What can I drink on Whole 30???  If you are missing your soda, coffee, with cream, and tea with sweetener, here are some Whole 30 approved drinks:

1. WATER - yes, this should be what you drink the majority of the time.  Carry a bottle with you everywhere and keep iced and filled.
2.  Coffee and Tea - perfectly ok as long as you dont add cream, milk, sugar, or artificial sweetener.  Try coconut milk (whole fat from can) if you need to cut the coffee.
3. Coconut water - filled with electrolytes and perfectly ok as long as you dont get a brand that has added sweeteners.
4. Kombucha - This is a fermented tea and is also allowable.  For all the details on its health benefits and origin go to whatiskombucha.com


Hope this helps!!

Salmon Eggs

I don't know about you all, but breakfast is a hectic time and usually your brain is still too fuzzy to put a lot of thought into it.  I usually end up having 2 breakfasts, my ungodly 5am cram something in my mouth and go before 5:30am class breakfast, and then a more substantial breakfast mid morning.  Because we are restricting so much, I think we deserve to indulge a little in the foods we are eating.  I feel like a queen when I make my salmon egg scramble, definitely a meal worthy of the fanciest of spas!

Salmon Egg Scramble 

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 egg white
cherry tomatoes
spinach
smoked salmon
avacado
capers

Mix eggs and pour in non stick pan with tomatoes and spinach. Either scramble or cover and cook as an omelet. Transfer to plate and top with salmon, chopped avacado, and capers - not hard and oh so tasty!

Paleo Pancakes

City Mayhem run this morning and I was CRAVING my pancakes that I have given up for 30 days because they have my favorite protein powder which is off limits due to sucralose, whey, and soy.  So, found a great recipe on Mark's Daily Apple for Paleo Pancakes.  They were delish and gave me just the energy I needed for a great race!

Paleo Pancakes
2 mashed bananas
2 eggs
1/4 cup almond or sunflower butter
2 tbspn flaxseed (my addition)

mash banana and mix in eggs then flaxseed and nut butter. Spray small pancake pan with pam and spoon in 1/3 of batter.  Cook covered with lid until top is bubbly and sides are coming away from pan.  Flip and cook 1-2 more minutes.  Repeat with rest of batter.  Top with fresh berries. 

Well, 4 days into Whole30 and I havent dropped over!  Actually has not been that hard yet, as long as you cook more food than you need and keep leftovers around to grab and go.  I have had some great recipes passed my way so I will pass them on to you all.

First up is Scotch Eggs.  I am sending you to the link for this one because the commentary in the recipe is  hilarious! http://www.modernpaleowarfare.com/2011/11/scotch-eggs-aka-narcissus-meatballs.html

Second is Roasted Vegetable Salad.

Roasted Vegetable Salad Clipped from: http://freerangecrossfit.com/2011/roasted-vegetable-salad/ Ingredients:
1 package of brussels sprouts, roughly 1#
1 egg plant
1 large zucchini
1 large yellow squash
1 red onion
1 head of cauliflower
1 broccoli crown
1 carton of cherry tomatoes
 2 garlic cloves
Romaine lettuce
 Fresh dill, cilantro, chives, mixed fresh herbs of choice
Lemon Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400F. 2. Peel and chop eggplant into 1/2inch pieces. 3. Chop zucchini, yellow squash, red onions, cauliflower, broccoli crowns and add to mixing bowl. 4. Cut off ends and half Brussels sprouts and add in with other chopped veggies. 5. Add olive oil and sea salt to vegetables. 6. Place the veggies on a roasting pan and roast for 25 minutes, stirring it up every 8-10 minutes. 7. Half the cherry tomatoes. 8. Finely mince the fresh herbs, until they yield a cup’s worth. 9. Mix in the cherry tomatoes in the roasting pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes. 10. Remove vegetables from oven and let cool slightly. 11. Mix in fresh herbs and juice from lemon. 12. Serve (warm or cold) over roughly chopped romaine lettuce with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. 13. (Optional) add protein of choice.

Looks like we have about 16 people so far that have bitten on the Whole 30 challenge.  Next step is going to the grocery store and declaring day 1. If you want to buy into the weight loss contest it is $10 and you will need to come find me to weigh in and give me money.  I will also take measurements.

If any of you attended the bbq last saturday night here is the Paleo Sweet Potato Sausage Stuffing recipe - it is ugly but tasty:


Savory Sweet Potato Stuffing Serves: 8
 Time: about 2 hours (40 minutes hands-on time)
Ingredients
4-5 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt
freshly ground pepper
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 oz. country style (not in a casing) pork sausage
 2 large eggs, beaten 1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons golden raisins
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions Preheat oven to 400° F. On a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tbsp oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stick the baking sheet in the oven and roast potatoes until just tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the sausage and cook through until thoroughly browned. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl along with the roast sweet potatoes and let everything cool for 10 minutes or so. Turn oven down to 375. Add the beaten eggs, sweet potatoes, broth, pecans, raisins and sage to the veggie mixture and combine well. Use olive oil to grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until browned, 20 to 30 minutes more.

OK CFVP peeps, some of us have decided to embark on the Whole 30 plan for a month starting sometime this week!  I am proud of those of you who are willing to commit to a full 30 days of clean eating and I hope this experience brings some major results and positive lifestyle changes to you all.  I am ready to dig in starting today and will be blogging my food as well as hoping you all will comment back with your food choices, recipes, meal ideas, questions, etc.  If you are interested in joining in on the bandwagon click on the whole 30 plan and read up on what you can and cannot eat.  Shoot me an email at stephanie@crossfitvalleypark.com and I will add you to the distribution list.  Want to wager on your results?  We will be having two pools you can buy into - weight loss and increased performance.  Take your pick or throw your hat in the ring for both - $10 buy in for each.


Day 1 Breakfast for me was a two egg omelet with ham and cherry tomatoes and some canteloupe. Grocery shopping is on the agenda for today - lets get some feedback on good breakfast ideas!

**I will be posting my food log (click food log tab) - partly to keep me honest and partly to help give ideas of what a sample day of eating can look like.  Your tastes may vary from mine, so don't feel like you have to eat what I eat!!