Has anyone tried doing a whole 30? In this episode, I am talking with Jessica Baker — graphic designer and all around healthy lifestyle liver. Jess and I went to undergrad together, and we took opposite paths once we graduated. I headed to grad school, and Jess went straight to working for a graphic design firm in a big city. DC to be exact. Jess shares about how it was moving to a new town alone, how she made and continues to make adult friendships, and then we both go into all things Whole 30. She did her Whole 30 in January, and I just finished mine. If you’re looking for a new way to shed some light on your eating habits, and to get into a healthier lifestyle, Whole 30 might be your ticket. Take a listen to see if it’s right for you, and learn about tips and tricks that helped us during our experience.

Topics we cover:

— How family influences your career. In Jessica’s case, her interest in design started very early and her aunt who worked in the field was able to help her hone and develop that interest.
— Starting a new job in a new city, as Jessica moved from Iowa to Washington, DC for her first job almost immediately after graduation
— Making friends as an adult, the many places where you can make new friends, and the idea of making friends on the internet
— When to look for a new job and the thought process that led Jessica to looking for something new after 5 years with the same company
— Applying the mantra “done is better than perfect” when it comes to the job search
— Creating an online portfolio so that you can get your work out there quickly and easily without having to build a complicated website, and the importance of getting your work out there
— The differences between working at an agency versus being an in-house designer
— Trying out new jobs within the same profession to gain new skills and experiences
— Choosing your job based on your life values and the importance of location and environment to job satisfaction and work/life balance
— Incorporating a healthy lifestyle into your work routines
— Beginning a whole 30, including Jessica’s initial motivations for doing so, her doubts, and the results she experienced
— All about being on a whole 30, with lots of tips for making it easier and delicious recipes you can eat on the program
— Bulking changes together in life to make it easier to form new habits and lasting changes
— Anxiety, insomnia, mentally health, how burn out can be a major factor for entrepreneurs, and how I’m addressing this in my own life
— Using essential oils for relaxation
—

Show Links:

— Bumble BFF
— Whole30
— Truly, alcoholic sparkling water
— La Croix
— Behance
— Whole 30 Instagram + hashtag
— Gensler
— Nature Conservancy in DC
— 10% Happier, a book on one man’s journey of anxiety
— Young Living essential oils
— Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
— The Night Of
— Serial podcast

Make sure you follow Whole30 recipes on Insta or Facebook. They have great ideas. Nom Nom Paleo is a great recipe blog and same with meljoulwan.com Her cookbook is called Well Fed and I have considered buying it.

Pantry staples that make things easier:
— Sweet potatoes
— Avocados
— Eggs
— Primal Kitchen mayo (this stuff is amazing. I was never a huge mayo person until I had this. Can be added to so many recipes or dressings to make them creamy. Or use it for egg/chicken/tuna salad for an easy, quick lunch or dinner
— Coconut Aminos (soy sauce alternative and is used in many recipes. I use to to flavor my cauliflower rice a bit or use it as a sauce for stir fry)

Some concoctions I made up:
1-2 Fried eggs (in coconut oil or ghee), half of a baked sweet potato, half of an avocado (or the holy guacamole packs are compliant which saves me when I’m waiting for avos to ripen), compliant salsa or pico

Fried eggs, tomato sauce (Trader Joes brand is compliant), oregano, add paleo pesto after the eggs are cooked

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole

Spicy Tuna Cakes: These are my favorite. We make a double recipe, which makes 24 cakes. Eat them plain, on a salad or with a fried egg on top) I even simplified this recipe a bit by just eyeballing the sweet potato/tuna ratio and then adding cayenne instead of dealing with the jalapeño… Plus cayenne gives is better heat I think

Zucchini Noodle Sloppy Joes: I also eat this on a sweet potato sometimes.

Cauliflower rice tip: I don’t have a food processor but I have a powerful blender so I tore apart a head of cauliflower and put it in the blender with water. Blended it up and then drained it. Then I just toss it with some spices, olive oil and/or coconut Aminos and bake it at 350 on a cookie sheet for 30ish or so minutes. Just keep an eye on it and stir it occasionally. Trader Joes also sells pre-made cauli rice

Mason jar salads are a lifesaver for meal prepping lunches on Sunday. I’ve noticed I definitely need variety though or I get cranky so I aim for 2 types through the week

A nice sweet treat is a banana with almond butter but be careful about introducing this too early so you can truly get over the sugar cravings. I didn’t do this until the end.

The first couple days wont be too bad, the first weekend kinda sucks but once you get to day 15 it’s the easiest thing ever! I definitely started getting dizzy lightheaded the first weekend probably bc of the lack of carbs and sugar so that’s why I started eating more sweet potatoes to get the good carbs to get me through

Tweet it!

Tweet: Start before you’re ready: use the mantra “done is better than perfect” to help with your job search. http://ctt.ec/G25dc+

Tweet: Making friends as an adult can be hard, so maybe Internet friend dating isn’t so weird. http://ctt.ec/Occqa+

Tweet: Now I so look forward to the healthy things that I get to eat and prep and make and concoct out of everything that Whole30 is. http://ctt.ec/25HAv+

Tweet: Whole30 is like a reset button: it can change your taste buds, help you sleep better, & ease anxiety. http://ctt.ec/5H9SU+

Tweet: When you’re making one big change, it’s easier to make other big changes. http://ctt.ec/KJc8a+

Tweet: Reading a book forces you to forget about everything else; it’s a great way to reduce stress and anxiety. http://ctt.ec/kt2p5+

Tweet: Trying too hard to get it all “perfect” as an entrepreneur can lead to anxiety and burn out. http://ctt.ec/6H3k3+

Tweet: It’s never too late to go back to school or decide what you want to be when you “grow up.” http://ctt.ec/dq4eK+

Connect with Jessica:

— Instagram

Connect with Pinegate Road:

— Instagram: I’ve been LOVING sharing some daily happenings with the new stories feature — hope you’ll follow along there!
— Pinterest
— Facebook
— Twitter
— Are you interested in becoming a client? Get in touch about working with Pinegate Road to build your brand foundation!