Whole30

Happy Sunday! It’s a beautiful sunny day here in the resort town of Cobourg, although I only got as far as the front step to get the newspaper.  I also got the slow cooker going with a balsamic chicken recipe I found on Pinterest.  Pinterest is a marvelous thing.  I find all kinds of paleo, gluten free and whole30 recipes, plus a ton of craft stuff.  I have used several crochet patterns from there.

But today’s blog is about whole30. I’m sure that I must have blogged about my attempt in November.  I started on November 1st and was doing very well, but then I started to get sick just as I was heading out for my Frankenmuth trip, so my efforts were kind of put aside, while I was wrestling with that long cold.  Then, of course, Christmas was coming and there were lots of get togethers, etc.  So, I set my sights on January.

I asked Cavan if he would do it with me and his response was, “I will say yes, but I probably won’t.” At least he is honest about it.

So, I began on January 2nd. January is a good time because we haven’t got much in the way of eating away from home, so I thought it would be a good time.  So far, so good.  Pinterest, as I mentioned is a great resource for recipes.  That balsamic chicken is cooking away in the slow cooker, as I type!

I think that mostly what I needed was a sugar detox.  Sticking to paleo most of the time, I don’t have refined sugar, but I do use palm sugar, xylitol, honey and maple syrup.  Those are off my list for the moment, but I’m doing okay.  They say not to weigh  yourself until the end, but I did at the beginning and today and I have lost 6.7 pounds!  Not bad for two weeks!

Weight loss wasn’t my main goal this time, although it is a wonderful added bonus!  I just wanted to feel better and I do. I no longer have that heavy, bloated feeling at the end of the day.  I’m still looking for that energy that they say you should have, and I haven’t found it yet, but then, the MS doesn’t get cured with this.

Cavan is eating what I make, so he is kind of on it, but he did buy the shortbread cookies on sale at Bulk Barn and he did buy a lemon meringue pie on sale at M&M’s.  Oh well, perhaps we will try something else that will make a difference. I’ve read a lot about polyphenols and it looks like something that we really should make sure we get lots of in our diet. There are lots of sources, but I think that if we just add some blueberries and pomegranate, it will help, although we are looking for a really good source.

Well, the bottom line is that I’m feeling better, so mission accomplished.  I will stick to it for the next two weeks--it is a 30 day thing after all.  After that, I’ll see.  I may just give it a rest for a few days and try it again, or just stick to the paleo again.  I have a friend who is trying the keto diet with her family. She has one young daughter, not yet in her teens that is overweight and after a week, the daughter is down a couple of pounds, so that is working for her.  I could try that, but it suggests a lot of dairy, which I have trouble with sometimes, and only vegetables grown above the ground.  I would miss my carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes, but it might be worth the try.

I’m thinking that you need to find what works for you and if I find something that can give me some energy, I’ll probably stick with that.  I haven't found it yet and possibly will never find it and just chalk it up to the MS. Oh well.

So folks, that’s about it for this week.  May you find the diet (or really, lifestyle) that works for you!  God bless!