by Coach Rachel
The Whole 30 challenge is starting at CFIL. Since I have done this before, I wanted to give you some insight on what to expect and how to plan for it.
What exactly is the Whole 30? It is simply 30 days of eating only WHOLE FOODS. So no processed food, sugar, alcohol, sweeteners, grains, dairy, soy or legumes. What can you eat? Vegetables, meat, vegetables, vegetables, fruit, nuts seeds & vegetables.
I definitely recommend cleaning out your refrigerator and cupboards before you start. Clear out anything that is not Whole 30 approved, especially if it is very tempting. The early days of the challenge can be tough and it is best to minimize contact with the things that are going to be most challenging to give up.
Do your research and understand “WHY” you are doing this. I promise that you will be more successful in knowing that you shouldn’t eat pizza because its ingredients will permeate your intestinal lining and promote inflammation, rather than just feeling deprived because you were told that you “can’t” have it.
No Cheating: Don’t allow yourself excuses or penalties for cheats. 30 days of clean eating is not a punishment, nor is it a period of deprivation. It is a time to evaluate and appreciate the food choices that you make on a day-to-day basis and gain a better understanding of the effects and ramifications that foods pose on the human body. There is no measuring or portioning, you can eat real food until you are full!
Buy ingredients you will need to cook with. You want to be fully prepared so that you can eat well from day 1. Many sauces/condiments have added sugars, so start shopping early for things such as curry paste, fish sauce, coconut aminos (to replace soy sauce), ghee & coconut oil.
Buy a slow cooker if you don’t have one. For those nights you are coming home late from the gym or work, it’s great to have a whole chicken of some yummy pork ready to go.
Don’t forget if you are very busy this month you can sign up
Some specific things that have worked well for me:
- Ghee for cooking. I like to cook with coconut oil but sometimes the taste can overwhelm the food (especially for eggs).
- Coconut milk in my coffee. I was really missing milk in my coffee but then I discovered the canned (no sugar added) coconut milk which has the same creamy consistency.
- Buddy up with some friends. We will have teams assigned with coaches as your fearless leaders, Try and connect with a few people and exchange emails. On those days when you are struggling, it is great to reach out to someone for support. Or just to bitch about you co-worker who brought in homemade chocolate chip cookies…
- Keep dining out and socializing around food to a minimum. If alcohol is your biggest temptation, don’t meet your friends at a bar every night. If pasta is one thing you “cannot live without”, don’t go to your favorite Italian restaurant. It is hard to know how things are prepared in a restaurant, so it is best to just avoid dining out as much as possible for this month. It’s only 30 days.
Please feel free to reach out to me at any point during your Whole 30 for advice, suggestions or support.