A couple of years ago I was struggling with exhaustion, not an "I haven't slept enough" fatigue but a bone-tired, no energy no matter what sort of tired. The fact is I was averaging at least eight hours of sleep a night, so adequate shut-eye probably wasn't the culprit. I found myself slogging through the day with barely enough energy to stay three steps behind my children. Keeping up with them wasn't an option. Bribing, cajoling, and begging them to take a nap was.
I acknowledge that the relentless, harried pace of my schedule contributed to my lethargy, but I refused to believe that was the only cause, so I began to study more intently the effects of nutrition on energy. I could have easily gone to the doctor, explained my situation and been prescribed medication, and while I appreciate modern medicine, I believe that we are too dependent on popping a pill to fix every ailment. Hippocrates said, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food." I've come, like him, to believe that diet and exercise are more critical to preventing and relieving health issues, serving as preventative medicine instead of a bandaid to hide symptoms of a deeper issue that could be cured with proper care of the body. Several months of reading everything I could find led me to my decision to go Paleo. Within months of beginning a Paleo diet, I noticed remarkable changes in my energy levels. I no longer wanted a nap every afternoon and was sleeping soundly at night. These were just two of many beneficial changes. I was soon hooked and have followed the diet pretty closely for almost two years.
The close of summer, though, found me wandering from my normal Paleo diet. I blame Chick-fil-A's frosted lemonade for the slip. Granted, the employees weren't forcing my car through the drive-thru at least once a day.....have I mentioned how good those things are? This daily slip led to my adding goat cheese to everything I ate. Who knew it could be so good on eggs? Throw in travel, and I soon found myself straying from my normally healthy diet. Within weeks, my face began to break out, and I found my arthritis flaring up, so essentially I was an elderly teenager. I never went back to eating wheat or bread, but I did allow sugar and dairy to creep back into my diet. When I returned from a recent vacation feeling bloated, achy, and lethargic, I knew it was time to regain control. Enter Whole30.
Whole30 is not a weight loss plan or a crash diet. Whole30 is a thirty day challenge to participants to reset their body and remind it what benefits come from eating a diet of whole foods free of processing and sugar. Essentially, for thirty days participants commit to eliminating dairy, grains (including rice, quinoa, wheat, etc.), sugar, Paleo cheat treats (baked goods that use coconut flour or another Paleo-approved flour), and alcohol from their diets. What do I get to eat, you ask? All the vegetables, fruit, and meat I want. There's no counting calories or portions. The main focus of Whole 30 is to allow your body to heal and reset the signals your hormones receive. At its most basic, food carries signals that tell your body what to do. Good food gives good signals; bad food signals mayhem and chaos. Think of that guy in the Allstate commercials who wreaks havoc. Sugar, gluten, and processed foods are "mayhem" wreaking havoc on your body. Whole30 is Allstate, coming in to help repair the damage.
So, that's how I ended up beginning Whole30. For more information on specifics of the diet, Melissa and Dallas Hartwig's
It Starts With Food and more recently,
The Whole30, outline the whys and hows of the plan. The purpose of this post is to recount my first week of the program in an effort to share the pitfalls, frustrations, and victories I experienced. The first two days are not fun, as in root canal, someone ate your last cupcake, you misplaced your I-phone, not fun. For two days, you feel as if you have the mother of all hangovers, at least that's what I've been told it feels like.... This, apparently, is your body fighting your denying it of sugar. It's in essence throwing a hissy fit. This passes, so hang in there. Really, keep telling yourself, the good stuff is coming. I allowed myself green tea with its small amounts of caffeine. Once, when I attempted a shorter version of Whole30, I gave up caffeine entirely. I will not make that mistake twice. Dallas and Melissa do not require that from me to be successful on this plan, so grab a cup of black coffee and ride the first few days out.
The third and fourth days I found myself rather moody and irritable with a lingering headache. I tend to believe I am upbeat and optimistic. Those were not words I found others using to describe me on days three and four. Part of what led to my desire to throw things was the inordinate, overwhelming amount of planning it requires to plan and implement meals that don't come out of a box or bag. Seriously, women apparently once spent all of their twenty-four daily hours in the kitchen. So, heads up, this plan takes planning. It's worth it, but it's overwhelming. You've been warned. Another aspect that makes this frustrating is that it's difficult to grab something and run out the the door. Even snacks require planning. It. Can. Be. Done.
I found it helpful to plan my breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week then shop at the beginning of the week. It was critical to my success. I also did much of the preparation at one time. My crockpot and I became best friends in the process. I roasted an entire chicken then made homemade bone broth in the crockpot, which I then used to prepare three different soups. I spent much of my morning in the kitchen but in a few hours, I had lunches for the entire week. I also chopped vegetables for meals that I planned to make later in the week then stored them in the fridge. Make a large pan of cauliflower rice (enough to last the week), throw in a meat and veggie, and you've got a "rice" bowl. You're welcome. For breakfast, I relied on eggs, a meat, and fruit. So to sum it up, prepare, prepare, prepare. Depend on the crockpot. Soups make great make-ahead lunches and dinners. Also, sugar hides everywhere, so if you used canned broth or tomatoes, read your labels. Pom tomatoes are fantastic; the only ingredient is tomatoes. Imagine that!
By day five, I was beginning to feel human and on days six and seven, Eureka! I finally felt a surge of energy. I also found myself sleeping more soundly, though oddly, I kept dreaming that I was cheating on Whole30. I'd wake up feeling guilty for raiding the cheese counter and the deli, which fortunately, didn't happen. Again, the biggest obstacle I overcame on days five through seven was making sure I had meals planned and prepared ahead of time. For me, I found it difficult to eat out, so I made all my meals at home. I am also attempting Whole30 solo. While my husband and children are not officially participating in Whole30, they are beneficiaries of the meals I'm making. They eat mostly gluten free anyway but not strictly Paleo, but we are inching toward that goal, so I tried to find recipes that we could all enjoy together.
Some of my family's favorites are
beef stew (my kids thought the parsnips were white potatoes and loved them),
roasted chicken,
curried short ribs,
sesame orange chicken, and we are discovering more. (Not all of these are Whole30 compliant but are Paleo.) My children also love this
beef jerky recipe, which we use for snacks. I've found the cookbook
Eat Like a Dinosaur to be an invaluable resource in getting my kids to accept Paleo without complaining. Seriously, at one point, my crockpot was like Pavlov's bell. Every time I placed it on the counter, my children would lie in the floor and cry, "Not gluten free again, mommy!" It was delightful. While they haven't fully accepted Paleo, they are curious and often pleasantly surprised by what emerges from mom's giant slow cooker.
So, while I'm still eagerly awaiting the full energy surge, and I'll admit, weight loss, that should accompany Whole30, I did see positive changes in the first seven days. My body apparently got over its hissy fit and is now accepting a month of no sugar, though there are moments where I'd love a piece of dark chocolate. My skin has already cleared up and my tummy is noticeably flatter. For me, though, the biggest benefit has been a return to increased energy and improved mood. I feel more upbeat and peppier than usual. I'm even eager to see what challenges and changes week 2 will bring.
