If you can’t tell from my two previous blog posts, I really felt amazing after my 30-day “reset”. I had more energy and mental clarity, felt - and looked - leaner, and my overall digestion was so much better. It was totally worth the 30 days without certain “favorite foods” (read: WINE - haha!)! So much so that I wanted to continue doing most of the same things in my everyday routine.

One of the things that really helped me was keeping a food journal (under the “Notes” app on my phone) of things I ate throughout the day that didn’t sit well or made me feel “off”. Then I was able to look back at the end of the reset and pinpoint foods that I might be more sensitive to and try to minimize those. Some of these include: whole corn (such as niblets or corn on the cob), more than 1/2 a serving of grains/legumes (quinoa, beans, and chickpeas), pork, and more than one whole egg or two egg whites. Isn’t it funny what you recognize as being a more “inflammatory” food once you eliminate certain things and really focus on how foods make you feel? Our bodies are always talking to us - we just need to LISTEN!

Now, of course I don’t plan to keep a food journal every day for the rest of my life. But I have been jotting down notes if I am eating something I don’t normally or “testing out” a food that I had previously eliminated (like oats, alcohol, etc.).

Here are some of the other things I did daily during my reset that I intend to keep up:

Having a “Fab 4 Smoothie” daily. I mentioned these in my previous blog post, and they seriously make life so much easier! I don’t have to plan that meal (since I pretty much eat the same smoothie daily, whether if it’s for breakfast lunch, or dinner), I can prep it ahead of time if I need to, it gives my stomach a rest from digesting animal products or harder to digest foods, and they’re just tasty to me! You can read more about these here.
Allowing 12 hours in between dinner and breakfast the next morning. Some people will call this “intermittent fasting”, but I like to call it “proper digestion”. I mean, ideally your digestive tract needs that long to fully digest your last meal/anything left from meals throughout the day, clear any excess insulin in your bloodstream, and then REST. I also cannot personally go longer than 12-12.5 hours without feeling a bit shaky/woozy, which is why I don’t like to call it “intermittent fasting”. I try to eat my last meal around 6-6:30pm and then get up and have my coffee around 6:30-7am. What I’ve found is that I wake up less bloated, with more energy, and my bowel movements have been much more consistent (sorry for the TMI - haha).
Drinking bone broth daily. I have found this is be a great “bridge snack” to get me from lunch to dinner, and it is also amazing for our gut health/immune system because of all the collagen! I personally like Butcher’s from Publix (in the meat section), but I’ve also used Pacific Foods (with the soups/broths in most stores) and Bonafide Provisions (in the frozen section at both Publix and Walmart). Sometimes I’ll have it solo, or other times I’ll pair it with some carrots/celery (and maybe a Tbsp of almond butter), depending on how hungry I am that day.
Keeping carb portions smaller. Now, you know I love my carbs - especially fries and tacos! Carbs are also so important because they contribute to your daily fiber intake and are used for daily energy expenditure. But I’ve noticed during my reset that having larger portions of carbs at once (even “whole 30 approved” ones like potatoes or sweet potatoes) leads to a crash later - and subsequentially wanting more carbs. This is likely due to aggressive blood sugar spikes and dips, which all has to do with the amount of carbs that are consumed and insulin that is released into the bloodstream. I’m playing around with this a bit more to see what portion size my body functions best with, but so far it seems to be around 1/2 a “serving” (ie: 1/4 C beans/legumes, 1/4 C grains, 1/2 of a small potato/sweet potato). Remember that everyone is different, so I’m not telling you to cut out a ton of carbs! But I do think it’s smart to play around with portion sizes (and keep a journal) to find what makes you feel your best (meaning not bloated or lethargic after, etc.).
Ensuring that I have enough fiber and healthy fats with each meal. While I have always been a believer in “balanced” meals (meaning complex carbs, healthy fats, and lean protein), but I would always find myself hungry in between meals. After adding a bit more fat (think 1/2 Tbsp of nut butter or 1 tsp of avocado/olive oil) and/or fiber (4-5g) to each meal, I noticed that I wasn’t famished 2 hrs later like I was before. Sometimes I can go 4 hrs and not realize it! This is because the fat and fiber slow the digestion and release of carbs, meaning you have a more stabilized blood sugar throughout the day. This also allows your body to fully digest/utilize each meal before you eat again.
Sticking to organic wines/alcohol when possible. Of course, I didn’t consume alcohol on my reset (because that’s a big no-no), but you’d better believe I tested it out and enjoyed a glass of wine once it was over! (wink wink) What I found what that organic wines (such as Natura and Bonterra) don’t leave me feeling foggy/hungover in the morning like other brands. This is likely due to no additives/preservatives/added sugar. That means I can enjoy a glass or two of wine with B or friends without having to worry about feeling crumby the next day. Double winning!

I think that about sums it up! Because of the things I’ve learned during this time plus LOTS of personal research, I plan to revamp my Nutrition Guide to include some of this information and my tips/tactics. So be on the lookout for it to launch on here SOON!

Also, if you’ve done your own “reset” or Whole30 and have some daily practices that “stuck”, please feel free to share! And, as always, if you have any questions about any of this, don’t hesitate to message/email me!