The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom

I read It Starts With Food in January & completed my first Whole30. Before January, I had followed a very strict low carb diet for 2 months. I even consulted with a physician after one month of no results on the low carb diet, who suggested I add in more protein and small meals to help with weight loss. In the past, low carb diets worked like a dream for me, but this time nothing happened. Probably from years of dieting when the scale tipped to an undesirable number then eating what I wanted once I was back to my normal weight. (Or maybe all of the artificial sweeteners & processed protein bars I was filling up on?) I'm mid thirties with 2 kids &, even though I'd lost all baby weight, experienced a big move that precipitated me gaining about 15 lbs before I went low carb. When it didn't work, I panicked. Thank goodness I found It Starts With Food. I had never felt better in my life. I lost 10 lbs in one week (I know I wasn't supposed to weigh myself, but I felt so good I had to!), where I had been at a stale mate on low carb. In all, I lost 15 lbs, which took me back to my normal weight. Towards the end, though, it wasn't about the weight. It was about the health. I've gone in and out of a paleo type diet & falling off the wagon since January & felt like I needed a reboot. I had pre-ordered this cookbook in April so I dusted it off in July and got started on Whole30 number 2. My husband is doing it along with me this time. We are on day 8 & I referenced the Whole 30 timeline that says days 10 & 11 are the hardest days in conversation today. He has finally gotten through his energy slump & has been feeling great, so asked why Day 10 was supposed to be hard. I told him about food boredom. He acted appalled. "Everything we've eaten has been AWESOME!!" If you knew my husband you'd realize how out of character this comment is. His diet (pre Whole30) consists of numerous Cokes (sometimes 6-8 a day!), cheese, and grains with a healthy amount of meat. He loves doughnuts and French toast & canned green beans & carrots are the only vegetable he'd eat. Since following 90% just this cookbook, he's actually tried and LOVED asparagus, sweet potatoes & more. What's even more crazy is that this weekend he actually took to the kitchen & created some "hot plates" of his own. We have been married 7 years & I can count on my fingers the number of meals he's cooked. So this is big. He's interested in food & health & new flavors. His enthusiasm is making this 2nd time around so much more fun. I recommend this for anyone new to Whole30. While a lot of the info in the beginning of the book can be found on the website, the recipes really are delicious. They're not intimidatingly difficult, as several of the paleo books I've bought are. Most ingredients are common and easy to find. I still recommend It Starts With Food, but if you're only in it for weight loss, this book might be where to start. It Starts With Food is more of the "why" behind all of the rules. It helped me during my first Whole30 many times. Mainly because of all the questions I got--like "Isn't corn a vegetable??" and "Oh, one piece/glass/taste won't hurt you, will it??" I'm the type of person that needs to know the why or I might buy into a little cheat every now & then. My husband, on the other hand is not like me. He hasn't read either book & doesn't plan on it. Lol He just relies on me & what I tell him. So, I guess it depends on you, but if you want a good book with the Whole30 rules & resources & delicious recipes that are doable by anyone, this is a perfect place to get started. Best of luck on your journey!

This review is rather long, and I apologize for that, but the potential benefits to you of buying and reading this book are so monumental that it can literally change your life, both mentally and physically. Your results can vary but typically your thoughts will be clearer, you will have more energy, you will feel better overall, and you will probably eliminate some of the constant discomfort (or pain) that you have been dealing with for years. I encourage you to read it through in order to get a good understanding of what the WHOLE30 plan entails and could mean to you. My daughter and her fiance (both physicians) highly recommended that I try this WHOLE30 plan. They had both been suffering from intermittent bouts of gerd (and other digestive problems) and wanted to find out what specifically caused these episodes. Being "foodies" they found themselves trying different types of foods cooked with different methods and ingredients. And that is where this plan helped them pin down what was causing their unwanted reactions. They recommended the WHOLE30 plan to me because I have been suffering from constant (and sometimes debilitating) inflammation. There are several known foods/ingredients that can cause inflammation. However every individual is different and there are allergists specializing in determining what might affect you adversely. The problem with this is that even allergists (and/or their tests) can get it wrong. As a case in point, I am supposedly deathly allergic to tree nuts. I carry two Epipens with me just in case BUT I have never had a reaction to tree nuts! The problems I have with inflammation began after I retired and lost 80 lbs. Thirty years ago I had L4 and L5 (lower spine) repaired with a lateral fusion and a Bradford Wiring. My theory has been that dropping weight off my middle has caused my spine to shift and put extra pressure on one or more nerves. However after seeing four doctors (x-rays, CTs and MRIs) and two pain management specialists (epidurals and injections) I still have the same problems. Not only that but my imaging tests did not point out anything dramatic that could be causing my pain or require further surgery. Recently the pain has been migrating to different areas which makes it all the more mystifying. The WHOLE30 plan is designed to eliminate all processed foods and multiple ingredients that might be causing inflammation in people. The meal program essentially gets back to the basics and tells you what foods you can eat and which ones to avoid. The idea is to go through the purging process of eliminating your old food habits.. Assuming you have great results, like my daughter and her fiance have had after completing their first 30 days, you can then begin slowly adding in different foods to determine if the new food is causing any of your digestive or inflammation problems. They found that red wine, tomatoes and beer affected them adversely. Your results will depend on your own body chemistry. In the meantime, I have read the WHOLE30 book and begun the program. Additional weight has already been dropping off which of course is a side benefit. The average American diet is obviously geared toward instant gratification and we tend to eat foods that we love -- foods that are quick to pick up, tasty, full of salt and sugar, MSG, and gluten. Foods that cause Type 2 diabetes and the myriad problems that come from being overweight/obese. To help in this 30 day plan, the authors have told you what to expect (almost on a daily basis) as far as how you feel both physically and emotionally, that will show you what other people have gone through. Knowing that you are experiencing what other people have observed will confirm that you are doing the right things as far as your new eating habits. The WHOLE30 plan is simple and must be followed accurately and completely. The wild card is simply you as the individual and your reactions to being on it, how dedicated you are, and how successfully you get through the 30 days. If you get the amazing results you expect you can simply start adding some of your old foods back. You know which ones that should be avoided and you will probably find that you make more informed and intelligent choices. Feel free to go back on the 30 day plan at any time. Some people have done the 30 days several times, resulting in not only feeling much better but also losing a lot of weight. The knowledge to do so is in this book. The results depend on your level of commitment.

Chegou antes do prazo, bem enbalado e em ótimo estado.

very difficult to follow the diet also dishes are not meant for indian audiance

This is the one diet book I can honestly say is a life changer. I am 71 and have struggled with my weight all my life, weighing a maximum of 103kg in 2002. I have achieved good results with low carbohydrate diets but I still love chocolate and creamy desserts. This summer I was enduring a lot of osteoporosis pain and was determined to get my weight down once and for all. During this 30 day programme I went from 70kg to 62kg. In brief, it teaches you not to substitute fake sugar for real sugar. I write this after several days of eating (not bingeing, like I always have) all the Xmas goodies I fancied and this morning I weigh 63kg.

AMAZING! Great recipes and all the information you need to reset your body. Really loving this. Highly recommend.

Ottimo!