Happiest of camel days to you all. I don’t know about you but Wednesday is always the turning point of my week. If I can make it through to the end of today, there’s only two more work days until I can start relaxing for the weekend! And after this week, only three more full weeks of work before Nantucket…. totally getting ahead of myself.
Anyways… I wanted to dedicate a specific post reflecting on the “cleanse” that I put myself on after my last flare. Like I said in my previous post, I wanted to reset and reboot my GI. I talked more in depth about the type of “cleanse” I was hoping to follow here, but basically long story short, I was focusing on eating whole, organic foods, most of my veggies cooked or blended, all fruit blended, and lots of smoothies and acai bowls. I removed all dairy from my diet, as well as avoiding any pre-packaged foods. I also limited the amount of complex carbohydrates and tracked my daily in take to insure I met my body’s caloric needs as well as maintained an appropriate balance of macros. While I did use protein powder in some smoothies, I worked to maintain my protein intake through eggs and nuts.
While I tried my best to stay true, I did include some pre-packaged granola and on Friday some BelVita cookies/crackers (which are they??) – which by the way was a horrible mistake… I felt a lot better. While my boyfriend and I made pizza on Sunday night (hello, it’s tradition) I kept my cheese to a minimal (two tablespoons). I felt FULL and slightly uncomfortable, but not sick. Needless to say, I decided I wanted to continue with this type of diet through this week. I figured I allowed some flexibility, however I am trying to be even more meticulous about my food.
So let’s see what a typical day of eating looks like for me. And as always, thanks Jenn for hosting!
Tuesday: July 14th, 2015
Breakfast: 8:00 AM
Smoothie: Chocolate Vega protein powder, kale, spinach, mango, 1/2 cup almond milk, lots of ice 
Snack: 10:30AM
Trader Joe’s Freeze Dried Blueberries
Lunch: 1:oo PM
Plate of grilled veggies seasoned with salt and pepper (zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, red cabbage, carrots)
Un-pictured: 4 egg whites scrambled with a slice of Diaya cheddar cheese
Snack: 3:30PM
1 Cup Steel Cut Oatmeal
Handful of Brookside Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Seeds
Dinner: 8:00PM
Smoothie: Vanilla Vega protein powder, 2 tbsp cashew butter, 1 frozen banana, 1/2 cup almond milk, cinnamon
1 Sprouted Grains Tortilla
Daily Totals:
Calories: 1535
Proteins (g): 83
Carbohydrates (g): 170
Fat (g): 41
Sugars (g): 82
While I’m not too concerned with calorie totals, I like to keep my sugar intake below 100g. Fun fact learned in graduate school – physiologically speaking, your liver can only process 100g of sugar a day. All other sugars are converted to fat. Now, at the time I did not explore the difference in processing capabilities of your liver in regards to added vs. natural occurring sugars, but I have forever since been hesitant to exceed that number.
And since I was looking through the photos on my phone, I have to mention again my great love of The Shrek from The Granola Bar in Westport. My mom treated me to one this weekend and I swear it is the best smoothie ever. Desperately trying to recreate. I think I need to work on individual ingredient measurements. Also, sorry I’m not sorry that I was so excited I started devouring my smoothie before I remember picture. #BadBlogger
Have you ever removed a specific item from your diet and noticed a positive effect? A friend of mine removed white flour from her diet and her eczema cleared up.
Do you count calories or macros?
Are you three square meals a day kind of person or do you indulge in smaller meals with a few snacks?
IDon'tEatThat 
So glad you are feeling a bit better. I keep ballparks of calories and macros, but I’m not obsessive about it. I’m a bit more vigilant about it during the height of training to make sure that I replace everything I expend!
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Glad you are starting to see an improvement! I removed gluten last year and saw a big improvement in my stomach issues. I need to snack – I like to eat. It’s a problem. I could probably stand to lose a few lbs but I just love to eat!! I’ll crack down as fall approaches, though 🙂 That’s when I use MyFitnessPal to count calories – make sure I get enough to sustain what I’m doing but not overdoing it, which I can easily do! You are doing great!
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About a year ago, I cut out sodas and other carbonated beverages from my diet and immediately noticed that my gut no longer got “excited” mid-afternoon. Plus, I had been drinking diet everything, so hopefully reducing my artificial sweeteners helps me out too! I generally don’t count calories, but will use MyFitnessPal to track for a week or two when I need to reset or get back on track. And I’m a grazer! Snacks all day, every day, plus a big dinner!
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I love how you countdown everything, I’m the exact same way!! I have a short week this week and I keep saying “and then when I get back only 5 work weeks until my wedding..”
You are SO healthy. It all looks delicious, but I would be sneaking oreos left and right. I usually have 3 meals, 2 snacks and some sort of dessert. I pretty much eat constantly, but don’t ever count my calories. I try to be conscious of the amount of calories I’m eating, but I don’t count them or restrict myself. If I eat a 1000 calorie lunch from chick fil a I’ll eat a really small dinner. All about balance! I’ve never cut anything out completely. I tried gluten free for about 4 weeks and didn’t notice anything different and actually gained weight, so I just went back to my normal diet.
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I’m with you on balancing by feel. I usually only track when I’m training to make sure I’m putting enough into my body to properly recovery. And enough of the good stuff (i.e. protein and carbs) not just sugar haha.
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I typically eat 3 square meals a day with 2 snacks. I don’t count calories or macros (too much math for me) but I obviously have a general idea of what I’m eating/if it’s enough/not enough. The only thing I’ve cut out “for the better” is gluten, but then again it was after my celiac diagnosis so it was necessary 😉 What is in the Shrek?!
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The Shrek is almond milk, almond butter, spinach, kale, green apple, banana and 100% deliciousness 🙂
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I don’t count calories, but I am pretty aware of making sure I eat enough especially when I am running high mileage. I definitely try to limit my sugar intakes, but I never knew about the 100g limit! That is pretty interesting!
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I never knew about the 100g limit – I eat pretty “healthy” but do eat a LOT of fruit, and I’m pretty sure an apple has like 25-30g of sugar alone!
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Apples and bananas are crazy high in sugar content. I don’t mind hitting 100g or a little over if I know the majority of it is from natural food sources.
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I’m all about the countdown too! I have like five different ones going on my phone at the moment. Oh, man. Why did you have to educate me about sugar? Don’t you know ignorance is bliss in my world! ; )
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Counting macros is so much more realistic than counting calories. I used to track calories like crazy but now when I track (if I do at all) it’s to track macros. The sugar stat is interesting…I always try to choose foods that have less than 10g in the serving! Your eats all look yummy though…I think I could do this:)
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Your smoothie looks good and I love the elephant 🙂
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Your smoothies look fantastic. Had I not been reading I would have thought that first one was a dark chocolate frosty from Wendy’s!
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that smoothie looks amazing. i’m so into mango these days and trying to have it as much as possible (just had some with my berries this morning!). never had those BelVita things so not sure which they are…biscuits? 🙂 glad you’re starting to feel better and hope it stays!
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Biscuits is totally the right term haha.
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I have no idea how many calories I eat each day, although it’d be interesting to see! I focus on seeing food as fuel, especially if I’m teaching or training – lots of fruit, nut butter, etc 🙂
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Your smoothies always looks so yummy! I have really cut out artificial sweeteners and gum and have noticed my stomach is more settled and I don’t feel as bloated. Definite plus!!
I don’t count calories or macros. I look more at getting a balanced meal with protein, fat and veggies. I don’t go crazy on carbs but also don’t avoid them- usually whole grains. I stick to 3 meals and 1-2 snacks per day.
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I stopped chewing gum last spring and I noticed I’m not nearly as bloated. Who knew I was swallowing so much air!
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I need to cut out gum like…yesterday. I can chew a pack+ a day.
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First of all, love your Republican Pride cup. My college CPAC side can’t step away from that one, haha! Second of all, this sounds like a great “cleanse” – not too limiting on calories, or too dehydrating, but like you focused on pure nutrition factor. It’s amazing how even we (those that focus on trying to eat WHOLE foods) sometimes get stuck with prepackaged foods. I’m a Belvita fan, too! (Though I worked on the launch, at the time we catered it toward “healthy cookie.” 😉 ) To your question, I’m a huge snacker. Essentially three larger “snacks” and two smaller ones each day keeps me full and keeps my metabolism revving all day long! 🙂
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I love to eat and try to not focus on appropriate “eating” times. Sometimes I will eat a larger more filling breakfast and not be hungry for lunch until 1 or 2. People at work are always like wtf. Haha. And YES – that cup was the best birthday cup ever… the other side is monogrammed ❤ haha
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Hahha – that’s awesome! Totally with you on the work confusion. My broccoli for breakfast wasn’t the biggest hit in the office either, haha. 🙂
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At times I journal my food, but only when I am feeling off (tired, bloated, etc) so I can try to pinpoint the reason or see if I am overdoing it somewhere. But one thing I always watch is my extra sugar intake.
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Hi Jamie! It’s great to do some experimentation to see how you feel with elimination, but I’ve never done it at all. I don’t track calories or macros, but I do go for three big meals and two smaller snacks throughout the day. Looks like you had a two-smoothie-day. Yummy! 🙂
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hahaha I like your republican cup. Smoothies have been my JAM lately!!!
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Jamie, this is a great post! I love getting ideas from the meals of others; your veggie plate looks amazing. I definitely do keep track of what I eat, sometimes obsessively (I have definitely suffered from disordered eating during my lifetime), but I’ve recently worked with a dietitian and she gave me some helpful guidelines for macros which has been great. I mostly use My Fitness Pal, since it allows me to manipulate my goals for macros. I’ve discovered that I feel much better (and experience less bloating) when I eliminate most gluten and dairy products, which is kind of a bummer – ha! It doesn’t keep me from eating those things, but I do feel better without them. Thanks for sharing your experience and ideas!
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I’m with you on the dairy elimination… way less bloat!
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I need an elephant cup!
I have been having a lot more smoothies lately and it seems to make my GI system pretty happy.
I track my food 2-3 times a week calories & macros but since I can eat the same things over and over and over I pretty much know what I am consuming. I tend to under eat carbs and especially as I am back at the 30 mile/week mark the past few weeks I am trying to be more cognizant of that. I usually eat 3 meals and 1-2 snacks a day. But I am pretty much always thinking about my next meal 🙂
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Interesting fact about the 100g of sugar!
Back in January I completely eliminated soda from my diet. It’s definitely a positive change and I’m glad I did it but to be honest, I don’t really feel that different – maybe a tiny bit better overall – and unfortunately, I didn’t get anything awesome like having my skin suddenly clear up and start glowing. Boo. The rest of my diet didn’t really change, though. And I now allow myself soda on special occasions (vacations, holidays, big milestones or celebrations).
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Smoothies make me happy, especially when kale and other stuff is squeezed in there too.
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Yes I have eczema and removing all white foods is a good way for me to immediately feel better. Which means I need to back away from the sweets again since I’m itchy! I’m about to do a candida cleanse oh joy
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I don’t really look at my calories or my macros I just look at each meal and start with protein, then veggies/fruit and then some sort of healthy carb. I feel this works the best for me. I typically eat 3 meals with 2 snacks. 1 of those snacks is a pre run snack if I am running in the afternoon and the other one is right before bed. I have low blood sugar and I don’t eat something before bed I can hardly get up in the morning.
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I keep my carbs in check and that always makes me feel better. I have a bagel before a long run but otherwise keep breads minimal in my meal plan. I haven’t heard about the 100g of sugar before so thanks for the tip. I am trying to get my chocolate habit in check.
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Geez, woman. You are healthy. I eat really, really poorly. I think yesterday I had half a bag of chips and three beers for dinner. BRUTAL. So let’s just not talk about it. The Shrek drink reminded me of how I used to call my ex husband Shrek. I’ve known him forever and we’re still friends, so it’s okay. Ha ha. He looks so scary and he acts so grumpy and he yells even when he’s not angry but he’s hilarious and he’s got such a big soft squishy heart. I actually think Shrek eats healthier than I do.
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Hahaha wait that’s an incredible nickname haha. Love it! I try to eat healthy but let’s be real… I’ve totally had an entire bag of Twizzlers to myself 🙂
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Your smoothies look so good and thick and yummy!! I’m really awful at eating so I won’t even share my meal approach. Haha. Let’s just say there are rarely 3 consistent meals. I did eat breakfast today though! Glad you are feeling better. And I counted down for more than a month until vacation…
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you went to town on those smoothies! mine seriously pale in comparison haha. I need to do better clearly. I am not a calorie or macro counter. I just try to make sure i have some protein at lunch and dinner, fruit throughout the day, and veggies with my meals. it makes life a lot easier!
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I don’t count calories, but I emphasize quality foods, which naturally limits calories while getting all the macros and micros. I cut out soy as best as I could a while ago – only homemade veggie burgers, organic tuna (since canned conventional has soy in it!), and no more Kashi cereals – and it really helped my stomach. Your plate of grilled vegetables is making me seriously hungry.
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Interesting. I’m going to start looking at the soy in some of the products I eat. No idea canned tuna had soy!
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I removed meat from diet only because it grossed me out and my skin immediately cleared up. It was magical! I wish I could remove dairy from my diet as well but I just love cheese way too much. I’m glad you are feeling better!!
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I don’t count calories, occasionally I’m curious but don’t feel motivated to make it through a day actually counting! The fact that my weight doesn’t seem to budge is enough for me 🙂 Interesting about sugar, I definitely feel better eating less of it.
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I don’t cut out anything completely but if I can avoid gluten and dairy I will. Sometimes though pizza just ends up in my mouth, I don’t even know how.
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Oh pizza… that doesn’t count : )
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how exciting that you are going to Nantucket in a few weeks! I love it there! I’ve never cut anything out but I have tried eating less packaged food and that makes me feel a lot better!
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Your diet is so healthy and clean right now, I’m sure you’re feeling a lot better. GI flare-ups are no fun.I have to give you a lot of credit. Running this many miles without snacking here and there is so super hard. Double points for you.
I never heard of the sugar calculation but makes total sense. Thanks for sharing.
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I cut out animal products and immediately felt more ethical 😉 hahaha was that what you were looking for?
I’ve actually never cut anything out intentionally besides trying to go raw right now. However, it’s only until 4PM so I eat whatever after that. It’s been pretty fun!
Some days I eat big meals, and other days I still eat big meals but I also snack. It depends on what mistakes are made at work and if they are vegan. Then I SNACK!
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Wow, I had no idea about the 100 g of sugar thing! I’ve never tracked how many grams of sugar I eat (and I eat lots of things that aren’t packaged, too, so I’ve always thought it’d be a pain) but now I’m really curious. I’ll have to give it a try!
And I’ve been playing with the idea of doing something like you’re doing when I get back from my current trip…it sounds like it could be really beneficial
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I’ve definitely had a positive experience and am trying to keep it up for as long as possible!
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Mmmm That plate of grilled veggies! I always TRY (key word there) to watch my sugar. It’s the easiest thing to over do since it’s in EVERYTHING. Cutting out processed foods helps a lot, that’s for sure. Glad you’ve found a cleanse that works well for you 🙂 And Yes, I’m a HUGE snacker!
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Glad you are feeling better. I’m not sure I could ever eliminate dairy, that would be a big challenge. I like cheese too much. I tend to go by macros instead of calories. I really need to watch my sugar intake more too!
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