WIAW: Battling the Bloat

Hey guys and girlies!  It was such a struggle to get back into working mode yesterday, but I think I managed it quite well.  I’m so happy that it’s the middle of the week already though as it means that the weekend is that little bit closer.

The fact that it’s the middle of the week also means that it’s time for WIAW!!!  Thanks to the lovely Jenn as always for hosting such an amazing event in blog land. If you are stuck for inspiration for meals this week then WIAW is a great way to find some inspiration.

For the whole of January I’ve decided to embark on a much more cleaner and healthier way of eating after the Christmas period of heavy foods and a bloated, sugared out and sickly stomach.  I hate feeling this way and eating an almost plant based diet works wonders for me and I always feel better for it.  I know this kind of diet isn’t for everyone, but we are all different and I know what works for my body and what I love.

Over the Christmas period I may have put on a few pounds or I may not have.  I don’t really know as I never weigh myself these days and my clothes still fit just fine, but that’s not my point.  It’s all about the way I feel within myself and feeling heavy, bloated and lethargic because of what I eat doesn’t really appeal to me.  My cleaner eating will be derived from lots of dark leafy greens, raw foods, beans and lots of whole grains to help prevent any energy slumps which I’m prone to due to my wavering sugar levels.  I know most clean eating diets are ridiculed for small portions and making people feel ill, but this isn’t about being restrictive at all.  If I feel hungry between meals then I will eat-it’s as simple as that!

So as of yesterday my cleaner eating began starting with a workout at the gym, which included a 30 minute interval run on the treadmill followed by strength workout 1 and a 5 minute cool down on the bike.

For my post workout breakfast I made an awesome avocado green smoothie made using half an avocado, a banana, spinach, almond butter, water and some Midori greens.  The avocado made this so creamy and smooth.  I’ve been enjoying my smoothies without xanthan gum and guar gums the past few weeks to have a break from them for a while.  Most of the time without the gums the smoothies have been coming out more like juices, but using ice, frozen bananas or avocados is a great way to still have a creamy green smoothie.  I also snacked on a large persimmon mid-morning too.

Lunches the past few days has been a simple vegetable broth that I cooked up at the weekend.  It’s really quite soothing and comforting and is basically made from a mix of chopped vegetables, fresh tomatoes, spices and vegetable stock…yum!  I also snacked on two pink lady apples.

For some afternoon fuel out came the hummus with dates and raw carrots for dipping.  Hummus with veggies just makes the perfect snack for afternoon munchies. 😀

Later for dinner I raided the freezer for leftover Christmas vegetables, the last slice of my Festive Veggie Loaf and some swede chips with some ketchup. I love this veggie loaf and will definitely have to experiment with some different flavours and ingredients next time round.

In the evening I really wasn’t that hungry but wanted to snack on something so I had a few teaspoons of peanut butter, which really hit the spot.  Since I’ve been battling a sniffly nose and sore throat since Friday I’ve been drinking lots of hot water or green tea with lemon and honey.  I made a huge match yesterday evening in my new tea pot and it seems to be working wonders.

Day one of my clean eating didn’t go badly at all.  These eats are much cleaner than my festive eats and not restrictive.  I made sure that I was full without over eating and the lower sugar intake didn’t seem to affect my blood sugar too.

How did you find your first day back at work/college?

What was the best thing that you have eaten for this weeks WIAW?