My January Goal: ACCOMPLISHED!

Whole30... it CAN be done!!!

This year for the first time, I set specific goals for myself each month.  Since January is the month that motivates me the most to accept challenges that encourage me to be a better version of myself in every possible way, I decided good nutritional food would be my goal for the first month of the year.  After doing some research about food programs and eating healthy, I came across Whole30.  This program was created 10 years ago by Melissa Hartwig, a sports nutritionist and nutritional consultant.  Ironically enough, I had never heard of this program before, but I am glad that my social media search buttons directed me to their site one random day in the Fall of last year because it has really changed my relationship with food.

I can almost say that Whole30 has already changed my life. I know it might be a little too soon to make this type of declaration, but I am feeling strong enough about it and confident in myself that I will be able to achieve this new goal of mine to be healthier and keep it going.

I have suffered from migraine headaches for twenty years now.  My oldest daughter was just one years old the day I found myself at the hospital getting an MRI of my head.  I would never be able to put into words the fear I experienced that day not knowing the reason behind my sudden, excruciating and chronic headaches.  The severity of the pain fluctuated from time to time, but it never left me.  Some days were tolerable and I could go about my day. Other days, I had to find the darkest room in the house and wait for the agony to pass.  This was never easy, but I think my natural positive outlook in life helped me cope with the physical challenges I faced daily.

After years of doctors appointments, more MRI’s and failed attempts at every treatment possible including 30+ agonizing botox injections in different parts of my head several times during the year and nothing helping, I decided to take my health into my own hands and seek advice from a doctor that had a different and more holistic approach to finding an answer to my pain.  She recommended me to try a gluten free diet for 4-6 weeks and then start an elimination process with other foods to see if any of these were the culprit of my illness.

On a typical month, I would have to take between 4-5 prescription migraine pills a week to help me navigate through the pain and function at home, at my full time job and with my social life in general.  The pills give me horrible side effects that include severe muscle aches throughout my body, weakness and a sensation of coldness in my nose and face to name a few.  My pain was so intense, but every time I was willing to suffer all those awful side effects as long as the medicine would just take the migraine away.  Migraines are debilitating in every sense of the word, I wouldn’t wish them on anybody.

Let me go back a couple of months as this is also an important part of my journey to health. I was a heavy diet coke drinker for years.  In the Summer months when it was nice and hot outside, I would drink between 2-3 cans of diet coke a day.  In social events, it would drink even more than that.  If we were out to dinner, I would make sure we were eating at a restaurant that had free refills because I knew one or two glasses of diet coke would not be enough.  It was a vicious cycle that I could simply not break.  I read numerous articles about how bad artificial sweeteners were for you and a few friends urged me to stop drinking that nasty stuff, but I was too stubborn and too set in my own ways to listen even when I saw red flags all over.  On November 6, 2018, I was out to dinner with a friend at a Mexican restaurant, the moment the waitress came to our table to get our drink order, I spontaneously said “a diet coke for me please.”  My friend immediately directed her attention to the waitress and to me and said, “No, I’m sorry, you will not be drinking that poison that makes you sick in front of me.”  It might sound a little pushy and personal, but I can sincerely say that her brave words made me realize the damage I was causing myself.  I had a friend in front of me that cared enough about my health and my well being that she was willing to risk the tone of our conversation for the rest of the night had I not taken her suggestion in a positive way.  I can proudly say that November 5th was the last day this gal consumed a diet coke… 90 days and counting, yay for me!!!

Now let me share my journey with Whole30 so far.  First, WHAT IS WHOLE30?  Whole30 is a 30 day eating plan designed to rewire the way we think about food by avoiding food items that create bad eating habits in our lives.  The rules are very simple:

1)     High Quality Protein

2)     No Added Sugars

3)     No Dairy

4)     No Legumes

5)     No Grains

6)     No Alcohol

They also have a few recommendations. Not creating fake foods (such as our own version of pizza crust made with cauliflower), no snacking between meals, fruit in moderation (not as a dessert or to satisfy a sweet tooth), drinking ½ your body weight in ounces of water, NO stepping on the scale during the whole duration of the program (only on day 1 and 30), organic and grass fed products if possible and everything homemade… yes, everything, including sauces and dressings.

Last month I completed THIRTY days of eating that way.  Wholesome foods every single day; breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Lucky for me, I was already accustomed to eating lots of fruits and vegetables and eating as healthy as I could every day, but I still made unhealthy choices often.  The challenge for me was snacking and drive thru foods and potato chips and sugary breakfast items and, and, and…I could name a few more.  Habits are HARD to break, but once you set your mind to doing it, your brain starts cooperating and before you know it, a bad habit is broken.

What I loved about this program the most was the freedom I had.  I didn’t have to count calories, I didn’t have to log in any information anywhere, and I could prepare any type of meals as long as I followed their suggestions.

Although, reading all these suggestions might sound a bit intimidating, believe me, it’s 100% possible!  Think about ALL the things you CAN have.  Lots of vegetables, fruit in moderation, protein, nuts and a variety of amazing spices that add flavor and life to every meal.

Grocery shopping became my weekend retreat.  I browsed the produce aisle and meat department as if I were on a date with a personal nutritionist.  Reading labels was not quite necessary for me because I avoided (almost at all cost) any other aisles of the grocery store.  For me it meant, if it was on a shelf and had an expiration date, it had to have preservatives, so I chose to work with all natural ingredients instead.  The only canned or bottled products I bought were almond butter, spices, canned tomatoes for a vegetable soup I made once and spindrift for the occasional carbonation quench with some meals.

Although gluten might not have the same effect on everyone, it’s very clear that it was a big trigger for me.  Since I started Whole30, I have only had two migraines, two, which mean, only TWO prescription pills, and if I make the math correctly, that’s about 18 pills less than what I used to take every month.  I had the first migraine the third day after starting this program, which I was kind of expecting, my body was in detox mode.  The second migraine was stress and lack of sleep induced after worrying about a situation my away to college daughter was dealing with at the time.  I have always been an emotional eater and it made me happy to realize that the pain I was feeling and the emotions I was dealing with during those two times, did not make me quit the path I had chosen for myself the beginning of the year. I stayed firm at this goal I had set for myself, even through difficult times.

When challenging ourselves to do something out of our comfort zone, I think it’s important to also focus on the benefits received from such efforts.  For me, these have been the most positive changes so far.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

·         Migraine free (the majority of the month)

·         Weight loss (I have lost 15 lbs so far!)

·         Clean tongue (I know, this is weird, but my tongue has been exceptionally clean)

·         More energy

·         Better moods

·         Bloating GONE

·         Easier toileting (yes, this is important)

·         Not tempted to sweets and unhealthy snacks at work

·         Eating healthy every day, every meal

·         Clothes fit better

·         Morning plantar fasciitis gone

·         Feeling of pride

·         Way better sleep

·         Drinking water (I was never a water drinker)

·         Meals encouraging my teenage daughter to make healthier food choices

·         Not Feeling Hungry Between Meals (this has been a huge change)

THINGS THAT HELPED ME SUCCEED WITH THIS PROGRAM:

·         Planning Meals

·         Cooking Simple Meals

·         Adding Colorful Veggies To Every Meal

·         Keeping A Glass Of Water Nearby

·         Believing In Myself

·         Surrounding Myself With People Who Encourage Me

·         Taking Time To Chew And Enjoy All The Different Flavors

·         Making Sure I Made Extra For Leftovers

SOME OF MY WHOLE30 MEALS

My Must Grocery List: 

Beets, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, zucchini, carrots, white onions, red onions, green peppers, sweet peppers, fresh jalapenos, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, lemons, garlic, cabbage, lettuce all types, cucumbers, kale, apples, bananas, papaya, pineapple, blueberries, almonds, eggs, ground beef, chicken, pork, salmon, white fish, almond butter, olive oil, dried basil, ground cinnamon, paprika, garlic powder, vinegar, black pepper, salt, crushed red pepper.

COOKING SAVING SPICES 👇

My Kitchen Necessities:

Cutting board, knives, pastry brush, steamer, cooking sheet, spider strainer, colander, foil, parchment paper.

Be prepared for lots of grocery shopping, cooking, chopping, prepping and time in the kitchen.  Play some relaxing or fun music in the background of the kitchen while you cook and think of all the benefits the work of your hands will have in your overall well being and if you ask me, it’s a win, win!!!  😊

I hope that my experience with this amazing and life changing clean-meal program motivates you as much as it has motivated me since the beginning of the year. ❤