Day 21- Epic Fail

So having mixed feelings today- disappointment and then also relief.  More disappointment or even guilt than anything. We had been doing so great- despite the difficulty of vacation and cooking separate for the kids we were rocking it.  Then...I don't know we had a moment of weakness that neither one of us pulled the other out of.  So after eating a stellar breakfast and lunch we went out to dinner. Burgers and a beer kind of dinner.  And you know what... it wasn't even that good!  But as I have reflected the past few days that is alright.  We have gained some serious insight into what food does and has done to our bodies.  Even though we were a few days short I am not going to have us start over, we are just going to end there and transition into a more sustainable lifestyle for us.

I have done a TON of reading, even prior to this about food, and what's in food, and what we should avoid an on and on so I am pretty squared away on what will be in our kitchen. If anything I have certainly learned ways to cook with veggies in a myriad of ways.  So that new trend is totally sticking with us.  So here it is our "new" plan for what will hopefully be the rest of our and our children's lives.

We are going to go about an 85/15 paleo/clean and then what I will call a "US" diet.
I am a huge fan of Food Babe and 100 Days of Real Food.  Both have such supreme knowledge of what is in our food and how to realistically take your family to a whole foods or clean eating approach.  For us we will all be eating paleo for breakfast and lunch meaning low carb and lots of meats and veggies. When I say us I mean my husband and I, as for the the kids the big guy usually eats school lunch, the middle man takes a lunch and breakfast to school but his will be a bit more different.  And well, little Miss? Well she'll just eat whatever Nana fixes her, usually oatmeal and fruit.


I am going to add back in grains, specifically whole wheat and corn. For baking and bread purposes it is the more feasible option and heck we like a good sandwich or waffle now and then. But, I am picky about my bread- we get ours at Great Harvest Bread Company. Yeah it's a bit more, but you know what? They actually only have 5 ingredients!! Wheat flour (that they grind there), water, honey, yeast and salt- just like Grandma used to make.  As for corn- this is more for our mexican dishes- we love mexican!! Give me some grilled fish tacos and habanero mango sauce any day- delicioso! And, after reading Food Babe I have decided to stick with sprouted corn tortillas- or make my own- as that is the one way to avoid GMO produced corn- blech.


We will also add back in beans (when necessary) and dairy.  We used to be big yogurt people, well my kids still are, but after the Whole 30 I learned I didn't need the dairy to help me stay full- so why keep it.  Cheese- well you can't really have enchiladas without it- well you can, but who'd want to?

Lastly- alcohol. Yep- I said we will add that in.  Nothing wrong with a few drinks in moderation or a glass of wine on a cold winter's night- better yet Bailey's and coffee.  If you want to learn more about what is really in that beer you just cracked or how to make smarter choices when it comes to what you partake in check out Food Babe's investigation into just what is in that beer.  You'd be surprised!!


Other than the few grains, beans now and then, and cheese now and then- we are pretty much on track.  I liked the way  I felt physically on the paleo- I was not hungry between meals- I was not bloated- and I was losing body fat, maybe not a lot of pounds, but it was certainly a change in the way my clothes fit!  You can't ask for much more than that!!

I will be posting our menu plans and more of what we are actually eating and doing on the post Whole 30 or in our case "Whole 21".