Wow- I just realized I have not had an entry in more than a
month. We came back from vacation on
July 13 and I started another whole30 the next day which will end this Thursday
Aug. 14. So I did my mini experiment of
introducing the forbidden 5, including alcohol, slowly at first as suggested by the
Hartwig’s in their book “ It Starts with Food” . Well of course I started with the alcohol as
we waited for our flight at the United Club lounge. I also enjoyed the perks of being in first
class by having my glass of champagne (okay, I had 2) before takeoff and wine with dinner. I skipped the bread basket and dessert during
my meals and chose Paleo as best as I could.
So far so good, aside from a little tummy ache, I was able to tolerate
the alcohol pretty well.
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| My first sip of wine after 30 days |
Our first stop was London.
We stayed at the lovely Langham Hotel and for 2 days, my husband and I met
up with one of my good friends from high school and her husband for an evening
of catching up, reminiscing, laughter and cocktails at their club, Annabelle's. We wandered the Picadilly area
where we took in a Musical, The Book of Mormons, in the West End (Check that
off my bucket list). We visited a couple of Pubs to catch some
world soccer fever and we got cultured by spending a few hours at the British
Museum. Yes I enjoyed more wine and
champagne but pretty much stuck to a Paleo diet for my meals. It was not until our last night in London
during dinner at the fabulous Fat of the Land where I indulged in some cheese
and dessert. Boy did I enjoy and savor
every bite, but I have to say, my tummy – not so much.
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| Selfie with the dapper doorman at the Langham |
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| On our way to meet some friends for a night out in London |
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| With my good friend Aimee at Annabel's |
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| a smooch from the Jedi Master |
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| Pistachio Tart - Yummy
Our next stop was the lovely and very charming city of
Brussels. Did you know that Belgium
produces over 3,400 beers and that Budweiser is not a beer – it is a chemical
according to our cab driver. Well then,
time to sample beer, and sample we did! At this point of our trip, I pretty much let
go of Paleo altogether. I sampled and enjoyed every
culinary treat Brussels had to offer including a wide variety of beer. I ate Belgian chocolates, I devoured Belgian
and Brussels waffles – yes there is a difference and I quite prefer the
Brussels waffle – lighter like a donut and sprinkled only with powdered sugar
= yummy. While not in season as the
locals eat mussels in October, I was not going to be denied my moules et frite
or mussels in Brussels with a side of fries.
How did I feel after a no holds bar introduction of the
forbidden 5 into my system which for the past 30 days was only being fed clean
– for the most part not too badly. I did
suffer from a few minor headaches, probably from the alcohol. I did not have any more tummy aches however,
without giving TMI – I had to use the public restrooms and pay .50 cent euros
each time in Brussels a lot! I mean a
lot! My body was revolting to the not so healthy stuff I was feeding it and let's leave it at that.
Our final stop was the city of Dublin. Friends have asked, “how was Dublin” and I
respond with “It exceeded my expectations in a good way”. Now my husband thinks, the city looked better
at night. While not as charming and
picturesque as Brussels, the city was clean and I so loved the cascading
hanging baskets of flowers that adorned the shops, pubs, homes and buildings in
the city. The Irish are just about the
friendliest people ever and boy do they know how to party. Our first morning in Dublin, we stopped in a
pub called O'Donoghues, advertising a full Irish breakfast at 9:15 am. We were told by the owner it was too early to
serve breakfast but he would serve us a drink…go figure. We had some of
the most amazing meals here in Dublin.
While I had every intention to do my very best, I wasn't able to stick to a Paleo diet while on vacation. I have no regrets eating my way through these cities… I am
still a foodie after all. I enjoyed
every bite and every calorie but I also could not wait to get back and start
another whole30 as I desperately needed to clean my act after being fueled by chocolate, waffles and beer among other things delicious. Now that my second
round is almost over, I will continue my #pff lifestyle with a sprinkling of
whole30’s here and there…and should I find myself in a situation where I might
indulge in a glass of fine wine or 2 or even some pasta at our favorite Italian
jaunt, IL Pizzico – I will enjoy it without any guilt because I know I’ve fed
my body enough good that a little infraction will do my body no harm.
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