What I learned from completing my first Whole 30

No legumes. No dairy. No grains. No alcohol. No sugar. 30 days. 

Sounds like hell right? It did to me too for months before I felt ready to give it a go after being introduced to it by lovely Bea Marshall (life coach and babe friend), but one day it just clicked; I can do this. 

It is probably worth mentioning that the programme is regularly prescribed by health professionals to those with chronic illness, depression and through pregnancy. I would also recommend you carry on reading if you think you have digestive issues, that your gut might be sensitive to something but you don't know what, as all inflammatory food groups are eliminated you can find out what the beastie is when you reintroduce your food groups. 

Today I sit here writing to you on day 31. I only bloody did it! During my Whole 30 journey I wrote in my journal everyday, writing down how I felt physically, mentally and emotionally in myself so I could put it all together, look back and reflect. So here are a few things I learned on my first round of Whole 30.

I'm *nearly* sick of eggs though...

1) There is no one way to experience a Whole 30

Whole 30 have an example timeline of what to expect during the 30 days. I kept revising it to see if I was in sync and at times I was, but at others I was so not! For example, I got the day 2 hangover big time, my head was in agony and I was a pain in the arse. Those sugary treats were just making their way through my system and it hurt. Then there were the, uh, physical consequences of eating whole foods and my digestive system was unhappy right through to around day 12/13 which is a good 6 days later than expected. My energy started to dip in this last week, waking up was a struggle and I don't know why which is frustrating especially since most people rave about their amazing energy. 

2) I love cooking and I'm actually quite good at it

Before I started W30 I was already trying to improve my eating, this involved using my beautiful MagiMix food processor a lot and making food from scratch as much as possible. But Whole 30 demanded my time in the kitchen more than ever. Because of the simple and selective foods I could have, I had to be clever and inventive with my meals, especially if people were coming round for dinner. For me it was all about flavour and I had to make sauces from scratch in batches to keep adding to basic meals throughout the week. Home made mayo, almond butter, pesto, tomato sauce and a compliant aubergine dip that Bea shared with me was a recurring creation. And cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper and paprika were in my meals more often than not. 

A W30 highlight: Bea made us this amazing brekkie with plantains, sweet potato and omelette 

3) The worst bit was the washing up (mostly)

I have been sat here thinking to myself 'What do I really miss?' and nothing is screaming out to me. Yeah there were a few days where my sugar demons raised their heads and I had to distract myself when things got crazy and yes, at times I ate a couple of compliant dried fruit bars (Nakd) and medjool dates with almond butter as well as a bit too much fruit on occasion but I made it through in one piece and can confidently say now I have zero sugar cravings. And I don't miss cheese. Or Bread. Plus if eating too many grapes is my biggest food issue right now, I think I can relax a little. I drink so much more water now too, I am continuously thirsty for water in fact. I think I miss the convenience of brown rice, quinoa, rye bread and porridge oats rather than the foods themselves. And planning around day trips is a pain in the arse, I actually would love to not have to make my breakfast lunch and dinner all at the same time. But as any food-prep person will tell you, the amount of tupperware in your sink at anyone time...gah! It's the worst bit, especially since I am no domestic goddess. Oh and I also prefer black coffee, who knew?

4) Day 31 is much scarier than day 1

Being so restricted on this programme was weirdly helpful. These aren't guidelines, these are strict rules and you absolutely cannot cheat. I'm talking about that accidental splash of milk in your tea - yep. Start over! So now I'm at the end of the 30 days I feel nervous, like taking the stabilisers off of my bike for the first time. Reintroducing the excluded food groups back into my diet should be an interesting experiment though, seeing if my body doesn't react well to certain things will be enlightening. I know for a fact I haven't been bloated once in the past month which has been wonderful, I wonder what the culprit was beforehand? 

I discovered lots of new foods and ways of eating food on W30, including this soy sauce alternative courtesy of Bea.

5) Yes I have lost weight, but that's not the point*

• After a week my skin brightened considerably. My period came along and fucked shit up halfway through, so I broke out in spots. They've since died down and I'm left with a pretty healthy glow. Foundation free days are common. 
• I need to eat A LOT of food to stay full enough from breakfast to lunch and lunch to dinner. Much more than I thought actually. Which is great - I love eating. 
• My energy didn't erupt into this WOAH "tiger blood" that I was hoping for, but I have definitely felt a rise in my energy levels compared to before W30 except in this last week. I'm still going to bed by 10pm, but I'm up early for the gym so often that I forget that actually it's fine, I'm still a rock star. 
• I have already learned that I don't need alcohol to go out and party, I spent 3 months booze free December- March and didn't have a problem with it (it is more other people that have the problem). But this extra sober month confirmed that for me, the best part of a night out is the dancing, the music and your pals. Plus I love being the envy of every hungover person the next day with my clear head and healthy bank balance. Muahahaa. 
• Having said that I could murder a Prosecco right now (yep its 9am). And just a bit of cheesecake. Just a bit. 

The relationship with my body and with food has been in turmoil for literally two decades.   I never used to understand the phrase "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle" but now, I do. I'm determined to maintain 80/20 paleo eating habits. Of course I'll fail at times, but it's part of the learning curve. I imagine I will be doing them 3 or 4 times a year, next one will be in October as I have too many fun things in August/September. So if I've peaked your interest and you fancy joining me, things are easier with pals so let me know. 

Gina x

PS I did this alongside a strength and conditioning programme called Charlie Mike so if you wanna see what that was all about click here. June was a pretty health conscious month it seems! 

*But I've lost around 10lbs and can fit into so many of my frocks so much better than I did before. Bonus.