I turned 30 on February 22nd. Two days later, my husband and I moved from New York City to Madison, Wisconsin. I decided to embrace this new phase of my life by setting some goals for myself:
1. Write a blog - check!
2. Start meditating
3. Stop feeling like crap every day
I've made significant progress on number two, having downloaded a Mindfulness app on my Iphone and purchased "Meditation for Dummies." Now all I have to do is start meditating!
That last one has proven more of a challenge because, you see, I don't actually know why I feel like crap every day. Even with a healthy diet, I have experienced GI distress for most of my adult life. My main complaints including, but not limited to, heartburn, gas and constipation. I've seen several doctors who all give me the same useless diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which essentially translates to: you’ve got stomach issues but we really don’t know why and there’s nothing we can do to help you.
In my constant search for a cure, I came across the Whole30 program. Developed by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig (a radiantly healthy-looking couple), the Whole30 is essentially a restrictive version of the Paleo diet. For thirty days you cut out potentially unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups and let your body recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Then, after thirty days, you slowly reintroduce those foods back into your diet to find out which ones are affecting you. Here it is in a nutshell:
1. Write a blog - check!
2. Start meditating
3. Stop feeling like crap every day
I've made significant progress on number two, having downloaded a Mindfulness app on my Iphone and purchased "Meditation for Dummies." Now all I have to do is start meditating!
That last one has proven more of a challenge because, you see, I don't actually know why I feel like crap every day. Even with a healthy diet, I have experienced GI distress for most of my adult life. My main complaints including, but not limited to, heartburn, gas and constipation. I've seen several doctors who all give me the same useless diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which essentially translates to: you’ve got stomach issues but we really don’t know why and there’s nothing we can do to help you.
In my constant search for a cure, I came across the Whole30 program. Developed by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig (a radiantly healthy-looking couple), the Whole30 is essentially a restrictive version of the Paleo diet. For thirty days you cut out potentially unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups and let your body recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Then, after thirty days, you slowly reintroduce those foods back into your diet to find out which ones are affecting you. Here it is in a nutshell:
The hardest part for me was simply starting. I had been thinking about doing this for nearly six months. And then one day in March, after we had settled into our new home, I just went for it. I stocked the fridge with Whole30 staples and begrudgingly accepted that I would be drinking my coffee black for the next month. I almost backed out that first Friday when we were invited out for a Wisconsin tradition: Fish Fry and Old Fashioneds. But I stuck with it, and by week two, I started feeling better. I had more energy in the morning, felt less bloated throughout the day, and fit better in my favorite jeans.
Here was my go-to snack
Pineapple, avocado, macadamia nuts and sea salt.
And my favorite dessert
Dried figs and pecans. Tastes remarkably similar to a pecan pie!
I'm on Day 33 now which means I'm in the reintroduction phase. Tomorrow I'll include some form of gluten in all of my meals. I won't lie and say I haven't been dreaming of this day for the past month. There's a muffin with my name on it in the morning. And I must admit that the milkshake I inhaled on dairy day might have been worth the bloating it produced. At least now I know.
Stay tuned in the days to come for easy, delicious, Whole30 approved recipes!
Stay tuned in the days to come for easy, delicious, Whole30 approved recipes!
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