In hindsight, our timing could have been better.
After a wonderful return trip to Germany recently (one reason of many the blog has been so quiet lately), eating and drinking incredible things, we decided to shock our bodies senseless by beginning Whole 30 the day we returned.
“What is Whole 30?” you ask? Torture.
Okay, that might be a wee exaggeration, but it’s a culinary stretch for us, both in preparation and consumption.
It started rather innocently, when Tad googled how to bake sweet potatoes when I was out of town. He landed on a Paleo blog, and that, I’m afraid, was that. He landed on a page that showed before and after pictures, which lead him to read more. The more he read, the more he was convinced this was a Good Thing.
Curses to those healthy food bloggers!
But then, the more I read, the more I was intrigued.
For the first time in my life, I decided to restrict and revise my diet NOT to lose weight but to improve my quality of life.
I haven’t slept well in over ten years (and ten years prior to that, I wasn’t sleeping well because of babies!). My metabolism is flatlined. My body has changed – really changed – over the past two years and not for the better, and without me eating more.
For 30 days we’ve committed to:
- No dairy (including cheese or yogurt)
- No sugar including natural and artificial sweeteners
- No added sugar (which, when you read American canned good labels, IS IN EVERYTHING)
- No grains (buh-bye beautiful breads, rolls, bagels, English muffins…)
- No soy, carrageenan, MSG or sulfites
So when I’m committed to something like this, I’m ALL in, and I become the Best Rule Follower of Them All. I even smacked Tad’s hands for chewing gum because it’s off limits! Gum triggers false signals to your digestive system AND it contains artificial sweeteners.
Interestingly, Whole 30 even engages your brain; we’re having to think more about meal planning. Almost none of my go-to recipes are Whole 30 compliant, so I’m reinventing the menu wheel in our house. Which is why I’m sharing a recipe today.
I call it Egg McMazings because it’s incredibly versatile and you can add your favorite ingredients. Basically, I googled a bunch of recipes, and tailored this to what I had on hand:
Egg McMazing – Whole 30 Egg Muffins
Ingredients:
- 10 eggs (Whole 30 recommends pastured, grass fed if you can get ’em)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
- Big ol’ handful of Kale, chopped with stems removed
- Basically your favorite ingredients in whatever amounts you’d like.
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Lightly grease muffin tin or line with muffin cups. Beat eggs together with salt and pepper and gentle fold in veggies. Cook for about 20 minutes in a pre-heated 350° oven, or until eggs are set in the middle. Will keep about 4 days in the refrigerator and my Publix manager (I kid you not, the guy who told me to make these) said they freeze wonderfully.
See??? The EASIEST recipe in the world!!
Notes:
- I sautéed my veggies in a little olive oil because I wanted to make sure they were tender, not crunchy.
- I can’t wait to try this with ground, browned sausage, broccoli, mushrooms and maybe zucchini.
- I’m sure everyone else on the planet would like tomatoes in ’em (blech!).
- I used 11 eggs (I was thinking one per muffin) and had some leftover (I didn’t want to fill muffins too full; can’t stand it if they cook over and brown too much). I scrambled the remaining mixture and it was *almost* like a frittata (and finished much sooner than the egg muffins).
Questions? Comments? Have you tried Whole 30??
I mean, I’M EATING KALE, PEOPLE, even in smoothies.
I have no idea who I am anymore….
I did Whole 30 last year and made it! I just got back from a naturopath today about some persistent health issues I have been having over the last two years and it appears I will be signing up again soon. We will be starting a food elimination diet which is basically paleo. But for 6-12 weeks. SIX TO TWELVE WEEKS!! #holdme
Oh, Robin. I did Whole30 last summer and it was torture. But then, somewhere toward the end I realized I felt SOOOOO much better and a lot of my ailments had disappeared. I’ve fallen far from the wagon trail, but I’m ready to start back up again. Good Luck! Here’s my Whole 30 pinterest board to help you http://www.pinterest.com/happybrownhouse/whole-30/
I know that everyone has to find what works for them and what is “doable” for the long haul. My approach may not be for everyone, but I wanted to mention the Trim Healthy Mama approach to healthy eating. I started it because of poor blood work reports and have been eating this way for almost a year. All of my numbers are down and I was able to come off some of my medications. I didn’t set out to lose weight, but you really can’t help it when you eat by this plan. I am eating more “crossovers” now to avoid getting too thin, and still maintain the good blood glucose and cholesterol. If you are interested it, just Google it. Reviews are everywhere. The recipes are fabulous!
Great post, Robin. I decided to give up sugar and processed grains for the last two weeks of Lent, for spiritual and physical reasons. You’re making me think about dairy and all grains, but even what I’ve done is helping me feel better. I can’t wait to try your recipe. (We’re in the same boat with the body changes…I’m doing this to give myself a birthday present for my 50th in May.)
Sounds like something I should try when I have more time. Right now life is stressful with a busy busy job and aging parent who is in hospital.
Once things settle down maybe this summer I can try whole 30 or my version of it. Would love to eat better and feel better.
Good for you for trying this!
Blessings 🙂
I hate to even say this…but be sure and check the label on that sausage you want to use. It might contain sulfites. 🙁