Whole30 - 30 days free from grains, sugar, dairy, legumes and preservatives

Pre-Whole 30

As a Nutritional Therapist, prior to Whole30 I was very aware of everything I put in my mouth, or so I thought. As I read through It Starts With Food by Dallas & Melissa Hartwig, the founders of Whole30, I started to realise that over the past 3 years or so, since I graduated as a Nutritional Therapist, some of my food choices had become disguised and dressed up in fancy outfits luring me in with their fancy labels claiming health and prosperity and general awesomeness.. hmm. not so it seemed as I read further into the the book.

My healthy brown rice had to go along with my new found passion for natural yogurt and my favourite thing of all  - fruit - was in a restricted zone. Now despite the slight slips and trips on my food choices, my overall diet was pretty good - I'd say up there in the 85% good, 15% category (not that Whole30 allows you to categorise food choices like this ever again!). My health is in the good to excellent category, healthy weight with healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and fat to muscle ratio in the superior category (apparently!). Putting exercise induced asthma aside and a 6 week dose of vestibular neuritis (vertigo) this summer I've not been sick for a long time. I tend not to pick up the colds and flus and sleep well most of the time. 
So why did I do this you probably ask? Well, apart from it being great research for my clients, I did think my energy could be better and my moods be more stable. I was also attracted to the possibility of being able to be free from negative psychological associations with food. I am one of these people that does reward myself after a hard day with chocolate, that is my weakness, mostly 70% organic dark chocolate but still, it's still chocolate and I still use it as a reward, and I wanted to see if I could break that association. I also love a challenge! So,a few deep breaths later and on completing the book I set about preparing myself for the Whole30 experience. 

Preparation is KEY to a successful Whole30. Don't even attempt one without doing all the reading and timetabling and shopping list writing that you are advised to do. It simply won't work. You'll feel rubbish that you started and failed at the first hurdle and that won't help anyone. I spent 5 days preparing, 5 whole days in the week after Christmas reading recipe books, writing shopping lists and preparing the first 10 days food timetable, including snacks as emergencies (Whole30 discourages snacking between meals but if you must then you should aim for a mini-meal - protein, healthy fats and vegetables).

The Meal planner is simple all meals must consist of PROTEIN + VEGETABLES + HEALTHY FATS + SEASONING. It's that simple - except it isn't as I go onto explain below!

Day 1 What's all the fuss about?!

Easy Peasy! I had prepared well and so Day 1 was a breeze, I was most likely still emptying my glycogen stores from the Christmas indulgence but Breakfast was egg scramble with berries and cashews and kept me going nicely till lunch which was tuna and avocado mix with squash and green salad. Energy was high and I felt really excited about the next 30 days! 

Day 2 - 5 Getting in the flow

I started on a Thursday and so Day 2 sees Friday night roll-around, I have to say at no point on the entire Whole30 did I miss booze so this was actually quite easy. I made scrummy meals of left overs in preparation for the Big Cook at the weekend. Big batch of meatballs and compliant mousakka made with big batch of roasted root veg. Felt really good on day 2 but the Carb Flu hit big time on Day 3 and 4. Lethargic, flu like symptoms saw me in bed for most of Day 3 and not really hungry at all. Headaches lasted for the best part of 10 days in total but the sugar cravings went within the first few days. It felt like a different sort of 'sick' to normal cold or flu. It felt cleansing, like I knew my body was detoxing from all the sugar and toxins that it had built up over the years. I supported my liver with lots of dark green leafy vegetables and coriander to support detoxification pathways through this phase. I kept at it, limiting fruit where I could and nuts too. Exercise was limited during this week as I let my body adjust to the new foods and convert from sugar burning to fat burning. 

Day 6-10 Tough Love 

As I previously said, headaches lasted until Day 10. This was a tough section of the Whole30 as I tried to get back to exercising and trying to work out how much protein/fat/carb I needed at each meal to keep me sustained until the next without feeling so full after each meal I couldn't move! Running club this week was interesting - felt very slow and nausea had been bothering me quite a bit which didn't' seem to resolve until after day 10 either. All part of the cleansing and adjusting phase I think. 

I made some delicious  meals during this time though and discovered plaintain!

Day 10 - 16 Feeling the magic....

It didn't happen suddenly or overnight, but very slowly the headaches went, energy went up and sustained throughout the day - my partner commented on how I was able to stay up past the ten o'clock news or watch a film all the way through with him without falling asleep! My moods stabilized also and life seemed very good. I was enjoying the food preparation and cooking and with a few shops done by my partner it took the load off me.  even managed a trip to Downing Street and politely avoided the drinks and nibbles on offer sticking to fizzy water with fresh lime (my new favourite drink!). 

Some of my favourite foods that I started to discover new ways with during this time were cauliflower - made into garlicky cauliflower mash tastes delicious and can be used just like normal mash potato; egg frittatas made in muffin cases, egg scramble - with any leftovers you can, coconut chips, addition of cinnamon to plantain for a tasty treat, the joy of a big handful of tasty filling olives, tuna and avocado mixed together (no need for mayo!), coconut oil for cooking, coconut aminos (whole30 approved soy sauce equivalent) coconut milk for just about everything, the joy of my local organic butcher - to name just a few delights and surprises!

Day 17 - 23 Continuing to feel the magic...

Days 17 through to 23 were generally very good. I felt full of energy, bouncing out of bed and keeping sustained energy up throughout the day. Moods were balanced and zero bloating, stomach pains or headaches. Skin was clear, nails strong, hair shiny and running performance was improving. I was really getting into the swing of the cooking and prepping and found I didn't need my trusted weekly timetable as I was able to trust myself to know what to buy and eat. Fridge was constantly stocked with eggs, avocados and sweet potatoes as stables and there was always coconut milk in the fridge. Vegetables were perked up with lots of herbs, spices and GARLIC and I often made kale crisps in the oven to add texture to my meals - just simple tear kale leaves up, place on baking tray and bake for 10 mins with salt. watch they don't burn. they are yummy!

Day 24 - 30 Feeling.. not so magic



I'd love to say that the magic feeling continued, but alas it didn't but this was not due to Whole 30 but rather a stressful week at work (which normally would have seen me heading for the chocolate every night or even in the afternoon) instead I had fruit and lots of it upping my portions to 3 a day with some dried fruit as well. (I had asked my partner to hide the dried fruit for me from week 2 but it made an appearance back again in week 4 - it was that or chocolate so I feel I made the right choice!). So despite a very stressful week at work I managed to stick with Whole 30 and kept the choices clean and right. Exercise was up to 4 times a week and although tired I was getting excited with the end in sight. Day 28 to 30 were better than the previous 4 as I realized I was so nearly there and nothing would knock me off track, I made some of my most delicious meals at this time and also found mackerel found it's way into my breakfast a lot! 
By the time Day 30 came around I really felt like I could keep this way of eating up. I felt calmer, cleaner and lighter. However, to keep the way of living up that supports this way of eating is another matter - it requires an enormous amount of time commitment and brain commitment. I was always thinking about what I needed to shop for, cook, prep, plan, wash-up - what was the next meal, snack, how did it fit in with work outs... ahh.. sometimes on top of a full time job, wedding and honeymoon planning and running my own start-up nutrition business it was all a bit much and so by the end of Day 30  - and after managing to avoid any drinks at a big work night out I smugly woke up on Day 31 feeling a huge sense of satisfaction, zero hangover and generally feeling huge sense of relief that I could choose to eat what I wanted, knowing how it would impact my body and therefore able to make an informed choice!

Post - Whole 30
So, was it worth it? This is the question everyone is asking me. In short and on balance.. YES it was worth it. I have learnt:

• The shocking truth about just how much crap is in ALL packaged foods
• Nothing is innocent - not even plain pre-cooked roast chicken - brown sugar is third on ingredients list.
• Vegetables are you vegepals - they are soo versatile, adaptable and flexible, whether hot, cold, raw, cooked, as a main, or as a side, with coconut milk or without, spicy or herby, cinnamon or garlicky  - you can do so many things with them and they are your best food friends both on whole 30 and beyond. I knew this anyway having grown up in a family where vegetables were the main part of our diet - but I have never had them in so many tasty ways until the whole 30. My favourite is kale and coconut milk with chillies. yum!
• Sugar is EVERYWHERE - there is no escaping it unless you eat clean. and the sugar dragon doesn't die easily. 
• Scales have too much power over all of us - we are worth so much more than defining our selves by a number on the scale. Eating Clean, Thinking Clean and Exercising Mean is a much better scale of self-worth than weight or measurements.
• Variety is the spice of life - eggs for breakfast every day is dull - keep it intersting and your brain and body keeps interested too.
• Think outside of the box- breakfast doesn't have to be brown squares of cardboard (aka cereal), you can have leftovers from dinner, vegetable smoothies, mini frittatas, eggs, curry, sausages, bacon - in fact the tradition english breakfast of eggs, sausages and bacon is a fantastic start - skip the beans, fried bread, black pudding and toast though!

In summary, I have learnt a huge amount about myself and food which I am looking forward to passing onto clients and friends and family through workshops and nutritional therapy consultations.

If you would like to hear more about my Whole30 experience or fancy it yourself and would like some support or would like to book a consultation then please contact me:
www.juliasimmsnutrition.co.uk
t: 07709449052
e: info@juliasimmsnutrition.co.uk
f: facebook.com/juliasimmsnutritionaltherapy 

Slaying the sugar dragon

Over the past 30 years sugar has increased in our diets dramatically.  The scary thing about this is that our bodies don’t actually need ‘free sugar’ to survive. Free sugar is not the same as glucose. Glucose is produced through the digestion of carbohydrates and is the fuel of life for all the cells in our body.

The World Health Organisations (WHO) defines ‘free sugar’ as "all monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods by the manufacturer, cook, or consumer, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices".

It is used to distinguish between the sugars that are naturally present in fully unrefined carbohydrates such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta, fruit, etc. and those sugars (or carbohydrates) that have been, to some extent, refined (normally by humans but sometimes by animals, such as the free sugars present in honey).

Confusion occurs when we use different names for sugar inter-changeably. Below are just some of the terms used for sugar or sweeteners in food:

Brown sugar, white sugar, Demerara, molasses, honey, fructose, sucrose, treacle, golden syrupy, maple syrup, corn syrup, cane syrup malt, fruit juice concentrate, agave syrup, stevia, brown rice syrup, manitol, maltose, maltodextrin, dextrose etc.

So it’s very important to become adept at reading food labels. Limit the amount of foods you buy with these listed as part of the ingredients and follow the tips below to limit ‘free sugars’ in your diet and your children’s:

• Avoid fizzy drinks, sweetened drinks, sports drinks and concentrated fruit juice (unless diluted 50% with water. Fruit juice has had all the fibre removed from the fruit and so is concentrated fructose. Drink plain water or water flavoured with mint, lime, lemon and fruit.
• Keep sweet treats like cakes, biscuits and sweets for special occasions only. Replace with whole fruit which contains fibre to slow down the release of sugar into the blood stream.
• Watch out for fruit smoothies, often they are just thicker fruit juices with limited fibre left in them. Make your own using whole fruit and vegetables as an alternative.
• Swap ‘white foods’ i.e. white pasta, white rice, white bread, cakes and pastries for wholegrains i.e. brown rice, brown pasta, wholegrain bread. Your children’s taste buds will adapt over time but to start with use half white half brown for a few weeks before moving over completely. This way they will hardly notice!
• Limit honey, syrups and dried fruit – use them for flavourings for food as a treat.
• Choose tinned fruit in water rather than syrup. Better still choose fresh fruit.
• Choose lower sugar fresh fruits such as apples, pears, plums and berries. As these grown in the UK they are naturally lower in sugar as they don’t get much sun exposure as tropical fruits like bananas, grapes and pineapple – keep these sweeter fruits for special occasions.

By following this advice you will be naturally lowering your children’s sugar intake and over time will hopefully see more balanced energy levels and moods. By slaying the sugar dragon their taste buds will change over time and will no longer crave sugar as they did before.

No Sugar Recipes

Butternut Squash Casserole

(Adapted from Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People who love to it by Melissa Joulwan)

Serves 4

1 x Large Butternut Squash

2 tsp water

1 head of garlic

1 tsp coconut oil

2-3  tbsps tin of coconut milk (organic if possible)

½ tsp Ras-el-hanout spice

Pinch of salt

1 large egg

Handful of pecan halves

Method

1.       Pre-heat oven to 350F, 180C

2.       Cut the Butternut Squash in half lengthways, remove seeds and place on roasting tray skin side up. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of water. Wrap garlic in tin foil and place on tray along side squash. Bake in oven for 40-50 mins. Set aside to cool.

3.       Increase temperature to 400F, 200C

4.        When the squash is cool, use a spoon to scoop the flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Separate the garlic cloves and squeeze the roasted pulp into the bowl with the squash. Process the mixture to a smooth puree, then add the coconut oil, coconut milk, salt, and Ras el Hanout. Taste and adjust seasonings.

5.       Beat the egg in a small bowl. Scrape the purée into a large mixing bowl and stir in the beaten egg with a wooden spoon until combined.

6.       Grease the inside of a 3-cup casserole dish or individual ramekins with a little coconut oil, then add the squash purée. Top with chopped pecans and bake in the 400 F oven for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are a little bubbly and the top is golden brown.

Courgette wraps

Serves 2

1 Courgette

1 tsp Lemon

½ Avocado

Handful coriander

¼ Red onion

1 tbsp Pumpkin seeks

2 tbsp cooked quinoa

Method

1.       Peel courgette lengthways to create long strips. Create two separate ‘beds’ of layers of strips overlapping each other – one for each person

2.       Slice avocado, chop coriander and red onion and mix with the cooked quinoa, lemon and pumpkin seeds.

3.       Place half the mixture on one end of one of the courgette ‘beds’ and roll the courgette strips up. Repeat with the other bed of courgette strips.

4.       Serve and Enjoy.