GOOOOD MORNING!! I hope you all had a marvellous weekend. I apologise for the lack of post yesterday, I have been getting used to working different hours than  I’m used to, and it has thrown my body clock around quite substantially. The sun rose today, to greet the 23rd day of my whole 30. With 1 week to go, I have mixed emotions. I am pretty stoked about the idea of getting to the end and having completed it, but I almost don’t want it to come to an end just yet..

The run-down.

• Clearer skin and an even clearer mind.
• I have had some weird fungi thing on my feet that also turned up on my hands, (gross i know!) After dousing it in everything from apple cider vinegar to coconut oil and aloe vera, I took myself off to the doctors only to be prescribed with some cream that seemed to aggravate it more. Its hung around for nearly 3 months, but finally last week, I started to see a massive improvement and it seems to be clearing up.
• I feel as if my roller-coaster emotions are starting to settle and come to a more steady state…although I should probably ask my boyfriend before claiming this as fact.
• My energy levels have been a lot higher, and steady throughout the day.
• My sleep has been amazing.
• I haven’t had any bloating or had an upset tummy.
• I stopped using my asthma preventer at the start of the whole 30. I have done this before to no avail. At the start it didn’t seem to be going so well, but I have noticed this week, my asthma seems to be a bit better. Still there, but not quite so bad.
• I am lifting heavier, and getting stronger more consistently at the gym.

I wasn’t quite as creative with food last week. I mostly ate a lot of salads with meat on the side. While maybe not as creative, definitely just as yummy :)

Chicken Caesar salad. Spinach, sprouts, avocado, grated beetroot and carrot, cucumber, chicken, bacon, walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil.

Friend’s Food. Had this at my friend’s house and was so simple but so delicious. Steak, spinach and onion rings (cooked in ghee or coconut oil) with some parsley and chilli.

FOR THE LOVE OF MINT! My favourite ingredient at the moment. Put’s the life and zing into any salad. This was steak and bacon with a salad of spinach, sprouts, mushroom. kiwifruit and mint.

Good old fashioned roast. Organic pork, with roast carrot and pumpkin. Baked and puréed apple sauce, and grilled prosciutto wrapped asparagus spears.

While I won’t argue that organic tastes better and is better for you, it is not readily available or financially viable to many people. The point of the whole 30 is not to eat organic, but to learn to make good food choices in whatever the situation you are in.

“Your only job for the next 30 days is to focus on making good food choices. You don’t need to weigh or measure, you don’t need to count calories, you don’t need to stress about organic, grass-fed, pastured or free range. Just figure out how to stick to the Whole30 in any setting, around every special circumstance, under any amount of stress… for the next 30 days. Your only job? Eat. Good. Food.”

Happy cooking. Happy eating. Happy days! X