I got a secret.
Last month, I did the 30-Day Whole Food Challenge.
Sort of.
I didn't post about it, because I didn't follow the rules at all. I half-assed it. Because I'm FartyGirl and that's what I do.
Ready? Set? EXCUSE!
The month of May was busy for me.
Sorry I can' t be more original! But that's really what happened. It was the end of the semester.
I stuck to the challenge as best I could. At least eighty-five percent of my meals, every single day, were whole foods. The majority of my foods were raw. All were vegan and gluten free.
Suprisingly...
Small changes made it REALLY easy.
Instead of pancakes for breakfast...
I ate whole grains, soaked overnight in hemp milk, with cinnamon, salt, and flaxseed meal.
Instead of protein powder smoothies...
I slurped kale, basil and coconut water...
Aaaaand an amazing carrot, ginger, apple, spinach, broccoli juice at Reading Terminal Market!
Instead of Amy's Soups...
I tried to make sushi...
Aaaand ended up eating my usual kraut and kimchi salad instead!
Instead of my local market hummus (which I'm certifiably addicted to)...
I made pumpkin seed pesto...
Aaaand used it to drown my raw vegan pappardelli pasta!
Instead of larabars...
I ate cranberry and pumpkin seed bars...
And raw oatmeal cacao cookies...
Instead of Sunshine burgers...
I ate Healthy Chef Alex's AMAZING veggie burgers.
BUT - hold on a sec. Don't congratulate me yet. There were a lot of meals that didn't fit the protocol.
There was the unveiling of Daiya at my local Whole Foods.
There was Green Mountain Salsa.
There was roasted almond butter - which I've discovered I can digest by itself, and makes a great bedtime snack.
There was my trip to Boston, where I discovered Sunshine Breakfast patties.
There was the incredibly hard hot power yoga class that I LOVE but cannot get through without the help of chocolate!
Not cacao. CHOCOLATE. Totally against the rules.
I mean, I'm only human.
There is one thing I can say for myself.
Grow Indie is part of the Go Indie franchise, started by one of my great college friends, Robyn Jasko, and her hubby, Paul. On free days, I drove up to my old college town and spent hours in the garden - learning and eating.
I like to think that pulling a radish out of the ground, wiping it on my t-shirt, and nomming it up suffices for some of my mis-steps.
I LOVED eating more whole foods. It made my stomach feel SO MUCH better. In my opinion, the whole foods diet is absolutely necessary to healing IBS.
Thanks to Happy Herbivore for running the whole thing. Also a big thank you to Jenny from Sugar and Spice, for tweeting and blogging about it!
This is definitely a lifestyle that I plan to stick with. If not for IBS, simply because...
Fresh food tastes way better than processed food ANY DAMN DAY!
Questions
Check out the food porn above. What looks good? What recipes do you want? I'm happy to oblige anything - EXCEPT of course, Healthy Chef Alex's veggie burgers. You'll have to buy "The Great American Detox Diet" for that one. It's worth the spendage!
Last but not least - It's summer! Summer is smoothie-making time. What's your favorite? Here is mine - basil, kale, and coconut water.
Posts
15 comments:
Woohoo! It's so cool you've got into gardening:) I keep meaning to take photos of my allotment and do a post about growing your own.
I definitely think you've got it right with the whole foods thing. Quite often it's composite, processed foods that trigger IBS- burgers, tofu, bread, biscuits, nut butters, pasta. Less processed means meals with significantly fewer ingredients so the meal is much simpler, and whole foods means more chewing, so better digesting and less overeating, another IBS trigger.
My recent bout of yuckiness is settling down- I've been eating a lot less processed stuff by cutting out gluten (ok, I lie, in moments of weakness I've eaten about 4 graham crackers with dried fruit). I'll be doing a more positive than the last one post over the weekend!
I'd love to see the pumpkin seed pesto recipe:)
I used to think raw foods were the best for me but I recently realized that I can tolerate cooked things much better. I don't eat processed foods at all so that isn't a problem for me. But I do like to steam my veggies and eat cooked oatmeal for better digestion.
I've also cut down on the amount of fiber I eat. Who knew that too much was bad for you?
After trying so many different things I am finally back on track it seems. Knock on wood. I'm scared to type that!!
How interesting. I am going shopping tonight for only whole foods. My biggest issue is getting sleepy after eating processed foods, but if I don't have delicious, convenient whole foods when I'm starving, then I resort to the processed crap. Some of it tastes amazing but NONE of it does a lick of good for me. It usually just makes me sleepy so tonight I spend money on any whole foods that I want to have around.
I just started using that same hemp protein powder that you have in the picture. I blend that with a spoonful of spirulina and whatever frozen fruit I have at the time. This morning it was bananas and blueberries. I add water to it, blend it and it packs a wonderful punch. Did you imply that the hemp protein powder is not a whole food? I mean, I know it's a powder, but there are no other ingredients in it and I think it's pretty great stuff....
As always, love your plight.
Dukka - so glad to hear you are starting to feel better... don't feel bad about the graham crackers... y'know my slip ups with the Philly soft pretzels. A gluten free baker at my local farmer's market recently told me that more refined wheat products can often be digested easier by IBSsers. Something to think about...
Ameena - Two winters ago, I did a little reading up on Ayurvedic eating... some of the materials stated that cooked foods ARE the best for nervous tummies, like ours. I definitely think you are onto something there.
MYW - I agree about the protein powder. I LOVE IT. I eat it every day. BUT it wasn't permitted on the rules list. That's why I included it as a non-Whole Food. I agree with you - it's very debatable. Happy shopping!
I love that you did the challenge half-assed! I tend to just fold and give up if I can't follow all the rules. Instead you just made it a slightly more flexible and still reaped the benefits of whole foods! Hooray for you!
I would love love love to get the recipes for both of the bars you ate in lieu of Larabars. Thanks! :)
i know i could eat healthier even though i make an effort. sometimes its just hard to turn down junk...i love love kimchi...i lived in korea for 2 years and my fav way to eat it is hot with tofu or hot over rice and a fried egg..MMM delish!
Hey! I was watching a repeat of House this morning and they had a patient with synaesthesia...made me think of you :)
Anywho-
I really don't find myself rushing for any meal as I just nosh all day after breakfast.
I could DEFINITELY cut out some processed stuff-Chex cereal, BRM gluten free baking flour (for pancakes and muffins), tortilla chips, and rice protein powder.
I could give up all those things, but could probably NEVER give up Smucker's natty pb.....it's not processed if i make pb myself though, right?
So-i could use that loophole :D
Fave smoothie-simple: spinach, romaine, banana, coconut milk.
I guess if I'm gonna add a bunch of other stuff like tropical fruit,berries, or dates I'd rather eat them without being pureed.
cranberry and pumpkin seed bar recipe please!! :D
Heeey now, thanks for the blog mention. I totally failed at the 30 day challenge. However, I had been doing great eating mostly whole foods during my unemployment stint and now that I'm back to work I'm slacking. Opting for convenience. I am trying right now to get back to it because I'm starting to feel gross and gain weight and I was in awesome shape just a couple months ago!!!
I always wonder, if I'm going to follow a certain plan, but I doubt I can follow it strictly, should I blog about it or keep quiet? I'm glad you blogged about your experience. I think 85% whole foods is pretty amazing and hard to do when you're on the go all the time! I'm going to be starting a new eating plan soon and have NO CLUE if I'll have the willpower to follow it through, but for my health, I guess I gotta at least try...
Heather - OMG I'm so happy to find someone else who loves Smucker's PB!!! Nobody ever blogs about it and it's sooo good... with all the lil' chips of peanut in it? AUGH!!!!
Yeah Jen and Iris - I agree with you that life gets in the way with eating whole foods. I think the most important thing is that we do the best we can, but that we be patient with ourselves. If taking the time to make food is going to stress us out, our tummies aren't going to be able to digest it anyway! :) Good luck with your new ventures!!! I got nothin' but faith in yas.
wow girl love all the food, the path and how things have panned out for you this month, it's all awesome..you are on the right track
thanks for the PB Cup mention :)
and have a super weekend!
xo
I think it happens to us all ;) We have done some cleanses in the past that we did not do correctly. Hey we are human ;)
We stay away from processed foods, it just does not do with for us. Whole foods are a much better option :)
Pure2Raw Twins
You did a damn good job on the challenge and that you felt better is priceless.
The Grow Indie garden project looks wonderful and peaceful.
I know that I should be eating more whole foods but...
Right now, I'd have a hard time giving up Clif bars.
I'd say you did a good job with eating whole foods! looks good to me :)
Katherine
This is wonderful. Whole foods rock! I admire your honesty, and I love the "ready, set, EXCUSE!" Very nice, made me smile ;-)
I'm slowly and steadily realizing my own dependence on non-whole "health" foods... It seemed like it was enough at first just to get rid of the bad stuff (chemicals, preservatives, HFCS, etc.), but the truth is that most of what I've done is just replace those things with better, but not quite great stuff.
I love that you mention your gardening/growing experience. I'm doing something similar this summer, starting very soon, and I'm thinking it'll really inspire me to incorporate those fresh, whole foods that I love into my diet more. And then there's the getting my master's degree in whole foods, natural nutrition (woohoo!). In general, I'm feeling a big shift coming in the way I prepare foods and nourish my body (as if there haven't been enough changes already!)
Anyway, as always, thanks for sharing! Oh, and I want that pumpkin pesto recipe, please.
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