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I am on day three of my first whole30. I normally take an off brand version of Zyrtec (as recommended by my doctor) every day because I have year round allergy symptoms (scratchy or itchy throat, runny nose, stuffy nose etc.). I realized on day one that my off brand antihistamine contains corn starch and that’s a no go for Whole30. So I went and bought a different one but just found it contains glycerin which is also a no. I need help! Anyone have an over the counter antihistamine that does not contain anything from the no list??? I tried to just go without taking any allergy meds at all for the last three days but am now suffering for it. I’m on Whole30 to figure out a possible mild allergy that is causing my skin to break out and my eczema to worsen if that helps for context.

After having my first successful run with Whole30 in January, I have encouraged my family to try it with me starting the day after Mother's Day! DH is finally onboard and ready to commit. DS is willing to give it a go, but a little scared, especially the thought of having to commit to 30 days (he did a 7 day sugar/gluten cleanse when I started my W30 in Jan). My main reason for pursuing this with my family is to alleviate some symptoms I've noticed in my son's health (low energy, weight gain, moodiness, mild gluten allergy, dairy intolerance, not hungry in the a.m., adult-sized appetite). Aside from the usual advice about reading the Whole9 literature about Kids doing the program, I would love some general tips and tricks from those of you that have had success with Kids' Whole30 or are in the process right now. Is there a mantra that helped you guide your kids through the program? A kid-friendly recipe website you couldn't live without? Did you modify the program at all for your kids? How did you explain the program to your kids to motivate and educate them? How did you manage slip ups? Any other words of wisdom to help with a 9 year old? Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated!!

Hey there! My name is Maura Beaver and I am starting on Monday, July 9th! This will be my first round of Whole30, and this type of program is so new to me. Recently, I have gained a decent bit of weight and I have been having some major allergy issues. I wake up with puffy eyes and lips and I'm breaking out in hives and eczema. We have tried patch testing at the allergist and concluded I'm at least allergic to nickel and gold. I feel like that's not the only issue because I haven't seen much of a change for the better. Now I'm considering the idea it might be food related. Also, let it be known I'm getting married at the end of October and would really like to get this taken care of! If you have any thoughts relating to the allergy topic or just some words of advice about the program, I would love to hear them. I LOVE to cook, so I don't think that will be hard to get used to. I do love cheese and bread - that will be hard to get used to... Thanks in advance, and I hope the program is going well for all of you! Maura

Last week when I started my Whole30 and noticed all the information on nightshades, I kind of pushed it aside and figured naah not a problem for me. Well I think I've been proven wrong. Although my digestion/IBS is doing well - which I talk about more in this thread http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/3462-ibs-success-stories-advice/ and overall I'm feeling better rested and better in general I am still dealing with a fair amount of nasal congestion, sore throat, and fatigue. This happened in a big way many times over the summer (read 5 serious bouts lasting 3-5 days) that I thought I was getting colds/flus from overworking. However, the symptoms were never accompanied with fever, bodyaches or other flu like symptoms. Just the sore throat and painful ears usually on one side or both and clear phlegm (not colored or cloudy like with a cold or flu. Sorry for the details but it's important in figuring out the cause!). Important to note that I have hypothyroidism (treated since 2008) and despite my blood levels indicating it's well balanced, I have fatigue and cycle issues that seem to indicate otherwise. Last night I used a new to me Mrs. Dash spice blend and last night and today the right side of my throat and right ear canal or SO painful and I am phelgmy. Looked at the ingredients I saw that it contains black pepper and chili pepper high up on the list and then red bell pepper further down. Considering my dinner consisted of... Roasted Chicken Roasted sweet potato topped with coconut milk and Sauerkraut (from a local farm made with nothing but salt) I really think spice blend has got to the be cause of my symptoms. So nightshades are gone for a while to see if it gets rid of this really annoying and hurtful inflammation. My questions are... *Do you agree with my possible self-diagnosis? *What symptoms do you (other people that have nightshade issues) get when you eat them?? *Am I missing any nightshades on my list of things to avoid.... All peppers Tomatoes and Tomatillos Eggplants Potatoes but not sweet potatoes (thank goodness!) Paprika and other pepper based spices Hot sauce and salsa (I've heard blueberries as well but am unsure??) Thanks so much guys!

Hello, This is a two part question. #1 Has anyone experienced an onset of allergies while on whole30, when never having them before. (I've been on whole30 for 8 months now) the past two months I have been miserable with symptoms. #2 I love whole30 and do not want to stop, so does anyone have any ideas to elevate the allergy symptoms.

Hi all! I'm a 28 y.o. web developer. When I was in my late teens/early 20s I started developing a pile of health problems and at some point I realized the prognosis for my life couldn't be good if I felt so crappy so young. I decided to turn my life around by fixing my lifestyle. I've lost 57 pounds, cured severe acid reflux, and learned how to exercise for the first time in my life (I'm now an avid cyclist, skier, and yogi). However, my relationship with food is still super complicated. I seem to develop new or worsened food sensitivities all the time, and now I've progressed to having hives for 9 months straight and newly developed moderate-severe asthma. I feel run down and exhausted all the time, and I'm constantly getting sick. This makes it really difficult to hold down a full time job. I have already pinned down a number of my allergies, but I end up eating those foods anyways because 1. My allergist cautions against cutting foods out lest you become more sensitive to them and 2. Junk food is delicious and I want to enjoy my life. Long story short, it's time to stop harming my body and to get to the root of the issues before it gets even worse! I considered GAPS but the foods list is complicated and contains a lot of things that I can't eat. So instead, I'm trying Whole 30 minus eggs and nuts.... except I plan on doing it for at LEAST several months, maybe longer, while drinking bone broth and eating fermented foods every day as per the GAPS diet protocol. I've already been 95% whole 30-ish for 9 days while I use up what's left in my fridge, and I'll start the real program next week. I just couldn't wait to get started, I was feeling so crappy that I had a moment where I realized that I needed to jump in right then and there! I'm terrible at being concise, but I just wanted to say that if there is anyone else out there doing whole 30 to deal with allergy related maladies, I'd love to hear from you! I definitely feel alone and wish I knew others who could share knowledge as I go down this path to what will almost certainly be radical, permanent changes in my lifestyle once again. Happy to be here!

I just found out I am allergic to olives and I have to eliminate olive oil from my diet. Can anyone recommend a good cooking oil that is not going to completely break the bank?

I'm on day 21 of the Whole 30 and I'm itching all over. I've been trying to take out foods I thought suspect like cashews and new supplements but nothing has worked so far. Going to take out coconut next... No red rash or hives. Just feel like my whole body is one big itchy thing. It makes it hard to sleep! Help. Just itching in my head, arms, legs, back, stomach, and privates. Basically every where. Antihistamines don't help much. Heard there was such a thing as a KETO rash. When you don't eat enough carbs. There are carbs on the Whole 30. I eat cherries, blueberries and sweet potatoes. I know vegetables are low and meat has none. Most of my meals are lots of cooked veggies with meat and a little fruit for dessert. I have pre-diabetes so I try and keep my fruit and sweet potatoe content low. Not sure how high I need to keep my carb content to feel my best yet and not affect my blood sugars. Could it be a mild form of that? or a yeast or hormones? I am in Menopause.

I have tried to start the whole 30 quite a few times in the past few months. I either make it half a day, a few days, or my longest attempt-9 days. I am in the middle of reading It Starts With Food, and completely love it and how much sense it makes! I have grown to have some allergies/ intolerance to dairy and I think gluten, and know my body runs best while either paleo or on the whole 30. And yet, can't seem to do it! Any tips, accountability buddies, or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

My friend is wanting to do Whole30 with me in January, however is feeling concerned about how to do this with her allergies to nuts and coconut, as well as sensitivity to eggs. I rely on eggs, nuts, coconut milk and almond butter for much of my whole30 recipes and snacks. Any recommendations on snacks and meal recipes - especially that get you the fat and non-meat protein?? Also, I known it's not compliant, but what are thoughts on using soy milk occasionally, since coconut and almond milk are out for her? Thanks!!

I'm on day 30 of my whole30 but I'm extending to 45 days because I still have some issues to work on. I started this program with multiple health problems and tons of food allergies and have made great improvements, including identifying some new allergens. I feel like there are still some issues that could be caused by food so for the next 15 days I want to try to eliminate more stuff, the question is what? On the one hand, I have serious OAS (oral allergy syndrome) with many known reactions to birch, beech, and ragweed family foods. I still have some of them in my diet though, so I could go all the way and also eliminate white potato, artichoke, banana, zucchini, almonds, carrots, coriander, celery, parsnips, and peppers. On the other hand, one of the things I reacted to during my whole 30 was eggplant, a nightshade, and I also have arthritis- which has been recommended to cut out nightshades to reduce symptoms. That would require cutting potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and most spices. Of course, I could do both, then do a really, really long reintro to try all these different veggies one at a time... I am mainly reluctant about the tomatoes, peppers and spices because I use them in everything. I can't imagine cooking to a whole 30 meal plan without them. IDK, I may be rambling, I'm just wondering does anyone have experience with multiple food allergies/ OAS/ nightshade issues? Any advice on doing a VERY restricted w30 (I already have a list of about 3 dozen fruits, veggies, and nuts I can't eat). thanks!

I'm discovering intolerances to food that I used to eat on a weekly basis before starting Whole30. Foods that are compliant, such as eggs and canteloupe. I'm really curious to know the science behind this. Why are they making me so sick now when I've been eating them my whole life? Does anyone know?

I tried to search and have come up with nothing. I hope I'm not being repetitive: I'm new to this forum and be to Whole 30. I'd really like to try it, but I'm nervous that my food allergies will be too limiting. I can eat anything cooked but am allergic to the following fruit, veggies and nuts when eaten raw: -apples -carrots -peaches -plums -celery -almonds -apricots -cherries -pears There may be others I simply haven't encountered or reacted to yet. Has anyone had experience with this? I always struggle with healthy grab-and-go options without things like apples, celery, carrots and almonds... I guess maybe I'm just looking for encouragement, especially from someone who's been through it and been successful! Any ideas or tips would also be helpful. Thanks.

I'm on Day 4 of my second Whole30 and finding it much easier this time around, although still not easy, of course. One thing I'm focusing more on this time is eliminating excess nuts and fruits from my diet, which was a problem for me last time and which I know can be an impediment to a successful experience. However, the reality is that I have blood-brain barrier hypoglycemia, which means my blood glucose will test perfectly normal but my brain isn't getting what it needs out of it all. It's a life-long problem that no amount of proper eating can take care of, defective physiology in other words. Sometimes I get flat-out HANGRY and need something to give my brain a kickstart, and prevent myself from verbally eviscerating people until I can eat a proper meal. I know that Larabars are permitted as emergency snacks for situations like that (I don't like having hunger rage, or passing out for that matter), but about three weeks into my last Whole30 I got back some allergy testing results: Turns out that I'm allergic to almonds, which are an ingredient in all Larabars. Are there any other compliant bars that I can buy, or can anyone suggest a compliant recipe? I'd almost rather buy them, so that I only have a limited number on hand and am not tempted by a pan of them. I looked at every single bar I could find today and they all had sugar in them, usually as the first ingredient! I did see in another thread that Epic bars are ok, but they're painfully salty for me and it's the carbs that I need. I also looked at RXBars, which were also mentioned, but they all had sugar (by any other name). Any suggestions would be very much appreciated! <3

Hi all, I finally got the results of my RAST testing and will begin my first Whole30 round in the morning. I've been fighting serious allergy and joint issues for quite a while, plus I have crohns disease so trying to figure out how to eat in a way that will make my body happy has been a tedious and ongoing process. Luckily according to the RAST test the only Whole30 food I definitely need to avoid is eggs. I have a level 5 reaction to whites and a level 4 to yolks. I'm very sad since I raise my own duck and chicken eggs! Other than that, I avoid seeds and some whole nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts) but can have others and can have all nut butters except peanuts. I have to be careful of too much fiber because it can cause a blockage, but as long as I'm strategic, I like most vegetables and fruits. Breakfast is where I'm clueless. I've been eating an egg sandwich (now egg, dairy and wheat intolerant) or omelet 95% of the mornings for the past 5 years. Thanks in advance!

My 6 year old son is doing great on our Whole 30 (not one slip which is something for a kid) and is on Day 18. Being that he's so young I thought he might see some results at this point, but his seasonal allergies seem to be flaring up and his itchy skin as well (undiagnosed condition, but some form of dermatitis.) I'm having to put hydrocortisone on his legs this week to keep him from scratching till he bleeds. Is it possible that he won't see any results until the very end? Is it possible that if he hasn't seen results thus far that it's not even food related? Shared experience and advice please!

Hey everyone. I've been doing the whole30 for 28 days, but this is my first time joining in the forum. I've had the most problems with finding alternatives to Almonds (milk, flour, bars, butter, etc.)! I am allergic to Almonds, and it was this reason that I looked to the whole30: my allergy appeared out of nowhere last June and sent me to the hospital; since then it's been no almonds for me, which has been very difficult since I used to be in the gym a lot and Almond-coconut milk was my go-to (and most available) for blending and recovery. In the w30, I've noticed there is a lot of Almond substituted in, and not having that available has not only been mentally frustrating, it's been distracting me from feeling accomplished, or like the resources I've got available to me are not the WHOLE set that are available for others, and that has been very discouraging. So I want to know, does anyone else suffer from specifically ALMOND ALLERGIES, and what have you done to get around it, or how has it been for you?

I have a slight allergy to eggs... But I love them and eat them all the time. Is this a food item I should give up (even though allowed in whole 30) to see if this is one causing inflammation?

I started the Whole 30 with hopes of getting rid of my 'seasonal' allergies (and a hope to lose some weight). I say seasonal loosely because I have them year round. I'm on Day 20... and it seems they're worse. My boyfriend just told me that the Whole 30 isn't working for me, and that I've had the worst allergies the past two weeks. I know it's a bad time of the year with the wet weather and leaves composting outside...but I have honestly been through a box of kleenex and sneezed at least 70 times today. I am at the end of my rope on allergies and I really hoped that I would be one of the ones that would rave that my allergies went away from Whole 30. I'm on Day 20... is there still hope for me? I'm starting to think about going to my doctor to get allergy shots because I can't live like this anymore! Anyone out there that had their allergies go away? When did it happen for you??

I started my second Whole 30 July 10th as I had fallen off the wagon bad. I knew I needed a reset. On Day 15 I mistakenly ingested sugar in mustard and decided to start over. I'm not counting days anymore, but I do know my goal day is August 24. With all that being said you can decide how many days I have been on because it really doesn't matter except to speak to being on the Whole 30 and allergies. I get monthly allergy shots as I can not even tell you how bad my allergies are. I break out in hives often and lately my left eye has taken to being swollen shut on many, many days and I was using eye drops regularly to prevent it as allergy shots and meds don't help that. Yesterday, I had my monthly 5 allergy shots and normally have huge reactions on my arms despite the fact that I have been getting allergy shots for almost 3 years now. The reaction is all within what my doctor says is normal, but the site gets very itchy all day and usually red and slightly swollen. Yesterday I got my shots in the morning and right before I went to bed I realized I had NO REACTION to the shots! I seriously couldn't believe it. I hadn't been itchy all day and you couldn't even tell where I had received them. Normally if I run my hand over my upper arm there are huge bumps and I had nothing. I'm not sure how the Whole 30 does this, but this is better than weight loss. It is quality of life! I can't wait to see if it will help me heal all of my allergies permanently. Thought I'd share in case anyone is suffering with allergies or has had a similar success I would love to hear!

I'm not sure where to post this, but I just finished my first Whole 30 and I was feeling pretty good, except that I was having a few annoying GI/skin issues. I ignored the problems, as overall I was feeling energetic. Then I gave my 1 year old some cashew butter (he had had it before) and he had a full blown allergic reaction with face swelling and hives. We had him tested and he is, in fact, allergic to cashews. This led me to do some reading about cashews and allergies and what I found out was pretty surprising. For instance, cashews are right behind peanuts in allergy potential and contain several irritant compounds, that if not processed out completely can cause some serious reactions even in those without a true "allergy". Cashews are members of the same family as poison ivy, oak and sumac. After reading further I realized that my lingering GI issues and a rather embarrassing dematitis (rash) are consistent with a sensitivity to cashews. So my question for you the creators and forum is, if we are trying to eliminate all causes of inflammation, even potential causes, why is the cashew allowed and even encouraged in the Whole30? I ended up not eliminating inflammation from my body, but as a person who was pretty healthy with no GI issues (just needed to eliminate that nasty sugar habit), I actually ended up inducing a good amount of inflammation into my body. Directly counter to the intended goal of the program. To say I am disappointed after 30 days of eating clean would be an understatement. Here's the information I found: http://www.phadia.com/en/Products/Allergy-testing-products/ImmunoCAP-Allergen-Information/Food-of-Plant-Origin/Seeds--Nuts/Cashew-nut-/

Hi, I've done the whole30 two times before and was happy with how I felt. My eating habits have gone the wrong way since but for some reason I have suddenly developed a pretty bad case of eczema in my neck and creeping up in my face, which totally freaks me out. I have hayfever as well but I haven't had eczema for 30 years. It just suddenly came back. I remember 30 years ago it also crept up to my face which got me in a panic and I resorted to very clean eating. It disappeared within two weeks and never came back until now. Needless to say I cleaned up my food intake straight away but not sure if it is going to be as easy this time around. It feels bad. I've been reading a few reports on the forum as to the eczema, but I am wondering if anyone has good experience with this kind of eczema disappearing on the whole30? I so hope it will as I fear I won't be able to get out of the house if this continues (it looks terrible, even though I avoid scratching as much as I can) I hope someone can give me some positive news.... Kind of desperate! Simone

I started my "diet" 2 years ago at a extremely unhealthy weight of 397 lbs. It was a constant fight and only managed to lose 25 pounds up to the time I started the Whole30. I suffered from hypertension, SAD (seasonal depression) high cholesterol, And average of 3 migraines a week since I was 10 years old, obesity, coronary heart disease, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Hernias, and am in need of knee surgery. Within 1 week no more Allergy medications. I have not had a single migraine since I started the whole30. My doctor has cut my 4 blood pressure meds to 1, off my Lexapro, lost 20 pounds, NO Fibromyalgia flare ups, big improvement with my arthritis and I am swimming 55 laps three times a week. I have to lose another 115 pounds before I can have knee surgery but the swimming has improved my mobility. No longer using my power chair!! Just a cane. I could go on and on, but the whole30 has saved my life. I was thinking of suicide just a few days before I stumbled across the incredible program. Now I have clear thinking, no more "fog" and I get up at 7:30 every day with eager anticipation for the coming day. I was a chef at my own restaurant for years and attended cooking school when I was young, so I KNOW how to cook, just never cooked the right foods. Every day is a joy now, do I still ache and have problems, yes, but NOTHING like I have experience to the last 15 years. I am now on my second Whole30 with food "tests" once a week, but I have changed for good and so much more happy with my life. I know for sure that I am keeping out dairy, had a bad reintroduction to it just this week. Will try organic honey and maple syrup next week. I will never use any refined sugars or synthetic sweeteners for the rest of my life (I am 64). Just cant get the grin of my face!! Oh, I am 352 now and will continue to only weight myself only at my doctors appointment from here on out. All my measurement have gone down except my arms and calves which have increased due to the swimming 3 times a week. I have many friends following my evolution and two are starting their own Whole30's next week. I have not engaged in proselytizing anyone on the whole30 (and trust me, food is a religion!)lol. Just my life style change has been their inspiration. Thank you Whole 30, you have saved my life! Update! There have been some significant learning Eureka's just in the last week. I have discovered, partly due to my obesity and 60+ years of eating the wrong things, that I am experiencing the effects of the Whole30 at a later date then most self subjected Guinea Pigs on the Whole30. Most seem to experience (from what my doctor says and what I have read from testimonials) short term things like, sleepiness, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, etc. at around week 2. Me on the other hand did not experience these effects until I was done with the first 30 days. On retrospect I don't think it was the reintroduction of parmesan cheese for two days after I stopped the fist 30 that moved me into the bowels of distress for a week. Now that I have started another 30 (last Monday) I am back to a renewed energy and feel fantastic once again. So those of you that are severely overweight or 40 yrs. + (the new 60 I am told) may want to rethink reintroducing foods until you finish a second 30 or at least till you are sure you have triumphed the few malevolent side effects. As for my Doctor visits and lab tests. Wow, even better then my Family Practitioner and Cardiologist expected. Me on the other hand was well aware of the excellent improvements since the Whole30 gives you the power to see the future. lol Cholesterol, both good and bad made the appropriate improvements in there respective directions that I ordered balloons and a marching band to celebrate. :-) NEVER have to check my blood sugar again (maybe in a year so I can get more balloons!) EKG - excellent! Blood pressure at a sustained 125/68. My Cardiologist was blown away and said she has never seen such improvement in a patient so fast and so dramatic after having three stents put in my heart! I used to get regular cortisone shots in my left knee from years of damaging pain and am scheduled to have surgery sometime after August this year. I am not sure what is going to happen now as the pain is at 10% of what it has been for years. I think it is a combination of the power swim walking, the whole30 and premium organic full cannabis infused emu oil that I rub on my knee twice a day. I have tossed my metal knee brace and as I mentioned in my first posting I no longer use my electric wheel chair! Damn I'm happy! Power on Wholies. Update 5-27-15. Great news! Ended my second Whole30 today and I am down 16 pounds from last month! Lost another 3.5" on my waist also. Feeling so good! Still swimming 2 miles three times a week and have been working in the garden every day. So since I started the new life style on April 20th I have lost 36 pounds and a total of 61 pounds from my starting weight of 397 pounds in 2014. Today I am thinking of starting some food tests, nervous because I don't want to mess things up! Was thinking of reintroducing organic honey and maple syrup or brown rice. Oh the decisions I must make to keep this beautiful body! Power on Wholies!

I am hoping someone may have a suggestion. I have had mild hives infrequentiy. 4 days ago I had hives all over my body that were super itchy. It was so uncomfotable I ended up going to the Dr. He gave me a cortisone shot. I had relief for maybe 3 hours then it came back with a vengence. I ended up going to Urgent Care that same night. I still have them 4 days later. I am on day 17 of the Whole30. I have not eaten anything I haven't eaten before. Could this be my body detoxing? Any suggestions would be helpful. i am kinda at my wits end.

I've been trying to decide if I want to do AIP now, or wait until January, I'm better doing whole30, but not great and not really weight loss. If it takes 90 days before reintroduction, that would take up my birthday and Christmas. Keeping whole30 compliant when eating out, etc, isn't always easy so I'm thinking it might be easier to wait til January?