No dairy, no grains, no sugar?
I couldn’t think of a worse hell, ma’ friends. But when January rolled around I found myself considering the Whole30 diet.
I’ll admit it, I love the idea of a cleanse. Maybe it has something to do with my love for fresh beginnings. Maybe it has something to do with my holiday season of “not-so-healthy” eats.
3 years ago I found real food. It drastically changed my body and I wrote a book about my weight loss by eating ALL THE FOODS. It was so freeing to eat fat, carbs, and protein and to make healthy desserts with real, whole ingredients. I stand by my real food lifestyle. I think it provides the most nutrients and the least stress on the body! I love raw dairy, (properly prepared) whole grains, and yes, I even love sugar—as long as it’s real minimally processed.
Cleanses for everybody!
I used to think the idea of a cleanse was such a joke. I mean, shouldn’t the lifestyle that maintains your health be the one you should stick to? What’s the purpose of avoiding a certain food if you’re planning on going back to eating it anyway?
But, I’ve found that there’s something really cool that happens when you challenge your body.
YOUR PERCEPTION CHANGES.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I used to be a hard-core raw vegan. Okay, okay, so maybe I only lasted one month, but my one-month-raw-veganism trial taught me something very important. It taught me that when you’ve been eating ONLY raw fruits & vegetables for an ENTIRE month, a cooked sweet potato sounds like a freaking miracle from heaven. See? Perception.
My philosophy on food is that our bodies naturally crave nutrient-dense food. We are hard-wired to crave fat, protein, or carbs depending on our current needs. The problem is when we let processed food sneak in here or there and we start to lose that real connection to real food. At first it’s just a little processed food, then it’s every day, then we find ourselves used to nibbling on things we would have previously gagged at.
Living in 2015 and trying to eat whole & natural can be a challenge. I needed to shock my body and change my perception of what it feels like to ONLY eat nutrient dense food.
And this, friends, is why I decided to do Whole30.
I was getting in a bit of a rut. I was cooking real food, and maintaining it by living the 80/20 rule. And by that, I mean I was “mostly cooking real food” and “thinking” I was living the 80/20 rule, but really sliding more towards 70/30 and going out to eat way too often for convenience.
I knew I needed a perception change. And honestly I LOVED the idea of a simple plan like Whole30. Thirty days is totally doable, and just enough time to feel better & change my perception. And except for that one day where I ate sushi (trust me, it was an emergency), I have done really great! And the best part? I have more energy, my clothes that were feeling a little too snug are already looser, and my perception about food is already changing. (A glass of raw goat’s milk sounds amazing to me right now!)
Before you say you’re disappointed in me, understand this…
I’ve been getting some comments about how people are disappointed with this choice, but here’s what you need to understand. This is MY body. I’ve always been very honest about my body and real food diet, and have publicly been talking about my journey since Day 1 when I was recovering from 2 major back surgeries and ready to give up. The real food diet helped me tremendously and I STILL believe it is the BEST diet overall to maintain good health.
But I also know my body and I know that if I slide too far with processed food, that it’s really hard for me to get away from it unless I reset my perspective and get a little more strict with myself. I have always said that if you feel like you need to do a cleanse, then try to be smart about it and avoid stressing your body out or doing anything too drastic. For me, this isn’t drastic, this is fun. Why? Because I know how good it will feel after 30 days to go back to our beloved raw dairy & sourdough bread. And I love how grateful I will be at the end of this for those simple foods.
In the end, it’s about YOU and YOUR body and how honest you can be with yourself. I trust my body. I know it will do well on the Whole30 and I know it will do well when I go back to ALL the real foods.
How Whole30 works, in a nutshell.
The Whole30 Program Rules
Yes: 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. Don’t worry… these guidelines are outlined in extensive detail in our free shopping list.
No: Avoid these things for 30 days.
More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.
- Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
- Do not consume alcohol in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either).
- Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
- Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
- Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
- Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
- Do not try to re-create baked goods, junk foods, or treats* with “approved” ingredients. Continuing to eat your old, unhealthy foods made with Whole30 ingredients is totally missing the point, and will tank your results faster than you can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” Remember, these are the same foods that got you into health-trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a pancake, regardless of the ingredients. (source)
But how has it really been, DaNelle? Are you dying?
Totally not dying! But, let me say that I definitely did my research and read tips from seasoned Whole30-ers. I found an amazing resource that has helped me do this painlessly!
- MEAL PLANS – Oh my gosh, these meal plans have saved me! And these aren’t just any meal plans, Melissa from The Clothes Make the Girl had the GENIUS idea to make all of the food ahead of time. I’m serious when I say I spend a few hours at the beginning of the week roasting 2 chickens, cooking 2 soups, slow-cooking a pork roast, steaming all sorts of veggies, & whipping up sauces & glazes. GENIUS, I tell you. I cannot tell you how amazing it is when 4 o’clock rolls around and you know you have pre-cooked chicken, veggies, and spaghetti squash, and thai cashew sauce, and all you have to do is throw it together. When I get back to my real food diet, I am revamping all of my meal plans
So, what do you think? Are you ready to do Whole30 with me?
Want to follow me on my journey? Follow me on Instagram!
Also, is there a method to the meals in the 30 days? Or, is it any meal goes at any time as long as it follows their guidelines? Thanks.
It’s really anything goes as long as the ingredients are good!
🙂
I know you referred to “The Clothes Make the Girl” site. You said you got a lot of recipe/meal ideas from her. Just wondering if the Whole 30 book itself had enough recipes/ideas to sustain the 30 days?
It does! Plus, there are plenty of websites and resources!
Hi Danelle! I found you through Shaye Elliott’s blog.
I have two issues. 1) I am a Mom of two kids under two and I already am struggling with low amounts of energy and can’t find a reason why; I don’t drink coffee but (reluctantly) I think I might have to try it as I need something! My point is, I worry if I’ll REALLY have low energy levels with this Whole 30; even though I’d love to try it.
2) Secondly, I don’t have a lot of cooking under my belt! So all of this whole food talk is so attractive however so seemingly unattainable to me or, foreign. I slightly envy those women out there who were raised in the kitchen! I try but, it’s quite a challenge, and I worry about ruining expensive whole foods just because I accidentally made some petty learner’s mistakes! I would be so upset. :/ haha… do you have any advice Danelle? Thank you!
Hey Madelyn! I love Shaye! My best advice would be to start slow with a whole foods diet. Shaye’s blog has a lot of great recipes and with a whole food diet you won’t be eating very much processed food, which can help with energy levels. Also, your overall sugar intake is lower:) If you find you still have problems, I would look into adrenal or thyroid issues:) Good luck!
Thank you so much! Could you tell I was having a “poor me” day when I commented? haha… I will take your advice. Plus I have my first batch of kombucha brewing as I type, so that’s a start!
Dear Madelyn,
Talk to your doctor. He/she knows much more than this blog and DaNelle. The reason is that DaNelle and her type know lots of things that are true and will work, but they don’t have the time, resources or knowledge to watch you and assist you in making lifestyle changes. That’s you doctor’s job – also, he knows *how* your body works, and if he’s an O.D. or a naturopath he’ll also know how natural remedies work.
Expect to be tired as a new-ish mommy, those bundles of joy have enough energy to power the electric chair! And forget about being raised in a kitchen – buy the OLD joy of cooking and start practicing! Practice makes perfect!
Sincerely,
Earnest
Oh thank you!!
I wonder if the Whole30 diet would be possibly or healthy for athletes? I run 30 miles a week and would benefit from a cleanse like this, however, I don’t know if I could sustain my running without those much needed carbs and sugars… Hmm. Thoughts anyone?
I think a lot of athletes do try Whole30, but I would recommend following Stupid Easy Paleo. She eats paleo, but is an athlete and focuses on NOT eating low carb:)
Wow,, can’t believe how many people are so “disappointed” because you decided to eat real food for a month! (which isn’t that different from what you do on a daily basis!) That’s just laughable. Haters gonna hate, but personally I thought it was really cool that you decided to try it and be honest about the whys. It’s just a month! Did they think you were going to sell your goats and give up a lifestyle you love just because you tried the Whole30? Craziness. You offer so much good information on your blog, but it just goes to show that when we blog, sometimes people just love to hate what we put out there. IMO if you can’t say something nice people, don’t say anything at all! Eat what you want, live how you want, and visit blogs to inspire you to learn new things, try new ways of doing things, and spend hours looking at cute pictures of goats and daydreaming about a homestead. 😉 Peace, love, and bacon grease! <3
Thank you so much Katy!
Hi
I’m wondering, now that it is thirty days later, how has your body adjusted with the return to your normal real food way of life? Did you notice any issues with particular food types or groups? I’m trying to incorporate concepts of real food in to my daily diet. Actually, what I’m trying to do is simply enjoy real food and not ” covet” food I perceive as ” bad” . It’s a mental thing as much as a physical one. When I covet, I just want more and more if it!
Anyway, I like your book and this site and am hopeful that following its principles will get me to a healthier and leaner place. But perhaps I should consider the re set of a whole 30.
Great question Barb! I was going to do a followup post. I found that I did a lot better with grains than I did without!
DaNelle, I read this post last week and had no idea it would make so many people upset. I was actually very releived to hear that traditional eating role models, like you, slip up sometimes. I started eating a more traditional diet after finding your blog several months ago and it has changed my life. But the holidays really caught me off guard and I’ve been eating mostly junk. It made me feel bad about about myself and my lack of conviction….until I read your post. If you can slip up and then make a turn-around like this, then I can too. Thanks for being honest and real! I LOVE that!
Thanks Jodi!
DaNelle, I so much enjoy your info!! Real food is the way to go!! Thanks for sharing. Can you tell me if lecithin is bad?
Lecithin is usually in the form of soy lecithin, so I do try to avoid it in my normal diet. It works as an emulsifier, so I wouldn’t necessarily say that lecithin in and of itself is bad, it’s just the soy part that turns me off:)
Help! DaNelle, need your real food advice. I was looking at http://www.iquitsugar.com, she uses on Brown Rice Syrup and stevia, because they don’t have fructose. just tried it in 2 1/2 cups soaked cashews, and it isn’t good. Do you ever use that or do you REALLY believe in the pure maple syrup and honey route? I bought you book and that is what you recommend right? Need encouragement. I am proud of you for doing a reset, I know I need one too.
Personally, I really don’t think sugar is bad unless you’re really wanting to do a reset. Whole30 is a 30 day long avoidance of sugar, grains, & dairy. BUT, I’m definitely going to go back to honey & maple syrup and I’d choose it any day over brown rice syrup. Stevia’s cool, but it’s limited in its uses.
I think ultimately it’s all about balance. If you are addicted to sugar, it might be good to be stricter and go without for 30 days, but if you can enjoy it in moderation (1-2 times a week), then you’re probably good!
I tend to go the honey & maple syrup route because it’s more natural and less processed, but I definitely believe in eating a low sugar diet:)
Hi Danelle! I found your post very interesting and commend you for sharing and sticking to your personal values. Personally I had never heard of the Whole30 plan before reading about it in your post but I completely understand where you are coming from & support your efforts to be well as this is what I feel the ultimate goal is here. I am currently following a different, although similar plan, which is a detox to rid my body of toxins and to kick start my metabolism after several months of steady decline away from my preferred/ideal way of eating which is primarily whole, non-processed foods. I had been suffering from some physical health issues and ironically at the time when I should have been taking extra care to eat properly, by sticking to healthy eating by avoiding take out and too many carbs I was doing the opposite, becoming lazier by the day and as I stopped preparing my healthier meals I was becoming more depressed, tired and un-motivated. This is what the whole purpose of clean eating is, to avoid additives, preservatives, excessive processing, etc. that changes food from it’s natural, whole, nutritious state into something less nutritious. We eat clean so that we can be at our physical and mental best. When you think that the reason we eat is to “feed” our bodies what they need to function I think it is discouraging that we insist on feeding our bodies foods which are so altered and modified that they have considerably less nutritious than if we took them in their natural state and prepared them ourselves. This can be a huge shift in thinking for a lot of people and I will say that you have to be willing to make a commitment to yourself in order to be successful at it. In addition to feeling much better mentally and physically this practice has had the unexpected side effect of helping me rediscover my joy of cooking and has made me much more creative in the kitchen. I hope that more people can discover the “HUGE” benefits of eating clean, whole, natural foods…….by the way I am 55 and I feel better now than I did 20 years ago! Congrats to all of you who choose to be healthier in any way especially you Danelle 🙂
Chocolate is vegetable! But most of it has lecithin and added sweeteners. Perhaps 100% Plantation chocolate wouldn’t have lecithin? Just a thought 🙂
I like your logic Emma 😉
Sounds like a good ideea! We’ll be trying our own ‘reset’ soon in the form of GAPS.
I personally find whole30 a bit of a rough one, but to each his own, right?!
Happy to hear you feel good! 🙂 good luck and goat uhm whole on!
Roxana, that’s interesting! I did the GAPS diet for a month and lost way too much weight. But, to each his own! Good luck!
I have also completed a Whole30. BEST thing I’ve ever done! If you don’t have food allergies or sensitivities you might not get the beauty of this plan…Not a diet! If you are tired of pain, insomnia, bloating, itching, etc. then you need to give this plan a try before you judge it.
Beans…a wonderful food but do you really need them? Can’t imagine life without them? Hmm…
Dairy is a real problem for so many people! I have access to and drink raw milk but even then I honestly do better off of dairy. Have you ever experienced earaches? sinus problems? asthma? Then you may have a dairy allergy/sensitivity and not know it. Most people equate tummy troubles with milk, etc. and if you are lactose intolerant then you may experience stomach or bowel issues. However, if like me & mine, you are sensitive to the casein protein in milk you may not have a clue that you are dairy sensitive.
Alcohol? If you can’t live without it for 30 days then more is going on than any food plan can help.
Sugar! I love the stuff! However, I don’t like pain in my joints, or insomnia, or numbness in my hip, or brain fog. Do I still eat fruit and occasionally sweets? YEP! I have learned what foods make me feel bad and which to avoid. The Whole 30 helped me do that.
Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, other grains and high carbs? You CAN live without them for 30 days! Turns out you might feel better and maybe lose weight in the process…almost painlessly.
I suspect many of you who are saying or thinking negative things about the Whole30 are not realizing that one month, 4 weeks, 30 days is not really very long. What you choose to do after the Whole30 is up to you.
Oh! By the way, have you considered the foods you can eat during a Whole30? You will not go hungry eating real food – meat, eggs, fruit, and vegetables! The list of food you can eat is MUCH longer than what is to be avoided. Go to your Library and read the book for free. Then you can judge this plan.
I can’t help having my say. I don’t mean to sound contentious.
Just be careful not to stay too long on the Whole 30. Yes, we do need grains and legumes. They provide us with a decent amount of carbs that vegetables, fruit and meat don’t give. I lived on that for months (and I ate huge plates of food every meal – more than I do now) and my thyroid was so low, some days I could barely get out of bed and I had terrible joint pains (not to mention chronic constipation, etc.). As soon as I started eating grains, legumes and white potatoes, I felt so much better.
Sorry, but losing weight doesn’t always acquaint to health.
I understand doing it for a short period to refocus and get the body craving healthy foods again like Danelle did. But to start cutting out carbs to lose weight or supposedly feel good (which is just because of a heightened amount of cortisol in the body and a false high) is not healthy.
Oh, and my sleep is so-o-o much deeper now that I eat grains, lol!
Forgive me if I’m wrong. That’s just what I’ve learnt from reading Matt Stone and Chris Sandel – they have some great nuggets of truth and have worked with many clients who have been trapped by dieting and detoxing which only compromises the metabolism.
Sarah, were you thinking the Whole30 is a long term plan? If so, then yes it’s pretty unrealistic. But since it’s only 30 days it’s very realistic. Thousands and thousands of people have done it. I’m half way through and I have eaten in restaurants, and just got back from a 4 day trip and was able to keep it up. You just have to ask questions and make specific requests at restaurants. We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant one night and I just had a steak salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. At an Italian restaurant and I had grilled seabass with sauteed spinach and oven roasted potatoes. Since it was an authentic Italian place, it was all olive oil. I packed my own snacks for the plane. We happened to be staying right next to a Whole Foods, which made it easy to grab snacks and stuff for lunch while we were there.
When I was reading through the “rules” I thought it was a joke! I was expecting to see “Just kidding!” Completely unrealistic in today’s day and age. 🙁
I see what you are saying. It may be the right thing for some. I did an elimination diet and it really messed with my health but maybe because I’d been on low carb for too long. Reintroducing was a nightmare because I felt sick all the time so imagined everything I reintroduced was bad for me. I thought I’d have to restrict my very hungry self even more.
This is to the commenters above, who expressed disappointment in DaNelle for “dieting”. Maybe I can offer a different perspective. I’m in the middle of the Whole30 right now, so I totally get where she’s coming from. I am normally a very clean eater at home. I have 3 kids and a husband and a pretty busy life. We love to travel and go out to dinner. When I eat at a restaurant, I always make the best choices I can based on the menu. But over the holidays, I just decided to enjoy life a little more. I ate more wheat and sugar, and drank more alcohol than I normally do. Once you let one thing slide, its really easy to let more things slide. So once January hit, and the kids were back in school, I was done. I was ready to clean it up. My skin was not good, my eyes were puffy every morning when I got up, I didn’t have as much energy, etc. Once you’re in “cheat” mode, it’s hard to break that. I do much better with a plan and a challenge. I know I can’t cheat because I have to start over. The Whole30 is a plan, not a diet. It’s a clean eating reset. Another important part of it for a lot of people, that may be doing it to try to get healthy for the first time, is that it is an elimination diet. Once you have taken potential allergens out of your diet for 30 days, when you add them back, you know if you have a reaction to them. Someone might not know that they are sensitive to wheat, until they have removed it from their diet for a while. You aren’t villainizing a whole food group, you’re just removing it for a short time in order to test it with your body. It’s only 30 days. It helps cut cravings and give you focus again. Of course no plan is for everyone. We all have our things, based on our life and experience. If DaNelle feels like she needs a reset and Whole30 makes sense for her, then I think that’s great.
Love this! Yep, it’s totally a reset. And I definitely don’t believe in long-term restrictive diets. BUT, I do believe in “repentance” diets and a month without any processed sugar really makes you realize that fruit, honey, and other whole sweeteners are good enough and just what your body needs!
It’s crazy how addictive processed foods can get and how it really can mess up your perspective! I’m SO glad I did this because I feel like it’s made me SO grateful for my homemade dairy & homemade grains haha! I can’t wait to make sourdough bread again instead of eating store bought (like I had been doing for convenience)!
Thanks, Danelle. Makes sense! Wish I could eat sourdough bread. I can only go for soda bread as I get itchy rashes from the yeast. Any yeast for that matter.
Me too. Disappointed. 🙁
Being “disappointed” in DaNelle for choosing to forego eating certain things like sugar, alcohol, etc is just as bad as those that villainize the real food lifestyle and raising animals for meat. (Actually, I think it’s worse) Let her do what she wants! I see no harm that can come from her not eating these foods that often do cause issues – more than most foods – in the human body. If we’re being real with ourselves, the Whole30 isn’t “diet craziness;” it’s actually going back to basics and eating in a way that mostly makes sense in nature. Diet craziness would be only eating horrible low-fat packaged foods. Enjoy DaNelle! I need to do a “reset” myself and you have me intrigued.
I agree with a previous comment. Very disappointed. I guess the message is that a real food diet cannot be maintained. Refuse to do any DIET that villainizes whole food groups.
I wholeheartedly believe that a real food diet can be maintained, the thing is, I was eating out 2-3 times a week for convenience and not maintaining a real food diet. Going strict for a month is helping me realize that real food is SO much better than going out:)
Sounds like a winning strategy to me. For many of us the 80/20 rule is ALWAYS a slippery slope. Sugar is poison to many; it’s like using a little heroin only 20% of the time. So adapt and adjust ladies. I applaud your willingness to sort yourself out and share your efforts with us. BRAVO DaNelle!
Ah I’m so disappointed! In all of the diet craziness in the world your website and approach to food and non- dieting made me feel peaceful & stopped my head from spinning. Sorry you felt you needed a diet… Super disappointed.
Me too! Thought dieting of any form put a strain on the body – lifted up cortisol – hence the very dangerous honeymoon high. And I agree – cutting out whole food groups is not a good idea. But maybe I’m talking from a standpoint of someone who’s just come out of two years of heavy dieting and can’t see how you would ever want to. Whole 30 was similar to where I came from – absolute hell!
I guess I’m viewing this as less of a diet and more of a restart and “repentance” for my slide towards eating out the past few months. I love how it’s changed my perspective and helped me get away from processed foods. And you can bet I’ll be back to raw dairy & properly prepared grains, as well as whole sweeteners:) To each his own!
You say see below for more information about clarified butter or ghee but I looked and couldn’t find anything.
Hi Pamela,
You have to click over to the Whole30 site to learn more:)
Good luck! I’ve been eyeing this program, too, but I don’t want to give up coffee, or creamer. 🙁
Ugh, I know! That’s pretty much the worst part about it!
Congratulations on tackling the WHole30! I’m really glad my food plans make it a little easier — and tastier! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Melissa! Your site is a GODSEND!