What is a Whole30?
Founded by Melissa Hartwig (and Dallas Hartwig) in April 2009. The concept of a Whole30 is a short-term nutrition 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.
Why did I do a Whole30?
This is actually my 4th Whole30, with 3 being successful and 1 being terminated early due to busy life reasons. I did the first one to see if there would be any differences in how I felt and performed. It was good, but I wasn’t absolutely true to it because I was on a protein kick and eating clean food protein bars.
The second ended early but the third was a game changer – turns out I was a bit of a sweets addict once I quit all processed food (goodbye protein bars). I did this Whole30 because I wanted to see how it compared to my Primal/Paleo/Whole food lifestyle.
Why Would you want to do a Whole30?
We’ve already stated the usual mental and physical health benefits above. According to the Whole30 website, testimonials from thousands of Whole30 participants document the improvement or “cure” of any number of lifestyle-related diseases and conditions.
high blood pressure • high cholesterol • type 1 diabetes • type 2 diabetes • asthma • allergies • sinus infections • hives • skin conditions • endometriosis • PCOS • infertility • migraines • depression • bipolar disorder • heartburn • GERD • arthritis • joint pain • ADD • thyroid dysfunction • Lyme disease • fibromyalgia • chronic fatigue • lupus • leaky gut syndrome • Crohn’s • IBS • Celiac disease • diverticulitis • ulcerative colitis
Research based? Not in a documented controlled laboratory environment. But the N=1 personal experiments and reporting of thousands of people do at the very least give enough merit to make me pause and think. It does point to the possibility of food being used as medicine as well as fuel and, for some, a Whole 30 can point out disordered eating.
How did I feel on my Whole 30?
The first week I felt a bit overly full eating 3 meals a day instead of my usual 1-2. I also didn’t feel as mentally sharp or energetic as I usually do. So on week number 2 I started skipping breakfast and I began to feel my wonderful mental clarity and awesomely high energy return. I would point out that according to the rules of the Whole 30 it is recommended to eat 3 meals a day.
With my mental clarity and energy levels returned to me, weeks 3 and 4 went very smoothly with only a few cravings for my protein powders, 85% chocolate bars, and Bullet Proof Collagen Bars. I felt great as usual.
What did I learn during this Whole30?
I talk about life and health optimization and I use myself as the living laboratory in which I conduct my experiments. During the Whole30 I found out that my 1-2 meals a day is where my body and mind perform most optimally in general. But switching up number of meals per day, size of meals, content of meals, and eating window is also a very positive thing for me when done occasionally or as I feel like my body needs something different.
Do I recommend a Whole30?
The short answer is yes if you are up for it. Some food groups, such as sugar, grains, dairy and legumes can have a negative impact on your health. By removing these possibly troublesome foods for 30 days you allow your mind to break food addictions, your body to balance hormone production, and your gut to begin healing.
That’s it! Thank you for reading! If you’re looking for more help in optimizing your own life and would like to engage my services, or have an idea for a blog post, feel free to contact me.
Wishing you happiness, health, and success!
-Gregg
WHOLE30 WEBSITE
WHOLE30 BOOKS
- IT STARTS WITH FOOD (Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways)
- FOOD FREEDOM FOREVER (Letting Go of Bad Habits, Guilt, and Anxiety Around Food)
- THE WHOLE30 (The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom)
- THE WHOLE30 DAY BY DAY (Tips, hacks, advice, and inspiration to help you achieve Whole30 success every day of the program)
- THE WHOLE30 FAST AND EASY COOKBOOK (150 Recipes for Your Whole30)
- THE WHOLE30 SLOW COOKER (150 Recipes for Your Slow Cooker and Instant Pot)
- THE WHOLE30 COOKBOOK (More than 150 Recipes to Help You Succeed with the Whole30 and Beyond)
