Whole30

Last year, a few of my co-workers did a Whole30 challenge. I couldn’t help but think: “Are you crazy? How can you sustain that? How can you go 30 days without a bite of dark chocolate? No tortillas? No butter? That just doesn’t seem possible. I’m tired of all these fad diets.” So, it’s a bit laughable that I’m starting the same program today.

I’ve been slowly changing my eating over the past few years to be more well-rounded, plant-based, and limited in processed junk food (get that Star Crunch out of our house!). However, Pregnancy/severe morning sickness puts me in a spiral. When the only thing you can hold down is French fries, you tend to eat a lot of French fries. When you can start adding other things back in, they tend to be the things that accompany French fries. You know, Chick-fil-A nuggets, soda, ice cream, oreos… the works. Unfortunately, I can’t blame the works on pregnancy. Those are choices. MY food choices and I feel ready to choose differently.

I’ve spent the past 12 weeks trying to shift slowly back into healthier eating and I’ve done alright. Not fantastic, but I’m actually craving healthier foods again. In comes the Whole30. For many, the challenge is a kickstart into a totally Paleo lifestyle. For me, it is an experiment in eating. If I’m making healthier choices, I want to make the right ones for my body and how it functions.

Paleo enthusiasts taut – this is how we humans were made to eat! I agree, to an extent. Humans are the only animal to drink another animal’s milk and it’s not really made for our bodies. However, I’m still trying to figure out why I can’t have my beloved black beans.

I’m using these next 30 days to see how my body responds to a very basic diet. At the end of the 30 days, I’ll slowly start adding foods back in. I assume I may find a few foods that just don’t agree with me and I will remove those from my diet. If none of them agree with me, I guess I’ll join the ranks of Paleo eaters.

The rules (as outline here: The Whole30® Program | Whole9 | Let us change your life.)

1.      Eat good food! This includes lean proteins, good fats, lots of vegetables, and fruit.

2.      Eliminate foods that you probably enjoy a lot but that may not be helping you.

a.      No added or artificial sugar

b.      No grains

c.      No legumes (with the exception of green beans, snow peas, and sugar snap peas)

d.      No alcohol

e.      No dairy

f.       No white potatoes

g.      No MSG, carrageenan, or sulfites

3.      No paleo-fying junk food

4.      Do not step on the scale until the 30 days are over.

I’m going to use this blog to document what I’m eating, how I’m feeling, and what I’m taking from the experiment. Hopefully it will hold me accountable too finish the darn thing. I can do anything for 30 days and I’m ready to go!