WholeLife 2013

I'll be honest, the whole Paleo + Zone thing isn't working out real well.  I've fallen back to just eating Whole30 style and not worrying about my Protein/Carb/Fat ratio at meal times.  Many of the dishes that I prepare are filled with veggies, good proteins and good fats to begin with.

Since the challenge at our box is 9 weeks long, we thought about doing the Whole30 for the entire 9 weeks.  Then I decided that I was NOT going to miss out on trying new paleo treats for my birthday (mid-February).  So... I plan to do a Whole45, then take a 5 day "break" (allowing for paleo birthday treats and GF alcohol) followed by another Whole17.  That will get us to the end of the nutrition challenge!  All with the intention of reducing my body fat percentage.  

Here's what this is gonna look like:

Jan 1 thru Feb 15 (until the evening) - Whole30

Feb 15 (evening) thru Feb 19 (my birthday) - Paleo

Feb 20 thru March 9 - Whole30

After that, it's back to paleo!

After all that, I still plan to do a few more Whole30s throughout the year.  Possibly in May next.  I started a Facebook Group for those doing the Whole30 in January with me, but changed it to include all of 2013, so join in anytime!  There's plenty of support and experience on that page!

Paleo + Zone = ????

There's an awesome 9-week Nutrition Challenge happening at our CrossFit Box right now.  I'm pretty pumped and so is the Hubs.  I attended the Zone Diet nutrition class and learned a lot about macro nutrients... blah, blah, blah.  Since Hubs and I are already Paleo (and currently Whole30), we are doing this a little backwards.  Most people go from Standard American Diet (SAD) to Zone and then (maybe) to Paleo, but we are going from Paleo/Whole30 into the Paleo Zone.

So, as we were trying to put together a "4-block" meal for Hubs last night (this was his breakfast as he works 3rd shift), we were utterly flabbergasted.  

4 blocks of protein? That's EASY (2 oz of ham and 2 eggs).  

4 blocks of fat?  Again, not difficult (full fat coconut milk in his coffee, eggs fried in fat, a small spoonful of coconut oil right out of the jar)

4 blocks of Carbs?  This is where it was difficult.  ALL of our carbs come from veggies and fruits.  So... he ate FOUR cups of steamed cauliflower and a cup of grapes. 

We both thought the 4 cups of cauliflower was insane, but after he finished eating, he said he didn't feel bloated or overfull.  My concern is the grocery bill!  Holy crap!  How am I going to keep enough veggies and fruit in the house?!  I checked with our very smart CrossFit Coach (also the instructor of the Zone class).  She said that we don't have to force that much carbs, but to be sure to get at least 7 blocks of carbs a day (for performance). 

So... our ultimate fat burning/performance enhancing strategy is going to be this:

Get as close to our zone blocks as possible.  Our meals will look like this:

HIM                                                                ME

4-5 "meals" a day                                         4-5 "meals" a day

4 blocks of protein                                        3 blocks of protein                                      

2-4 blocks of carb                                         2 blocks of carb

4+ blocks of fat                                              3+ blocks of fat

I'm thinking we'll eat 4 meals on days we don't CrossFit and 5 on the days we do.  I might do three 3-block meals a day with one or two 1-2 block snacks.  He plans to do four to five 4 block meals a day.  

If anyone has any experience going Paleo Zone, I'd love to hear it.  At first glance, it seems zone would be easier if you eat grains or eat out a lot.  But, I think we can get this...

Whole30 2013 ~ Day 3

So I totally forgot about the sleepless nights that come in the beginning of the Whole30.  At least for me anyway.  I'm restless all night all long.  I don't know if it happens because of cortisol, blood sugar, hormones... or what, but it happens.  So, pair that with it being my 3rd morning without coffee, and you can see why I was a bit CRANKY this morning.  I got over it though.  

If anyone is interested, here's what I've been eating (in no particular order):

Chicken Salad (as a snack)

Sauteed Asparagus

Fried Eggs

Sausage/Egg Scramble with Salsa

Shredded Beef (usually with eggs)

Fajitas 

Spaghetti (squash) with Meat Sauce 

Bone Broth

That sums up my first 3 days.  

My arms are still stiff and sore from the WOD on 1/1.  Thanks Murph.  BUT... I'm going to wod tonight.  Hoping it will loosen them up a bit!  

I've been putting together my menu and shopping list for next week.  I will be trying some new things and keeping some tried & true favorites around as well.  

Jerky

I got a dehydrator for Christmas!!!  So.. the first thing I did with it was make some jerky!  I had some ground deer meat in the freezer from a friend.  I used this recipe for inspiration.  Here's what I used for my recipe:

Having a beverage of choice in the kitchen is imperative to
good cooking ;)

1-1/2 lbs of Ground Meat (I used deer)
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Then put the meat on a sheet of wax paper.  Cover with another sheet of wax paper and using your rolling pin to flatten it to 1/8"-1/4" thickness.

Use paper towel to line the dehydrator trays (I removed mine about half-way through the cooking time) to catch any fat drippings from the meat.  My dehydrator doesn't have a temperature setting, so I just turned it on and let it go.  I checked the meat after about 3-4 hours and removed the paper towel.  It took my jerky about 7 hours to finish.  

I wish I would have taken pictures of the finished product, but I totally forgot to!  It was really good and the consistency was very much like the processed stuff we're used to.

Whole30 January 1!

I'm really excited to be doing another Whole30 in January!  In fact, I feel like I NEED to do it!  Husband is on board and so are some friends.  It's gonna be great!  You should join us!  In fact, I've started a FaceBook group for us!  See you there!

Tips for a successful Whole30:

1. Plan, plan, plan!  Plan your menu at least a week in advance.
2. Pre-cook as much as you can over the weekend (or whenever you have the most free time).
3. Make dishes that have meat & veggies all in one so that you don't have to plan to make a veggie with every meal.
4. Start stocking up on seasonings now (to avoid a high grocery bill in week 1).
5. Start stocking up on kitchen basics now (to avoid a high grocery bill in week 1).

I have compiled a list of compliant Whole30 Recipes that I have personally  made and enjoyed.  The list has hyperlinks to each recipe.  Please keep in mind that some minor modifications may be needed in order to be Whole30 compliant (such as using ghee or clarified butter in place of butter...etc.)  Also, some things may be SWYPO for you, such as the banana ice cream.  If that's the case, please don't use those recipes!  If anyone has any recipes that they would like to add to the list, please let me know.  There are a ton of resources on the web for Whole30 recipes including the Recipe Sharing portion Whole9 forum, which I strongly suggest that EVERYONE use!  I browsed that forum every single day of my first Whole30 and I still browse it at least once a week.

I always do a lot of prepping & cooking on Sunday for the following week.  I strongly suggest you make a menu plan each week and do as much of the cooking as possible on one day so that there is always healthy, compliant food available with little or no work required.  Below is a typical sample week that I would do.  This * symbol represents what I will be cooking up ahead over the weekend.  

Week 1 Menu

*BBQ Crockpot Chicken with steamed mixed veggies

*Crockpot Shredded Beef (add lots of onions & peppers to pot or make additional on the side)

*Ground Beef & Cabbage 

*Beef/Turkey Cabbage Soup

Ribeye Steaks with Sweet Potato Fries & homemade mayo

Baked Lemon Pepper Cod with sauteed Asparagus
Shredded Beef with Fried Eggs

*Sausage & Egg Scramble

*Hard Boiled Eggs

Week 1 Shopping List

Whole Chicken

Beef Roast

3lb Ground Beef (or turkey or venison...)

Ribeyes (you can grill extras and use it for lunch the next day)

Pork Sausage (be sure there is no sugar or nitrites/nitrates)

Fresh Wild Caught Cod - I watch for this to be marked down at the grocery store and then buy it and cook it  within a day or two

Mixed Veggies (fresh or frozen)

Onions

Bell Peppers
Cabbage

Broth & Stock (I make my own)
Soup Veggies - celery, onion, carrots, zucchini, green beans, whatever you like
Tomato Paste 6oz

Eggs (I buy 4-5 dozen per week!)

Sweet Potatoes

Asparagus

Seasonings

As I am gearing up for my next Whole30 (January 1st), I am developing some helpful lists for those who will be joining me for their first Whole30.  Here is a basic list of spices & seasonings that I keep on hand:

This is my entire spice/herb shelf.
I also store some of my vinegars & oils on there.

Paprika

Salt & Pepper

Sea Salt

Onion Powder

Thyme

Cayenne

White Pepper

Garlic Powder

Chili Powder

Parsley

Lemon Pepper (no MSG, no sugar) 

Oregano

Cumin

Turmeric

Basil

Smoked Paprika

Dry Mustard

Cinnamon

Kitchen Basics

As I am gearing up for my next Whole30 (January 1st), I am developing some helpful lists for those who will be joining me for their first Whole30.  Here is a list of basic items that I always keep on hand:

Light Flavored Olive Oil (for making mayo & ranch dressing)

Mustard - because it's about the only packaged condiment that's compliant!

Coconut Oil - for cooking

Ghee or Clarified Butter - you can buy regular butter and clarify it yourself

Garlic - I bought a giant bag of it at Sam's Club

Onions

Eggs - used for meals & snacks as well as for making the mayo & ranch.  Farm fresh, free-range, organic are best!  

Coconut Milk - the canned full-fat stuff (no "lite").  NOT Silk!

GOOD (contains guar gum)

Photo Credit:
http://www.thaikitchen.com/products/coconut-milk.aspx

BETTER (no guar gum, cheapest I've found, VERY thick)

                                                    BEST (no guar gum, no BPA)

Photo Credit:
http://www.edwardandsons.com/native_shop_coconut.itml