my big vegetarian whole30

Welcome to my big vegetarian Whole30 experience!  First, let me preface this post by saying that I was bad and did not research enough before I started the Whole30.  I was familiar with the concept, but as a vegetarian, it seemed much more challenging when I realized that I was unable to eat any grains or beans along with already excluding meat.  BUT,  I will say that it was easier than I thought it would be.  I wanted to put together some of the tips and tricks that I used in case you are vegetarian and wanting to do the Whole30, but are intimidated by the restrictions.

First off, if you are considering trying the Whole30….DO IT!  Seriously!  It changes how you think about the food that you eat on a daily basis.  I usually eat pretty healthy, but I definitely have a tendency to binge on chocolate and "healthy" snacks.  There are so many "healthy" foods that really aren't that good for you.  I have done 28 day sugar cleanses in the past, but it really didn't even stack up to how differently I felt during the Whole30.

Here are some of the changes that I experienced during the Whole30:

-Energy:  My baseline energy levels increased and they remained more stable throughout the day.

-I completely quit coffee:  I didn't need it!

-Sleep:  I slept more soundly and awoke feeling more rested.  It was also much easier to get up in the morning right away, even after short nights of only 5-6 hours of sleep.

-Mood:  I felt happier & more emotionally stable as the weeks rolled on.  Small things didn't bother me as much as they used to and I had a more positive outlook.

-Food view:   I began to view food differently and was able to see past emotional cravings and view foods for their nutrient density instead.  I began to assess which foods would give me the most nutrients or a different mix of nutrients throughout the day.

-Weight loss:  I lost about 8 pounds, although that was not my goal with this program.

So what was it like?  How did I prepare for and survive the Whole30?

research

Okay, this is important.  Do lots of research before you begin.  There are quite a few ins and outs, especially when trying to figure out what is approved for vegetarians.  For example, did you know that all grains and beans are out?  This includes gluten free healthy grains like quinoa and other legumes like peanuts.  How rude!  And cheese.  Again.  Rude.  Take the time the week or so before you start to research and to find recipes that are compliant that you will like to try.

planning

I would highly highly highly recommend meal prepping.  Seriously, do it.  Save your Sundays for this process because I guarantee, it will make the week ahead a MILLION GAZILLION times easier.  Meal prepping takes out the indecision that can arise throughout the week.  It gives you a clear, obvious answer for what you need to eat that day.  I don't know about you, but I always eat worse when I don't bring a lunch because then I have to scramble to find something healthy and quick.

On a similar note, pack your food the night before for work.  Again, it helps to keep you on track and it saves you time in the morning.  AKA, you can't be "forced" to buy an unhealthy lunch because you didn't have time to pack yours.

cost

There is this idea out there that eating healthy has to be expensive.  It doesn't.  It soooo doesn't.  You just have to be smart about it.  First, familiarize yourself with the local grocery ads.  Foods are different prices at different stores.  In the Twin Cities, we have a grocery store called Fresh Thyme that has awesome sales on produce each week.  Most cities will have something similar.  Fresh Thyme is spread out across the country and I know Aldi usually has good deals on produce.  Stick with your local ads, shop at multiple stores if you need to (you might not be able to get everything for the lowest price at one store), and buy seasonal produce.  This means that the produce is at it's peak freshness and abundance, so it should be less expensive than during other parts of the year.  I also try to make sure that I capitalize on bulk sales.  For example, when almonds were on sale for $5.99/lb., I bought a bunch in bulk so it would last me a few weeks.  I do the same when pistachios are on sale because helloooooo, pistachios are delicious.

Finally, cost is not just about how much you pay when you buy something.  Do you make it worth it once you have it?  I used to be awful at doing a healthy food grocery run overhaul and then it would sit in the fridge and I would do nothing with it.  Now I take a look at the ads, pick what I want to buy, and then find recipes that fit those ingredients.  I try to be super efficient with this.  If I do mess up and have to throw something away, I always question why I bought that item in the first place.  When you're shopping, ask yourself:  will I actually use this?  Only buy it if you will use it in a timely manner and not throw it away.

The most expensive part for me was doing a 2 day juice cleanse for the first two days.  Although it was more expensive, I think it was well worth it and it made adapting to the rest of the month much easier.

my tips & tricks:

Sweet potatoes are your friend.  I ate a literal shitload of sweet potatoes.  Since that was pretty much my only source of high volume carbs, I didn't mind eating them every day.  I mixed in a few other varieties of potatoes, but sweet potatoes are the bomb. dot. com.  I'll post the recipe that I used.  :]

Eggs are also a good friend, although I tried to keep it at 1 per day.  Some days I succeeded, others I did not.  And I have no shame in that.

Mix. It.  Up.  It can be easy to find a few things that you like and to just eat those for 30 days.  And by day 30 you will be bored and chomping at the bit to try anything else.  Try different seasonings.  Try different preparations of foods--hello, zoodles?!?!  Try different foods that you haven't tried before!  It’s one thing to have go-to's, but still aim for diversity.  Not only does it keep things interesting, but it guarantees that your are consuming a variety of different nutrients!

Water.  Drink lots of it.  I was amazed at the end by how much water I was drinking.  I always have a 24 ounce Starbucks cup with me.  When I started the Whole30, I was drinking about 2-3 of these cups every day.  Now I am drinking 4-5 every day.  It actually helps me wake up, too.  I didn’t have coffee until the last week or so and it has been super minimal because I definitely don't want to become dependent on it.

my cheats

Okay, so I'm the first one to admit that I am not perfect.  Not even close.  (Shocking, I know). There are a few products that helped me to survive:

Simple Mills Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Almond Flour Crackers

RX Bars (Blueberry and Apple Cinnamon)

Larabars

Jackson's Honest Sweet Potato Chips

social impact

Okay, so the social impact of the Whole30 can be intimidating.  I rarely ate out on the Whole30 and it was a challenge to explain to friends and coworkers the reasons behind my decision.  It never feels good to have people shame you for a health decision that you are making for yourself.  That being said, it was much easier to stick to once I felt the changes start to take place.  I had evidence that what I was doing was having an impact, which made it much easier to stick to my guns.  Before you start or have to explain to your friends, ask yourself why you want to do this.  Find your why.  It's not the same for everybody and that's okay.  Once you figure out your why, be prepared for a range of responses.  Some people will be in awe and ask how you are doing it and may even jump on board to do it with you.  That's great!  Others will think you are a nut in a box of Cracker Jacks and will dismiss your efforts.  Some might even try to make you feel stupid for trying it.  Don't let those haters get you down.  I know it can be hard.  I've been there.  Remember:  if you are doing the Whole30, you are doing it for you.  Nobody else.

Going out to dinner is a tough one, too because there is such a limited selection of Whole30-friendly foods at restaurants.  If you are comfortable with it, be that person who goes out with friends and inquires about the oils that foods are cooked in, how foods are prepared, and for substitutions to meet your needs.  I think it's funny that one of the common critiques of the Whole30 is that you turn into "that person".  Whatever.  Again, remember that this is for you.  If you are comfortable with it, then go out for dinner and ask the extra questions.  I didn't go out much, but that doesn't mean that you can't.

Here's my advice though:

1. Be honest.  Explain your why to your friends.  Be prepared for a variety of responses.  Just remember, you don't need to justify or argue your decision to anybody but yourself.  This. Is. About. You.
2. If you are feeling really ambitious and don't want to lose the social aspect to food, invite your friends for a dinner party.  Make foods that work for you and for them.  Boom.  Compromise reached.
3. Be prepared.  There were times that I packed my own food for visits to non-Whole30 friendly places or went grocery shopping for myself when I went to visit my sister.  Having my own stash of food made it much easier to stick with it.

Okay, I know this was a lot to take in, but I hope it was helpful.  My next blog project is going to be putting together some of the recipes that I used throughout the Whole30, including some of the juices!  If you have any questions at all about the Whole30 or what I did, please reach out to me in the comments or directly and I can answer them for you!

to your health,

anne

***Correction:  A few weeks after posting this, I was researching the Whole30 again and found that there is a vegetarian FAQ page.  They allow you to include gluten free grains and some legumes, although peanuts are still excluded.  You can check it out here.

how i do #veglife

Hello!

Earlier this week, I shared with you, why I decided to become a vegetarian.  Now, I want to share with you how I do it!

I really think that there is a misconception out there about there being strict rules to being a vegetarian.  There aren't.  What I have enjoyed is being able to research as much (or as little) as I want to and shape my philosophy based on my research and my lifestyle.  Cool, right?

So let's dig right in!

Here is my basic framework for #veglife:

1.  I do not eat any meat.  No chicken, no beef, no pork, no fish.  At first, I thought about including fish, but factory farmed fish is no better than factory farmed beef.  As for "wild caught" varieties, check out my initial #veglife post regarding bycatch.  Oh, and no gelatin-containing items, either.

2.  I do consume eggs.  But try to keep it to a minimum.  This is not ideal, but I still find myself slightly clinging to the notion of needing to get my protein.  And have you ever had veggies and eggs for breakfast?  It's amazing.

3.  I do consume dairy and cheese.  But try to keep it to a minimum.  There is some evidence that cultures that traditionally consume more dairy and cheese actually have a higher incidence of osteoporosis.  Plus, there are a wide variety of plants that contain calcium.  Broccoli, anyone?  Yum!  I also rarely consumer cow's milk.  Haven't you ever thought that it was odd that humans are the only species that consumes the milk from another species into adulthood?  Mother Nature is amazing, so consider this:  cow's milk is naturally created with a specific set of nutrients that are meant to grow baby calves into big ass cows.  Not to grow toddler humans into adult humans.  It's weird.

Spinach pizza = the best version of cheesy goodness

4.  I do consume beer, wine, kombucha....all of that fermented goodness.  I ain't about that vegan life.  (yet)

Now, let me share some of the practices/guidelines that I use to help keep myself in check and to make sure I don't become a bread & cheese vegetarian .  My philosophy is that if one of my reasons for adopting this lifestyle is for my health, then I need to create practices and guidelines to make sure I am keeping in line with that thought.  Here we go:

1.  Eat as many whole, plant foods as possible.  Even when I indulge in pizza, I make sure it is FULL of veggies.  I'll be sharing my veggie pizza recipe a little later on the blog.  I have pasta and I try to make sure it is more than 50% veggies and less than 50% pasta.  There are so many vegetarian substitutions that you can make for the refined crap food in your local super market, that it's crazy!  Spaghetti squash pasta, anyone?  Anyway, I try to keep it simple.  I have some favorites that I use often, but I do like to mix it up and find new ways to use whole foods as possible!

There's a little pasta in there, at the bottom!

2.  Eat veggies for breakfast.  I adopted this practice about 6 months ago when I realized that even as a vegetarian, I was probably not consuming enough veggies.  The struggle is real.  My favorite to whip up, if I have time is veggies & eggs.  My go to veggies include:  zucchini, peppers, potatoes, eggplant (occasionally), carrots, broccoli, and of course, onions & garlic.  I purposely exclude cheese.

Eggs and veggies are my favorite breakfast!

3.  Reduce use of vegetarian/vegan versions.  I would hazard a guess that this is one of the biggest struggles for vegetarians and vegans alike.  Again, my focus is health and getting all of the nutrient dense foods that I can, so it doesn't make sense to buy an abundance of vegetarian or vegan processed foods.  Examples: Veganaise, Vegan butter, vegan cheese, veggie burgers, vegetarian cereals, snacks, etc.  Now, I do have some in moderation when it comes to snacks, but overall, I try to keep them to a minimum.  Here is my reasoning:  Have you ever heard the philosophy that every time you see a "low fat" snack or "reduced sugar" snack that you should instead interpret "chemical shit storm"?  My thought process is similar.  If I'm a vegetarian for my health and I'm eating vegetarian cookies, does that make them healthy?  No.  Don't get me wrong, I have some veggie dogs in the freezer because I felt left out at an event, but to be honest, they weren't very good anyway and I don't think I have had one now in several months.

4.  Avoid health claims/health foods.  I promise I wont repeat the entire previous paragraph, but it all still applies.  This is called marketing.  Think about the claim on Twizzler's candy that it is a "naturally low fat food".  This may be true, but that's only because it is pure sugar.  Now when it comes to eating things like cheese, I would prefer to eat a full fat version, than reduced fat because it is at least closer to its natural state.  To be honest, I avoid almost all reduced fat/sugar products.  So, I try to keep packaged foods to a minimum, but if I do get them, I go for the packaged products that ARE full sugar/full fat.  Example: breakfast cereal.  Due to marketing and government recommendations, many people assume that breakfast cereals are healthy because they are naturally low in fat and ohhh, look! It has been fortified with "xyz" nutrient!  And the manufacturer says it's healthy!  So it must be healthy, right?  Wrong.  If we are being realistic, breakfast cereal is not much more than processed grains and a few vitamins and minerals that they added back in so that they could say it's healthy.  Most of those nutrients won't be absorbed into our bodies as well as if they are consumed from a whole foods.  (Look up bioavailability).  I also want to add that this applies to organic products, too.  Just because the "cane juice" on the label is organic, that does not make it better for you than regular sugar.  Which brings me to my next point:

5.  Reduce added sugars.  This applies in a few ways.  I do not put sugar or cream in my coffee or tea.  I don't usually get a latte at Starbucks (maybe 1/month).  I avoid fruit juices like the plague (sugar water, anyone?).  I'm sure all of my coworkers would interject here that I have a hard time staying away from the candy jar in the HR office.  Sugar is as addicting as cocaine!  And the Butterfinger cups have no added colors or preservatives, so they must be healthy, right?!  RIGHT?!!  Anyway.  My key word here is try.  When I do use sweeteners, I try to stick to organic raw honey or organic maple syrup because there is at least some mineral content.  I tried agave awhile ago, but to be honest, I wasn't a fan anyway.  Also, check out the documentary called "Fed Up".  You can find it on Netflix and it is a very interesting perspective on the obesity epidemic, particularly in young children and the addictive nature of sugar.  Which, of course, the sugar industry doesn't mind.  Also, I'm sure you have heard now that the FDA will require "Added Sugars" to be listed on nutrition labels beginning in July 2018.  Apparently the sugar industry is not too happy about this.  If you reduce the sugar in your diet to naturally occurring sugars in whole foods, you will be amazed by how you feel after a couple of weeks.  For more info on my experiment with the No Added Sugar Challenge, click here for the background, here for day one reflections, and here for week one reflections.

6.  Take my vitamins!  I am currently taking a multivitamin and a vitamin D supplement.  I would love to take a gummy because I have the hardest time swallowing large pills, but most have gelatin in them, so I settled for a children's chewable.  I don't know that I truly believe that vitamins work.  From what I recall from college, if you remove all confounding factors, there is no evidence that they work (read: due to bioavailability and such).  The reason that I continue to take them is as a reminder that those who take them typically engage in healthier habits like exercising, eating well, hydrating, and resting.

7.  Eat when hungry.  Stop when full.  I do not count macros or calories, but trust that if I am eating a whole foods, plant-based diet, then I am doing well and likely consuming more nutrients that most Americans anyway.  I'm a total grazer, and I always have been, so I snack throughout the day.  The only times I have experienced issues with energy levels is when I have found myself reverting to the bread & cheese lifestyle or making other less healthy decisions and I course correct as needed.

I can't wait to share my favorite go-to's!

As always, feel free to ask any questions that you have!

xoxo,

Anne

no added sugar challenge

Hi friends!

I just wanted to shoot out a quick update about a challenge I am participating in for the next 28 days!  A friend of mine from high school is hosting a NO ADDED SUGAR CHALLENGE on Facebook and I cannot WAIT.  I've know that this is something that I want to focus on for some time, but I think this group will provide the perfect amount of support and accountability to see some great results.

If you are interested in joining, just search for Lilly Polivoda on Facebook for the link!  Or check out her post about the last time she did it here and the FAQ that she put together here!

I would also HIGHLY recommend the documentary "Fed Up".  You can find it on Netflix!  I've really gotten into food documentaries since last fall, so this will likely be the first in a long line of docs that I recommend!

But really...it's very interesting.  I also find it to be a very sad reflection of our society and how we let companies dictate the choices that we make that effect our health, well being, and longevity.  Personally, I think it's utter nonsense that our elected officials let this happen, but as you will see, there is a lot of money and dirty politics involved.

If it doesn't pull a little bit at your heart strings to watch the kids talk about their struggles, then you more than likely are a robot.  Just sayin.

Check it all out and I hope to see you in the challenge group!

stay fit!

xoxo

anne

get-started tips

Gosh, it's been awhile.  I figured I should pop back on here at some point and actually get into the habit of posting regularly.  I started to type, but then I realized that I have no idea what I want to write about.

I realize that I am not a perfect person and that I am certainly not a health and fitness guru, much as I would like to be one someday.  What I am though, is somebody who wants to be healthy and happy and that is a huge challenge in the world that we live in!  Everything around us moves at the speed of light.  Everything is manufactured for convenience and quantity instead of quality.  After pondering all of these things, I realized that I want this blog to reflect my journey.  I'm not an expert, by any means.  I'm just like the rest of you, just trying to figure out what works for me.

My workouts have been super-spotty since I moved to MN and started my new job.  It's exhausting, which is great, but I could tell that my body was changing over time.  I work in a store where it's really difficult to make smart, healthy decisions because of the lack of healthy options available.  More recently I've found that baby steps have been a great help in getting me back on track and I want to share a couple tips that have helped me.

1.  Pack your own lunch!  Invest in good Tupperware and invest some time on your days off to meal prep.  It sounds ridiculous.  We aren't body builders, right?  Well, I've tried some different things in the last few months and it turns out that the body builders are onto something.  When your meal is prepped and ready to go, it doesn't give you the chance to second-guess you meal.  An additional perk for me is that it saved me money because I wasn't buying something every day.  It doesn't seem like much, but a few dollars here and there definitely adds up!

2.  Trying to start a running regimen?  Start with intervals!  I took this idea from the "Couch to 5k" plans, but I altered it to my needs.  I started somewhere in the middle.  I started with 8 sets of 90 sec intervals with 90 sec rest and increased the interval and decreased rest from there.  Interestingly, I track my workouts with my Fitbit Charge HR and I did similar workouts a week apart and increased the interval period and decreased rest on the second workout and managed to achieve a lower average heart rate during the workout and a lower peak heart rate!  Which brings me to me to my next tip....

How cool is this?!  HR tracker is a great measure of incremental progress!!

3.  Invest in a Fitbit!  I love mine, especially the heart rate tracking feature because it gives me concrete evidence that my fitness is improving, even when I feel tired, sore, or stagnant.  Also, it's great to add friends on Fitbit, as it adds accountability to your goal-tracking.  Even if you don't add a bunch of friends, it keeps you accountable to your true level of activity and it's so eye-opening!

Okay, so that's all I have for now, but I will be adding things as I learn them!

Oh!  And one final thing!  Check out my IG, @itsahealthything for more frequent and more fun updates!

Stay fit!

xoxo

eat food. not too much. mostly plants.

Happy Hump Day!

I know it's super typical to makes goals that we won't keep at the beginning of the year, so I'm not going to do that.  There are, however, some lifestyle changes that I want to make this year.

During my hiatus, I did not eat well and workout.  And do you know what?  I felt AWFUL.  I mean, I was still very pleased with the other changes in my life, but I could definitely tell that I didn't feel all on like I had last spring.

My main focus this year is on proper nutrition and using food to heal my body.  This doesn't mean that I'm going to count every calorie and macros, etc.  I'm going to follow the manifesto of Michael Pollan, who, in my opinion, is a freaking genius.  Do you want to hear what it is?!  DO YOU?!!!  I swear, the first time you hear this manifesto, you will think to yourself, "Oh my goodness.  Duh.  Just duh."  IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE AND IT IS SO UNREAL HOW THE "FOOD" INDUSTRY HAS EVOLVED.  Okay, anyway.  Here it is:



Is your mind blown?!  IT'S SO SIMPLE!  It's basic premise is that the vast majority of what supermarkets sell these days is not, in fact, food.  Which is interesting because guess what our bodies need to function!  Food.  Although most supermarket items might have some food components, they are doctored up with chemicals to create desirable characteristics for food, like extending shelf-life, color, mouth-feel, etc.

Anyway, you should all pick up his book, In Defense of Food.  It's amazing.  And like I said, the simplicity of it will seriously knock some sense into you.

Back to how this relates to the lifestyle changes that I want to make!  My focus is going to be on consuming more plant foods.  And I don't mean grains and bread.  I think this will challenge me this year and I want to just have one major adjustment to focus on for the year.  Not to mention, that I am 90% sure that I will feel amazing.  So please follow my journey and I promise I will post lots of fun recipes!

Stay fit!

xoxo

Anne

circuit breaker and #MTLFallChallenge

Hi all!  First, I would like to announce that I am doing the Muffin Topless Commit to Stay Fit Fall Challenge starting on October 1st!  Click on the photo below to find out more!

Yeah.  I even got Instagram for this.  I don't even really understand how Instagram works....anyway.  I'm super pumped!  I am ready to put my health and well-being at the front of my mind!  Since I am trying to figure out Instagram, y'all should follow me, by clicking here!

On that note, I have a sweet workout that I did today that I want to share with you!  Since I am trying to build my strength and stamina (without access to a gym), I wanted to complete a workout today that incorporated running AND a body weight circuit.  Behold: the circuit breaker!  Get it, because you break up your run with a circuit?!  Gosh, I'm so clever!  Haha.  Anyway...here is it:

Try it out and let me know what you think!  And don't forget to jog/run 100m between each exercise!  Enjoy!

Stay fit!

xoxo

lift like a girl!

Hey hey!!!

So kale chips have still not happened.. :/  Boo..it's been a more busy weekend than I thought it would be and I definitely used today to recover.  So instead of talking about kale chips, I want to share my lifting workouts with you! 

Personally, I believe that strength training is really important for anybody who is working out!  It burns tons of calories, is great for increasing bone strength, and makes you feel great, overall!  As a competetive athlete, I can say that my workouts and my competitions completely turned around when I started strength training more regularly.  When I first started college track, I hated it because I was a weak little girl.  Plus, I was a high jumper and I was afraid that I would bulk up and be unable to jump well.  Boy, was I wrong!  My last two seasons are when I was able to consistently jump at or above my personal best from high school (which I only did one time in high school anyway).  Not only that, but I was long jumping farther (over a foot farther) than my earlier seasons and had the endurance to run a kick ass 800m (kick ass for me, anyway) after completing 6 other events!  I have no doubt in my mind that starting to get serious about lifting is what turned my competetive years around.

I know what some ladies out there might be thinking..."I am going to bulk up and look manly!"  Not true!  Because our hormones are different than men's, it's pretty tough for that to happen.  Even if you do gain a little bit of weight (and you might), I have found that I look thinner than I was when I wasn't lifting!  Case in point:

As you can see, when I was a sophomore in 2009, I wasn't lifting very much and not lifting smart.  The 2012 pic was taken at Nationals this spring after a season of solid lifting.  Granted my training varied a bit, as well, but the lifting workouts made me much better prepared to even handle the rest of the workouts.  I felt stronger, more confident....overall WAY better!

And even if you only pick up lifting without the intention of lifting heavy--that's fine!  You can do lighter weights in more reps to get more of a toning effect.

Anyway, I wanted to share what my lifting workouts will typically look like each week!

Monday, Olympic lifts:
Snatches--6 sets of 4 reps at 60%
Back Squats--4 sets of 6 reps at 75%
Romanian Dead Lifts--4 sets of 6 reps at 75%
Bench Press--4 sets of 6 reps at 75%
Seated Rows--4 sets of 6 reps at 75%

Wednesday, Circuit day:
All 3 sets of 12 reps:
Lunges
PhysioBall Hamstring Curls
Back Extensions
Lat Pull Downs
Underhand Pull ups
Skull Crushers
Calf Raises
Hip Mobility

Friday, Olympic Lifts:
Power Cleans/Hang Cleans--8 set sof 3 reps at 65%
Front Squats--4 sets of 6 reps at 70%
Romanian Dead Lifts--4 sets of 6 reps at 70%
PhysioBall Chest Flies--4 sets of 6 reps at 70%
Incline Bench--4 sets of 6 reps at 70%

Some of the individual lifts will vary from week-to-week, but this is a basic blueprint.  Also, keep in mind that you can gradually bumped up the percentages and take off a few reps.  When you do this, make sure you focus on staying explosive with the heavier weights.

I believe you can look up form for most of these on YouTube, or if you have any questions, feel free to comment and ask!

Happy lifting!!

Stay fit!

xoxo