Monday, March 21, 2016

Starting Whole30

As I mentioned last week, I started the Whole30 program last Monday and so far it's going pretty well.  In case some of you are interested, I thought I'd share a little bit of information about the program as well as while I am doing it.

Program rules:
- no sugar of any kind, real or artificial (I can have fruit, but no honey, agave nectar, etc)
- no alcohol, not even for cooking
- no grains (includes typical glutenous grains as well as corn, rice, quinoa, etc)
- no legumes
- no dairy

There are some other rules, but these are the main ones. After reading those rules, most of you are probably thinking:  "ok, what CAN you eat?"  I've answered that many times already in the first week of being on this program.  While there are a lot of limitations for this program, there is still a lot I can have like meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs, nuts, coconut products such as coconut milk and coconut cream, and sunbutter, to name a few (fuller list can be found here).

Thoughts on the program:
Is it challenging?  Absolutely.  But is it doable?  Absolutely. It does help that I eliminated gluten from my diet 7 years ago and have eliminated dairy in the past.  The program definitely requires a high level of discipline and fortunately for me, I'm good at things that require discipline. I know it sounds 'braggy' to say that, but it's one of my core strengths (whereas flexibility is NOT!).

Why am I doing it?
While removing gluten has certainly helped with my stomach problems, I still feel like my digestive function could improve as I still have trouble with stomach pains, bloating and general discomfort. And, my stomach is abnormally loud - like so loud that Phil has commented on it multiple times. I've been meaning to try to eliminate certain foods and after reading more about Whole30, I decided this would be a good program to use to figure out if I have sensitivities or an intolerance to other foods.

Additionally, many of the foods that are prohibited in this program tend to cause inflammation. Since I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, I already have an elevated level of inflammation in my body, so it's especially important for me to eat foods that won't elevate the level of inflammation in my body.

I don't want to bore you all with updates about this program but I know there are some people that will be interested so I plan to check in on a weekly basis. Feel free to mark these posts as read if Whole30 is not your thing!

Have you ever experimented with eliminating certain foods from your diet? Would you ever try Whole30?

16 comments:

Kelly (She Wears a Red Sox Cap) said...

Very interesting to read about it :) You are definitely good at things that require discipline. I definitely am not, ha ha. Just thinking about giving up all these things makes me shudder. I did have to drastically change my eating for my stomach several years ago, but I find if I eat just a small amount of different things I can eat basically anything I want, I just can't go crazy with it- which is fine with me. I think Gretchen Rubin would call me a moderator? :)

Kyria @ Travel Spot said...

I don't think it's braggy to say that you are good at things that require discipline! You are aware of your own strengths; there is nothing wrong with that! I think that this program sounds fine, although for me the difficult one to lose would be legumes, as I often have them rather than meats. However, they are a known causer of bloating, so I am sure that cutting them out is a good idea! It will be interesting to see how you will feel when you are done, as well as how you go back to incorporating the foods back into your diet.

Charbelle said...

Knowing a strength is not bragging, I agree with Kelly and Kyria. I wouldn't be able to do the whole 30 I'm not disciplined enough. I did the Daniel Fast last September but I modified it to still allow for coffee. I am starting another 90 day "healthy" challenge with Patrice on March 28, no sweets and no bread. I would like to seriously try to actually lose 20 lbs. I don't know if it will happen or not but since I can't run right now I have to be super careful what I eat anyways and it helps to have an accountability person.

Marlys said...

It will be interesting to hear how your body responds and how it reacts when you re-introduce these foods. I think there is so much we can do for our bodies nutritionally that is ignored in many ways by the medical field. I have found out that eliminating gluten from my diet clears my sinuses and when I eat them, my sinuses immediately react! I do love breads and pastas, but should go gluten free after this discovery but I don't have the discipline that you have!
It will be interesting to follow your results!

Jeanie said...

I suspect it will work very well but I lack the discipline to go so extreme. And Marlys brings about an interesting point about re-introducing those foods. But I wish you well -- that's an impressive goal and a brave and daring task. Good for you!

katielookingforward said...

How does Whole30 vary from Paleo? I was in the new whole foods in st. paul yesterday and it was amazing how many paleo ready to eat foods they had available.

Nora said...

I know you and I have talked about W30 before; I think I could do it and get through ok, though my food would be really boring since I can't have nuts or fruit of any kind.

I do enjoy hearing about how it goes for other people, recipes and as always, hearing about W30 and other elimination diets always reminds me to be mindful of what I eat, when I eat and how I eat :)

Raquelita said...

I'm not sure I could get through a W30 because so many of the verboten items are always present in our house and Mark would never sign on for this so it would be hard to avoid the temptation of cheese in the fridge or crackers in the pantry. I have eliminated some things from my diet in the past. I'll be interested to hear your future updates, though!

Stephany said...

I've eliminated dairy and sugar for my diet, but for no longer than a week or two. I would like to do Whole30 for the science aspect - to see what foods, if any, my body reacts negatively to. But I also do not handle myself well on diets that feel so restrictive, so it's probably best for my mental sanity to let those better at disciplining themselves do Whole30. ;)

Erin said...

I found this very interesting to read!!!! I am actually seeing a new doctor on the 30th because I am very scared about my own health. I'll update you more when we talk, but I'm thinking Whole 30 might be something I need to try! The problem is I think it would be easier for me if Jason would do it too. Obviously Welles wouldn't be doing it and the idea of 3 different meals in the house makes my head spin. Haha. Thanks for the links in your post as well.

Cherry Blossoms said...

I wish I had only started Whole30 sooner. I was so proud of myself for doing and proving to myself just how much better I could actually feel. It was interesting to learn I have a nut intolerance. Not allergic but def notice within minutes of eating how it feels difficult to swallow and my stomach swells like a pregnant belly. It helped so much with my endo. I have enjoyed my weekends now with wine and pizza but plan on back to another month of it in April. I loved the dinners we made. If you haven't had a chance to make the green salsa do so soon! Glad the first week is under your belt!

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

I should try this! I too have a very loud tummy - not sure why ...

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

I have tried to half-ass whole 30. As in do it breakfast/lunch but not dinner because my husband is not on board and I lack the will power to make two meals or not even just a separate meal if he made the other. I'd need it ha.

Lauren @ Sassy Molassy said...

I'm curious what effects you notice and if any of your digestive issues seem to subside! I definitely need to get back on a healthier eating train. I eat healthy most of the time, but have become sort of relaxed with nursing and just being on go all day long. And I have almost no time or energy to meal plan, so dinners are boring and just end up being whatever we have on hand (rice & bean bowls or vegetarian spaghetti). But I need to make an effort to grocery shop a bit bigger (rather than these small shops here and there every few days) so that we really have some bulk in the house that I can do something with and not rely on crackers/chips/etc to fill me up. And yes, you do seem to be good at following rules or a plan. I think of that as a strength of mine in the exercise realm. While it might seem over the top to some, I really appreciate that exercise is not even a question in my day (most of the time).

San said...

Hey, just getting around to catching up on my feedly list... :)

I am very intrigued by the whole WHOLE30 business, although I am trying to figure out if it's feasible to try it if I can't get J to get on board.

I am also curious what effects you'll notice.
I love that you pride yourself on being good at being disciplined, because I feel the same way and I don't think it sounds braggy at all.

Amber said...

And now you're on your last day of the program!! Crazy how quickly 30 days can go by. Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts on the program and how it made you feel. I am looking forward to trying Whole 30 myself later this year!