Whole30 Diet – Halfway Update January 15, 2018 | Happy Monday morning, friends! I hope that you are off today and enjoying a relaxing day at home or with your family. Dan let me sneak out really early this morning and I’m cozied up at Starbucks catching up on tons of work. It feels like such a luxury having some alone time to work and knowing my gals are having fun with Daddy. I wanted to pop in with a very quick Whole30 diet update and let you guys know how things are going. To be honest, it’s going really well. So well that I actually forget that we are doing it. Since this was my third time, I went in feeling really really prepared and that’s made all of the difference. I cannot believe that we are already halfway through! I’ve been having so much fun trying new meals and cooking techniques. I’m also LOVING our Whole30 Diet Facebook group! The gals in there are so active and encouraging and are posting tons of updates and recipes, which is super motivating. If you want to join in, search “Style Your Senses Group of Friends” on Facebook. Whole30 Diet: an Update Here’s an update from me + some of the ladies in the Whole30 diet group: I personally feel great. I have energy and don’t have any groundbreaking cravings. Would I like to eat a waffle fry or an oreo? Um, yea sure! But I never feel like I HAVE to and that’s a great feeling. Grocery shopping and food prep has been easy and I’m not really overwhelmed with that like I have been in the past. My complaints are that my skin really hasn’t cleared up and I haven’t really noticed a change in the way that my clothes fit. I have a feeling a lot of that has to do with my cycle and not Whole30, so I’m hoping to see those changes this week! Here are some of my favorite Whole30 diet (new and old) meals and recipes: If you’re following on Instagram Stories, you know that we got a Sous Vide last weekend and are LOVING it. Admittedly, I was soooooo leery about basically cooking my food in warm water, but after tons of amazing reviews from friends who actually know what they are talking about…my curiosity got the best of me and I bought one. To say that we are impressed would be an understatement. Since neither of us have mastered the grill, it’s really hard for us to make a good steak at home. Well, the sous vide proved us SO wrong and I whipped up these super delicious steaks last night! Here’s the Sous Vide that I purchased. Lucky for you guys, it’s on sale today! To make these steaks, I seasoned them with salt and pepper, heated ghee in a frying pan and when really hot, seared them for 30 seconds on each side to let the flavors start coming out. I also let the rosemary wilt down a little in the pan. After that, I set the Anova to 129 F, placed the steaks in ziploc bags (each in their own), placed the rosemary on top, and made sure to get the air out of the bags. I submerged them in the 129F water and set a timer for an hour. When done, I reheated the pan and when it was VERY hot, I seared each steak for 1 minute on each side before serving. It was sooooooo easy and SO good! One of my go-to recipes Egg Roll in a Bowl. I always double it so that we can have it for two nights. I also top ours with a friend egg over easy for some extra protein. Typical lunch time salad for me…topped with Tessamae’s Creamy Ranch. Another salad, sans the bacon. Breakfast pancakes | Two bananas + 2 eggs (blend with immersion blender), a few drops of organic vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon. Cook them in ghee and top with reduced fruit and cashew butter. Here’s an herb crusted pork loin that we made in the Sous Vide. This was Italian Chicken in the crockpot and omggggg SO good! The only thing that I did differently was cook it with fresh lemon slices on top. I served with sauteed cauliflower rice (sauteed in coconut aminos) and served with roasted butternut squash. Here are some updates from the group on how they are feeling, plus some of their favorite recipes: “This was good, although I added potatoes to make it more filling. My husband keeps asking me to make it again.” – Sara Recipe: Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili “So freaking good. The only thing you need to omit is the breadcrumbs which isn’t necessary at all.” -Ashley Recipe: Charleston Crab Cakes “Hardest parts so far: all of the food prep and dishes ???? (thanks for the suggestion to use paper plates) and going out to eat in social situations! Otherwise has been fun trying new recipes and finally feeling good about what I’m eating!” -Aulbrie Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Chowder “I am feeling great- down 6 pounds on day13. The hardest part is having toddlers and all their junk around. This time I have been more successful by preparing new recipes that have kept things interesting. Also- I get the 10 for $10 mangoes at Harris Teeter and dehydrate them when I have a sweet snack attack. Nutritional yeast is my new favorite ingredient for making things taste cheesy!” -Joanna Recipe: Sloppy Joe Bowls “I’ve been craving Asian flavors. My husband (not doing the Whole30 diet) loved this. Double the sauce, for sure.” -Jenna Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai “I am on day 6 and still feel bloated, but my sleep is a deeper sleep and my face is much clearer. I am also drinking 60 ounces of water a day, and I think that is a huge part of this. I typically don’t drink water! Oh – my daily snack for a sweet fix is a honey crisp apple with cashew butter. So good!! (Not to say that I don’t still want chocolate and red wine ????” -Susan Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Tenders “I’m doing really well at day 13! My post- two babies-in-two-years-stomach is finally getting flatter (my youngest is over a year now so it’s about damn time). We had family over last night and I was nervous about feeding a crowd. I used a Shepard pie recipe and it was a hit! I really only miss my sugar free vanilla soy lattes!” -Crissa Recipe: Easy Shepards Pie “This crispy chicken recipe from nom nom paleo was so delish that I had to share it. Done in under 20min too! Ask the butcher to cut the bones out of your chicken thighs for you to remove some prep time. Served with a big side of roasted veggies!” – Melissa Recipe: Crispy Chicken “My favorite so far! I don’t think I’ll go back to regular chili. As of now, the hardest part for me is taking the time to find foods that are compliant.” -Jessica Recipe: Crockpot Sweet Potato Chili “Easiest part for me has been not feeling deprived! On every other “diet” you get a set allotment of calories or portion size for your day- not Whole30 diet! Hardest has been breaking my snacking habit. If I’m hungry between meals I will eat but I realized I was putting even just little bites of things in my mouth for no reason at all.” -Rachel Recipe: Slow Cooker Buffalo Stuffed Potatoes (have to omit corn starch) “The hardest part for me and is wanting a glass of red wine on the weekend ????????♀️ but I feel amazing and have been sleeping better than ever. This is my 3rd time doing the whole30 diet, I think it’s been the easiest one (so far). Glad to have had this group for support and recipes ????” -Jordan Recipe: Sausage Pizza Egg Muffins (she adds spinach) “So far feeling good besides a few days of nausea. I actually don’t have the mid day crash/exhausted feeling anymore so that is amazing! I think the hardest thing for me is water. I need to be much better with it.” -Marissa Recipes: Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes I hope that this helps encourage you who are doing the Whole30 diet this month and also helps to motivated those of you who are curious about it, to hop in and complete your own 30 day journey! Since it’s gaining SO much popularity as a whole, there have been lots of nasty articles that have come out to downplay it, etc. Here are my quick thoughts on that… -You cannot and should not go in to this with the mindset that this is a diet. It’s not. Yes you are eliminating food groups, but you’re ditching the ones that are known to cause inflammation and harm your body and are essentially getting back to basics…the way that we were designed to eat…lean proteins, fruits, veggies, nuts, healthy carbs and fats. You may or may not actually lose weight, but that shouldn’t be your goal. Your goal should be to foster a healthy relationship with food and learn how your body reacts to everything that you put in to it. -It’s NOT long term. This was not designed to be a lifestyle, which is why it’s only 30 days. It was designed to help you to break bad habits, and reset your body and your mind when it comes to food. What I can tell you from personal experience is that with every Whole30 diet completed, we take with us amazing habits to carry us through and help us to mold an eating plan to works to create a balanced and healthy diet. You learn what you can live without and you also learn how to modify your favorite recipes, with a goal of being satisfying and nourishing your body, instead of eating empty calories. -If you have issues with food or have struggled with an eating disorder, I would absolutely seek counsel from your doctor before changing ANYthing about your eating habits. -There are now certified Whole30 diet coaches. I’m not exactly sure what they do, but I do know that they offer more guidance and structure when taking on a Whole30. If you feel like you need more structure, definitely seek more information. -GET A PARTNER. Convince your best friend, your mom, or your hubby to do it with you. Having someone in it with you makes ALL of the difference. -Educate yourself. Understand the guidelines, the food groups, what to watch out for and WHY you’re eliminating certain foods. Don’t rely on anyone but yourself to understand it all. If you want to take a nose dive in to my Whole30 Diet journey, start HERE. Hope that you guys have a wonderful week! xoxo