In the last several years I have been paying more attention to the foods I eat and what I prepare for Eric & myself. I think we have been eating pretty well for the most part but there is always room for improvement. One of the main things I have been focusing on is sugar. I came to realize that sugar is in everything! I discovered that processed foods and drinks have a ton of sugar and that it can’t be good for our health.
Artificial Sweetners
About a year and a half ago I stopped using Splenda or any other artificial sweetener in my drinks. My main source of caffeine is ice tea. Specifically green ice tea from Starbucks. It became a habit needing my ice tea every day. I discovered by cutting out the artificial sweeteners that it wasn’t the ice tea I was craving it was the sweetner! I also discovered that I didn’t crave sweets as much as I did when I used artificial sweeteners.
Home Cooked Meals
I have also been trying to cook our meals from scratch. I have discovered the past several years I REALLY love to cook! I have been trying out all kinds of recipes and I am never afraid to add my own twist to a recipe. This is from a kid who was brought up on frozen tv dinners, Spaghetti O’s, and boxed foods.
Whole 30
A couple of weeks ago I decided to check out the Whole 30. I had heard about the Whole 30 online through Facebook. Abby Whitaker and her team at The Abbi Agency in Reno took the challenge. I saw the posts about their progress and decided to buy the book.
I have read through the book and have decided to start the Whole 30 on March 1st. The Whole 30 is not a diet. If you are looking to lose weight as your main goal then this is not for you. This is about eating healthy and discovering what foods are doing to your body and how they make you feel.
Preparing For The Whole 30
Over a week a go I printed out the shopping list and the common list of additives cheat sheet and headed to the store. My shopping trip took a lot longer than it normally would because of all the label reading.
It was REALLY frustrating to find food that didn’t have sugar or peanut oil listed in the ingredients. I ended up going to 4 stores in total to find all of the things I was looking for. I also wanted to make sure I knew where to locate things when I did need them.
I took my time at each store and found food that was Whole 30 compliant. When you are on the Whole 30 challenge you are NOT allowed to eat the following:
- Sugar or artificial sweeteners of any kind
- Alcohol
- Grains
- Legumes
- Dairy
- Carrageenan, MSG, added Sulfites
- No baked goods even if they are Paleo friendly
I suppose to most people this sounds extreme. I understand because I am a chocoholic! Like I said earlier I have been trying to cut down on sugars all ready. I don’t really drink. I think my biggest challenges are:
- Pasta, Rice, Quinoa, and Bread (Grains)
- Chocolate (Sugar)
- Yogurt (Dairy)
But I think I can do it! I am pretty good about not eating a lot of things that I bake or make for Eric already. So, I am going to go for it!
Whole 30 Prep Week
Like I said before I started stocking the house with Whole 30 compliant food and ingredients. I have talked to Eric and he is willing to try out the new recipes I am going to make. I have gone through and separated out or gotten rid of foods that are NOT Whole 30 compliant.
In the past week I have tried several recipes and have enjoyed each of them! I am someone that needs to investigate the in’s and out’s of something like this. I am fully aware of what I need to do and looking forward to seeing how the next 30 days go!
Healthier Life Stlye
Here’s to finding out what the Whole 30 will teach me about a healthier life style! Keep an eye out for my posts during my Whole 30 challenge!
There are no comments