Whole30 in Mexico

So, after eating nothing but tacos and junk food for the first six months of my life here, I had gained a few pounds. I started trying to improve my diet in January, but still found myself eating rather poorly most of the time and especially eating too much sugar.

My brother introduced me to the Whole30 program, and after initially thinking, "no dairy? no hummus? no drinks for a whole month? No way!," I just kept coming back to it. I wanted to see if I could do it. I wanted to experience the benefits everyone talks about. So I convinced my husband to join me and we started in May, even though his birthday, our anniversary, and my son's birthday all fell within this month. I didn't want to wait.

A quick overview: the Whole30 involves cutting out sugar, dairy, alcohol, legumes, grains, and most additives for 30 days. Basically, you eat vegetables, protein, limited fruits, and some healthy fats at each meal. The idea is to change your relationship with food so that you make better choices and are not ruled by cravings.

First breakfast!

Many people try this program to deal with intestinal upset and to try to figure out what foods are causing them distress. For us, the main motivation was to reduce sugar in our diets and eliminate the cravings.

First dinner!

I want to acknowledge that we have a wonderful housekeeper/cook who did a LOT of the work. Eating more veggies requires a lot of cleaning and chopping and in Mexico, there is an extra layer added because we have to disinfect vegetables first with purified water. She made our meals during the week and prepared salads for lunch, to which I added whatever proteins and healthy fats (olives and seeds/nuts) were available. I cooked on the weekend and found some great new recipes.

My housekeeper already made this amazing shredded chicken recipe I loved- even better in a lettuce wrap!

I'm not sure how people do this where quality avocados are not attainable. They were a HUGE part of our Whole30. My history with avocados on the east coast is that you buy three, wait impatiently until they are soft enough, cut into them, and find that two are rotten. Here in MEX, they are all perfect. Such a delight.

Also, being able to eat white and sweet potatoes made it more bearable. Maybe I ate too many...

I must say, it really wasn't that hard. My biggest problem was drinking my coffee with almond milk. I really like a nice creamy, sweet coffee in the morning and a vanilla latte in the afternoon. I missed that a lot. And as the temperature warmed up here, I also really longed for ice cream.

For D's birthday, we went out to a steakhouse where we ate salad with oil and vinegar, steak, and potatoes. It was lovely, but we didn't want to do exactly the same thing for our anniversary, so we are going to celebrate that this week, now that we're done. There are a lot of almost compliant restaurants, but they add a sugary sauce to their fish or something like that and it is just too complicated. As my brother advised me, it's pretty easy to do Whole30 in your home. We ate wonderful food and never felt deprived. It's a lot harder to do it outside the house- we definitely felt deprived by not being able to have a glass of wine, a cupcake (me), or a donut (D). Also, even when you find a place that is mostly compliant, they surely use vegetable oil to cook their burgers or something like that. It's impossible to be 100% compliant when eating out, in my opinion (or at least in Mexico).

We also stayed Whole30 while on a camping trip! I brought most of our food because pretty much everything the scout troop planned to eat was non-compliant. Very proud of us.

Interestingly, I found I really love lettuce-wrapped burgers and tacos! I used to feel absolutely stuffed when I ate a full burger- it was just too much with the bun, burger, and toppings. A burger in lettuce with veggie toppings and guac? Exactly the right amount of food and I was able to enjoy the other flavors more w/o the bun disguising them. I'm not going back!

So, the pluses:

• Daniel's blood pressure went down. 
• We became much more mindful about eating only when we are hungry. I found this really interesting because at work I would really want to eat something, and when I stopped to analyze why, it was almost never because I was hungry, but because I was bored or whatever I was doing was challenging and I wanted a distraction. My husband used to snack a lot at night. We both used to pop things in our mouths when preparing lunches or cleaning up after dinner- no longer. 
• I love fruit now! For some reason, I was really not that into fruit before. Now, it's such a treat. 
• I don't think about food that much anymore. I eat three times a day, and sometimes include a small snack, but I'm not really hungry outside of those meals. 
• I no longer have the 2/3pm crash where I just have to go get a coffee or something sweet. My energy is more consistent throughout the day. 
• I sleep really well. I'm also REALLY tired by 9pm, but that's probably because I wake up at 5am. 
• I learned to drink coffee with no sugar. Milk is a must for me, though. 
• I am committed to only eating less healthy things when they are 'worth it.' A scoop of gelato on a hot day is worth it. The random oreos I used to consume at 9pm? Not worth it. 
• And.....I lost 4 pounds and 2 inches around my waist. 
• D lost 10 pounds and 2 inches around his waist. 

Things that didn't happen or the cons:

• We realized how much social life both with the kids and our friends centers around eating out, and eating out is hard on the Whole30. 
• I still am struggling with using food/coffee as a treat/reward for something. The idea with Whole30 is to look for other ways to reward yourself. Although I don't think we have a real problem with this (I don't binge eat every time I have a hard day at work), I'm going to be more conscious of it now. 
• Many participants experience incredible energy or "tiger blood" by the end, but sadly, we did not experience that. I do think my energy is more consistent, though.

So, what next?

We are going to keep eating this way, overall. We plan to make allowances for special events, going out with friends, and occasionally less healthy things that are worth it (for me, vanilla lattes and warm chocolate chip cookies. For D, fresh Krispy Kreme donuts)- and we will savor those special foods.

We will also add back a few things that we don't think are problematic for us: dairy, legumes, whole grains. Overall, I'm so glad we tried the Whole30. I'm really proud of us for sticking to it and making a big change in our lives.

Below, some more food pics.

Breakfasts were usually eggs plus vegetable leftovers and fruit. They encourage you to think of it as "meal one" and eat anything compliant, not just breakfasty foods, but I could only go so far with that. Luckily, we like eggs. Smoked salmon also saved us.

I made a few recipes I liked a lot, but mostly our meals were pretty simple.

Hola, México!!

Goodbye, America!

Hello, Mexico 

We arrived in Mexico four weeks ago. I can't believe it took me this long to blog. This is always my favorite time to write about- when everything is new and exciting. However, it was pretty hectic and stressful at the beginning. We arrived without my husband, who is in Spanish training at FSI (he accepted a CA-AEFM visa adjudicator position, and we are so happy it includes Spanish instruction, but it was really hard to arrive at post without him). So all those things we usually divide were handled by yours truly, some better than others. LUCKILY, my brother came down for a week and provided a lot of help as well as comic relief. So I survived. But moving to a new country every few years is not for the faint of heart.

First taco meal- things started feeling better

Amazing market near our house

Mexico City is ridiculously awesome, especially the neighborhood where we live! We have restaurants, playgrounds, grocery stores, and seriously everything we could possibly want within a few blocks. Honestly, I can't believe I live here, and I already don't want to leave. People are so courteous and friendly and the weather is divine. Our apartment is gorgeous and huge. We are in a building with tons of other Embassy families and I feel like we hit the housing jackpot. The job is overwhelming, but great. The learning curve is super steep, but I'm slowly getting the hang of things.

 We have only done a bit of sightseeing, but we're looking forward to getting out there more. Mostly, we've been enjoying the food (first priority: seek out the churros) and I've been scheming about how to decorate my apartment.

More soon, I promise.

Granola and yogurt- nothing better!

Thought I would share my favorite breakfast today.

I never used to like granola- it was too chewy and hard. That was until I tried my mother in law's granola! Now I can't live without it in my cupboard, I make it as gifts, and everyone always asks for the recipe! So here it is!

Here's my cute granola asst.

My MIL's Granola- with thanks to my lovely Mother-in-law!

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey
4 cups old-fashioned oatmeal, uncooked
1 cup sweetened coconut
2 cups sliced or chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, or any kind of unroasted nuts you like (I usually use 1 cup sliced almonds and 1 cup chopped pecans)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Choose about 4-5 different dried fruits/seeds (totaling ~1 cup) that you like, such as the following:
1/4 cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries or strawberries)
1/4 cup golden or dark raisins
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (these are green)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Measure into large mixing bowl: oatmeal, coconut, 2 cups nuts, nutmeg and cinnamon. Toss to mix. Microwave olive oil with honey in a glass measuring cup until fairly warm (30 seconds). Mix them together, then pour into oatmeal mixture and mix until all is evenly coated. Spread in a thin layer on 2 large cookie sheets that have been sprayed with no-stick spray. Bake the mixture @ 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes and breaking up any large lumps.

When the mixture has reached golden brown, pull it out of the oven. Let the oven cool off, and then put it back and let it dry out in the oven for a few hours or on the counter (you can leave it overnight if you like). Stir occasionally to break up lumps. When dried and cool, pour it into a large bowl and mix in the fruit. Store in a air-tight container. 

Recently I decided to make yogurt to go with it. Greek yogurt in the grocery store costs about $12/small container, but I found a Lebanese man who makes Greek yogurt and other items and delivers them to your home. However, it's still a little pricey as well as inconvenient (I have to wait a few days before it's ready, and I can't seem to order in advance!). So I decided to try my hand at making it.

I started off with the intention of making Greek yogurt down the road (once I get some cheesecloth), but I love the regular yogurt so much that I really feel no need. It is shockingly easy!

Heat the milk, cool the milk, mix in the starter, put it in a preheated/turned off oven. Voila! In the morning, there is yogurt. This is the recipe  I'm using.

Next up to try: hummus. I can't find it in the stores anywhere.

Really settling in

It's starting to feel like home around here.

The kids have attended two full weeks of school, and seem to be loving their teachers. They are making friends. I am starting to feel more confidant on the visa line, and my husband is getting used to his job as a Management Specialist (basically, assisting the Management Officer with any project or task).

We received our last shipment and even hung some artwork. I will share some more photos of our home soon.

We found a new housekeeper (ayi in Chinese) who is making my life so much easier. She cooks, picks up the kids, and organizes my home. This is such a big perk of life in the FS and I am grateful.

We are all learning Chinese! The kids have an hour of Chinese at school every day, and already learned some songs and skits for the Mid-Autumn Festival on Monday. They also have a tutor coming twice a week, and she seems to be really good at teaching children.

Each officer is allowed 20 hours of Chinese tutoring per month, but I only do about 12 hours. I can't seem to find the right time. Some officers meet their tutor at lunch, but I only do this once/week since I am usually tired and hungry (I try to eat quickly before the tutor comes, but there isn't always time). My tutor also comes 2x/week at 6:30pm, but I am usually exhausted by this time and can't stop yawning. The ideal time for me would be 8am, but that is not an option- I'm already at work. And although some officers find a way to have tutoring during the workday, I feel like my day is just too packed. Still, I am grateful for the resources and hope to find a way to increase my study time.

I am busy planning some vacations! We have trips planned to Beijing, Hainan (China's tropical island), and Thailand coming up. I just have to get cracking on the details. There is a lot to arrange but I am so excited. I love that the kids are big enough to travel easily.

Scooters are the perfect vehicle around here. 

We just love this gorgeous pool

Food is a big preoccupation for us. I have found a great company called Guangzhou Grocery that will go shopping at the warehouse store and deliver it the same day to your home. I am all about home delivery. We also use an Australian butcher and I hope to set up organic vegetable delivery soon.

Here we are at the warehouse store. It's kind of fun, but takes up a lot of time...

The kids are doing great with Chinese food. L, especially, will try anything. Yesterday, she ate onion pancakes! She keeps asking for xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings, which we tried back in Maryland. I've eaten some great dumplings but have not yet taken her for her favorites- shrimp or soup dumplings. Happily, the new ayi makes dumplings.

All in all, things are going great. And I don't take that for granted at all.

Food is so yummy here! Looking forward to colder weather so these handpulled noodles will be even more enjoyable

This kid is really embracing everything Chinese. The clothes, the chopsticks, much of the food. I'm proud of her!
PS She likes having her picture taken much more than her brother...

Salads and more salads

About two months ago when I started exercising, I also started looking at the calories in what I eat, and it was surprising. So I started trying to reduce the junk I eat and increase the good stuff. I also realized that when I eat a lighter meal at lunch, I'm not quite as tired during the afternoon classes. So, I've started taking salads to school every day. The key to avoiding salad boredom, for me, has been to include one or more items that are different or especially yummy. Things I don't eat often. The things that make me happy are edamame seeds, feta cheese, sunflower seeds, salmon salad, chicken salad, cottage cheese, eggs, etc.

I also started making 'health bowls,' basically a salad with healthy grains like quinoa or brown rice, cooked vegetables, etc. Just a more substantial salad. The sky is really the limit here and I've had fun creating these. Got the idea from Real Simple but it's not exactly new.

Here's one w/ quinoa and salmon. So good.

This week I discovered Mason Jar Salads, and I'm kind of obsessed. I wish I had found this idea sooner! Apparently I've been under a rock because they are all the rage. The idea is to layer a bunch of ingredients- dressing on the bottom, hardy vegetables next, then other stuff like meat, cheese, and beans if you like, finally greens. The greens stay crispy because they never touch the dressing, and all you have to do is grab a jar from the fridge in the am and go. I've always found salads to be a hassle because of the dressing and the cutting up of a bunch of ingredients every night. Even though I've gotten used to all the prep lately, it would be even better to have a few days of salads just ready to go!

So, if you are into this stuff like I am, check out this Mason Jar Salad tutorial and these awesome recipes. Or google 'Mason Jar Salads' and you will be bombarded with ideas. Last night I made my first one and enjoyed it on a beautiful spring day outside at FSI. Somehow, it was yummier than a regular salad (also, it's a great way to use up leftover meat, veggies, etc! This was fajita chicken from last night). I'm planning to try a bunch of different recipes this Sunday.

What's that? You're wondering when I study Chinese? Well, yea, I basically only study at school these days. Which I why I will hopefully pass, but not exceed the expectations or anything. Oh well. My overall health is important, too.

Thanksgivukkah recap

New Year, new blog look- what do you think? I am forever fighting with the photo placement so bear with me.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Ours has been both busy and quiet. We were quite busy around Thanksgivukkah, that once in my lifetime moment when Hanukkah and Thanksgiving happened at the same time. Our family came down from NY, and we packed in the fun: lighting the menorahs, baking Hanukkah cookies, eating turkey and stuffing, and enjoying a Chinese feast in Rockville. It was fabulous.

Here's the whole crew freezing our behinds off to get a family picture (minus my little brother J).

And some more photos from our weekend:

Aunt A made the cutest sock monkeys for the whole family!

I made have mentioned this before, but I'm on a mission to get the kids to eat Chinese/Asian food in general before we get to China. So the photos below make me so happy! Shanghai 66 in Rockville is known for its 小笼包 (Xiǎo lóng bāo, or soup dumplings)  and they were quite delicious! We reviewed this video on how to eat the dumplings before we went:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hINbibZ_9GA

We had a really delicious lunch and best of all, I spoke a few words of Mandarin with the waiters!



















My family is really the most loving and supportive family one could wish for, and I am grateful for them all.

Pomelo

I always enjoy reading blog posts about new fruits and vegetables people discover at a new post. So I just have to do one of my own. My husband has been telling me lately that there is "no fruit" at the supermarket. This basically means: no mangoes. The end of mango season has hit us hard- 3 out of the 4 members of the family adore them. (M, strangely, prefers most vegetables to fruit. L, on the other hand, doesn't believe in veggies and loves most fruits).

Anyway, I made a trip to the grocery store and came home with this big girl, a pomelo. I understand a common name in English is Chinese grapefruit. I know this fruit is available in the U.S., but I've never encountered it.

Apple there for size comparison...

I watched a you tube video to learn how to cut and eat it- good thing, because the inside was unexpected The kids were curious, too, and L was delighted to discover it was pink inside!

L proceeded to gobble it up, while M had to spit it out. Funny kids. It is slightly sweeter than a regular grapefruit, but basically the same taste.