Day 16 of the Whole30 - DONE!

Are you FAT-PHOBIC? 

I used to be be FAT-PHOBIC. I used to think that if I ate fat it would make me fat. So instead of eating nutrient-dense food, I ate low-fat foods lacking in nutrients. Like many of us, I was duped into eating a ton of carbs (bagel, pretzels, rice, pasta, cereal, candy, tortillas, etc)...Looking back at what I used to eat I can't believe I functioned like I did...For over 15 years I'd wake up at 5ish, teach 1-2 fitness classes a day, work a full-time job, go out with friends or work at night, go to bed around midnight and did it all over again the next day...How did I function on the fuel I fed my body...???

Well, it turns out all the carbs I ate turned into sugar which gave me the energy I needed to get through the day. You see, if there is an overabundance of sugar, the sugar takes precedence over fat as a source of energy in many metabolic processes, and stored fat doesn’t get burned for energy, instead it stays stored on your body, which makes you fat (even if it's a skinny fat). 

Bottom Line

Sugar Burner = Energy roller coaster; “needing” to eat every two hours; cranky when you’re hungry; regular cravings for sweets or caffeine; dysfunctional hormonal response to food.

The Whole30 took me out of sugar-burner mode, and transitions me into being fat adapted—efficiently able to utilize fat as energy. This means my body is utilizing fat as fuel more readily, helping me avoid between-meal cravings, energy slumps, and brain fog. Being fat-adapted will help me get rid of stored fat (like my love handles and the extra tire I have around my waistline) —something that can't been done when running on nothing but sugar (aka carbs).

Fat Adapted = Even energy all throughout the day; no need to eat between meals; stuck without food — no crankiness or raging hunger; reduced cravings for sweets or caffeine; improved body composition and hormonal response to food.

Yeah, that sounds better to me, too, but in order for me to truly be fat-adapted I need to overcome my fat phobia and embrace all the good fatty foods. They are nutrient-dense and will satiate for hours. Being on the Whole30 has helped me overcome my fear of fat and it can do the same for you if you have this issue. 

Today's Stats

Water Consumption

135 ounces

Sleep

7 hours

(I was dragging ass all day because I didn't get more sleep...I can't wait to go to bed so I can wake up with more energy tomorrow)

Daily Meals

5:30am - Breakfast Beverage : (Full Fat) Coconut Milk Latte with MTC Oil 

8am - Breakfast Beverage : Homemade Bone Broth

10am : A few pieces of seared ahi tuna

12pm : Handful Homemade Beef Jerky & Mixed Nuts

2pm - Lunch : Bowl of Shepard's Pie

5pm - Snack : Handful of Nuts

7pm - Dinner : Smoke Brisket with my (Full-Fat)

Coconut Milk, Cilantro, Jalapeño, Vinegar, Avocado Oil & Fig 

sauce, roasted squash & tomatoes on a bed of mixed greens

 

Are you FAT-PHOBIC?

Are you a SUGAR-BURNER?

If so, would like to change?

Sauce of the Week: Spicy Chipotle Adobo & Creamy Chipotle Coconut Adobo

I'm a little late posting this one since I made it on Sunday and have been using it all week long, I just can't get enough of it...it's DELISH!)

Since being on the Whole30, I have not had my fix of hot sauce:-( If you look at the ingredients of hot sauces the vast majority of them have some kind of ingredient (i.e sugar) or preservative (i.e. potassium benzoate) I can't have on the Whole30...so I decided to make my own and lots of it, since I tend to consume it like water...

I made so much I decided to use some of the Spicy Chipotle Adobo sauce as a base (aka 'mother sauce') for another sauce, a Creamy Chipotle Coconut Adobo. A sauce that is more creamy than hot which I decided to use in my Go-To-Chicken Salad of the week as well as in few other meals...

I tend to this kind of thing often...use one sauce as a base for other sauces...It is a time efficient way to get a couple uses out of one foundational recipe...plus you don't get bored with the same sauce and the second sauce is usually so easy to make...

Recipe #1 Spicy Chipotle Adobo Sauce

Ingredients

- 1 Cup Dried Chipotle Peppers

BEWARE: Dried Chipotle are hot. If they were fresh, they'd be called jalapeños. That said for a milder version of this sauce you can substitute Dried Ancho (Dried Pablanos) or California Chile (Dried Anaheims) 

- 1 Medium Onion, chopped

- 8 Garlic Cloves

- 3 Carrots, peeled & chopped

- 6 Tomatillos (fresh preferable), chopped

- 2 Tomatoes, chopped

- 1/4 Red Vine Vinegar

- 2 Cans (Full-Fat) Coconut Milk

- 2 Cups Water

- Salt to Taste

Here's what dried chipotle peppers look like if you have never bought them before...they are a great go-to ingredient to keep in you pantry, just like dried mushrooms (but that's another blog)...

Here's the what the packet looks like. You can usually find it in the Mexican section of the grocery store...

Instructions

1. Throw all the ingredients in a pot. 

2. Pour coconut water and additional water until all ingredients are covered.

3. Bring to a boil and cover with lid and simmer for 1-2 hours.

4. In a food processor, puree until it's a consistency of your liking. I like it pretty smooth. Add salt to taste.

Note: If it is too hot and you need to mellow it out and your not on the Whole30, add some honey or sugar as you puree the mixture.

5. Store in refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Recipe #2 - Creamy Chipotle Coconut Adobo Sauce

Ingredients

- 1/2 Cup Spicy Chipotle Adobo Sauce, recipe above

- 1 Cup Coconut Milk (full fat)

- 1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted

- 1 Peach, pitted

- 1 Lime, juiced

- Salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a food processor, puree the above ingredients until mixture becomes creamy. Add salt to taste.

Note: If it is too hot and you need to mellow it out and your not on the Whole30, add some honey or sugar as you puree the mixture.

2. Store in refrigerator for up to 10 days.

If you are craving carbs - Make Sweet Potato Fries...They are sweet & easy...

On heavy lifting workout days, like today, I needed some extra carbs especially in the mist of a  Whole30 challenge...

My go-to low-carb, carb are sweet potatoes and when I'm craving something crunchy and 'semi'-fried (more like baked) I reach for sweet potatoes...Truth be known, I used to hate sweet potatoes, I thought they were too sweet, but a couple of years ago my mind changed and I started cooking them...

Here's my go-to easy recipe...

Ingredients:

- 2 lbs Sweet Potatoes, cut into fries with skin on optional 

(Personally I like Yams or Garnets - they have the most moisture & flavor)

(If you buy more then you'll have awesome leftovers you can mix with eggs or mash or make into sweet potato cakes - I'm a fan of leftovers, but many people aren't)

- 1 cup Coconut Oil, melted

- Salt & Pepper

- Curry Powder

- Garlic Powder

- Smoke Paprika

- If I wasn't on the Whole30 I would sprinkle a little brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

2. Place the cut sweet potatoes in a big bowl and pour the melted coconut oil over them. Toss to coat thoroughly.

3. In a small bowl, mix all the seasonings together.

Note: I didn't give you measurements for the seasoning because I don't measure them. I just pour seasonings in a bowl, taste before I add it to the sweet potatoes and adjust if needed. You will know if it is needed (i.e. too salty, too sweet, too spicy...) You might not need the all the seasoning you mix at once so save what you don't need for another dish (i.e. chicken, steaks, fish, portabellas)

4. Using a small strainer, cover the sweet potatoes with seasoning and toss to coat.

Note: I like to use a strainer to help me season because it evenly distributes the seasonings, so when you take a bite into the fry it's not completely covered with seasoning or is completely bland because it has no seasoning.

5. Spread evenly on a baking sheet, see image above.

6. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until soft inside and crunchy outside. You might want to flip them 20-25 minutes into cooking so they don't get overcook on one side and not the other, that is bad french fry cooking...

6. Take them out of oven and wait at least 5 minutes for them to cool down (you don't want to burn your tongue) and drip them awesome sweet potatoes fries in my Tomatillo - Jalapeño - Avocado Aioli...

OMG!!! I made it through another day on the Whole30:-)))))