I’ve kept track of what I eat on MyFitnessPal for a few years now, on and off. But after reading Skin Cleanse by Adina Grigore (SO GOOD. READ IT.) last week, I took her advice and kept a five-day food journal of every last thing I put into my mouth and how I felt after eating it. What I found was that I eat pretty healthy during the week (though weekends be damned, I’m eating that burger) and almond butter might be making me feel sick, as well as kale.
Monday:
1 cup mango green tea
8am: Breakfast: almond butter, coconut milk, banana, pineapple, protein powder smoothie. Felt full after.
9:15am: Coffee with almond extract in it. Felt bloated after.
11am: Snack: 1.5tbsp creamy pb. A little less hungry after.
12:30pm: Lunch: quinoa and black bean salad and a beef skewer. With two cups of water. Felt really gross and bloated after.
3pm: Snack: one slice whole wheat toast with a tbsp of Nutella. 11 snap pea crisps. Two cups of water. Felt OK after eating it.
7pm: Sample of ommergang beer. Two cups of water.
7:45pm: Dinner: beef brisket sandwich with hot sauce, pickles, and pickled onions on a potato bun. Felt fine after it.
10:30pm: Two more cups of water.
Tuesday:
20 minutes on the elliptical
7am: 1 cup mango green tea, 1 cup water. Feel hungry and tired.
9am: whole wheat english muffin with one egg on it and sriacha. Two chunks of pineapple. I started to drink coffee with milk, coconut sugar, and cinnamon but felt sick after one sip. One cup of water. One cup green tea.
10am: Snack: 1tbsp of creamy organic peanut butter.
1pm: 1 baby carrot, ¾ cup of grilled cauliflower (felt a little bloated after), 2oz grilled chicken, 2 cups kale salad with a lemony dressing, ¼ cup cashews, 1 cup water. Felt a little bloated but probably because I ate too much.
2pm: 1 cup green tea
2:45: 10 sweet cherries
3:30: 12 almonds (salted)
4pm: german chocolate cupcake, One cup of water
6pm: 70 minute yoga class
1 cup of water
8:30: had a big cramp that went away quickly.
8:45pm: 4.5oz of greek gods yogurt with 1 tbsp honey, 8 black berries, and 1/3 cup Trader Joes mango granola.
Snack: 1 cup lemon green tea. One quarter of a small dark chocolate with almonds bar. Felt fine after.
Wednesday:
30 mins on elliptical.
Drank a cup of lemon seltzer during it.
7am: 1 cup lemon green tea
8:15am: smoothie with one frozen banana, ½ cup frozen mango, ½ cup frozen cherries, 1/3 cup fresh blueberries, 2oz greek yogurt, 2/3 cup vanilla coconut milk.
10:15am: 6oz of coffee with a tbsp of milk. 1 cup of water. Was cramping up all morning.
12:30pm: six baby carrots, ½ cup of zucchini, 2 oz of chicken w sriacha, 1.5 tbsp of hummus, one piece of whole wheat toast, 1.5tbsp creamy organic pb with 1/3 of slice banana, and 1tbsp honey.
3pm: medium pink lady apple, 1 cup of water
4pm: 1 container vanilla greek yogurt, 1 cup of water
7:30pm: 3 chipotle crispy chicken tacos with lettuce, pico, hot sauce, a little cheese and a little sour cream. 1 cup of water.
8:20pm: ¼ of a small bar of dark chocolate with almonds. 2 cup of water
9pm: 1 summer ale Brooklyn lager, 1 cup of water
Thursday:
8:15am: 1 cup of coffee with 1/2oz whipped cream, 1tsp almond extract, 1/2tsp cinnamon. Felt good!
9:30am: 2 egg whites with hot sauce on whole wheat toast. Small coffee with almond milk, almond extract, and cinnamon. 2 cups of water.
12:30pm: 1 berry pomegranate cliff bar
2:45pm: 12oz coconut nectar tumeric, 3oz grilled chicken w sriacha, ½ slide zucchini with 2tbsp hummus
4:30: 1 container of vanilla greek yogurt with 10 cherries. ½ salted chocolate chip cookie from dean and deluca. Felt full for a while after.
9:15pm: 1 slice of Ezekiel bread with 1.5tbsp of crunchy almond on it and 1/3 cup blueberries and 1/2tbsp honey.
1 cup lemon green/sleepy time tea
Friday:
80 sit ups
30 mins on elliptical
½ cup lemon green tea
8am: banana bread Luna bar. 1 cup coffee with 1tbsp whipped cream and 1/4tsp cinnamon.
9:45am: ½ cinnamon raisin bagel, toasted, with 2tbsp creamy pb and 1/3 sliced banana. 1 cup water.
11:50am: Ate half of salted chocolate chip cookie from dean and deluca.
12:15pm: restorative yoga class.
1:45pm: dean and deluca samples: one strip of French cheese, one greek yogurt covered berry, one strip of bread.
2pm: 1 cup kale salad, 2 bites of Caesar salad, 2oz of grilled chicken, one half slice of mozzarella, two cucumbers slices, two pieces of broccoli.
2:45: ½ cinnamon raisin bagel with 2 tbsp of creamy pb. 1 cup of water. ¼ coconut nectar elixir tumeric.
4:15pm: ½ tumeric elixir, 1 shot of tequila
5:15pm: one chunk of red cheese and half of a cracker from TJ’s.
6:20pm: 1 speculoos cookie.
8:20pm: 2 speculoos cookies, one summer honey wheat ale.
9:15pm: 3oz grilled chicken, sliced yellow squash sautéed, 7 baby carrots. 1 cup seltzer.
10pm: one chocolate chip cookie, 1 cup lemon green tea.
And that’s that. So, kale/quinoa/coffee too early make me sick. If you notice anything that I didn’t, let me know! And if you notice you’re feeling a little odd, I suggest you do this for 3-5 days too. It can be really eye-opening.