Does Order of Reintroduction Matter?

[Smashlab]

Hi everyone! I just finished my Whole30 June 1-30 and I feel amazing! Lost 7 pounds, sleeping so much better, healthier teeth and gums, and the constant shallow breath I was feeling from anxiety is completely gone!! I'm reintroducing legumes today (holy cow - some chickpeas on my salad and I feel like my stomach has been pumped with air!) and plan on doing the "faster" reintroduction trying a new thing every couple of days. My question though - can I reintroduce the groups in any order? I'd like to reintroduce gluten next because I think that's my culprit, number one, and two, we have a family trip to the beach this coming weekend which is when the sample reintro schedule would have me doing gluten and if I'm going to feel really bad I'd rather it be beforehand. Did anyone reintroduce gluten right away or in an order different than the schedule and have any advice, warnings, or thoughts? THANK YOU!!

[ShannonM816]

You can do reintroductions in any order you wish. The important part is to just do one type of food at a time, and then go back to Whole30 for at least two days between each reintro (longer if you're still experiencing any lingering effects that need to clear up). 

Gluten is one that is most likely to cause issues for people, dairy is probably another you don't want to be doing while you're at the beach, just because the effects it causes for people that are sensitive to it can include digestive stuff that you might prefer to be home for. If it were me, even if it means adding a couple of extra days, I'd pack whole30 foods to take to the beach and not reintro anything during that time.

[W30CoachErinn]

First off, congratulations on finishing your Whole30! Congrats!

You can reintro in any order that you wish, and go as fast or slow as you'd like within each category! I have had clients who have reintroduced gluten first for various reasons. I think if you reintroduce gluten as soon as you feel "back to your Whole30 baseline" after the legumes you reintroduced today (so maybe you'll feel ready by Wednesday or Thursday after returning to Whole30 tomorrow, possibly longer) then you should be okay for your weekend away. Gluten is definitely one that often gives people some unpleasant side effects, so as Shannon said above, if you're not dying for it then it may be worth waiting until after your trip! Another idea would be to reintroduce gluten free grains like rice/quinoa/corn etc next...but save gluten itself for after your trip. The reintroduction outline suggested in the book is a great example, but doesn't have to be followed exactly. You could choose to reintroduce in whatever order makes most sense for you and your context this weekend. Best of luck!