From the time I was little, I have had an issue with food. I want to eat....ALL. THE. TIME. I love the way food tastes, smells, and looks. I love the way food feels in my mouth. I love everything about it....except what it does to my health. I am overweight, have rosacea, am chronically fatigued, and never feel well. Food controls my life. I live to eat when I should eat to live. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.
I have sleep apnea and Hashimoto's, to which I have been attributing my general malaise for years. However, my doctors disagree, claiming that my symptoms aren't due to either of these ailments. They claim my health issues are being optimally treated. So why do I feel so badly?
In a desperate search for relief, I brought my quest for an answer to Facebook. I questioned whether going gluten free would help my skin, my fatigue, and my stomach ailments. I was offered a lot of different opinions, but the one that intrigued me the most was from a friend, Erica, who mentioned she was starting The Whole30. So I logged onto Whole30.com to check out the program. And while I was intimated, I was very impressed with the results.
The basic premise is that for 30 days you eat only protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and some fruit. No legumes (including peanuts), gluten, grains, soy, dairy, sugar, artificial sweetener, or alcohol. You are encouraged to use healthy fats likes coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados. You can use clarified butter or ghee. No beans are permitted except green beans, sugar snap peas, and snow peas. Focusing on protein, vegetables, and healthy fats, while avoiding food in the other categories allows your body to heal from chronic inflammation and other ailments. It is also purported to increase energy, sound sleep, and reduce cravings. After the 30 days, you gradually reintroduce the other foods into your diet and see how they affect you. If your go back to feeling sickly or sluggish after reintroducing a certain food, then you know it is best to avoid or limit that food in the future.
At first, I thought "NO WAY! I can't give up bread for 30 days!". Then I realized that in terms of a lifetime, 30 days is nothing. Is it worth giving up 30 days of uncontrolled eating for possibly figuring out what is causing my issues? Heck yeah!
So I purchased the two books above, stocked up on Whole30 compliant foods, and started the program today. I miss my iced tea with Splenda the most, so far. And bread. I really miss bread. I have been a little headachy from caffeine withdraw. I understand it is going to get worse before it gets better, but it will be so worth it if it breaks my dependency on artificial sweetener, curbs my cravings, eliminate inflammation, alleviates my fatigue, clears up my skin, and gives me energy. I'm so excited to see what the next 30 days holds.
Wish me luck!
I wish you success ! Luck won't come into play..... I'm thinking if you start to sleep better, you'll see your way through the entire 30 days. Feeling better will be the deciding factor. Living a life that is free of craving will give you the motivation to continue on
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