30 Things I Learned from the Whole 30

January is my typical “cleanse” month, where hubby and I do five to seven days of strict clean eating to rid ourselves of all that holiday sugar.

I had been reading for a few months about the Whole 30 plan, which is basically extremely strict paleo in which you eat no sugar, grain, dairy, legumes, soy.

You might be thinking, “What did you eat? The smell of air?” Ha! Yet there’s actually SO much you can still eat on the Whole 30 plan – almost all meats, nuts, veggies and fruits! You can find out more specifics of Whole 30 here.

Today, I just want to share the benefits and take-aways I discovered while sticking to the plan for 30 days. Yes, it’s a long time, but it’s doable!

What I Learned from the Whole 30 Challenge

Read labels – there is sugar hidden in most packaged foods, and sometimes it doesn’t say “sugar” but “malodextrin” or other fancy names.

Cleansing your body is a great idea

Self-denial is a good practice

It is a shock to your system – which made me evaluate the hold sweets and other types of food had over my emotions

Food elimination helps you break addictions

Thoughtful eating helps you get to know your body

You’ll eat more veggies (you kinda don’t have a choice!)

You eat the food you need, not the food you want (see #9)

You’ll inspire others towards healthier eating

You’ll try new recipes (this can be rather humorous)

The limits help get you back to basics

You’ll quickly find you have no sugar crash – I found I didn’t need a nap every day!

Educating yourself about food choices is so important – too often we eat just whatever we feel like without thinking about how it affects us

Go the distance. Anybody can go five days, a week… but the long haul is what really teaches you about your habits and dependencies.

Accomplishing a goal feels great

Trying something new keeps life interesting (like Bulletproof Coffee!)

Having lots of support is important – I don’t think I could’ve done the Whole 30 for all 30 days if my husband wasn’t doing it with me.

Eliminate toxins – not just from your body, but from your cupboards – I cleaned out my pantry and fridge of foods that weren’t approved.

Treat yourself well – you’re worth it and you only get one body

Examine yourself – take the time as a way to notice how you feel about food, what your cravings are really telling you, and most of all, WHY!

Improve your health – can’t argue that garbage in = garbage out, so put the good stuff in!

Raise awareness – everyone was asking about our “diet” because we had to refuse so many dishes at parties, etc. Most people seemed genuinely interested, especially when they heard the real benefits we were experiencing.

Be actively involved in your food prep – convenience foods put a step between you and your dinner. Whole 30 meant I was intimately involved in every step, even making my own ketchup and BBQ sauce. I think food tastes better when there’s a personal investment.

Find contentment. Instead of seeking satisfaction in food, I had to find it elsewhere like a good book, extra sleep, and time with hubby. This way of eating just tended to put my focus on better pursuits other than finding the next sweet snack.

Simplify your life. Fewer food choices is actually a relief at times.

Stay satisfied longer – when you’re eating nutrient-rich whole foods, you fill up and stay full. I found I didn’t even physically crave snacks after a day or two (mentally, I wanted the snack, but my stomach wasn’t rumbling and I didn’t need it to feel full).

Plan ahead – since there generally is more food prep on this plan than other eating habits may have, you’ll have to meal plan and shop in advance so you don’t end up having to make tough choices (like waiting an hour to prep and make dinner when you were really tempted to just go through the drive through!)

Stop making compromises – when all you are eating is meat, fruit and veggies, there’s really no discussion of “well it’s not as bad as…” Just about every choice is a good one!

Be a good example to your children. My kids were constantly asking, “Can you eat this on your diet, Mommy?” and I’d have the opportunity to explain why I was choosing to avoid certain foods and choose healthier options. They are very clear (at age 2 and 5) that sugar is not healthy for our bodies and what better choices they can make

You’ll never know until you try – I discovered I didn’t need half of the snacks I had been eating, that I didn’t crave the things I thought I would, and that I could say no easily when I had a goal in mind!

But why bother doing a Whole 30 or fast?

There are many reasons to take on such a challenge – and everyone’s personal goals will differ. With the Whole 30, I just wanted to challenge myself and cleanse. But fasting can also have spiritual implications.

I think the real issue here is about need. Cravings for sugar are a “need” we develop mentally and through conditioning our bodies to “need” sweets. But the truth is our bodies don’t legitimately need added sugar to function. Cravings are usually a trained response, or an emotional response. At some point, we start relying on food and sweets to fill our emotional needs. When God says He supplies ALL our needs. We don’t NEED sugar to fill us…

I recently joined Wendy Speake in her 40-Day Sugar Fast. And found it much harder than the Whole 30, which had far more restrictions. Why? Because the spiritual aspect is a factor this time. I found myself absent-mindedly eating ice cream, breaking the fast and feeling like a failure… what is the lesson in THAT? Find out by hopping over and reading my post about how this life is just a shadow of what is to come!

So even though I’ve had some failings in this sugar fast, I know God has never failed me… and never will whether I fast for physical or spiritual reasons.

What’s been the biggest challenge in your journey towards healthful eating? Have you ever tried the Whole 30 before?