Before we get into this, I just want to say that I am happy you are here. Whether you are reading this because you are considering doing Whole 30, in general want to learn more, or clicked on this page because you’re like, “Taylor, you never stop talking about this, what the heck is Whole 30”, I think you are going to take something out of this page.

I am not a certified Whole 30 coach, I am not an expert, and I am not a medical professional, plus I did not create the program. For that reason, I can give you my own personal synopsis of what Whole 30 is below and why I think it is an incredible health challenge that has provided me with so many benefits, as well as provided similar and even more benefits to others. Though I am not an expert, I have completed almost 2 rounds of Whole 30 since July 2019 and want to share my knowledge about a challenge that changed my life!

Here, I have linked to the official Whole 30 website where the queen herself, Melissa Urban, explains the program, what it is, and why it is a revolutionary experience for your body, mind, and health! Here are the official rules, though I will explain them below as well!

So, what is Whole 30?

All in all, Whole 30 is a way of eating and it is a way of living. I do not consider it a diet at all. Rather, I consider it (and so does Melissa Urban) a reset, that paves the way for how you fuel your body for the rest of your life. Whole 30 eliminates common food groups or items that cause issues in different areas of your bodily functions like digestion or immune, etc. Simply put, it eliminates food items that most commonly make people feel like crap. After 30 days, one should reintroduce these items slowly through the next few weeks/months and then see what foods mend well after the reset and which do not. For example, I LOVE dairy, I love it. But after my first Whole 30 when introducing dairy back into my diet, I noticed that it didn’t make my stomach feel great. So although I still have some dairy when I am not doing Whole 30, I limit my intake significantly. And, to put it in perspective, I grew up in a household where we probably bought nine gallons of milk each week.

What Must One Eliminate To Participate In Whole 30?

Before you even advance to the next line of words, I want you to think about Whole 30 as all the things you can have to eat to change your life versus reading the list below and thinking about all the things you cannot have!! Stop. Read that again, please.

Okay, now proceed.

List of Food Eliminations: for a complete list click here. Below is a common food item list.

• Dairy
  • No milk, cheese, cream, yogurts, ice cream, sour cream, etc.
• Added Sugar, real or artificial
  • If there are any kinds of sugar, it is out.
  • Examples: sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, molasses, Splenda, xylitol, etc.
• Legumes
  • Includes all beans, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts (yes, peanut butter is out), soy sauce, edamame, tempeh, etc.
• Alcohol
• Grains
  • Ex. wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, sprouted grain, etc.
• Baked goods, candy, or any kind of “treat” even if it is made with Whole 30 compliant ingredients
  • Why? Because the idea of this challenge is to flush out and reset your body and mind. If I sat here and ate Whole 30 compliant cookies everyday of my Whole 30, uh yeah, I would probably just go back to normal cookies after my Whole 30. It’s not the point of the challenge, don’t do it! 🙂
• MSG, carraggeenan, or sulfites
  • In any form, it’s a no.
• No store-bought chips or restaurant fries
  • Even if they are compliant, they are off limits. It is all about creating habits and eating a whole bag of potato chips just because they are “compliant” does not mean you should!

So, What Do I Eat?

There are TONS of foods that you can eat on Whole 30!! One reason I love W30 is because it makes you get creative with cooking and really breaks you out of your comfort zone if you aren’t big in the kitchen right now! Below is a compact list, but you can find an extensive list, here.

• Proteins
  • Meat
    • The more organic, the better. But if you live in the middle of nowhere with limited options, or you are balling on a budget (I feel you), just do what you can! And for things like bacon or sausage, make sure they are sugar-free!
  • Seafood
    • Like salmon, crab, tuna, scallops, shrimp
  • Eggs
    • In all shapes and sizes baby
  • Jerky
    • Chomps is a great brand!
• Vegetables
  • Oh god, no, anything but vegetables. That would’ve been my response to you if I was reading this just a few months ago. But, I have really been experimenting to find out the perfect way I like veggies cooked so that I have no reason not to eat them. You can eat white potatoes and sweet potatoes on Whole 30!
• Fruit
  • On the flip side, I could eat fruit all day…and I kind of do. There are some fruits deemed more worthy than others on Whole 30 and I can share them with you below, but I do not limit myself to certain fruits I eat on Whole 30. They are still good for my mind, body, and soul.
    • The best fruit options are those like your berries, grapefruits, and melons, but again, all are still good for you!
• Healthy Fats
  • Ghee, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut milk, nut butters, avocados, etc.
• Nuts
  • Raw cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc. all are game on Whole 30

What Are The Benefits?

Look, I am a realist and I am very blunt so know that I mean every word I am saying and I am not just fluffing this up. And when I say it has changed my life, I mean, it has changed my life. I never ever ever took notice to the ingredients in my foods. I have tried to eat “healthier” and buy natural items but now with my knowledge, I realize a lot of the things I thought were healthier, were actually just as bad or worse than the what I thought the “bad” version was.

***My biggest takeaway from Whole 30 was the control I now have over my eating habits, the healthier relationship I have with food, and understanding exactly what I am putting into my body! ***

I have never struggled with severe acne but I personally have seen my skin glow much brighter after completing Whole 30 and far less breakouts. I have heard so many incredible results and testimonials after people have completed Whole 30. Some people halted their pre-diabetic stages, were able to get pregnant, and realized if they had a dietary issue, how to solve it! There are so many benefits to this challenge and everyone is different. On my first Whole 30, I lost 15 pounds. I know people who have lost 20, 30, maybe only 10 pounds. But this isn’t about losing weight. In fact, one of the rules is to put your scale, measuring tapes, etc. away for 30 days. This is about your relationship with food and how it can positively impact your body, not how much weight you can lose in 30 days.

Everybody’s bodies are different, need different things, and react different ways. At the end of the day, this 30 day journey is for you, and only you. You CAN do this. I applaud you for reading this far and really thinking about making a change in your life. Now, get ready for the next 30 life-changing days of your life. I will be here for you every single day, and I will be waiting for you at the finish line to cheer you on and applaud you once again for crushing it!

Click here for my post about how to prep for a Whole 30!

Always cheering you on!

xoxo,

Taylor

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