Whole30 Sweet Potato Meatball Sheet Pan Roast

Sheet pan meals are the best, because they're the equivalent of one-pot meals, but better, because THAT GOLDEN CHAR gets me every time.

This recipe is SO easy. It's great for meal prep, or even just to throw together on a weeknight! Here's the recipe:

Whole30 Sweet Potato Meatball Sheet Pan Roast

1.5# carrots, chopped into coins

1.5# fingerling potatoes, cut in half

2 heads organic broccoli, cut into florets (about 8 cups)

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

1# ground pork

1# ground beef

2/3 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato

2.5 tsp salt

2 tsp dried sage

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp fennel seed

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Distribute the carrots and potatoes evenly between the baking sheets and drizzle each sheet with 1 tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Toss to combine. Bake for 20 minutes, tossing half way through. 

3. While the veggies are roasting, toss the broccoli florets with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside. In another large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potato with all of the remaining spices and mix well. Add the ground meat and mix until evenly distributed, taking care not to over-mix. Form approximately 32 meatballs using a 1 oz scoop (or your hands).

4. After 20 minutes of roasting the potatoes and carrots, remove the trays from the oven and increase the temperature to 425. Add half of the broccoli to each sheet and carefully toss to combine. Nestle the meatballs among the veggies on the two trays.

5. Increase the heat to 425 and put the trays back in the oven for 15 minutes, until meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165 and veggies are golden and tender.

NOTE: You can use any veggies you have and any ground meat that you prefer. The key is to give the more dense veggies a head start by roasting them for a period of time on their own before adding the rest! This meal is also easy to make AIP friendly by subbing the potatoes for cubed sweet potato and omitting the fennel seed!

Enjoy!

GAPS Friendly Whole30 Compliant Weekly Meal Plan (AIP Adaptable)

Over the past several years I've learned to be pretty in tune with my digestion. I have a good feel for what sets it off and what I can handle, and I know what signs to look for to indicate to take a step back. Every once in a while, however, I still hit periods of time where my digestion is sub-par, and I can't pinpoint any particular reason why. 

When these times come, I simplify my diet to one that worked for me right after my SIBO treatment in 2016. It's an all cooked version of full GAPS, with some AIP and low FODMAP modifications. I do usually keep some sprouted nuts/seeds and eggs in my diet (not AIP compliant) unless things are really bad, because I generally do well with them. 

Here's this week's GAPS friendly (and AIP adaptable) meal plan:

Breakfast: Spaghetti Squash Porridge // You can find this recipe here! I topped it off with sprouted sunflower seeds and tahini, which correspond with my current phase of seed cycling. To make this AIP, I like to make the base out of spaghetti squash, coconut milk, and mashed banana, and served with a protein on the side. I also like to mix in come collagen peptides!

Lunch: Simple Chicken Soup // This soup is so easy to make! All I did was put a whole chicken in my Instant Pot with 2 tsp salt, cover with filtered water, and cook on high manual pressure for 30 minutes. When finished cooking, I let the pressure release naturally, then carefully removed the chicken and set aside to cool. I transferred the broth to a large pot on the stovetop where I simmered 1# chopped carrots and about 4 cups of chopped celery for 7 minutes, then added in 1.5# chopped zucchini. While the veggies were cooking, I separated the chicken from the bones and added it into the pot as well! (Save the bones for a future batch of bone broth!) I top it off with green onions and parsley to serve.

Dinner: Beef and Liver Meatballs with Steamed Broccoli and Acorn Squash // Any ground meat will do, but this week I used a ground beef and liver mixture for my meatballs. I'm experimenting with well steamed broccoli florets to see how I do with them, and added some acorn squash that I cut in half and steamed in my Instant Pot for 8 minutes before mashing with some cinnamon and cloves.

In addition to simplifying my food, I'll also be supporting my digestion by paying special attention to eating mindfully and without distraction, as well as to taking a minute to get into rest and digest mode by taking a few deep breaths before starting to eat.

Have a great week!

-Tracey

Blueberry Basil Frittata + Weekly Meal Plan

Would you believe this prep only took me 1 hour to pull together? See this post for a few of my top strategies for increasing your efficiency in the kitchen!

I'm going to keep this blog short and sweet because it's a beautiful day outside and a walk is calling my name, but many of you messaged me saying that you were curious about the frittata, so I wanted to make sure I sent out the recipe!

Here's this week's meal plan:

Breakfast: Blueberry Basil Frittata // I know, call me crazy, but it works!! Think crepe, but much heartier! I wanted to work some veggies in here as well, so I layered some zucchini slices on the bottom of a large pyrex (about 3 medium ones, sliced 1/4" thick) and topped with some sautéed spinach (1 bag, 5 oz) before adding a couple handfuls of chopped basil and 1 bag of TJ's frozen wild organic blueberries (thawed and drained). I whipped up 12 eggs with about 1/2 cup of the new Vanilla Lemon nutpods creamer and 1 tsp salt and poured that over the top, then baked it at 350 for about 35 minutes until the eggs were cooked through! (TRACEY25 for 25% off nutpods!)

Lunch: No Cook // This week I added in some Epic Beef and Liver bites to mix it up along with one of my favorites, AYOBAYO Droewors sticks (10% off with wholedailylife). As usual, I like to use ZUPA NOMA soups as easy veggies (15% off with wholedailylife)! If I don't have any soups on hand, then I swap in sliced cucumbers and radishes. I added some carb from an apple and some extra healthy fat from a handful of Pili Nuts! If you've never had a pili nut, it tastes like the softest most buttery macadamia nut you can imagine. They are delicious!! I talk more about my template and why I include the things that I do on this post. 

Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with Marinara and Sausage // I found Rao's Homemade Marinara sauce on sale recently for $5 per jar and scooped up a few. This stuff is the real deal, and you can tell by the taste. It's the best jarred pasta sauce I've had, and there are no preservatives, added sugars, or junk! All I did for this meal was steam two small spaghetti squash (cut open and de-seeded) in my  for 7 minutes and then quick release, scoop out the squash from the peel and top with the marinara, and add some US Wellness Meats sugar-free pork sausage that I cooked on the stovetop while the squash was steaming!

As always, if I'm hungry in the evening I add another snack or mini meal, usually a smoothie, a bar, or some leftovers. 

If you try the frittata I'd love to hear what you think!

Have a great week!

-Tracey

How To Get Out Of A Meal Planning Rut + Weekly Meal Plan

It might look like I'm a meal planning pro, but I still get stuck in a rut sometimes!! Last week was one of those weeks. Nothing was really sounding good, I felt like I had been eating the same thing on repeat for weeks, and I wasn't feeling inspired to come up with anything creative. When this happens, there are a few things that I do to spark my creativity and get the ball rolling!

How to get out of a meal planning rut:

-look at past meal plans (#wholedailylifemealplans is a great resource for this!)

-pull out some cookbooks (I love the original 21 Day Sugar Detox book, Nourish (AIP), and The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook)

-search on Pinterest for terms like #whole30, #onepot, etc.

-look in the fridge/freezer/pantry to see what is already on hand and try to make meals out of that

-go for something simple, like a no-cook plate or a pot of soup!

-let good enough be good enough; meals don't have to be elaborate or fancy, they just need to be nourishing!

Here's this week's meal plan:

Breakfast: Creamy Lemon Chicken and Kale Stew // You can find the recipe by AIP Lifestyle here. I have been making this for years and it never disappoints! I especially love starting my day with this because it is so easy on the digestion.

Lunch: Tuna Cakes with Haricots Verts // I didn't used to be able to eat green beans, but I've been doing just fine with these! I steam them well (about 10 minutes) so they're super soft and that's it. For the tuna cakes, I used this recipe as inspiration, but modified it pretty heavily because that's just how I roll when it comes to cooking! They are packed with flavor from the smoked paprika (which I tripled). I also wanted to mention that the ONLY tuna I use is Safe Catch, because each fish is lab tested to be well below the acceptable limit for mercury content. I have a double MTHFR gene mutation, which hinders my body's ability to detox, so mercury isn't something I'm willing to mess around with!

Dinner: Curried Beef with Sautéed Red Cabbage // The curried beef recipe is in my ebook, Weeknight Paleo. It's one of those "chop it all up and toss it in a pan" kind of meals, and there is tons of flavor from the curry! Red cabbage is another food that I didn't used to tolerate at all, but since I have healed my gut, I've been doing well with it. All I did here was add about 2 tbsp coconut oil and 1 cup of water in a large pot with 1 head of thinly sliced cabbage and let it cook for about 40 minutes until very tender. I didn't Add any seasoning to this other than a bit of salt since the curried beef has so much flavor!

Snack: I'm bringing a little Zupa veggie shot to work each day, and will probably pair this with some jerky or nuts. I do my best to eat intuitively, which means that if I'm hungry, I'll have more food, and if I'm not, I might not need it. (wholedailylife for 15% off your Zupa order!)

This entire meal plan is both Whole30 and 21 Day Sugar Detox compliant!

Have a wonderful week!

-Tracey

Healing Hashimoto's and SIBO

This post has been a long time coming, and after doing an Instagram Live a few weeks ago where I talked all about my story since my diagnosis in 2014, I finally sat down to write it! I'm going to try to break this down into sections for easy reading, but if there's anything I've left out or that you would like more information on, please feel free to ask in the comments here or on Instagram!

It's long, but there's a lot of information here, and I hope you find it helpful!

Initial symptoms:

I first tuned in to the fact that something wasn't right in September of 2014. I had a persistent abdominal pain on my right side that I couldn't get to go away, no matter what I tried. I explored all of the options that Western medicine had to offer: a GI consult, an ultrasound, endoscopy, colonoscopy, etc etc. Nobody could give me any answers, and after reassuring me that they didn't see anything worth worrying about (I was afraid of something like a structural abnormality or a growth), they sent me home with the explanation of "it must just be IBS."

I was having ongoing pain, so obviously something wasn't right, and I decided to seek out another opinion from a naturopath. I was having other symptoms at the time as well, but didn't realize it until she started asking me some specific questions at my first visit. These symptoms included lots of brain fog, fatigue, lack of excitement/passion for life, cold hands and feet, and amenorrhea (lack of a period). She ran a bundle of lab tests, including a breath test, and then I waited.

About a week later I got all of the results, which showed that I had a positive breath test for SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which I had never heard of) and Hashimoto's antibodies above the testable lab limit of 900. I wasn't surprised about the SIBO once I learned what it was, because it explained the bloating, gas, pain, and constipation that I was experiencing, but thyroid issues weren't even on my radar! I also tested positive for H Pylori.

This kind of bloat was a daily occurrence.

Initial recommendations:

The first thing that my ND did was prescribe a round of Rifaximin + Metronidazole for the SIBO, followed by a low dose of Erythromycin as a prokinetic for 3 months. She also recommended a low FODMAP diet both during and after treatment, but that's all she really changed from my diet. Herbal antibiotics are also an option for treating SIBO (you can find more info about this on siboinfo.com) but I didn't know that at the time. I also didn't know that it is generally recommended NOT to eat a low FODMAP diet during antibiotics, because this is associated with a better eradication of the bacteria.

I was eating a loosely paleo diet already, but up until that point, would still have gluten once a week or so, at an event, date night, etc, which I stopped doing immediately because it is a common trigger in Hashimoto's. She also recommended a thyroid support supplement and an adrenal support supplement, as my cortisol was borderline out of balance. Her hope was that by treating the SIBO first, the other things would regulate as well. She did not treat the H Pylori at that time.

My take on diet:

My diagnosis came in December of 2014, and I decided that in January of 2015 I was going to go on the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol, which I had been using with patients with great success for at least a year. I also did some food sensitivity testing using the LEAP/MRT test, and continued with a low FODMAP diet. When I overlaid all of these protocols, I was left with a VERY narrow food list (at one point less than 10 foods), but I was determined. This is one thing that I do differently in my practice now, as I have found that an overly restrictive diet is often counterproductive, but I won't get into that here. I launched into the protocol with gusto and started the two antibiotics for SIBO at the same time.

I followed this protocol for 3 months, during which I also moved across the country from Seattle to Austin. I had no noticeable improvement in my bloating, gas, or pain, but at the three month mark I did go get my Hashimoto's antibodies tested, and they had come down to around 700, which I was proud of! At that point I decided to go ahead and start to bring some foods back in. I knew that to stay true to the AIP protocol, I should wait until my antibodies were at goal (<35), but the compounded limitations of the three diets were wearing on me. I began cautiously reintroducing foods with no noticeable consequences. 

Life happened:

Of course, as soon as I established care with a new ND in Austin (who put me on a maca supplement to try to help me regain my period, unsuccessfully), my husband and I moved across the country again. This time we moved to San Diego, where I needed to establish care with a new practitioner once again. I started working with a naturopath who decided to re-treat me for SIBO, as well as treat the H Pylori. She also ran a stool test which showed an overgrowth of a different bacteria, so she decided to treat that as well, with the mentality "let's just wipe everything out and then rebuild." This was a (negative) turning point in my health, because I was on 5 antibiotics over the course of 4 weeks, and I just don't think my system could bounce back from it. However, I was so desperate for any kind of relief from my symptoms at that point that I didn't even question it.

There were a few positive things that came out of my time with this ND though. She discovered that I have a homozygous 677T MTHFR gene mutation, which means that my methylation capacity is around 30%. Methylation affects everything, but in particular, detoxification, so I started supplementing with methylated B vitamins (MethylGuard Plus by Thorne) as well as doing things to support my liver, like castor oil packs (I have shared about this on Instagram in my "getting well" story highlight, but can do a post on it too if folks are interested!). She also tested for various other autoimmune conditions, and I showed up with some Scleroderma antibodies too. I did undergo a thorough workup at the Mayo Clinic around this same time for both the Scleroderma and my ongoing digestive issues, but they didn't have any answers for me either. 

Waiting for a CT scan at the Mayo Clinic, where I spent a week and a half doing every kind of test imaginable to try and figure it all out.

However, I was still having extensive bloating, pain, and gas, my antibody numbers weren't moving, my thyroid was still sluggish, and my period was still MIA. My ND wasn't sure where to go next, and wanted to continue to wait it out and do stool tests every few months to see if things were changing. I wanted to be more proactive than that, so I sought out a new naturopath once again. (Moral of the story: don't be afraid to seek out a new doctor if yours isn't supporting you the way that you need!)

Finally, some progress:

I started working with a new ND in November of 2016. She did a fresh batch of lab work (which I'm always a fan of), including some testing for underlying viral infections and different genetic mutations. A few things cropped up: I tested positive for both Epstein Barr (which has a high correlation with Hashimoto's) and Cytomegalovirus. The testing also revealed that I have some genetic SNP's (single nucleotide polymorphisms) for Vitamin D and Nitric Oxide processing. Low vitamin D is associated with a myriad of health concerns, including autoimmunity, and low nitric oxide is associated with cardiovascular issues and for me in particular, brain fog. (This test also revealed that I am slow to process sulfites, which is why alcohol always gives me a headache. This is also correlated to histamine intolerance, so I was on a low histamine diet for several weeks until I was able to get this system up to speed again with some strategic supplementation.)

Treatment plan:

With this new information, I increased my dose of Vitamin D and started a supplement that is a precursor to nitric oxide. Immediately I noticed an improvement in my brain fog! I also agreed to bump up my dose of compounded T3, which I had started a few months prior. My levels were borderline, and since thyroid is interwoven with other hormone systems AND digestion, we decided to be a little more aggressive. After about 4 years without a period, I also decided to start supplementing bio-identical progesterone at her recommendation. This approach isn't for everyone, but it was what my body needed (all of my hormone levels were postmenopausal, and I was only 28). Last but not least, I also increased my prescription of Low Dose Naltrexone, which acts as both a prokinetic (to prevent a SIBO relapse) as well as an immune system modulator. (More info on that here.)

In response to the viral infections, I also started an antiviral protocol. I used this colloidal silver (1 tbsp TID, this is also great when you feel like you're getting sick!), this monolaurin (2 capsules TID), Artecin by Thorne (1 BID), and started doing IV therapy (Vitamin C and H2O2, one of each per week). All of this was targeting the underlying viral infections, which were continuing to trigger my Hashimoto's, and subsequently, my digestive issues. I believe this is one of the factors that helped me reach a turning point in my health. 

There were a few other key supplements that I was already using that I continued:

-L Glutamine by Thorne, 1 scoop AM/PM on empty stomach with water; this is one of my most recommended supplements for healing the gut!

-MegaSporeBiotic, 2 capsules daily with breakfast (this one has been a GAME CHANGER for my gut health and I recommend it to everyone with gut issues // you can order this from me directly through the contact form on my website)

-FloraSport by Thorne, 2 capsules in AM on empty stomach; I tried about a dozen probiotics before finding the ones that work for me

-MBC by Systemic Formulas, 1-2 capsules at bedtime on an empty stomach (this is a practitioner only brand, you can order this from me directly through the contact form on my website)

-Multivitamin Elite by Thorne, to make sure my nutrition intake was covered while I was on a super restricted diet

-digestive enzymes and HCL to aid in digestion (there are differing opinions about the use of digestive enzymes, but I have found them helpful!)

-NAC for liver support

And a few that I added:

-SAT by Thorne, for additional liver support

-Meriva by Thorne, to reduce inflammation

-Berberine, to help prevent a SIBO relapse and support blood sugar balance

-Moducare, to reduce Hashimoto's antibodies

-Theanine, to decrease anxiety, which is common with Hashimoto's

Progress:

I didn't notice a difference immediately, but after a couple of months, I realized that my bloating wasn't as pronounced, and there were days when I didn't really notice the abdominal pain. At my first follow up about 3 months later, we did lab work that showed that my Hashimoto's antibodies had come down to around 500! We did not re-test the viruses at that time. Since things were moving along, we kept with the same protocol.

Since then, my protocol has stayed pretty much the same. I went to Europe for my 5th anniversary in April of 2017 and ate pretty everything except gluten while I was away. I had dairy almost every day, some gluten free grains, and definitely indulged in the gelato! I did take all of my supplements with me (which took up about 1/4 of my backpack, hah), and when I came back, I was happy to find that my numbers hadn't regressed at all. I also decreased the frequency of my IV's to twice per month instead of weekly, and added in acupuncture. I FINALLY got my mercury amalgam fillings out, which I think definitely made a difference, because my numbers had stalled for about 6 months and after that, they dropped another 200 points! I also bumped my thyroid dose up one more time to what we have discovered is my optimal dose, and slowly but surely, my periods are getting back on track.

The key thing to note here is that I wasn't treating JUST the Hashi or JUST the SIBO, but rather addressing all of the body systems that weren't quite up to speed. The body is a cohesive unit, and if something is out of balance, something else will pay the toll. As I addressed my body from a holistic perspective, everything started to improve.

A little more on IV therapy:

I get a lot of questions on IV's, and it's something I try to share about on my Instagram on a regular basis. In short, both the Vitamin C and the Hydrogen Peroxide IV's that I do are targeting the underlying viral infections, but they work in slightly different ways. The H2O2 converts to oxygen and water in the bloodstream, and as the oxygen works its way through the body, it helps to eradicate any infections that are anaerobic (aka live without oxygen). The Vitamin C IV is 100% bioavailable, and because it goes directly into the bloodstream (as opposed to being digested and then absorbed), it is able to much more effectively reach all of the tissues in the body, where it acts as an antioxidant and helps to reduce oxidative stress. It also targets infections and is frequently used in cancer treatment as well.

I have not experienced any major side effects from IV therapy. If the drip is too fast, the Vit C can cause nausea, and the H2O2 can cause some achey feelings in the arm and shoulder similar to the feeling of a sore muscle, but my tolerance to both has significantly increased as I have continued to use them. There is no "down time" afterwards, and I get right back to normal life immediately.

There's not a ton of research on these because they are much more of an alternative therapy, but I have found them to be incredibly beneficial! I do pay out of pocket for them, and I budget for them like I do with any other big expense. The Vitamin C IV is $150 and the H2O2 is $100, but I'm able to purchase in a package at my naturopath's office for a slight discount. Insurance does not cover them, but I have been able to get them reimbursed by my flex spending account. 

Triggers/Causes:

It's hard to say what it was that caused all of this to start so many years ago, but I believe there are a few different factors. My digestion has always tended toward constipation, and growing up I ate a ton of candy and junk food (I was a very picky eater). Coupled with a history of regular antibiotic use for things like upper respiratory infections and sinus infections, I think my gut was compromised from the beginning. Then, in 2011 I started taking hormonal birth control, which I believe further impaired my gut and disrupted my hormones (which had always been balanced up until that point). I used hormonal birth control for about 18 months before I lost my period entirely and my gut symptoms really started to flare up. That is when all of this really started, back in late 2014. I also spent several years of my life growing up in a house with mold, which we learned about after the fact. Given my MTHFR genetics, which hinders my body's ability to detox, I think this was another factor that put my body into overload and created a condition for things to get out of hand. I believe that the viruses were one of my underlying triggers, which caused my thyroid to get out of balance, which subsequently caused the SIBO, which exacerbated the leaky gut, which continued to trigger the Hashimoto's, and so on and so forth. As you can see, it's all very intertwined!

A few specifics on SIBO:

After my second round of Rifaximin, I followed a combination of the GAPS + low FODMAP diets. I held off on supplementing probiotics again for a couple of months. When I did start supplementing, it took me a few tries to figure out the ones that worked the best for me. As mentioned above, I have had the most success with the following:

-MegaSporeBiotic, 2 capsules daily with breakfast (this one has been a GAME CHANGER for my gut health and I recommend it to everyone with gut issues // you can order this from me directly through the contact form on my website)

-FloraSport by Thorne, 2 capsules in AM on empty stomach

-MBC by Systemic Formulas, 1-2 capsules at bedtime on an empty stomach (this is a practitioner only brand that is amazing for recolonizing the digestive tract after antibiotics, you can order this from me directly through the contact form on my website)

When I first started incorporating probiotics and ramping up my dose, I had to go slow. However, I believe that my gut was so depleted from all of the antibiotics that there were just not any good bugs left! At the recommendation of my naturopath, I bumped up my dosage significantly after a few months, and at one point was on 200+ billion CFU per day. It took about 6 months after my second SIBO treatment for me to see a significant improvement in my bloating, gas, and pain. It was slow, but steady progress, and I believe it was a result of treating the underlying viruses, optimizing my thyroid, and finding the probiotics that worked for me. 

Where I am now:

I'm not quite at goal yet with my Hashimoto's antibodies, but they are on their way and making consistent progress. The rest of my thyroid labs are at goal. The other autoimmune antibodies that popped up, Scleroderma, went from severely elevated to below the detectable limit. At my most recent lab tests, both viruses were completely in remission. My pain is gone, except when I do things that I know that I shouldn't, like eat when I'm in a hurry or graze all day. (I can talk more about how I get myself out that in another post as well.) Last but not least, my brain fog is gone, I have energy to get through the day, and I feel a sense of adventure and passion again! Two years ago I never would have thought any of this was possible. While it has been an expensive journey and at times felt like I would never see progress, when I reflect on how far I've come I am so incredibly grateful to have the health that I have worked so hard for. With the exception of the antibiotics and a couple of other prescriptions, it has all been a predominantly holistic approach.

As I have been writing this, I have realized that there are SO many other factors that I would like to address, such as exercise, mindset, sleep, stress, and more. Each of these has had an impact on my health as well. I might have to come back and write a Part 2 to talk about those!

I'm definitely not perfect, but have learned so much about how to tune into my body, how to slow down when I need it, and how to take note of the foods that don't sit well with me. I hope my story is encouraging or helpful to you in some way. If there's only one thing that you take away, I hope it is to keep digging for your root cause and keep asking questions until you find the answers!

With love,

Tracey

UPDATE: I have taken all of the information that I have learned through my journey and successfully used it with several clients to help them heal their Hashimoto’s as well. After seeing just how powerful this information is, I co-created an online course to help get this information out to MORE people! You can download my free PDF all about the top 5 things I have done to heal my Hashi naturally and learn more about that course here.

Now, as long as I'm taking care of myself, I live a pretty normal life with minimal symptoms!