CJ
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My review of the Whole 30 diet. Technically a day early, but I have free time, and I don't foresee any drastic changes over the course of today.
I've been following this since the beginning of September. In a nutshell, it's basically eating whole real foods, mostly meats, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies. No dairy, grains, chemical food preservatives/products, alcohol, or added sugar allowed. Very similar to the Paleo Diet. I didn't try this diet for the claimed health benefits of it, just did it to support the wife, who wanted to try it for her "inflammation" issues(insert eye roll here). Here are my thoughts on it...
Pros:
-Very satiating, I had no cravings on it whatsoever, I would have normal hunger in between meals, but no cravings for specific foods or junk. I actually had to force myself to eat extra several times, as weight loss was not my goal.
-Very stable energy levels. No ups and downs throughout the day, always felt pretty even keel. I felt pretty good all day.
-Good for those looking to drop weight. You always feel full, plenty of energy. You're eating nutrient dense foods. Rules are crystal clear, so no decision making involved, no grey area, it's black and white. It's nothing magical though, just quality food that fills you up, so you don't overconsume calories.
Cons:
-Lack of dense carb sources. No rice, oats, pasta, grains/breads, or added sugars are allowed on this diet. So your main carb sources are potatoes, sweet potatoes, squashes, and fruit. Sooooooo many potatoes. We always kept several cooked sweet potatoes in the fridge for a quick meal addition. Those take forever to cook, but once cooked, a quick nuke in the microwave and they're good to go. Add a little pumpkin pie spice to them, tastes great.
-Expensive. So many foods contain trivial amounts of dairy, corn, sugar, or preservatives, and their alternatives that did not often cost significantly more. Wife was spending $5 on jars of pickles and $8 on mayo. Trader Joe's was her favorite spot to shop. The bone broth I normally use was "non compliant", due to 1 GRAM of added sugar. Alternative without the single gram of sugar cost 2X as much, which was freakin ridiculous. Compliant spices, seasonings and such were pricey too. But the wife is the type who needs "recipes", while I'm the type who can just toss a piece of meat, a carb, and a veg on a plate and be perfectly content. So the price issue depends upon your personal meal preference.
-Not great for those trying to gain weight. It was a struggle getting calories in. Lack of rice, honey, and dairy made this difficult for me. Nuts helped, but those get old too.
-You're the weirdo at gatherings. There's no way around this if you want to be 100% compliant. Everything has dairy, sugar, or corn in it.
Things that I would change, to still get the benefit of the diet, for those not looking for the claimed medical benefits:
-Allow rice, oats, grains, and dairy for those who tolerate it well. Potatoes get old fast, and they're not exactly quick to cook.
-Allow minimal added sugars, because it's tough finding foods without. A few grams isn't going to kill you.
-Free eat at gatherings, to a point. An occasional day off plan won't ruin your progress. Just don't be stupid.
I feel that with the above alterations, it would be a very reasonable, easy to follow diet for those who need structure. If one were to eat that way for the majority of their meals, it would allow for the occasional 'off plan' meals that pop up from time to time, without having to worry or feel guilty about them.
I've been following this since the beginning of September. In a nutshell, it's basically eating whole real foods, mostly meats, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies. No dairy, grains, chemical food preservatives/products, alcohol, or added sugar allowed. Very similar to the Paleo Diet. I didn't try this diet for the claimed health benefits of it, just did it to support the wife, who wanted to try it for her "inflammation" issues(insert eye roll here). Here are my thoughts on it...
Pros:
-Very satiating, I had no cravings on it whatsoever, I would have normal hunger in between meals, but no cravings for specific foods or junk. I actually had to force myself to eat extra several times, as weight loss was not my goal.
-Very stable energy levels. No ups and downs throughout the day, always felt pretty even keel. I felt pretty good all day.
-Good for those looking to drop weight. You always feel full, plenty of energy. You're eating nutrient dense foods. Rules are crystal clear, so no decision making involved, no grey area, it's black and white. It's nothing magical though, just quality food that fills you up, so you don't overconsume calories.
Cons:
-Lack of dense carb sources. No rice, oats, pasta, grains/breads, or added sugars are allowed on this diet. So your main carb sources are potatoes, sweet potatoes, squashes, and fruit. Sooooooo many potatoes. We always kept several cooked sweet potatoes in the fridge for a quick meal addition. Those take forever to cook, but once cooked, a quick nuke in the microwave and they're good to go. Add a little pumpkin pie spice to them, tastes great.
-Expensive. So many foods contain trivial amounts of dairy, corn, sugar, or preservatives, and their alternatives that did not often cost significantly more. Wife was spending $5 on jars of pickles and $8 on mayo. Trader Joe's was her favorite spot to shop. The bone broth I normally use was "non compliant", due to 1 GRAM of added sugar. Alternative without the single gram of sugar cost 2X as much, which was freakin ridiculous. Compliant spices, seasonings and such were pricey too. But the wife is the type who needs "recipes", while I'm the type who can just toss a piece of meat, a carb, and a veg on a plate and be perfectly content. So the price issue depends upon your personal meal preference.
-Not great for those trying to gain weight. It was a struggle getting calories in. Lack of rice, honey, and dairy made this difficult for me. Nuts helped, but those get old too.
-You're the weirdo at gatherings. There's no way around this if you want to be 100% compliant. Everything has dairy, sugar, or corn in it.
Things that I would change, to still get the benefit of the diet, for those not looking for the claimed medical benefits:
-Allow rice, oats, grains, and dairy for those who tolerate it well. Potatoes get old fast, and they're not exactly quick to cook.
-Allow minimal added sugars, because it's tough finding foods without. A few grams isn't going to kill you.
-Free eat at gatherings, to a point. An occasional day off plan won't ruin your progress. Just don't be stupid.
I feel that with the above alterations, it would be a very reasonable, easy to follow diet for those who need structure. If one were to eat that way for the majority of their meals, it would allow for the occasional 'off plan' meals that pop up from time to time, without having to worry or feel guilty about them.