The Whole30 diet is an elimination-style diet that forgoes all soy, dairy, grains, alcohol, legumes, and added sugars from the diet for 30 days straight. Whole30 has definitely been heard of in today’s world of health-conscious people, but how much do we really understand this diet plan? A more important question is whether this really is an effective diet or not? This article discusses what you need to know and be prepared for when following a Whole30 diet:
1. What to eliminate
The main objective of a Whole30 diet is to remove foods that contain any form of sugar, alcohol, dairy, legumes, and grains, which are known to be causing issues like hormonal imbalance, gut disruption, and acting as triggers for inflammation in the body. This means you also cut down on simple foods that you relish over time like peanut butter or hummus. It is not only cutting foods that fall into these explicit categories but also reading the label for its associative components as well as ingredients like MSG, sulfites, or carrageenan.
2. Timeframe
People who have been on a Whole30 diet have reviewed it to be an intense form of dieting but without any scales or calories-intake consciousness. There are even others who compare this diet to an even extreme rendition of the paleo diet, which is generally considered an easier option. The idea is to train people to naturally adopt a healthy lifestyle within the span of just 30 days of disciplined eating.
3. Rules of Whole30
It is important to know how you could actually stick to this diet without losing focus because even the smallest of accidental slips will reset the clock and require you to start all over from square one. Here are three solid rules that will keep you focused on a Whole30 diet:
- Start with a plan: By plan, it does not mean just thinking of and starting on a Whole30 diet all of a sudden, but it is about actually charting out the course for yourself for the next 30 days. This means you need to discipline your mind, clean out your kitchen, stock up your fridge, have an eating plan for your work and travel agenda as well as keep your social life on a balance without feeling left out. It will be a trying time, and you need to be prepared to stick to an alternative when you are tempted with grains or meat.
- You need support: Although the plan is individual, you need to keep your accountability factor high so that you don’t slip off the bandwagon. If you cannot get a buddy system in place with people you know, various online communities will give you the motivation you need to keep going and also help you plan effectively once you get on the Whole30 diet.
- Look into your meal prep: Give yourself enough time to stack up the pantry with relevant food, and remove anything that can easily derail you. Once you have your surroundings clean of any food on your elimination list, you can safely stick to your plan with less temptation and craving foods at your disposal.
