Honest SWYPO Question

[careergirlwhole30]

So I just finished my Whole30 yesterday (yahoo!), and I have an honest SWYPO question which I know has been discussed a million times, but I really want to understand the answer to it.

 

From everything I've read banana pancakes (banana + egg) are considered SWYPO and therefore not whole30 because it's considered different from eating an egg and a banana separately, bring up a different psychological response, and are not following the spirit of whole30.

 

On the other hand, zoodles and cauli-rice are encouraged--now here is what I don't get. When I eat zoodles, they remind me of pasta-I put pasta sauce on them, add some meatballs, and it's a meal very similar to what I would eat pre-whole30. This same meal is even in a whole30 blog post labeled comfort food (http://whole30.com/2015/08/comfort-food/). My question here is, doesn't eating zoodles in zoodle form promote a different psychological response than sautéed zucchini circles? Isn't it trying to replace a food that you (most likely) previously ate too much of before whole30 and had a psychological connection to (i.e. comfort food)? I have the same feeling about cauli-rice--no one, and I mean no one, eats as much cauliflower as they do when they use it as cauli-rice for a curry, burrito bowl, etc. Lots of people love white rice, and they are replacing it with this substitute.

 

My point is that just like banana pancakes neither zoodles nor cauli-rice taste like what they are replacing (pasta and rice), but most people are eating them as a replacement for what they used to eat and because they crave that comfort food of pasta and red sauce or curry and white rice.

 

Even more confusing is that pure wraps (http://whole30.com/2013/12/pure-wraps/) were declared not whole30. I feel like that is the most similar thing to zoodles/cauli-rice so it super confused me. Pure wraps were simply coconut, just like cauli-rice is cauliflower and zoodles are just zucchini-why are they a no-no and zoodles/cauli-rice is not?

 

So my question is why are banana pancakes and pure wraps different and considered SWYPO when zoodles and cauli-rice are not?

 

I know this is a hot topic, so please know that I'm asking because I truly want to understand--I may disagree with the reasoning, and that's fine-I don't make the rules, but I do want to understand them.

 

[GFChris]

Yes, this has been discussed countless times before, but let me try to answer your questions with some brief bullet points.
- This line from this article says it all: "Am I trying to exactly duplicate or recreate the poor food choice with “approved” ingredients, or am I merely looking for a healthier, more nutritious substitution for that food?" - See more at: http://whole30.com/2011/10/sex-with-your-pants-on/#sthash.WuHX2FW5.dpuf

 

- Zoodles and Cauliflower rice fit into the latter category.

- Pure wraps falls into the former category, as they're trying to recreate bread. Since Paleoified bread is not allowed, pure wraps were dropped from the allowed list.

 

- Trying to recreate a pancake, waffle or any other treat is also in the former category, explicitly against the rules and is SWYPO.

If you find that you're eating zoodles or cauliflower rice (or any Whole30 approved food) in an unhealthy way (as a way to cope emotionally instead of you're hungry and want to be nourished), then that would be something to look at. As an example, many folks opt to not eat nuts on a Whole30, because it's food without breaks for them.



 

[SugarcubeOD]

So I just finished my Whole30 yesterday (yahoo!), and I have an honest SWYPO question which I know has been discussed a million times, but I really want to understand the answer to it.

 

From everything I've read banana pancakes (banana + egg) are considered SWYPO and therefore not whole30 because it's considered different from eating an egg and a banana separately, bring up a different psychological response, and are not following the spirit of whole30.

 

On the other hand, zoodles and cauli-rice are encouraged--now here is what I don't get. When I eat zoodles, they remind me of pasta-I put pasta sauce on them, add some meatballs, and it's a meal very similar to what I would eat pre-whole30. This same meal is even in a whole30 blog post labeled comfort food (http://whole30.com/2015/08/comfort-food/). My question here is, doesn't eating zoodles in zoodle form promote a different psychological response than sautéed zucchini circles? Isn't it trying to replace a food that you (most likely) previously ate too much of before whole30 and had a psychological connection to (i.e. comfort food)? I have the same feeling about cauli-rice--no one, and I mean no one, eats as much cauliflower as they do when they use it as cauli-rice for a curry, burrito bowl, etc. Lots of people love white rice, and they are replacing it with this substitute.

 

My point is that just like banana pancakes neither zoodles nor cauli-rice taste like what they are replacing (pasta and rice), but most people are eating them as a replacement for what they used to eat and because they crave that comfort food of pasta and red sauce or curry and white rice.

 

Even more confusing is that pure wraps (http://whole30.com/2013/12/pure-wraps/) were declared not whole30. I feel like that is the most similar thing to zoodles/cauli-rice so it super confused me. Pure wraps were simply coconut, just like cauli-rice is cauliflower and zoodles are just zucchini-why are they a no-no and zoodles/cauli-rice is not?

 

So my question is why are banana pancakes and pure wraps different and considered SWYPO when zoodles and cauli-rice are not?

 

I know this is a hot topic, so please know that I'm asking because I truly want to understand--I may disagree with the reasoning, and that's fine-I don't make the rules, but I do want to understand them.

Chris gave you a very good answer but I just wanted to add in… zoodles and cauliflower rice are different ways of cutting up a vegetable.  Nothing is done to the vegetable to make it into something it isn’t… zoodling is just julienne slicing and cauli rice is just shredding.  The egg and banana pancake no longer resembles either a banana nor an egg.

Now, that said, if you personally have a problem with pasta or rice in your previous life then maybe in your context you want to chop these vegetables up in a different way so as not to trigger the feeling that you’re recreating something that is less than healthy for you.  For the majority of people, slicing or shredding up a vegetable is not going to give them the psychological response that pasta or rice would and that’s why it’s allowed.  

For some info straight from Melissa herself, here’s the Pancake portion of the ‘Can I have’ article linked in my signature below:

 

Pancakes: No

Sometimes, we feel like if we have to have one more conversation about pancakes, we might explode. No, you can’t have pancakes. Yes, even if they’re just bananas and eggs. First, they are explicitly ruled out in the Whole30 program guidelines. This should be enough of a reason, but in case you’re still wondering why (they’re just bananas and eggs!)…

Pancakes in any form do not encourage success with the Whole30 program. Reaching your health goals depends on committing to both the rules and the spirit and intention of the program. The Whole30 is designed to change your relationship with food, first and foremost. And the psychological impact of eating pancakes as part of your healthy eating, life-changing plan cannot be ignored.

Eating eggs, a banana, and some olive oil is not the same as combining those ingredients into a pancake. There are studies that show that how your brain perceives the food influences satiation. This is often cited with liquid food (smoothies or shakes, as we reference in the back of It Starts With Food), but experientially we see this with whole foods as well, depending on how they are combined. Pancakes bring up a totally different psychological response than frying some eggs and eating a banana. And it’s that psychological response that we are trying to target with the program.

You may not have an affinity for pancakes, but we find that most people who complete our program do best without any of these comfort/trigger/reminiscent-of-the-SAD-stuff-you-used-to-eat foods. So, because we need to create one program that applies to as many people as possible, we rule these Paleo recreations out. In our vast experience, this sets everyone up for the best Whole30success possible. And, of course, what you choose to do after your 30 days are up is entirely up to you.

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.eCcrcoGA.dpuf

[careergirlwhole30]

Your first point hits the nail on the head I think-regarding the recreation vs. looking for a healthier, more nutritious substitution for that food. I think that's a valid point and a good way to explain it.

 

I still think that eating a banana egg pancake is a healthier, more nutritious substitution for my normal breakfast of a granola bar with who knows what ingredients in it and therefore not SWYPO (since pre-whole30 I didn't eat pancakes on a regular basis as part of my diet), but I know that I won't win that point so not worth arguing

[jmcbn]

Your first point hits the nail on the head I think-regarding the recreation vs. looking for a healthier, more nutritious substitution for that food. I think that's a valid point and a good way to explain it.

 

I still think that eating a banana egg pancake is a healthier, more nutritious substitution for my normal breakfast of a granola bar with who knows what ingredients in it and therefore not SWYPO (since pre-whole30 I didn't eat pancakes on a regular basis as part of my diet), but I know that I won't win that point so not worth arguing

Then think of it in terms of how it fits with the recommended meal template of 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veg, and a generous serving of fat, with fruit not pushing the veg off of your plate.

With a typical recipe you'd need to be eating about sixteen pancakes along side your fat & veg, and then with the two bananas that'd be a pretty big fructose hit first thing in the morning, which will likely play havoc with your blood sugar, satiety signals, appetite & mood.

Hope this helps 

[SugarcubeOD]

One other thing to note... if you're done your Whole30, you can eat whatever you want, including banana egg pancakes... that's the choice you get to make after you weigh your options and your re-intros to see how best to manage your eating plan going forward!

[ultrarunnergirl]

The Meal Template really is your ultimate answer. You want to eat as close as you can to its recommendations.

 

Personally, I never went back to any form of pasta, I love spaghetti squash so much more with my delicious meat, garlic and tomato sauce. It has more flavor!

[praxisproject]

For me, I like the template comparison the most. I find the substitution/re-creation part more confusing for me, mostly because my foods with no brakes are ingredient related and non-compliant (gluten makes me sick but I used to eat lots of it pre-Whole30, same with cheese and I really loved both) and the healthy re-creations with compliant ingredients (zoodles and meatballs) have zero "no brakes" effect, but pasta and meat sauce with cheese totally does (and then I feel sick after ). There's some really great in-depth bits on this in It Starts With Food.

 

Does the food have a physiological or psychologically unhealthy effect? Mine are very much linked, some ingredients really change my brain as well as my body, things that make me sick I often want to eat more of if I eat some of them, but if I don't eat them at all, I'm fine, both in my mind and in my body. If I don't eat these things, I have no interest in them if they're nearby. Even if they didn't make me sick (which they really do), that's not a healthy effect (food with no brakes).

 

I find most SWYPO recipes are a dramatic skew to the template ratio, so if I imagine putting the recipe's ingredients on my plate and then adding all the missing things from the template ratio on my imaginary plate too, it starts looking very silly, or stuff falls off the plate.

 

Most SWYPO recipes are not just unbalanced, but very low on good nutrients (vitamin k, iron, b vitamins, protein, amino acids, minerals) and high on the things we need to keep balanced (omega 6, natural sugars). A lot are high in fruits and nuts and low on protein and many have zero vegetables, a big warning sign to me is an amount of non-grain flour that exceeds basic binding for something like meatballs.

 

So pancakes might be better than a granola bar, but both of them are very far away from the template.

 

Juices and smoothies might be better than something with fried processed grains, but they're still far away from the template (some contain upwards of 6 or 8 serves of fruit, imagine trying to eat all of that on a plate with the rest of the template in balance!).

 

I was really shocked at the changes in my body, just from sticking to the template.

 

PS. I totally understand the complete lack of passion for pancakes, I actually had real trouble grasping the SWYPO concept at first too, because I'm really not a fan of pancakes and they're used a lot in examples. Blah