paleoironmom

fitness, food, family, and fashion

whole 30….please try it!!! — May 4, 2015

whole 30….please try it!!!

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Before I go into any background, I want to encourage anyone reading this to try Whole 30.  Buy the books! Follow the program.  The results are AMAZING!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Starts-Food-Discover-Whole30-Unexpected/dp/1628600543/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1430701263&sr=8-2&keywords=whole+30

http://www.amazon.com/Whole30-30-Day-Guide-Health-Freedom/dp/0544609719/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430701263&sr=8-1&keywords=whole+30

I have always considered myself a pretty healthy eater and have always had an active lifestyle.  After my 2nd child, I began having a lot of GI issues that severely impacted my running.  I began to notice that what I ate the day before would affect my running the next day so I decided to start eating “clean”; giving up all processed foods.  I continued to eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes. This helped with GI issues but they were still there.  The next thing I eliminated was gluten.  Again, I saw improvements but still had issues.

Enter Whole 30!!

I had been seeing a lot of people posting on Facebook and Instagram about whole 30 but I thought to myself there is no way I can give up dairy and grains; I’m a runner/triathlete I need my quinoa for training!! I decided to buy the book “It Starts with Food” and just read about the program.  As a pharmacist, the science behind the program made complete sense to me.  I decided to try it out only telling a few people about it since I was certain I could not make it a whole month with no sugar, no dairy, no grains, and no legumes.  The results were LIFE CHANGING!! At the end of 30 days, all of GI issues were gone.  I no longer had to plan my runs around a bathroom.  My athletic performance improved, my energy levels were higher than ever, my face cleared up. I saw a pronounced difference in the way my body looked. I also have suffered form hormonal headaches my whole life and have not had a single headache in months!!  My results were so profound I decided to continue eating whole 30.  The picture above is me at the end of my 2nd round of whole 30.

 

 

 

cucumber salad —

cucumber salad

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This cucumber salad is one of my favorite side dishes and it’s quick and simple to make.  I dress it with a basil olive oil and an oregano white balsamic vinegar.  You can usually find these at any local specialty olive oil store.  I did a food tour in NYC a few years ago and one of the stops was a really good olive oil store called O and Co.  I bought some olive oil and vinegar that day and have continued to order online from them.  Their shipping is expensive but they usually will offer free shipping every few weeks if you sign up for their emails http://www.oliviersandco.com/

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Tonight I ate this cucumber salad with grilled chicken, grilled veggies (zucchini, squash and onions) and a mixed fruit salad.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

2 english cucumbers (peeled and diced)

1 pint multi color cherry tomatoes (cut in half)

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (diced)

1 avocado (diced)

1 garlic glove (minced)

2 T oregano

Add all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, mix,  and toss with basil oil olive and oregano white balsamic

 

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