The Lowdown
The Whole30. Have you ever heard about it? Neither had I until just recently when a little casual eves-dropping led to the best discovery I've made in a long time.
No Sugar. No Grains. No Legumes or Processed Foods. No Alcohol, no Dairy.
Meat & Fish. Fresh Eggs & Veggies. Fruit & Healthy Fats, all Organic. 30 Days. Sounds like an adventure!
The Whole30. Have you ever heard about it? Neither had I until just recently when a little casual eves-dropping led to the best discovery I've made in a long time.
No Sugar. No Grains. No Legumes or Processed Foods. No Alcohol, no Dairy.
Meat & Fish. Fresh Eggs & Veggies. Fruit & Healthy Fats, all Organic. 30 Days. Sounds like an adventure!
I won't re-write the entire program here but if you've never looked into it, take a second get the whole story at http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/. I'm a hard sell and I don't complicated programs, but if you've been trying to find ways to eat cleaner, this is something you need to check out. There are a bunch of resources and plenty of tips to help you out along the way - it's worth a shot, you have nothing to lose!
So back to my experience... the truth is I did have something to lose: my sanity. I haven't even started yet and I'm already going crazy - I know this will get better, but....ahh! Overhauling a lifestyle is like renovating the shelving in a warehouse: everything has to move. But I'm very determined to do this right, so here goes...
So back to my experience... the truth is I did have something to lose: my sanity. I haven't even started yet and I'm already going crazy - I know this will get better, but....ahh! Overhauling a lifestyle is like renovating the shelving in a warehouse: everything has to move. But I'm very determined to do this right, so here goes...
The Plan
I am a planner. I organize and plan for a living, so you can imagine that I probably have a natural inclination to know what meals I'm grocery shopping for. I usually do a two-week shop and have every day's meals planned out long in advance. I was actually really excited about this part of the Whole30 because it's something I'm naturally good at! However, after a few hours of combing the internet for recipes, I was starting to get discouraged. I decided to play it simple for our first week (I'm only menu-planning one week at a time for the Whole30 to keep our produce fresh). Basic, easy recipes that I know we already enjoy, just with healthier proponents and organic materials. I'll be keeping a log every day of what our meals are so I won't list them all here, but rest assured, by the time I got up from the kitchen table, we had a plan!!
For some of my favorite recipes, blogs and good tips check out my Pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/mrsjasminea/whole-30/
Now to the implementation... I took a late-night shopping trip to B.J.'s to see what organic foods I could find. Although I flip-flopped my way around the store for over an hour, I was quite disappointed with the organic selection they had in stock. I was able to find big containers of organic spring mix and spinach, as well as a few odds and ends, but no meat, hardly any produce, and a very limited selection of other products. On to Plan B...
I am a planner. I organize and plan for a living, so you can imagine that I probably have a natural inclination to know what meals I'm grocery shopping for. I usually do a two-week shop and have every day's meals planned out long in advance. I was actually really excited about this part of the Whole30 because it's something I'm naturally good at! However, after a few hours of combing the internet for recipes, I was starting to get discouraged. I decided to play it simple for our first week (I'm only menu-planning one week at a time for the Whole30 to keep our produce fresh). Basic, easy recipes that I know we already enjoy, just with healthier proponents and organic materials. I'll be keeping a log every day of what our meals are so I won't list them all here, but rest assured, by the time I got up from the kitchen table, we had a plan!!
For some of my favorite recipes, blogs and good tips check out my Pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/mrsjasminea/whole-30/
Now to the implementation... I took a late-night shopping trip to B.J.'s to see what organic foods I could find. Although I flip-flopped my way around the store for over an hour, I was quite disappointed with the organic selection they had in stock. I was able to find big containers of organic spring mix and spinach, as well as a few odds and ends, but no meat, hardly any produce, and a very limited selection of other products. On to Plan B...
So today we packed up for a mini-road trip and headed off to the nearest Trader Joe's. It probably wasn't the best plan on my part seeing as it was a busy Sunday afternoon. It was shoulder-to-shoulder and more than once I found myself wandering through the isles, getting nudged from one side to the other, striving in vain to read the labels from afar. But we did it! We got almost everything on our list, packed it up and headed home to empty out the refrigerator.... however, not before I snatched my favorite Trader Joe's treat! (Have you tried them?! Dark Chocolate, Sea-salt & Caramel... ahh, sweet bliss!) Don't judge me, 30 days is a long time!
Ready...Set....!
T-12 hours - The pantry has been turned upside down. The refrigerator has experience a more thorough cleaning than it has had in months, and every last ounce of bad foods are in hiding (I can't get rid of all of them, I do have a picky 3-year-old...).
T-12 hours - The pantry has been turned upside down. The refrigerator has experience a more thorough cleaning than it has had in months, and every last ounce of bad foods are in hiding (I can't get rid of all of them, I do have a picky 3-year-old...).
All ready for tomorrow, our fridge will rest well tonight! (Disregard the drawer with cheeses... remember my 3-year-old? ^
We are off to watch the football game and I think my husband came home with a 'last night of freedom' box of Swiss Rolls... oh boy. Here we go!
We are off to watch the football game and I think my husband came home with a 'last night of freedom' box of Swiss Rolls... oh boy. Here we go!
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