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Read MoreWhole30: Self-Care Edition 10/6/12
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:
- A Healing Experiment: to deal with adrenal and thyroid issues
- The Thyroid Experiment and Update on the Experiment
- Weight & Body Image Stuff: I Love My Body and Why is Thinner Better?
- N=1: or why self-experimentation is a pain in the butt but the only option
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 4 (Friday, October 5)
Sleep
8 hours
Activity
Kundalini yoga. The focus was on the element of “air” so we did a lot of stuff with our arms to “lighten our auras,” which I’m pretty sure is code for “increase your heart rate with just your arms.” We did downward dog, lifted one leg behind us, then did pushups for 90 seconds ON EACH SIDE with our leg extended… and that came after holding our arms overhead at 60 degrees and doing breath of fire. There were two other kriyas that required rapid arm movements and deep breathing. I got sweaty and a little breathless, then we did a long meditation that caused “Left Shoulder of Fire,” and finally, blessedly, it was time for a nice long relaxation in which I didn’t fall asleep, but felt myself melting into the floor.
I’m giving myself bonus points for today because I really, really wanted to do a high-intensity workout, and I didn’t. I rested and got my groovy on so I can do a short, intense workout on Saturday morning. A gold star has been duly awarded.
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, 10:00 a.m.
Hot Plate:
1/2 cup roasted sweet potato
4 ounces roasted chicken breast
1 cup broccoli
3/4 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup cauliflower soup
(Yes, I ate the same thing for breakfast, like, 4 days in a row. Easier that way.)
Lunch, 3:00 p.m.
1 can sardines
1/2 orange
salad made with:
1/2 large cucumber (raw)
1 cup chopped snap peas
2 scallions
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
10 black olives
Dinner, 8:00 p.m.
4 ounces roasted lamb (seasoned with salt and garlic)
1 cup spaghetti squash sautéed in 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil + a little cinnamon (AIP approved)
1 cup green beans tossed with 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and salt
1/2 orange
Mood
Meh. My PMS dropsies kicked in big time, and I swear, I dropped everything I touched, including knocking my hair gel, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, and contact lens case out of my bathroom cabinet. Plus, later, I spilled salt, which meant tossing a pinch over my left shoulder, just in case. At least I didn’t break a mirror, right?!
Song of the Day
Two Tribes, Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Ever since watching the debate on Wednesday night, I’ve had this song stuck in my head. (Is it wrong how much I love the ’80s hair on the crowd in the video? Also, I cannot get enough of just before the end, when he intones, “Are we living in a land where sex and horror are the new gods?” So ’80s. So awesome.)
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Thanks for the video. I forgot that one! Loved FGH in the 80’s, a little New Wave along with HC Punk Rawk. Thanks for the meal ideas. I recently completed a Whole 30 in September.
RaWk!
I also started a Whole30 on Oct. 2nd. (My first). It’s really motivating to read you posts and it looks like you’ve been through a lot. I hope doing a whole30 ,or a whole 60, will help!
Congratulations on tackling the Whole30! Welcome to the club. 🙂
Love your blog, recipes, and cookbook! Probably not the best time for a request as you are committed to your Whole30 right now, but I was wondering if you have done any experimenting with crackers – I couldn’t find any using the search – and am dying for a crunchy,crackery way to shovel in some food. Hope you get your organs back on track soon!
Elana’s Pantry is my go-to for paleo-friendly baked goods because her recipes seem to always work well. Here’s one, but she has others.
http://www.elanaspantry.com/rosemary-crackers/
I made Elana’s bread a couple times and I loved it. I can’t wait to try more of her stuff, but having so many cookbooks now and so many online resources is just overwhelming… 🙂
Thanks, Mel, I’m going to make some tomorrow as soon as I can get my hands on some Almond flour!
Kathryn,
If you like them, I have pork rinds with salads and soups for the crunch and texture I crave. I am from the South, so I grew up with them, but I do understand (from my NY hubby) that they are not for everyone. Just a suggestion tho. (Just make sure that you look at the ingredients. I only buy ones that say pork and salt on them). And according to the Whole30 forum, they are Whole30 ok as long as they are not a license to mindlessly snack.
Thank you too, Debski, I LOVE pork rinds! Southerner also! Yum!!
Hi There,
I have a question and I am not sure if you have ever addressed this or not. I am only a recent devotee of your blog. My question is regarding protein sources. I notice that you mainly eat grass fed beef, chicken and lamb. I wondered if those ar personal preferences or if you had done research and those are the best for your blood type or just thee best choices for quality and leanness. I like turkey and have been using it as a protein source mainly because i like it.white meat. some dark once in a while. Is it a good choice or not? i read that for my lood type chicken isn’t good for me; it has something in it that causes strokes so i have been wary of eating it. Perhaps sometime you could address this in one of your posts; I think it may interest others, too. Or ifyou wrote about this already, maybe re-post that entry? I find your blog helpful and inspiring, so thank you. I, too, have a thyroid issue, am on armour now for about 6 weeks and I feel about 65% better but am not losing weight. I hope I am not sabotaging myself with the wrong protein source.
thanks for any input or guidance.
Nicole
Hey, Nicole! I eat pork, beef, lamb, and chicken because that’s what I like 🙂 but I also like turkey… it’s just harder/more expensive for me to find decent sources that aren’t factory-farmed yuckiness.
I have zero experience with the blood type diet.
As far as turkey being a good protein source for you, if you like it and it makes you feel strong and healthy, that’s great!