Whole30 Myths: Fact or Fiction?
The Whole30 program gets a lot of heat from the diet community. However, the reasons behind the criticism are often based on untrue ideas about the program. For those who are new to the Whole30, the program requires 30 days of no grains, no dairy, no added sugar, no alcohol, and no legumes. Thirty days, no cheats, no slips.
For a full list of the Whole30 program rules, click here.
I went into my first Whole30 completely unbiased and it changed my life. After those 30 days, I felt more confident than I had in years. I got rid of minor ailments that lingered forever, my bloating was gone, and it led me down a career path in nutrition. I want everyone to love the Whole30 as much as I do, so let's break down some commonly held myths about the program.
Myth 1: "The Whole30 is too restrictive"
Listen, it's 30 days of your life. Are the rules restrictive? Yeah, and for good reason. For 30 days you eliminate potentially inflammatory foods. Afterward, you follow it up with a reintroduction to see how those foods affect you. Elimination diets are the BEST way to see how foods affect your body. By their very nature, they're going to be restrictive for a period of time. The Whole30 is not a diet, it's a reset of your hunger signals and your relationship with food.
Myth 2: "The Whole30 is a low carb diet"
Macros on the Whole30 are completely up to you. People think of it as a low carb diet because you eliminate all grains and sugar, which are typically the bulk of carbohydrate intake in America. You can still get plenty of carbs from starchy vegetables and fruit, though they don't recommend over consumption of fruit during the program. If you worry about cutting carbs for any reason, fear not. You can get plenty of carbs during your 30 days.
Myth 3: "Whole30 is too expensive"
While the program itself is free, the Whole30 is expensive if you don't plan ahead. Buying real, whole foods adds up when you used to buy cheap processed garbage. However, it's totally doable to complete 30 days without breaking the bank. Trust me, I'm poor too.
You don't have to completely overhaul your kitchen to do the Whole30. Start slow with a few staples like compliant seasonings and sauces to cut down on meal prep time. You can slowly start to add more compliant foods as you go. As far as fresh food goes, find a farmers market! You can get a weeks worth of produce for a fraction of the cost. Plus, it will be more fresh and you'll be supporting local farmers. Win win.
Myth 4: "It's okay to take 1 cheat meal during the program because it's my second cousin's baby's baptism"
Okay, this one grinds my gears. There are no slips and no cheat meals during your Whole30, or it's not a Whole30. Going off plan for 1 meal means you have broken your Whole30. If you'd like to complete the program in its entirety, you start again at day 1. Plan ahead and make sure you don't have any big events like weddings or important birthdays during your 30 days. It's tough love, but it's for your own good.
A lot of people doing the Whole30 for the first time are undoing years of damage to their gut. Sometimes 30 days isn't even enough to truly reap all of the benefits. I have two friends who did their first Whole30's and felt so good after their 30 days, they continued on for quite awhile before reintroduction! But none of that would have been possible if they had a glass of wine here, or a bowl of ice cream there. It goes against the spirit of the program and the only person you're cheating is yourself.
If you want to read more about how to navigate social situations during your Whole30, click here.
Myth 5: "The Whole30 is too hard"
I'm going to pull a direct quote from Melissa Urban herself because truly no one says it better.
It is not hard. Don't you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. is. not. hard."
Melissa Urban
I might be beating a dead horse at this point but IT'S ONLY 30 DAYS. Will you have sugar cravings? Sure, but they'll go away after a certain point. Will you miss your past diet? Probably at first, but certainly not forever. Will you feel better than you have in years and finally figure out what food is giving you acne/bloating/joint pain? Damn right, and you'll have the Whole30 to thank for that!
The Takeaway
The Whole30 is a 30-day dietary reset program intended to help you understand your personal relationship with food. Not only will you see tons of health benefits following your 30 days, but you'll better understand yourself and what food means to you. You can eat as many carbs or as much fat as you'd like during your 30 days and not feel an ounce of guilt about it because you'll be eating real, whole foods. Melissa Urban has worked hard to make it more accessible and affordable, and now we can safely say it can be done without breaking the bank. And even though at times it can feel hard, trust me, it's not that hard.