The Whole 30

IT’S OVER. IT’S OVER, IT’S OVER, IT’S FINALLY OVER. What’s over? The Whole30. Thirty of the longest, mostly enjoyable, and sometimes grueling days in which I ultimately learned what foods I have to eat (and not eat) in order to feel healthy and clean.

It’s hard to stay healthy while traveling. Routines aren’t regular, eating out is the norm, and it’s always time to “treat yo-self” because travel is special. I’ve been out of the country for the better part of the last year, so this has been my life. I travelled to and ate my way through France, India, and the East coast (and loved every minute of it). 

My favorite part of France

However, at the end of all this travel, I felt unhealthy and knew that I needed to make a change. I did some (extensive) research and decided to try out the Whole 30.  

Don’t know what the Whole30 is? Don’t worry, I didn’t either. It’s essential Paleo, with some minor adjustments. Basically, I didn’t eat dairy, grains, legumes, added sugars, or any processed foods for thirty days. But I don’t like to focus on those things. I like to focus on what I did get to eat. For thirty days, I ate *real* food. I ate meat (I channeled my inner Ron Swanson, big time), seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds.

During these past thirty days, I experimented with more food that I have in my lifetime and ignited a passion for cooking. I’ve learned to love vegetables and I’ve prepared eggs in more ways than I thought was possible. Not to brag, but I’ve made some damn good food.

Looking back, it was a decision that I’m so glad that I made. Now that I’m done, I have discovered that I’m lactose intolerant (I feel kind of dumb that it took me 20 years to look into the excessive stomach aches…), I sleep better, and I feel better about how I look- the drop in pant size was a nice surprise by the end of the month. 

I didn’t experience any of the drastic results that some of the testimonials describe, but I think that was due to the limitations that I faced because I’m a poor college student. Eating real food is expensive, so I couldn’t afford to prepare three homemade meals a day as is recommended. When I had to eat at the school’s dining hall, I couldn’t be sure that I was following the guidelines of the Whole30. Even if I made good choices by turning down the chocolate chip cookies, I couldn’t know for sure that there wasn’t any added sugar on the chicken they were serving, or that there wasn’t soy sauce in the salad dressing. But hey, I tried.

So even with the occasional slips, I experienced enough positive changes to realize the powerful role that food plays in my physical and mental happiness. I encourage you to experiment with the food you are eating in order to find out how you can feel your best. Giving up a few slices of bread is a small price to pay for feeling clean. That being said… I sure am excited to have cheese again.

For those who are interested in learning more about the Whole30, here’s a link to their website. http://whole30.com/ The book “It Starts with Food” was a great, informational, inspiring read.