Picture collage :)

Day 17 :) best decision I made!

Sorry been so busy lately and haven’t updated as much as I would like but I have wonderful news I am already on day 17 of whole30 and I am feeling amazing- looking amazing– and so happy I made the decision to take part in a Paleo lifestyle :). I know people are like I can’t do this blah blah blah but that’s not true you can do anything you want to and anything your set your mind to its really not that complicated. Of course you have to prep things and make your own food and use lots of yummy spices but that’s what’s so great about it you wake up feeling so refreshed and amazing and not bloated because you are taking in healthy and wholesome things 🙂 today I plan on dehydrating more fruit and making some applesauce and for dinner we are having what’s pictured below super excited hope it turns out great which so far all my Paleo recipes have! I could so see my husband and I eating this way it’s worth every penny!! I hope you all are doing wonderful!! I will posting some more today with recipes and tips regarding Paleo so be on the look out 🙂

I’ve came so far!

Day 12

Never felt stronger I can already tell a difference in my stomach and my skin is so clear now since starting the whole30 others can see too I had my Best friend has started it as well because she saw how it was working for me and wanted to feel the same way! It has been exciting and the crazy thing is I haven’t really craved anything unusual I mean time to time I want creamer in my coffee but truthfully it taste just as good black to me (I went to Starbucks the other day and ordered black coffee my hubby thought something was wrong with me if you knew me before I so would have gotten a Skinny latte). I wake up and just feel refreshed and happy I think it is because I am changing my eating habits towards something that is sustainable for life. My hubby and I have also been doing P90X I know this plays a role in my results too it doesn’t get easier but I will have to admit even through the tough times (like PLYO yesterday) we laugh and I love doing it with him! I am excited to be making these changes to a better me thank you guys as well for supporting me through all this! I listed a few things I do need to work on though regarding whole30: I don’t need to weigh, stay away from coconut milk unless in a can, and try to fight off the dessert demon (http://whole9life.com/2012/12/dessert-demons-in-disguise/). I hope you all are finding success in your goals as well!

Next time!

Alex

Just an update :)

Hey friends!!
All is well over here I have been doing the whole30 challenge as you can tell along with P90X with my hubby and running as usual! The whole30 is going well I have really set myself up for success with this I just hope it keeps going smoothly! 🙂 P90X on the other hand OH MY– it’s so hard I find myself screaming at Tony Horton his little comments makes the pain even more unbearable…. BUT my hubby and I still mash play every day we are going to see it to the end of the 90 days even if we die trying which at this point that’s the way it looks (though we have so much fun doing it together)! Been thinking of some upcoming races I want to do I am thinking the Albany marathon in March haven’t decided yet on the full or half yet though! Hope your all staying on track towards your goals I really love blogging and helping people achieve their goals 🙂 if you have any questions or just need some tips or motivation you can email me at alexiasuzanne31@gmail.com anytime! So far today I made a Paleo egg casserole this morning and also homemade Italian salad dressing (Yummy) I have all my salads prepped for lunch this week and my hubby is grilling tonight! PREP is the key here you have to plan ahead! Just keep looking here for updates, recipes and tips!

See ya later,
Alex

Days 8,9,10 going on strong :)

Date: Feb 1st-3rd

Day # on the Whole30: 8,9,10

On a scale 1-10 how am I feeling? 9

Use 1 or 2 words to describe my current mood: Sore

Am I craving anything today? If so, what is it? A little chocolate lol

Only 20 days left but I can see myself doing this for so much longer. I feel awesome and the scale is in my favor too I really am happy all the time now 🙂 I have this energy like never before I have been making some yummy Paleo recipes too like egg/spinach/sausage casserole and chicken enchilada bake!!! Also got a dehydrator that I love but my food processor crapped out on me 😦 I really love this way of life I do feel great like I can take on the world! Hope you all stick to your goals for super bowl Sunday!!

YumPaleo Chicken Enchilada Bake

Paleo Chicken Enchilada Bake

Happy Cinco de Mayo! CrossFit Santa Cruz Central sure found a BRUTAL way to celebrate! Wow… heavy & hard, that’s all I can say. It just kicked my butt, and wiped me out! Tonight’s dinner, however, did bring me some much deserved comfort…because it was just SO delicious! This recipe was forwarded to me and is from another Paleo-Crossfit site (in the Windy City)… So, thank you Chicago (and Neile for a great recipe find). If you’ve been missing enchiladas, then give this a try! We really enjoyed this recipe, and I know we’re going to really appreciate all the leftovers, too! Enjoy mi amigas! 🙂

Sauce:
1-2 small chipotle peppers, chopped (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce), plus 1-2 tsp. adobo sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground chili pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
pinch sea salt (optional)
2 C organic chicken broth, low sodium
3 C (or 3 8oz. cans) organic tomato sauce, no added salt

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low/simmer while you prepare everything else.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees!

Chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 head cauliflower, shredded with food processor until rice-like consistency
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Boil chicken breasts in water for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from water, and with two forks shred chicken into pieces. Set aside. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Saute onion, until transparent, add garlic, bell pepper, and spices. Saute a little longer to combine flavors. Add shredded chicken to the skillet, and mix together. Now add sauce to the chicken skillet … RESERVING 1/4 C sauce for the cauliflower rice. Mix well.

Put cauliflower rice in the bottom of a baking dish. Add 1/4 C of the sauce. Mix well. This is the bottom layer of your enchilada bake. Now add the remaining chicken/sauce mixture over the cauliflower. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove foil, and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with avocado slices, too! Ahhhh…. it was a perfect Cinco de Mayo meal! Hope you enjoy!

Whole 30 days 4,5,6 :)

Date: January 21st-30th, 2013

Day # on the Whole30: 4, 5, 6

On a scale 1-10 how am I feeling? 9 (Feeling awesome)

Use 1 or 2 words to describe my current mood: HAPPY and DETERMINED​

Am I craving anything today? If so, what is it? NADA

Wow—I can’t believe how smoothly this is going it has literally taken me by surprise how great I feel! I normally would be in the hangover stage and craving things badly right now but oddly enough it hasn’t been that bad just a few things I have wanted but I have found Paleo approved things instead (did want some nutella today a co-worker said something about it but oddly enough that’s the craving only lasted like 5 seconds). It is like I want and crave healthy, wholesome food! I have never felt better I am just hoping the feeling last and I think it will! While doing the whole30 I am also doing the P90X program with my Hubby and its coming along just DANDY—I mean half the time I am yelling and I have this horrible disgusted look on my face but other than that just DANDY! Oh and did I mentioned I ordered a Dehydrator, I am beyond excited about this new kitchen tool (kale chips, fruit, veggies, meat and etc.) WOO! All is wonderful over in here in PALEO LAND! Not much to update almost done with my first week off to the grocery store tonight to get more Paleo foods! Below is my list so far of items to pick up:

Nuts

Almonds

Pistachios

Cashews

Meat

Chicken

Lean/grass fed ground beef

Pot roast

Salmon (Wild Caught)

Vegetables

Spinach

Tomato

Cilantro (spice)

Purple Onion

Avocado

Bell peppers

Head of lettuce

Sweet potatoes

Jalapenos

Mushrooms

Fruit

Apple

Banana

Blackberries

Strawberries

Pineapple

Oranges

Other

Lara bars

Canned coconut milk

Olive oil

Water

Frozen fruit (natural no added sugars)

Balsamic vinegar

EGGS

Organic chicken broth

Paleo Recipe of the DAY:

STUFFED PEPPERS
• Bell peppers (4)
• Spinach (1 pound)
• Yellow onion (1/2)
• Tomato (1)
• Ground beef (1 pound)
• Favorite seasoning blend (1)
• Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Clean peppers and set aside.
• Dice onion and saute in olive oil. Add spinach (squeeze dry if using frozen) and let cook down. Add ground beef and brown. Dice tomato and add to mixture. Season to taste with your favorite seasonings.
• Fill peppers with mixture and bake for 20 minutes or until peppers are tender.
• Dig in or top with salsa or marinara sauce and enjoy
–Alex

Whole30 day 3

Date: January 27th, 2013 (I was behind today is the 28th)

Day # on the Whole30: 3

On a scale 1-10 how am I feeling? 6

Use 1 or 2 words to describe my current mood: cranky

Am I craving anything today? If so, what is it? Sweets—just something sweet ugh!

Sunday on to the journey with P90X with my husband and day 3 Whole30 I am doing pretty good with my cravings so far but man have I been so hungry this weekend I have found that Lara bars help curve that sweet tooth as well as my homemade applesauce and banana ice cream (just frozen bananas and cinnamon). Which while I am talking about fruit it is really starting to aggravate me that I am consuming to much fruit (I love fruit) but you can have too much and I am because 1.) I cannot have anything sweet 2.)I need to get to the farmer’s market/store for other snacks and/or food is causing me to eat what we have which in this case is FRUIT! Who would have thought eating too much fruit would be a problem for me well now it is and I need to get a hold of it quickly because I want my whole30 to work to its full potential. I am really trying hard to be positive and believe in myself and not get discouraged I am so excited about this journey but like I bought the Lara Bars (which are Paleo approved and have ingredients such as dates, cashews, peanuts) I bought the peanut ones and cashew ones—Love the cashew ones and then didn’t realize till after the fact the peanut one (just dates and peanuts) has peanuts in it and I can’t have peanuts on whole30—little things like this tick me off because how slow am I not to realize if it says peanuts most likely it has peanuts in it! I have turned down many of things too that I am proud of for resisting and saying NO! It is crazy how when you eat bad things it makes you feel bad but also when you consume too much of good and healthy things you also feel bad mentally though, it’s all MENTAL!​ I am and will come out of this strong and learn a lot hopefully being so down on myself will be one of the things I learn to let go. I need to move on every day is a new day to start fresh and be successful I need to stop living for the negatives of yesterday. The week ahead will be a busy one filled with farmer market Wednesday (Can’t wait!), P90X, Taxes, Birthday dinner at in-laws for hubby (hope they grill so I can have something to eatJ), and maybe just a date night in there too (every couple needs a date every now and then). I have made my grocery list for the week and I have planned out my meals for the whole week and I am ready for a new week—let’s go!

–Alex

30 reasons to do whole30

1. You’ll sleep longer and more soundly.
When sugar is out and protein/fat is in, you sleep the sleep of the righteous.
2. You’ll enjoy consistent energy.
Forget energy that peaks and drops like a roller coaster, you’ll become a bullet train.
3. You’ll wake up feeling optimistic and alert.
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, better than waking up with a smile and open heart.
4. You’ll say goodbye to digestive distress.
Forget about farts and tummy rumbling and…let’s call them “uncomfortable bathroom experiences.” You might have a little discomfort at first if you’re not used to eating lots of veggies, but after that, smooth sailing.
5. You’ll be happier.
No joke. When blood sugar is stable, life is happier. Period.
6. You’ll be more peaceful.
The swirly thoughts and anxiety that can be brought on the sugar joyride just vaporize and leave calm in their wake.
7. You’ll be more clear-headed.
Goodbye brain fog and tip-of-the-tongue syndrome; hello Mensa!
8. You’ll drink more water.
Sugary drinks are out, so you’ll naturally find yourself drinking more water — which is a brilliant thing. Might I also recommend some lovely rooibos tea?
9. You’ll eat more vegetables.
Get ready to eat like a bunny! You want 2-3 cups of veg per meal. Per. Meal. Think of all the nutrients!
10. You’ll savor your food more.
For me, shining the spotlight on quality food makes me appreciate its nutritive power and flavor more than usual. I slow down, enjoy every bite, and think about how it’s making me strong while it tastes so damn good.
11. You’ll feel the difference between emotional appetite and real hunger.
You know that mindless eating that happens when you’re stressed or distracted? That’s emotional appetite, and it’s junky. During the Whole30, as your body gets off the sugar high and settles into better insulin management, your appetite starts to diminish, but real hunger — the need for quality food that signals when it’s time to eat — kicks in and it feels So Good.
12. You’ll find new favorite foods.
Who knows which vegetables, spices, and meat preparations will become your favorites?! It’s exciting to think about, no? There’s so much room in your kitchen and on your plate for new stuff when you banish the grains, beans, and dairy.
13. You’ll have fun experimenting in the kitchen.
The Whole30 is essentially what got me into the kitchen and playing with recipes. I was inspired to see what I could do with veg+meat+fat… and I encourage you to do the same. Play with your food!
14. You’ll get more organized.
Woot! Free bonus! The Whole30 kinda requires you to do a little bit of planning to ensure your success and that organization can trickle into other areas of your life, too.
15. You’ll get out from under the burden of emotional eating.
Most of us tend to blame ourselves for “lack of willpower,” but the truth is that much of our mindless eating is driven my our hormones. When we manage our hormonal response by eating the right foods, the correct messages about hunger are delivered through our bodies. No more hoovering through the kitchen cabinets!
16. You’ll learn about yourself.
By focusing on your habits for 30 days, you’ll learn all kinds of things, including what triggers your appetite, who’s part of your support system, what you need for self care, what time of day you go to the bathroom, and more!
17. You’ll slay the sugar demon.
Vanquish that bastard! And then, later, if you dance with the sugar demon again, you’ll know that it’s within your power to take a sword to his carotid again when the time comes.
18. You’ll make new friends.
There’s a huge community of Whole30 participants online and offline, and during your Whole30, you can tap into their support, knowledge, sense of humor, successes, and challenges. A great place to start is the Whole9 Forum.
19. You’ll positively influence others.
Yes, you’ll inevitably get the “You need to eat whole grains” argument from some well-meaning acquaintances, and that will be annoying. But if you quietly stick to your program, you’ll also have a positive impact on the people around you when they see your results. I can’t tell you how many people were envious of my Whole30 packed lunches in my office, and that is the perfect way to open the door to a great conversation.
20. You’ll learn more about how your body works.
This is a two-fold win: first, by understanding the principles of the science behind the Whole30, you’ll learn a bit about how human bodies function; and second, you’ll learn how you — a special, special snowflake — work, in particular.
21. Your skin will be brighter.
Sleep + water + vegetables + fat + no sugar = clear, younger-looking skin.
22. Your hair will be shinier.
Sleep + water + vegetables + fat + no sugar = glossy hair. (And stronger nails, too.)
23. Your tummy will be flatter.
The end-of-day bloat from dairy and legumes is gone, baby, gone!
24. Your workouts will feel invigorating.
Workouts fueled by real food are the bomb. That is all.
25. You might PR.
You might. Really.
26. You’ll feel accomplished. (Or maybe even smug.)
I’ve stopped pursuing discipline for discipline’s sake, but I wholeheartedly believe that committing to a short-term program like the Whole30 helps develop mental toughness that is valuable in all aspects of our lives. And yes, I do enjoy feeling smug about that once in a while.
27. You might lose weight — or gain muscle. Or both.
If losing body fat is your goal, a Whole30 can be a great way to start that process. Just don’t cheat yourself out of a lot of joy if you make that your only focus.
28. Your body image will improve.
There is an undeniable connection between treating ourselves well and how we feel about our bodies. If you look at the Whole30 as an act of self care, then affection, love, acceptance, and celebration of your body — how it feels, what it can do, the amazing things it carries you through every day — will surely follow.
29. Food will become both more important and less important.
I used to be really attached to food. I was sad at the end of the day when my eating was over until tomorrow, and when faced with my favorite foods, I wanted to eat them until I was stuffed, lest I never see them again. But when I got my blood sugar under control with the Whole30, that changed. Food is both more sacred — it nourishes and sustains us — and less sacred — we get to eat again in a few hours (!). The emotional triggers attached to the food on my plate are gone. Don’t get me wrong: I still feel deep affection for favorite foods, and I love to eat, but I feel now that there’s a world of abundance out there. Fear of food — and fear of not having favorite foods — is gone.
30. You’ll stop dieting and just eat.
This might be the best reason of all. When you take out the non-food food and replace it with real food, you can stop over-anaylyzing how much you eat, when you eat, where you eat. Yes, quantities still matter to some degree, but you can throw off the shackles of calorie counting and denial… and just eat. Peacefully. Healthfully. Robustly. With joy and pleasure and laughter. And cumin.