WHOLE 30 KICKS OFF TODAY

LET’S PUT A STOP TO FAILEO!

Why Whole 30? Is it harder than paleo?

I got asked this questions a lot the last couple months as we discussed this Whole 30 challenge.

My answer was: “No, it’s not harder; it’s just more specific.”

The reason I think Whole 30’s approach to paleo is BETTER than typical paleo challenges is because it offers concise information and support for participants. It helps us learn to read and understand ingredients. It allows the body to detox and reset. And for people like me, who constantly try to find the easy way around things, it FORCES me to stay within the guidelines.

Whole 9, the authors behind Whole 30, is regarded as an authority on paleo. Information on this resource can be found by visiting www.whole9life.com.

I first found out about the paleo approach through an RFM friend who lost about 40 pounds doing the challenge. But more recently, one of my best friends from high school got on it and shed lots of inches and weight. She had a baby a couple years ago and now she looks just as good, if not better, than she did in high school.

So back to why this works: I am one to find the cracks in any system. Call it trying to get ahead and being a master at improved efficacy and efficiency or call it being sneaky. Whenever I do a paleo challenge, I’m the first one to “paleo-fy” everything. Paleo muffins? Check. Paleo pancakes? Check. Paleo ice cream? Double-y check.

All those cracks begin to fracture the goal behind paleo: to eat cleaner and reset food cravings, to have more energy and improved performance. Instead, I just make healthier bad foods. Within weeks I typically drop off from the challenge. Then I go back to my old ways. (To be clear: Paleo baked goods aren’t “bad” per se. Eating gray-area paleo is good for a year-round diet. But for a challenge, especially for a detox or reset, being strict is the only way).

What I loved about doing Whole 30 with my friend for a few weeks was that I was forced to look at ingredients and prepare my own foods. I knew the rules, and I knew exactly what I could and could not do. No gray areas. No cheating. No sneaking. No paleo-fying. I had to eat clean.

The other shocking thing about experimenting with this program was that I learned to read ingredients. I thought I was eating “paleo” when I bought coconut milk and almond milk from Costco. Low and behold, the ingredients listed carrageenan. I started researching. It’s derived from red seaweed and promotes inflammatory properties. It’s controversial at best in the U.S. and it’s banned from infant foods in Europe.

I get that I can’t live in a bubble and lots of foods have questionable ingredients. But when something is labeled as healthy or “paleo,” it’s important to know exactly what’s in it. The worst is consuming wolves in sheeplike clothing, never realizing that you’re ingesting an ingredient that can cause harm.

When I eat li hing mui, at least I know I’m eating red dye No. 2, you know? I felt a little betrayed that I thought I was eating so clean, when I actually wasn’t.

So, aside from forcing us to read labels and to stay within guidelines, the detox will allow our bodies to reset. We can reintroduce foods after the challenge and see how it impacts our bodies.

For those of you who are already dialed in with diet and performance, try to give up alcohol for a month, processed sugars, or something else that’s been weighing you down. We encourage everyone to participate on any level they feel fits best.

We aren’t issuing prizes or rewards for this challenge. Rather, the reward will be your own health. If we can’t generate the motivation to make changes for ourselves, no one can.

Whole 30 offers an array of support, and I highly suggest you take advantage of that. I just signed up for the daily email supports and network of information. Do the same.

Also, we’d like to start a small group for those of us on the challenge. It’s great to have support from others to share recipe ideas and to keep us motivated.

Finally, take a before “selfie” in your bathroom mirror. This photo will be for your benefit only. If you’d like to take inch measurements, do it. Whole 30 restricts you from looking at the scale, which is awesome. So don’t weigh in. Photo submissions will be taken on a voluntary basis post-challenge.

If you’re as tired as I am of failing at paleo, essentially spiraling through faileo, then let’s succeed at 30 days of Whole 30. We can always go back to old habits — this is just one month of our lives. There’s never a better time. Do it now. You won’t regret it.

Here’s to cleaner eating!