I am currently on day 8 of my Whole30 adventure, and thought I would share a little bit about what I am doing.  I stumbled upon the Whole9 website a couple of weeks ago, and started reading about the Whole30 Program.  I was very intrigued, and after a few days thinking about it, I decided to do a Whole30, starting last Monday.

The idea is that we eat a lot of food that isn't necessarily healthy for our bodies or easy for them to digest.  So for 30 days, you eat a diet similar to a Paleo diet, only a little stricter.  You can check out the Whole30 for more information, and a list of exactly what you can/can't eat, and reasons behind each if you are interested.  Basically, you only eat meat/seafood, eggs, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats (in the form of olive oil, olives, nuts, and seeds) for 30 days.  This essentially detoxes your body, and according to the Whole30, changes your life.

After reading about the Whole30, I thought it would be a great challenge to take on for a month.  To rid my body of all the crazy stuff that can be hard on it, see how I feel at the end of 30 days, then slowly add foods/food groups back in to see how my body handles them.  I know I've had a problem with sugar and carbs before - when I eat a little bit, I end up eating a lot - and I know that cutting them completely out for a time would be good for me.  To see how I feel and to see how I handle NOT having them for a time.  Because honestly, at the beginning of this thing, the thought of not having cheese or a latte or dessert was pretty daunting!

Here is my food journal for this last week, in an effort to keep me accountable, and to share what I've been eating.

Day 1: Cowboy Skillet with Fruit, Salad with Steak, Apple & homemade Almond Butter, Baked Chicken Drumstick with Broccoli & Cucumber, Cashews.

Day 2: Sausage, Egg and Spinach casserole with Strawberries, Tilapia Filet with Avocado, Carrots, Apple and Almond Butter, Cashews, Pulled Pork with Roasted Squash & Brussel Sprouts, Cucumber.

Day 3: Sausage, Egg and Spinach casserole, Nuts, Salad with Steak & Tomato & Strawberries, leftover Pulled Pork with Squash & Brussel Sprouts.

Day 4: Leftover Cowboy Skillet with Fruit, leftover Pulled Pork with Squash & Brussel Sprouts, Apple & Sashews, Taco Salad (pulled pork, lettuce, avocado, tomato and sauteed green peppers).

Day 5: Fried Eggs with Bacon, Peppers and Fruit, leftover Pulled Pork with Sweet potato & Salad, Apple & almond butter, Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce & Broccoli, Cashews.

Day 6: Sausage, Egg and Spinach casserole with Squash & Peppers, Sashews, leftover Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce & Carrots & Cucumbers, Pulled Pork with Green Beans & Sweet Potato & Apple with almond butter.

Day 7: Fried Eggs with Sausage and Fruit, Salad with Steak & Avocado & Tomato, Cashews, Green Beans wrapped in Bacon (without sugar and butter) with Cauli-rice & Carrot Fries.

The first few days were a bit rough - I was even more tired than usual, plus I had a pretty bad headache, as my body tried to get used to the no sugar and no grains.  The first day was by far the worst, as I was irritable and just wanted to eat cheese and candy, haha!  Since then though, I haven't had the headache and haven't been any more tired than a mama with 3 kids!  I have my moments of really wanting a latte or a donut or a piece of good cheese, but for the most part, the cravings for things I can't have are not bad at all.  I am feeling pretty good, and am eager to see if it continues to be this easy to stick to it, and how I keep feeling as the days progress.

When I started, my main concern was how it would affect my milk supply, as I breastfeed Evelyn, and I didn't want to hinder her growth and how much she was getting to eat.  I told myself that if I thought my supply was decreasing at all, I would add oatmeal and brown rice back in with the other foods.  So far though, I have not had any issues with supply.  I make sure to drink lots and lots of water, and I eat plenty of food - good, real food! - which probably ends up being healthier for baby Evie in the long run anyways!

I can honestly say, after a week, that I don't think I could eat this way long-term.  I don't mind eating this way, and I do feel good.  But is it realistic for me on the long-term?  I don't think so.  I LIKE food too much - to enjoy a piece of cheesecake or to have a good piece of bread with a meal.  But for now, I am interested to see how I feel after 30 days without sugar and dairy and grains, and to see how I will feel as I incorporate some of those things back into my diet once I am done with my Whole30.  Who knows though, I do have 3 more weeks to go!