Hello friends,

Yay my first blog post! I’ve been wanting to start a food blog for over a year now to share recipes I’ve created or hacked for our families needs. Think short cuts, alternatives and just basic food with little preparation. Well, what better way to begin than sharing my journey with Whole30. I know what you’re thinking. You’re going to just tell me how good you feel and why we should all do it. Not exactly. I feel like there are some things to explain about Whole30 and WHY I did it before giving my own two cents.

About two months ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid. Much to my dismay, my endocronologist gave me no indication I’d be able to rid myself of the disease or prevent any further damage to my thyroid. She actually told me hypothyroidism was inevitable. My reaction, not without a fight. I did some digging online, bought a naturopathic book about autoimmune diseases, paid a visit to my acupuncturist and damnit, I found some hope. I started looking into doing a detox to try and rid myself of the sugar and carb cravings since I wasn’t going to be able to eat gluten. Whole30 of course was an obvious solution. I had friends who swore by it and I thought it seemed doable.

30 days later, here we are. My experience was not unique. For one, weight and inches disappeared! I’ve lost just under 10 lbs, which for me, is miraculous. It took me an entire year to loose ten pounds after my second daughter was born and I was eating right and working out like crazy. PLUS during Whole30, I wasn’t working out as much. I tamed down my running and stuck to mostly walking, practiced yoga once or twice a week and a weight training class here and there. My biggest motivator though was the change in my moods. I felt more even keeled, calm during high stress days, not as sad around my period. My husband said he noticed as well. A huge win! After the second week my energy levels were great too. Very few times did I yearn for coffee (which is compliant but I’ve been trying to quit). As expected, my gastro intestinal tract was definitely better than normal. Another plus, less inflammation so my muscles and joints felt better.

She loves drummies

What could possibly be just a coincidence, was my kids started eating healthier. My oldest has always been a good eater but she was actually asking to make salads with me. My toddler is certainly eating more vegetables too. She’s still picky as heck but she’s coming around.

My food haul to Iowa

Anyone can do this though, but you HAVE to prepare. Not in just the food sense, but the mindset. Social gatherings, restaurants, convenient stores, you name it, there are food temptations everywhere. I was ready and feeling strong. I came up with a food plan the first week that outlined all my meals. This was nice but I realized after week one, I could wing a meal here and there. Plus, my cravings and constant need for food was starting to curb. And yes, week one was full of headaches and energy crashes. Not ideal but nothing a full fat smoothie couldn’t fix. Plus, I made sure to always have a bag of nuts in the car for emergencies. I even managed to stay on track while away from home for almost a week under some big stressors. Again, it made me more even so I WANTED to stick with it.

fried plantains

I love that I’ve acquired new ways of eating more vegetables, such as cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, kale chips and plantains. Some new techniques with meat like bone broth and baking a whole chicken. And of course all the new recipes I read and made up myself. I enjoy being so adventurous in the kitchen and the rewards run deep within for me. I’m excited to share all the new stuff here on out. Think whole foods with loads of flavor and ease.

Now it’s time to go have that glass of wine I’ve been wanting for 30 days.