5-Days Whole30 Menu

I am participating next week in 5 days of clean eating with a health group. This will be a perfect time to reset my eating, as I'll abide by Whole30 recipes for the week! I intend on participating in a Whole30 during the month of May, so this will be a great prep!

I planned next week meals, as follows. Check out the recipes below if you need gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free, dairy-free recipes! And I even included the ingredient list below each recipe!

Dinners:

• Shrimp Pad Thai from Diane Sanfilippo's book - We LOVE this recipe! It tastes just like the original thing! Except you use zoodles! Yum! This time we will probably add in a sliced chicken breast in addition to the shrimp for extra protein sake!
• Ingredient list:

4 large zucchini or yellow squash

1 cup snow peas, sliced lengthwise into thin strips

4 dozen extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

FOR THE SAUCE

1/2 cup almond butter (raw or roasted)

1/2 cup coconut aminos

4 drops fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon minced or grated garlic

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

sea salt and black pepper to taste

FOR GARNISH

1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

1/4 cup sliced green onions (scallions)

1/4 cup thinly sliced cucumber

• Sweet Potato Nachos (in place of Taco Tuesday!)
• Ingredient list:

One bag Jackson’s sweet potato chips or one batch Primal Palate sweet potato chips
One batch avocado crema
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves removed and chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small can of sliced black olives, drained
Lime slices for garnish, optional

Ingredients for Avocado Crema:
1 small avocado
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp sea salt + more to reach desired taste preference
1/2 clove elephant garlic or 2 cloves regular garlic (If you have access to elephant garlic for this, USE IT!)
5 tablespoons water

Ingredients for sweet potato chips:

sweet potatoes

coconut oil

• Blackened Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa by Against All Grain - I will probably not use the spice based herbs on my own salmon, as I'm trying to stay mainly Autoimmune Paleo (AIP), but I think the husband will enjoy it! I am planning on serving some cilantro lime caulirice and maybe the collard greens listed below.
• Ingredient List:

1½ to 2 pounds wild salmon fillets, boneless and skin on
3 teaspoons melted grassfed butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1½ tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cracked pepper
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp cayenne

Caulirice Ingredients

1 Head Cauliflower
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1⁄2 Small Onion (diced)
1 Clove of Garlic (chopped)
1 Lime, juice and zest
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped

• Hawaiian Burgers - No picture but sounds SO good! And I will incorporate a sweet potato into dinner somehow, whether that's sweet potato fries or just roasted. I may not use the portabello bun and rather side for some lettuce (from my own garden!).
• Ingredient List:
8 whole portobello mushroom caps, stems removed (or as mentioned, some big lettuce leaves)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound ground beef
2/3 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 rings pineapple
2 whole avocados sliced
1/2 cup red onion sliced

Sweet potato or 2 for fries/side

• Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken - I think I will try this with a whole chicken instead of just thighs. Served with brussell sprouts (listed below) and sweet potato (see a pattern?)!
• Ingredient List:

8 boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 tsp onion powder
½ onion, diced
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste

2 Sweet potatoes for side

 

Breakfast: 

• Ground beef and sweet potato Breakfast hash. I make a big batch on Sunday that lasts us all week. It is a complete meal for us, in addition to my 1/4 of an avocado I eat every morning!
• Ingredient List:
3 large sweet potatoes, shredded (approx 1.5lbs)
12oz brussell sprouts, quartered
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 pieces of bacon, cut into 1/3 inch strips
1-3lbs ground meat*

2 Avocadoes for me the week

• If we ate eggs (we don't due to food sensitivities), I would totally make a batch of these Egg Nests, or ones similar to them! They seem so easy and are healthy.
• Ingredient list:

1 large Sweet Potato
1 Sweet Apple
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil + more for greasing muffin cups
5 large Eggs
Sea Salt, to taste
Chives, optional
3 slices uncooked Bacon, diced small
Balsamic Vinegar, optional

 Snacks:

• Baked kale chips - I have never tried kale chips but they look SO delicious! and the husband enjoys chips, so this would be a healthy alternative to try.
• Ingredient list:

2 bunches of kale
1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil
fleur de sel or your favorite seasoning salt

• Carrot cake smoothie - okay, hands down how good does this look and sound?! Maybe for a special snack or breakfast!
• Ingredient list:

1 cup carrots, peeled and then grated (if you have a high powered blender like a Vitamix, you could probably just roughly chop them)
1 organic banana, frozen
1 1/2 cups homemade almond milk (or other non-dairy milk of your choice)
1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked for two hours (or 1/4 cup homemade cashew nut butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Medjool date
1 tablespoon organic raw shelled hemp seeds (optional for protein)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Sides:

• Collard Greens  - As previously mentioned, these are so good! I try to serve greens with every meal, so this will make an appearance at least once.
• Ingredient list:

1 bunch collard greens

~1.5 cup broth 

up to 8 cloves garlic

1 TBSP Himalayan salt

sprinkle of:

 cayenne pepper

salt & pepper

chipotle chili seasoning

• Brussel Sprouts - These will be delicious! The husband loves brussel sprouts! Perfect side!
• Ingredient list:

For the Onions:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 whole red onion

For the Brussel Sprouts:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cups brussel sprouts
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Note concerning lunches:

• It's just me and the husband in our house, but most recipes make 4 servings, at least. So our lunches are leftovers from the previous night's dinners. Some recipes will only make 2 servings, which is why I cook a big meal at the beginning of the week (that balsamic chicken), so we can have those leftovers a few times when other dinners lack. 
• I pack my own lunch every day, so I grab leftovers, a fruit, a sweet potato maybe (if it's a big workout day I especially have to), the other 1/4 of an avocado and a mason jar salad.

Here's the 411 on Mason Jar Salads:

1. Decide on using a pint sized (side salad portion) or quart sized (full salad) mas on jar. 
2. Add your salad dressing to the very bottom of your glass mason jar. (For us that's usually a homemade vinaigrette of EVOO, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar and some herbs!)
3. Put your hardier toppings in next: nuts, seeds, hardy veggies like carrots; toppings that won't get soggy or go bad sitting in the dressing all week.
4. Put in the remaining toppings such as mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, any fruit etc. that might be soggy or turn bad if sitting in your dressing (other salad toppings suggestions: artichoke hearts, olives, celery, bell peppers, pomegranate seeds, apple slices, sugar snap peas, broccoli to name a few...what other ones do y'all like on your salad???). I do NOT recommend avocado in these jars though.
5. Your greenery is next: make sure it's fairly dry & doesn't touch the dressing! While iceberg lettuce is most common (as shown here, I found an Organic head on Manager's special!), it is also the least nutritional so venture out and try other salad greens like spinach (also shown), arugula, kale, turnip greens, etc. We usually buy the "spring mix" from the store that has a combo! (Remember to buy organic greens!)
6. Store in the fridge & when ready to consume, dump onto your plate & it's instantly mixed! Enjoy!

• Ingredient list:

greens (spinach is my preference)
cucumber, sliced
couple of carrots, sliced
various veggies, sliced

I am definitely looking forward to next week! Especially since the menu is planned! Woohoo!

~Rachel_unrefined

“To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, 

cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.” ~William Londen

Sorry I'm Not Sorry: My Passion & Meals

Raise your hand if you enjoy discussing gastrointestinal issues. Everyone, take a look around the room. Besides for your grandma, your friend in the medical field & the teenage boy in the corner, there probably aren't too many people raising their hands.

That's because GI issues aren't quite dinner conversations, small talk, or well, fun to talk about. Nobody thinks "I am going to wow this girl/boy/my boss by bringing up my digestion disorders." Nobody says, "I am going to become the most popular person ever by being open about my intestinal distress." Nobody wants to bring these up.

So they aren't discussed. At all.

6.5 years ago I had a unique experience of being diagnosed with crohn's & having 3 feet of my intestines removed. No, couldn't have been a broken bone with a cool cast, sinus issues that everyone can sympathize with, or joint inflammation that just sounds painful. I get the guts problems. I get the butt of the joke. I, a semi preppy, blonde teenage girl, got the one thing nobody really wants to discuss: gas, bloating, and painful bowels.

And I talk about it. Boy do I talk about it!

Not because I enjoy grossing people out (just SOME people), or because there's a certain wow factor in knowing how digestion works. But because the more I have been open about it, the more people have been open with me. The more people confide in me their issues. The more people come out of the woodwork to share their GI problems. The more people come to me for help and direction because they have seen me struggle & recover and THRIVE. And they want in on that (the main diff between them and my grandma-she's just complaining).

As cool as it is, I mean, come on, who wants that kind of popularity? "Yes, PLEASE go on about your bowels."

Hint: nobody is interested in the issues aspect and nobody wants to be in THAT popularity contest-except maybe gastroenterologists trying to bring in business...and personally I'd prefer a Dr. to have theirs under control before they tell me what to do. But that's another blog.

I can't tell you how many family members, friends, acquaintances and strangers with whom I have shared my experience. I have been open on social media (and in real life) about my diet (long term lifestyle change, not short term weightloss rollercoaster fad). The more I share online, the more people talk to me offline.

I post my meals and talk about different food groups on InstaGram in a way to show just how easy it is to live healthy. I share nutrition or health articles on Facebook to show different sides and to get people thinking about changes. After doing this for about 2 years, I can honestly say people are interested in health and can identify that they aren't healthy. My sharing of personal stories and online references get people thinking, talking and analyzing their health.

(Before I say anything more, I will admit it is a bit selfish motive here. It is a sort of therapeutic treatment for myself to use my experience for good by helping others through what I've learned in my own pain. It makes me feel better knowing what I went through has a higher reason.)

I want to help people. I want them to talk about their unhealthy bodies, because that is how you start looking for answers. If you can identify things are not right, and you have the motive (and guts-hehe) to talk to someone else about it, there is a better chance you will make a healthy change for your body.

If you are reading this, you either have heard me talk/read about my journey, have talked to me about your own problems or are my stalker so you've heard me talk and seen others talk to me?

My point is, I'm transparent about my issues because of the people I have helped. (In fact I am too transparent about everything in my life.) I empathize with those having issues, and rejoice with those who have found the light through my sharing of experience and knowledge. It brings me joy to know people are now like me-pain free, enjoying life and not suffering due to foods.

So, this is my public announcement for the day: Sorry I'm not sorry for taking pictures of my meal everyday and bringing up THAT DANG SURGERY, again.

If my sharing frustrates you, unfollow my Instagtam and stop reading this blog. Plenty of people, friends and family members already have blocked me. Sure, it initially confuses me that they have chosen to block me out for sharing one of my greatest passions, but for each person who stops reading, I talk to a handful of more people in person about what steps they should to take to begin their health journey. (No, I'm not a medical prpfessional, but ya don't need a degree to suggest eating vegetables is healthy ;)) And I'm not one to truly care about other's opinions. :)

It brings me joy to help others.

What's that saying? God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

In my case, He qualified me & gave me purpose when that doctor gave me the diagnosis & when I found paleo, Whole30 & Autoimmune Paleo Protocol.

So here I am, sharing my meals, shouting from the rooftops about the light at the end of the tunnel. I will share about the miracle God gifted me & the journey He has set me on until I can no longer speak, type, take pictures, or be.

So if you are holding back questions, don't. If you are afraid or embarrased to ask for help, stop. There are no judgments around my dinner table, so as long as you actually want to make a change (warning: that change will involve not eating what you deem "foods you can't live without"). I would love to share my journey, how I went from a teenage girl curled up in a ball from pain to a mid-20 year old eating my way into autoimmune disease remission drugfree & living life pain free.

Next time you see a crazy health foodie post about their fitness regime or dinner, maybe you will understand they share because that change in their life made a huge difference, and they can't hold it in.

-RR