Whole30: Self-Care Edition 10/7/12

From October 2 through at least October 31, I’m documenting my Whole30 and autoimmune protocol, including the when, what, where, and how much of my sleep, activity, food, and mood. Although I follow the Whole30 guidelines 90% of the time anyway, I’m going all-in for the next 30 (or maybe 60) days to give my body a chance to stabilize after enduring adrenal burnout and a thyroid medication experiment.

As Melissa and Dallas of Whole9Life are good at reminding us, context matters, so if you’re not familiar with my checkered past, you might want to read these previous posts:

 

Not familiar with the Whole30? Learn all about it here and get extra help with the Whole30 Daily.

Not interested in the Whole30? Don’t sweat it! I’ll be posting other stuff like recipes, workouts, and other adventures, too.

Whole30: Day 5 (Saturday, October 6)

Sleep
8.5 hours

Activity
Hatha Star yoga. The focus was on the fourth chakra — the heart! — which is represented by the element air. Our ultimate goal by the end of class was camel pose, so we did a lot of holds/stretches that targeted chest and quadriceps, both of which are my “problem areas.” I did a lot of grimacing, trying to relax, and focusing on ocean breath. The photo below isn’t anyone I know — thank you, anonymous internet girl with good form! — but my camel looked a lot like that first option with the blocks.

Food
I’ve found my appetite is less ravenous, and I feel better if I eat in a 12-hour window — usually between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. so I can stop eating about 2-3 hours before going to bed — and don’t snack between meals or before bed. Because I’m on a mission to lose weight/body fat, I’m measuring and tracking my food right now; all quantities are cooked unless otherwise specified. I’m also following the autoimmune protocol. I train in the morning, so breakfast is right after my workout.

Breakfast, 11:00 a.m. @ Central Market Cafe
I collected Whole30+AIP-friendly ingredients at the salad bar; it was surprisingly tasty.
4 ounces roasted chicken breast
1/2 cup beets
1/2 cup sweet potatoes
1/2 cup cucumber slices (raw)
3/4 cup jicama (raw)
1/2 cup strawberries
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 

Lunch, 3:00 p.m.
4 ounces roasted lamb
1 cup broccoli + 1 cup green beans + 1/4 onion + 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
salad: 1/2 cup snap peas + 1/2 cup cucumber + 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil + 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 orange

Dinner, 8:30 p.m. @ Alamo Drafthouse
Burger, no bun, with grilled pineapple
side salad (mostly lettuce) w/ lemon vinaigrette dressing

Mood
I had an action-packed day, and my energy was pretty good throughout. In order, my day included: writing, yoga, radio interview, grocery shopping, radio interview, cooking, radio interview, date night to see “Pitch Perfect.” Look for links to the recorded radio interviews soon to hear me talk about Well Fed and why the Weekly Cookup is the path to peacefulness.

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Comments

  • longhornval says:

    I agree, the weekly cookup is the path to peacefulness and success! My week goes so much better when I spend a few hours in the kitchen on Sunday.

  • I need time on Sunday to do the weekly cookup. I have yet to really do it, but I know I should to make my life easier.

    • Mel says:

      It makes life SO much easier. Start small — just pick out 1 or 2 recipes to make in advance and starting rattling pots and pans 🙂

  • Tarable says:

    Weekly cookup IS the path to peacefulness. Doing the weekly cookup grounds me somehow and I feel so much more level and connected during and after. And obviously having food prepared and at the ready brings less panic and stress, more peacefulness when I’m making meals during the week. Not sure if that’s where you’re going with that but that is my experience.

    • Mel says:

      That is exactly what I meant… it’s like, “Aaaaah… I don’t have to even think about how to feed myself this week ’cause the hard work is done.”

  • Cathy says:

    The weekly cookup is my sanity anchor! I make sure I have enough cooked for breakfasts (some kind of meat and ALWAYS your mashed cauliflower to have with eggs), and at least three dinners worth, with lunches being created from the dinner leftovers. If I can just get through the first half of the week with ready-to-go grub, then everything else seems to fall into place! And really, once you do it a time or two, it’s not so daunting in terms of time or organization needed.

  • Andrea says:

    I’m been doing research on starting and doing the whole30. I was just wondering what can I eat besides fish/seafood? I cannot eat it, so I was just wondering if there is something I can use in place that will also give me the Omegas I need! Your recipes and blogging have made something that seemed nearly impossible for me to try a doable thing!

    • Mel says:

      You can eat all animal protein sources. For omega-3, if you don’t eat fish, you will probably have to add some supplementation. You might want to visit the Whole30 forum where you can get expert answers to your questions about diet specifics: http://forum.whole9life.com/

      Glad the recipes are giving you confidence. You can TOTALLY do it!

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