Whole 30 and Beyond

Inflammation was the one thing the chiropractor said over and over whenever I saw him.  He couldn't understand why the adjustments and treatments wouldn't hold, and he suggested I take tumeric.  Then my No Fault insurance ran out and I stopped going to the chiropractor (also, the holidays and the snow had begun, so getting myself to Brooklyn was challenging--I'll go back for a looksee soon).  Since my back injury, everything else about my health started to head to a place it had never been.  Unhealthy.  Basically, I felt like shit all the time.

I found Whole 30 through Dr. Oz.  I rarely watch Dr. Oz, so this seemed serendipitous.  Also on the show were Chris and his wife, the trainers from that weight loss show, and they, too, had a nutrition plan that was high-low carbs.  That sounded easier, but I chose Whole 30 because it seemed like the only thing that would get rid of inflammation.  I had to try it.  To get me motivated, I started following Whole30Recipes on Instagram.

Cooking used to be part of my life.  I don't like to cook.  I'm not one of those people who go to the kitchen to whip something up when I'm bored.  However, I don't mind cooking for myself, I can follow a recipe, and I used to do it all the time as part of my wellness routine.

I never drank anything other than water and tea.  I never ate sweets as part of a routine.  I rarely ate bread and pasta.  These ideas had been long gone for quite some time.

With Whole 30, I got back to the kitchen.  I also started keeping track of everything I ate, and I started thinking about all the things I'd been eating before starting Whole 30, and I realized that everything I'd been eating was contributing to everything that was wrong with me.  What I've been eating that is Whole 30 Approved is everything that can make it and keep it right.

Eddie: "That looks really good.  For people who eat stuff like that."

After 30 days, I didn't feel completely better.  I did feel a lot better.  The pain in my back has been reduced greatly.

As an unintentional bonus, I lost some of the chub that latched on probably around the time I was slowly finishing a crumb cake from the holidays on a daily basis.  Eddie says I'm ripped.  My muscle tone is back and my pants are not tight anymore.  Bloating gone.  Chub gone.

My hair and nails are not shining like a sunbeam and my skin is my normal skin, but the results of eating healthy have been beneficial anyway.

I'm continuing to eat mindfully. I have incorporated some off-plan items back into my diet. Every day, I use cooking spray, which I couldn't use on-plan because it uses soy lecithin.  Twice a week, I go off-plan, allowing for good carbs and maybe even a sweet treat.

The sweet treats are not exactly treats anymore.  On Valentine's Day, Eddie and I had our normal waffle dinner, and then we split some chocolate lava cakes.  As I was eating the dessert, my head was feeling weird, my whole body was feeling weird, and then the aching started.  I kept eating, thinking that I was enjoying what I was eating, but then I realized it was simply too sweet to enjoy.  Idiotically, I scarfed it down, and then felt like I couldn't move ever again. I'll be backing down on the serving size of sweets in the future.

Eating out now will be easier because I won't have to wonder if something was made with butter, but eating at home is also easier now that I'm back on track.  My back is back on track, too.