My Own 30 Day Whole Food Challenge

A lot has been going on. If you aren’t a regular reader, you can get caught up HERE. I have not been eating well at all. Between two first-trimesters of pregnancy in the last six months, not being able to do much food prep because of the rash on my hands, my husbands weird work schedule making him gone for dinner a lot, and the holidays…its been bad. I actually find a lot of joy in eating healthy whole foods. I feel like I am doing something nice for myself. But I feel like I have totally lost my good habits that I once loved.

The new year is starting soon, my hands are doing well enough that I can prep food while wearing gloves, and I am desperate to do something proactive for myself. There comes a point when wallowing and moping are no longer theraputic. I am trying to keep my New Year’s resolutions list simple. One spiritual goal and one health goal. I think its time to work for something that will improve my life and happiness.

In have been trying to decide what sort of eating change would be best for me. Its tricky. I don’t like dieting. I never have really been on an official diet. I just know that I would crash and burn on a “diet”. I want something that will help me to make lasting habbits, but not make me hate life. I like the idea of a short term challenge to upcycle my relationship with food. Food and I already have a decent relationship, so I’m not saying I there are huge problems, but it used to be way better. (My main problem is constantly wanting sugar and junky carbs.) I want to take my current kind of beat up food relationship and transform it into something better, yet not that far off from what I am used to. It is true that I would like to loose some weight, but my motives are also a little more important. When I eat right, my ulcerative colitis leaves me alone for longer. Thats a BIG deal for me. So I kind of HAVE to get my bottom into gear.

I did a lot of research on the Whole30 challenge. Its a 30 day challenge where you basically just eat veggies, fruit, and meat. No sugar, dairy, processed food, beans, flours or grains. After thirty days you reintroduce food back into your diet and get an idea what your body feels good eating. Lots of people loose a lot of weight and lots of people kick their sugar/junky carb addictions and are left with a craving reset. I really really liked a lot of things about this, but there were a lot of things that made me feel like its not the right challenge for me. First of all, I feel better when I am NOT eating meat and this diet is meat-heavy. There is a vegetarian version where beans and tofu are allowed, but I just didnt really like the way the whole vegetarian alternative was set up. I liked tons of ideas in this challenge, but I just didn’t really want to follow this particular set of rules, read the book that goes with it, or feel like doing the vegetarian version was the sub par alternative for people who were not good enough to do the real thing. There are huge benefits to this Whole30 challenge, but I just don’t think it is the end all diet that will fix everyone’s problems, like it is sometimes made out to be.

I instead decided to make my very own version of a “whole food short term challenge”, based off my personal eating philosophies and current needs. It has many similarities to Whole30, but is still very different and more suited to me. I actually already know my body pretty well and what it feels good eating. I’m committing to this more-strict plan for 30 days to reset my cravings for sugar and bready carbs. I have gone without sugar for awhile before, and I have found that I crave sugar less when I stop eating it for awhile. After the thirty days, I’ll transistion into a more felixible way of eating that is still way healthier than now but not as strict. More similar to the way I was eating last year. If any of you want to join me in my challenge, that is great! Go ahead and change it a little if you need to in order to suit your own needs, but decide and commit for 30 days. Whether you join me or not, watch for lots of tips for healthy whole food recipes and meal plans on the blog in the next little while.

Here are the rules of my challenge:

WHAT TO AVOID:

1. NO SUGAR: No sugar of any form, even natural forms. No honey, maple, agave, stevia, splenda, coconut sugar, brown rice syrup, or cane sugar. I know some sugar in moderation is fine, but for me, I need to kick the addiction cold turkey or it will hang around forever.

EXCEPTIONS: Using small amounts in savory recipes. I have a lot of healthy sauces that I love that call for a teaspoon or two of maple or honey. Those recipes are NOT where my problems lie and these sauces accompany very healthy dishes.

2. NO HIGHLY PROCESSED FOODS: Nothing with a huge ingredient list or ingredients that have crazy names. Stick to real food in its natural form without added preservatives, fillers, thickeners, and other such things. With some exceptions, if it has more than five or so ingredients, its probably highly proccessed.

3. NO FLOUR OR GRAINS: I am not against whole grains. Not at all. I just know I load up way too much on bread, pasta, tortillas, pancakes, muffins, and such. I feel like that is contributing to my flabbiness and usually when I eat one toast, I want more and more. Its the same with pasta. This type of food, no matter how healthy the ingredients it is made from, is a weakness for me and I need to put on some breaks and start fresh. So for just 30 days, to reset my relationship with carby food, no flour or grains.

EXCEPTIONS: One dinner a week that has brown rice, quinoa, or another healthy whole grain as a part of the dish or a side. Still no bread type foods or pasta, though.  For example, I found a sweet potato falafel recipe I want to try that has millet inside. This is not a problem for me and I don’t feel like I need to stay away from the occasional recipe like that to be successful. A small side of brown rice to be topped in a healthy veggie stir fry or curry, is fine occasionally. I am also allowing one or two tablespoons of flour when required to thicken something.

4. NO DEEP FRIED FOOD: Not much explanation needed there. For me this is not hard unless eating out.

5. NO MEAT: I have a lot of reasons for not eating meat and its already a part of my life style, so this rule is mostly a given for me. If you are not a vegetarian at all, but still want to do this challenge, then feel free to eat meat in its healthiest forms. No processed meats like bacon or deli meat. And try to get meat that is free of extra junk and from good sources. I believe that people as a whole could benefit from eating a little less meat, so if you decide to keep eating meat through this challenge, I would advise you to look at the way you eat meat and how it affects you. Does it keep you from eating  more veggies? Does it taste good in the dishes you are making, or is it just habbit to throw in ground beef or chicken for filler into every meal? Try cooking some of your meals meatless. But I am not an “in your face vegetarian”, so adapt as you wish.

6. LIMITED DAIRY: For me, no milk, no butter, no cheese, no ice cream, etc. These are things that I eat that make me want more and more. When I have milk in the house, I begin the hunt for something sweet to dunk in it or eat with it. When I have cheese, I want to sprinkle it on everything! Its like a gateway drug for me.

EXCEPTIONS: I am allowing myself unsweetened greek yogurt, unsweetened kefir, and small amounts of sharper cheeses like feta and parmesan.

WHAT I CAN EAT:

• All veggies
• All fruits
• All Beans (I am limiting soy to edemamme, the occasional dash of soy sauce, and the ocassional teaspoon of miso)
• Nuts, seeds, nut butters, nut milks (that meet processed foods and sugar requirments)
• Eggs
• Healthy Oils and vinegars
• unsweetened greek yogurt
• unsweetened kefir
• coconut milk
• sharp cheeses
• all herbs and salts

Other Things To Consider:

-I am not going to try to recreate pancakes or ice cream and such using approved ingredients. I’m trying to get back to basics and stop pigging out on foods that make me want to eat more and more. I am ok with using veggie subsitutes for noodles (spaghetti squash, zuchinni noodles) and rice (cauliflower rice).

-Many of the foods I will be avoiding are not things I will coninue to strictly eliminate after the 30 day challenge. I just hope to not feel so attatched to them by the end of the thirty days. I will most likely return to eating whole grains and flours. I will go back to the ocassional fun treat for a special event. Its just a thirty day experiment.

-This will take meal planning effort and food prep effort. I know I always eat better when I have a menu planned. I hope to share some of my tips and tricks, menu’s, and shopping lists with you over the next few months.

-My husband and I may be the only ones doing this challenge, but if anyone else wants to join in on the fun, let me know if you are doing it too. And you don’t have to do it at the same time as us. Start any time you want!

-I am not making nutritional or scientific claims. I am just doing a 30 day reboot based on my own eating needs and habits. It will probably apply to many of you, and to some it will not. You decide, but don’t think I am making claims. A challenge like this is probably not the best if you are trying to gain weight or are pregnant. However we could all benefit with eating more whole foods and less sugar.  

-I am personally going to avoid drinking my food via smoothies and juices. When I drink my food, I always feel like its my drink, not my meal, and I have to eat a meal too. I don’t get full in the same way as I would if I put the same things from my smoothie on a plate and ate them. I’ll leave that choice up to you.

-I am allowing myself small amounts of certain condiments when used as a part of a recipe, rather than a condiment. These are: soy sauce (traditionally brewed, not the kind with added corn syrup), worcestershire sauce (One without corn syrup. I use Lea & Perrins.), and sriracha sauce. There a couple things within these that don’t meet the other requirements, but I use small amounts (teaspoons) of these sauces occasionally  in otherwise healthy recipes and I don’t think the little bit I use will make a big difference.

-Eating from this smaller list of foods, I will still need to get enough calories. I plan on eating until I feel full and the stopping and not worry about calorie counting. I may eat more veggies to get full, but I am ok with that. I think feeling starving all the time would make this challenge crash and burn. I am not trying to go hungry, just eat more pure food.

-I am allowing myself one exception for a dinner my husband and I have to attend at a fancy restaurant later in January. I am too much of a foodie to pass up a free dinner at a fancy restaurant and not fully enjoy it. Knowing this is an exception I am working into the plan ahead of time will make me feel like I can pick up where I left off the next day instead of feeling like I messed up.

 I’m starting January 4, 2016! Join if you want. Even if you don’t, follow along for healthy eating tips, meal plans, and recipes. Also, if you click on the tag “New Year’s Resolution” in the tag list in the side margin, it will list all my healthy meals that may be a great way to start the New Year, regardless of your goals. P.S. All the food picture’s on this post would qualify for my challenge!

Edible Experiments