Along with my Meditation Sidekick (which still has not arrived), I purchased the Whole30 Day by Day book. I've done a Whole 2 weeks before with no slips but after trying to do a second round, I just couldn't keep myself in line. The first Whole30 (that only lasted 2 weeks) ended when I went to a family reunion in California.
I didn't intend on completing the 30 days because I knew it would be difficult to cook all my own meals and stay compliant while spending a week in another state. I completed what I set out to do and saw many benefits. I even lost 12 pounds. I've been waiting to start the Whole30 for real so I was excited when I saw this book while browsing through Barnes and Noble. I decided it may be the kick in the pants I need to see it through the entire 30 days.
Each day you journal about how you're feeling, your non-scale victories such as sleep quality and cravings, what you ate that day and includes tips and motivational messages from Melissa Urban, the co-founder of Whole30. I really want to hold myself accountable and that's why I included Whole30 in my challenge. Obviously, my Whole30 will be over before 100 days, but that doesn't mean I can't still eat healthfully, cooking fresh foods that serve me well
rather than making my joints hurt and stomach ache. I already have cut dairy out of my diet for a few months now and have seen a major reduction in joint pain, specifically my jaw and knees. I get less headaches and stomach aches, too. I highly recommend It Starts With Food by Melissa Urban if you want to know more about how certain foods effect your body, insulin, immune system and weight gain. I'm currently reading Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes but will have to report back on how I feel about that book when I am finished. I'm only halfway through.
This is important to me as someone who has had a rocky relationship with eating and dieting in the past. Now that I've had a baby I feel better about my body than I ever have, but I want my body to work to it's fullest potential and I want to feel as good as I can. The mind-body connection is a real thing and if I want to have a healthy mind I need to take care of my body, as well. I don't know, it makes sense to me and that's all that really matters, right?
The Whole30 was attractive to me because of the focus away from weight loss, replacing it with a focus on how you feel physically and mentally (in the context of your relationship with food). I would be lying if I said that weight loss was not a goal of mine. I know I've needed to lose a little weight but have been struggling to find a healthy way to do it. Aside from some weight loss, my goals are to think more clearly, be in a more positive mood more often, have less joint and stomach pain, and get better quality sleep. Even if I don't achieve any of those goals, at least I'll have a sense of accomplishment and that's something.
I'm sitting here with some chamomile tea at 10:30 pm. Just barely getting my blog post for the day written. But here it is. So I can say I did that. Now time for bed...