I started the whole30 food regiment a week ago.

Established by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30^® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.

During the holiday season I introduced myself to a guy at work because he runs this very active MeetUp group for singles aged 45 and beyond.  In order to avoid the “don’t I know you from somewhere” conversation, I decided to talk to him first.

Well, he found a friend in me.  He set up time for us to walk together and he shared with me his varying diet plans, potions and pills.  I shared the links to The Weston A. Price Foundation and Mark’s Daily Apple and lent him my Primal Blueprint book.  I casually! mentioned that he might want to try the whole30 food plan AND that I didn’t want to do it because I didn’t want to give up the cream for my coffee.  (I know, Flimsy Excuse, right?!)

He talked me into doing it with him.  He feels like he has a partner in this mission. I don’t.  We are on two separate planets.  He told me that someone told him to drink tea with lemon. He reached to show me the lemon at his desk and it was the plastic ReaLemon.  I do hope I didn’t roll my eyes.  Forgive me, but I was expecting a lemon.

I didn’t even attempt the processed food conversation.

But..enough about him.

The Whole30 Rules

For 30 days, DO Eat Real Food – Eat meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re totally natural and unprocessed.

DO NOT Eat

• Added sugar of any kind, real or artificial.
• Alcohol in any form, not even for cooking.
• Tobacco products
• Grains
• Legumes
• All forms of soy
• Dairy with the exception of clarified butter or ghee.
• Carrageenan, MSG or sulfites
• Do not try to re-create baked goods,  junk foods, or treats* with “approved” ingredients.

One last and final rule: You are not allowed to step on the scale or take any body measurements for the duration of the program.

Your only job? Eat. Good. Food.

How’s It Going?

Very well! I have received compliments that I look good.  I don’t press for details. I just say Thank you!

Meals are actually pretty easy.  I’m drinking tea (Double Bergamot Earl Grey) instead of coffee.

Even though I do like cream and sugar in my tea, it’s just as easy and tasty to drink it on its own.

I did have some black coffee the other day…interesting!  It definitely needed at least some sugar, but I didn’t partake.

Here are some photos from my first bulk preparation. I find that it works better for me if I cook a large variety or batch of food at once, so I have it for subsequent meals and different combinations thereof.  My whole30 meals are not much different from others  that I’ve posted…except no honey or maple syrup, no butter, no cream, no quinoa, no gluten-free treats. LOL, well, maybe a little different!

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I came up with a wonderful dessert – sliced peeled apples and chopped dates sauteed in a little ghee with a sprinkle of sea salt and a pinch of baking spice.  A very filling  and delicious way to end the meal!

It truly has been 8 days since I started.

• My clothes are looser.
• My skin is clearer.
• I am sleeping really well.
• My nails are stronger.
• I have more energy.
• I am more focused, less distracted.
• I am getting up earlier.
• I am having some crazy dreams, or maybe it’s just that I’m remembering more of them.
• I am better physically balanced.
• My hair is not coming out as much.
• I am satiated throughout the day without a need to nosh (most of the time.)
• I am thirsty!  (A good thing as I never felt the need to drink water before.)

More to come…

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