Whole30 Day 22 Packed Lunches

I have talked about it before, but I cannot stress enough how making your own lunches or whatever meal you take with you on the go helps you stay on track! You know what's going into your meal and how much of everything you are eating.

I used to tell myself, I can't possibly pack myself a healthy lunch because there are so many components and that would mean bringing a ton of containers with me and geez it's so much work! Thank goodness for Pinterest and others who have felt my struggle! Ziplock has compartment containers but I am trying dwindle my plastic ware down and up my lightweight stainless steel or glass containers for easy travel.

Enter Ziplock's new glass compartment containers, my love of Pyrex and a find through Nom Nom Paleo- LunchBots. All BPA free, the stainless steel containers are non breakable. I find that the metal and glass containers are much easier to clean which is a huge thing for Hess and I- we usually flip a coin to see who empties the dishwasher. With the different compartments I find that I can bring a variety of food and don't have to worry about anything getting soggy before I'm ready to eat.

Packed lunches are a great way to cut your cravings and snacking habits during the work day. Pinterest has great ideas for mason jar to go salads and creative ways to pack foods if you don't have multiple compartment containers. And there are so many variations, it doesn't just have to be sandwiches and fruit. One of my favorite packed lunches (and it's an awesome picnic go to as well):

All paleo except the block of cheese and chocolate bars.

Curry Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
4 roasted chicken thighs, seasoned
2 tbsp paleo mayo (you can always add more if needed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 cup sugar-free crasins
1 celery stalk small diced
1/2 white onion small diced
1/2 green apple small diced
1/4 cup walnuts
Romaine lettuce washed and leaves intact

Pull roasted chicken a part into a bowl and add all the other ingredients except the lettuce. Mix it all together, adjusting the seasoning as necessary. Cover the bowl and let marinate for a couple of hours. When you're ready, take a spoonful and wrap it up with a piece of lettuce or just eat it by the spoonful!

For packed lunches, I usually take 2 servings worth of chicken salad, the lettuce leaves, carrot and celery sticks and some sliced kiwis or berries. Having so many options is great, especially since I cannot eat sandwiches with hearty delicious bread. My job also does not always allow me the time to take a full lunch so it's nice to be able to pack it back up if necessary. Then I know I still have some food rather than telling myself oh I'll just grab a snack from the restaurant, which may not always be the healthiest.

And as far as making food ahead of time and thinking to myself that making my own lunch was such a time consumer, it actually frees up part of my day. Knowing that I have my lunch and dinner ready and packed up rather than thinking about it minutes before heading out the door is a time saver. And being on paleo I do a lot of prepping at the beginning of the week so it's easy to incorporate each meal.

Tip for the Day: Don't get bored with your food! If you roast an entire pork shoulder there are so many different things you can make- tacos, use it as a pizza topping, salads, stir fry it up. When you get bored with your food you regress to what is easy and may not as healthy.

Whole30 Day 21, 21 Day Fix

One of the first things I am doing as a Team Beachbody Coach is a Challenge group. The groups are really what helped me continue with my workouts and added accountability for my Whole30. Everyone is the group is so supported and several people have the same questions you have so the information is sometimes new for everyone.

My first challenge group will be supporting the 21 Day Fix (and they just came out with a new one, 21 Day Fix Extreme!). The workouts and challenge packs are on sale for this month for both the regular and extreme versions. This fitness program is a quick way to lose weight or tone up before a vacation or big event, say a wedding or reunion. These quick workouts paired with portion containers help you reach your nutrition and fitness goals. I am really excited to see these results since I am just finishing my PiYo challenge!

The containers I think will be a great to keep my portions under control with paleo. Each container is color coded to help not over load on all carbohydrates (if you are eating those) and eat more vegetables with a balance of protein and fruit.
The 21 Day Fix Challenge Group beings Monday February 9th, let me know if you would like to join us! Check out my site as well for other fitness programs to do!

Tip of the Day: One of the areas that we fail is portion control. We think we're eating well with the bowlfuls of fruit when in reality it may not be the best thing because of all of the sugar, natural as it may be. I find that I tend to over load on my protein intake and do not balance well with the vegetables. Maybe this will help kick start me to better habits!

Whole30 Day20 Super Bowl XLIX (later post)

Here we are again with another paleo Super Bowl! Though this year I am calling it Super Boo since neither the Lions or Broncos made it very far. If we recall from last year I was trying my best to come to grips with the fact that I may have a problem with gluten. I made chocolate, almond and peppermint 'cookies' and ate tons of humus and cider. This year we're changing it up!

This year's menu includes Jimmy Schmidt's Rattlesnake Ribs- recipe that my dad has been using for years, paleo coleslaw, Fire on the Mountain and Frank's wings. If you're from Ptown you now Fire on the Mountain, if you visit, you must check them out! 12 different sauces, tons of awesome sides like fried pickles (not paleo) and sweet potato fries and they serve the wings (you can order up to 200

The ribs didn't make it through the wings cooking but everything
was delicious! And the guacamole, I have no idea what it tastes like  since
it was gone before I could sit down...

wings) on frisbees. Beanitos (a black bean based style chip) and homemade guac are also on the way.

Though neither one of my teams are playing, still rooting for a great game and some awesome company. An early morning for me means that I get all the prep done and Hess is in charge!

Tip of the Day: It's like the start to Whole30, it is always a good thing to prep ahead! You need time to trash talk with your guests and don't want to be hindered by getting everything together. Marinades and don't forget to defrost. The only thing you should need to do is throw everything in the oven or the grill and enjoy the company and game!

Whole30 Day 19 Ceviche

Another one of my downfalls is snacking. Like I've said those chips and blue cheese dip are my weakness work snack and sour gummies are my undoing. However, the grocery store the other day had a sale on shrimp and Hess wanted to try his hand at some ceviche. These were the small cocktail shrimp so they were cooked but traditionally ceviche is made with raw shrimp that is poached in citrus juice.

Recipe:
1 pound shrimp
Juice from lemon
Juice from lime
1/2 jalapeno
1/2 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
1 medium roma tomato, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small white onion, small diced
Extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together in bowl. Cover and refrigerate over night.

It is now a yummy easy snack! We ate ceviche for breakfast with a fried egg, if we needed a quick bite on the way out the door and when I could get home from work. A completely paleo meal and Whole30! And since it's a little chilly and supposed to be winter, this was a nice refreshing treat that makes me look forward to summer.

Tip for the Day: Think outside the box. Granted this was not my idea, but we never really thought that something like this could curb a craving. It's surprising what new foods you can add to your meals!

Whole30 Day 18 Beachbody Coach

At the advice of my cousin and because I have had so many inquiries to my daily workouts, I recently made the decision to become a Beachboy Coach! I am so excited to work with people and help them achieve their nutritional and fitness goals.

After using these products for almost 9 years, I joined several Challenge groups (because we know I love Challenges) and had more than just myself holding me accountable. There are people supporting me and each other, we all share advice and find information to help one another. And for the first time, I am visually seeing results since I entered the Beachbody Challenge that has you take your before and after pictures. Being able to actually see what I am accomplishing and sharing it with others is an amazing feeling.

As I complete each workout and stick with my nutrition plan of primal/paleo I feel more energized and accomplished. Even if I am able to help only one person each month reach their goals, that is a huge thing for me! Fitness should be fun and never a chore, which is something that took me a little time to realize and this is one thing I hope other realize as well.

On Monday February 9th I am starting my very first Challenge group for 21 Day Fix. Since I am also a huge PiYo lover, I will be continuing a Challenge group for anyone interested! If you would like more information or would like to find a program that works for you check out my Beachbody Coach site. If you're interested in joining one of these groups let me know- comment below, message me on Facebook or send me your information on the Beachbody site!

Whole30 Day 18 Saving!

A lot of people steer away from certain lifestyles or diets because they think that it costs a lot of money. Truthfully, paleo and Whole30 can be pretty pricy. If you stick to the clean and dirty list of foods it can save you some money since not everything needs to be purchased organic.

I have found several things that help me save for a Whole30 or for a little extra cash for me to spend on some high end items that I like to have in my pantry like arrowroot powder and avocado oil (these run close to $10-$15 depending on where you get them but not necessary for your pantry essentials). I also try and purchase one new item to cook with to help expand my cooking arsenal.

One of my prep week to dos is also a huge money saver. I plan out all my snacks and make a batch and store in air tight containers or zip locks that are all portioned out. This helps me to not buy snacks and to not snack on things at work since I just bring the portioned out goodies with me. Those banana muffins are seriously delicious and easy to cart around and they only take about 10 minutes to prep before popping them in the oven. If kale is in season I will make a batch of crispy kale chips to have in the kitchen for when I find myself seeking out a hand full of chips. My new vice of a snack are the Smokehouse Almonds from Blue Diamond.

I could seriously eat an entire bag of them in a sitting. Of course that is not healthy nor is financially reasonable since I would be buying bags of these all the time! Each serving is 28 nuts and I portion about 3/4 of a serving into the snack size zip loc bags. Perfect for a mid morning snack!

I have three big ticket items that I want to get and be able to use forever- a new cast iron skillet with a lid, a set of Copper Core All-Clad and a meat grinder. For me these are huge expenses, especially the All-Clad set. I have sometimes been financially irresponsible and spend money on things I know I shouldn’t like shoes or going out to eat. So how am I saving now? As you know I am huge fan of lists and challenges and things that I can visually attain. Pinterest surprisingly has several ideas for saving. At the beginning of the year I started the 52 Week Money Challenge- each week you put money into a large jar. The first week you put in $1, the second week $2, the third week $3 and so on. At the end of the year you have somewhere near $1,300 saved! At the end of the year I am going to buy that All-Clad Set. There is a spot for any extra money you can put in- I use a separate jar for that money and use that money to buy spendy pantry items or for some great finds that the butcher. This also helps with my impulse buying because I have a goal!

Tip of the Day: Here is a link for the 52 Week Money Challenge for print offs and information. And if you don’t want to use it for big ticket items and want to use it for a trip or something else do it! There are so many ways to save and use the money to achieve your nutritional and fitness goals.

Whole30 Day 17 Eating Out Part 2

As I get older I find that get togethers with friends are more food centered and relaxed than the old party hard. Usually this means potluck and sometimes we do themed meals or sometimes one person cooks all the meals. This eating out is a little different than going to a restaurant and being able to ask for substitutions or to create your own meal. Working in hospitality, we make substitutions all the time no matter how irritating- it’s our job.

Eating at other people’s house is not like eating at a restaurant or at least for me anyway. I don’t like going to someone’s house and seeing a magnificent meal they have prepared and then asking for my own separate meal made because I can’t or don’t eat certain things. My friends’ places are not a restaurant! This doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your time out with your close friends and still eat delicious food.

Over this past Christmas, my family and I had several pot lucks appetizer style and my parents cooked dinner most every night and are not paleo. The pot lucks are great because there are so many options and it’s of course not mandatory for you to eat everything. There is always tons of yummy foods that I want to eat but know that I shouldn’t and that’s where your self control comes in. With all of the appetizer options that we had (30 people cooking and bringing in goodies=so many options). I ate my fill of vegetables with dips and hummus, lamb meatballs, cured meats, fruit and tastes of a few appetizers with bread but all in moderation.

With my parents cooking it was a little difficult since I did not want a separate meal made for me and some of the food was made with flour and I of course could not pass up my grandma’s potato dinner rolls. This just meant everything in moderation! I would share a roll with my brother or take smaller portions. I knew when I felt full and did not over indulge but taking another helping just because and it was actually a satisfying feeling knowing that my self control had increased. Instead of feeling overly full and sleepy, I felt satisfied and energized- energized enough to do the dishes and play endless games of Bananagrams. 

Eating out doesn’t have to be a hard thing and there are always options. Even though I do not ask for separate meals, I still stick pretty close to my meal needs and do come prepared with some medicine to help my insides digest some of the foods that are tough on my body.

Tip of the Day: Don’t over indulge. Get recipes so that you can modify snacks and meals to fit your meals or just take a taste of something. Potluck and appetizer parties are supposed to be just that, a taste of everything!

Whole30 Day 16 Cheating

Despite having someone there to remind me when I was going to eat something on my “You Don’t Want That List”, I managed to detour my Whole30. In comparison to the past Whole30s I have attempted, I am still trying to not give up and get back on track because after my 30 days is over, I’m going to continue. 

Even though I am not finished yet there are foods that I found that I honestly did not want or crave. I used to stay after my serving job and have a few drinks and Hess and I would stock up on red wine and local ciders. This time around I have only had 2 glasses of cider and the tastes of daily drink specials and I find that I don’t really want to drink even with a meal.

After reading the updated It Starts With Food gives an okay for some potatoes in moderation and salt, I still wanted to try and keep it low in my diet. There was definitely no cheating with French fries (huge self high five, they are one my weaknesses) but I did have some roasted potatoes with a meal that someone else prepared and on my first visit to Sweet Tomato I ate a baked potato. And my one huge downfall were chips while at work. A busy past few weeks led to a lot of snacking and I can only eat so many almonds and cashews. Along with the chips from work was the smoky blue cheese dip- not paleo or Whole30 and I usually had a 1 ounce ramekin full. For the last week of my Whole30 no more!

Since Hess is doing primal he eats beans and small amounts of cheese. As I mentioned before, if someone is nice enough to cook the meals, I don’t ask for anything special so I tried my best to eat around the beans and scrape the cheese. This time around I didn’t feel so pressured to eat certain foods or drink so it was much easier to go out with friends and not be jealous of Hess trying a bunch of new wines and ciders.

The hotel had a busy week and it seemed like most of the leadership teams all pulled together to get their staff yummy goodies to share. I brought my team pizzas (and ate a slice of gluten free) and my co-worker brought her team candy and not just any candy- SOUR PATCH KIDS. Sour dummies and gummy bears another down fall. Since I spent a great deal of time in their department one day, those little sour shapes were just calling my name and I resisted! Until I started to get stressed and then I stress ate 1/4 of the bag… 

Though I still haven’t reached my goal of completing a full Whole30 to a T, I am still determined and still feel the benefits of eating more vegetables and grass-fed, free-range proteins and less processed foods. Setting the same goal as last year- a completed Whole30 by the end of June!

Tip of the Day: Accountability. I could definitely not tell anyone that I missed a day of PiYo or that I cheated on my Whole30 but then I would be telling myself it was okay and that it was no big deal. If you want to achieve your goals the best way is to hold yourself accountable. That is why I always post my challenges and my successes and failures with each one. I mean how else will you grow and show improvement?

Whole30 Day 15 Progress

Technically I am 22 days into my Whole30 and my PiYo Challenge. With a busy schedule and switching over to a new computer I am really behind on my Ridiculous posts; however, I am spot on for my BeachBody Challenge.

As I mentioned before, Coach has put together an awesome motivational group where we can support each other, share our challenges and our successes. Since this is the second attempt at the complete PiYo program I really wanted to stay true to the schedule, finish and actually see my results. And today I saw just that.

Each workout focuses on a different part of your body and works at low impact. One of the hardest ones thus far, that everyone in the group seems to be struggling with and I struggled with when I first started, is Sweat. A ton of core exercises and a full 3:30 minutes worth of power legs with burpees- my favorite, not. There is a Sweat workout once a week and I have yet to do the workout with no modifications such as using a chair to balance or doing the modified burpees which are still a workout- until today.

36 minutes of a solid workout, no modifications and I have never felt so accomplished while working out! I completed the 3:30 minutes of burpees and all tricep push ups without complaint at Chalene and with a mind set that 'I will finish strong!' I was a hot, sweaty mess but it gave me a sense of progress and my cheerleader, Hess even said he could see a difference and how much I improved. With my consistent PiYo workouts, increased water consumption and healthy eating with paleo and Shakeology and determination to appreciate my body more, the results are slowly but surely appearing! I am actually really excited to take my 30 Day pictures.

Tip of the Day: Fellow PiYo Challengers- DON'T GIVE UP! Well everyone actually :) Set your mind on your goals and you will reach them. Even if you don't see a change or result right away, sometimes it just takes a little longer for YOU to notice.

Whole30 Day 14 Meatless Mondays

Yes, I am behind.

There are so many articles and media sources that knock red meat and how they cause cancers and diseases and it is terrible for the environment. Well yes, if you don't consume in moderation and pay attention to what went into feeding and processing the animal and yes like most everything else mankind has done, it does take its' toll on the Earth. After watching documentaries like Food Inc. I definitely stopped eating certain proteins for a long time; however, after doing a little research and looking at the benefits of grass fed, meat and I are friends again.

Nom Nom Paleo reposted a link to several articles and blog posts from Chris Kresser that discuss the health benefits and debunk some of the myths of red meat. Chris Kresser is leader in paleo nutrition and researcher for ancestral health. Since discovering him on Nom Nom, I've found that there are several interesting posts that he has for health and nutrition and I learn something new each time I read through.

Don't get me wrong, Hess and I are meat eaters and our freezer is packed with grass-fed meats and wild fish. However, processing red meat does take its' toll on the environment- tons of water and land usage for grazing. In comparison to pork or chicken, beef does take several times more feed, water and area to raise and process. Even with free range beef, the land does change from the cattle roaming and grazing. Consumed in moderation, red meat has plenty of flavor and nutritional value. So like with everything there are pros and cons and you just have to be aware of what you are putting into your body.

About a week ago, we were reading several articles and watching another food documentary and Hess came up with the idea for us to do Meatless Mondays (since I always talk about how one of my jobs does Teriyaki Thursdays and Taco Cart Fridays). We spend quite a bit on ground beef, pork or chicken thighs and sometimes our vegetables go bad before we can finish them. Even though it is only one day a week, we can do our own little part to help the environment and to focus on making some vegetable centered dishes that are just as delicious. There are so many times I go to make our side dishes and realize we've had the same sautéed or roasted vegetables and want to come up with another creative and yummy way to prepare vegetables. I have tried mashed sweet potatoes and parsnip purees which are awesome but with summer around the corner, I need new ideas!

Now with Meatless Mondays I spend Saturday prepping and finding new recipes that are filling for Monday. Thus far my go to and one of our favorites has been squash and zucchini noodles with any type of sauce. I try to make fresh salsa and guacamole that we can have with eggs for breakfast to make it more filling since it is a no bacon day.

At work one of our vegetarian options are fat Portobello mushroom sandwiches and last week I tried to take a leaf out of that book. Since these mushrooms are so big and meaty I thought they may be like a 'steak' substitute. They were delicious but they did cook down more than I thought they would and so were much smaller and not as filling. Next time we are going with two 'steaks' each. See the Tip for the Day for the recipe!

Now that we are getting back into the swing of things, it is also much easier to prep and the week. Having a day that I know are mostly vegetables and a small amount of beans after I am finished with Whole30, makes shopping a little easier. I know that come Monday I am most likely going to cook up all our vegetables so I know they won't go bad.

Before we would sometimes snack on charcuterie and those delicious meats with vegetables (and cheese for Hess). Now I snack on almonds, pistachios and cut up celery and carrots sticks to much on with almond butter (or peanut butter or hummus for Hess). I have to say, I love a good ol' T-Bone steak on the grill but all the different meals we have been making for MMs, I don't miss that protein as much as I thought I would!

Tip for the Day: Marinated Portobello Mushroom Steaks
5 large Portobello Mushrooms, cleaned and gills scraped out
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 tbsp ghee or butter

Take the caps and place in plastic bag or baking dish with a lid. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper and toss with garlic and balsamic. I let mine marinate overnight. Pop them in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes cap side down in the butter. Enjoy with some zucchini noodles or parsnip puree!

Whole30 Day 13 Double Dinner Dates

My dad has been asking me to start putting up more restaurant reviews since most of my pictures are of food and the places I venture to in Ptown (yes, I'm that person but I never let my food get cold). Recently Hess and I have been wrangling our friends into eating with us. So this is a later post of our food adventure and review of Ox that we went with my fellow foodie co worker and his fiance.

Argentinean inspired, deliciousness and so paleo friendly! We started with a taste of butternut squash soup, a creamy, warm sip of flavors.

My buddy drank his way through Ox's unique cocktail menu while Hess and I shared a bottle of wine. Our appetizer was something that I had my eye on since I had seen their menu months prior. Smoked Beef Tongue en Vinagreta with horseradish, ensalada Rusa with sweetbread croutons. This was the one unique dish we all agreed on trying and it was amazing. Ewww tongue you say? It was like eating beef tar tar, a perfect salad and the sweetbreads were so crispy. I typically eat horseradish with my beef but this charcuterie did not even need it.

The way that Ox is set up is a bit like a Morton's or any other typical steak house where the entrees and the sides are separate. Our friends ended up getting the Asado Agrentino for 2 (I tried for a while to get Hess and I to split this). This was a perfect intro for what Ox has to offer, a little bit of everything with the sides included. grilled short rib, house chorizo and Morcilla sausages, skirt steak, sweetbreads, fried potatoes and green salad. Literally a smorsgaboard of protein with so much flavor and aromas that it was a little overwhelming even to look at. For the price of this meal the asado Agrentino was a great deal.

Hess and I opted for just a small or what we thought would be small portions of each to share. I went with the small portion of beef shirt steak and Hess debated between the house chorizo and the house morcilla (blood sausage) finally settling on the chorizo. All of the proteins are served with bread (that smelled delicious) and chimichurri, we went through multiple bowls of this delicious sauce!

We also chose the roasted broccolini, charred poblano romesco, toasted pecans and pickled red onions and the caramelized cauliflower, spicy golden raisin vinaigrette with mint and roasted peanuts. It was so much food but then our server brought out the dessert menu...

We had no choice. So we all decided to get a dessert hoping that we would all get something different to share and taste and we ended up getting the same- 2 orders of the Custard: cream cheese panna cotta, caramelized apple with chantilly cream and milk glazed apple fritters (not paleo but totally worth the slight tummy ache later) and 2 orders of the Chocolate: bittersweet chocolate-olive oil cake, fudge sauce, peppermint ice cream and molasses anglaise (again not paleo but totally worth it).

The service was great, water glasses were always full, they cleared dishes promptly and even came by to clear crumbs. 3 hours of great company, amazing food and a place checked off my list.

Tip of the Day: Most cities have the top 50 places or top however many places or things to do. Ptown just released their top 35 places to eat and this year I am trying to get to all of them. Find out the most popular or top places to check out for some new foods and places! Make it a date night, girls night out or a family outing!

Whole30 Day12 Kombucha? Kombu-cha!

One of the things that I miss while eating paleo, besides chips, bread and cheese (which I admit, I have been admitting and paying for it dearly), I miss ginger ale. I grew up in Michigan in a small city outside of Detroit, spending weekends at the park or driving down with my family to Cedar Point to ride my favorite roller coaster the Screwdriver or eating a hani with coleslaw and a side of chili cheese fries. Never had a hani?..oh dear me- it definitely is not paleo but check out the National Coney Island site to gaze upon it's greatness. Getting side tracked...

Ginger Ale. For me I expect a very specific taste- a carmel, vanilla flavor, highly carbonated and very gold in color. Vernors. It's a Michigan thing that turned into a Midwest thing that is very rarely found in the PNW.  Vernors is the oldest surviving brand of ginger ale in the United States according to my internet searches. It's a one of a kind taste that is impossible to match. 

It may be the carbonation or maybe the intense ginger flavor that I miss Vernors. I have tried to just drink the Canadian Dry Ginger Ale, or even the organic "authentic" ginger ale from stores like Whole Foods or New Seasons- just not the same. 

One of the drinks that I have found that help curb my carbonated craving is kombucha. It has taken several tries and particular flavors for me to really enjoy kombucha. Kombucha? What is that?! It is black or green tea that is fermented with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, also known as as a SCOBY. GT's makes several different flavors and is one of my favorites but really expensive if you drink it every day, between $2.50-$4 a bottle. So we decided to brew our own.

Super simple and a great learning tool as you can watch your SCOBY grow! After your brew is done fermenting you can add fruit juices, fruit pieces and my favorite is fresh grated ginger.  With the ginger, I get closer and closer to that Vernors taste. My next attempt is trying for that creamy carbonated taste which I am not really sure how to achieve but the subtle ginger and gold color are there and do curb my ginger ale cravings...for now.

Tip for the Day: Kombucha isn't always Whole30 approved since it does have sugar or fruit juice. However, a nice substitute besides the flavored water I've talked about before or soda water! You get that carbonation and can add fresh lemons or limes and is much less expensive than a bottle of Pellegrino.

Whole30 Day 11 Breakfast Time

If you have been reading my posts you know just how much I love breakfast. It is the one meal that I wouldn't mind eating for lunch and dinner as well. It is one of the meals that I can incorporate vegetables and fruit and limited protein, besides eggs. So here are some of the breakfasts that I've been cooking up at home with recipes!

 These aren't Whole30 approved since they are baked goods but this is my favorite banana bread recipe and it can be modified however you want!
4 very ripe, mashed bananas
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or butter
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat to 350 and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan (we like grab and go so we use muffin and mini muffin tins). Bake for 45-60 minutes (depending on altitude and oven). You can also add dark chocolate, walnuts. It is really important that the bananas are ripe so that they are a little more sweet but you can always modify and add some maple syrup to add that sweetness. These are always the first ones I bake after I get done with Whole30.


You can never go wrong with your simple bacon, eggs and potatoes. We love eggs from the coup if we can get them, uncured bacon and I like to keep with the no white potatoes so we make sweetpotato hash browns. They take just minutes to make- cheese grater, squeeze the moisture out and fry them up with a little ghee!
Sauces are sometimes a nice compliment to breakfast, my brother used to love ketchup with his eggs, my dad is a huge Tapitio fan, Hess likes anything spicy especially Sirache and I like Portland Ketchup or Chalula. It also depends on what you're eating. With the ever so delicious banana or pumpkin pancakes, real maple syrup and sausage links.

Breakfast is so versatile and you can add anything you want. My breakfast the past few mornings I have been trying to use as many vegetables I can. On the left fresh fruit (kiwis are so yummy and not too sweet and the clementines are from my parents orchard), eggs however you'd like and leftover roast with kale, garlic, onions and tomatoes. This morning I made the scramble on the right- Trader Joe's broccoli, kale, Brussels sprout mix, tomatoes and grass fed ground beef. These meals are so quick and easy. 

Tip for the Day: If you're bored with the ho hum of eggs and bacon or stir frys with no rice, try something new! It's the reason I do PiYo and other BeachBody workouts, they're all different and keep me interested. Food is the same, don't get bored with what gives you nutrients and energy!

Whole30 Day 10 Interesting Information

As I do more research regarding nutrition and exercise, I find myself watching more and more documentaries.

One of the first ones that I watched several years ago was Food Inc. a great look into industrial farming particularly poultry and livestock. This documentary actually made me not want to eat chicken for a long time; however, it had some great insight into the difference of commercial and free-range. I learned that industrial farming and ranching is also controlled not by the farmer himself but by larger corporations that actively attempt to drive small businesses and farmers out of business or to control them, while overlooking important aspects like safety and sanitation. It is one of the best ones I’ve seen.

Happy is one that Coach recommended about the same time and looks into what makes people happy. Looking at people’s daily lives, occupation and their stories. Happiness is viewed as something to be measured and how different people achieve it. When you exercise, endorphins are released within the brain and nervous system that activate the body’s opiate receptors and thus making you happy! Afterwards, I definitely took a step back in my life and looked at the things that made me happy and that I valued. I realized that no matter how frustrating my life may seem, there are people who do not have as much as I do and are satisfied and happy with their lives.

Recently, I watched Hungry for Change which looks into certain individuals lifestyles and how changing their diets and focusing on what they were putting into their mouths improved their lives and aliments they were suffering. The most important thing that I took away from this documentary, is instead of saying “I can’t have this” we should work to say “I don’t want this” in regards to consumption. Something I need to keep in mind while I try to put my snacking beast to rest!

Supersize Me will also be one that stuck in my head and eat significantly less fast food. A few others on my list to watch and finish watching are:

Food Matters: looks at how food can help or hurt us with interviews from nutritionists, naturopaths, doctors and journalists.

Forks Over Knives: investigates the claim that most diseases can be controlled or fixed by reevaluating the animal-based and processed food menus that plague our daily lives.

There are so many great documentaries not regarding food and just as educational. Totally off topic, I am in the middle of Virunga a documentary following the lives of the park rangers that reside in the Congo to protect the world’s mountain gorillas.

Tip for the Day: I am always looking for information to share with people who are interested in the same topics. If you have fun facts about food, travel or useless information, I’d like to hear it! Great conversation starters and these documentaries are always something to talk about!

Whole30 Day 9 Exercise

Most New Year's Resolution are centered around eating better or getting fit and those are great! For me they go hand in hand. Each time I have attempted Whole30 I have paired it with a 30-Day Workout Challenge like abs, squat or upper body workouts. As mentioned in previous posts, 2 weeks starts a habit and after the month is over it's just a part of my daily routine. I believe that you see the best results when pairing healthy eating with building muscle and burning fat also known as exercise and thus accomplishing both of those resolutions!

Three years ago, I gifted myself a personal trainer who helped me reach my fitness goals and served as my nutritionist as well. My trainer is part of a local gym club that allows me to use all of their wonderful facilities including a pool, sauna, weights, yoga room, spin room and many others. Since then, my trainer has opened his own gym but I have stayed at the club so that I can utilize the pool and other amenities that his does not offer. I love the gym and the motivation that comes from working out with others but last year I decided that I am looking for a little change.

At the end of last year, my amazing cousin decided to become a BeachBody coach. For those of you that have not heard of BeachBody they do workout videos and classes like Turbo Jam (what I started with), Hip Hops Abs, etc. If you are interested in checking them, click on the link above for some more information.

When we were in college, she got me hooked on these workouts and you could really see the results. So when she told me that she was becoming a coach I signed up immediately! One of my favorite workout trainers, Chalene Johnson, was coming out with a new workout called PiYo and my new coach started a challenge group. These challenge groups are awesome and allow its members to ask questions, post their goals and motivate each other. Coach also posts every day and is the biggest motivator for the group. She will call you, to make sure you are sticking to your workout schedule or give you that little push to get you going.

She and I found a workout that was best for me and it happened to be PiYo- low impact work outs to help increase flexibility, tone my muscles and combine the moves from pilates and yoga. When the DVDs came in the mail it was clear that this was definitely something I could keep up with despite my business schedule and previous knee injuries. PiYo came with all the tools to measure results and a schedule to post on your wall to help keep you on track. The first time I did PiYo I ordered Shakeology that helps cut down on cravings and can be used as a meal replacement or a post workout snack. Since Shakeology is not Whole30 approved I am trying to limit my usage for this round of PiYo.

When I started this round of Whole30 I also started PiYo again and have more energy, I can see my holiday hips fading and I honestly feel incredibly accomplished. Working out has me wanting to keep up with my healthy eating so that my results do regress. I feel as though this round is showing the most progress and cannot wait to see the end results.

Tip of the Day: There's never any harm in asking for help whether it is looking to a nutritionist or a trainer. In fact they are your biggest fans! If you're interested in looking for a trainer check out your local gym, those people love what they do and want to help and if you want to go the BeachBody route for a coach check out Coach Kelsey!

Whole30 Day 8 Self Control

Every evening at my job there are plates of left over desserts and last night they had a plate full of chocolate mousse cake and a variety of cookies. I may be gluten free but when a delicious dessert comes around I just want a taste! My weakness happens to be this cake, the chocolate mint cookies and on occasion there are the rainbow or mint rice krispie treats. BUT- I DIDN'T EAT ONE!! So, I am pretty proud of my increased self restraint :)

Tip for the Day: Instead of a dessert for a snack, kiwi's are a great, sweet fruit that can be just like a dessert. Grilled pineapple is a healthy snack as well just in moderation due to all of the sugar.

Whole30 Day 7 Heart Update!

This is usually when I stop posting about Whole30 because I slip up and feel guilty. But this time I'm staying strong!

Beef heart has been broken down and half was chopped up into the following recipe:

1/2 beef heart, trimmed and diced
1/2 lb beef liver, minced
1/2 lb ground grass fed beef or pork
1/2 large onion small dice
1/2 jar tomato paste (mine was homemade from the garden but can works too)
1 sweet potato, peeled, medium dice
1 container tomatoes, diced (I get these from Trader Joe's)
1 jalapeno, seeds and all
3-4 minced garlic cloves
Spices: red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, chili powder all to your liking
Hess Additions: 1 can black beans (don't worry Whole30ers, you can eat around them), 3 tri-colored harvest carrots

Chili in general is a very hearty meal and this definitely was, pun and all ;) The other half of the heart has been set aside to be ground up for meatloaf and meat balls for zucchini noodles and we already have ideas for the next one. My grandparents purchase a quarter cow each year, and I am not going to lie, it is really tempting especially since heart can be included at a lower price sinceno one really wants these parts. Something to think about for next year!

Tip for the Day: Don't forget to balance your protein intake with plenty of veggies! You don't need tons of protein, the nutrients from produce are just as important and if prepared properly, more filling.

Whole30 Day 6 Offal Heart!

Offal not awful! A month ago, Hess and I double dated with some of our foodie friends to a local top restaurant in Portland. Our appetizer: sliced beef tongue salad with herbs and sweetbread croutons. It was the first time Hess really enjoyed organs and kept saying "we need to find out how to make these!" So this round of Whole30 we are trying to cook with more organ meat and utilize more parts of the animal for our meals.

What we have found out is that certain organ meats are difficult to find. It wasn't until a trip to Whole Foods that we were able to find beef liver by the pound. I love liver and have made my own pate, mixed it into chili and stew. I asked at every grocery store I went to, local markets and made calls to the butchers in town and the only thing I could not find was heart. We were finally able to find a large beef heart, grass fed status is unknown, for less than a dollar a pound in a small butcher outside of town.

So excited for the find! It was huge!

The first thing Hess wanted to do was make meatloaf and I wanted to make chili. Then we realized, we have no idea how to cook this thing! And of course, thank goodness for the internet.

After several searches I found Michael Ruhlman's blog with a handy how to and a delicious recipe for grilled heart on arugula. Ruhlman has a quick how to break down and trim the heart down and it really is just a beautiful piece of meat. The salad is next on the list.

While we search for more recipes, we have decided to divide the heart in half and start with a chili and will be grinding up the other half for meatloaf- it's a compromise. Obviously there are so many things you can do with organ meat, I hadn't even thought about a salad! I am literally just about to start breaking this down and can't be more excited- kid with a new toy. Recipes for how we prepare this beast will be posted later!

Tip for the Day: Try something new! You never know if you don't like it until you try it! Sweetbreads may be next on our dinner table...

Whole30 Day 5 MORE Recipes

It's been a busy couple of days but I have compiled a list of sources for meal planning for the week!

Paleo Grubs- a daily newsletter and recipes for your Q&As about everything paleo. My favorite, it comes with pictures.

My ever favorite and automatic go to Nom Nom Paleo put together by Michelle Tam. Pictures, daily posts, recipes (my favorite is the crispy chicken thighs), advice and endless amounts of information.

The Paleo Diet is a new site that I have started poking around, but my cluttered Facebook feed continues to slip recipes and snippets for me to see and it does seem very informative.

I have been able to look through several cook books and the one I was able to pull the most recipes out of was Paleo Comfort Foods. I use their paleo mayo and chimichurri quite often and they help curb those fried chicken cravings I often have!

Tip of the Day: Here's the Paleo Comfort Foods Chimichurri Recipe that we absolutely love!

1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed
3-4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp hot sauce

Place first five ingredients in food processor until everything is finely chopped. Remove and put into a mixing bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 week. If you refrigerate bring to room temperature before serving or it's clumpy.

Whole30 Day 4: The Elements- Earth

There are so many sources that say we should be eating everything organic and some even say especially when you eat paleo, vegan or any other diet. There are some foods that I do believe should be bought organically; however, I think the more important aspects are they local and are they a seasonal food item.

Buying local produce is almost always a sure way to get organic, clean vegetables. Whole30 defines clean foods as foods that are pesticide free and dirty foods as foods that are heavy with chemicals and pesticides. Local products also help out the small farmers and businesses rather than the big corporations by enriching the community rather than the corporate shareholders. The profits stay with the farmer and can be used to benefit and expand their business.

Seasonal bouquet and berries I picked up
at the PSU Farmers Market last year.

There are so many varieties of produce and each is successful depending on their location- the soil content, the amount of sunlight, altitude. So buying locally also ensures that you are buying products that take in the most benefits from its surroundings. Another aspect that ensures your produce has the most nutritional value is to buy them seasonally.

Seasonal produce means produce that grow in a specific season- such as root vegetables grow best in the fall and winter due to the soil and weather change. There are some vegetables such as onions, carrots and mushrooms that are able to be grown year around. Buying produce seasonally has several benefits. First off it's less expensive to purchase, there is minimal work and more is produced when the items are in season rather than being shipped to different areas.

Produce that has to be shipped some place else lose so much more. The nutrients begin to breakdown and so does the color, the freshness and crispness of the vegetables resulting in a wimpy, unattractive piece of food. In some areas produce is flash frozen to help keep in all the nutrients and can be just as healthy as getting them fresh (just check the packaging for any bad preservatives and additions) Instead of buying out of season, you could have a fresh vegetables that were grown just down the road and taste delicious.

I try and pick out something new each time I go to the market
 to cook with and there are always and abundance of new peppers.

So, yes, we should buy a lot of our produce organic but some vegetables do not necessarily need to be organic. For instance, sweet potatoes, eggplants, pineapples are all considered clean produce and do not have to have to be organic to provide the best nutrients and saves you a little moola. However, produce such as celery, collard greens, peppers and grapes should be bought organic as often as possible since they are considered dirty. To me organic is not as important as seasonal and local produce.

Tip of the Day: Farmers Markets are tons of fun, a lot of fresh produce, local farmers and butchers and really good food cooked right there for you. If you have a market near you, check it out- it's worth it! My parents just took us to the Sante Fe Farmer's Market and it was a blast and all indoors for the winter months. Another catch phrase to look out for specially for protein "All Natural" vs "Free-Range"- that's for another time.