My intention to write every day should be one of my habits since I seem to be challenged in the “every day” type of habit! I know this about myself, but being almost a week into planning my happiness project has made it glaringly so!

This past week I began a Whole 30 food reset again. I originally started the second week of January, and in Week 2 fell off. I can’t even remember the reason now. I know, pathetic in a way but understandable because I had not put in the time required to MAKE it work. Honestly, to change anything you need a solid plan because simply wishing for a change is not possible – at least for me it is not.

So my friend Tracie and I both restarted the W30 (as Whole 30 followers fondly refer to the plan). In addition, a week before I restarted, another very good friend who lives far away in Phoenix, AZ, texted me to say she had been having some digestive issues that she had never experienced before. She was going to be tested for allergies, including food. I mentioned the W30 to her and asked if she had heard of it. Anyway, she has joined us for this 30-day food reset and the “three Sheilas” are at it again. That is a nickname we were given probably 15 years ago on a week-long bike ride. We haven’t done much together since then other than a weekend here or there and one trip to Europe, but we have another adventure to plan in the near future.  I love planning those adventures!

Food is my focus for the next couple of months. After completion of the W30, I will spend another 30 or so days testing food that I have eliminated. My goal is to figure out which foods are causing inflammation in my gut so that at least I understand what will happen if I choose to eat those foods.  One thing about eliminating foods that are often inflammatory to the general population – you do find new recipes that are actually very good. I signed up for a year-long membership with Real Foods and downloaded their very easy-to-use app.  It’s simple to find delicious meals and it creates a grocery list for you as well.  I will likely be boring with my meal planning during my W30 because its easy, I can look forward to eating the meals I like, and I don’t have to keep looking for recipes that might sound good. I’m looking  forward to using this service for the full 12 months.  You are also allowed to import recipes so there really is no excuse.

I learned my lesson this week with unknown meals and how they might sound vs how they taste. I found what should have been an amazing Asian meatball recipe but I was uncertain how the one ingredient of fish sauce would play in the taste. I’m not a big fish person – any fish I eat has to be white and not taste like fish. A tall order, but it can be done. I finally broke down and bought Red Boat fish sauce because it’s W30 compliant and I’ve seen it in other paleo recipes. Long story short, I couldn’t eat the meatballs! They were just too fishy or unusual for me. I was so sad because I had looked forward to my dinner. Thank goodness I made cauliflower fried rice (with bacon). It was my dinner and while delicious, my brain was telling me that I should have something else. There was nothing else I could have. Everything was uncooked or frozen. There were pistachios in my cupboard that became an extension of my meal – probably a few too many…

After this I will make only those recipes I have tried and love. That will be 1) Spaghetti squash with Bolognese sauce, 2) White Chicken Chile, 3) Classic Beef Chili, Beef Barbacoa bowls, Zucchini Lasagna, Spaghetti squash and Meatballs, Chopped Salads and soups. That’s a fairly decent assortment. I love having scrambled eggs with avocado for breakfast, and I’ve decided that having a small bowl of soup (or white chicken chile) with a large salad for lunch will work best for me. Both of the chiles are seriously good!

I will continue to create my monthly happiness project goals during February and will be ready to begin my happiness challenge on Wednesday March 1. I will still be working on my W30 testing challenge at that point and initially was going to have food as a monthly happiness goal, but I think my first goal will be fitness which will incorporate food. They do belong together, although I now firmly believe food is more important to my body than fitness. Perhaps I say that because I have always been fairly active.  When we would go on long bike rides our motto would be ride to eat.  Now I know better!

 I remember years ago when my daughter was in high school, a competitive gymnast, there was a period of time she was injured and unable to practice. She told me she was limiting what she ate because she couldn’t work out. I was so impressed that she was aware it might make a difference.  Periods of injury or hardship are when most people go the opposite direction and eat more than necessary because their situation makes them sad or out of sorts. That’s been my story and something I’m working on.

#whole30, #happinessproject