Today’s post is all about Whole30 – what it is, why I love it, what you can eat while on it and more! I plan on doing a brief recap either weekly or bi-weekly about my experience this round, so check back soon for more updates. (Edit: You can find my posts on my experience after I finished this current round here and here).

What is Whole30?

First of all…what the heck is Whole30? That was my question when I first started hearing about it a few years ago. I was feeling sluggish, tired, and bloated and was searching online for a solution. I kept stumbling upon articles about Whole30 and then started hearing about it from people in my life. I had finally decided to possibly try it when one of my coworkers came in one morning and said she had been roped into starting a program…called Whole30. I took that as a sign and purchased this book that explains the program and has some amazing recipes to go along with it.

In a nutshell, Whole30 is an elimination diet that cuts out any foods that are allergenic, hard to digest, irritating, or harmful to your body. By eliminating ALL traces of these foods from your body for 30 days and reintroducing them slowly at the end of the program, you are able to pinpoint any foods that trigger a negative reaction in your body. It is a STRICT program – the rules call for absolutely no cheating throughout the 30 days, which is due to the fact that reintroducing even the slightest amount of something that negatively affects your body can cause your body to react and detract from your ability to reap the benefits of the program.

At first I was a little nervous about trying something so strict, but I’m always up for a challenge and was tired of feeling…well, tired! I knew I had to do something and figured it couldn’t hurt to try. So I bought the book, read the website over and over again, meal planned, and officially started. It was NOT easy – especially the planning portion, but by the end of the 30 days, I felt incredible. I had more energy, my skin cleared up drastically, and my stomach/bloating issues disappeared. I knew I had an intolerance to lactose before the program, but when I completely eliminated it from my diet? I felt like a new person. I decided right then and there I would completely cut dairy out of my diet and haven’t looked back since.

How Many Rounds Have I Completed?

I am currently working my way through my fourth round. I have had some questions on why I would do it again if I know what foods cause a negative reaction, and the answer is that while I have completely cut dairy out, I still eat other foods that overtime make me feel sluggish. For example, I KNOW sugar is not good for you and that is causes spikes and crashes in energy, but man I love donuts, chocolate chip cookies, and peanut M&Ms. In fact, I love them a little too much! I believe in indulging in the things you love, but sometimes I get on a roll with adding a little too much sugar into my daily diet and it causes mood swings, dips in energy, and an overall “blah” feeling for me. Whole30 allows me to give my body a reset on occasion and focus on eating natural, clean, whole foods.

Why do I Prefer Whole30 to Other “Detox” Programs?

While Whole30 does detoxify your body from the irritant foods and sugar you consume, I don’t see it as a quick fix, which is how I view most detox programs. You aren’t restricting calories or only drinking juice for a few days before going back to how you were eating previously. Whole30 teaches you about selecting good for you foods that your body needs, but doesn’t restrict the number of calories you have in a day. It cautions you on snacking, but encourages you to have protein, healthy fat, and vegetables at every meal. Throughout the 30 days, you begin to learn when you are actually hungry, as opposed to being bored or emotional. I used to grab a snack (well…really just candy) every afternoon at work because I thought I was hungry and needed a boost, but realized on Whole30 I wasn’t actually hungry and that getting that sugar hit really just created a vicious cycle where I’d get some energy and then crash hard – and would look for more sugar to get another boost. I’ve been really looking into sugar and it’s scary ya’ll…it’s literally addicting!

What Can’t You Eat on Whole30?

I highly encourage you to review the Whole30 website or purchase one of their books to read a little more behind the WHY of the program. Some items are obvious (you can’t have added sugar because…duh sugar is terrible for you) but other things seem healthy and might leave you scratching your head (like quinoa – refined and whole grains contain inflammatory proteins, which can cause inflammation in your body). This list is pulled from their website…check it out for more details:

Added sugar (real or artificial) – includes honey, agave nectar, stevia, etc

Alcohol

Grains – rice, corn, quinoa, oats, etc

Legumes – including beans of all kinds

Dairy

Carrageenan, MSG, Sulfites

Baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “approved” ingredients

So What CAN you eat on Whole30?

You can eat lots of protein (meat, seafood, eggs), vegetables, healthy fats, fruits, spices and seasonings. The first few days I always crave grains (especially bread), but by the end I don’t miss it. The best part of Whole30 (besides feeling great by the end) is that I’m usually never hungry on the program. It takes a lot of planning so you can ensure you always have healthy meal options on hand – it’s hard to go out to eat or to grab something last minute. This cookbook has TONS of recipes that I make whether or not I’m on Whole30 and I also follow @whole30recipes and the hashtag #whole30 to get recipe inspiration. Sometimes I make something that is new-to-me and includes lots of ingredients, but a lot of times I just do something basic like fish, avocado and sweet potato. You can make quick, simple meals that don’t take a lot of effort!

Why Should You Consider doing Whole30?

The first chapter in this book targets this very question. Are you suffering with a sluggish metabolism, an unhealthy relationship with food, a disruptive digestive system, or an overactive immune system? Then you should think about doing Whole30. Here are just SOME of the symptoms related to silent inflammation – acne, chronic pain, depression, migraines, gout, sinusitis, asthma, anemia, joint paint…the list goes on and on. That list alone caused me to look into the program a little more…isn’t it crazy that what we eat can lead to so many issues?? I’m intrigued by the science and reasoning behind the program, and I re-read about it all the time.

What Should You Expect On Whole30?

While everyone’s experience on Whole30 is different (depending on how you ate before you start the program, what your support system looks like, whether or not you are home or traveling, etc), there’s a general timeline that everyone seems to fall within for the program. You can find that timeline here. Basically, the first few days are hard. Your body is used to relying on processed foods and sugar for energy, and it takes awhile to adjust to not having that quick fix anymore. Once you get through that part, you can expect lots of what the program calls “Non Scale Victories”. These are the things to focus on, not weight loss. In fact, you’re not supposed to weigh yourself during the 30 days (it’s one of the “Rules”) because the main goal of Whole30 is not weight loss. Most people do experience weight loss, but the Non Scale Victories are what really drives your motivation. These can be things like clearer skin, more stable energy, less joint pain, less headaches, reduced mood swings, ability to sleep better, etc. It’s not an easy 30 days, but to me, these outcomes are worth it!!

Whew! Ok I think this post is long enough! I’ll be posting an update soon with more information on favorite recipes, Whole30 approved menu items for when you go out to eat, favorite products, etc. Let me know in the comments if these posts are something you would be interested in! Also, let me know if you’ve done a Whole30 round before or if you are thinking about doing on in the future! I want to hear from you!

xoxo,

Lauren