Whole30 Diet

There are so many different diets out there today. Eat this for maximum fat loss. Avoid this food to ban the belly bloat. Do this cleanse and be lighter, thinner, blah blah blah. 

There is so much information out there, it puts our brain on overload. The good news is that I love helping my friends, family, and clients move through the craziness and find what’s best for them. If you know me, you know that I don’t believe in cleanses and I trust the body’s ability to detox for us. However, in order for this process to be as effective as possible, we must nurture and take care of it. 

That’s where the Whole30 comes in. Think of Whole30 as a launching pad or a good foundation for you to build some solid habits on and their slow introduction plan afterward can help you see what foods don’t agree with you. I suffer from Lyme Disease and have terrible gut issues because of it. Whole30 can truly help you to understand which foods affect you the most and which ones are some of the causes of your health problems. There is a lot of science with how much the gut is connected to the brain and a lot of issues truly do start with food. The Whole30 is a perfect way to see if food is the problem without resorting to any sort of medications or crazy diagnosis. Some of my issues... bloating, sleepless and restless nights, bumps on my legs and muscle exhaustion. 

So here was my journey. I bought the Whole30 book on my kindle and read the entire thing. Once I finished, I ordered the cookbook and picked my starting date on my calendar. Believe me, there is never a good time to start, so don’t overthink it! 

I would be totally lying if I said it was a walk in the park. But, as the book says, “It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard.” Gosh, I love this quote. We as humans tend to make everything so complicated and its food people! There will be more meals after this 30 day. 

Let’s dive into a few specifics of what the Whole30 diet incorporates and what I learned during my experience. From there, you can decide if this is right for you or not. 

Whole30 in a nutshell: 

This isn’t a cleanse. This is a clean eating program that helps you with your relationship with food. Going on the Whole30 allows you to reexamine the way you interact with food, how you treat your body and eat to fuel your life. 

What you can eat: 

• Meat

• Chicken

• Fish 

• Eggs

• Veggies

• Fruits 

• Healthy Fats 

• Black Coffee 

• Tea 

• Water (Lots of water)

What to Avoid: 

• No sugar, artificial or natural sweetener - this includes honey, agave, pure maple syrup and stevia 

• No alcohol or booze of any sorts 

• No smoking

• No grains 

• No beans or legumes, which means no chickpeas (sorry hummus) and no peanut butter 

• No soy (Get ready- it's in everything.) 

• No dairy

• No processed additives 

• No modified or “fake” treats made with Whole30 approved ingredients (i.e. paleo pancakes) 

The benefits: 

• Better sleep 

• Weight loss

• Better digestion 

• Clearer skin 

• More energy 

• Better workouts

• Understanding what foods make you feel your best 

On the Whole30, my workouts were awesome and fueled by amazing foods and healthy fats. My skin cleared up and I slept like a baby. Also, I learned that I can certainly live without cheese and coffee creamer. Even my achy joints subsided.

This diet is an amazing way to come back to center, reset your digestive system and really feel better every day when you wake up. Even though it may seem difficult, the Whole30 has helped so many people clear up inflammation, have better workouts and feel great in their bodies. Give it a try, even for a few days to experiment with how it makes you feel. I would love to hear how it’s going!