What surprised me most about Week One of my Whole 30 experiment was actually how little change there was to my standard diet.
I’m already dairy & gluten-free, hardly ever eat out or order takeout, and rarely eat processed foods.
The hard part for me – And one of the reasons that I wanted to do this challenge – Was cutting out sugar & sweeteners. However inadvertent they may be. Protein powder anyone? I usually eat a clean, high raw diet throughout the day, but lately I’ve been baking up a storm in the evenings. And while I’m not saying coconut sugar & maple syrup are evil – I was curious how cutting them out would affect my day-to-day life.
Obviously, starting the Whole 30 didn’t mean that my sweet tooth went away. In fact, usually telling myself I can’t have something is the best way to kickstart a serious craving. But reaching for healthier, clean choices like the recommendations below is the key to conquering the Whole 30!
Recipes:
My Sunday Prep for Week One included cutting veggies, making soup, and preparing things for quick & easy evening meals.
Veggie Soup – Cauliflower, sweet potatoes, green beans, edamame, onions, shallots, garlic & spices. Heavy on the turmeric. Simple & quick but very tasty. I ate this with a salad, stirfry, or crudité & hummus most nights this week.
Sweets – Fruit is a-ok during the Whole 30, in moderation, so I’ve been eating apples, oranges & berries to feed my sweet cravings. And in the evenings I’ve been whipping up {literally} ice cream-y protein puddings with frozen bananas, protein powder & chia seeds. Stay tuned for a recipe!
Outcome:
Sleep – Not a huge change but a little bit better. Fingers & toes crossed for a more dramatic result during week two!
Energy – Here’s where losing the sugar definitely came in handy. My energy has been incredibly even – No swings or dips. That’s a huge plus of this kind of diet.
Workouts – This was where I saw the most change. My workouts for the last month or so have been lackluster to put it mildly – I’ve had no enthusiasm or drive in the gym lately. Well that’s changed! I can’t remember being so sore and I loved every minute of my tough workouts the past four days.
Whining:
What I’m trying NOT to do this month is complain about what I’m missing. I don’t need cookies, fruit is just fine. That being said, I have to admit that what I miss most is my usual salad dressing which has a touch of sweetener in it and my favorite weekend indulgence – A soy cappuccino.
I’ll be excited to get those back in June!
Did YOU have a favorite clean eating recipe this week?
great job on the first week! I didn’t think to add chia seeds to my banana ice cream – thanks for the awesome tip I’m so doing that haha