Living the Whole9 Lifestyle

Well, not much has really changed since we finished our Whole30. In fact, our eating habits have stayed almost identically the same. We did add in some organic brown rice on Sunday evening to go with our smoked salmon, but it IS still a grain, so I wouldn't go too crazy with it all the time. It's just a nice staple to have when you get sick of potatoes. I paid close attention to how I felt after eating it and the results were totally fine. If you decide to add anything that isn't Whole30 compliant back into your diet, be sure to pay close attention to how your body reacts. This is the "sciency" part of the Whole30 that we probably all breezed through in the book, but it really is important. Also, our anniversary was on Saturday, so we decided it was occasion enough to enjoy a glass of yummy champagne:) Again, back to the point that I have made in previous posts, everything in moderation. We didn't go crazy and drink a whole bottle, we just had a small glass and it was very satisfying.

The Whole9 lifestyle has been an easy transition from the Whole30 and we still are feeling great and losing weight. Hey! That rhymed. My inner Dr. Seus is coming out again today. Anyway, I wanted to share a few recipes from my first week transitioning to the Whole9 lifestyle. Hope you like them:)  

OK. This is SO YUMMY and the perfect Friday night dinner. Throw some grass fed burgers on the grille after seasoning them up nicely and then stuff into several lettuce "wraps" from a head of iceberg lettuce. Be sure to cut the lettuce from the head and peel off slowly to keep the wrap as in-tact as possible. These are messy, so I like to use 2 wraps. Place the burger in the middle and add your toppings. I did a special sauce of paleo mayo/dijon/coconut aminos mixed together and just spooned a bit on. Also added some fresh tomatoes and chopped red onion. Then tuck in the sides of the lettuce and flip over. Cut in half with a sharp knife. Enjoy your lettuce "bun" burger. Yum! 

Perfect side dishes for your lettuce burger are a baked russet potato topped with a little homemade Whole30 ranch and some stir-fried broccoli. I just add a little ghee and a little coconut aminos with a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Totally satisfying after a long week at work. You could even do just this alone for a quick lunch! Wash, poke holes in with a fork, and microwave the potatoes for about 7-10 minutes. If you want you can finish off in the oven. 

I just HAD to share this amazing meal with you. I can't take credit, however. This was prepared by my awesome boyfriend who should probably pursue being a chef in his spare time. Bacon wrapped salmon smoked on the pellet grille on a piece of maple wood. You can't go wrong with that! Healthy...but it feels naughty. Just season up your salmon with whatever Whole9 approved spices you would like and then wrap with salmon, placing toothpicks through the middle to hold in place. If you have a pellet grille, smoke for about an hour. This could also be done in the oven or on a propane grill as well, just use your best judgement for cooking times and remember salmon doesn't need long! He finished it off by broiling in the oven for about 10 minutes to crisp up the bacon on top. This was really, really heavenly. 

Breakfasts haven't changed much. EGGS are still the key factor in usually 5 days out of the week. Weekends we have a little more time to get creative. This was a green and red pepper egg scramble with local, sugar free sausage and a side of strawberries with pineapple. Also served with a coffee with a little homemade vanilla almond milk (recipe included below). 

Leftovers are still a great, speedy option for lunches. Here I have a little leftover shrimp stir fry with a leftover lettuce "bun" burger. Ready in 5 minutes. Yum!!! 

If you are REALLY starving when you get home from the gym before dinner, side salads with veggies are always a quick yummy option. Here I just did spinach mixed with romaine, some chopped tomatoes and red onions, topped with my homemade Whole30 ranch. Delicious and held me off until dinner was done. 

On the days that I'm not in the mood for eggs or in a little more of a hurry, I will whip up a big green smoothie. So filling and always holds me over until lunch. This was 1 cup homemade almond milk, 3 large handfuls of organic baby spinach, 1 cup of frozen berry blend, 1/2 avocado, 1 pastured egg, a dash of chia seeds and voila! Topped with a little unsweetened shredded coconut. Perfect quick breakfast on the go. 

So, how about that almond milk? I was totally intimidated for the longest time to try making my own and now I have no idea why! It really is SO easy if you have the right tools. Invest in some mason jars with these white lids. I like the large-mouth jars the best with the large-mouth lids. I got these at target, but I am sure they carry them just about anywhere. You will also need a nut straining bag. I got mine for under $10 on amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Nut-Milk-Bag-Coffee-Strainer/dp/B00G3ZHOLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423505351&sr=8-1&keywords=zimtal+nut+milk+bag
Here is the recipe: 1 cup raw almonds soaked for 12-24 hours in 4 cups of water. Once done, wash them off and strain them and add to your high-powered blender. Add 3 cups of purified water to the blender and if you prefer, a little all natural vanilla extract. Blend on high for 1 minutes. Then, put the nut bag over a container and pour the milk slowly into the container. Then slowly squeeze the bag until all of the milk is drained out into the container. This 1-cup recipe yielded almost a pint. It lasts about 4 days in the fridge. Great in smoothies, coffee or just to drink. Enjoy! 

Just adding this to show my new addiction: unsweetened micro-brewed tea. I absolutely love this stuff over ice and with lemon, especially after a long workout at the gym. DELISH and Whole30/Whole9 approved!

My last photo for this post is of the amazing Surf and Turf dinner that we made for our anniversary. We decided to stay home and cook as it is MUCH cheaper, plus we know what's in the food. We bought 2 pounds of snow crab. For these, you just wash them off and then boil for about 8-9 minutes. For the "butter sauce" I just melted a little ghee with some red pepper flakes. The steaks were grass-fed filet marinated in Whole9 approved dry rub and smoked on the pellet grille. The potatoes were rosemary roasted red potatoes. Very easy-- just boil them until tender, cut up and place in an aluminum pouch, drizzle with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and then bake in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400. SO GOOD. Obviously the champagne isn't Whole9 approved, but hey, your anniversary only comes around once a year:)

Remember, don't let yourself slip back into old ways. I found myself reaching for chocolate from the freezer last night, and after I had a few pieces, I felt not only sick to my stomach, but guilty. It just isn't worth it. If you feel your sweet tooth coming back to haunt you, reach for some fresh fruit, or go take a walk and remove yourself from the temptation. I ended up just throwing out most of the chocolate and bringing the rest into work for others to enjoy. I don't need that constant temptation in my freezer and my sugar demon is still very much alive (I will probably be doing several more Whole30s in the near future in an attempt to slay the dragon). Until then, I will be giving my best every single day to stick to the lifestyle and keep up with my fitness goals. Have a great week everyone! And until next time, remember this quote! I know I will be keeping it in mind. So true!