The Whole30- Let’s Break it Down

The Whole30- something that if you asked me two weeks ago what it was I would have told you I had absolutely no clue. Today, I am entering the second week of a way of eating that has changed the way I feel about the way I had been eating.

The Whole30 is not a diet- in fact- as you go through these 30 days (don’t worry I will explain more below) you are urged to give your scale to a friend, or smash it in the backyard with a sledgehammer 😉 The Whole30 is designed to change the way you think about food- identifying food habits, routines, sensitivities you may not even know exist. It challenges everything you thought you knew about the way to eat.

“Think of the Whole30 like pushing the ‘reset’ button with your health, habits and your relationship with food. Our premise is simple: certain food groups could be having a negative impact on your body composition, health and quality of life without you even realizing it.” – Melissa and Dallas Hartwig

Here is the short version: for 30 days you cut out dairy, grains, sugar, alcohol and legumes. It sounded daunting to me at first- but the more I read the more I realized that this 30 days is essentially a gift for my body. I loved the idea of getting back to the basics of food- eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fish. All natural. Totally clean. And after 7 days I can tell you that I have never in my life felt better. My energy is through the roof, I have had zero cravings, my blood sugar is incredibly stable (no sugar highs and crashes!), I am sleeping a solid 7-8 hours at night with no waking up and my morning congestion is gone. What I thought was seasonal allergy I have now realized was a food sensitivity of some kind.

I get asked a lot, “Is it hard?” I need to pull a quote that I just LOVE from the book to answer this one:

“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.” – Melissa and Dallas Hartwig

It is about healthy food, healthy habits and feeling good about yourself. When I started I thought that the hardest part would be not being able to enjoy and relax with a glass of delicious red wine. I was shocked that I didn’t miss it at all. I found new ways to unwind- that honestly made me “show up” more in my life. We walk as a family to get some fresh air, reading books for fun (been a long time for this one!), I bought a Mandala coloring book so that I could enjoy art time with the kids. It has been wonderful finding ways to relax as a family. In order to be successful for the 30 days you need to prepare! Ensuring you have the food on hand to prepare your meals is key. In my next post I will be sharing my meal plan the first 5 days on the Whole30. It was a week filled with incredible meals- and an introduction to a way of eating that made me feel better than ever!