Whole30 Week 3

Wow! I am over halfway done my Whole30 challenge. I can't believe it! Its almost done. I feel very strong that I overcame all the obstacles to finish this. Its called a challenge for a reason. Its NOT easy. Its mentally, physically and mostly emotionally challenging. Its altering the way to see food. I can say that once I got over the humps, its progressively gotten easier, but it still comes with its daily challenges.

Days 15-18:

I got into a bit of a food slump. Got a bit bored with what I was eating, so I did need to change it up. I am the type of person who needs food change. I cannot eat the same stuff over and over. With that being said, I did make a batch of Well Fed's Chocolate Chili and ate that for lunch for this whole week. I said in my last blog that its amazing and I will repeat how delicious it is. I did try it with ground chicken and I must say, yummy. Also, I have noticed that during this challenge, that my typical "sweet tooth" has gone sort of spicy! I am looking for foods with spice. Not too much, just a bit of kick. My new latest cravings are for chili plantain chips. Yum. These are so delicious. They're crunchy, salty and spicy! Well worth it. I did also make some dehydrated apples to munch on, however, the kids ate the majority of them. Its a win/win I guess...they ate healthy and I have to make more.

Days 19-21:

I swear that EVERYTHING in my path was trying to tempt or derail me. I took my kiddos to ice cream after dance class and they SO wanted to share all their delicious yummy ice cream with me. The ice cream shop even had my favourite kinds...BUT I did good and didn't even have a bite. Actually, come to think about it, I didn't really "want" it, just the idea of having something at was forbidden was sort of daring. I also made cookies with the kids. Chocolate chip ones. The cookie dough was looking at me like, hey we know each other. Why have you left us. I laughed in the cookie doughs face and said, NO! Ooh the thoughts that go on inside my head.Then my daughter's BFF had her birthday party. Cake, cookies, all sorts of goodies. Again, I knew better and wasn't even tempted however, her mom did save me a piece of her homemade cake. Very sweet of her.

I honestly don't really want junk food. But I am going to come out and say it...laugh if you want, but all I really, really, REALLY want is a Diet Dr Pepper. I know, I am terrible. That's my one weakness. My mommy crack, as my bestie say, if you will. I doubt it will taste good, so maybe thats a good thing.

I am not sure how I will approach re-introducing some foods back into my diet. I know that since my body detoxed off of sugar, I have been headache/migraine free. I really think it might be the grains. Who knows...I do know that I hope to continue this on with a slight modification. I do enjoy cheese and yogurt and miss them a lot. Moderation will be the key. Still will keep on the Paleo lifestyle as it suits my family and I.

I think I might just have to have a celebratory small glass of wine after the next week...I will be a cheap date :)

The Cost of Healthy Eating

Even before I did this Whole30 challenge, I supplied my house with healthy snacks and food. We dined on healthier choiced foods like baked chicken, lean beef options, veggies etc. My husband, who is, well shall we say, not very health food minded, would eat the occasional salad for lunch. We ate alot of produce but since starting the challenge, I have really up'd the produce intake. It rarely lasts a week in this house.

I should start off by saying that I am a couponer. I love to find a good deal on things. I am known to scour the Internet coupon websites and print out various coupons for my grocery shopping days. I even sign up for the products mailing list in hopes that I get more money saving coupons. With that being said, why is it so hard to find coupons for more healthier options? Majority of the coupons out there are for pre-packaged, processed foods. Don't get me wrong, I have been known to cash in a $1.00 off coupon for toaster strudels (for my "big" kid). Why does produce or healthier rarely ever go on sale? I know what you're thinking, then go to a farm or CSA and get local produce for less money, but for some, that's not an option.

I am not trying to be preachy, but I have really investigated what was causing my health ailments these last 6 months and that's why I was led to try the Whole30. It was crazy to find that so many things that were in my foods were causing my debilitating migraines. Things or additives that I thought were healthy, rendered me a drone for days to deal with my migraines. After doing an elimination and figuring out what was causing them, I haven't had one for awhile now.

Since then, the cost of my groceries have sky-rocketed and it got me to wondering why. I do read labels when I purchase things. I will pay a bit more to avoid things. I wish these companies, that have these high quality products, would get people to want to purchase them with coupons. Coupons are the reason that most people try new things. It would open so many doors for people if they could try them.

Whole30 Week 2!

Yes, "technically" week 2 started Monday...however I have been diligently sticking to my plan of spending quality time with the kiddos and haven't had a chance to write about this last week! As they sit and munch on their breakfast, I thought what a perfect opportunity to write here! Of course, they're eating french toast sticks, so YAY for cool mom for me but boo for healthy mom. I justified it by making them whole wheat. Yes, not "technically" Paleo, but whatever. I am cool in their books today.

Week 2 was SO much easier than the 1st week. I have regained my energy, to only have it taken back away by starting the TurboFire workout series! A friend of mine let me borrow this workout system and dang, woah! its intense. I do really like it though. Its is a butt kicker, but I am up for the challenge. I am already feeling pretty "worked out".

Days 8-10:

This Whole30 approach by now is becoming second nature to me. Its pretty neat to watch myself go for the apple and almond butter over all the other stuff I could eat. I have virtually no cravings for junk food. I even tested myself and make chocolate chip cookies with the kids and didn't eat any. Wow that's good for me and cookie dough is my ultimate favourite. <---(my Canadian'ness :) Its really nice to have a support group to turn to when you need assistance too. I have a local friend who is doing right along side me as well as an online group of women whom I have never met and we check-in quite often. Makes it easier.

Days 11-14:

I made some yummy stuff these days to eat. I refuse to make 2 separate meals for myself and the family so I am changing up a few family favourites to eat. We LOVE coconut chicken here. So, instead of using coconut with cornflake crumbs like usual, I used unsweetened coconut and almond flour. Make a nice crust on the outside. Then pan seared them in coconut oil on the stove and cooked them in the oven for an additional 15 mins. Very good! Served with sweet potato fries and what a delicious meal. Also made Chocolate Chili. I recommend this to anyone because its amazing. Makes a lot too so you can freeze and save some too. Here is the recipe! Enjoy!!

Can't believe I am halfway through! I am so proud of myself. I have never done anything like this before, so for me, is incredibly rewarding. These last years I have been either pregnant or breastfeeding, so this would have been totally out of the question. Its a great sense of accomplishment for me.

Again, as I have said before, are you up for the challenge? I challenge you to life Whole30 for 30 days. You can do it.

Military Friendships

I have written about friendships before and how much they mean to my life and my children's life. I am thankful for all my friendships that have came into my life within the last 4 years. I feel that I have made some of the most concrete relationships these last 4 years,  more so than the other 23 years of my life. With that being said, reality setting about our pending move this summer and saying goodbye to our home and friends.

I knew when I married my husband, we would move every 3-4 years. That part actually excited me. I am always open to change and find new things enthralling. With that being said, I didn't realize how hard it would be to say goodbye to the people who shared my ups and downs with. I know, from personal experience, how difficult it is saying goodbye to people leaving. Staying in the place where you met and shared things with is emotionally difficult to do. However, I didn't think about the others who will have to say goodbye to my family when leave.

Why is it especially hard to fathom leaving when you have children? These kids have spent all this time together, some even from infants, and now you have to take their best friend away? I know, in my heart, they will create new friendships, but still is so hard to think about. My daughter is just developing a sweet girly friendship with J and it breaks my heart to not see that grow. Also, another one of her buddies has been friends with her since he was just weeks old.

I guess that is better to have loved and lossed than to never have loved at all. I know that these friendships, especially the deeply rooted ones, will be life long ones. Not just 1 time a year Christmas cards, but come up and visit for the weekend, friends.

Military lifestyle isn't for everyone. This is my 2nd move with my husband and I think that these bring us, as a family, even closer. I will miss those certain things about where I am now and the people who are in my life. The beauty of the military, is you will know people all over the country and world.

Week 1 of Whole30

Yes, I have been slacking on my blogging. Oops...my life has been so busy lately and I can hardly keep my eyes open at nighttime after the kids go to bed. Long live my blog and my newest post! :)

I completed my first week of the Whole30 Challenge. If you're wondering what in the world I am talking about, please check out my last entry here. Its a way to basically "detox" your body of processed foods. I thought that this would be very hard for me, but I found it to be not as bad. Our family (mostly me, except dinners) already follow a Paleo'ish lifestyle. That's where you eliminate all grains, legumes, sugars, etc, so that was kind of that half the battle there. I did have some "withdrawal" symptoms however because in the Whole30, you cannot even eat natural sugars like cane, maple syrup or stevia.

Day 1:

Today is relatively easy. I didn't have a hard time giving up much, but I did pack my diet with all sorts of yummy proteins and veggies. The only big shocker for me was giving up my coffee creamer! AWK. That was hard. I love love love flavoured coffee creamers. They're my rock in the morning but I was committed to this program, so I had black coffee. Wasn't my fav, but it works. Made an amazing Paleo Oatmeal from the Practical Paleo cookbook for breakfast. Its just so yummy! Had a headache throughout the day, but that's normal for me, sadly. I get them A LOT so I am not sure if I can attribute it to this.

Day 3:

Today was a CRAZY day. We got assigned to my husbands next unit in Staten Island, NY. I was kind of on a high from the news and felt amazing all day. I did notice that I didn't have any cravings yet, which was kind of neat! Since I am packing my day with good and whole foods, I wasn't starving all the time too. I will say that I REALLY wanted a Diet Dr. Pepper. That's my crutch right there and my hubs wasn't helping my drinking it in front of me saying how amazing it is. Pirate husband.

Day 4-5:

Alright, I will say these days were harder. I was exhausted. I was wiped all day long ---->think 1st trimester tired. I so badly wanted a Diet Dr.Pepper to pick me up. I resisted the temptation as hard as it was. Because of the exhaustion, I was grouchy. Needless to say, I probably wasn't the easiest person to deal with these days. Oops...All in the name of health! I also had a headache. I, again, am not sure if it was Whole30 related, but figured I'd mention it. I did make this amazing dinner tonight of flank steak with a pineapple salsa. Wow! Its so yummy. Even if you're not Paleo, try this puppy out. Its sooooo yummy! The kids, yes the kids, love it too!! Way better the next day for lunch as well. You will love this recipe!

Day 7:

So today, I feel great! I have my energy back and again feel pretty darn good. I went my weekly grocery shopping with the peanut C today and I even have her looking for all things sugar. She repeatedly said, sugar isn't good for you! Love it. I will make a side note, when you do this challenge, you are forced to read the ingredient labels. You will be shocked that sugar is in EVERYTHING. Bacon, chicken broth, spaghetti sauce & "health" foods. (I do make my own sauce since my bestie showed me how to make it)  Its crazy. Take a look at the labels of things next time and you shall see. Its hidden by using different names, so beware.

Now that the 1st week is over, I feel good, great even. I recommend doing this with a friend. It makes things easier and you can check in with them on how you're feeling. We even have an online group too and that does help. I'm seeing a change in my health and body. Its a good feeling that I can do something to help myself out and in turn, my family. I challenge you to try!

Whole30 Challenge!

So along with my few resolutions for this year, I am doing the Whole30 challenge along with a few friends of mine. I was introduced to this challenge by a friend and I loved the idea of it. Within the last 6 months, I have really changed the way I eat food. I am discovering what foods triggers my headaches and other GI problems. I have done a lot of research and done a 360 on my diet. By eliminating 85% of dairy products in my life, I have significantly cut down the amount of headaches/migraines I get.

Also, by eliminating a lot of processed foods, I have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels. I have more energy during the day, without caffeinating myself, and sleep so much better at night. I will say that this was not easy at first. I really detoxed for the first week I went off of processed foods and sugar. I had headaches, sweats, upset stomachs, etc. It was an insane feeling. But since then, I no longer crave the junk foods or processed foods I once loved so much. I even tried a dark chocolate square lately, which are my fav, and didn't get the same satisfaction that I once got. Amazing, huh??!

Now the sweetness of carrots, or tartness of an apple is what I crave. I would have never thought I'd say that!! I look forward to drinking my green smoothie in the morning with all sorts of goodness in it. Even the kiddos love them too.

I have implemented this movement into my families diet as well. Well, at least my kids. Husband, he's a bit more resistant. He does love the meals I cook however. I leave the snacking choices up to him and he will *eventually* come around. (as I look over at him munching on an ice cream drumstick)

So, I challenge you friends to check out the Whole30 movement. The link will take you to read all about it. It will NOT be easy, even for myself, but I think the benefits will be far greater than the initial struggles. There are plenty of groups out there for support and you can always lean on me for support as well. My friends and I are starting this January 7th. Join us! Or check out my upcoming blogs to see how my 30 days go and maybe I can inspire you to take the reins on your health.

Welcome 2013

Happy New Year! Welcome to a new year and a fresh start for everyone.

My husband and I are not typical "new years resolutions" type people. He kind of just makes something up, something that looks appealing to him for the moment and says that's what it is. That's my husband for you. As for myself, I don't usually pick what you'd classify as typical resolutions; weight loss, read more, etc. Its hard for myself to focus on something truly for me. I'd rather invest my time and energy into something that will help us as whole family unit. This year I have picked a few items to focus on:

Organization: With a big moving coming up within the next 6 months (NO we haven't found out yet, hopefully soon, but if you ask my bestie, its OR lol) this seems like the most logical one that I can focus on. I would like to think I am pretty organized for a household with 2 kids 4 and under. I love storage tubs, especially ones with drawers in them. I have all of C's school stuff in one of those as well as her art supplies. However, there is always room for improvement. I've seen so many cool things on Pinterest for this and if you'd like to check what I've found, here's my page link here. I've been slowly adding things and some might not be in the right category, hence the need for organization.

Quality Time: Lets be real. As a stay at home mom, I spend ALL day with my kiddos. I am not complaining, but sometimes I can lose focus on whats important when it comes to them. I am making it a goal to not just spend "time" together but quality time together. Even if its just for a few minutes, those minutes need to be focused on them. So easy to say, however, sometimes so hard to initiate. There are sometimes so many other things that I could be doing. However, I plan to make an effort to ignore the voice in my head about the laundry, dishes etc, and focus on my ever-growing children. I will not get this time back, so making it count is very important to me.

Playing Pirate ship on Christmas day...Love this picture and being in the moment

These are what's important to me. Along with attempting to get a date night with my loving husband of 5+years, but lets be real here, that probably wont happen anytime soon. *smile*

What are some of your resoultions? Are they for yourself, family or others? No shame if they're all just for you. We're human and sometimes we need to work on ourselves to help others.