Picstitch(4)
Three days ago, I started the Whole30 nutritional reset (which – to my eyes, at least – just seems to be the fancy term for a diet, except in this case there's no calorie-counting or finding weird substitutes for things). For 30 days, there's no dairy, sugar, legumes and grains of any kind, alcohol, processed foods or, wait for it, white potatoes allowed on my plate. I can eat fish and meat, all the vegetables I want, plus fruit, nuts and seeds.

Now, I am generally not the audience for things like this, or for diets of any kind. But I've been struggling with terrible insomnia, some pesky joint pain and a few unwanted pounds for months now and when I read about the Whole30, I was instantly intrigued. People claim that it helped them sleep better, gave them more energy and cleared up joint pain. And, I don't know, I suddenly wanted in on the challenge. I could have never done this in the winter or while nursing or at any point before in my life – willpower is not my middle name – but right now I'm feeling pretty pumped about the whole thing. I'll write more about it next week.

Elsewhere,

Spring in a bowl.

Eating organic on food stamps.

Fennel seeds on egg salad sounds so good.

The story behind Sriracha hot sauce (it's a family company!).

I want to master this most basic Japanese recipe.

Brilliant ideas for food to pack when traveling.

And finally, this müsli/granola hybrid is right up my alley (via House to Haus).

Have a lovely weekend, folks!

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32 responses to “Friday Link Love”

  1. Tanya Avatar
    Tanya

    Once you get through the first 7-10 days, you’re good to go. Hard to do in Berlin since there is such great food all around. But you guys have great famers markets too. Whenever I do a whole 30, I think about the Markt am Wittenbergplatz . I also miss places like whole foods and Trader Joe’s. (Sigh) The Swiss just don’t do farmers markets like the Germans. Good luck and enjoy!

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  2. Lisa Avatar

    I’m interested to see how you like the Whole30 reset. I haven’t heard much about it to be honest as I steer clear of diets…But seeing you as a rational food-lover like myself, I’m curious to hear your take. good luck!

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  3. Steph Avatar
    Steph

    I can’t wait to hear about your experience with Whole30. I’ve been toying with the idea but it seems so intense and rigid… maybe I’ll give it a go this summer, when the bounty of fresh produce is so tempting. Thanks for sharing with us!

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  4. kate Avatar
    kate

    I am three days into the Whole30 eating plan . My daughter has embraced the paleo diet after suffering intestinal issues and was encouraged by her doctor to try the Whole30 . She has enjoyed amazing results,not only in weight loss but feels and looks so much better.(skin and hair glow) I look forward to hearing more about your experience and perhaps sharing some of your menus.

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  5. Eve Avatar

    Keep us posted on how that goes. Definitely curious to hear what you think.

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  6. kathy Avatar

    my mother has arthritis in her hands and is an avid gardener. My sister a “born-again” health nut kept bugging her about her diet and finally she tried this avoid list
    Foods to Avoid with Arthritis
    avoid fats and cholesterol containing foodstuffs like red meat and poultry. Dairy products like whole milk, cheese, and butter also contain high cholesterol and phosphorous, and hence, should be excluded from the arthritis diet.
    avoid refined wheat and wheat products like wheat bread. It contains phosphorous and can aggravate arthritis. Corn should also be avoided.
    Avoid having tomatoes, bell pepper, and eggplant, as some people have reported reduced joint pain after avoiding these foods completely.
    Other foods that you need to avoid as a diet for arthritis pain relief are excess sugar and salt-containing foods. Abstain from having soft drinks with a lot of sugar, cookies, sodas; salt-containing foods like fries, etc. You must also avoid having too much coffee as it contains caffeine. Excess alcohol can aggravate gout. Citrus fruits like orange or lemon must be completely avoided.
    Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/arthritis-diet-and-food-foods-to-avoid.html
    although she eats tons of butter, it almost killed her to give up bell peppers, and tomatoes. Along with no caffeine. She drinks what we dubbed “old lady tea” – cup of boiled water. It was the citrus fruit that almost did her in. She has had an orange every day of her life its the first thing she did every morning. That’s basically all it toke, no bell peppers, tomatoes caffeine and citrus. She never was a big red meat eater, mostly sticks with poultry and fish. This is particularly difficult when one plants 50-60 tomato plants each year. I stopped eating any tomato that isn’t a roma and then I seed them ALL THE TIME and my sinus problem cleared right up. Many people can’t tolerate tomatoes and don’t know it
    She also baked bread forever……I didnt experience sliced bought bread till I moved out at 18. SHe’s been experimenting with other grains.
    Good luck with the diet. sorry this got so long

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  7. Katrin Avatar
    Katrin

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for the travel foods! My husband has to keep to a very low fat diet and this is the answer to our over-seas flights!!! I hope your “diet” helps you….

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  8. Eileen @ Phoenix Helix Avatar

    Whoa! I am shocked and excited that you’re doing a Whole 30. Any time a mainstream blogger is willing to post something grain-free, my heart goes pitter patter for 2 reasons: (1) I have rheumatoid arthritis which I am reversing through diet – 90% pain-free thanks largely to no grains and (2) In our grain-obsessed culture, I feel so all alone, so thanks for tipping your cap my way, even if just occasionally.

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  9. Mallory Avatar

    I just wanted to thank you for the whole Friday Link Love idea! I think it’s great and a nice change from the typical recipe post format. Have a great weekend!

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  10. Honeybee Avatar
    Honeybee

    I once went without dairy (among other things) for a week and found that incredibly hard. I especially missed and craved plain yoghurt. I’m curious to read how it goes for you!

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  11. RestoEdgardo Avatar

    Good luck with the Whole30 experiment. Giving up legumes would be hard for me. Being Puerto Rican practically means I have beans coursing through my veins! Also Cafe con Leche. Sin leche! Look forward to hearing how it goes and if it helps. Enjoy your weekend.

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  12. Jennie Avatar
    Jennie

    All the symptoms you mentioned can be linked to low thyroid function too. Might want to check that out.

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  13. Eleana Avatar

    So curious about the Whole30 diet and I want to try it, but only after hearing about your experience … and hopefully being able to refer to your recipes too. Your Instagram has looked tasty as of late!

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  14. Jessica McCort Avatar

    I’ve been feeling much the same way lately. I’ll be curious to see how it goes:). J

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  15. marissa @ the boot Avatar

    great links today! i really want to know how you get on with the whole30! i hear there are some really great recipes out there and that it’s not as limiting as it seems! good luck!

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  16. talley Avatar

    It looks like you might have to wait a bit before sampling the toasted muesli, but that said the whole30 meals that you’ve been posting on instagram have looked incredibly good. I’ve already noted it down as something to try post-pregnancy and breast feeding. I think the hardest meal for me would be breakfast (I do love muesli, toast and oatmeal), what have you been eating? Lots of eggs? Looking forward to hearing more about it. And thank you for the link love!

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  17. marie @ little kitchie Avatar

    Very interested to hear more thoughts on the Whole30! I’ve been thinking about taking the plunge but haven’t gotten quite there yet. Been seeing your meals on Instagram! Please keep sharing with us!

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  18. Lyn Avatar
    Lyn

    I was going to mention that, Thanks Jennie. I had aches and pains and then my doc upped my thyroid medication and they are all gone!

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  19. Ilka Avatar
    Ilka

    I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease, after my first pregnancy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashimoto%27s_thyroiditis It causes low thyroid function. I agree with Jennie.

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  20. The Brussels Cook(er) Avatar

    What a coincidence re Sriracha sauce – we went to a (new to us) Turkish pizza place in our Turkish/North African neighbourhood this lunchtime – and they had a bottle on each table as their chili sauce – never ever seen them before here in Brussels/Belgium! And good luck with your “wholesome” diet – please keep us informed!

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  21. Mary Avatar
    Mary

    This sounds like a scary punishing diet to me – very restrictive, which is in itself harmful to the psyche. Be kind to your mind and body and aim for moderation and mindfulness.

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  22. Luisa Avatar

    Thank you!!

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  23. Luisa Avatar

    Yep, having that checked out as well – it runs in the family.

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  24. Luisa Avatar

    Eggs, eggs and more eggs! I find breakfast the hardest thing to be creative with right now, as I’m usually a toast or cereal girl…

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  25. Luisa Avatar

    Thank you so much for your concern! But I absolutely couldn’t do a strict, punishing diet – I would fall over in a dead faint with hunger. On Whole30, my meals have been surprisingly normal, actually, and I’m never hungry. In fact, I’d even say that I’m eating way more mindfully now than I was a week ago. 😉

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  26. Super Salad Avatar
    Super Salad

    People talk about making a jicama mush or baked apple — both sound decent. I didn’t find breakfast to be a problem on my Whole30 but I’m not a big breakfast person. I didn’t see tremendous health benefits during the W30 but I have made real changes to my diet following it and I think I feel and look better. Also, I lost a bunch of weight easily on it which was great.

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  27. Katie Avatar

    Wow, looking at all of the rules, I’m not sure that I could do Whole30. I rely so much on grains and legumes. And I’m pretty sure that I would drive Octavian crazy if I tried to cut all of these things out of our meals! Even so, I’m really curious about how this turns out for you. I get the feeling that it would be a bad idea for me to try while school is still on, but maybe when it lets out for the summer. Good luck, Luisa.

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  28. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    Ugh. What possible rationale could this diet fad have for eliminating legumes and whole grains, widely found to be among the healthiest foods for our bodies?

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  29. Luisa Avatar

    Here’s what they say on legumes: http://whole9life.com/2012/09/the-legume-manifesto/
    Please note: I have no horse in this race. Thanks.

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  30. Kris Avatar
    Kris

    So I have had this collection of problems sometimes in my life and found my cure in exercise actually. If I am not moving enough in my day, or not adding in a short workout occasionally in my week I have trouble moving and sleeping and gain a bit. I gained each time I knocked down my sons nursing while my body adjusted to the reduced calorie need and it was frustrating, and adding that workout back into my days fixed everything. That said, I will be very interested in your results. From your last post the options sound pretty good still, but I would be running out of things to do with eggs in the morning as well. I would miss my cereal!
    Thanks for the always interesting posts.

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  31. Luisa Avatar

    Amen to this! For a host of different reasons, I’ve been unable to work out these past 10 months. Just one of the many (many!) reasons we’re hiring a babysitter soon… 🙂

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  32. Mary Avatar

    Hi Luisa,
    Thank you for directing me to this post. Now I understand why you decided to try the Whole 30.
    I wanted to share some thoughts about your ailments. Yes, insomnia can just be terrible but possibly this, along with the joint pain and few extra pounds are related to motherhood and your changing hormones. Did you ask your doctor if the joint pain could be related to the hormone “relaxin” that causes the ligaments (along with other things) to expand slightly to prepare for giving birth? After giving birth, things move back into their original place. Almost. Nothing is the same as before giving birth. Possibly, your joints are just taking a little time to get used to their new expansion. Generally a woman’s body – especially the pelvic area – will expand ever so slightly – permanently – and that’s why after giving birth, even if you lose all the baby weight, your favorite jeans never quite feel the same.
    You can read more about it here:
    http://www.realage.com/parenting-pregnancy/relaxin-and-pregnancy
    Also, if it’s just a few extra pounds you’re dealing with, that may be your body adjusting to a new weight in those areas of your body that cushioned the baby. They too might be here to stay – and that’s not a bad thing. It’s often why moms look a bit more shapely. I wouldn’t worry about it. Besides, you are beautiful and do not look you are carrying any extra pounds. 🙂
    As for the insomnia – I’m confident that having a baby has disrupted your internal sleep clock. Something that has helped me to sleep great and overcome my insomnia (which I had long after my son was born…he’s 14 now!), was and is “Hot” yoga. It’s yoga done in a very hot room. You sweat like crazy and after just the first class, I slept like a baby that night!
    Finally – when it comes to eating, have you checked out Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon? It is an amazing nutrition book/cook book. I highly recommend it. Sally runs the Weston A Price Foundation. You can view their website here:
    http://www.westonaprice.org/
    Hope this helps.
    Love,
    Mary

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