I just got done doing the Whole30 program (something you can read about here: whole30/). In a nutshell, for a month I only ate protein, fruits, and vegetables. Now, I normally eat pretty healthy, but cutting out ALL processed foods, added sugar, wheats, and grains was definitely an adjustment. At first, the transition was very challenging. Not necessarily because I couldnt eat all that stuff, but because being on a healthier diet makes preparation absolutely essential. Ive typically been a think about food only moments before getting in the car to get it type of guy, and my kitchen experience has been minimal. Once I started getting acclimated to this new way of living, things got much easier. Preparing food always seemed like a waste of time to me, but this whole experience definitely has taught me that its totally do-able; I even looked forward to time in the kitchen, if only because it seemed like a break from the rest of the day. Do I *enjoy* cooking? Id still have to say no. But Im closer than I was before. My palette definitely changed. It wasnt long before I no longer craved the off-limit foods. I ate more fruits and vegetables in the last 30 days than I probably did in the six months preceding it. And they were AWESOME. Fruit is awesome, guys. Theres no logical way that anyone can tell you that a bowl of M&Ms is better than a bowl of grapes. Its just not possible. I wasnt feeling awful before, but I definitely felt BETTER just by keeping my diet clean. Gone were the days of needing to rest after a meal, feeling like my food was eating ME after I ate it. My stomach, which has always been my Achilles heel for YEARS, felt fine throughout the whole process (theres a more graphic explanation that you can derive from this, but Ill let you figure it out). And as someone who has lived with diabetes for years, my blood sugars were in tighter control than I can ever remember them being – all while I used LESS insulin than ever! A lot of people have been asking me what Im going to do now that its finished, and I can tell that theyre thinking Im going to go running back into the arms of carbs and junk, as a revolt against the regiment Ive followed for the last month. But honestly, I dont see that happening. While I am pretty thrilled that Ill be able to eat sushi again, I dont really even desire to go back to my old way of eating. At this time, I think Ill just keep going like Im living on that Whole30 diet, occasionally breaking it when I want to. I kind of view diet like I do religion. Its a really personal choice (I mean, come on, its all about what you PUT INSIDE YOU; how intimate is that?). I would never insist that this is something that someone should do, but if reading any of this interests you at all, I recommend at least looking into the program. Im definitely glad I did. Special thanks to Summer Redwine for putting me on to the idea, Imakemad Beats, Teric Tzarizm Dukes, and Yaischa Dukes for the support and shared misery/triumph throughout the ordeal, Optiks Jones for teaching me cooking tips that most third graders already know, and Amy Cassell for dealing with my kitchen antics (and by antics, I mean severe ineptitude).
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 15:01:51 +0000
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