Whole30 is a 30-day elimination eating plan. The point is to remove entire food groups and known causes of inflammation to see how your body reacts. It is NOT a weight-loss plan, although MANY people will lose weight. That's the icing on a very awesome cake.
After seeing some weight loss from eliminating gluten, I did what any person would do. I found gluten-free recipes and cooking methods for my favorite baking, pasta, and bread recipes.
It was during the holiday season and I enjoyed my favorite treats! Almost all of them had a ton of sugar. Sugar is my major downfall. I love Cokes, sweet tea (Southern girl, hello?), ice cream, and any kind of chocolate dessert.
But when I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t see my eyes. They were squished between cheeks, eyelids, and forehead fat. Sugar doesn’t contain gluten and I felt I “deserved’ it since I had to refrain from bread and gluten.
For some reason, something clicked within me in January 2013. I started the Whole30 plan, and yes it was hard.
The publisher sent the book, It Starts with Food to do a blog review and I jumped in with both feet on a miserable Monday in January. I couldn’t believe the results after just 1 week. I felt so much better after the first few days of sugar withdrawal. The mental clarity was off the charts!
My Whole30 results: I lost 18 lbs in one month, and best of all, I could see my eyes again. I was running better, lifting more, and actually waking up with more energy. I continued the Whole30 for 2 more weeks.
6 weeks of Whole 30 (so…Whole 40-ish?) and I knew I was going to be very comfortable transitioning to full Paleo for 90% my meals. The other 10% involves dark chocolate, occasional wine, and eating at other tables besides my own. It involves bringing my own food my Momma’s house, but it will not include turning down a good roast with white potatoes and carrots. And her basket of Dove chocolate will not be safe from me.
Do not consume added sugar, real or artificial. This includes (but is not limited to) maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, date syrup, monk fruit extract, stevia, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, and xylitol. If there is added sugar in the ingredient list, it’s out.
Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking. (And ideally, no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, sprouted grains, and all gluten-free pseudo-cereals like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn, and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch, and so on. Again, read your labels.
Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy: soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy lecithin.
Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat, or sheep’s milk products like milk, cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, or frozen yogurt.
Do not consume carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label, it’s out for the Whole30.
Do not consume baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “approved” ingredients.* Recreating or buying sweets, treats, and foods-with-no-brakes (even if the ingredients are technically compliant) is missing the point of the Whole30, and won’t lead to habit change. These are the same foods that got you into health-and-craving trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a pancake, even if it’s made with coconut flour.
Do not step on the scale or take any body measurements for 30 days. The Whole30 is about so much more than weight loss, and to focus only on body composition means you’ll overlook all of the other dramatic, lifelong benefits this plan has to offer. So no weighing yourself, analyzing body fat, or breaking out the tape measure during the 30-day elimination period. (You may take photos and/or measurements on Days 0 and 31, however.)
1. Prices Thrive Market is an online grocery store that is advertised as being more economical than chain stores and Amazon. That’s a tall declaration. After hearing about Thrive from so many people in the Paleo world, I had to see for myself. A quick glance at comparison pricing and I had my answer. Kettle …
Normally, everybody is all geared up for January 1st to start a new program, new lifestyle, new habit. I have great intentions, but I find that January 1st excitement is fleeting. I know how January can be for me. Stale. Dark. Way too busy at school trying to get through mid-year testing, setting up intensive …
For many of us, it’s time for the January Whole30 for the first, 6th or 16th time. Many of use enjoy the holidays with traditions and with food. When tradition meets food, we relax the mindset that guides us most of the year. A new year with a fresh restart of Whole30 is just …
One of the non-negotiable parts of a successful Whole30 is cooking real fresh meals at home. If you are new to cooking, this program will definitely force you out of your fast-food comfort zone and teach you some basic cooking skills. In this age of YouTube, learning to cook is as easy as watching someone …
It’s time for Whole30! With January quickly approaching, many people are getting ready for their first (or 5th) Whole30 program. The Whole30 has been the most effective approach to healthy eating but it has done much more than that. My first round of Whole30 taught me so much about sustainable food, functional movement, the mind-gut …
Weeknight meals are about to get a whole lot better! Mel Joulwan has Well Fed Weeknights ready to release on November 1st. I have been a huge fan and follower of all things Mel since her first book held my hand and led me through my first Whole 30. Back then, I was sure I …
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If you are new to the Whole30, here are my most successful results. Here is my Whole30 book review for US News Health Eat + Run. Here is my link to 30 Whole30 recipes. Our long vacation is over, the end-of-school-year chaos is behind me and I have 5 more weeks to focus on getting …
This book review originally written for US News Health Eat+Run By now, anybody who has heard anything about the Whole30 Diet has probably read or heard these unforgettable words by Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig from their book “It Starts With Food.” “It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting …
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Ever wake up singing a song? This is the one on my mind this morning. Might be because I’m not sleeping very well at all and when I do doze off, I fall hard for a couple of hours. No coffee for me this morning. Rushing to work, wishing for 5:00. I hate days that …
One of the best tools for a journey through a Whole30 plan is having a well-stocked kitchen. Get rid of the cravings (if possible) and fill the fridge, freezer, and pantry with compliant ingredients. This means 80% of your grocery cart should be meat, fresh/frozen vegetables, and a few fruits. The middle of the …
I didn’t get my coffee this morning. Last night, all the drainage and all the medicine left me extremely sick. When Stephen made a pot of coffee, he wisely suggested I stay far away from it. I drank some broth and ate an orange instead. I wasn’t hungry anyway. What is it about Monday that …
Happy FRIDAY!!! When I’m on summer break during the 8 weeks of June and July, I freely admit that I take Fridays for granted. During those weeks, Friday is just another day with the same 24 hours wide open for the opportunity to be a fantastic parade of awesome or a soul-ripping bad gravel road. …