My Whole30 Recap

Yes, I am horrible at keeping up with my blog and I've been meaning to update... really! However, late is better than never so here's my reap on my Whole30 experience.  

First, I want to apologize for leaving the last 9 days blank, but the last nine days were about the same as all the other days.  I didn't experience anything different from before.  After my Whole30, I did lose weight, but not anything significant.  Honestly, I was a bit disappointed because my experience was not like all the testimony I've read about.  I didn't experience the "tiger blood" nor the crazy cravings for food I haven't had in years.  The only thing I did experience were the headaches at the beginning.  

How Whole30 helped me was learning about how my body works with food.  My cravings for sweets went down dramatically.  I used to have some sort of dessert right when I get home (i.e. ice cream, cakes, etc).  I would even eat sweets that I don't like.  It was bad and I recognized it too.  Now, I am able to pass on the desserts and not want the sugary stuff anymore. 

I am also eating breakfasts every day and that was something I didn't do before.  For most of my life, I went without breakfast (unless I was going out to meet up with friends or have brunch).  I was never really hungry in the mornings and a cup of coffee in the morning was suffice.  

My recovery from my workouts are a lot faster than before.  My soreness usually goes away by mid-day the next day after my work out.  I would wake up sore, but feel great and normal by 11AM.  It's not a bad thing when I'm usually sore all the time. 

So would I continue to do Whole30? I'm not sure.  I've been debating about it for a while.  Currently I am still on Whole30, but I am not sure for how long I'll keep this up. 

Day 21: Paleo Potluck & Zucchini Lasagna

I was invited to a Paleo Potluck and honestly had no idea what to make!  I first thought of the sloppy joes, but knowing how messy that could be I decided to scratch that idea.  I checked the invite to see what other folks were bringing and figured I could make my zucchini lasagna.  I also had some Brussels sprouts and decided to bring a side dish as well (yes, I was really busy in the kitchen that day).  

We had a lot of fun and the food was awesome!  There were salmon, curry meatballs, chicken stir-fry, chicken wings, almond butter, cucumber water, and apple crisps!  The food was so delish that we might have another potluck this weekend.  Anyway, on to a recipe: 

Zucchini Lasagna (adapted from The Food Lovers Kitchen):

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground meat (beef or turkey - I've tried both and loved it equally)
• 1 cup of green bell peppers, diced
• 1 cup of onion, diced
• 1 tbsp of basil 
• 1 tbsp of parsley
• 1 tbsp of oregano
• 1 Zucchini, julienne (thinly sliced)
• 1.5 cups of mushroom, sliced
• 15 oz of tomato sauce
• 6 oz of tomato paste 
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Red crushed pepper flakes (optional - if you want it spicy)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Brown the meat over medium heat - breaking it into pieces.
3. Add garlic, onion, and green peppers and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in tomato paste and tomato sauce.
5. Then add parsley, basil, and oregano.  Bring sauce to a boil, then remove from heat.
6. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if needed. 
7. Grab a 9" x 13" baking dish and layer the sauce thinly in the baking dish.
8. Then layer the zucchini and mushrooms over the sauce - repeat and alternate the layering of sauce, zucchini and mushrooms. 
9. Bake the lasagna for 15 minutes - covered.  Then, remove the foil and increase the temperature to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes.  
10. Remove and enjoy!

Day 20: Panera Bread Pastries All Around Me...

So I am sitting at the service area waiting on my car. I go to the "early bird" special on Saturday mornings because not only is it super cheap for me to get my oil change, this place also serves you breakfast! I'm not talking about your nasty cheap donuts, etc. I'm talking about your fresh cooked omelet made the way you want with OJ.  However, today they didn't bring in the cooks for the omelets and instead, they're serving Panera Bread's pastries and sandwiches. Major blah because I cannot have anything (and it smells wonderful in here).

Panera Bread bagels

Interestingly, even though it smells great in here, I was not tempted to go over and grab one (well, I did walk over to take a photo, but I wasn't interested in picking it up). My cravings for processed sugar seems to have diminished a lot! Even the paleo-fied desserts aren't as tempting as they used to be. Confession: I really wanted to pig out at this one restaurant that makes amazing paleo desserts, but was not able to.  Before I went on the Whole30 journey, I would drool thinking about those desserts (look at the picture! How could you not?!); however, I haven't really craved it and writing about it haven't made me want to text my girlfriend to have a dessert date. 

Paleo Blueberry Cobbler (w/ paleo ice cream)

Initially when I started the Whole30 journey, I told myself the first thing I'm going to order is one of the paleo desserts from my favorite restaurant.  Now, I am not so sure if that's the first thing I want.  I think I would love some good cheese and a glass of red wine.  It's interesting in how just 20 days, your taste buds/cravings can change.  Hopefully I can see/feel more changes in the next/last 10 days of this challenge. 

Days 18 & 19: Where's My "Tiger Blood"?!

I am waiting for this magical "tiger blood" to hit me, but I have yet to experience it. Trust me, I am very sad about it because another reason why I was excited about doing the Whole30 challenge was to experience all the sensations that I've read about in many testimonies. One of them was about "tiger blood."  Tiger Blood is basically where you've gone 'over-the-hill' with the Whole30 program and the cravings are gone, energy is super high, and you just feel freaking awesome!  Unfortunately, I haven't felt the "awesomeness".  I have noticed my cravings are gone and that my energy are about the same.  I think I am stronger with my work-out.  I guess I was expecting to be super energetic like on a runner's high or something. 

What I have noticed is how certain foods affect me.  Just eating Whole30 approved items like plantain chips or kale chips disturbs my tummy.  I initially thought it was just the vegetables (i.e. cauliflower), but then I realized it was the plantain chips that I love so dearly :(  Knowing this and also knowing that the plantain chips can act as my "food without brakes," I decided to stop buying them.  I probably will make my own and see if it's because it's packaged or if I do have an issues with these items.

Day 17: Kung Fu Running Club supports #runforboston

As you may have figured out, I LOVE running. It's actually my first love with CrossFit being my second (okay, it's a toss-up between food and CrossFit, but I'll go with CrossFit for now). So when I heard about Boston, I was really sad. I finally got back to my office and streamed the news coverage that day until I had to leave for CrossFit. It's just ridiculous with what happened and I was glad to see our run clubs getting together to run for Boston.

We made signs and the runners wore green (yes, I know that is not the Boston Marathon colors, but I didn't organize it - just participated). With our run club (Kung Fu Running Club), we asked our runners to wear either green or blue and yellow. Our runs are always on Wednesday nights and through word of mouth and social media advertisement, we had 104 runners show up yesterday for this run. It was amazing! I was disappointed with the fact that my injury caused me to "man the table" and not run with the group. However, I was glad I was part of it :)

Really quick about Day 17: I still have yet to notice the fat melting away, but I did finish "It Starts With Food"!!! I ordered the book on the day I started the Whole30 challenge and it arrived on the 4th or 5th so let's just say I suggest reading the book before starting the Whole30 challenge. It is very resourceful and I enjoyed every bit of it!

I have noticed that my meals do not make me feel yucky or uncomfortably full. I am full and satisfied after each meal and usually am able to go without a snack (unless dinner is 6+ hours since my lunch).

My energy level is still consistent and I haven't had the extra cup of coffee during midday nor evening. I did get a cup of almond milk latte on Monday in between court settings, but that was because I went to a coffeehouse to prepare for my next trial and was too lazy to drive back to my office. 

I also noticed that last week, my tummy was going through some stuff, but I think it was the healing process from the "overcarbsumption" I had from my poor eating days.   I haven't really craved for brownies, cakes, blueberry cobblers, etc.  I have noticed my sweet tooth cravings are more towards fruits now (and Lara bars) and I know I need to not feed into it. 

Days 12 -16: Thai Red Curry with Ground Turkey

As you've all heard by now, something tragic happened at the Boston Marathon.  I am still shocked and have been very disturbed by it.  Before I actually get on my soap box about this topic, let me go ahead and move on to my Whole30 experience so far (and another recipe).

Over the weekend, I was in Austin, TX for a few reasons: to celebrate a friend's birthday, to hang out with a girlfriend of mine, and to run the Austin 10/20.  What's the Austin 10/20? I'm glad you asked! It's a 10 mile race with 20 bands - very similar to the Rock n' Roll half/full marathon series.  This past race was the second race for Austin 10/20 and they are going to try and start a series.  There's a race coming up next year in San Diego, California for their 10/20.  Pretty awesome!

I think being on Whole30 affected my race in a not so pleasant way.  First, I was a good minute slower than usual and second, I injured myself.  Now, I did contribute to the injury by running cold - meaning, I did not warm-up nor did I go out for any runs the week leading up to the race.  However, I did hit a wall and was not able to get out from it.  I was really disappointed with my time.  What I didn't do, and I knew I should have, was go on the Whole30 forum for athletes.  On there, many people have posted about what to eat the day before, day of, and during the race.  I messed up in so many ways...

First, I didn't have a carb-heavy meal the day before.  I actually went to a vegetarian restaurant because my girlfriend wanted to try it out.  I'll be honest, a salad to me is not a meal at all.  I need and want protein with every meal and that didn't happen on this trip (not an issue, I'll mark it as a learning how to eat away from home).  I even bought 2 bags of plantain chips (they're compliant) and that wasn't helpful either.

Second, 2 hours before the race I had a burger patty with an egg and mixed fruits.  For some reason, I felt my burger at about mile 7 and it was not comfortable.  Honestly, I wouldn't have had a burger patty before a race, but I was away from home and didn't want to be bothersome to my friend so I brought that patty from home (it was easy to nuke in the morning!).  Anyway, it was a mistake and now I think I know better and will be testing  out some pre-race breakfast items.

Third, (and I've mentioned this earlier)... I did not run at all the week leading up to the race.   Not the best idea when you're suppose to be training properly (and I obviously did not).  No worries, I am seeing a physical therapist this Friday and hopefully it's nothing bad.

Okay, I promised ya'll a recipe and here it is:

Thai Red Curry with Ground Turkey:

• 1 lb of ground turkey (or your preferred choice of protein)
• 1 tsp of coconut oil
• 1 cup of carrots, diced
• 1/2 an onion, sliced 
• 1 - 2 tbsp of red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 tsp of ground ginger 
• 1 tsp of fish sauce (I use Red Boat)
• 1 tsp of coconut amino 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp of red crushed peppers (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add oil and brown the ground meat (add salt and pepper for more flavors to your meat).  Remove the meat once it's browned.
3. In the same pan, add the coconut milk and curry paste and stir together.  Throw in the onions and carrots.  Cook for about 5 minutes and stir occasionally. 
4. Then add the ground ginger, coconut amino, fish sauce, and meat.
5. Serve over cauliflower rice (with red pepper flakes if you like it spicy) and enjoy!

Days 8-11: Cravings???

First off, I have to tell the world that the 3 question marks on the title of my post is done on purpose to annoy my sister - haha! She really dislike improper grammar, especially punctuations, so I just had to do that.

Second, I knew I sucked at keeping up a daily blog! I admire other bloggers who are able to write every day because I am not able to do it.  However, I don't have much to write about since every day has basically been the same: get up, make coffee, eat breakfast, go to work, eat lunch, work-out, go home and have dinner.  See? Pretty boring! So I've saved you from my boredom! 

But, let me recap you on how my Whole30 is going so far. 

I'm actually enjoying it.  I knew it was going to be difficult because while on "normal paleo" I had a difficult time being on track and my cravings were off the charts! I would be really good during the weekday and destroy myself over the weekend.  Needless to say, I wasn't really letting my body heal and I was not doing my health any favors at all! What I have noticed is, my cravings have curbed by a LOT.  It's pretty crazy, but after about 11 days I am not craving for sugar like how I was a month ago.  Just to give you an idea on how much I used to crave sugar... I would be okay for most of the day, but once I get home or finish dinner I would be very full, but still want something sweet.  Since I've denied myself with sweets all day, I find myself getting ice cream out from the freezer and having that with brownies or madelines, or I'll have something with Nutella (fruit or pastry).  It was horrible! And it was usually at night, after a good workout and all.  I would wake up the next day feeling super disappointed at myself because I did not have any self-control over myself.  I would be good for a few days, but give into my sugar cravings and totally undo all the hard work.  So! This have been good for me because I don't even feel the sugar monster pushing me for any sweets.

My sleep has also improved.  I naturally get up between 5:30 - 6AM and I get between 7-8 hours of sleep every night (so far).  I don't have interrupted sleep and my energy level have increased.  For those of you who know me, you know how much I LOVE coffee/caffeine.  I normally start my day with at least 2 cups of coffee (one cup at home and another on the road), then by noon I would have another cup (or two) of coffee at the office (or I would have gone to Starbucks by then and ordered my 'non-fat, 1 sweet & lo, cappuccino - grande).  Well folks, I've basically eliminated my afternoon and evening coffee consumption.  I only have one maybe 2 cups of coffee at breakfast and that is it.  I am not tired during the afternoon nor have I hit a slump to where I need a "pick me up".  I am just going through my day and it dawned on me just the other day how I haven't really had any mid-day coffee.  

These are the two things I've noticed so far.  I haven't noticed any fat being melted away, but today is only Day 11 so we shall see.  On the other hand, Whole30/Whole9 have a timeline of what to expect while on the Whole30 and from Days 8-15 I am suppose to have all these weird cravings (like for food that I haven't had in years).  Interestingly, I haven't really had any cravings.  It's actually annoying because I was wondering what it is that I would crave and I haven't had any!  Although last night, I did dream of eating chocolate chip ice cream and then feeling bad as I was finishing it up because I thought to myself that I just cheated and need to start over.  Luckily, that was not true! (What's odd is chocolate chip ice cream is not my favorite so I was surprised it even occurred in my dream).  Anyway, I am still waiting to experience this weird craving.  Once I do, I will definitely update you guys!

Day 6 & 7: Turkey Chorizo Scramble (and my first weekend of Whole30)

I think I survived my first weekend of Whole30! I was even with my sister for most of Day 7 and survived it... wow!  Quick recap: on Day 6, I had a run (4 For the Park) and I did not allot enough time for me to make breakfast, digest, and go all out for my race.  Instead, I got up, made coffee, raced and noticed my energy level depleted after mile 2.5.  I really need to learn how to eat a good breakfast before a race, especially when I have one coming up at the end of the month (well, I have another one next Sunday, but the race I care about is on the last weekend of April).  Hopefully, I will have something figured out by then.

On to food: I found this turkey chorizo at Whole Foods the other day.  I was excited because I like chorizo and I figure I need to change up my breakfast protein here and there (I've been eating a lot of chicken sausages lately).  Anyway, the turkey chorizo is all natural and Whole30 (paleo) compliant.  I was so thrilled because I was honestly looking for bacon and none of them were compliant.  So for Saturday brunch and Sunday breakfast, I made myself scrambled chorizo with avocado slices.  It was seriously delicious!  In fact, I had to text my girlfriend about it so she can pick up some for herself the next time she went grocery shopping (which happened to be today). 

Again, this was super easy to make:

Turkey Chorizo Scramble (makes one serving)

• 1/4 cup of turkey chorizo (or more if you prefer)
• 1/8 cup of onion, diced
• 1/4 cup of mushrooms, sliced
• 1/8 cup of tomato 
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 of an avocado (or more if you prefer) 

 Directions:

1. Heat pan at medium-high heat and cook the turkey chorizo (you do not need any added oils)
2. Once the chorizo is browned, add mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs together.
4. Once the mushrooms looks done, pour the eggs over all chorizo and veggies (make sure it covers the pan.  
5. When the eggs look almost done, scramble it up! 
6. Transfer the scramble onto a plate and place the avocado slices on top.
7. Enjoy!

Day 5: Lara Bar

I think I've mentioned before how I've been reading the Whole30 forum a lot and one of the posts that I've came across talked about how Lara Bars are okay for us to eat during "emergency" purposes only.  By "emergency" it means when you are starving and there's nothing else left.  I won't lie, I've
already shopped around and invested on a few good favors: blueberry muffin, apple pie, and carrot cake (those are the ones I've had so far).  They are seriously delicious and a lifesaver!  No lie, I shoved one down my face last night after the cake tasting with my sister because I was drooling for something sweet (really... after seeing that many cakes and being in a wonderful smelling place...gah! emergency!).  I know it's a 'no-no' because it's basically SWYPO, but hopefully I won't treat Lara Bars as my sweet replacement in that sense.  

Moving on, tomorrow I have a small 4-miler race called 4 For the Park.  It's a fundraiser for the Memorial Parks Conservatory group and I somehow got suckered into participating ;) They got me because of the awesome tech shirt that came with registration!  Mine is hot pink (or really more purple than pink).  I will most likely sport it out tomorrow for the race.  Anyway, since I didn't carbo-load like I normally would (granted, it IS just 4 miles so I don't really need to carb-load), I just had some plantain chips to see if I could use healthy carbs to pull a race off with good time.  Being honest, I am a bit worried because I have another race next Sunday in Austin, Texas: Austin 10/20 and it's a ten-mile race where I will not be doing my normal carb-loading for sure (meaning no pizza, pasta, bagel, etc on Saturday - boo!).  I am hoping all my natural carbs would be suffice and I guess we will find out!

I have to say, so far my Whole30 is going fine, except I know I need to cook more so I won't be tempted to snack.  I've managed to cut out nuts (because I can eat that with no issues), but I can see how easily I can replace that with plantain chips.  My breakfast is usually big enough to where I am not hungry until about noon, but I think it's my lunch that might be causing issues (or is it the fact that I am used to snacking that the habit is difficult for me to break??).  Hmm... lots to ponder over this weekend and I prepare and plan for my meals next week. 

Day 4: Coconut Butter and the Last Cake Tasting with my Sister...

Did I mention how grateful I am for plantain chips?? Seriously, it's my lifesaver through this Whole30 challenge (so far...).  However, I need to be careful because I can seriously finish a bag of them in NO TIME!  However, I have to admit that the plantain chips are very filling and I haven't craved nor felt hungry all afternoon (I had them for lunch along with my Five Guys bun-less burger again... I know, I won't have another one this week or next).

What worried me tonight was my sister's last cake tasting for her wedding.  I scheduled most of my sister's wedding cake tasting and had scheduled her last one for April 4th because the reviews for this place were so hot that I had to fit it in!  This was before I knew the Whole30 challenge was going to be in April (or I would have found a way to squeeze it in March).  I was actually scared I would cheat tonight because the last few times I went cake tasting with her... I ended up finishing most of the cakes (well, me and her fiancee).  I have a serious sweet tooth, really.

The cake place served up some serious cakes.  They provided samples of: red velvet, traditional, almond mousse, white cake with strawberry filling, white cake with raspberry filling, lemon mousse, Italian cream, strawberry, and a few others that I've forgotten.  I was actually sad because the place smelled wonderful when we entered and I really wish it was still March!  However, I was super good and only drank water.

Later, my sister did tell me that it was a good thing I didn't cheat for those cakes because she didn't think it was worth it.  The cakes we had in March were better - whew! If anything, I'm glad this was the last cake tasting for us because she made her decision! So I survived her last cake tasting and I had a few spoonful of coconut butter once I got home.  That made it all better for me.

Speaking of coconut butter, you're probably wonder what it is.  It's just coconut flakes that has gone through the food processor and it turns into this creamy, sweet "butter".  It's all natural and very good as a snack!  I'll just give you a quick recipe on that to prove how easy it is to make coconut butter.

Ingredients:

• Unsweetened Coconut Flakes or Shreds (1 bag)

Directions:

1. Empty the bag of coconut flakes into your food processor.
2. Turn your food processor on and let it go for about 8 minutes.
3. Check to see if you need to stop the food processor and scrap down the coconut.
4. Around 8 minutes you will see the flakes turn into this creamy substance.
5. Empty the butter out into a mason jar (or jar of your choice).
6. ENJOY! 

Day 3: Baked Mahi-Mahi with Couscous

I am just happy to say that I did not have leftovers for lunch today! I feel like that's all I've been eating lately (not complaining... really).  So my girlfriend and I went over to Five Guys for lunch... yes, we went to a burger joint!  But no worries... Five Guys is compliant with Whole30 because they do not season their beef.  They use 80/20 ground beef and just grill it without any oil.  They have grill their mushrooms and onions (most of their toppings) oil-free as well.  After we found out about that, we decided to eat out and "spoil" ourselves.  I also dropped by Whole Foods and picked up a bag of plantain chips to go with our bun-less burgers.  The staff looked at me funny, but I didn't care! It was seriously the best combo ever!  Okay fine... I would have liked the cajun fries with my burger, but the plantain chips as substitute worked :) 

For dinner, I decided to be "creative" and make Mahi-Mahi (my favorite fish) with a side a "couscous".  Yes, I know... it's really cauliflower rice, but  my sister had tried it before and thought it was couscous.  Probably because I processed it too finely and it does not look like rice.  Regardless, I seasoned and baked the fish (recipe below) and it was pretty darn good!

Ingredients:

• A filet of your favorite fish
• 1 tbsp of Adam's Reserves House Rub Spice
• 3 or 4 slices of lemon (round)
• 1 tsp of paprika 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degree F.
2. Season fish on both sides with spices, paprika, salt and pepper. 
3. Then drizzle the olive oil over the fish.
4. Place the lemon slices on top and baked uncover for 10-12 minutes.  The fish is ready when you place a fork down the middle and it cuts easily.  Enjoy!

Day 2: leftovers...

Picture this: you're driving home after a run and you're hungry.  All you're thinking about is the leftover NY Strip and the side of baked sweet potato in your fridge.  You get home, open the container and noticed a completely different steak and sides.  SOMEONE ATE YOUR FOOD! Ahhh! That was exactly what happened to me tonight :( 

Luckily, I still have leftovers from my sloppy joe so I quickly heated that baby up and scarfed it down.  However, I was still craving for some sweet potato so I sliced up a whole sweet potato, threw it in the oven and had that as my "dessert" since I couldn't wait for it to be an actual "side-dish".  Seriously people! You cannot eat other folk's leftovers! It's not nice, especially when one is on a restricted meal plan!  I mean... my brother isn't even in town and that's when I expect my food to go missing! Ah-hem... 

Anyway, getting back to updating about my food.  I had a pretty awesome breakfast: asparagus, with over-easy eggs, chicken sausage and coffee.  Lunch, I had sloppy joe again. Now for a snack... yes, snack... I had a Carrot Cake flavored Lara Bar... YUMMY!  I know they're Whole30 compliant, but it is only for "emergency" only (meaning you're stuck somewhere or in traffic and starving!).  I kinda figured it was an "emergency" for me since it was about 4PM and I planned on going for a run outdoors at about 6PM (which I did, but only for 3 miles and not 6 like I had planned). 

As far as Day 2... it wasn't bad.  I did notice I wasn't "feeling my run" since I gave up after mile 3.  I am not sure if it's because of the food (I was warned that I will feel sluggish and not as energize for the first few days) or if it's because I haven't been consistently running the past few weeks.  Guess I will figure it out (or not) as I continue to embark on this Whole30 journey.

Whole30 - Day 1: Of Course I Made It! (plus Turkey Sloppy Joe Recipe)

Day one is always the "yay, I feel great! Mission accomplished for now!" but we'll see how it goes when the weekend approaches.  I did prep myself by reading the Whole30 forums all weekend and I think I have it down (somewhat). 

For breakfast, I had 2 soft-boiled eggs with half an avocado and some tomato slices.  It was actually pretty filling because I wasn't hungry at my usual time (between 10:30AM-11AM).  I also had coffee with whipped coconut milk (from the can!).  I was actually amazed by how it good that milk was.  I've found a recipe for creamer that is Whole30 compliant, but I am not brave enough to try it (yet).  It's basically a can of coconut milk, an egg, and a tsp. of coconut oil all mixed together.  I'll be honest, it's the raw egg that bothers me.  I am very... oh, let's say "O.C.D." about salmonella.  I dislike prepping chicken and when I do, I clean and sanitize every. surface. area. of. my. kitchen.  That being said... raw eggs... yes, not sure when I'll try it, but will update when I do!

For lunch, I had turkey sloppy joe except without the bread.  The sloppy joe was made right from my kitchen and the recipe is super yummy!  In fact, I used to make this before I went on paleo and loved it with the 100 calories sandwich thins (with an actual burger bun is super delish too). Oh, and with mustard!

However, you may also eat it on it's own or with lettuce (kinda like a lettuce wrap but with juices coming out).  I actually enjoyed this meal so much that I had it again for dinner!  Now, you're wondering how this is compliant... well, no worries... I'm sharing this recipe with you :)

Turkey Sloppy Joe
Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground turkey or beef 
• 2 tsp of coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 tbsp of tomato paste 
• 1 cup carrots, grated
• 1 can (15 oz) of tomato sauce
• 4 pitted dates, diced
• 5 tsp of ground yellow mustard
• 4 tsp of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 c and 2 tbsp of water
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (or 1 jalapeno, diced) but this is optional if you like spicy food
• Lettuce or burger buns (depending on what you like) 

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil.
2. Add onions and bell peppers - cook until onions are translucent (about 4-5 minutes).
3. Stir in tomato paste, carrots, and 2 tbsp of water - cook until carrots are tender (about 2 minutes). Remember to stir occasionally!
4. Add ground meat and cook until it is no longer pink.  Stir and break up the meat as it cooks.
5. Stir in tomato sauce, dates, vinegar, mustard, and 1/2 cup of water.  Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low, add the red crushed peppers or jalapeno, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. 
7. Serve with bread (if you have no restrictions) or with lettuce!

Whole30 Challenge

I've started cross-fitting... yes, me... the super weakling of all her friends and family is now a (wanna-be) x-fitter.  I actually started x-fitting in January of this year and it's been an amazing thing! I am actually stronger than when I first started and the workouts are awesome! I knew I was going to be addicted once I started and now... my box is getting me into the Whole30 Challenge (which I accepted).

So I've decided to make myself accountable by blogging about my Whole30 every day (that, in and of itself is another task).  On top of that, I am going to instagram/take pictures of what I'm eating, snacking, and drinking just to make sure I stay on track. If you're curious about my instagram account... it's HungySandy (what else would it be?!).

The Whole30 Challenge is something I've looked into and wanted to do to prove that I can stick to a good program. I've been on/off paleo for a good month or two now and I'll be honest... I've cheated way too many times here and there for it to really work.  However, as crazy as it has been... I actually enjoy and love being on paleo (when I am on it).  I cook more at home, I eat a lot healthier and I am even eating protein that I would never touch in the past (i.e. more fish, lamb, even lobster, etc). 

Let me talk about my cheating that I've done.  My sister is getting married this year so I went cake tasting with her.  Let me tell you... I can seriously devour cake fast! So that was exactly what I did.  Why let free cake go to waste?! Then, having the personality that I do... once I start my cheat, I go ALL OUT.  Like, "let's get more desserts and Chinese food for dinner" all out.  So yes, no matter how good I am during the week, I've always managed to do some harm and make my week not count because I will over-do it with a "special occasion" or have some good (and I mean legit) excuse to have non-paleo food. Also though, I haven't been eating paleo correctly because I'm learning and researching more while I'm on it and I will learn (here and there) that what I've consumed or am consuming then is NOT paleo.  Seriously... it's a lot of effort, but I still think it's worth it.  

Through all this, I've learned one thing... my body hates me! It does not like going from non-processed food to having a huge hit of processed food.  Which is a great reason why I am going to hit the "restart" button by doing the Whole30 challenge with my box.  

A lot of my friends do not get it and I don't expect them to.  Someone even made a comment about how being on paleo/Whole30 is like the Atkins diet.  I did not even respond to that because if she had took the time to really research, then she would know that it's NOTHING like the Atkins diet.  Okay, so enough of me ranting about this topic and let's get to the nitty-gritty. 

What is the Whole30 about? Well, if you go here then the link will take you to the program where Dallas and Melissa Hartwig founded this program in 2009.  Basically, I am cutting out:

• sugar
• legume
• dariy
• alcohol
• grains
• MSG
• sulfites
• corn
• potatoes
• soy

I'm eating: 

• meat
• seafood
• eggs
• veggies
• fruits

What sucks about this is how I cannot even have raw honey or agave nectar, which are paleo, but not Whole30 approved. That also means I cannot have paleo desserts :(  But it's okay... I have something called the "sugar monster" that lives inside me and I really need to get rid of it once and for all.  I did it in the past and now I need to nip it again!  

My challenge starts on April 1st so you'll start seeing my blogs about it.  Figured I'll make myself accountable by talking about it since I have one more day left to shove down all the paleo desserts that I will miss out for a month!

Paleo Chocolate Cake

I know... the first paleo recipe I blog about would be dessert!  I'm sure you're not surprised by that ;) Real quick story about how I ended up baking this cake. It was one of my close girlfriend's 30th birthday.  Her husband and I thought about ordering this paleo cake from this restaurant, but for 12 serving/slices... it would have costs us $65! Umm... the cake was good, but is it really worth $65?!?! Anyway, my gf's husband asked if I could bake a paleo cake.  Uhh... I can bake, but paleo is a whole new ballgame for me since I have yet to venture into the baking area.  

However, being me... I took the challenge and researched on some recipes.  I finally decided on this one from Elana's Pantry (with some modifications, of course!).  I told my girlfriend's husband that if the recipe failed, I would bring gluten-free cupcakes from Crave.  Luckily, the cake was a success!  3/4 of the cake was destroyed and my girlfriend was thrilled to have some cake to take home.  

Ingredients for the cake:

• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 10 (yes, ten) eggs
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted 
• 1.5 cups agave nectar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest (I used tangerine  zest since I did not have any oranges) 

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degree F.  
2. Grease the cake pans with coconut oil (you can either use a sheet cake pan or 2 nine-inch cake pans)
3. In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda (dry ingredients)
4. In another bowl (large) blend together eggs, oil, agave nectar, vanilla, and zest (I actually blended all this in my Kitchen Aide mixer)
5. Mix the dry ingredients into the large bowl until everything is blended
6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes
7. Allow the cake to complete cool before frosting

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1 cup of dark chocolate (chopped or chips), preferably 70% or higher 
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil (melted)
• 2 tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan (small), melt chocolate and coconut oil together over low heat
2. Stir in agave, vanilla and salt
3. Place the sauce pan (with the contents of course) in the freezer for about 10 minutes to cool
4. Remove from the freezer and whip the frosting with an electric blender until it's thick and fluffy 
5. Frost over cooled cake (or the frosting will melt right into the cake)

Now, really interesting note here about the frosting.  It does not "fluff" up like what you're used to.  Also... be careful of leaving the frosting in the freezer for too long.  I left mine in there too long and ended up re-heating the frosting and placing it back in the freezer to try and "whip" it to a consistency I was happy with.  At the end, the frosting turned out to be a thin layer and not thick like how I would normally like my cakes to be.   Regardless, it was still good and everyone enjoyed the cake :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS. WOOD! I am so happy you enjoyed the cake!  Actually, I was more thankful that it turned out well and will probably try to make some dark chocolate chip scones in the near future :)

Banana Nutella Swirl Muffins (I know, NOT paleo)

My first recipe for 2013 was suppose to be a paleo recipe, but since I've posted this picture on facebook, I have no choice but to share it. 

Don't they look lovely?! I made them just in time (right before heading out to dinner with my friends) and was able to give some to her (she was about 7 months pregnant at that time and I thought this would be nice).  Anyway, while we were waiting forever to be seated (and we did have reservations), her and her husband had one of these muffins... the expression on her husband's face was all I needed to know that these babies are LEGIT! 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3-4 over-ripe bananas (mashed)
• 1/2 cup sugar (white)
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract 
• Nutella 

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Line muffin/cupcake pan with muffin/cupcake liners.
3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.  Set aside.
4. With your Kitchen Aide mixer (or in a large bowl), mix together mashed bananas, sugar, and dark brown sugar.  
5. Then beat in egg, oil, and vanilla extract.
6. Slowly mix the flour mixture in until there are no more lumps.
7. Fill in the muffin cups to 3/4 full.
8. Top each muffin with about 1 tsp of Nutella.  With a toothpick, swirl the Nutella into the batter.
9. Bake the muffins for 15-17 minutes (mine took 16 minutes).  To check if they're ready, insert a toothpick at the center of the muffin and it's ready when that toothpick comes out clean.  
10. Serve with milk!

Going Paleo??? Sandy???

Yes, I've decided to go Paleo(-ish). Why? Well, partly because I've put on some weight, but it's also because I've gotten into CrossFit, more cycling, a LOT more running and I want to eat healthier. 

I've had a lot happened in the last year and was not able to keep up with my blogging; however, I hope with this new found lifestyle and my "new" life I should be able to keep up with my blog.  Maybe it'll even help me become more aware about my health ;)

I ran the 2013 Houston Chevron Half Marathon and finished in 1:55:29 (yes, under 2 hours baby!) and also ranked 94th out of my division!! No lie, I am very proud of this accomplishment.  I beat my first half-marathon race by cutting down 30 minutes of my time.  However, since I've gained weight I feel like I should have ran faster.  

So again, my goal in transitioning to the paleo diet is to help me become healthier and be aware of what I'm putting in my body.   I am also going to add recipes on here that are paleo- friendly and also include notes for how to make it "traditional".  Okay, so my next post will be a recipe... I promise!