5 Things Friday: Whole30 Edition

As previously mentioned, my Whole30 is over, and I am certainly glad to be able to partake of all the food groups once again.  However, although I did miss having milk in my coffee and chickpeas in my salad, having limitations on what ingredients I could use encouraged me to widen my range and look for more creative uses of the foods I was allowed (trust me - chicken with vegetables gets old REAL fast).  And I have to admit, some of the Whole30 recipes I came across were delicious - so delicious, in fact, that I plan to keep cooking them even now that I'm done with the program.  For your consideration, here are 5 Whole30-approved meals that I'll continue to make:


1) Moroccan Mash

I've talked about this dish before.  It was definitely one of the best things we ate in that entire 30-day period.  We made it two weeks in a row, and had we discovered the recipe earlier I'm sure this dish would have made an appearance for dinner every week of this Whole30.  It's so simple, basically just meat and potatoes, but the combination of spices is wonderful.  The flavor profile of this dish really takes ingredients that could be boring and turns them into something special.  Also, I can get my boyfriend to eat sweet potatoes with this dish, which I assure you is a minor miracle.  Recipe from Stir It Up!


2) Fried Plantains with Cinnamon

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I've mentioned this recipe before as well.  While I had eaten plantain chips before, I had never cooked a plantain myself before coming across this recipe.  Let me tell you, I'm so glad I decided to try it.  These were SO GOOD.  Like, for serious.  They were also really quick and easy to make.  Kevin and I found that the riper the plantain was when we cooked it, the more we liked the end product.  Recipe and photograph from Stupid Easy Paleo.


3) Nectarine and Pistachio Salad

I've just realized that these top 3 dishes were all featured in my last WIAW post.  This makes a lot of sense; it was our last day of Whole30, so we ate all of our favorite things.  I'm a big fan of salads with fruit and nuts, so this was right up my alley.  Add in the avocado, and you've pretty much got perfection.  I think it's safe to say we're out of nectarine season by now, but pears work just as well here.  I also really liked the balsamic dressing, this might actually become my go-to homemade dressing recipe.  So good!.  Recipe from Maoomba.



4) Sweet Apple Turkey Sausages

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There's something about making my own sausage that makes me feel like a domestic goddess.  This recipe is a little more time-consuming than what I normally want to do for breakfast during the week so it's more of a Saturday morning project for me, but it's really not too bad.  The hardest part is chopping the onion and grating the apple, and even that's not really that hard.  And then when you're done, you have sausage and everyone thinks you're awesome!  Recipe and photograph from  Leaf Parade.



5) Citrus and Sage Roasted Baby Carrots

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This recipe is great for a quick and easy side dish that goes beyond your typical side of steamed carrots.  The orange peel really gives the carrots an interesting flavor, and it's so easy to just pop them in the oven while you're making something else for dinner.  Recipe and photograph from Meatified.



So, there you have 'em:  my top 5 Whole30 recipes.  Regardless of if you're Paleo/Whole30-ing or not, I really encourage everyone to try these dishes.  You won't regret it!   :-)

Whole30 Wrap-up and Water Challange

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Okay, everyone -- I am DONE with Whole30.  I don't know if I would necessarily say it changed my life, but it was interesting.  Here's what I learned from this experience, in numbered list format because I like numbered lists:


1) Whole30-ing away from home is HARD.

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Finding prepared foods that were Whole30-compliant was really difficult.  I do realize that part of the point of doing a Whole30 is to decrease your dependence on packaged foods and to eat whole, minimally processed foods instead, and while this is generally a good idea, it is not always practical.  For example, about halfway through our 30 days, Kevin's grandfather died.  Losing a family member is already stressful, and trying to stay Whole30-compliant while traveling for the funeral and burial and eating out with his family just added to that.  It was very difficult and took a lot of planning, and thinking ahead, and rearranging menu items, and making weird requests.  It wasn't impossible, but I think we would have greatly preferred to not have to think about it during that time.  We did get through it, though.  The wait staff we encountered at various restaurants were always very accommodating, and while it took some work we always managed to find something we could eat.


2) There is sugar, wheat, corn, or soy in almost EVERYTHING.

This is why it was so hard to find Whole30-compliant packaged foods at the grocery store.  If nothing else, this Whole30 taught me to be more aware of what's in the products I buy.  Soy, sugar, wheat, and corn show up in places you would never expect them.  For example, I had a can of no-bean turkey chili in my cabinet that should have been compliant.  So, imagine my surprise when I checked the label just to make sure and found that the FOURTH ingredient was texturized vegetable protein.  After doing this Whole30, while we do still buy some pre-made items from the grocery store, I think we're definitely more proactive about checking labels and trying to find the best option - like looking for barbecue sauce where the first ingredient is tomato paste rather than corn syrup.



3) Mayonnaise is really easy to make.

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Especially since I have an immersion blender.  I used this recipe from The Clothes Make The Girl, which is in the format of a very helpful video tutorial.  One note I have is that I ended up using about 1/3 of a cup less oil than the recipe called for - the mayonnaise looked right before all the oil had been added so I just stopped.  It worked beautifully the first time, which was really nice.  The mayonnaise tasted okay, although I didn't love it.  Probably because I'm used to the flavor of normal mayonnaise.  I might try making some again, and if I do maybe I'll make it flavored, like chipotle or lime.



4) So is ketchup.  

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I used this recipe from Not In Moderation, and it took like 10 seconds, and it was completely fine.  It also uses ingredients that I typically have in my house at any given time - although I only had about 4 oz of tomato paste and so decreased the recipe.  It did taste a little different than what we're used to, but it wasn't bad.  We used some to top our veggie meatloaf, and then added the rest to a batch of meatloaf burgers.....that sentence makes us sound like we eat a lot of meatloaf.  But we don't, really.  Oh, also those meatloaf burgers are not Whole30-compliant but it's okay because we ate them after we were done.


5) I didn't exactly see the results I had been expecting.

The main thing I had heard about Whole30 before we started was that the process would eventually make you feel amazingly energized, and that you would sleep like a rock.  I am sad to report that I experienced neither of these things.  I did have a couple of consecutive days of nice sleep during the 3rd week, but that didn't last all the way through the end.   The Whole30 website suggests that for some people, 30 days isn't long enough and that sometimes it can take 45 or even 60 days to feel "the magic."  However, Kevin and I had absolutely ZERO intentions of turning this into a Whole45.  30 days was plenty, thank you very much.


6) But it wasn't all bad!

I did lose about 9.5 lbs, which is not at all bad for a month (although, keep in mind that I've also been doing T25 so it probably wasn't all because of this diet).  I also noticed that the skin on my face has been clearer and less oily, which is really nice.



7) I did do some things wrong, though.

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Specifically, I ate too much fruit and not enough vegetables.  This probably helps to explain why I never really got my carb cravings under control (if anything, they got worse as the 30 days went on).  I do wish I had done better with this, but sometimes it was hard.  High-protein meals are not always feasible for people (like myself) who are always running late, and fruit is easy.


8) I also didn't drink enough water.

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So, everyone knows staying hydrated is important.  It's pretty necessary for life in general, but Steph from Stupid Easy Paleo mentions in her video tips for successful Whole30s that drinking enough is pretty important for getting through your Whole30.  I do not drink enough, though.  I know this about myself.  It is not at all uncommon for me to look up at 9pm and realize that I haven't had anything to drink all day -- even though I did a workout that morning.  I just didn't drink anything during, or after, or for the rest of the day.  My problem is that I don't feel thirsty very often, and even if I do it's usually really easy to ignore (read: I'm lazy, so if I'm thirsty but I don't feel like getting up, I just won't).  I know this is not good, though, and I'm trying to work on it.  Which brings us to....

The 30-day Water Drinking Challenge!

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You know me - I love my 30-day challenges.  I'm hoping that compelling myself to drink water in a challenge format will make me more likely to actually do it.  Most people (including this guy) suggest that we should be drinking about half of our body weight in ounces of water each day.  For me this means about 80 oz daily, or 4 20 oz bottles.  My goal is to get myself to 80 oz every day, but the jump from 0 oz to 80 oz is pretty huge.  I don't want to be peeing constantly (I actually get really irritated when I'm in the middle of something and have to stop to use the bathroom :p ), so I'm planning on starting with smaller amounts and working my way up.  Starting tomorrow (November 1st), I'm going to drink 20 oz of water every day for a week.  I know this doesn't sound like a lot, but remember, I'm starting from almost nothing - maybe not exactly 0 oz most days, but probably not more than 10 oz.  The second week of the challenge, I'll bump my intake to 40 oz, than 60 oz in the third week, and 40 oz daily for the rest of the 30 days.  This is going to be more water than I've probably ever had ever, so it will be a big change.  Wish me luck!

What I Ate Wednesday: Whole30 Edition

It's our last day of Whole30!  This, combined with the fact that it's Wednesday, seemed like a perfect reason to do a What I Ate Wednesday post.  Here we go!


Breakfast:  Homemade tomato soup

First things first - look at that placemat!  We have a dining room now, with a table in it!  One that we can sit and eat at!  No more eating on the bed!  No more food pictures with rumpled sheets in the background!  Are you excited about this?  Because you should be.  But anyway, the soup is very quick and easy to make.  I'll probably post the recipe in a couple of days.


Post-workout snack:  1/2 a can of pumpkin puree, microwaved with pumpkin pie spice and ground ginger

Those are Star Wars coasters in the background, in case anyone's curious.  They're Kevin's.

The Whole30 program recommends starchy vegetables for post-workout, rather than fruit.  In my internet travels I found an article (which I unfortunately can't seem to find again now -- I'll keep looking) that explained that while the fructose in fruit will replace the glycogen stores in your liver but not your muscles, the glucose found in vegetables like sweet potatoes and squashes do help refuel your muscles and therefore are a better option.


Snack #2:  Macadamia nuts and raisins.

Usually I prefer walnuts and raisins, but we were out of walnuts.  As predicted in my last post, I promptly fell asleep after eating this.  Oh well.



Lunch:  Leftover Moroccan Mash

Look at that artistic off-center picture....

Basically it's diced sweet potatoes cooked with ground meat and spices.  Simple but very delicious.



Dinner:  Salad with pears, avocado, and pistachios.

Based off of this recipe.  I love fruit, nuts, and avocados in salad, so it was pretty perfect.



Snack #3:  Fried plantains with cinnamon.

This is not my picture, this is Stupid Easy Paleo's picture.

We LOVE this snack.  I use this recipe from Stupid Easy Paleo, and it is, as the blog name suggests, stupid easy.  As you can likely tell from the upgraded fanciness of the picture, I didn't take it.  We ate them too quickly!


I can't believe we made it through an entire 30 days!  We're pretty proud of ourselves, let me tell you.  Tomorrow we'll start to re-introduce dairy, and we have all sorts of plans involving cheese and ice cream.  I can't wait!

Oh, right, I have a blog...

Well.  It's been like 2 and half months.  Sorry I let the blog go this long!  I just got so busy with a bunch of new stuff (also there was an issue of lost momentum to overcome).  What stuff, you ask?  Good question!  Here's what's happened since the last time I wrote:


1. I moved halfway across the country.

Like, for reals.  The timetable was extremely compacted and so, so busy.  My parents came down to Hawaii for about a week to visit/vacation/help me pack, and then on July 31 we flew home to New York.  I was home to go through and pack up everything there for exactly a week before I flew to Missouri, where Kevin met me at the airport (he had driven down with his mom).  The next day we moved into our new apartment, and a week and half later, classes started.  Speaking of...


2. I stared my PhD program in Integrative Anatomy at University of Missouri!

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So far it's been really, really great.  Right now I'm taking Gross Anatomy, Journal Club, and a few research credits with one of the professors in the department (this might not sound like a lot, but I assure you it's enough).  The anatomy class is very intense and fast-paced, but I'm getting through it.  I'm in the same class as the first-year medical students, and I find the clinical orientation of the lectures and labs to be very interesting (except for the time they showed us a YouTube video of someone getting their dislocated arm popped back into place - that was only gross and I couldn't watch).  For my research project, I'm looking at bone density in mouse femurs.  I'm not particularly interested in mice, but I'm learning how to do histology, which is cool.


3. I completely changed my hair.

Why is one lens shinier than the other?  Who knows?

Because why not, mostly.  I was getting very bored and frustrated with my hair the way it was, and I was ready for a change.  To get it done, I had to drive 2 hours to the salon, then sit for 9 hours while the braids were put in, and then drive 2 more hours home.  It was a long day.


4.  I quit Insanity.

I'm pretty sad about this, guys.  I really did mean to finish it all the way though, and not skip any workouts, but with the move it really wasn't possible.  I skipped about 2 weeks, and then started back up again.  I did make it to the fourth fit test, which actually went pretty well considering I was out of practice:

So yeah, not too bad.  I did take a break in between the power jumps and globe jumps, and I remember being completely exhausted by the end, but not too shabby all the same.  But then, school started up and I had a hard time both finding the time to do it and justifying spending an hour on Insanity when I could be using the time to study, or cook dinner, or sleep.  Eventually it got to be too much, so I just stopped.  It's okay, though, because...


5.  I started Focus T25.

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I just can't get enough of Shaun T.  That's why, when I decided Insanity was too much for me right now, I was really happy to order his newest workout system.  The beauty of Focus T25 is that it's (usually) 25 minutes a day, which is way more do-able for me at the moment (in hindsight, I guess I could have just done JCore again...but whatever.  I like Shaun T).  Even on days when I'm not really feeling it, it's easy for me to say, "Whatever, it's 25 minutes, just do it."  I do find that whether or not I eat well is very closely tied to whether or not I'm working out consistently, so I was happy to find a program that lets me work out without neglecting my schoolwork (or taking up all of my free time).  I'm in the third week (out of 10), and I like it so far.


6.  Kevin and I had our 2-year anniversary!

We somehow managed to not take any pictures together that day, so I just took this one like 5 minutes ago.  But!  2 years!  I can hardly believe it's been so long.  It's been great, though <3.


7. Kevin and I started Whole30.

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Why?  I dunno.  'Cause.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  If you don't know about Whole30 you can learn about it here, but basically it means no grains, dairy, legumes, added sugars, sulfites, MSG, carageenan, or alcohol for 30 days.  For me this is turning out to also mean no caffeine, since I can't drink coffee without milk (I tried using coconut milk instead a couple of times.  It's not good).  It's supposed to reset our digestive systems, help us control our cravings, stuff like that.  People I know who've done it have said they experienced better sleep, more energy, reduced asthma symptoms, etc.  Many of the online testimonials say that Whole30 is a life-changing experience.  Right now we're on Day 18 - so has this changed my life so far?

Meh?  No?

I feel okay.  I mean, I don't feel extra awesome, I don't think.  I feel fine.  I guess I have decent energy during the day - except if I eat too many raisins, which I've discovered will put me almost immediately to sleep for the next 2 hours.  Maybe I've started sleeping better the last couple of nights?  Although, I've had really wacky dreams the last couple of nights too....Maybe my skin is clearer?  Although, I also just bought a new kind of cleanser...so.  Who knows.  I guess we'll wait to see how we're feeling over the next 12 days.

Whole30 is definitely doing nothing for our cravings so far, though.  We want every type of junk food we see in commercials and ads.  Sometimes we'll sit and talk about all the stuff we're going to eat when we're done with our 30 days.  Currently, we're pretty focused on ice cream and grilled cheese.  And kettle corn.  But it's not even all junk food that we miss - I, personally, would love some oatmeal made with milk for breakfast (I am SO tired of eggs).  Or some dried cranberries in my salad (they're sweetened with sugar).  Or some lime juice for my water (the bottled kind has sulfites).  Eating anywhere that isn't our own house is really difficult, pretty much we need to bring our own food with us wherever we go.  I can't go to happy hour with my department on Fridays, and if I'm out of the house for longer than expected and I get hungry, I'm usually just out of luck.  So yeah, overall it's tough but going okay, we're getting through it, but we would like it to be over soon.  Luckily we timed it so that we'll be finished before Halloween - we'll try not to make ourselves sick on candy, though.


8. I took - and aced - my first anatomy test!

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I didn't get an A+.  I did get an A, though!  There was a written portion as well as a lab portion, and I did pretty awesome on both.  It was such a relief to hear that I had done well, and to know that I had been studying the right things in the right way.  Hooray!


So, that's about all of it!  With any luck I'll be back with something else to report before another 2.5 months have passed.  Happy Friday!

Shakshuka and a very late Insanity post

So, I'm pretty much the laziest blogger, and even though I made lots of big promises about posting my fit test results, this did not happen at all.  This delay may have continued indefinitely if I hadn't eaten the BEST dinner and decided it absolutely needed to be shared on here.

But, first things first.  Lets talk about my fit test results:

I think I had a decent increase in my Fit Test 2 results, I'm pretty happy with them.  I still took a break in between the globe jumps and the suicide jumps but I didn't need one between the suicide jumps and push-up jacks this time.

My scores did also increase for Fit Test 3, but juuuust barely.  I really felt like I was struggling to get through the last few reps, and I'm pretty sure that I only improved because I looked at my Test 2 results for each move beforehand and was actively trying to beat them.  I didn't take any breaks during this test, but I do feel like my form on the low plank obliques was pretty bad.  Hopefully by the time I get to Fit Test 4 I'll be able to do a little better.

So far, I've completed the first 2 days of Month 2.  Even though my third fit test was a little lackluster (in my opinion) I do feel like I'm making good progress.  Based on what I remembered from the last time I did this workout I had been kind of dreading the first day of Month 2, but it actually wasn't as bad as I remembered it being -- hopefully this means I'm stronger this time around!  I definitely still have to take breaks, but I don't think I'm taking too many breaks or not working hard enough.  Also, my arms and butt are sore today, which lets me know that I'm actually doing something :).


Anyway!  On to the good stuff: shakshuka.

Shakshuka is a dish involving eggs cooked over a tomato-based sauce.  I've seen a couple of different variations around the blogosphere, but never actually made it until a found this potato and sausage version on Katie at the Kitchen Door.  Let me just tell you, it was the bomb (as well as being really fun to say).

Potato and Sausage Shakshuka
Adapted slightly from Katie at the Kitchen Door, via Greatist
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 T (about 6 large cloves) minced garlic (I didn't actually measure this, I just threw in a spoonful)
1/2 lb (3 or 4) small thin-skinned potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 lb (about 2 links) Italian chicken sausage (I use hot or mild based on what Whole Foods has that day)
1 T ras al hanout (I found this Middle-Eastern spice blend at Whole Foods, but if you're ambitious you can make it yourself)
Salt
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1//2 t chipotle chili powder (The original recipe suggests 1 T but I cut it waaaay down and still thought it was spicy.  Fee free to add more if you'd like)
4 eggs


Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or two, until fragrant.

Squeeze the sausage from the casings and add to the pan.  Chop it up with a spatula and let it brown for about 3 or 4 minutes.

Add sliced potatoes, ras al hanout, and a sprinkle of salt.  Stir to mix in the spices, and then let the potatoes cook for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping occasionally, until they start to soften.

Add crushed tomatoes and chili powder to the pan and simmer until potatoes are fully cooked and yield easily to a fork.

Make four wells in the tomato sauce, and crack an egg into each depression.

I just realized how terrible this picture is, sorry...

Cover the pan and let the eggs cook until set to your liking (The original recipe says to cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, but I stop paying attention and overcook them every time.  It's still delicious with fully set eggs, though.)

Eat!  Enjoy!  Talk loudly about how awesome you are at making dinner (I sure did)!  Freeze the leftovers if you think you won't eat them within the next two days....but you will.

What I Ate Wednesday: Insanity Edition

Hey there, blog pals!

So, yesterday at about 5 in the morning I decided on a whim that I would start another round of Insanity today.  As I'm sure is the case with many a 5am snap decision, this may or may not be a good idea.  But, I'm gonna do it, so I guess we'll just see how it works out.  My experience with JCore taught me that I shouldn't promise to blog my experiences every day, as this is extremely unlikely to happen.  But, at the very least I will post all my Fit Test results so I can track my progress on here.  Speaking of, here's how Fit Test 1 went:

The fit test is structured such that you are given 60 seconds for each exercise and the goal is to complete as many reps as you can.

Not too bad for the first day, although I did need to take a break in between the Globe Jumps and Suicide Jumps and then again between the Suicide Jumps and the Push-up Jacks.  I think part of the problem may have been that I ate my Meal 4 about an hour before doing the Fit Test, which was not enough time.  Also, I realize that I live in Hawaii and it's hot here, but I felt like I was extra sweaty when I was done.

But anyway it's Wednesday, and since today is Day 1 of Insanity I figured it would be a good day to do a What I Ate Wednesday post that features the meals I'm choosing from the Insanity Elite Nutrition Guide.  So, here we go:


Meal 1: Proatmeal (oatmeal with fruit and protein powder).

I didn't exactly follow the recipe for this one, only because I had already made a big batch of oatmeal last weekend that I want to finish up before making more.  The main difference was that this had brown sugar in it when it shouldn't have.


Meal 2: Greek yogurt with a diced apple and sliced almonds.

Meal 3: Salad with grilled chicken, cucumber, carrots, farro, pecans, (thawed) frozen peaches, and lemon juice.

This was extra delicious.  I'm not a huge fan of cold salads, so I warmed the chicken, farro, and peaches up in the microwave.  The juice released by the peaches mixed with the lemon juice made a great dressing.


Meal 4: Bean and cheese flatbread with broccoli.

Those of you who are familiar with the nutrition guide may notice that this meal isn't included as one of the Meal 4 choices.  But, for some reason I didn't find ANY of those choices appealing, so I made some substitutions.  To make this meal, I started with the Protein Pizza, then swapped the English muffin for a flatbread and used black beans instead of chicken.  And also left out the marinara sauce, but that's fine.


Meal 5: Scrambled eggs with spinach and feta, whole wheat toast, and strawberries.

This was supposed to be the Dinner Omelette, but I can't make an omelette to save my life.  The scrambled eggs were fine, though, I like having breakfast for dinner :).  I've been blogging instead of eating so now it's cold, but I'm too lazy to re-heat it.  So, cold non-omelette is what I'm having for dinner.


That's it for today!  I'll be back (at the very latest) on Day 14 with my Fit Test 2 results.

Happy birthday, darling :-)

Yesterday at 6:21pm my sweet niece Elizabeth Beatrice was born.  I won't be able to see her until I move from Hawaii in a month and a half, but I'm so happy to welcome her into the world.

Hello, sweet girl :).   We're all so happy that you're here!

Maui No Ka Oi!

I can't believe it's been over a week since I got back from our 3-day weekend on Maui, and I still haven't given you any highlights!  Our trip was so, so much fun, and we loved every minute of it.  It's almost too bad we'll be moving to Missouri so soon, I wish we had time for another visit!  Here's what I learned on my Maui vacation:


1) Maui (weirdly) looks like Ireland/upstate New York....

2) ....except for when it looks like Mars.

3) With appropriate signage, even Porta-Potties can sound fancy:

They are no better on the inside, though, let me tell you.


4) Goats are fun times.

5) If I didn't have to go do this whole PhD thing, I would seriously consider moving to Lahaina.

6) Lavender-flavored baked goods are delicious.

7) You are never too old for these kinds of shenanigans:

8) Cinnamon roll french toast exists, and it is the bomb.

Maui was seriously great, and the pictures really don't do it justice.  My parents will be spending a few days there when the come to visit in July, I hope I can convince them to bring me back some goat cheese!