 towards my meals! Plus, they deliver nationwide.
No deal on this link for Model Meals, but it is seriously amazing, so if you are in SoCal, check it out!
Restaurants: I didn't eat out much but when I did, I asked if I could pick the restaurant. I stuck to Mexican, American and meat-focused restaurants and avoided Italian like the plague.
Supplements: I'm not a doctor so make sure you consult with yours before taking my advice but the following are Whole30 approved supplements that I've really loved.
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides: From their site, "Replenish naturally with 100% pure collagen peptides. This natural anti-aging protein supports youthful skin, strong bones, reduces joint pain, and provides deeper, more restorative sleep. Collagen peptides are short chain amino acids naturally derived from pasture-raised, grass-fed collagen protein." They also sell on Amazon.
WS03 Fish Oil: From their site "All natural concentrated Omega- 3 oil, each teaspoon delivers 1000IU of Vitamin D3 and 150% RDA of Vitamins A, K2, B6, B12 and folic acid." Not too fishy - I take the women's one.
Nutrafol: From their website, "introducing “hair nutraceuticals”. These are not just simple vitamins. These powerful botanicals act as plant medicines able to target many more causes at the root of compromised hair health than hair nourishment formulations could ever imagine. New technologies exist today to harmlessly extract the most therapeutic-active plant parts and concentrate them to achieve unprecedented efficacy in addressing many more underlying causes at the root of poor hair health." My hair has been looking awesome! I was reading that a bunch of models take this because of all the damage they do to their hair so obviously I tried it...
Flora adults probiotic : With no yogurt and less fiber, I was all-in on taking a probiotic.
Emergency Snacks: RX Bars were my emergency on the go snack. I really liked the chocolate sea salt and the blueberry. The only one not approved is the peanut butter one. They sell them on
Amazon and at Whole Foods, so grab a sample pack.
Kombucha and La Croix: La Croix is W30 approved and my fave #whitegirlproblems. I particularly like the grapefruit flavor. I have been LOVING
Better Booch Kombucha. Kombucha is tricky because to make kombucha, sugar has to be added so that the bacteria has something to "eat" and grow from but lots of companies add sugar after the fact and don't call it out (can't wait for those food label changes in summer 2018 where they will have to call out added sugar...) but Better Booch specifically calls out that they do not add sugar and it is the tastiest Kombucha in the land. Golden Pear and Morning Glory are my favorites.
Recipes: Pinterest is a treasure trove of W30 recipes so definitely start there but beyond that, I love
Juli Bauer's new book (try the buffalo chicken spaghetti squash casserole - yum!) and all of
Danielle Walker's books ( I just bought her newest, "Celebrations"). While these aren't necessarily Whole30 recipes, most can be tinkered so they are and they're great resources for after you are finished and want to keep up with your healthy eating.
So that's about it. 5 days left. Feeling okay, sleeping fantastically, don't feel like I've lost much weight but I definitely have a better understanding of food and have cooked more in the last 25 days than in the last 2 years so that is a huge plus. Have any of you done the Whole 30 or stick to a paleo lifestyle? Were your results different than mine? Let me know in the comments below!
