The last few days have brought some significant changes to my home.
After much discussion, my husband agreed to join me on my second Whole30, which began just a couple of days ago.
Why is this such a big deal?
My husband is a die-hard dairy-loving gluten-eating sugar-binging wonderful man.
Don’t get me wrong…he is fully supportive of our gluten-free household. In fact, once it was realized just how sensitive I am to gluten and how any amount of it in a house with five children was going to find its way into my body, he was the first to say gluten had to go!
That doesn’t mean he stopped eating it though. He just doesn’t eat it at home.
So for him to agree to eat only what I give him and ditch his beloved Monsters and snacks at the local convenience store (yuck!) for an entire 30 days…well, that means a lot!
Forget the fact that I need to wake up an extra 30 minutes earlier to ensure I can feed him a good breakfast before he leaves for work; forget the fact that he protests, often in jest, to the level of health he is now enjoying at every meal (not just dinner anymore!); forget all of this and rejoice with me that he is willing to eliminate the junk and do what is right, both inside and out (at least for the next 30 days but I am aiming for beyond!).
To this point though, I haven’t been able to get my spouse to read either the original e-book The Whole30 Success Guide or our copy of It Starts with Food (ISWF), both written by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, both containing the vital information regarding Whole30 (although ISWF is far more detailed with both scientific and logical information related to the Whole30 plan. Either way, you are guaranteed a great read).
To counteract this reality, he quizzes me several times a day about what is allowed and what is not allowed, he trusts me to feed him only what is safe and asks me before he eats anything I haven’t directly offered.
His number one complaint? No soda!
Today I stated to him plainly, “You are a sugar addict, a caffeine addict and a carb fiend. I am too. I did this plan all on my own and found success in it. You can do this, I am here to help.”
As a compromise I am doing all I can to offer him drinks, just once a day, that are on-plan but just enough to keep him from getting (as he said) “bored with all this water.”
Today I whipped up a batch of this Cherry-Lime flavored water, first with mineral water then with filtered water. To my surprise the filter water won him over, although I truly enjoyed the fizz from the mineral water.
Reminiscent of those sugar laden drinks found throughout the southern states, this drink is light and refreshing yet free of all the junk you are trying to avoid. Perfect for your Independence Day celebration, I hope you find as much satisfaction in this as we have!
xoxo
Ingredients
- 1 c Fresh Cherries, halved and pitted
- 1 whole lime, sliced thin
- 1 liter Mineral or Filtered Water
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, using a wooden spoon or the tamper(er?) from your blender, mash together cherries and lime slices, releasing as much of their natural juice as you can.
- Cover fruit mixture with water and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before serving (if using mineral water, I recommend serving as soon after as you can because mineral water loses its fizz very quickly).
- Serve over ice.
- Makes 4 servings
This recipe has also been shared on: Allergy Free Wednesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Sorry I don’t know the exact specifics on your diet but vanilla extract and stevia might make nice soda ingredients for him too… and I use root beer extract (from a local healthfood store) to make root beer without sugar.
🙂 No sweeteners for now (including Stevia) but this might be a kinder way to kill his soda craving after out 30 days. Thank you, Dawn.
We started this yesterday…inspired by you! My husband is doing it to support me….we will see how it goes, yesterdays shopping trip was brimming with mets and produce…almost nothing from those middle aisles! Looking fwd to it!
Awe! That is great, Tessa! I know you will love it and I look forward to hearing about your success. xo
That looks good! I like to add a little lemon or lime juice to a bottle of water — this looks even better!
🙂 I love a bit of lemon or lime with my water as well, something about the cherry makes this seem more like a treat than just another glass… 😉 Let me know if you enjoy this, Rogene. xoxo
Ooo I love fizzy water! I bought my own soda stream so I can make my own carbonated creations without and of the nasty additives or sugar. So glad your husband is on the journey with you! Though I admire your patience at answering all his questions – I would just tell him to read the books! Haha
🙂 I’ve looked at purchasing a soda stream but am trying to encourage more natural beverages (like water) and am afraid a soda stream would make carbonated beverages too accessible for my kids. Have you encountered any of this? Thanks for your feedback!
Um…are you sure we’re not married to the same man?!?! 😉
Mine is *almost* doing Whole30 (our first, awww) with the exception of he’s doing dairy and he’s cut his Cokes down to 1-12 oz can a day. That, and he has a Monster here and there, especially on nights where he works a second shift.
But I swear I’m kicking his butt if he loses more weight than me! 😉
LOL, Jessica! I know what you mean. Mine has about 30lbs to drop, and I have seen testimonies where men have dropped that much and more by following the Whole30 to a ‘T’. It’s so not fair that men drop weight faster than women. 😉 How far into the program are you? Have you noted any significant changes?
I look forward to hearing more!
I had to laugh about you having to tell you husband what’s ok because he won’t read the books. My husband has to eat low carb and gluten-free. I’m the one who read the books so he asks me if something’s ok. As a heads-up: it does make me feel guilty when he sometimes doesn’t love the food he eats. I somehow feel responsible for the fact that he’s eating veggies instead of sweets. (He also loves sugar, carbs, dairy, etc.)
Having five kids helps you get over the guilt of feeding a loved one something they don’t like. My oldest fights me hardest, but even if it’s only a bite or two, I am always happy to see him eating new foods. It’s worth the occasional “let’s not make this one again” meal to ensure they (kids and husbands alike) are getting all they need.
Besides, the only reason why you do so much for him is because you love him, right?
Keep up the great work!
This is a great recipe! Remind me of my latest creation as well: http://www.totalhealthcounseling.com/2012/cool-off-with-red-raspberry-fizz/
I’m gluten and dairy free too, my husband is quite the opposite as well. Best of luck on the Whole30 plan with him, great that he’s willing 🙂
Be well, Pam
🙂 Pam,
It’s always nice to hear of kindred spirits/similar relationships out there. I must say, one week in I am super proud of him! He is being diligent and sticking with the plan to a “T”…even passed up a packet of cashews while he was on the road and hankering for a snack because he wasn’t sure about the oils they were cooked in. He jokes about reintroducing food and how sick he is going to be when he does, but I think he’ll be surprised how and what he reacts to (his mother has long suspected a milk sensitivity and several in his family have issues with gluten). He still harasses me about how he just really wants a cheeseburger, but he is sticking with it.
Thank you for your kind note and introducing me to your site! I look forward to seeing you more. xoxo
What a refreshing beverage-perfect for the July heat! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe on Allergy-Free Wednesdays!
🙂 Thank you, Laura!