Is The Whole30 Healthy Eating Program Right For You?

It takes 30 days to establish a habit. In just 30 days, you can set something in motion that will completely change your life. When you stick to an eating plan such as the Whole30, for just one month, you will not only change your mindset but your taste buds as well.

Why Whole30

The point of the Whole30 program is to eliminate foods that trigger adverse reactions in your body. The only way to know what foods you should avoid is to just eat what is acceptable on the plan. When you slowly reintroduce foods back into your system, you’ll pay attention to how your body reacts to each.

Those who follow the Whole30 plan commit to eating a diet full of healthy meats and vegetables. This allows their bodies to reset. Don’t panic, it’s not as restrictive as you might think. In fact, there are lots of choices available to you. But don’t expect to see hot fudge sundae on the menu!

At the end of the 30 days, many people are surprised to discover the food they love no longer agrees with them. Likewise, there are those who find they can’t seem to live without the food they hate.

Getting Back to Basics with Whole30

When you decide to go whole for 30 days, you decide to give your body a chance to get back to basics and reset itself. Unfortunately, while we eat foods we like, we pay no attention to their actual nutritional value.

Over time, this can cause a wide range of health problems and even long-term illnesses. This is why it is so important that we get in tune with our bodies. We need to recognize the way our bodies react to the foods we eat.

30 days might seem like a long time, it might even seem like an eternity. But 30 short days can wipe away months, even years, of poor eating habits. When given the right amount of time, the body can do amazing things. Right now your body is likely spending a majority of its time digesting food it was never meant to digest in the first place.

When you give your digestion a break for 30 days, your body will stop focusing on digestion and start focusing on truly cleaning itself. This will lead to more energy, less illness, clearer skin, and more. But, most importantly, your body will be on its way to a return to true health.

What You Can Eat During Your Whole30 Reset

Change isn’t easy, especially when it comes to making new food choices. If you eat a bowl of Cheerios every morning, then going Whole30 will be a challenge. If, on the other hand, you eat bacon & eggs, then your morning meal won’t be a problem. (Yes, bacon is allowed!)

The good news is you don’t need to limit yourself when going Whole30. When you find a food that is allowed on your new eating plan, you can eat that food with very little or no restriction.

For many people this is a game changer. Finding just one or two Whole30-friendly foods they like is enough to get them through that crucial 30 days. It makes it a lot easier to adjust to a different way of looking at food choices.

Equally important is finding one or two meals that can become a staple to your everyday diet. These meals should be simple, they should be filling. They should be something that you know you can eat without restriction.

Just find one or two meals that you really like. Then you can continue eating these meals long after your initial transition into whole food eating.

What are you allowed to eat during your Whole30 transition?

Obviously everything you eat has to be good for you. That doesn’t mean just skipping the junk food or cutting out sugar. Sometimes even healthy food choices are not as healthy as we think. Instead, they contain chemicals harmful to our bodies over time.

Because of this, it’s important to try to eat organic as much as possible. And not just your vegetables; your meat should be organic, as well. Your local farms or farmers’ markets should be able to help you find organic foods in your area. There are online options, but these tend to be more expensive. And, of course, your purchases will be shipped to you.

As for everything else, a good rule of thumb is to ask if it’s naturally made from the earth. The closer food gets to its natural state, the more whole it is. This means that it has a greater chance of being something that is safe for you to eat during your Whole30 transition.

For instance, something like almond flour would be a great substitute for breadcrumbs. However, when it comes to something like almond milk, you always need to read the label. Hidden sugars are often times present in these milks. 

This might seem overwhelming in the beginning. But it gets easier as you get into the habit of reading food labels. This is how you learn what you can and cannot eat.

During this first part of your transition, look for whole-food versions of your current favorite meals. Also, make a list of the vegetables that you like. Determine if any of them could become one of your everyday staples.

What You Can’t Eat During the Whole30 Reset

This may be a little tougher for you. Let’s face it; no one likes to be told they can’t eat something they love. But, just like there are things that you can eat, there are also things that you cannot eat. Even though this is upsetting right now, keep in mind it’s about your health.

You need to give your body a chance to let you know how it responds to certain foods. You might be surprised to discover that foods you love are actually foods that don’t agree with your digestive system.

So what’s out?

Surprisingly you just can’t eat many foods we consider healthy. Sure, no dairy and no alcohol make sense. But what about things like nectar, and even Stevia? Over the years we’ve been told these are good choices. But, alas, even they are nixed during your first 30 days.

The reason for this goes back to retraining your brain and your body to eat in a different way. More importantly, it’s also giving your body a chance to recover from past food choices. Also know that during this 30-day period you’re giving your taste buds a new lease on life. Foods will begin to taste as they should.

Grains are not food the body can naturally digest, so they are out. These include quinoa, buckwheat, and oats; you cannot eat these grains during the reset period. After the 30 days you can add these foods back into your diet one at a time. Then you can determine what effect they have on your digestion, if any.

Legumes are out as well. This means you have to stay away from things like chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans. This can be hard for some people. Many rely on meat and legumes for a burst of protein and a dose of fiber to keep them feeling full. Replace legumes with Whole30 compliant vegetables, and you’re good to go for the 30-day period.

This is a good article that quickly sums up what you can and cannot eat on the Whole30 program.

Follow the rules and you can’t go wrong!

The rules of the Whole30 program are simple and straightforward, but you need to make the commitment; you’re either in or you’re out. Given all the choices available to you, if you can’t come up with a weekly meal plan to use for 30 days, then don’t bother. However, if you’ve been developing health issues over the years and don’t know why, then it’s in your best interest to determine if any of them are related to the foods you eat.

Will it be uncomfortable in the beginning? It’s possible. But remember that you are actually giving yourself a chance at renewed health. And to do that, you need to give your body some time; 30 days to be exact.