Keep Calm and Whole30 On

[AlliM]

I can honestly say my very FIRST Whole 30 was a bit of a struggle, but it was a struggle I'd do over and over again. After Day 5, I immediately noticed my headaches had depleted and my complexion was a lot clearer (I've been known to suffer from chronic migraines...Thanks, Dad). I was genuinely happier each and every day and had the energy to power through my workouts by introducing a pre-workout mini meal. I noticed that getting through Day 15 was a breeze and then came my last five days on Whole 30. I noticed I started to slack in my meal prep and that greatly altered my snacking habits. Due to this, I decided to extend my Whole 30 by three days in order to center myself and understand the importance of creating well balanced meals that not only were satisfying, but kept me full until my next meal. 

After completion, it was a little nerve wrecking trying to figure out how I would introduce these "new-ish" foods back into my diet. I didn't really care for legumes to begin with so I decided to opt out of that reintroduction day and focused closely on gluten free grains, dairy, and gluten grains (I rarely drink alcohol). I was excited to partake on the Food, Freedom, Forever portion of Whole 30 and I don't plan on ever looking back. I know ice cream and sweets are a HUGE deal breaker for me and will wake up my Sugar Dragon, so my goal is to only eat these foods for special events and rarely keep them in the house. Fruit has definitely been a go to for me, which I'm working on cutting back on, but I noticed that completely cutting it out of my life will never EVER happen (cue rapid drop in glucose levels and feelings of weakness)! Sorry people! Ultimately, by listening to my body and understanding the effects certain foods have on it, I would gladly partake in another WHOLE 30!! I truly enjoyed this entire experience and love having the support from Melissa, The Whole Smiths, and this forum. 

Im not saying Whole 30 is for everyone, but I do highly recommend trying it at least once! Even if you make it through the first day, you took one step closer to finding a happier, healthier you!