Holy case of the Mondays today. On top of the ‘kill all things’ stage of the whole 30, my little teething monster has been draining 60 calories of comfort a minute from me. I don’t understand how women with children under 3 get absolutely anything done. Murphy’s law is in full swing because as soon as I wrote that he is off on his own smashing remote controls. Do I care? Nope.
How do you cope with ineffective days? I feel like our society superimposes really high standards of productivity. But some days it feels pretty difficult to cross anything off the to-do list. I have to gently remind myself that raising a child is always on the top of that list, and that I must always work on that first.
About this salad, it’s beyond refreshing and packed with craving busting minerals. Often we get those mad cravings for sweets and quick fix foods because of mineral deficiencies. But you know what sucks? Boring salads. Boring vegetables. They give vegetables a bad rep. It’s my mission to never ever make a boring salad. Cruciferous vegetables are particularly detoxifying because they’re so high in I3C or indole-3-carbinols, which help to break down bad estrogen in the body and regulate hormones. Aside from that the fiber and vitamin C in this salad are cleansing and help me feel more vibrant and just plain happy during the first few days of the whole 30. I find that I always have a craving for crunchy foods and this Fennel Grapefruit Detox Salad more than satisfies. Save some of the fronds for garnish or adding to soups and what not, they really impart that lovely anise flavour.
I meant to post this BEFORE I started the sugar detox from hell. I’m a fiend you guys. Even if it’s raw pies and honey I’m still jonesing for a fix. So I’ll live vicariously through you. This decadent cake is fully awesome. It’s loaded with all the best things- honey, vanilla bean, cacao, nuts, hemp seeds, young coconut meat, berries and of course, ba-nay-nays. Let me know the dirty details of each delightful bite if you make it. I’ll just be over here eating a carrot stick…
But in all seriousness, it feels good to make the conscious decision to get rid of some of the more junky aspects of my diet. All summer was just one big smorgasbord of enjoyment with family and friends. I’m grateful, truly, but that over indulgence catches up. So with a final slice of cake, I bid adieu for one month.
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed (save the pod for other uses)
1/2 C cocoa butter, melted over double boiler
1/4 C coconut oil, melted over double boiler
1/2 C raw honey
pinch sea salt
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 C cacao nibs
Berry layer
1 C mixed frozen berries
Chocolate layer
2 Tbs raw cacao powder
Instructions
In a high powered blender or food processor, add date paste, walnuts, hemp seeds, coconut oil and a pinch of salt. Pulse until evenly combined.
Press crust into a 10 inch springform pan (or smaller for a taller cake) and pop it in the fridge or freezer while you make the filling.
For the filling. Add coconut meat, soaked cashews, vanilla bean seeds, cocoa butter, coconut oil, honey and sea salt. Blend until super smooth and pour 1/3 of filling on top of the crust. Top with a few banana slices and a sprinkle of cacao nibs.
Pop the cake back in the fridge or freezer for the first layer to set slightly.
Pour 1/2 the remaining filling into a bowl and set aside.
For the berry layer add 1 C frozen berries of your choosing to the filling and blend until smooth. Pour over top of the vanilla layer and top with more sliced bananas and cacao nibs.
Pop it back in the fridge or freezer to set slightly.
For the chocolate layer, add the remaining filling back into the blender with 2 Tbs cacao powder and blend until fully incorporated. Pour over the berry layer and top with the remaining sliced bananas and cacao nibs.
Tomorrow is the first day of my whole 30 full body reset. If I was a good little girl I would already have been scaling down my no-no foods but alas, I’m a rebel without a cause. Damn I’m gonna miss that chocolate almond milk.
Here’s my little guide to getting all your ducks in a row before doing a whole 30, hope its helpful. If there’s anything you want to add, hit me up in the comments!
Ok so the last time I did the whole 30, the main challenges were realizing that nearly everything has sugar or GMO’s or some weird ingredient that I want to avoid for the next 30 days. Ketchup for example (I actually HATE ketchup) packed with sugar, but if you like it, it’s pretty easy to make your own ketchup. As for other condiments like mustard, Worcestershire sauce and relish, it’s the same story so read on how to make those condiments as well (if you’re like me and loathe ketchup).
Mayonaaaaaaaaise, is another condiment that will make life ALOT happier on the whole 30. But conventional mayonnaise is loaded with GMO oils that aren’t good for you, nor are they particularly appetizing.
Story time: I used to cower in the face of mayo on a sandwich. I was literally scared of it. Thick weird eggy substance that isn’t refrigerated until you open it. I had the same feeling at Costco yesterday seeing their giant cases of chocolate milk just sitting there at room temperature. Anyways, making your own mayo is easy peasy, especially if you have a hand blender/immersion blender, but any blender will work. Here’s a great post on making mayo in 30 seconds.
Soy sauce or tamari is another flavour booster thats off limits. While soy sauce seems pretty harmless, its still soy, which is nearly 99% GMO and the whole point is to detox that shit from our diets for at least 30 days. Luckily the amazing coconut comes to the rescue with its on par flavour boosting magic. Coconut aminos can be found at most health food grocery stores or you can get it off amazon, check it out here.
Milks
As far as pre-made milks go, there’s not many that don’t have added careegan, guar gum and other thickeners/stabilizers/preservatives. Homemade nut milks are the way to go. All you need is a blender, a nut milk bag or cheesecloth and water. Here’s a great all around nut milk tutorial.
Coconut milk is our go to source for creamy rich goodness on the whole 30. But even uber expensive organic brands of coconut milk have strange additives. So you can make your own coconut milk (it’s darn delicious) OR you can stick to the natural value or thai kitchen brands that don’t have any weird additives or preservatives.
Sweeteners
Much to my chagrin, even natural sweeteners like stevia are technically a no no on the whole 30. Because the whole point is to not make foods that aren’t naturally sweet, sweet. Like coffee. Now I have to learn to enjoy coffees naturally bitter taste…grrrrrrreat. But I can see the point. As far as satisfying our sweet teeth, fruits and their dehydrated counterparts become the go-to.
Date paste, dried figs, and dried mango do wonders for healthfully satisfying those sweet cravings.
Fats
The biggest take away from my last whole 30 was to never underestimate how important it is to get enough fat. If we skimp on the fat, its really hard to feel deeply satisfied. Remember, the point of this isn’t caloric restriction or to cause us suffering. It’s to improve our understanding of our bodies and their relationship to certain foods. Saturated fats stabilize our blood sugar and help heaps with cravings. They are also a vehicle for transporting essential vitamins and minerals.
Plenty of coconut oil, coconut butter, ghee, animal fats like lard, beef tallow, bacon fat and chicken fat are all great for cooking. When it comes to salads and mayo it’s better to use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
Omega-3 fatty acids are another part of the fat puzzle that so many of us are deficient in. I take a krill oil supplement to make sure I’m getting plenty of omegas alongside eating abundant amounts of wild fish. In the meal plans I’m going to aim for 2-3 servings of fish per week. It’s delicious aaaaand nutritious.
Carbs
Nobody can go from gorging themselves on pizza and croissants to cutting out all carbs. Unrealistic. Which is why I’ll be eating plenty of root vegetables like sweet potato and white potato especially in the first few days. Eventually the desire to nosh on carbs all day dissipates as our bodies adjust.
Bone Broth
Mmmm bone broth. I was trying to convince my friend to buy whole chickens so he could make bone broth and he did not seem impressed. Sometimes my little bubble bursts and I realize not everyone drinks hot boiled carcass for fun. But seriously, bone broth is the most amazing source of minerals, gelatine and collagen which helps us retain that youthful glow, keeps our joints happy, gives us a hearty dose of nourishing fats and I don’t know about you but there’s something about bone broth that’s just really comforting to me. Here’s a great tutorial onhow to make bone broth.
Detoxifying Medicinals
My favourite part of this entire post, hooray for herbs! I don’t think they talk much about this component in the actual “It starts with food” book BUT I think these additions can just amp up all the benefits we experience from changing our diets.
As always, no two people are the same and not everyone will want to add medicinal herbs into their lifestyle. No worries. If you have concerns, talk to your local herbalist or naturopath, they can ensure that any herbal remedies won’t interfere with prescription drugs and so forth.
I tend to stick to the whole form of herbs instead of tinctures of supplements. These things are useful at times, but for simplicities sake just making teas from herbs is the easiest for anyone beginning their herbal journey. Also, there’s no alcohol on the whole 30 so tinctures are off limits anyway.
Adaptogens are great if your dealing with energy/hormonal issues. These herbs are ‘intelligent’ in that they don’t do the same thing for each person. They work with your body and help to balance out your unique chemistry and hormones.
The whole 30 is a great opportunity to balance our gut flora. Bad bacteria and yeasts thrive on sugar, so when we cut them off we give the good guys a chance to thrive! The research on our gut bacteria is clear. There is perhaps nothing more important and critical to good health in all aspects including mental and hormonal. Probiotics have been shown to go way beyond digestive health.
Fermented foods
If you’re new to making your own ferments, this is hands down the best way to replenish our guts with a hearty dose of probiotics. Don’t be intimidated! Sauerkraut is a good place to start, here’s a guide on a few variations and the benefits of homemade sauerkraut.
If you’re interested in trying some more adventurous ferments, this website fermented food lab is the absolute best! With everything from fermented hot sauce, watermelon shrubs, ketchup and way more it’s sure to inspire you to get chopping.
The Mental Stuff
Okay this post is a wee bit longer than I planned but OH well. Congrats to you if you’re still reading.
Preparing for a successful whole 30 means preparing for the challenges of your mind.
The mental piece of the puzzle is staring at our attachments dead on and telling them where to go. It’s knowing that we are stronger than our addictions and that inevitably we always have a choice. One of the most beneficial things about removing less than great foods from our diets is seeing our minds reaction. Seeing where we use food as a crutch or something to smother our deeper inner experiences in.
What helps me is deep breaths and water. And you a know what, if you slip up, which is pretty much inevitable unless you’re a saint, it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed and you should give up. Just brush it off and keep at it, cause guess what, you’re pretty awesome.
Woohoo, getting ready for week 1 of the Whole 30 Challenge! If you want to jump on board you can still join the October 30 day detox challenge Facebook group right here. Week 1 is usually wrought with challenges. For a lot of us, were not used to cooking this much, or being so careful about our ingredients. As our bodies start to process the fact that were not going to give them that quick sugar fix there can sometimes be an inner rebellion.
Your mind will tell you that this whole thing is bogus and won’t do you any good. It’s lying. Being prepared makes the work a lot easier. Having delicious nourishing recipes to turn to makes cooking FUN.
So keep in mind if your doing this solo, most of these recipes serve 4. No biggie, just cut them in half and have plenty of leftovers.
In the next few days I’ll be posting some Whole 30 Essentials so stay tuned.
*As for this weeks shopping list: You aren’t going to use ALL these ingredients in the first week. Some will carry you through to the end. Remember the meal plan is for feeding more than one person so scale down accordingly.*
*Spices, nuts and seeds can be bought in bulk*
Shopping List
Meat/Poultry/Eggs
2 lb ground pork
addictive free chorizo sausage
1 package nitrate free bacon
2 lb ground beef
1 lb ground bison
2 lb ground turkey
1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast or thigh
3 dozen free range eggs
Seafood
4 filets Tilapia
smoked salmon
can sustainable fished BPA free tuna (I like the raincoast brand)
Yesterday I went to the farmers market and the poutine truck was there. They have some pretty impressive renditions on the classic poutine, including donair poutine and buffalo blue cheese poutine, tempting to say the least. But instead we got some gorgeous fresh northern pike and breaded it with shredded coconut, yum. But the craving for poutine, once you have it, doesn’t just go away. So today I whipped up a worthy equivalent, minus the gravy, and oh my did it hit the spot. In case you were wondering, loaded implies a bunch of spicy beef cooked with onions and garlic, goat feta and aged raw cheddar cheese,fresh tomatoes, peppers and a big ole pile a guacamole in the middle. These loaded tex mex sweet potato fries are healthy yet satisfying enough to meet any comfort food criteria.
This is a filling meal for two, or a nice snack or starter for four. Once you start, its hard to stop, and you are pretty much guaranteed to lick the plate clean.
In a large bowl, add oil and sweet potato, toss until evenly coated.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread an even lay of sweet potato fries, bake for 25 minutes.
Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan and add onion and garlic until slightly golden. Add the Worcestershire and beef and cook on medium high heat until the juices start to release and the meat starts to brown. Turn down the heat until thoroughly cooked.
For the guacamole, mash together the avocado, garlic, lime, sea salt, tomato and cilantro
When the fries are done, top with cheese, beef, tomatoes, peppers and serve alongside fresh guacamole.
Hey I'm Chantelle, my alter ego would be a mermaid if I wasn't such a terrible swimmer. I love writing authentically and cooking in my pyjamas. My favourite pastimes include eating avocados, travelling the world and hanging out with a toddler.
can be found at most health food grocery stores or you can get it off amazon, check it out here.
or 
brands that don’t have any weird additives or preservatives.
