The Whole30 is considered a short-term nutrition reset. It’s designed to help you stop unhealthy cravings and habits and restore your metabolism. It also helps to heal your digestive tract and balance your immune system. By cutting out certain food groups that could be having a negative effect on your health and fitness for 30 days it will help you recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing.
It is said that more than 95% of Whole30 participants lose weight and improve their body composition, without counting or restricting calories. Other benefits include consistently high energy levels, improved athletic performance, better sleep, improved focus and mental clarity, and a sunnier disposition.
The Whole30 program has you eating moderate amounts of meat (if you eat meat), seafood, and eggs; lots of vegetables; some fruit; plenty of natural fats; and herbs, spices, and seasonings.
What You Need to Know About The Whole30
For 30 days you will stay away from the below foods:
1. Added sugar, real or artificial: No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, date syrup, stevia, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, etc.
2. Alcohol: Not even for cooking.
3. Grains: This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, and sprouted grains. This also includes gluten-free grains like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.
4. 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 all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
5. Dairy: This includes cow, goat, or sheep’s milk products like milk, cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, or frozen yogurt. Luckily for me eating dairy free isn’t that difficult as I had to be dairy free for Mason for quite a while and have only recently started to reintroduce a little bit of dairy to hopefully help him not have a dairy allergy.
6. Carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites: If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
7. Baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “approved” ingredients: Recreating or buying sweets, treats, and less healthy foods you just can’t seem to stop eating (even if the ingredients are technically compliant) is totally missing the point of the Whole30, and will compromise your life-changing results.
8. Do not step on the scale or take any body measurements for 30 days.
Some exceptions to the rules of the Whole30. You can use clarified butter, fruit juice, green beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, vinegar, coconut aminos, and salt.
Why I’m Doing it
So now for the reason why I’m doing the Whole30 program is exactly for the main reason the Whole30 was created, to give my body a reset. These past few months I have been overindulging and now I’ve entered in to some bad habits I can’t seem to quit. My major weakness is for kettle chips, I know this, and yet I still buy a family size bag when I go grocery shopping. I do go through periods of time where I can walk right past the potato chip isle and not even think twice about picking up a bag but I’m at the point where it’s just easier to do a reset. Before Mason, I would do a juice cleanse to reset my system. But because I am still breastfeeding (15 months and still going strong) a juice cleanse is definitely out of the question.
I’ve heard of the Whole30 for years and while it intrigued me I never tried it, so this year I’ve teamed up with a group of bloggers to all do the Whole30 program together! I’ll be sharing a weekly update on Mondays on my progress and I invite you to join me in the Whole30! I won’t be stepping on the scale or taking any measurements. I’m doing it to feel good and get back to being as healthy as possible. I do expect to see changes and I hope by doing weekly progress posts you’ll be able to witness the benefits of giving Whole30 a try. If you have any questions about it, feel free to put them in the comment section and I will be sure to answer them!!
Disclaimer: All information on this website is a reflection of my own personal opinion and experience. The information is not intended as a substitute for consultation, evaluation or treatment by a medical professional and/or registered dietitian or nutritionist. When considering the Whole30 program you should consult with your doctor if you have any concerns especially if you are breastfeeding before starting to make sure it is right for you.
Sweater: Lole (currently on sale and available in 3 colors). Sports Bra: DYI c/o. Leggings: DYI c/o. Shoes: Nike. Sunglasses: DIFF eyewear c/o.
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