Whole30: Week Two

I know this is VERY belated and that I will be writing a Week 3 recap very shortly as I’m on my last day of week 3, but I didn’t want Week 2 of my journey to go unnoticed because of what happened during this time.

Remember, a great resource during the Whole30 is “It Starts With Food.” Pick it up NOW! (Kindle version is available, too)

Week 2 was the hardest week for my Whole30, for a lot of reasons. To make a long and sad story short, my grandmother passed away in the middle of the week, and I spent much of the time before and after at the nursing home and with family. It was a week of grief and sporadic scheduling, which I felt would not bode well during the Whole30. On top of that, I had a work party I was coordinating and a few rehearsals for a show I’ll be starting soon.

to my surprise, I was able to stay compliant even during this period. While it meant being very hungry from noon until 6pm when I ran over to the nursing home on Monday without eating lunch, it was worth it to be with family and to not stray from a plan even during a crisis. I was actually very proud of myself and what I could sustain (although I’ll admit, being hungry is not a healthy way to go about this).

This week taught me a few things:

REALLY be prepared. 

Between the frittata kerfuffle of Week 1 and my disjointed schedule in Week 2, I have learned that urgent matters will pop up when you’re least prepared for them. You know, everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I now have a Larabar stowed away in my car and usually some kind of nuts or an apple in my purse at all times, just in case I need a pick-me-up. I know Larabars aren’t the best thing ever but it’s better than eating something non-compliant.

Hashes are the best thing to make on weekends (or whenever).

I posted a hash recipe earlier in the year on my blog, but I’ve come up with a way easier and faster way to make a decent 2-person hash. It’s time to share my secrets.

You need:

• Sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 small to medium onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• Some kind of compliant sausage or chorizo
• 2 eggs per person
• Other veggies (red bell peppers, carrots, etc)
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Salt & pepper

Do this:

1. Make cubed sweet potatoes first, following this recipe. (you’re going to want to preheat the oven to 450 degrees)
2. While you’re waiting for them to cook, work on cooking your sausage unless it is already fully cooked.
3. Five minutes before the sweet potatoes/sausage are done, heat up some olive oil in a skillet. Add onions, garlic, and any other vegetables you want to have in your hash to the skillet to heat and soften them before combining w/other ingredients.
4. Take out a casserole dish. Grease that thing well. Seriously. I usually brush with olive oil. Line the bottom of the dish with sweet potatoes, sprinkle in the onion mix and sausage, and then crack eggs over the top of the mixture. Salt and pepper and put into the oven.
5.  Let cook for 10-12 minutes or until the eggs reach the level of doneness that you like.
6. Shovel into your face and don’t feel guilty, not one bit, about it.

I don’t think Whole30 is for me.

Although I’ve really grown to appreciate fruits & veggies more than I used to, I feel my energy has gone up, and my stomach is definitely flatter, I don’t think the Whole30 is something I could keep up in the long-term. Not to get into the nitty gritty, but it just doesn’t…agree with me as much as I’d like. I’m sure it’s something that’s a viable option for a lot of people, but the longer we are on this journey, the more I know I’m not meant to be on it forever. Plus, I eat vegan A LOT and I miss not being able to have fully vegan days or weeks filled with hummus, lentils, and rice.

In a couple more days, I’ll post some details on Week 3 with another recipe. At the end of this I’ll have a sum-up of all 30 days on this diet. I’d also love to hear from you, so comment here or email me telling me about your successes/setbacks with Whole30.