Drumroll please…here it is! The part you’ve all been waiting for, the part that WE’VE all been waiting for, Tiger’s Blood!
What is Tiger’s Blood?
Tiger’s blood is the phase of the Whole30 (usually around day 16) where you wake up feeling awesome. You feel refreshed, the cravings have subsided and you really are thriving on what you’re eating on a daily basis. You don’t need extra sweets. Fruit is killin’ it for ya, and you are just full of energy and really enjoying life. You’re not really thinking about what food you’re eating on a daily basis anymore. I’m in it right now, and let me tell you. It. Feels. Amazing.
For example, I didn’t eat breakfast this morning and ate a banana with some almond butter and an rx bar about an hour ago. It’s noon now, and I’m not even hungry for lunch. I’ll eat again when my body tells me it’s hungry. But that isn’t right now, and honestly I don’t know when i’ll be hungry again. Whenever my body starts to tell me it’s hungry though, I will listen and feed it with those Whole30 foods that are great for you.
Tiger’s blood happens differently for everyone. I know this, because this is my sixth Whole30 and I have experienced it differently each time. This time it happened around day 18 for me (a little later than usual) but when I woke up feeling physically great, I knew it was tiger’s blood time!
How long does Tiger’s Blood last?
That all depends on you. It will last through the rest of the Whole30 and then for a while after if you do the reintroduction period. (If you don’t know about the reintroduction period, you can learn about that in my next post!)
How do I maintain Tiger’s Blood?
Keep eating foods that fuel your body. I have personally found that there is so much information about food out there, and so many differing opinions that I just need to do what is best for me. Every body is different, and everybody is different. We can’t treat our bodies the same. There is an incredible book that Melissa Urban put out called “Food Freedom Forever” and it talks about mindful eating and asking yourself questions before you put food into your body. I highly recommend giving it a read! What I remember most from that book is the list of questions you ask yourself before you eat any one food. The first question is something along the lines of “is it worth it?” and then there are a series of questions that follow, and the final question is asking yourself again, “is it worth it?” That stuck with me.
So to maintain tiger’s blood, eat food that fuels your body. Try to eat whole foods before you choose to eat processed foods, and when you think you’re hungry, try to drink water first. You could be thirsty. When you have a craving, set a timer. I set a timer for 10 minutes, drink some water and if it goes away I know I’m just having a craving. If it’s still there, I know I’m actually hungry. Then I listen to my body. If it’s telling me to eat something sweet, I eat something sweet that is made of whole foods. I cannot TELL you how sweet apples, clementines and bananas taste to me now.
I personally have found that maintaining a strict Whole30 lifestyle after the Whole30 is over is not practical or realistic for me. But, there are definitely habits that I have created that I can take into my daily living. I hope you do too!
One last bit of good news! The weather was so nice outside this weekend that my dogs and chickens were outside all weekend together in the backyard. They can offically co-habitate without killing each other! Victory!
