May 2012 Whole30

Forbidden merlot.
(Cue Homer Simpson drool:)
Mmmmmdaaaaugghh.

My Crossfit box is doing its first-ever Whole30! If you aren't familiar with whole9life's whole30 program, it's 30 days of cleanest possible classically paleo eating. No dairy. Not even honey, maple syrup, or booze passes muster for this "cravings/tummy reset" protocol. You may recall I did one of these on my own for the first time last July, which was an eye-opening experience in many ways. I realized how much of my lacto-paleo aka primal lifestyle relied on dairy and dairy fat when I suddenly had to do without. I was hungry all the time because I hadn't worked out good sources of nondairy quality fats.

This time around, it's been a little different. Ghee is now allowed in the whole30 program, so I've had some of that here and there. I also have learned how to make, save, and cook with pastured animal fat. Breakfast is often eggs cooked in grassfed beef tallow, with some kimchi, and some fruit if I'm post-workout.

We're now 12 days into our whole30. There's productive chatter amongst us about what we've been shocked to discover on our ingredient labels - like corn syrup in packaged broth, and maltodextrin in frozen veggies. For me, one of the biggest challenges is the whole30 requirement to not weigh oneself until the end of the challenge. I usually weigh myself 3 or 4 times a week, so this has been a hard habit to break. I know, I know, the paleo thang is all about how you look, feel, and perform. But, I do find that having a general idea of my weight's trajectory can be useful and motivating, and I miss that.

My one mini project on the horizon during this challenge is figuring out how to make a batch of chicken liver pâté. While my sourcing of food has overall improved a lot - since last fall we've bought half a grassfed cow and a third of a naturally raised GMO-free soy-free pig - the pack of chicken livers waiting in my fridge isn't from chichi chickens. In fact, they're from (gasp!) conventionally raised chickens. Probably an OK thing as a stop-gap though; I'd rather get a feel for making pate using cheaper materials - and determine whether I like it enough in general! - before I'd invest serious time and money into sourcing quality livers.

Meanwhile, my parents came by this weekend with a bottle of the elusive Truffle Merlot. They've been raving about this dark-chocolate-flavored red wine since they first tasted it last summer. Ay, ay, ay, I can't even read the label without drooling! I've already designated it to be my first post-whole30 indulgence. Suddenly, merlot in my hot little hand, the May 25 end to our whole30 seemed just a bit further away.

How are you tinkering with your diet in May?




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