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What better way to kick off the new year than with a new you?! And let's be honest, a 30-day-long resolution is a lot easier to keep than a year-long resolution.
What's the Whole30?
Find out everything you want to know about the Whole30 on the official program website. It's the place to start. It explains the diet (a 30-day cleanse), the reasoning behind it, and what it will help you accomplish.
This isn't the official program site, this is my personal blog. I'll be using it as a place to chronicle our adventures, share recipes, and facilitate group support and encouragement. (See step four on the page I linked to above. If you do the Whole30, you will need the support.)
Why should I do the Whole30?
You shouldn't do it just because we're doing it or because someone tells you do. You should first, do it because you want to, and second, decide that you want to do it for yourself. Maybe that sounds like the same thing, but it's important to want to do it because you want to help yourself.
If you're looking for more reasons, check out some testimonials. Here is a post I wrote after completing my first Whole30 in 2013. You can also read comments from health experts and testimonials from people who have done the Whole30.
If I participate, what do I have to do?
Like any diet or program, there are dos and don'ts, things you can eat and things you can't. The great thing about the Whole30 is that you get to eat. It's not a juice fast or a scam program. You get to have real food, good food, during the Whole30.
You can dig a little deeper and find the rules on the Whole30 site, but simply stated, it cuts out dairy, sugars/sweeteners, grains, legumes/beans/peanuts/soy, alcohol, and MSG/sulfites/carageenan. Also, participants are instructed not to weigh or measure themselves for the duration of the Whole30. (Personally, I like this rule. Delayed gratification is a good thing.)
If you want to do the Whole30 with us (a collective of friends in the Iowa City area), and you're local, we'll definitely be doing some meals together and encouraging each other along the way. If you're not local, get in on the action through my regular blog posts. You can check back here throughout the month, or (even easier!) sign up for email updates and get my posts automatically. Just put your email address the "Follow by Email" field in the sidebar and never miss a post!
What happens after the Whole30 is done?
The Whole30 liberates participants from the tyranny of processed, over-sugared, unnecessary items we have come to call food. It shows us how we can survive well on good, wholesome foods, and feel amazing in our bodies.
So after it's done, it's up to you what you want to do. (Although the program does have a great list for you to complete.) You can keep doing the Whole30 if you really like it, or you can do a modified version.
One really great thing you can do, as recommended by the program, is reintroduce the foods you weren't allowed to eat during the Whole30. You remain on the Whole30 while reintroducing the "disallowed" food groups over a period of 10 days. This way you can see how certain foods affect your body/sleep/etc.
Want more?
You can find lots of information on the Whole30 site, and in the book "It Starts With Food." You can also check out blog posts about the Whole30 written by my friend Cami. She's how I first heard about the program and she has completed it multiple times. You can also leave questions for me in the comments, check out my past posts about the Whole30, or contact me.
You in?
If you decide you want to participate, let me know! I would love to talk details with you and add you to the list of participants. It's my goal to weave a strong support group, share delicious food and recipes, coordinate hang outs/work outs, and make this an enjoyable experience for all of us. Comment below, talk to me, or shoot me an email. Let's do this!
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