Appointments: 571-527-9192

Archive for January, 2012

Home → 2012 → January

The Whole 30, Days 14-28

By pran6588 on January 28, 2012   /   Blog, Paleo, Whole9   /   2 Comments

First, I have to apologize that my posting has been so sporadic for the past 2 weeks! I got a bit busy with this: http://bit.ly/y8eOVh

And this: http://bit.ly/zNQ07f

Followed by this: http://bit.ly/xIgP5V

Well, and then this: http://bit.ly/w0O1Jq

Then I was mentioned here: http://bit.ly/yzi5NO

And by the end of this past week I was like this: Click Here!

So, after chilling out yesterday and getting a good night’s sleep, I’m ready to carry on with the regularly scheduled programming!

I took lots of pictures of meals that I will share with you; but, many are repeats of the past meals so they are not that exciting. What is exciting is that The Whole 30 no longer feels like this strange science experiment I’m doing; it just feels like part of my life. I would venture to guess that making these changes feel like part of your life is part of the goal of doing The Whole 30 (Dallas and Melissa are so smart, and so sneaky). They snuck right into my brain and convinced it that it doesn’t NEED anything! It just WANTS everything.

I would have told you that by age 41 I knew the difference between needs and wants (and in most areas I do); but, when it comes to food and drink, I think we are all a bit confused. We are confused because we take something that is a true biological need (food and drink) and layer all sorts of wants over top of it (Paleo chocolate cake, NorCal Margaritas, Organic creamer, a bit of sugar in the coffee, a glass of wine (or three) with dinner, lots of good cheese on the big healthy salad). And we feel really justified in our reasoning behind consuming these items (I had a stressful day and I need a glass of wine to relax, I just need a little gluten free grain free chocolate raw vegan snack after dinner, I need creamer and sugar in my 4 cups of coffee a day – hey at least it’s Organic). For the most part, there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these items. The problem comes from our brains being conditioned to think that we NEED these things.

The biggest benefit I have seen from my own Whole 30 is that because I stuck to it without cheats, I de-programmed my brain so that it now knows the difference between needs and wants with respect to food and drink. Will I go back to eating some quality dairy? Maybe…but I will know that I just like the taste of cream in my one morning cup of coffee. Will I have a piece of homemade Paleo chocolate cake here and there? Maybe…but not every day. Will I have a glass of wine or margarita once in a while? Yup…but not every night. Why, you might ask? Because I feel so darn good right now! Seriously. I want to feel this good all the time. I want to keep waking up early ready to conquer my day. I want to get up on Saturday morning and write instead of feeling terrible from eating and drinking Paleo-fied treats from the night before. I want to keep working out hard and making gains in athletic ability. Why? Because I like being the only mom who can climb to the top of the rope at the rock climbing gym. I like being the only mom I know who rock climbs! I like being able to go back and forth twice on the monkey bars on the playground. I’m doing a 25 mile bike race this summer with my 13 year old (and I want to be able to keep up with her!) I like being happy, and for me happiness comes from feeling great and performing well in all areas of my life.

People ask me, “Was it (Whole 30) hard?” I repeat words similar to those that Melissa uses to answer that question: “Beating cancer is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Surviving a divorce is hard. Losing a child is hard. Watching a loved one go off to war is hard. Recovering from a traumatic injury is hard. Drinking my coffee black Is. Not. Hard.”

Thanks to all of the folks who did Whole 30 right alongside me and posted about it on the Facebook page, thanks to Dallas and Melissa who provided one on one support and in the process became friends, thanks to my husband and kids who put up with Mom’s crazy eating habits for 30 days. It’s amazing how changing your habits for 30 days can change your life.

Eggs and beef 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Codsweet potatoesspinach 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Chicken and veg stir fry 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Burger 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Burgerbeetsw potatoes 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Breakfast pork tenderloinsweet potatoguacmacadamias 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Breakfast at work 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Tuna 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Tuna lunch 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Sweet potatoes with coconut milk 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Rotisserie Turkey 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Primal Quiche 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Primal Blueprint Quiche and sausage 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Pork tenderloin 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Pork tenderloindidnt eat potatoes 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   PBs Coconut Curry meatballs 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Make It Paleos Chili 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28   Fennel brocoli rabe and grapefruit salad 150x150 The Whole 30, Days 14 28

Back to Top

The Whole 30, Days 9-13

By pran6588 on January 14, 2012   /   Blog, Paleo, Whole9   /   4 Comments

Hi everyone! This week kind of got away from me, and I wasn’t as good about posting meals every day; but, I did take some photos, and I had a breakthrough in my understanding of why I am doing The Whole 30.

Breakfasts this week were a bit easier, thanks to some planning ahead. The Nutty Blueberry Protein Balls from Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals were a fast, tasty way to start off the day with my coffee (funny, maybe I am adapting to not having sugar because my coffee doesn’t taste as bad as it did the first week).

Protein Breakfast balls 1 The Whole 30, Days 9 13

The other amazing food item that has made my week easier is Primal Pacs.

Primal Pacs 2 The Whole 30, Days 9 13

If you haven’t tried these, stop reading this and go order some right now! I have been eating beef jerky for the past 7-8 months; but, I never really loved it before. This beef jerky is so good! The Primal Pacs have Organic Grass Fed/Grass Finished beef jerky, mango, macadamia nuts, Marcona Almonds, cranberries and spices. They have The Whole 30 blessing, they travel well and they rock! You can tell I love them (I even lick the bag!)

Empty Primal Pac 3 The Whole 30, Days 9 13

I have begged the indoor climbing gym (Sportrock) to sell these at the front desk for the gluten free Paleo crowd and they are looking into it – they got in touch with the Paleo Pacs peeps yesterday. Yea, networking!

My other breakfasts this week included eggs and sausages

Eggs and Sausage 4 The Whole 30, Days 9 13

Banana, avocado with olive oil, macadamias and sausages

Sausage Banana mac 5 The Whole 30, Days 9 13

Lunches were either Primal Pacs or leftovers from dinner the night before with the random baked sweet potato or butternut squash on the side.

On to dinners! Burgers with butternut squash and lettuce buns (no photo).

Beef with carrots, celery, onions, demi glace and rosemary (heaven!)

Pot Roast 6 The Whole 30, Days 9 13

Wagyu beef with demi glace and sweet potato (out of this world)

Wagyu Beef 7 The Whole 30, Days 9 13

Drinks were water, coffee with coconut milk and herbal tea. One night I decided to live on the edge and juiced a pink grapefruit………..I used to love Greyhounds (grapefruit juice and vodka)…….which brings me to my realization about the purpose of The Whole 30.

The purpose of The Whole 30 is to make me aware of all the things I do automatically that sabotage my health. Did you get that?! We all act in ways that sabotage our health every day, and we are either ignorant to the effect these decisions have on us, or we know they are bad for us and we do it anyway. Has anyone caught BJ Gaddour’s video that went viral this week about things women say to trainers?  http://youtu.be/aosMsYWzKzs

BJ made this funny little video wearing a wig and makeup where he just talked to the camera as if he was a lady talking to her personal trainer. He Tweeted it to a few people, who ReTweeted and posted to Facebook walls, and the video went viral within hours! Last night, BJ Tweeted that the video had over 308,000 views in 48 hours and said, “I guess we struck a chord with some people.” He struck a chord with all of us, because we can all see ourselves in “that woman.” The Whole 30, for me, is all about learning how to avoid being “that woman!” You know, the one who justifies the treats and the nightly 2 glasses of wine, and the excuses to avoid tough workouts.

The purpose of doing this 30 day challenge is to bring awareness to all of my decisions. I have realized just how automatic it was to put sugar and cream in my coffee, to have a spoonful of chocolate almond butter after every meal, to eat a raw/vegan/gluten free chocolate macaroon every afternoon with my coffee, and to have a glass of wine or a margarita every night with dinner. I have realized that taking away those escapes leaves me to deal with the real issues (stress, fatigue, social pressure, laziness, etc, etc.) It is not that I can never do these things again; but that if I go back to these food and drink choices I need to do so with absolute awareness of whether I am copping out or really just enjoying a treat………

Anyone else having earth-shattering breakthroughs?

P.S. I need to mention that I had a stressful day this week, and came home for the first time in 2 weeks and felt like I “needed” a drink to unwind. The craving was so strong, it surprised me. I messaged Dallas and Melissa and they both messaged back and talked me through the whole issue. They helped me to realize that I don’t “need” anything except to deal with the issues (in this case, stress). After talking with them, and relaxing a bit, I went to bed early and was fine. The level of dedication of these two amazing people astounds me. I am so thankful to call them (virtual) friends and can’t wait to meet them in person! Thanks, M & D!

Back to Top

5 Reasons to See a Physical Therapist Before You Are “Injured”

By pran6588 on January 11, 2012   /   Blog, Physical Therapy   /   Leave a comment

This article was originally posted on www.321delish.com

Hi Everyone! My name is Ann!. You might have spotted me on Twitter, or check out my website.  I’m excited to do a guest post for Steph here at 321delish. I am a physical therapist in private practice in Alexandria, VA. Like Steph, I was born and raised in N.J. and was a beach lifeguard and competitive swimmer who turned to triathlons after swimming in college. I initially got interested in Sports Medicine because I struggled with chronic shoulder pain throughout my swimming career. After 20 years in this field, I can honestly say that I still love what I do, and I’m excited to share some thoughts with you. Today I want to address the misconception that physical therapy is only necessary as treatment for injury or post-surgery rehabilitation. I will share 5 of the ways that a physical therapist can help you stay healthy to reach your fitness and active lifestyle goals.

5 Reasons to See a Physical Therapist Before You Are “Injured”

  1. You have a nagging problem that gets your attention only during training sessions. You may be fine doing all of your normal activities: walking up and down stairs, driving, strolling through D.C.; but, every time you get into your workout, you get that same nagging discomfort. Don’t wait; come in to see a physical therapist as soon as you are aware that something is not right. You may need joint mobilization, or specific stretching or exercises to get you back to feeling good again. Early treatment can prevent it from becoming a chronic problem.
  2. You are looking to buy a new pair of running shoes, but you are not sure which type to purchase. We can take a look at your overall posture, and then specifically at your hips, knees, ankles and feet to determine what type of shoe may be best for you. We will look at your current shoes for wear patterns and assess your gait to determine if there are any asymmetries that may be contributing to issues you are having. We will make recommendations based on your overall joint structure and your goals.
  3. You are looking for an overall conditioning program. As physical therapists, we are highly trained to assess your current level of function and then develop a program to help you achieve your goals. These goals may be speed, strength or stability related. We are experts at developing exercise programs for you to carry out at your gym or home. Physical therapists are your best resource for wellness programs whether you are a new mom looking to get back into the triathlon scene or a grandparent who wants to kick the soccer ball around with your grandchildren.
  4. You have a chronic health condition such as arthritis, lupus or diabetes which may complicate your body’s response to training. Physical therapists have extensive knowledge of neurological, general health and orthopedic conditions. We can make nutrition and exercise recommendations to help you stay active while preventing inflammation and injury. We can also provide manual therapy to inflamed joints to prevent loss of range of motion and alleviate pain.
  5. You sit all day in your job. People who sit at a desk all day tend to have short hip flexor muscles, tight pectoral muscles and weak scapular stabilizing muscles. These imbalances set you up for injury when your training feeds into the same patterns (swimming freestyle contributes to shortening of the pectoral muscles, hunching over a bike keeps the hip flexors shortened and the upper back muscles overstretched and weak.) A physical therapist can assess your posture as well as the strength of your core and scapular stabilizing muscles. We can then provide manual therapy combined with therapeutic exercises to normalize posture. We can also provide ergonomic recommendations for you to alleviate the effects of repetitive strain injuries such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and chronic tension headaches.

These are just some of the ways that a physical therapist can help you lead an active lifestyle. If you live in the D.C./Maryland/Northern Virginia area I would love to meet with you to discuss any further questions that you may have. Here’s to a happy, healthy 2012!

Ann Wendel, PT, ATC, CMTPT

Ann holds a B.S. in P.E. Studies with a concentration in Athletic Training from the University of Delaware, and a Masters in Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) licensed in Virginia, a Licensed Physical Therapist, and a Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist (CMTPT).

Over the past two decades, Ann has continually developed as a health care professional. She started her career working with high school, college and professional athletes, and later went on to work at an area hospital treating patients with a wide variety of Orthopedic and Neurological conditions.

In 2003, Ann completed intensive training as a Thai Yoga Therapist, reaching the Advanced Level in her course of study. She owned and operated a private practice in Alexandria, VA from 2003-2006, combining yoga, Thai massage, physical therapy and Pilates. Ann has completed 300 hours of a 450 hour Pilates Teacher Training Program through Core Dynamics Pilates, and enjoys combining Pilates and physical therapy in the outpatient orthopedic setting.  Ann received her CMTPT through Myopain Seminars in 2011 and now utilizes Trigger Point Dry Needling as a treatment modality.  Most recently, Ann has been a staff physical therapist at Commonwealth Orthopaedics since 2007, and in October 2011 she returned to private practice as an independent contractor with Core Wellness and Physical Therapy.

 

Back to Top

The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

By pran6588 on January 9, 2012   /   Blog, Paleo, Whole9   /   2 Comments

I made it through my first weekend on The Whole 30! This is just a quick summary of the past 3 days.

Friday morning started out with the usual rush to work. I grabbed a Lara Bar (we can eat some dates according to Dallas! Yea!), a banana and poured a can of coconut milk in a glass. I ate while driving to work. I would not recommend this breakfast or method of eating to anyone, I was just in a hurry (and it was compliant with Whole 30). 

photo 15 e1326137516397 768x1024 The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

I ate a quick lunch at my desk (the last salmon patty and an apple).

We were running out to a friend’s house Friday night, so we had a quick dinner of beef tenderloin and sautéed veggies.

 photo 24 The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

It was interesting being out socially on The Whole 30. I was fine drinking water with lemon; but, I got peppered with questions about why I was doing what I was doing. Trying to explain the ins and outs of this to people at a party is not much fun. Most folks really can’t comprehend why you would want to deny yourself certain foods, especially when they think you are “fit enough”, “thin enough”, “already healthy”, or my favorite “so restrictive with what you eat already.” It’s my policy to avoid being the one to bring the topic of food up in a group, and to only discuss it with people who are really seeking information to make a change. Everyone else just wants to argue with me, and I don’t enjoy that. I never want to act judgmental as food is a very personal thing.

On Saturday morning I made a smoothie and some eggs to have with my black coffee. Simple, but good.

photo 32 e1326137969688 The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

For lunch I had tuna in lettuce wraps, a pickle and herbal tea.

photo 41 e1326137913306 The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

Then I went for a walk/run, did agility drills, Animal Flow moves and monkey bars, jumping muscle ups and my first 2 legit pull-ups!!  Yea me!

After my workout I had a snack of apples and plain Almond Butter (oh, how I miss my Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter!)

photo 5 e1326138172593 The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

We went out to get dinner on Saturday night. I had a big beet and arugula salad with flank steak and a large bottle of sparkling water.

On Sunday I made coffee and a smoothie for breakfast. Then we went climbing at Sportrock (the indoor climbing gym we belong to). I had not climbed in over a week; but, I did several hard speed/power and strength workouts in the past 2 weeks, and I felt super strong climbing.

6 e1326138226589 The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

Our late lunch was Dave’s famous taco wraps and half of an avocado.

 

7 e1326138563366 The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

On Sunday afternoon, I made some of Mark Sisson’s Protein Balls for this week’s breakfasts. I ate one and put the rest in the fridge – they are really good! Totally Paleo and Whole 30 compliant. Each one has the equivalent of 1/3 of a date, the rest is just nuts, shredded coconut, coconut oil and blueberries.

8 The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

Dinner was chicken breast cooked in ghee, lemon juice and herbs, and sweet potatoes. (I am trying to keep my carbs on the higher side because I do not want to lose any weight during the Whole 30).

9 e1326139145594 The Whole 30, Days 6, 7 & 8

 

Hard to believe it’s already Sunday night and I survived Week 1 of The Whole 30!

Back to Top

The Whole 30, Day 5

By pran6588 on January 6, 2012   /   Blog, Paleo, Whole9   /   2 Comments

I have nothing terribly exciting to say today; so, just a quick post. I am finding that breakfast is the hardest meal to make well rounded and healthy (only because I am trying to do 8,000 things in the morning before I leave to see patients!) When I had a dozen hard boiled eggs ready to go in the beginning of the week, it was a no brainer, but we ate those quickly. My usual breakfast pre-Whole 30 was a Primal Fuel shake on the way to work. We ordered the Primal Fuel from Mark Sisson of Mark’s Daily Apple. It is a really healthy shake, made with coconut milk, but since I’m not positive its Whole 30 compliant I have been making my own smoothies in the blender. So, this morning (again) I had a smoothie on the way to work, and also ½ salmon patty from dinner.

photo 23 The Whole 30, Day 5                                                                           

I worked all day, so lunch was another full salmon patty, an apple and macadamias.

Dinner was one of my favorite meals – Dave’s burgers! My hubby makes the best burger ever. We ate them on lettuce buns (as usual!) with sweet potatoes topped with ghee. Dave put the condiments on my plate, but I ended up only using a tiny bit of mustard, since the catsup had sugar in it (grrrr…..even though it is organic).

photo 13 The Whole 30, Day 5

My goal over the weekend is to do more cooking so that I have easy to grab breakfast meals next week. Are you doing The Whole 30? If so, leave me a comment so I can hear how you are doing!

Back to Top

Ode to Athleta

By pranapt on January 6, 2012   /   Blog, Reviews   /   Leave a comment

Oh, Athleta, how do I love thee, let me count the ways:

1) The Globetrotter Pant – described in the catalog as a super-skinny wrinkle-resistant travel cargo pant. I had high hopes. Boom! They delivered! I would re-write the description like this “Once you put these pants on, you will never, ever want to take them off. They look like skinny jeans but feel like leggings, your butt will look amazing, you can dress them up with heels on New Year’s Eve or wear them to push a Prowler in a seriously sweaty workout. Buy them. Now.”
Globetrotter Pant Out to Dinner Ode to Athleta

Globetrotter Pant Dressy 606x1024 Ode to AthletaGlobetrotter Pant and Long Sleeve Twist Top1 Ode to AthletaGlobetrotter Pant and Leopard Coat 621x1024 Ode to AthletaProwler Workout in Mayarasana Bra and Globetrotter Pant e1325857801242 Ode to Athleta

2) The Mayarasana Bra – soft, lightweight, seamless, anti-odor, anti-bacterial, moisture wicking, and breathable. Adjustable straps that convert from straight to racer back. Best of all, removable cups! Thank you, Athleta, for putting cups in a sports bra that is comfortable enough to wear all day, every day, and supportive enough to wear for work outs. The cups are key here – many low impact sports bras have no liners to hide the headlights! This bra looks great under clothing or all alone in the gym. I love it. I want everyone to know about it. If you are an A or B cup, it will change your life.

Mayarasana Bra Regular 768x1024 Ode to AthletaMayarasana Bra Racer Back 768x1024 Ode to Athleta
3) The Whatever Skort – with a name like that, you have to be intrigued! Described as wicking, quick drying, semi-fitted, rated UPF 50+, and perfect for the adventurista. It’s all that and more. It’s just the right length (long enough to cover your assets but short enough to be cute), the inner shorts are not noticeable, and the skort can be worn for literally, whatever! Dress it up, dress it down, good to go from school drop off in the morning, to work, then to the gym in the evening.

Tree Line Tee and Whatever Skort 768x1024 Ode to AthletaWhatever Skort Work e1325857592479 Ode to Athleta
4) The Long Sleeve Twist Top – seamless, naturally anti-odor, anti-bacterial, moisture wicking and breathable. The color is out of this world, the shirt is fitted, but not uncomfortably tight. The sleeves are nice and long (wish they had thumb holes) and the body is long enough to keep you covered. Can be worn as a first layer; but, nice enough to wear for a run in 50-ish weather.

Long Sleeve Twist Top 1024x768 Ode to Athleta
5) The Equator Tank – this tank is thick, soft to the touch, easy to pull on and off overhead, has removable cups, and the neckline is high enough to prevent having to readjust during yoga. The back is really attractive while still allowing you to feel covered. This top is cute enough that I would wear it out to dinner in the summer with a black skirt.

Equator Tank 768x1024 Ode to AthletaEquator Tank 2 768x1024 Ode to Athleta
6) The Treeline Tee – Cotton blended with wicking, quick drying microfiber. Semi-fitted double-layer design. I got so many compliments on this top. The design is gorgeous and the ruching adds a nice touch. It’s warm enough to wear all winter; but, not so heavy that you will sweat if you have an active job. I wore this straight from work to the gym with no problem. (Pictured above, outdoors, with The Whatever Skort).

 

Goodies from Athleta e1325858207972 Ode to Athleta

 

It was so much fun reviewing these clothes c/o Athleta. I really did love everything I tried. The good news is that some of these items are on sale because, guess what? Athleta’s Spring Preview Catalog just came in today’s mail! Happy shopping!

Ann

Back to Top

The Whole 30, Day 4

By pran6588 on January 5, 2012   /   Blog, Paleo, Whole9   /   Leave a comment

This week is flying by! This morning I was in a rush to get to work, and I made a smoothie as I was running out the door. I put it in my coffee mug, since I no longer enjoy my coffee (geez, thanks Whole 9)   icon wink The Whole 30, Day 4

photo 21 e1325731673694 The Whole 30, Day 4

It was the same smoothie as yesterday, and I did have a small cup of black coffee. I liked Whole 9’s Tweet this morning that “If you have to add something to your coffee to make it taste good, you are either drinking poor quality coffee or you really don’t like the taste of coffee.” I have realized this week that I fall into the latter category – I really dislike the taste of coffee. What I really love is the ritual of having something warm and sweet in the morning as I start my day. Before we had a Keurig, Dave made my coffee for me every morning just the way I like it, and it was a special little ritual for us. Even now, if I’m running late, he will still make it. So, I realized that it’s not really the coffee I like, but what it signifies. I think this is a really important realization! So many of our rituals are based around food – we continue them day after day without really thinking about whether they are good for us or not. Doing an intense 30 day focus on eliminating certain foods makes you really look at what you put in your mouth and why you do it. This has been the most valuable lesson yet – to stop and think about what I am doing and whether it supports me in my goal of living a healthy, active lifestyle. I realize that my one cup of coffee in the morning has turned to two cups just to get going, and many days a third cup about 4 pm to make it through the evening with work, kids’ homework and running around to sports and activities. Since I no longer enjoy my sweet coffee, I only drink one cup in the morning now. I think this is a huge reason why I am sleeping better at night – that afternoon coffee was killing me, even though it felt like it woke me up. So, it’s a good thing to be down to one cup, and I may switch to tea at some point.

I grabbed some snacks to bring to work and ate them halfway through my day (almond butter, macadamias, tea) and then went to a kabob place on the way home from work at 3pm. I went with something simple to stay away from problematic ingredients – ground beef and onion kabob with salad and water. It was really filling and good.

photo 31 The Whole 30, Day 4

For dinner, we got to try out our new Kitchen Aid mixer. We have wanted one for a long time, and finally got it for Christmas this year. So, Dave ground salmon fillets with the meat grinder attachment and mixed in some other fantastic stuff to make salmon patties. Delicious! We ate them with “lettuce buns” and apple slices. (And more water for me). I really don’t miss my glass of wine that much anymore. Just like what happened with the coffee, I have realized that the one glass of wine became two some nights, and some nights it was NorCal Margaritas instead of wine. I believe that cutting out alcohol has also helped me to sleep better and to wake up feeling better. Because of my Hashimoto’s, I never know what alcohol is going to do to me any given night – some nights I feel awful after one glass, some nights I am fine after 2 or 3 glasses at a dinner party or restaurant. There is no way for me to know until the next day. I really like waking up feeling good, so I doubt I will go back to nightly consumption of wine after these 30 days.

photo 4 The Whole 30, Day 4

 

I feel like a 20 year old during the day; but, by 9:30pm I’m ready to hit the hay like I’m retired or something! Until tomorrow……..

Back to Top

The Whole 30, Day 3

By pran6588 on January 4, 2012   /   Blog, Paleo, Whole9   /   2 Comments

OK, hold on to your hats. This is earthshattering news: The cat woke me up at 6am and I woke right up, felt fine, and didn’t need to go back to sleep! Anyone who knows me knows that This.Never.Happens.

For my entire adult life, I have needed more sleep than anyone else I know (I don’t usually get it; but, I need it to function well). Since being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (5 years ago) this has become even truer. I have not woken up early, ready to function, in forever. When I heard the cat scratching at the door, I thought, “Oh, no! It’s way too early, oh no, oh no.” Then I sat up and realized I felt fine. I let the cat in and stayed in my warm bed for 30 more minutes, eventually getting up because I realized I was ready to start my day!

When I came downstairs, Dave looked at me and asked, “Who are you, and what did you do with my wife?!” I tried to explain that I was awake. My eyes were open. My brain was (almost) fully functioning. I was NOT in a horrible mood about being woken up early. What the…..?

I did a really hard workout yesterday, so I expected to wake up feeling slightly awful; so this was a pleasant surprise! I realized that I slept better last night than I have since before Thanksgiving. I fell asleep quickly, stayed asleep all night, and woke up happy. Could it be that I haven’t had my usual glass of wine or NorCal Margarita with dinner? The complete absence of any added sugar from my food/drink intake? That I had a great workout and lots of fun meeting a new friend? That I only had one cup of coffee first thing in the morning for the past few days (not 3 cups throughout the day)? That I went to bed in my completely dark room at 10:30pm? Who knows; but, I’m intrigued to find out if this happens again tomorrow. It just MAY be worth 30 days without cream in my coffee if I can wake up feeling like this even several days a week!

Once I started moving around the house, I realized I needed to move and loosen up from the workout. I drank half of a small can of coconut milk along with my coffee and put on all of my warm clothes to go for a walk. Dave and both kids looked at me like I had just landed from Mars. When I said that I was going for a walk (it was less than 30 degrees and windy), I think they thought I was kidding. I wasn’t kidding! I went for a 30 minute walk as the sun was coming up and felt nice and loose by the time I got home. I did some easy yoga and then made breakfast – a smoothie (other half of the can of coconut milk, frozen banana, blueberries, and water), 2 hardboiled eggs wrapped with prosciutto, avocado, macadamias and the last bit of cauliflower mash. Great start to the day!

 

Creative Lunch The Whole 30, Day 3

 

I treated patients all day today, and only had herbal tea and an apple until about 4pm, when I went to our favorite hangout to get some food with a co-worker. We go there all the time, and they ask if we want our “usual.” My usual is blackened burger, medium rare with blue cheese, no bun, and spinach salad. Today we had a new server, and I started explaining burger, no bun, no cheese, no fries, salad with no parmesan and water. He just looked at me, so I tried to explain that I’m not high maintenance. He nodded his head like, “Sure you’re not.” It was awkward – I used to pride myself on the fact that I would eat anything, then I had to eliminate gluten, then it was a little weird to go Paleo but people were used to my restrictions, now it is even more difficult for people to understand. In any case, we split the burger and salad and were both full! (No photo, sorry).

I didn’t get home from work and running the kids around until 9pm, so we had a quick, easy repeat of the lettuce wrap tacos from the other night. Yum!

 

Taco Rolls The Whole 30, Day 3

 

I’m interested to see if I wake up bright and early tomorrow with a smile on my face……..

Back to Top

The Whole 30, Day 2

By pran6588 on January 3, 2012   /   Blog, Paleo, Whole9   /   Leave a comment

Well, today was a bit easier than yesterday. I had a busy day; but, managed to keep my meals compliant (and tasty!)

I ate breakfast in a bit of a hurry on the way out to a meeting. No time to cook anything fancy, so I reheated some cauliflower mash and butternut squash from the other night, and ate a handful of macadamia nuts with it. I also drank my coffee with a bit of coconut milk in it….

photo 3 The Whole 30, Day 2

I was in a meeting most of the day, which ended with an awesome workout with Justin at Underground Athlete.http://www.undergroundathlete.com/

By the time I got home at nearly 3pm, I was pretty hungry; but, I didn’t want to eat a huge meal because dinner usually takes place about 7pm. So, I made hard boiled eggs and cut up a bunch of other good stuff.

photo 2 The Whole 30, Day 2

For dinner, Dave made Chicken with Prosciutto and Sage (awesome) and we had beets, the rest of the cauliflower mash, and carrots.

photo 12 The Whole 30, Day 2

I feel really good, and ready to go to sleep at 9pm!

Back to Top

The Whole 30, Day 1

By pran6588 on January 2, 2012   /   Blog, Latest News, Paleo, Whole9   /   4 Comments

Today I am starting The Whole 30. It is going to be a challenge.

Let me give you a little background on the concept. The Whole 30 is basically like a “reset” button for your health. It’s a way to become really, keenly aware of what you are putting in your body daily, and asking yourself if it is helping you reach your goal of being healthy. It is a 30 day project to help you break away from unhealthy habits and create new, lifelong awareness of how what we eat affects how we feel. Dallas and Melissa Hartwig are the geniuses behind Whole 9 Life and The Whole 30. I love their philosophy: “We have built our entire business around telling you what you NEED, not what you WANT.”

I can relate to that statement, because as a physical therapist, I spend my day telling clients what they need, not what they want. I am not being mean when I tell a patient that they need to lose 30 pounds if they want their knee to stop hurting when they go up the stairs. I am stating a fact – try it for yourself, carry a 30 pound weight up and down stairs 20 times, and see how your joints feel. You may not want to hear this; but, you need to if you want a real solution to your problem.

When I first heard about The Whole 30, I looked into it and decided that since I was already eating according to a gluten free, grain free, whole foods-based, Paleo eating plan, I didn’t really need to change anything else. (i.e. it looked like too much work when I was already feeling the best I have felt in my entire adult life). See, I’m human, too! I wasn’t sure that there was really anything else I needed to change about the way I eat and drink; but, as I kept interacting more with Dallas and Melissa via Twitter, Facebook, their blog and email I was intrigued. (Helped by the fact that every picture I could find of them was like a poster for healthiest man and woman alive! They both radiate health, beauty and strength from the inside out). So, when the buzz began to generate about starting the next Whole 30 on January 1st, I decided I had to give it a try. I also thought, “How hard can it be? I’m already mostly Whole 30 compliant.”

After exactly one meal, I see how non-Whole 30 compliant I am! The only three things I have to avoid for 30 days that will make me compliant are: 1) alcohol (no more NorCal Margaritas, my only drink of choice since going Paleo), 2) sugar in all shapes and forms (I thought I was nearly sugar free except the ½ tsp. in my coffee every morning – wrong), and dairy (the only dairy I have consumed for 6 months has been Greek yogurt, organic, grass fed cream in my coffee, and occasional cheese.)

When I went to make my first meal of the day, I drank my coffee black (I was ready for this. It’s disgusting). Then I went to make one of my standard Paleo breakfasts, bacon and eggs. I had to read the bacon label to check for sugar, and found it was sugar cured. Scratch the bacon. Eggs, check. I moved on to ground beef, thinking I would make a breakfast burrito. While cooking up the ground beef, I went to add a spice mix we like – sugar was on the ingredient list. Scratch spice mix. Make own spice mix. I cut up an avocado and went to mix it with our favorite, high quality salsa. Yup, you guessed it, sugar in the salsa. Scratch salsa.  Trying to have a positive attitude, I steamed some butternut squash to go with it and tried to make the plate look pretty (I forgot to put the squash on the plate before taking the picture, so use your imagination):

photo 11 300x225 The Whole 30, Day 1

By the time we sat down to eat, Dave was trying not to laugh at me. I mean, part of him thinks this is funny and the other part of him is seriously less than pleased because now this requires him to think even more about ingredients when he is cooking for the family. It was a huge shift in his meal planning and prep when we went Paleo, and he’s really not looking to make things harder on himself. I don’t blame him – I already have to think way more about food than I want to since eating Paleo takes lots of awareness and planning; however, I am going to give my 100% commitment to this for 30 days. If I can see problems with my eating after only one meal, I am sure I will finish this challenge with much more awareness of what I need to change on my road to optimal health.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I only have 6 hours to figure out what’s for dinner!

For more information about Dallas and Melissa, Whole 9 and The Whole 30 see the following links.

http://bit.ly/tOm8N1

http://bit.ly/rBSxb6

Addendum to Day 1:

After my workout, I made a smoothie (coconut milk, frozen banana, frozen blueberries, Marcona almond butter (no sugar, just Marcona almonds) and drank that bad boy down with gusto! Followed by lots of water.

Dinner was awesome, thanks to Dave. He made Taco Wraps – Yum – homemade taco seasoning mixed in with ground beef, onions, red and yellow pepper and mushrooms. We scooped it into lettuce and wrapped it up, BOOM! 1 ½ lb of ground beef never went down so fast before! (Wow, that sounds like a lot!) I drank my sparkling water and didn’t think about the red wine on the table.

photo 1 225x300 The Whole 30, Day 1

All in all, a successful Day 1. Now, off to bed!

Back to Top
Next Page »

Mailing List Sign Up!

Social Media

Address

2201 Mount Vernon Ave
Alexandria VA, 22301
P 571.527.9192
F 571-366-2052