Over the past two years I have struggled with endometriosis, after a year or so of pain I decided to go through with the surgery. In August will mark a year since, as I haven't had near the amount of pain as previously I do still have some symptoms. My husband and I are hoping to start our family soon and I am nervous at the fact that with my condition I could also be struggling with infertility. On top of those things I have always struggled with some form of IBS as well as random breakouts into hives on different parts of my body. I went to the doctor, was testing for everything, pricked for all allergies and nothing. There was nothing there, no celiac, no lactose intolerance. It's so frustrating when doctors can't find a diagnosis for all my symptoms, I was just given medicine and sent on my way. I've gone through phases on clean eating and removing diary from my diet but the ice cream always snuck back in! I've heard things about Whole30 in passing but never looked into it. Deciding I want to start family brought me to read the book and decide for myself to get healthy and relieve me of my symptoms, no doctor visits required. If you have any symptoms of disease or conditions I would highly recommend reading the book. It really opened my eyes to how what I've been eating has had an affect on my body in more way than weight.
There is a lot of information given in the book about how the things we feed our bodies effect conditions such as mine. You can read here about testimonials on different diseases/conditions that have been diminished by doing the Whole30 and sticking with its principles.
"The foods you eat exert, a powerful psychological influence, stronger than any act of willpower. They influence your hormones, silently directing your metabolism. They affect your digestive tract, your body's first line of defense. And they impact your immune system and your risk for any number of diseases and conditions." -It Starts With Food
Another reason I decided to do a Whole30 journey myself is my strong and ever persistent sweet tooth. I blame my grandfather :) I literally want ice cream every. single. day. As well as chocolate! I've decided I'm fed up with the "sugar demon" that has a hold on me. I want to be able to squash that prior to pregnancy. I want to be in charge of myself and decide with a lot of thought when I want to have these treats. Instead of feeling like I "need" them on a daily basis.
My Whole30 Journey is running from April 13th–May 12th. I hope to come back with a report of more energy, better sleep, reduction in my symptoms and of course a little weight loss!
There is a lot of information given in the book about how the things we feed our bodies effect conditions such as mine. You can read here about testimonials on different diseases/conditions that have been diminished by doing the Whole30 and sticking with its principles.
"The foods you eat exert, a powerful psychological influence, stronger than any act of willpower. They influence your hormones, silently directing your metabolism. They affect your digestive tract, your body's first line of defense. And they impact your immune system and your risk for any number of diseases and conditions." -It Starts With Food
Another reason I decided to do a Whole30 journey myself is my strong and ever persistent sweet tooth. I blame my grandfather :) I literally want ice cream every. single. day. As well as chocolate! I've decided I'm fed up with the "sugar demon" that has a hold on me. I want to be able to squash that prior to pregnancy. I want to be in charge of myself and decide with a lot of thought when I want to have these treats. Instead of feeling like I "need" them on a daily basis.
My Whole30 Journey is running from April 13th–May 12th. I hope to come back with a report of more energy, better sleep, reduction in my symptoms and of course a little weight loss!
Whole30 is based on…
NO–> dairy, grains, legumes, sugars, & alcohol
YES–> veggies, fruits, meats & healthy fats
Again read the book, it will allow to see WHY these items are eliminated for the 30 days.
Now for a while now I have been eating pretty much a vegetarian/vegan diet. I'm not a huge meat eater, because of taste preferences and some animal-cruetly reasons. I do sometimes eat chicken, turkey and fish. So I decide for 30 days to try incorporating those things back into my diet as the principles of Whole30 prefer you to eat meat. I may go back to some vegetarian things post-Whole30, but time will tell. I am planning on trying to stick with a paleo based diet after the 30 days and try first reincorporating food groups to see how it affects me (like the book states to do).
Below is a Whole30 shopping list to get you started on what to buy. I'd recommend going to a local farmers market or health food store if you have one in your area. I live by the Dekalb Farmers Market and its the best place to search for produce and responsibly sourced meat. Plus it is definitely less tempting than walking through Kroger or Publix and seeing all the process snacks and things that you can't have.
There a ton of recipes on Pinterest to help you find yummy things to eat. Planning is key here and really is what I have been worst at in the past. But I am determined this time to feel better once and for all! Follow blogs, Facebook groups, Instagram accounts, all those social sites will definitely help you stay on track and accountable during your 30 days.
I wrote out a meal plan for the week focusing on 3 meals to make plus some lunch/breakfast items. Which I will share as the week goes on! Breakfast is hard for me so I had to plan for that in advanced and cook something for the week. As much as I'd like to think I'd get up earlier to cook myself breakfast every morning, that just probably wouldn't be the case. I know myself too well! Although they prefer you to eat hearty at each meal and not snack, I also recommend bringing fruits, raw veggies, nuts/olives, something to have on hand at work in case of a hunger strike. Being unprepared will lead to cheating and there is none of that for 30 days!
Here's to feeling better in the next 30 days! I hope you enjoy following me on my journey and maybe consider doing a Whole30 journey yourself! :)
xoxo
Brittany
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