Post Whole 30: A Whole New World

The biggest piece of advice for you post Whole30ers: don't plan a trip to Paris 2 days after you come off your Whole 30. It will not end well. 

So going into the Whole30 I knew that I'd be going to Paris at the end. I partially did the Whole30 to feel better going into this vacation, which I did. I lost inches, a few pounds, and was on the cusp of another smaller pant size. My post two days after the Whole30 were okay, I added some dairy (hard cheese) back into my diet, some sugar (honey) and wine (because commmme onnn). Not too bad. I packed my carry-on bag full of Whole30-approved snacks to combat the airplane munchies that accompany a 6-hour flight. When I got to the airport I realized I should probably eat dinner before getting on the plane and having the questionable food selections so I stopped and got a baked potato with butter and bacon and a grilled chicken breast. Again, not too bad.

On the plane I had a plethora of snacks including sweet potato chips, Larabars, grapes, raisin and sunflower seed trail mix and some already pre-peeled clementines. I only drank water (ginger-ale used to be my go-to airplane drink) and ate my little snacks and plugged my headphones in to watch "An American in Paris" (fitting I know). Dinner hour rolled along and the attendants brought our options: a choice of pasta or chicken. I chose the chicken and ended up just eating the 4 pieces of green leaves and the hunk of carrot and tomato salad. Mom was tempted to eat the chunk of bread that was there but we both knew it wasn't even worth it and left everything else on the plate. We spent the next 5 1/2 hours watching movies, reading and taking a quick nap before it was already morning in Paris and we were making our descent into the City of Lights. Naturally that meant another food run from the flight attendants- we were shocked that it wasn't a muffie and instead was a greek yogurt and granola. So we had that. Again, not bad.

Up until this point, I was like "oh man, we can totally do this Whole30 thing abroad. We've got this".

And then I got off the plane.

The biggest piece of advice for you post Whole30ers: don't plan a trip to Paris 2 days after you come off your Whole 30. It will not end well. 

Okay but honestly, I knew I was going to Paris and I knew I wanted to enjoy every last bite and I wasn't going to feel guilty about it. We had the most amazing trip and really it was one of my dream trips to take and we ate so many wonderful things that were so NOT Whole30 approved and I was completely fine with it. Croissants, baugette, fresh cheese, pastries, odious amounts of champagne and wine; you know the 'not-approved' list my friends- well basically I solely ate from that list. It was worth it. I would've a) starved to death because Parisians live off bread, wine and cheese and b) been so disappointed and sad if I would've avoided all the quintessential Parisian treats. 

A quick look at our lovely (#NOTWhole30) eating in Paris:

One of the funny things I always find while I'm in Europe is that I'm totally fine eating gluten. So far I've been able to eat gluten in United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal and have been completely fine. France was no exception (and considering the amount of gluten I ate...I was shocked). But the funny thing is- as soon as I got back to the States and ate something in the airport (secretly praying that I'll be cured of this stupid disease) I got sick again. Darnit. Back to a gluten-free lifestyle.

The hardest thing for me was coming BACK from Paris and getting back into a groove again. I was good for a week and then fell off the wagon again by letting dairy and sugar creep back into my life. So on the wagon I go again. I'm not sure what my #PostWhole30 life is going to look like, but I'm trying to figure that out. One meal prep at a time, one week at a time because after all it really is like a WHOLE new world.

Whole 30 Week 1

The Whole 30. And so it begins. 

Today was the end marker of my first week on the Whole 30 journey. Last week while driving back from Florida, my mom read the book "It Starts With Food" and wanted to try the Whole 30 challenge. So after a few months of travel and a holiday weekend, mom and I decided to start the whole 30 challenge. Interested in the Whole 30? Not sure what the hype is all about? Check it out here. 

The Whole 30 was "established by Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system" Basically it's a 30-day reset of your body that changes your relationship with food, resets your metabolism and helps restore order and harmony in your body.

So here is an overall recap of my first week on the Whole 30.

Day 1

Breakfast was great: eggs, bacon and fresh fruit. Nothing too crazy. Lunch on the other hand, I would've quit if I wasn't doing this whole thing with my mom. A stressful day at work had me craving things I couldn't have, chips, pretzels and lemonade tea. So instead I made a "tuna salad" boat made with avocado and a side of grapes. Eh. I survived. Dinner was a simple grilled chicken, green beans, sweet potato mash with ghee and cinnamon. Not too bad overall but again- a support system is 

Day 2

Breakfast is simple and easy, eggs, bacon and fruit. Lunch was a salad that was less than thrilling and left me starving by mid-afternoon. Dinner was a failure, I overcooked pork chops and failed at making cauliflower rice so I ended up going to bed just tired, grumpy and hungry. Day 2 wasn't shaping up to be much better either.

The rest of the week was a mix of emotions. Breakfasts were always easy although I'm getting a little sick of eggs and bacon; I felt great and could head to work energized and ready for the day. Lunch time made me annoyed because I wanted things I could't have (have I mentioned that sugar is in EVERYTHING?!). However dinner time was the hardest. Getting home from work and being purely exhausted, all I wanted to do was snack or munch. The carb flu also hit me hard at the end of the week; I felt tired, sluggish, kind of in a daze somedays, hungry and just ill in general. 

Things I learned on Week 1:

1. I love sugar…oh wait, I already knew that

2. I get exhausted during the afternoon…but I already knew that too

3. I workout in the morning before work so by 10am, I'm hungry again- I think I need to add a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack in, almost as a "post workout" snack

4. Cauliflower rice isn't as easy as it looks

5. When in doubt…just go to bed.

Pluvophile

Pluviophile: A lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days.

Isn't the rain such a peaceful and relaxing sound? There is nothing quite like sitting next to a window, closing your eyes, pressing your forehead against the glass and feeling the coolness that starts in your head and crawls down your spine. 

Some people hate the rain, but I love it. I find escape in the rhythmic pit-pat of the rain drops on my car. It's my excuse to get a cup of Earl Gray from Starbucks and take an extra-long lunch break to just sit in my car and read that book that's stashed in my glove box. I think one of reasons I love the rain is that it becomes therapeutic; cleansing, calming, reassuring, life-bringing. The smell, the taste, the feeling of it on your skin, it is natures way of cleansing the earth, restoring life, and creating new life; isn't it incredible?

The same goes for our spiritual beings- the cleansing of our soul. We are washed cleaned, able to start anew, by the blood of Christ. We are given a new life, we are restored in Him, and it creates a new found hope in our spirit. Every once in a while, we need a cleansing to remember who we are in Him and that there is a much greater purpose to the struggles we face on a daily basis. Just like a flower, we need the occasional rain storm to restore us, let our roots grow deeper, and allow us to continue to grow to our full potential. Don't be detoured by the rain, but embrace it and realize that through the rain and the storm, you will come out on the other side revitalized, renewed, and restored.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7