Never have these words rang truer – you are what you eat. Without sounding like I have joined some type of food cult, Whole30 is more than a diet- it’s about training your body and mind to have a more purposeful relationship with food.
Whole30 is a strict 30-day program that helps reset your body. It is a temporary (key word: temporary) elimination diet where you remove all dairy, grains, legumes, soy, added sugars (processed and natural), processed foods, and alcohol. After 30 days, you slowly reintroduce these foods back into your diet and see how your body reacts to it.
Before you think how “crazy” I am for doing this challenge, let me state that I am not claiming to be a nutritionist. I have simply found a program that works for me and am here to share the reasons that got me hooked. I generally live a healthy, active lifestyle. After an accumulation of unhealthy habits that I gained during grad school, though, I knew I needed to make a change. I had been feeling bloated and uncomfortable for months, was having a difficult time sleeping, and felt that my body was too dependent on sugar. I heard about the numerous benefits from others who had completed the Whole30 and wanted to see how it would work for me.
I absolutely love to cook- not only does it help me decompress, but I also enjoy knowing exactly what is going in my body. I love the idea of better understanding the relationship that I have with food and being more informed about the ingredients in even the “healthiest” of foods. This process has made me realize how many terrible ingredients simply sneak into our food. Personally, I do not want to eat anything listed on a nutrition label that I cannot pronounce.
This past August, I completed my first Whole30 challenge and felt incredible inside and out. Ever since, I have had a lot of people asking me about it. I am currently in the midst of my second Whole30 and can say that, once again, it is totally worth all of the effort. I feel lighter, I am sleeping sounder, I am managing stress much easier, and have tamed my "sugar dragon" (it's a Whole30 thing).
If you are contemplating your own Whole30, here are some tips based on my experience:
1. Find a buddy
When you are having sugar withdrawls and craving french fries, it can be helpful to have someone to give you a pep talk when you need it most. It is also pretty wonderful to have a sous chef by your side in the kitchen and, at the very least, someone with whom you can exchange recipe ideas. This person can also keep you in check when your tiger blood hits, and you can't stop unintentionally recruiting others by rambling about all of the yummy food you are cooking and how wonderful you feel because of the Whole30.
2. Plan your meals
While this requires A LOT of work, it is easier to commit to the program when you know exactly what you will be eating for your next meal. I try to select a couple of recipes where the ingredients overlap, so that I am strategic when grocery shopping. When I am in the kitchen, I usually turn on a podcast or a playlist and prep several meals at one time. The time goes by much faster than you think.
3. Do not obsess
While it can be easy to get sucked into a deep, dark whole of overanalyzing nutrition labels and shopping for the correct products, try not to be so hard on yourself. Find a few simple meals that you enjoy, and keep them in your repertoire. Do not make it harder by forcing yourself to try the wild recipe you found on pinterest that may or may not be compliant and requires 348240239 million ingredients which you do not own nor will you use again. The Whole Smiths and Paleo Running Momma are two of my favorite websites for inspiration.
4. Change your mindset
If losing weight is your main priority, change your perspective. While losing weight is typically a result from following the program, the Whole30 is all about eating wholesome, healthy foods that sustain your body. So go ahead and eat plenty of protein, healthy fats, and carbs. You will have an overwhelming amount of non-scale victories (another Whole30 term) to celebrate.
5. Treat yoself
Go take a fancy workout class, buy a new cooking gadget, and/or read a new book. Reward your dedication to the program with something other than food. During my first Whole30, I invested in a spiralizer to save time and money when making zoodles. This time around, I plan on treating myself to a spa day.
Let me know what kind of recipes you are interested in and I will share them in a future post!