In my quest to take better care of myself, I have started a 30 day fast. The plan is from the book It Starts With Food Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways. I was introduced to this book by a sweet friend several months ago. I read over it and I have to admit I was a little skeptical. It goes against so many of our traditional ideas about food. You return to basics by simply eating meat, healthy plant fat, fruits/veggies at each meal. There is no dairy, grain, legumes, or processed foods on this plan. I guess my skepticism was with the meat and fats. The meat portions are regular sized portions, but for all three meals. I never eat meat for breakfast and I rarely eat meat for lunch. I usually get my protein from legumes and dairy. I am not much of a meat eater. So I didn’t think this would be something I could do. In fact, of the food groups meat is probably the one I eat from the least. However, there is an abundance of medical and scientific information about the effects of different foods on the body so I kept the book anyway for reference.
About two months ago I completed the Daniel Fast, which was very beneficial for me spiritually and I also lost 8 pounds. It really wasn’t a difficult fast for me as far as not eating meat, but I did miss the dairy. With the Daniel Fast, however, you eat a lot of grains and legumes which is my typical menu.
After completing the fast, I noticed that the arthritis and inflamation in my thumb had increased. I started thinking about some of the medical information regarding legumes being an inflammatory. I read some additional information and decided I wanted to give the Whole30 a try. I want to know if some of the foods I am eating are causing some of my health issues.
It Starts With Food encourages you to get back to basics for 30 days. You consume no grains, no dairy, no legumes, no sugar of any kind, and no processed foods. You eat only whole meats, healthy plant fats, fruits and veggies. After the 30 days, you begin reintroducing these foods one by one for a short interval each so that you can evaluate their effect on your body. Through this process of elimination, you will be able to determine which foods are causing your medical issues.
Today was my first official day starting the Whole30. We had guests over the weekend, so we had leftover dessert in the house. This was a little difficult for me, but I just grabbed a grapefruit instead and pushed through the temptation. The Whole30 encourages you not to snack, but I know my body and it is not healthy to just eat 3 large meals a day. However, I do understand their reasoning.
For the next 30 days, I am going to post my food diary and journal any physical, emotional, or spiritual aspects of the journey. This will help keep me accountable, but also help those who are thinking of trying the Whole30. The Whole30 is not meant for weight loss, but many people have lost weight on the plan. I’m not sure that I’ll lose much if at all because the whole foods aspect of the plan is no different than my daily routine. However, I am anxious to see how eliminating some foods will affect my body and health. I hope you join me on this journey!
Today’s Menu
Meal 1
Morning Mix recipe from It Starts With Food
Meal 2
Chicken, Baby spinach salad with tomato, grated carrots, 0.25 cup of avocado
Snack (technically not encouraged on the plan) – Almonds 1 oz & kiwi
Meal 3
Turkey, roasted asparagus & steamed carrots
Grapefruit
Mandy