Brussels Sprouts for Breakfast

Have you ever heard of the Whole30® Reset? I hadn't until recently. The basic idea is to eliminate certain food groups for 30 days, then slowly reintroduce them to see how your body responds. The goal is to identify foods that may not be serving you well and become more intentional about what you eat.

This year, I decided it was past time to pay more attention to my health. I've been making changes, literally, by walking more. I'm also working with a functional medicine nurse on a plan to improve some of my lab results. My first priority was sleep, and I've made some significant improvements by seeing a dentist who specializes in airway management. I now wear a mouth guard at night that helps keep my lower jaw from sliding backward.

So when I heard about the Whole30® Reset, it sounded like something I could try.

I hardly ever drink alcohol and already avoid added sugar except for cookies and ice cream. (So maybe I don't avoid added sugar lol.) I already knew I needed more protein and fiber so that didn't sound too difficult.

Well, it's not as simple as it sounds. Grocery shopping takes a little longer now because I am reading the ingredient labels to make sure what I'm buying is compliant. This isn't a "cutting back" diet, it's a "completely cut out all of it" reset. Avoiding sugar, seed oils, and grains is not easy. They are added to so many foods and "hidden" behind different names and you really need to pay attention. I bought a jar of almond butter thinking I was doing great but I forgot to read the label. This particular brand contains palm oil and sugar so it will need to wait until the end of the reset for me to eat it.

As I write this, I am on day 11 of this reset and so far so good. I hit a little stumbling block the first week when we traveled up north to the "deer shack" but it's all good. I thought that giving up dairy was going to be a huge challenge but that hasn't been an issue. I miss my Greek yogurt parfaits for breakfast but the food I'm eating is so healthy that I'm not sure I will go back to it when I'm able to.

Who Says You Can't Eat Brussels Sprouts for Breakfast?

Which brings me to the Brussels sprouts for breakfast. We have been programmed to believe that breakfast needs to be sweet-think cereal, pancakes, oatmeal, pastries. (Yum. Pastries.) Yes we also traditionally eat eggs and bacon but those are usually accompanied by toast or some other grain-based carb.

With this reset, the recommendation is to think of breakfast as "Meal 1" instead. I have been eating eggs most days, usually scrambled, with vegetables added in. Sometimes the eggs just don't sound good so I grab the leftovers from the night before and put them on my breakfast plate. The idea is to have a protein or two, vegetables and fruit. So today I had some breakfast sausage, blueberries, sliced avocado and needed a vegetable. I found leftover Brussels sprouts from two nights ago so those were added to my plate. Did you know that there are no breakfast police telling us that we can't eat vegetables, leftovers or even dinner for our first meal of the day? Who knew? On a related note- the book suggests that salad for breakfast can be a good thing but I just can't go there.

So I am having fun cooking more and finding ways to get more protein into my body everyday. One surprising thing I've realized is that I may not have been eating enough. I tend to graze throughout the day, and when I look at what I was actually eating, it wasn't close to what I needed.

One of the things I'm learning through this process is to be more intentional about my meals. Instead of constantly reaching for something to eat, I'm focusing on three balanced meals a day and, occasionally, a snack.

So this isn't a commercial for the Whole30® Reset. It's a reminder that sometimes we need to make a change when we realize that what we've been doing isn't working for us anymore.

I've learned that simply telling myself to cut back on the foods that aren't serving me well hasn't been enough.

For me, taking a more structured approach has been helpful. I'm not sure what the next 19 days will bring or whether I'll experience all the benefits I've been reading about. But I do know that I'm feeling better physically and emotionally, and that's a pretty good place to start.

And maybe that's the lesson here. Sometimes taking care of ourselves means trying something new, stepping outside of our comfort zone, and being willing to do things a little differently.

Does any of this resonate with you? Have you ever started making changes to improve your health, only to find yourself slipping back into old habits? Don't beat yourself up about it. Sometimes it takes a little experimentation to figure out what works for you.

And if you've ever eaten Brussels sprouts for breakfast, I'd love to hear about it!

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If you'd like to learn more about the Whole30® program, you can go to their website HERE.

A note about my experience: I'm sharing my personal experience with the Whole30 Reset. Everyone's nutritional needs and health circumstances are different. If you're considering a significant dietary change, consult with your healthcare provider to determine what is appropriate for you.