So as many of you know, January for me consisted of another Whole30. For those of you new to Paleo, the Whole30 is a 30 day 100% Paleo protocol where we strip everything back to grass roots and go back to Paleo basics. For all of us, newbies and Paleo veterans, this is a great way to reevaluate our eating and think about why we eat the way we do. For more details on the Whole30 visit the website here.
So yesterday I officially finished my January Whole30. I generally eat 80/20 Paleo anyway and being my fourth time I thought it would be all plain sailing and that I would have zero issues with finishing it.
After my Christmas indulgences my body was yearning for some good clean eating, so the first few days were almost liberating. Giving my body what it needed, clean good food, and a means to hopefully undo some of the bad I had done to myself over the festivities.
Unfortunately I got sick about 2 weeks into my 30 days resulting in a course of antibiotics. I wasnt happy about this. No.1 because it meant screwing up my gut in the short term (que probiotic doses to beat the band) and No. 2 it meant my gut was not going to get the optimum healing the Whole30 was designed to stimulate.
There was little I could do and I continued on with the program despite my shit feelings! The one thing that DID occur to me however is that every time I do a Whole30 I get sick! I don't know if it is because my body is detoxing, or because I always do a Whole30 when I feel run down and most needing it (a coincidence,my body on way down to start with?) but if you have had similar experiences please let me know.
Overall I would say I found things very challenging this time around. I dont know if it was the post Christmas mentality, the January blues or the fact the I was very busy with college and mentally craving some fun/a night out, but it was HARD!
But I am happy that I got through it successfully and can happily say my 4th Whole30 was wholeheartedly a SUCCESS! As I posted on my Facebook page yesterday, the fact that the program is STILL challenging on my fourth go shows what a great program it actually it. So kudos to Melissa and Dallas!
Overall I lost about 6 pounds. But weight loss is not really a goal for me. The healthy benefits, the flat tummy, the great energy levels and great GI activity far outweigh this (pardon the pun!)
If you are new to the Paleo and want to go the whole hog, I really recommend doing the Whole30.
As they so elegantly put it:
"Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term healthy"
