Meal Planning: A Necessary Evil

I have a confession to make. I HATE meal planning.

Seriously, I hate it. It seems like it takes forever and more than half of the time I don’t even stick with the plan anyway. It just frustrates me and as a result I don’t like spending the time to do it.

But with the Whole30 starting tomorrow, I HAVE to plan my meals. If it were a “regular diet” (meaning choices that I’m used to and not the restrictions for Whole30) it would be different. I could plan one day at a time and be okay. With this, I really have to plan ahead so I can shop and make sure I’m on top of everything. It will be way too easy to grab something off plan if I don’t map things out. In other words, if I fail to plan it really is like I’m planning to fail.

I don’t want to fail. I want this to be a success and for a few reasons… The first is that I’m hoping to get relief from my symptoms and just generally feel better. The second… well, I announced on facebook that I’m doing the challenge and I’ve told family, coworkers… I want to show them I can do it! Failure is not an option – thus meal planning is a necessary evil.

I actually started my meal plan last night with the help of some the Whole30 cheat sheets. I printed a shopping list, pantry guide, and the meal planning “meal map.” I also did some searches for “Paleo Meal Plans” to come up with templates and additional ideas. I also looked up the sale papers for Winn-Dixie and Whole Foods to see what was on sale this week. If I choose food items that are in season or on sale I will save more money so knowing what is on special each week is key.

Then I put it on paper. And yes, I drew out the name in the “style” of the Whole30 font/title design. I will admit, that was half me being artistic and half pure procrastination. I wrote out three meals for each day for the first four days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). Even though I designated specific meals to specific days and times, it’s okay to mix and match within reason. I only did four days so far because I don’t want my produce to go bad and I will reevaluate my needs after a few days.

Here is what I have so far:

DAY 1: Wednesday, August 1st

Breakfast:
3 egg omelet with veggies (bell peppers, onions, spinach)
1/4 cup blueberries
Green tea

Lunch:
Big Ass Salad (aka BAS)

I shamelessly stole this term from Mark Sisson at Mark’s Daily Apple. I’ve actually been making the BAS for a while and I love it! All you have to do is throw a few handfuls of mixed greens in a bowl with whatever fresh veggies (or even leftover cooked veggies) you have around, add some protein and your favorite dressing and you’re good to go! I pre-prep all my veggies, etc so all I have to do is throw my salad stuff in a bowl before I go to bed and grab it on the way out the door in the morning. Easy-peasy.

Dinner:
Grilled flank steak
Sliced tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

DAY 2: Thursday, August 2nd

Breakfast:
2 poached eggs
Sliced tomato
1/2 avocado

Lunch:
BAS made with leftover steak from the night before 🙂

Dinner:
Chicken stir fry
Cherries

DAY 3: Friday, August 3rd

Breakfast:
Veggie frittata
Nectarine
Green tea

Lunch:
Leftover stir fry
Spinach salad w/ avocado

Dinner:
Damn Fine Chicken (recipe from Nom Nom Paleo)
Mixed veggies

DAY 4: Saturday, August 4th

Breakfast:
Veggie frittata (leftovers from Friday)
Cherries
1/2 avocado

Lunch:
Damn Fine Chicken leftovers
Salad
Almonds

Dinner:
Grilled tuna
Salad
Melon

Like I said before, this meal plan isn’t set in stone. I’ve selected what I want to make, I’ve made my grocery list, and I will stock up on what I need. However, I will move meals around as needed. On Friday, I will reevaluate, check the local sale papers, and then plan meals for the next few days. In the meantime I will be posting daily updates about my Whole30 experience here.

Wow, I can’t believe it starts tomorrow! I’m kinda scared but also really excited! Time to get to the grocery store!

Next time on “Here We Go, Paleo!” – Whole30 Day 1

The Whole 30

It has been a rough couple of days. On Friday, I spent most of the day sleeping and didn’t get much of anything accomplished. My husband was off work so we went to dinner (sushi!) and then spent some time at his high school reunion event. Saturday I had plans to grab coffee and catch up with a friend and then I was invited to go to dinner for another friend’s birthday. I was tired but the coffee helped perk me up and it was good to catch up with my friend. Dinner… Well, that was a mixed event.

We went to a local BBQ place called Squeal. I’ve eaten there once before but it was years ago and the menu has changed a bit. Everything smelled wonderful and I was excited because I love BBQ. I ordered a beer along with a two meat platter with brisket and sausage and some grits and bacon jalapeno mac-n-cheese. Everything was tasty and things were fine.

After we finished eating, we went back to my friend’s house for birthday cake and that’s when the trouble started. Within 20 minutes of our arrival, I was miserable with indigestion and I felt like I was going to die. This hasn’t happened (at least not this badly) in a long time so to have it happen at a friend’s house with lots of people there was not ideal. I tried to hide it as well as I could but my friend suffers from similar digestive ailments and I’m sure she could tell something was wrong. I was feeling somewhat better by the time I left but all I wanted to do was go home and crawl in my bed.

Today hasn’t been much better. I woke up around 7 to the kitten chasing his tail on my feet. I put him out of the bedroom, drank some water, and then went back to sleep until 10 when I got up to pee. Then I slept restlessly until about noon. I felt horrible – I FEEL horrible. All day I’ve been experiencing flu-like symptoms. The body aches have been particularly awful. I feel like I got hit by a truck.

Days like today I just want to cry. I cannot tell you what exactly brought this on but I have no doubt that it has to do with my food intake from yesterday.

I’m done with this – something has to change SOON. So on August 1st I will start the Whole30. No excuses, no waiting, just get it going. August 1st… Here we go!

 

Next time on “Here We Go, Paleo!” – Meal Planning: A Necessary Evil

Going Paleo in Nawlins

I live in New Orleans and have for the past 7 years. I moved in Memorial Day weekend in 2005 and Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29th. My husband and I evacuated to Dallas (where my family lives) the day before which means that I was in New Orleans for only 90 days before we had to leave. Hey, at least that’s longer than Kim Kardashian’s marriage! Anyway, after staying in Dallas for a few months, we found an apartment and came back in January of 2006.

New Orleans is a very special place with its own unique culture and feel. Most people either love it or hate it and sometimes you end up in a weird love/hate relationship with NOLA. You really love some things about her but really hate others.

For example, NOLA is about 20 years behind modern civilization in most respects. Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit but still… Everything here seems to take longer than it should (something we call NOT – New Orleans Time), many things are ass-backward, and they haven’t caught up with a lot of the current trends. When I lived in Texas, I had a gym membership with 24-Hour Fitness and there were several other gyms within the area that I could have chosen from (Gold’s, Bally, etc.) New Orleans has exactly zero of these fitness chains, just a few individual gyms. That alone should tell you plenty about NOLA priorities… Within the last few years, we have gotten Anytime Fitness and Snap Fitness franchises around town but it’s still lacking in comparison to other places.

Food-wise, there is plenty of yummy stuff for your tummy in NOLA providing that you can tolerate it. If you have a food allergy or sensitivity don’t expect restaurants in NOLA to cater to your needs – they don’t like to do it and generally treat you like a pain in the ass when you ask. Don’t get me wrong, some places are better than others but it’s still rough. When my sister comes to town, we have to think about where we go to eat because we have to either choose a restaurant with a gluten free menu or a place with menu options that can be easily tweaked.

As far as cooking/shopping, we do have Whole Foods down here which is good though I try to avoid shopping there when I can because it’s really expensive. There are also some specialty health stores but again, they are expensive. So what is a girl to do?

For working out, I’m just going to exercise at home. There is enough stuff that I can do at home to keep me busy and I don’t want to spend extra money on a gym right now anyway. I’m looking into a local crossfit box for the future but I’m not planning on doing any of that right now.

Food-wise, I plan to get most of produce from local farmer’s markets. I used this website to get information on what markets are available locally. One of them, the Hollygrove Market, has a special deal. For $25 you can purchase a box that contains a share of produce from farmers in Louisiana and Mississippi. The items in the box change depending on what is seasonal and available but they always include enough produce to meet the needs of 2 adults for a week. And if you are unable to get to the market (or pickup site) to get your box, you can have it delivered to your house for a small fee. Boxes are available on Tuesdays and Saturdays and they post what will be in the box on their website the day or two before. $25 isn’t bad, though I wonder how well the supply can meet the needs of two adults that are not supplementing their diet with grains. Of course, you can always go to the market and buy additional items (or skip the box entirely). They also sell local dairy products, eggs, and honey. I plan to go sometime next week to check them out.

Crescent City Farmers Market is another available option. They don’t have the same “box” type deal that Hollygrove Market has but they are open three days a week and appear to have multiple, diverse vendors. They also have several options for payment including “market tokens” which serve as their very own currency.

Sankofa Community Development Corporation appears to have several vendors with various options. I like that they offer coupons and specials as well.

The only CSA I found was through Super Natural Organic Farms of America or SNOFA. Their location isn’t terribly close to us though it looks like they may have a pickup site in NOLA. The CSA is seasonal and somewhat pricey (cost is up front) but it seems like it is something worth looking into, especially if their weekly baskets have 11-12 pounds of food. They are also seasonal and currently closed (they start up again in September).

As for meat, I’m going to price things at Whole Foods and see what that will cost me. As I said before, I work for a non-profit so I don’t have money coming out of my ears. If I can afford grass-fed beef, etc. then I will buy it. Otherwise, I’ll make do with what I can from Winn-Dixie or Robert’s. Fish I will DEFINITELY be buying at Whole Foods because it’s the only place I trust for fish.

I am also considering online retailers for specialty things because I know some of them have better deals than the local stores. However, I’m not ready to jump into all of that yet.

Eating out… well that’s going to be a problem of its own. I am hoping that we will be able to find places to eat for special occasions that won’t be too put out with me making special requests 😉 That I’m sure will be a topic of a lot of posts to come!

That’s all for now – I have a busy afternoon filled with clients and thinking about food is making me hungry!

Next time on “Here We Go, Paleo!” – The Whole 30

I Can’t Eat WHAT!?

One of the bad things about going on a restricted diet is that it severely limits what you can eat. It’s the same with a major lifestyle change, especially when you’re looking at going from the standard American diet (SAD) to Paleo. When I first started thinking about this, I was sad about a few things… I really like bread, cake, cookies, etc. Then I realized that chocolate was out, and possibly coffee if I can’t find a way to make it palatable without sugar… Those were harder to give up. But the real shock comes in discovering other things I won’t be eating…

Today I was going through the fridge and I happened upon my bottle of A1 Steak Sauce. Suddenly I had the horrible thought that I couldn’t have A1 anymore! And after examining the ingredients, I was right. It contains corn syrup as well as preservatives, salt, etc. This might seem like nothing to other people but I LOVE A1. Seriously. I have an unhealthy obsession with the stuff. I will eat it on anything – steak, chicken, fish, bread…

It was the first real “OMG” thing that I came across. I also almost flipped because I read on one blog that vinegar is a Paleo no-no and I LOVE balsamic vinegar. Fortunately though it seems that many of the blogs/resources out there seem to think vinegar is okay so that made me feel better.

Other things I will have to give up that didn’t occur to me until recently:

• soy sauce (no soy on Paleo!)
• sushi (well, until I figure out something to sub for rice)
• burritos (duh – no tortillas, rice, or beans…)

A few minutes ago I was looking at our pantry thinking that 95% of the stuff we have in there will be off limits once I start the challenge. No pasta? That’s my go-to “late night at work throw it in a pot with some sauce and eat” meal. Backup for that? A sandwich… but that requires bread. I know I can do without these things, it just means that I have to get on top of things and PLAN rather than flying by the seat of my pants.

It’s scary but it’s going to be worth it!

Next time on “Here We Go, Paleo!” – Going Paleo in Nawlins

How to Go Paleo

I work for a small non-profit agency and one of the many perks I enjoy is that we all have a scheduled lunch time. Every day at noon, we all take a break and eat lunch together at the table in the group room. We talk about current events, our families, sometimes work stuff – whatever comes to mind. There are many times that our discussion will turn to food or dieting, that kind of thing. This happens a lot because all of us are trying to lose weight and have done one diet or another. The latest work food fad was Weight Watchers which did nothing for any of us.

Anyway, today my coworker and I were talking about dieting and food and the paradox of “don’t obsess about food” but “write down every little thing you eat, think about the choices you are making, etc.” How can you do both of those at the same time? Beyond that, I have a problem with binge eating, especially sweets. It was really bad when I was in college. It’s much better these days but I still binge every now and then. A therapist of mine likened my binge eating to the behavior of an alcoholic that goes without drinking for a while and then binges to the point of a black out. She said it was “maladaptive coping” (which it is) and that I needed to just stop it “like how alcoholics stop drinking.” That pissed me off.

Yes, there are similarities. Addictions are addictions, alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol, my addiction is to an abundance of sweets. However, while you can live without drinking a single drop of alcohol, you cannot live without eating food. It is really easy to say “don’t do it” when you don’t have a problem but the temptation is all around me and I CAN’T AVOID IT! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done things about it – we limit the amount of junk food in the house, etc. but still… It’s a very different situation.

Whoa, that got a little ranty and off-topic… Let me see, where was I going with this? Oh yes – so today my coworker and I were talking about this food obsession thing and how the best thing is to come to a point where you’re not thinking of it as a diet with things you can and cannot eat, but a lifestyle change with “everything in moderation.” I agreed… then told her that I was planning to start a 30-day Paleo diet challenge.

We went through the usual yada-yada:  “what is Paleo?, why would you do that? omg, I couldn’t give up bread, etc. etc.” After I explained what it was, I told her why – mainly that I was looking to feel better but that I also wanted to lose weight. I also mentioned the story of a good friend of mine who has had TREMENDOUS success on Paleo (she’s one of the main reasons I’m doing this!) Now she (my co-worker) is thinking about joining me in the challenge. I gave her some websites and a book to read – we shall see what she decides.

Her next question after what and why was how. How exactly am I going to make this drastic change?

Good question.

I read from one of my sources that it can ease the transition if you start with one or two things at a time and gradually step down. Another source says it’s better to do it quickly and all at once – like a Band Aid – so your body adjusts faster and you “get it over with” for lack of a better term. I see the merit in both approaches, however since I plan to start with a 30-day challenge, I think I have to go with the all-at-once Band Aid method in order to be successful. Tapering off would just take too much time.

I did a few searches and came up with a few 30-day challenge templates. Some of them were on sites that required me to pay for them (I didn’t – we’re running low on money at the moment) and a few that were free. One, through United Barbell, included before and after requirements, “rules,” a do-don’t list,  and even some meal plan templates. I also found Robb Wolf’s the PaleoSolution Quick Start Guide which is less detailed but is good about giving the basic guidelines in an easy to understand format. After reading these I have come up with these steps for the challenge.

1. Clean out the kitchen!

All “non Paleo” food has to go. This includes cereal, pasta, bread, rice, cookies, crackers, processed foods etc. This comes with a challenge because my husband is not planning on doing Paleo with me so I won’t be able to eliminate all of these items BUT I plan to get rid of as much as I can and get him to hide the rest. (I know that sounds silly but go with it, okay :))

2. Stock up on the good stuff!

Once the kitchen has been purged of all evil non-Paleo foods, it’s time to stock up on the Paleo diet components. Now, there is a big push for grass-fed beef (and other meats), pastured eggs, and organic produce. I can tell you right now that while I want that and it’s admirable, it’s not going to happen on my monthly budget. I’m an intern working for a non-profit. After bills and student loans, I don’t have much of a grocery budget to work with so I’m going to stick with what I can get at my local store first and try to keep it as clean as possible. As time goes on and I get better at this (and, hopefully, a RAISE!) I will start purchasing more and more organic foods.

3. Plan, prep, and cook!

In order for me to make this work, I can’t wing it – I will plan my meals weekly (probably on Sunday nights) and then do as much pre-cooking and prep as possible. If I know what I need to grab when I’m running out the door, I’m much more likely to stick to it than if I’m winging it.

4. Track it!

I will keep track of what I’m eating, what my symptoms are like, weight, etc. The only way I can see a difference is if I keep tabs on what is going on with my body. Yes, feeling better will tell me if this is working but having actually data is even better.

5. NO CHEATING!

It’s only 30 days – buck up and make it happen!!

6. Hold on and enjoy the ride!

I think that’s about all you CAN do! At the end of 30 days, I will evaluate and see how things stand. At that point, I can decide if I want to continue in the same manner or if I want to tweak things. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself so taking it a month at a time seems best.

As for when I will start, it probably won’t be until September. August is a major money month for us (most of my professional memberships are due etc.) and I will be going out of town for two conferences so that will make staying on track a challenge. However, I have not ruled it out yet.

Either way, I anticipate a big adjustment coming. I’ve spoken before of my love of carbs, especially sweets. I’m thinking there will probably be quite a bit of low carb flu going on in this house until I get “detoxed.” Ugh, I’m dreading that… I’m sure my husband is too! I will try not to be too tough on him 😉

That’s it for today… I’ve got to get to bed – early morning tomorrow!

Next time on “Here We Go, Paleo!” – I Can’t Eat WHAT!?

Why Go Paleo?

The second question I get when I tell people about paleo is “why?” It’s usually phrased in a “why would you want to do that to yourself” kind of tone which, I suppose, is somewhat understandable considering how different it is from the average American diet. The answer to that question is simple.

I want to feel better.

I’ve been sick since I was 12 years old. I don’t know exactly when that year it started, but I know it was before I hit menarche (at 13). It started with intense stomach pains that my mom attributed to cramps though no period followed these episodes and there was no specific pattern to them. I would lay on my side on the bed or the couch, curled up in the fetal position as it was the only thing that gave me any relief from the pain. We tried medicines but they didn’t help either. It was miserable… and that was just the beginning.

Note: if you are sensitive to stomach-related TMI, you might want to skip the next paragraph or two.

Soon after the phantom pains started, more mysterious gastrointestinal symptoms started showing up. I was frequently gassy/bloated and I experienced a lot of diarrhea, especially after meals. More often than not, I would finish dinner and almost immediately run to the bathroom. To make matters worse, these episodes could go on for hours. They seemed never-ending. Even when I thought I was “done,” I’d still be in agony with stomach cramps, and often I was back in the bathroom within 5-10 minutes. I once described this to a friend as “vomiting out my ass” because that’s how intense and uncontrollable it was.

When I went to the doctor, he tried to explain it away as having to do with my cycle. When it continued, he assumed that it was some kind of food sensitivity. However, while there were certain foods that almost always aggravated my system, even “safe foods” sometimes made me miserably sick. My doctor labelled it as “stress related” and eventually we gave up even looking for a solution.

Naturally, these bouts took a toll on my social life. I was reluctant to commit to social gatherings when I knew food was involved. Once at a sleepover with friends, I had a nasty bout and ended up spending the whole night in the bathroom. It was completely humiliating.

In the meantime, other issues were starting to crop up. Around age 13-14, I experienced moderate to severe depression. I had crying spells, I struggled to get out of bed in the morning on weekdays and slept for hours an hours on the weekends. I stopped caring about my appearance and I found it hard to enjoy anything. I also experienced anxiety during this time, though it was mostly social (we explained it away with that whole “I don’t want to get sick when I’m with friends” thing) and situational (test anxiety, etc.) In addition to all of this, I was also having a lot of joint pain though that was attributed to “growing pains.” I didn’t put all these things together with my gastro symptoms until fairy recently but looking back, I’m amazed at how much we “missed.”

As time went on, my gastro bouts decreased somewhat. By the time I went to college, I was having them 3-5 days a week (versus 5-7 days in the beginning). It was still a problem, especially because I had to share a bathroom with strangers, but it was a bit more manageable. I’d like to tell you that it got better but it didn’t. I just learned to “deal with it” as best I could. I’d given up all hope that there might be help for me with this problem.

I had a severe depressive episode in 2002 and another in 2006. Both times I was put on medication – Zoloft (anti-depressant) the first time for about 6 months, and then Wellbutrin (anti-depressant), Klonopin (anti-anxiety drug), and sleeping meds (Ambien). I slept better, my depression got better, my anxiety was reduced, but they were all still underlying problems and my stomach got no better.

In 2007, that changed. My younger sister was having problems with anemia and vitamin deficiencies. After several tests, her doctor recommended an endoscopy with a biopsy to check for Celiac disease. Almost immediately after the test, they came back with a positive diagnosis.

Before this happened, I’d never heard of Celiac disease but I learned a lot very quickly. My sister started a gluten-free diet and we learned all about what gluten was and all the many, many things that have gluten in them. If you don’t know, there is no federal requirement for companies to put gluten on their labels under allergins. Some people just look for wheat and assume no wheat = no gluten, but gluten isn’t just in wheat. It’s also in barley, malt, etc. Hidden gluten can cause major problems for people with Celiac.

While this was a difficult transition for my family, I finally had hope for a diagnosis. 44% of first-degree relatives also have Celiac – so I went back to my doctor and asked to be tested. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t wishing for Celiac. I just wanted answers after being miserable for so long. I felt certain that I would test positive… But no. The biopsy was negative and my doctor diagnosed me with “irritable bowel syndrome” and essentially told me there was nothing that could be done. I was crushed but what could I do? It was time to move on with my life.

I tried to go gluten-free after my non-diagnosis and was semi-successful. I did feel better during that time but I wasn’t particularly vigilant and got “glutenated” several times by hidden gluten. It was a struggle and I finally just gave up.

So again, why Paleo?? It makes sense to me that if gluten irritates the system and it is from a grain, then it’s possible that other grains can be irritants. The times in the past when I’ve done the best were times when I was eating little other than veggies and meat and some limited whole grains. I’ve read numerous testimonials of people like me that gave up and then found paleo and were virtually reborn. I don’t know if it will work out that way for me or not but I’m damn sure willing to give it a try!

Next time on “Here We Go, Paleo!” – How to Go Paleo.

What is Paleo?

The first question I get when I tell people I’m going Paleo is “what the heck does that mean?” I don’t blame them – I asked the same thing when I first heard about it. I am in no way an expert on Paleo but after reading a few books and looking at numerous websites, I think I have a good grasp of the basics.

The idea is to get back to our roots. Early humans ate fish, meat, fruit, and vegetables. This was before agriculture, more specifically before humans learned that grains (and other previously inedible foods) could be cooked and/or processed so they could be eaten. It is no secret that agriculture provided significant advantages, however, these were new foods, foods that our bodies were not intended to eat, and so many people suffer negative affects from ingesting toxins from these foods. In Paleo, we want to get back to the original food sources.

Simply put, these are the Paleo basics:

EAT THIS:

1. Meat
2. Fish
3. Chicken (and other fowl)
4. Eggs
5. Fruit
6. Vegetables
7. Nuts (no peanuts – they are a legume!)

NOT THAT:

1. Grains in any form – no bread, pasta, etc.
2. Legumes (beans)
3. Potatoes
4. Dairy products*
5. Sugars
6. Artificial sweetners
7. Salt – most resources I’ve read suggest switching to Celtic or Himalayan sea salt instead of standard table salt

*Note: some believe that dairy products are okay, others say only butter and ghee (a kind of clarified butter), and others say absolutely no dairy whatsoever – it depends on who you are reading. As of now, I’m on the fence… I’ll let you know what I decide!

There is also some question about coffee. The first ever Paleo blog I read called for the complete elimination of coffee. Thinking about making it through my morning without a cup of coffee almost made me give up the idea completely. But after reading some other sources, it seems that coffee may be okay, it’s more the dairy and sugars (or artificial sweeteners) that people put in their coffee that is the problem. Again, this is something I need to think about and I haven’t made a decision yet. I sweeten my coffee so I’d have to see if I could do it without the sweet first! It might just be easier to switch to green tea!

I think the main point is to look for clean, real food that doesn’t come out of a box. If you can get it straight from the source (mother nature) and it doesn’t have to be processed, you’re probably fine. Otherwise, leave it in the box and walk away!

For those of you that are visual learners, there are some really great infographics out there:

The Ultimate Guide to Eating Paleo.

The PaleolithicDiet Infographic

There are also tons of sites on the web that have great information, recipes, and other good stuff. I’m compiling a list of my favorites and will add them to a page soon 🙂

Next time on “Here We Go, Paleo!” – Why Go Paleo?