Whole30/Day 2

Wahoo! Day 1 done, onto day 2!

Day 2 was not bad at all! I was surprisingly full from all the meals I ate. The one thing I didn't mention yesterday was how HARD it is to find organic foods in this town. The fresh veggie items that I did find were pretty piddly looking and was also SUPER expensive. One organic lemon was $1.98. Yikes!! We unfortunately don't have any organic groceries where I live such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe's so its makes it so difficult finding foods that are approved. I hope to find more foods for variety or I don't think this is going to end too well for me. I also questioned some of the "approved" foods like organic tomatoes in a can. Every can that I picked up had sugar in it. Does this mean because it has sugar it's not on the approved list or is it considered "no added sugar" and is approved? If anyone has the answer to this I would appreciate it! I had the same issue with Almond Butter. I didn't buy it because it also had sugar in it. 

So what did day 2 look like? Here is what I ate:

Breakfast: Larabar and two boiled eggs

Lunch: Tuna,pickles & hot sauce wrapped in bibb lettuce along with a green apple.

Snack: Handful of walnuts 

Dinner: Squash with onions cooked in olive oil 

Spinach, onions and artichoke hearts with olives to top

Pan seared chicken tenders seared in olive oil seasoned with Greek seasoning, garlic powder, S&P. 

I need to add that I'm drinking a good bit of water. I've been getting down almost 8 glasses a day so I'm pretty happy with that. I will say the only "issue" I'm having is a headache every day but I think that's because I haven't had coffee or tea :(  

If you have any suggestions or tips please let me know! 

-Amy

Whole30 Program/Day 1

I came across the Whole30 program via a you tube video that I subscribe to. After watching the video, I still wasn't entirely sure what it was all about so I decided to do some more research on it. The first things I thought to myself was,   "man, this is going to be a LOT of work!"  So, what IS this program about? 

*Eat real food! Eat meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds.

(In a nutshell, totally natural and unprocessed) 

No: Avoid for 30 days: Omitting all of these foods and beverages:

*Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial 

*Do not consume alcohol in any form, not even for cooking 

*Do not eat grains

*Do not eat legumes

*Do not eat dairy

*Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites

*Do not try to re-create baked goods, junk foods, or treats* with “approved” ingredients 

*You are not allowed to step on the scale or take any body measurements for the duration of the program. 

That means no coffee with creamer?!?! No cheese!?! No cupcakes?!?  No deep fried french fries?!  This doesn't sound like much fun at all! 

I wanted to try this program because my body hasn't been functioning like I know it should be. I know 100% that it's contributed to the foods that I'm eating as well as not exercising. I've been very tired, lethargic, headaches and really moody. I also wanted to try it because it's based on mostly organic and unprocessed foods. Have you read what is put into our foods or the things they spray on them? It's disturbing to say the least! No wonder we are all so sick. I can rant on that another day!

So here I am a giving this a try. I actually started yesterday, 8/11/14. This is what I ate: 

Breakfast: I had hot lemon water, banana and a Larabar. You have to check the labels on those! 

Lunch: I had mixed veggies that I sauteed in unrefined organic coconut oil. I also had two organic chicken tenders that I pan "fried"  in EVOO. I added Greek seasoning, garlic S&P. Again, gotta check the labels especially on seasonings. They may contain sugar.

Dinner: I had bibb lettuce, lean hamburger meat seasoned with chili powder, oregano, S&P. I also made some homemade guacamole to go along with it. They were like little "tacos". This was my favorite of the day. 

Overall, the first day was not too bad. I did get a little bit of a sweet tooth around 8pm, so I had a small bowl of red grapes. I read that you are not supposed to snack if all possible, and if you do, it should be after exercising. 

I'm going to blog the whole 30 days so I can keep myself accountable as well as have a journal of my progress. I may also upload videos on my you tube channel to make things easier for myself. If you are doing this challenge, please let me know and share some tips! 

Happy Whole30 eating! 

-Amy  

Influenster #TLCVoxBox

YAY! I was so excited to get the email  from +Influenster that I was chosen for the #TLCVoxBox. After waiting for what seemed like FOREVER (not really but felt like it), I finally received it in the mail! Let me take you through what I got!

Avon Anew Reversalist @Avoninsider #AvonANEW

 I'm all about trying new beauty products especially ones that help fight the aging process! I've been using Avon products for years. My mom bought my first basic make up set from Avon. Ok, so here is my review. Love this stuff! It goes on very smoothly and works better than a concealer. I'm only 32, but I do have a few creases on the side of my eyes and forehead. After using the Reversalist they were noticeably lighter. Two thumbs up! 

I'm not a big fan of bar soap. I have really dry skin so I tend to lean towards body washes with moisturizers. I don't have any plans in using this for myself per say, but I do plan on trying it out in making some homemade laundry detergent! #Sudlife 

Who doesn't like rewards!?! This was an awesome treat to have recieved in this box! 

With having a SUV, gas can get so expensive! Most of the time, I purchase my fuel at  Wal-Mart because you can purchase a gift card so that I can get those few extra pennies off when filling up. I was excited to read and find that not only will you be saving on your gas purchases with +Shell  #FuelRewards, this rewards program allows points towards other purchases such as dining out and shopping! Woot! Excited to start earning those points for more free stuff! 

ANY time a company that has great quality products makes something that makes life a bit easier, it's a win win in my book. We are a family that is always on the go so when I found this nifty Neosporin #NeoReady product in my #TLCVoxBox I was happy happy happy. The one thing I've been meaning to do for years now, is to keep a basic first aid kit in my car. My kiddos are involved in a lot of sports so there is always a chance for a bump, scrape or bruise. This would be an awesome addition to my first aid kit. I like sprays over lotions or creams because they dry fast and less of a mess! 

As I mentioned before we are a family on the go and with kids, these are a no brainer to have! @Puffs #PassthePuffs tissue products are a must in the winter season around our house! I like that these are small enough to fit in my purse or backpack for my kids. The really big plus is that they have lotion in them, which makes your skin feel less dry and irritated! 

I saved THE BEST for last! I've been seeing this product advertised on TV for a little bit now but wasn't sure I would like it. I'm kinda picky when it comes to ice cream. Some brands have a bad artificial taste to them or they lack the right consistency for my liking. Since I received a FREE coupon for Gelato Indulgences +Breyers US #GelatoLove I decided to give it a whirl. With caramel being my favorite filling/topping on ice cream, I picked the Vanilla Caramel flavor. I must say, I was so happy that I tried it! This stuff is so creamy and DEL-LI-CIOUS! Defiantly worth sharing a spoon with someone, but I think I'll keep it all for myself! ;) 

I'm so happy that I was introduced to +Influenster! I've gotten so many great things and it's all been for FREE!