Restart if it's something I won't reintroduce?

[Terez]

While eating "Sunday dinner" (lunch) at my mother's house yesterday, I suddenly realized that my sister probably didn't use good oil in her mayo that was dressing the cucumbers. After the meal I asked her, and she said not to worry because she used "olive oil mayo." I said, "You're making mayo with olive oil?" She said no, that she bought mayo with olive oil from the grocery store. Which I know has soybean oil.

I said I'd bring over a jar of my homemade mayo for her to use this month (so that anything else she serves me will be made with it). They're cooking with olive oil on my account, and she thought she was making the dressing with olive oil.

As far as my W30, at first I thought this would mean I have to start over. Then I realized, I have no intention of "reintroducing" soybean oil. The only times I inadvertently eat noncompliant oils are in cases like this. I have no intention of resuming noncompliant oils by choice, ever. Moderators, do I need to restart the W30 because of this?

One other thing is, there were boiled potatoes in the meal (in pork and sauerkraut, cooked with my bone broth that I gave my sister in advance to use). I am almost certain I read that potatoes are technically non-compliant as an arbitrary decision because of people being triggered by fries and chips, neither of which is an issue for me. I don't feel off-plan with the potatoes but I hope a moderator will explain to me if it's otherwise.

This is tough because my family is trying very hard to accommodate me at the Sunday family meals. I made several family meals in the fall after I became Primal and they were not well-received (I was new to cooking grass-fed meat and my roasts came out tough). I volunteered to cook the meals this month so my sisters wouldn't have to try to prepare meals on-plan for me but I'm not nearly as good a cook as my sisters, plus we are having a guest for most of the January meals, therefore the family prefers that my sisters cook.

Yesterday was Day 5 for me.

Thanks!

Terez

[Tom Denham]

While soybean oil can be a problem, I don't think you need to restart your Whole30 due to your sister being faked out by deceptive marketing. Note: It really annoys me that they call it Olive Oil Mayo when it contains more soybean oil than olive oil. Neither would I ask you to restart over the potatoes cooked with the sauerkraut and pork.

White potatoes don't cause harm, but we ask you to make other choices during a Whole30 to expand your horizons. And most other vegetable choices are better than white potatoes.

[Terez]

That's good news, Tom!

One more clarification, and just give me a link (or tell me to read a chapter in ISWF) if it's explained elsewhere. I'm seeing the W30 as an elimination protocol where we reintroduce foods one by one after the 30 days, to see what we react to. So I thought the "restart" had to do with having our bodies clear of these possible allergens before reintroducing them after 30 days.

Is the restart more of a psychological thing, where we restart if we "cheated" on the W30?

As I write those questions out, I'm guessing there is an art to this. Something that's a common allergen would be a reason for a restart (need to have the body clean of it for 30 days), and something that's a psychological trigger would be a reason for a restart (need to have 30 days of commitment to better choices). At least, that's my guess. (I have read ISWF but maybe I should re-read it!)

Got it about better vegetable choices than white potatoes.

Thanks,

Terez

[Tom Denham]

Some things like gluten are capable of harming the gut seriously, so you need 30 days away from gluten to fully judge its impact if you reintroduce it. Soybeans can be damaging, but it is not as clear as gluten, so whether you restart over some soybean oil is open to judgement. White potatoes are not harmful, so cutting them is psychological, changing habits, learning new ways, etc. There is some art to this.

When someone makes a mistake, I am more open to just saying, lesson learned, keep going. When someone makes a deliberate choice to go off program, I am more likely to say start over or add days to the end because it is important to know that you've found the internal strength to stay on course for 30 days.

All of this may be in ISWF, but I don't know a particular page to reference.

[Terez]

Very helpful, Tom. I understand.

Thank you!

Terez