Whole30

     Recently my mom and I were chatting on the phone when she told me about something called the Whole30. Apparently the ladies in her office were talking about it and she wanted to give it a try. She convinced me to do it with her and I have been hooked ever since. If you do not know what the Whole30 program is, you should definitely check it out! Certain food groups could be having a negative impact on your overall health without you even realizing it. Many symptoms are directly linked to the foods you eat. The Whole30 has you strip them out of your diet completely for 30 days. It was hard for me in the beginning, but after about the first week I noticed how much more energy I have. I also noticed that my moods seem to be more balanced and I feel really happy! I used to get down on myself sometimes when I was having one of  those "I am so fat" moods. I especially liked the rule of "no weighing yourself." There has been a countless number of times where I tried dieting and weighed myself so much that I would only get discouraged. By following this rule, I was able to stay on track and focused for the entire 30 days. Lastly, there is no calorie counting whatsoever. The goal is to eat until you are satisfied as long as you are eating things that are allowed. It is an awesome way to eat and feel healthy. For more details you can check it out here! Ihttp://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/

Below is one of my favorites recipes to make for breakfast. It keeps me plenty full until lunch and it is so tasty. Growing up I had never had sweet potatoes unless they were topped with brown sugar or marshmallows in a weird dish. I have always hated them until I started realizing they do not have to be super sweet. You can cook them with salty or spicy things and the sweetness counteracts it perfectly! 

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes 

Ingredients: 

Makes one Twice Baked Potato 

(My measurements are not approximate because I do not measure things very often when I am cooking) 

-1 Sweet Potato

-1/4 Onion

-1 Tsp. Garlic

-1/2 Jalapeño, seeded 

-2 slices of bacon (Be sure to find some that was not cured with sugar) 

-Creole Seasoning (or whatever your favorite seasoning is) 

-1 Egg

-Green Onion to sprinkle on top 

I began by poking holes in my sweet potato and putting it in the microwave. If you prefer, you can bake it at 400 degrees for about 45mins. I was in a hurry and did not have time for that! I microwaved mine for about 6 mins, flipping it over halfway through. The time might change depending on the size, so just keep checking it. 

While that was cooking I cooked my bacon in a skillet. I then chopped my onion, garlic, and Jalapeño. I am a huge fan of really spicy food so I use peppers and creole seasoning in almost everything I make. If you do not like that, you can simply leave it out. I then cooked the onion, garlic, and Jalapeño in the bacon grease. 

Next I sliced my sweet potato in half and hollowed out the insides, keeping the skin as my "bowl." I mashed the insides and added it to the skillet mixture as well as my seasonings. After everything was mixed, I put it back in the skin, leaving a small indent for my egg. 

I then cracked an egg, into the "sweet potato bowl" and sprinkled some seasonings on top as well as the bacon pieces and green onion. 

Lastly, I put it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Just keep an eye on it, and take it out when the egg is fully cooked.