Whole30

Happy Saturday, bloggers!

     I have very recently embarked on a new journey, as in I literally just started yesterday. It is called the Whole30 program.

Have any of you heard of this program? Tried it? Looked at it and thought the people were crazy and went on your merry way?

Never heard of it? Check out the site to learn more: http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/

     The gist of the program is that you remove grains, dairy, alcohol, legumes, sugar/artificial sweeteners, white potatoes, carrageenan, and sulfites from your diet for 30 days. No cheat days, no slips, it is all out. I don't look at this as a diet, AT ALL. It is more a way to make healthier choices, while becoming more aware of what you are putting in your body. After the 30 days (sometimes it takes longer depending on the person and circumstances), your body has "reset", and rid itself of the years and years of junk you have overindulged in. You can slowly begin to reintroduce those foods into your diet, and you can ultimately see what kind of effect they have on you.

     The thing that caught my attention the most were the testimonials, and one in particular. It was about people who have had headaches and migraines for years and after doing this program, their headaches had diminished. For those of you who don't know, I have been battling headaches every day for the last 8 or so years, so no wonder this stood out to me. The thought of going without a headache for a whole day leaves me speechless. I would not even know what to do with myself. Once I looked into it on my own, I talked to my brother more about it and he sent me the book It Starts With Food , that really goes more in depth in explaining the reasoning behind all of this and why cutting out those food groups can make such a difference. In no way do they say you should never have those things again, but those foods and additives have so much power over how your body works, from daily battles with cravings to medical issues. Once I read through the book, it just made even more sense. I would highly recommend just reading it, even if you have no desire to do the program, it really puts things into perspective!

     I plan on blogging my experience, recipes, etc as I go, mostly as a way to track my progress. And hey, who knows - maybe I will even convince one of you to give it a try! I can say that tomorrow may be the biggest challenge of the 30 days considering it is Super Bowl Sunday, good timing on my part! If I make it through that, I think I will be fine :)

     Stay tuned and I will post my first few days of meals/recipes soon, as well as any other changes I notice in energy, attitude, appearance, etc. I won't be posting any weight loss, because one of the stipulations to this program is that you are not allowed to step on a scaled or take any measurements for the duration of the 30 days. However, if I start losing some weight I am sure I will be able to tell simply by how clothes fit and how I am feeling. Wish me luck, you guys! I really hope I am able to come back in 29 days with some great news and changes!

Enjoy the Super Bowl, eat up and have a drink for me ;)