My First Whole 30: Week 1

As part of my intention to better nurture myself this year (and, in particular, my body), I embarked on a Whole 30 on January 6th.  If you haven't heard of the Whole 30 (I hadn't until I read this post from Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy), it is essentially a 30-day, extreme paleo-based detox wherein you eliminate all sugars, artificial sweeteners, grains, dairy, soy, beans/legumes (including peanuts), and alcohol.

I try to feed myself and my family with nutritional, natural foods as a general rule.  But lingering foot problems (and my suspicion that they are inflamation related) led me to take the leap.  I have found some wonderful resources on the Internet that helped me make it (successfully) through my first week, so I'm adding to the wealth by sharing my weekly meals here.

Breakfast

I made egg cups with spinach on Sunday based on this recipe.   Other than a scramble on Wednesday that I shared with Mouse, I stuck to those with some avocado and some fruit (apple, orange, strawberries).  The goal was quick and easy out the door.

The toughest part of the morning was drinking my coffee black.  I experimented with some different blends and may have settled on the plain ole Starbucks Pike Place.  Jury is still out.

Lunch

Let me begin by saying this: lunch was a mistake.  I dug up a South Beach recipe for chicken and mushroom soup (with leeks and brussels sprouts).  The recipe made four 250-ish calorie portions, so I doubled what I made and divided into six, 375-ish calorie portions.  While it was delicious, the brothy soup filled me up at the time but did not stick with me.  Even adding a Whole 30-recommended serving of fat (macadamia nuts) on the side did not keep me from needing an afternoon snack.

Dinners

Daddy M was working through some non-approved leftovers last week so I winged it several evenings.  Trader Joe's pre-cooked chicken patties saved my tail.  I threw those together with steamed veggies, sauteed kale, roasted sweet potato (depending on the night), and it made for a satisfying meal.

On Tuesday I did a shrimp stir-fry.  I used the South Beach recipe, doubled, and substituted coconut oil and coconut aminos for the suggested cooking oil and soy sauce.  I also omitted the red pepper flakes so that the kids could partake.

On Sunday night, we had dinner at a neighbor's house.  I volunteered to bring a salad, and threw together spinach, strawberries, mushrooms and slivered almonds, which we topped with this delightful and Whole 30 compliant orange poppyseed dressing.  I used a ridiculously large organic navel orange from Trader Joe's, and, as a result, my dressing was more of a vinegarette, but it was a hit from a flavor standpoint!

Other

I whipped up a batch of Paleo Mayo from Well Fed, which I used to make deviled eggs as a post workout snack on Friday.

The fact that I had a workout intense enough to require a snack afterward was a minor miracle (and one I attribute to a reduction in inflammation due to the foods I've been eliminating)!  I've continued to have foot problems since my surgery to remove a Morton's Neuroma a year ago December.  I've recently switched from an orthopedic surgeon to a podiatrist (which, in hindsight, is where I ought to have started in the first place), who has additionally diagnosed me with severe Achilles Tendonitis and has me wearing these lovely night splints while I (attempt to) sleep.

The splints (which, right now, don't last the night) leave me pretty sore in the morning, so I'm trying to grab afternoon workouts where I can (once I've been up and worked through the kinks).  I start PT tomorrow and I'm really hopeful that, combined with this squeaky clean eating, I can get some more intense workouts logged, and get back to working out first thing in the morning!

Other resources:
I've started a Whole 30 board on Pinterest with some other recipes.
The Whole 30 website has some excellent downloads that I've been relying on.
Melissa, the amazing authoress of Well Fed and Well Fed 2, not only has a very helpful website, but has also been publishing some weekly plans for those kicking off the New Year with a Whole 30.  Here are links to Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3.

Are you doing a Whole 30?  What's your favorite recipe so far?