Edit: the end of Whole30. I kept it up! For the most part. Toward the end I was getting headaches every single afternoon :( I was also kinda grumpy? I did a little research and found a *possible* link could be lack of grains = lack of certain B vitamins = possible seratonin imbalance? I'm not a scientist or nutritionist, but I felt something wasn't right. I wasn't taking a multivitamin either, so on Day 27 I reintroduced rice. I had these rice cakes, which also contained quinoa, and I felt a lot better. I ate them for a couple days and no headaches! And less grumpiness (maybe).
I never did get this sudden "burst of energy"/ " tiger blood" thing people talk about. I did get the headaches, which made me tired, if anything. So if I went longer than 30 days, would the headaches have stopped? Would I have gotten the tiger blood? Do I just need some form of grains in my life? .....I have no idea. I kind of want to find out. But I also kind of want to chill out over stressing about every food choice for a little while.
Doing this at home was very easy, honestly. But going out at all SUCKED. And eating clean and then reintroducing too much not clean also sucked more than anything else. I want a sustainable day of eating. Maybe that means clean but not too clean....
Let's see if I actually keep this up.
Day 1:
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs in a dab of coconut oil, sautéed spinach with tomatoes, cantelope, coffee
Lunch: Apple, 7 dates, cinnamon, toasted pecans (1/2 apple, dates, cinnamon in food processor to make a sauce), sweet young coconut
Dinner: 2 bowls of soup, made from leeks, mushrooms, tomatoes, trader joe's low sodium veg broth, trader Joe's cooking greens, oregano, lentils; 2 celery stalks with about a tbsp of almond butter
Day 2:
Breakfast: 2 hardboiled eggs, coffee, 2 small bananas, tbsp of almond butter, a few pecans
Lunch: 3 cups of spinach (some sautéed), tofu sautéed in coconut oil, a tiny bit of pineapple
Snack: 2 dried figs
Dinner: cashews, and 2 bowls of last night's soup. Raspberries for dessert.
Day 3:
Breakfast: 2 coconut oil scrambled eggs, 2 cups spinach sauteed with grape tomatoes, green beans, cantelope.
Snack: 3 dried figs
Lunch: 1/2 avocado 1/2 cucumber, 8oz tuna* a few bites of coconut flakes
Dessert: Soup
Dessert: 2 small bananas, 1 tbsp almond butter, a sprinkle of coconut flakes
Day 4:
Breakfast: 2 hardboiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, 5 black olives
Lunch: tofu, roasted 1/2 head of broccoli, 2 small potatoes, 3 bites coconut flakes, apple, 7 dates, pecans
Dinner: Veggie pancakes, green beans
Day 5:
Breakfast: 2 bananas, blueberries, pecans, cashews, coconut flakes, hemp seeds
Lunch: tofu, roasted 1/2 head of broccoli, 2 small potatoes, a packed cup of cooked kale
Snack: raw baby carrots (learned: never again!!
Dinner: Veggie pancakes with Indian spices, green beans, coconut flakes.
Day 6: rockin and rollin
Breakfast: hardboiled egg, coffee, banana, coconut flakes
Lunch: 3 cups of lettuce, hardboiled egg, 15 olives, grape tomatoes, fig vinegar
Snack: dried persimmons
Dinner: Portobello mushroom cap topped with onion, ball pepper, tomato, mushroom, garlic. Chili.
Dessert: 2 bananas, coconut flakes, almond butter
Day 7:
Lovely breakfast out with my husband: omelette with mushrooms, green onion, and spinach, tropical fruits salad: mango, cucumber, tomato, cilantro, lime
Lunch: cashew cookie Lara bar (iSuck) and an apple
Dinner: 2 bowls of the soup I made on Day 1
Day 8 & 9- I was out of town, and I planned ahead (somewhat), but I don't feel like I ate "great." I spent almost all day both days in and out of my car. What did I plan ahead? I boiled 4 eggs the night before I left, so I had 2 of those each day. I also prepared a salad with tofu for lunch the first day, and then had a salad for dinner that night (that I ordered from a local place), so that wasn't too bad. But I should have brought more fresh fruits and veggies with me than I did, so I ended up very hungry and eating a lara bar both days. I guess those are supposed to be FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY but whatevs, they were compliant, so it wasn't like I did something to make myself have to start all over. Lessons learned- the eggs were a great thing to bring along, next time I should bring more snacky veggies I can eat easily in the car- like sliced cucumbers, bell peppers, grape tomatoes, duh.
Day 10: Cinco de Mayo! I made a huge plate of Huevos Rencheros (with no cheese... just eggs, veggies, spices) for a big late lunch. For dinner, we had a big salad that John made.
Day 11: I needed to do some shopping, so
breakfast was grates and coconut flakes,
lunch was an apple, a banana, and almond butter. You'd think by now I would be better at incorporating veggies into my meals! So tonight while I make
dinner (Thug Kitchen Lentil Lettuce Wraps), I plan to also fix a frittata and tofu to keep around for breakfast and lunches. Meal prep is a good thing.
Day 12:
Breakfast: Frittata with mushrooms, onion, egg, spinach. Kinda bland, need to work on my frittatas. Grapes.
Lunch: Another piece of frittata; a bunch of grape tomatoes. Almonds.
Snack: Almond butter and banana.
Feels:
Sometimes I ate bananas with almond butter for dessert when my dinner had little or no fat. Or if I was still hungry.
Day 6 was the only day I sort of had any feels, I woke up very tired and had major baggage under my eyes. But as the day went on, I felt normal. I've felt "normal" this whole time. Not bad by any means, but not OMGSOMUCHENERGY either. That will probably come. But I haven't had the mood swings or insane cravings. I was thinking about toast with butter a couple of days ago, and have thought about a few other things. Not even sure I'd call those feelings actual cravings or just thoughts, since they go away quickly.
Day 7: Either the portobello mushrooms or the chili seems to be making some stomach upset happen :( The chili was WAY spicier than I usually make it, so it may just be that.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Simple Burritos and Limey Quinoa
Omg..... When you throw something together and it comes out this good, you gotta write that ish down!
Burrito Filling:
1 yellow onion
1 can of low-sodium black beans
Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic salt
Smokey chipotle seasoning
Cheese-Daiya (vegan) mozzarella is great
Avocado
Multigrain Tortillas
Quinoa:
Minced garlic clove
1 tsp coconut oil
1 cup quinoa
1.5 cups vegetable broth
Juice from 1/4-1/2 of a lime
Cilantro
Parsley
For the filling: Chop the onion and sauté it a few minutes, then add the spices and cook til it's translucent. Add the beans and cook a little longer.
For the quinoa: Statue the garlic a bit, then add the coconut oil and (rinsed) quinoa until it smells toasty, then add the veggie broth and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook 20-25 mins. Add cilantro and parsley while it cooks, to your taste. Add the lime juice about 5 minutes before its done.
Burrito Filling:
1 yellow onion
1 can of low-sodium black beans
Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic salt
Smokey chipotle seasoning
Cheese-Daiya (vegan) mozzarella is great
Avocado
Multigrain Tortillas
Quinoa:
Minced garlic clove
1 tsp coconut oil
1 cup quinoa
1.5 cups vegetable broth
Juice from 1/4-1/2 of a lime
Cilantro
Parsley
For the filling: Chop the onion and sauté it a few minutes, then add the spices and cook til it's translucent. Add the beans and cook a little longer.
For the quinoa: Statue the garlic a bit, then add the coconut oil and (rinsed) quinoa until it smells toasty, then add the veggie broth and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook 20-25 mins. Add cilantro and parsley while it cooks, to your taste. Add the lime juice about 5 minutes before its done.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients:
3 poblano peppers
1 cup brown rice
Vegetable broth- however much you need to cook your rice
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced (I kept the juice and added it to the rice, too)
1 garlic clove
(The following quantities are to your liking:)
Cumin
Chipotle pepper seasoning
Mozzerella and cheddar cheeses
Directions:
Prepare the peppers:
Slit peppers. Broil peppers until slightly charred.
Remove and put in a covered dish for about 20 minutes.
Peel the skins from the peppers and remove the seeds.
While the peppers are cooking/cooling:
Cook the rice in the veggie broth. Add tomatoes and spices.
Add some cheese into the mixture, then stuff the peppers.
Top with more cheese. (It all depends on how much cheese you like...)
Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted.
Maybe add some black beans to the mix, or as a side.
3 poblano peppers
1 cup brown rice
Vegetable broth- however much you need to cook your rice
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced (I kept the juice and added it to the rice, too)
1 garlic clove
(The following quantities are to your liking:)
Cumin
Chipotle pepper seasoning
Mozzerella and cheddar cheeses
Directions:
Prepare the peppers:
Slit peppers. Broil peppers until slightly charred.
Remove and put in a covered dish for about 20 minutes.
Peel the skins from the peppers and remove the seeds.
While the peppers are cooking/cooling:
Cook the rice in the veggie broth. Add tomatoes and spices.
Add some cheese into the mixture, then stuff the peppers.
Top with more cheese. (It all depends on how much cheese you like...)
Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted.
Maybe add some black beans to the mix, or as a side.
Broccoli Pot Pie
No indulgent pictures of the pie from 54 different angles, and another 100 pics once the pie is cut open. Just the damn recipe.
Ingredients
1 yellow onion, diced
1 Russet Potato, diced
A splash of veggie broth
A handful or two of frozen or fresh peas
2 small heads of broccoli
Sprinkles of sharp cheddar cheese (maybe 1/3-1/2 cup total?)
1 cup of milk
3 tbsp flour
2 pie crusts
Directions:
1. In a skillet, simmer the onion and potato in a splash of veggie broth until the onion is translucent, 5-10 mins.
2. While that's heating up, chop the florets of the broccoli from the stems, into about 1" pieces. Chop up some of the stem into small pieces, too. Steam the broccoli pieces until it's al dente, about 4 mins in the microwave.
3. Add a handful or two of peas to the onion and potato mixture, then add the broccoli and stir it together to incorporate.
4. Make the sauce: In a separate small sauce pan over medium heat, heat the milk (I used coconut milk) and whisk in the flour until it thickens- it won't take long. Be sure to whisk constantly. If it's not thickening or doesn't seem hot enough, increase the heat.
5. Place one of your pie crusts in the bottom of your pie dish.
6. Add half of the broccoli mixture into the pie pan, then sprinkle cheddar cheese in a thin layer on top of the mixture.
7. Add the sauce to the remaining broccoli mixture (or add the broccoli mixture to the sauce if the sauce pan is big enough!), mix it all up, then add all of that into the crust.
8. Add another thin layer of cheddar cheese on top of all of that.
9. Top with the remaining pie crust, pinch the edges together, and cut a few slits in the top for ventilation.
10. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the top crust looks nice and done.
Yum!
Ingredients
1 yellow onion, diced
1 Russet Potato, diced
A splash of veggie broth
A handful or two of frozen or fresh peas
2 small heads of broccoli
Sprinkles of sharp cheddar cheese (maybe 1/3-1/2 cup total?)
1 cup of milk
3 tbsp flour
2 pie crusts
Directions:
1. In a skillet, simmer the onion and potato in a splash of veggie broth until the onion is translucent, 5-10 mins.
2. While that's heating up, chop the florets of the broccoli from the stems, into about 1" pieces. Chop up some of the stem into small pieces, too. Steam the broccoli pieces until it's al dente, about 4 mins in the microwave.
3. Add a handful or two of peas to the onion and potato mixture, then add the broccoli and stir it together to incorporate.
4. Make the sauce: In a separate small sauce pan over medium heat, heat the milk (I used coconut milk) and whisk in the flour until it thickens- it won't take long. Be sure to whisk constantly. If it's not thickening or doesn't seem hot enough, increase the heat.
5. Place one of your pie crusts in the bottom of your pie dish.
6. Add half of the broccoli mixture into the pie pan, then sprinkle cheddar cheese in a thin layer on top of the mixture.
7. Add the sauce to the remaining broccoli mixture (or add the broccoli mixture to the sauce if the sauce pan is big enough!), mix it all up, then add all of that into the crust.
8. Add another thin layer of cheddar cheese on top of all of that.
9. Top with the remaining pie crust, pinch the edges together, and cut a few slits in the top for ventilation.
10. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the top crust looks nice and done.
Yum!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
OHMYGOD it's Pink Strawberry Starburst Smoothie
I have to confess, I am not even sure the pink Starbursts (in the traditional pack, I think there were red, orange, yellow, and pink in there, but they've got all kinds of themed packs/flavors now) are strawberry flavored? Maybe they were strawberry-lemonade? Whatever. Almost everyone I knew when I was a kid liked the pink ones best, followed closely by red, and wished they sold packs of JUST the pink ones.
A 2nd confession, I haven't eaten a Starburst in years, as I'm just not really into fruity candy, and I also tend to avoid things of that consistency to avoid ripping out expensiveass dental work.
But when I made this smoothie a few weeks ago (and again today) and sipped it for the first time, I immediately remembered Pink Starburst! So here you go- end of the indulgent reminiscing and reasoning for the smoothie maybe not tasting EXACTLY like a pink Starburst; you've been warned.
PINK STARBURST SMOOTHIE
1/2 - 3/4 cup water
2 big handfuls of spinach
Some squeezes of lemon juice
3 handfuls of strawberries with the tops on (unless the tops are crunchy/dried up)
2 handfuls of frozen grapes
Yeah, I know, none of these measurements are exact. You can taste as you go and add more of things as you please- I don't measure when I make a smoothie, I just try not to overflow my blender cup.
In a hand blender: Add the water, spinach, Vega, banana, and lemon juice. Blend it up!
Add a few of the strawberries and blend, a few more, blend, etc. until you've added all of the strawberries.
Then add the frozen grapes and blend again.
You can use frozen strawberries, depending on how cold you want it.
If you're into fruit water, you can soak strawberries and lemons together, and when you're done drinking the water, use the strawberries (and squeeze the lemons) from the fruit water into this. That's how I made it the first time, but I get that not everyone has that just sitting around ;)
A 2nd confession, I haven't eaten a Starburst in years, as I'm just not really into fruity candy, and I also tend to avoid things of that consistency to avoid ripping out expensiveass dental work.
But when I made this smoothie a few weeks ago (and again today) and sipped it for the first time, I immediately remembered Pink Starburst! So here you go- end of the indulgent reminiscing and reasoning for the smoothie maybe not tasting EXACTLY like a pink Starburst; you've been warned.
PINK STARBURST SMOOTHIE
1/2 - 3/4 cup water
2 big handfuls of spinach
1/2 scoop Vega vanilla flavored nutritional shake powder
1 bananaSome squeezes of lemon juice
3 handfuls of strawberries with the tops on (unless the tops are crunchy/dried up)
2 handfuls of frozen grapes
Yeah, I know, none of these measurements are exact. You can taste as you go and add more of things as you please- I don't measure when I make a smoothie, I just try not to overflow my blender cup.
In a hand blender: Add the water, spinach, Vega, banana, and lemon juice. Blend it up!
Add a few of the strawberries and blend, a few more, blend, etc. until you've added all of the strawberries.
Then add the frozen grapes and blend again.
You can use frozen strawberries, depending on how cold you want it.
If you're into fruit water, you can soak strawberries and lemons together, and when you're done drinking the water, use the strawberries (and squeeze the lemons) from the fruit water into this. That's how I made it the first time, but I get that not everyone has that just sitting around ;)
Monday, November 25, 2013
Dat Baked Rotini, tho...
12 oz rotini
1/2-3/4 jar spaghetti sauce
4 mozzarella string cheeses
4 handfuls shredded parmesan cheese
5 slices provologne cheese
3-4 roma tomatoes <<YUUUUMMMMY
baby spinach (a few handfuls)
Cook and drain pasta.
While you're waiting for the water to boil and/or cooking the pasta, dice the roma tomatoes into chunks- a little bigger than you would for salsa. Thinly slice/shred the baby spinach. Cut the string cheeses up into little cubes, about 1/2".
Add the drained pasta to a big bowl.
Add the pasta sauce- it's up to you how much. How saucy do you want it?
Add the baby spinach, tomatoes, string cheese pieces, and 2 handfuls of the parmesan cheese. Mix that up well, then dump into a greased 9x13 dish (or a pretty deep 9x9 dish).
Cover with provologne slices, then sprinkle the last 2 handfuls of parmesan cheese over the top.
Cover this with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Check the pasta mix near the end; uncover for a little while if it seems too liquidy.
1/2-3/4 jar spaghetti sauce
4 mozzarella string cheeses
4 handfuls shredded parmesan cheese
5 slices provologne cheese
3-4 roma tomatoes <<YUUUUMMMMY
baby spinach (a few handfuls)
Cook and drain pasta.
While you're waiting for the water to boil and/or cooking the pasta, dice the roma tomatoes into chunks- a little bigger than you would for salsa. Thinly slice/shred the baby spinach. Cut the string cheeses up into little cubes, about 1/2".
Add the drained pasta to a big bowl.
Add the pasta sauce- it's up to you how much. How saucy do you want it?
Add the baby spinach, tomatoes, string cheese pieces, and 2 handfuls of the parmesan cheese. Mix that up well, then dump into a greased 9x13 dish (or a pretty deep 9x9 dish).
Cover with provologne slices, then sprinkle the last 2 handfuls of parmesan cheese over the top.
Cover this with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Check the pasta mix near the end; uncover for a little while if it seems too liquidy.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Elope with a Cantaloupe Smoothie!
YUM, yum yum! This one came out very good!
I thought by now I would be getting sick of smoothies TWICE a day. Believe it or not, I still look forward to them. Probably because they are always easy and almost always very tasty. And even with 2 scoops of protein powder per smoothie twice a day, I'm more than halfway through the 30 Days to Feeling Fit and still on my first bag. I still have lots of powder left and lots of smoothies in my future.
I love buying new fruits and playing around with combinations.
Ingredients:
1/2-3/4 cup cold water
2 scoops vanilla Arbonne protein powder
1/2 scoop Arbonne fiber boost
1 cup (a few fistfulls) of spinach leaves
1 tsp bee pollen (not necessary for taste but add it if you appreciate the nutritional benefits)
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 cup Simply Orange fortified orange juice (you can probably sub more orange extract + 1/2 cup water if you don't want the 55 calories from this)
1/2 cup frozen grapes
about 1 cup cantaloupe- we had it cut into slices of various lengths and 3/4" tall; I used 5 of them.
Directions:
I do this in a hand blender with a stainless steel cup....
1. Add water, Arbonne powders, spinach, bee pollen, orange extract, and OJ (or extract + extra water if you're using that) and blend.
2. Add the frozen grapes and blend.
3. Add the cantaloupe and blend, and let it go for a minute or two even after you don't see chunks- just to get it as smooth as possible.
This one is definitely a keeper and one of my favorites! And I'm not even really a fan of cantaloupe. I bet this would be good with a carrot mixed in, too.
I thought by now I would be getting sick of smoothies TWICE a day. Believe it or not, I still look forward to them. Probably because they are always easy and almost always very tasty. And even with 2 scoops of protein powder per smoothie twice a day, I'm more than halfway through the 30 Days to Feeling Fit and still on my first bag. I still have lots of powder left and lots of smoothies in my future.
I love buying new fruits and playing around with combinations.
Ingredients:
1/2-3/4 cup cold water
2 scoops vanilla Arbonne protein powder
1/2 scoop Arbonne fiber boost
1 cup (a few fistfulls) of spinach leaves
1 tsp bee pollen (not necessary for taste but add it if you appreciate the nutritional benefits)
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 cup Simply Orange fortified orange juice (you can probably sub more orange extract + 1/2 cup water if you don't want the 55 calories from this)
1/2 cup frozen grapes
about 1 cup cantaloupe- we had it cut into slices of various lengths and 3/4" tall; I used 5 of them.
Directions:
I do this in a hand blender with a stainless steel cup....
1. Add water, Arbonne powders, spinach, bee pollen, orange extract, and OJ (or extract + extra water if you're using that) and blend.
2. Add the frozen grapes and blend.
3. Add the cantaloupe and blend, and let it go for a minute or two even after you don't see chunks- just to get it as smooth as possible.
This one is definitely a keeper and one of my favorites! And I'm not even really a fan of cantaloupe. I bet this would be good with a carrot mixed in, too.
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