Day 19 and sad

[SBJohnson]

The first week I started sleeping better than ever and had lots of energy in the evenings--both major changes for me.  The past week, however, I feel sad for no apparent reason.  Sometimes I even feel like crying, which is really out of character for me.  Is this related to Whole30?

[ShannonM816]

Maybe. 

 

Are you eating at least one fist-sized serving of starchy vegetable each day? You may even need more than that, especially while you're feeling this way. Starchy vegetables include potato, sweet potato, root vegetables (beets, turnips, rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, etc.), or winter squashes (butternut, acorn, or kabocha, for instance).

 

It can also help to get out into the sunshine for a little while each day, do some exercise (even just going for a walk or doing some yoga/stretching), and be sure you're getting enough sleep each night.

[SugarcubeOD]

The first week I started sleeping better than ever and had lots of energy in the evenings--both major changes for me.  The past week, however, I feel sad for no apparent reason.  Sometimes I even feel like crying, which is really out of character for me.  Is this related to Whole30?

Major changes in eating can often present with emotional feelings. I'm not sure how you ate before but assuming there was some sugar, snacking etc.. that happened when unpleasant emotions were knocking at your door? This is totally not a judgement, it's a fact of life for many of us.

Sure, you can up your starchy carbs and make sure you get sunshine, but don't dismiss the feelings as only being caused by what you're eating. Be curious about what's happening when you start to feel sad, how your cravings interact with uncomfortable feelings and try and find ways to soothe yourself that don't revolve around food.. bubble bath, a good book, a phone call with a friend, a nice herbal tea...

There's a lot of healing that goes on within a Whole30 and it's not only nutrition and gut health, it can be emotional and mental health as well....