One more Whole30 update ...

I started the Whole30 on July 10th

and now it is Aug 21st and I'm still on it......haha!!

I thought in the beginning I would be glad when the 30 days

ended but after a very short time, I realized I didn't really want it to end.

yes, I feel that good

So now I'm just reading Paleo cookbooks, collecting recipes as

I am going to ease myself off of the Whole30 and into Paleo eating.

Besides feeling so great, the second thing that convinced me was having my physical done and my doctor telling me that this is how her family eats.

and she just very "matter of fact" said...."it's really the only way to eat"

and she's right

My mom and I have always talked about how the chemicals they

put in food is awful, makes people sick, killing people.

and now I truly believe that because detoxing all of that out of my body

I feel fabulous. And to eat like this is not hard at all.

Quitting smoking, now that was hard!

but eating really good food and feeling great, that's not hard. 

So I won't preach it anymore but I will continue to show

some good Paleo recipes on my blog.......just as I have always

shown recipes on here. Just now they will be really

good for you recipes.

later......

Sunflowers ...

I love sunflowers

they are just so big and bright

and they just bring a feeling of happiness

 

I've tried so many times to grow them but as soon as they start

sprouting, the birds get to them.

 

This year I planted seeds in some of my flower pots

on the deck

and they came up great....no birds tampering with them!!
they are the mini sunflowers....so cute!
and as soon as I saw a flower was going to happen, I started
snapping a picture every couple of days

so here you go......my first mini sunflower!

ohhh look, a little flower is forming

 

 

and now she's starting to open up....

 

and today so beautiful

look at the swirl in the middle of the sunflower

God sure does some amazing work huh?

 

now if just a few more will open up, I'll cut them

and put in a pretty crystal vase!!

 

later.....

 

 

 



Whole30 ....

I did it!

I completed the Whole30

I had no dairy, sugar, grains, processed food, alcohol

for 30 days

and I never cheated

and I've never felt better

For anyone not familiar with the Whole30, it is a 30 day nutrition challenge that focuses on eating a paleo based diet. On the Whole30 you eat meat, fish, eggs, tons of veggies, small amounts of fruit and lots of good fats. By doing this for 30 days you are re-setting your digestive system. It is a great way to
find out how different foods like dairy, grains, etc affect your body. Because when you finish, you slowly introduce these back into your system but no processed food.
I'm here to tell you that eating REAL food is def the way I will
live the rest of my life!

my results and thoughts......

• The hardest part of this is the meal planning. But that was mostly the first week. After that, I really had the hang of it. And I always double cooked a lot of food so that I always had something on hand to eat. And I started using my crock pot a lot....especially overnight!
• I have arthritis in my fingers. And every morning when I wake, I have to gently massage them just to open my hand. On the 4th or 5th morning of doing the Whole30 I went to do that and realized I didn't need to. And I have not had to since......my fingers feel great. When its been damp outside, I can feel it a little but nothing like what it was before.
• After the first week, I basically lost most of my desire to snack. I did have a banana before I would go work out. And if I did want something, I would have a small handful of raw cashews.
• Food taste amazing!! When I quit smoking just over 6 years ago, I thought my taste buds really woke up and food was good. Well now, after no processed food, they have really woken up. Food is even better!
• I ate more during the Whole30 than I have ever eat....well, except when I was pregnant.
• When I get out of the bed, no more aches and pains. Let's face it, I'm 57 years old so yes, getting out of bed you would be achy or stiff. But now, I feel fine!
• skin is clearer, nails growing faster, hair is softer and just an overall good feeling.
• I lost 9.4 lbs while doing this and overall 7 inches. I went down one pants size.

 

I went to my drs on Day 29 for my yearly physical. She was beyond thrilled to hear that I was eating this way. Because who knew.....but she eats Paleo with her family. She said it's the only way to eat. And if more people ate this way, they wouldn't see the dr very often!! I told her I wanted to stay on the Whole30 a bit longer, was it ok and she gave her stamp of approval ... along with some

tips on when I stop it.

 

So there.....it's been great. I realize it's not for everyone but for me, I love

it and will continue to eat this way. I know when fresh veggies are done

for the summer, it will be a little tougher but I'll get through it.

Looking in to lots of Paleo soups to cook!

 

and for anyone who thinks you can't eat good.....well see below

that was my breakfast this morning. Eggs cooked in coconut oil, which

is amazing and so so so much better tasting than butter or other

oils......bacon, nitrate free and sugar free and avocado!!

before Whole30, it would have been a cup of grits with a lot

of butter!!

 

 

later.....



Charlottesville ....

On Sunday, I went up to Charlottesville to visit with our son

who lives there.

 

I had been trying for awhile to go up there but either we were busy,

Jake was busy or it was raining!! Finally, we found a day to explore

around the Charlottesville area.

First up, I went with Jake to do his grocery shopping for the week.

 

Then we headed over to Blue Mountain Brewery for lunch.

this also was my first time of eating out since starting the Whole30 eating.

But I did fine, water, hamburger, no bun, and a side salad

it was very good.....and we enjoyed the 82 degrees by sitting out

on the patio for lunch

 

 

after lunch we headed up to Afton Mountain, Wintergreen ski resort,

and then the Blue Ridge parkway. We also went by Hump Rock mtn but

did not do the hike....maybe next time!

 

 

I'm showing Jake that I love the mountains...."this much"!! haha

 

then we went riding around Charlottesville......here Jake is

showing me "The Corner".....very cool section of the city with bars,

restaurants, coffee shops

 

and here's me almost the whole time snapping pictures

but the bad news is my camera is in desperate need of a cleaning

so my pictures have this crazy smudge down them. I'm sure it's a piece

of lint down in there.

 

 

We also drove around the University of Va a little....such a beautiful

campus. And we def had perfect weather for a day like today. It was 82 in

the city but as we went further up the mountains, the temps dropped

to 71.....and felt wonderful.

 

later. 

 



Products I love ....

I have bought cheap products and I've bought expensive

and to be honest, sometimes I just couldn't always tell any difference

but over the years, I have found some favorites that I have just

stuck with

 

So just thought I would share......

below is my hair cream to keep my hair smooth and shiny despite

the blow dryer....that can dry out your hair. I put a small amount in my

hand, rub them together and just rub through my hair.

then blow dry ... and it just keeps my hair so soft!

 

Next is my hair spray. I just cannot go without spray.....I've tried, I can't.

So I had to find one that I could run my hands through and wouldn't make

my hair so stiff. And this product does just that. It's called tousling

spray and it really is!!

 

 

 

Next up is my face moisturizer. I used to spend a lot of money on face

creams but one day decided to try Ponds. I mean really, our grandmothers

all used that and they all had the softest skin! And let me just say...I LOVE it!

It keeps my skin soft and doesn't dry it out at all.

great product!!

 

 

Next up is my fake tan! I love having a sun tan but we all know it's bad

for you. And I used to do the tanning bed and then they said that was bad.

But I needed some color for the summer. I started using Jergens because of

the ease of using it but it did sort of have that orange color...and it did not

have a good smell to it. So I quit using it years ago. Tried other products, didn't

like any others either. Then Jergens came out with their new product

with no orange color and no bad smell. Perfect! I use the "mild" color

and only put it on every other day......and it keeps me with just

the right amount of tan.

 

 

The last product here is my newest product. When we were down at

the bay, we all rode into Whitestone to do a little shopping. This little

shop we like has these wonderful soaps that we had bought before and we wanted to buy more. This time we decided to try the lotion. And wow, love love this lotion! It's thick but keeps your skin feeling so soft all day long!! And the smell is heavenly. I'll have to get some more when we go back down there later this month. I have one other bottle, lavender....ahh, I love the smell of lavender.

 

 

So there you go....my favorite things!!

 

later........

 

 



Crock pot ....

I have 2 different crock pots

one is rather large.....great for cooking for the whole family

the other one is 3 crock pots in one unit

each with separate controls so you don't have to use them

all if not needed.

 

But the other night for dinner, I used all 3

and it's just wonderful to have so many of your dishes cooking

at one time!!

 

I put sweet potatoes in one......that's for me. I cooked one extra

for the next day.

Small white potatoes in another ... that's for Johnny

and then Fiesta Lime Chicken breast in the other

 

then all I had to do was slice up some tomatoes and

cucumbers and dinner was ready!

 

 

later....



It's August ....

I guess every year at the first of August, we all say.....

"I can't believe it's August!

 

But really, I can't believe it! We've been so busy this summer

that it really seems as though it has flown by. And usually

by this time, we have been to the beach a few times. But we

have not been at all this summer ... I know, shocking!!

we have been down to the bay twice and that's been great...but

I truly long for the beach. We won't be going though until September

And that's just fine...September is my favorite time of the

year to go down there. The water is warm, the restaurants are

not crowded since kids are back in school.

 

We have lots of fun things going on in August...as my

chalkboard shows......

 

 

Our daughter Nicole will be celebrating her birthday

this month...and she'll be 31 years old.

Time sure does fly.....

 

later.......



Clean eating ... day 22

here I am ... 22 days in and I can't believe I have done

this. One week away from completing the Whole30.

they tell you it will change your life in an amazing way

I wasn't quite sure what they were talking about but now

I know ... and it has.

I'll go more into that when I hit my 30th day

but for now, some more of the wonderful foods I have been

eating since starting this

 

I made these egg muffins so we would have something

easy to take to work for breakfast

they really are like mini quiches

I sautéed peppers and onions for these

I think next time I will include sausage

 

 

also new I fixed eggplant. I can't believe all of these years of cooking

and I had never made eggplant before. I kind of made my "veggie" version

of a pizza......I sliced the eggplant and drizzled with olive oil

and added some Italian seasoning

 

 

then mixed some fresh tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil

after bringing to a boil, turned down to simmer

 

 

I baked the eggplant, then added the tomatoes and put

under the broiler for a couple of minutes to "toast" it up a little

 

 

turned out good but one lesson learned, pat the eggplant with

a paper towel to remove excess moisture. I didn't realize that they hold

so much moisture. But they were good and I'll definitely make again.

 

later.....