Whole 30-ish

This past weekend while Mike was away, I hit a wall.  As I sat at the dinner table eating smiley fries alongside Max, not only did I start to feel kind of, for lack of better word, gross, it also dawned on me how horribly I have been taking care of myself lately.

Ever since my first pregnancy, I have developed quite the sweet tooth.  Junk and carbs have been my jam. Sourdough toast has been my go-to breakfast, and the festive Halloween treats have certainly gotten the best of me.

I have been sluggish, worn out, hungry all the time... even though I just ate (carbs), and I hate the way my clothes fit.

I was in such an amazing place when I got pregnant with Ella last summer.  I had proven to myself that having a body that I loved, even post-baby, was totally possible.  I was eating healthy, and exercising, and I felt amazing. I had also just completed my very first Whole 30.

Now let me be honest with you, I call my version of this, my Whole 30-ish diet.  I lovingly refer to it as this, because I do not 100% abide by the Whole 30 or Paleo guidelines.  My goal is simply this: to cut out all refined carbs, dairy, sugars, and unnatural foods as much as possible for 30 days in order to sort of detox my body from the unhealthy foods it has become addicted to.

Will I do this long term?  Probably not.  Do I think it is necessary for everyone? Absolutely not.  It's just that it has worked wonders for me in the past.  Not only for weight loss, but as an energy booster, and as a way of reminding myself what REAL food actually is, and that most of it doesn't come from a box.

I am not preaching, I am not recommending, I am not claiming expertise on any of this in any way.  I just want to use my blog as a means to share about my journey, and to share some of the recipes I love, as well as products that I have found and really enjoy, for anyone who might even have a speck of interest in any of this.

Ok... disclaimer over.  Now... I promised my Instagram followers that I would share the recipe I made the other night for Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili.

This recipe is something I adapted from a recipe I found on Pinterest.  I added some things and changed a few things, and both my husband and I agreed, the result was some really tasty chili.  If you're not into ground turkey, feel free to use ground chicken or ground beef, by all means.  Also, we like things a little spicy around here, but I will provide some milder options in the instructions.

Please understand, that recipe writing isn't exactly my strongest skill, as I generally am a "pinch of this, dash of that" type of cook.  Truly though, I think this recipe would be hard to mess up.  In a little over 30 minutes, you should have a healthy, hearty, gluten free, paleo, yet still very tasty, bowl of chili.

Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili
adapted from Skinny Taste

Ingredients:
4 slices of bacon
1 pound of lean ground turkey
1/2 cup of yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can of Rotel (I used the spicy version, opt for the mild if you don't like the heat)
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (you can also omit this for less spice)
a couple of dashes of hot sauce (such as Tobasco, use your judgement here, the more you add, the spicier it will be)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a dutch oven or large pot, cook bacon according to directions.  I like mine crispy, so that is how I cooked it. Remove from pan and rest on paper towel-lined plate.

Add onion and garlic to remaining bacon fat and saute over medium heat for a moment until slightly translucent, then add turkey. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned.

Add Rotel, tomato sauce, chicken stock, sweet potato, and all remaining spices.

Cover and simmer over medium-low for about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. Crumble bacon and toss into pan.

Top with avocado and/or cilantro

If you guys have any questions or comments, if you try anything different, or if you make this as is, I'd love to hear what you think.  I hope you enjoy!
-J