a lot of thoughts about Whole 30

Our stumbling into the idea of trying the Whole 30 eating plan was just that: stumbling. I have two friends who spoke highly of it, but I didn't think much of it beyond that until we began learning about how damaged Daniel's digestive system had become due to stress. The idea of trying to see his insides healed initiated a whole lot of reading and research, and the book that lays out the Whole 30 plan (It Starts With Food)-- one of the last we happened to read-- rang true with a lot of what we were learning from other sources.

With nothing to lose (there's no way eating only "whole" foods for a month is going to harm us!) and everything to gain (finding ways to get Daniel feeling better), we tried it and with great results for both of us. Although we didn't quite make it the full 30 days due to a previous commitment as camp pastor at a children's camp last week (camp food!), we made it 27 days. I'm not sure there's anything magical in the number 30 except that the goal is a nutritional reset, if you will, and in that sense we more or less got it. We didn't get to do the reintroduction of other foods the way the book instructs so we both think we'd like to do another round in order to do that at some point.

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I cook and bake from scratch and have since I was a young girl learning the ropes in my mom's kitchen. We buy free-range meat and are part of a CSA. Our chickens are laying eggs, which is about as fresh and local as you can get! And yet I'm always learning how to better steward our bodies.

But let me say this before I get started:

I think there's always the risk whenever studying nutrition to become debilitated by everyone telling you how everything is bad for you. There have been times in the past when I've just had to put the books/articles/whatnot down and call someone I trust ("Paula, what do you do?") for their reasonable and real-life advice because what "they" say is so overwhelming.

You're not getting enough protein.
Hold the phone: all meat is horrible for you!
If those veggies aren't organic, you might as well eat cotton candy.
Is that milk pasteurized?
Who cares that it's raw, it's cow's milk and you need goat's milk!
Don't ever buy pre-packaged cereal.
OHMYWORD there are PHYTIC ACIDS in those oats!

You get the idea.

I believe that God gave us food. In variety and abundance and flavors and colors, and what a gift it all is! It's not wrong that we enjoy frequenting a favorite restaurant or stop occasionally for ice cream cones in place of a nutritious lunch or enjoy blessing one another through cooking and baking and sharing the amazing gift of food-- and special, treat foods at that!!

Yes, we absolutely need to steward our bodies. When Daniel hit a wall in terms of his physical health, we began doing all within our power to adjust our lives so that he might serve the purposes of God in his day with all the strength and energy and gusto possible! It's why we did Whole 30. It's why I do my best to continually be learning and adjusting our eating habits.

But food is a gift and a tool. Good nutrition is a means that helps me serve Jesus; it is not the goal of my life. And when I keep it in its proper place, it becomes a powerful means that isn't overwhelmed by the debilitating and crippling food arguments and debates because I am simply doing my best and trusting that I have a Heavenly Father who ordains my life.

I have no intention of becoming a food snob. I like fried dough as much as the next person! Don't even get me started on cherry cobbler with fresh whipped cream or a brownie hot fudge sundae. And sweet potato fries??? YES PLEASE.

Years ago, I spent two months in the Philippines dining on white rice and canned sardines and spam and MREs. I would do it again in a heartbeat if it was the best way I could serve the Kingdom in my eating. Here at home, as finances and supplies allow, I plan on incorporating a lot of Whole 30 ideas into our regular diet-- lots, lots, lots more veggies and more protein, minimal grains, far less sugar (including natural sugars), and Daniel will probably eat the strictest out of all of us for some time as he continues to get his body healed-- because this is how I see us best serving the Kingdom in our eating at this time.

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Now-- if you're still with me-- for some reflections:

1. Americans don't eat enough vegetables.

Or, at least, I don't.

I always thought we did okay. A good amount of veggies, of the fresh and local and pesticide-free variety as much as possible, at almost every dinner meal-- not to mention the raw veggies we munch on most days with lunch.

Turns out, when my plate is 2/3 filled with veggies three times a day, I feel better. (Who knew?!)

I also think it's a common thought in the US that fruits and vegetables are interchangeable-- like somehow if you (or your child) aren't eating enough vegetables, you can make up nutritionally with fruit. They're just not the same.

Vegetables are not only rich in vitamins and minerals, but they're also the easiest-to-digest foods available. This was perhaps the most critical element in Daniel's increased energy and diminished aches and pains.

So eat those veggies, people!


2. Sugar is not my friend.

Although this isn't a newsflash, I realized how true it is when I ate sugar after not having any (not even natural forms like maple syrup or honey) for almost a month. It makes me sick, it makes me sluggish, it makes me tired.

This is not to say I won't ever eat sugar, but as limited as I tried to make it in the past, it's going to be far more limited. I went from nothing but a little fruit for almost 4 weeks to eating cupcakes two days in a row last weekend and let me tell you: there's nothing more motivating than seeing how much better I felt without it.


3. I need more protein than I think.

If there was one thing I saw a dramatic change in, it's that after a year of taking floradix and focusing on iron-rich foods (spinach and chickpeas and apricots, oh my!) with little to no improvement in my hemoglobin levels, within a week of Whole 30 I had stopped craving ice, which is a common symptom of iron deficiency and one I really suffered from. I haven't been tested, but I assume the vanishing cravings were due to a corresponding rise in my iron levels, and I absolutely believe it's because of my increased protein intake.

Protein is essential for absorbing iron, which I've known, but I hadn't realized how much less protein I was taking in than I really needed. I have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for over 12 years. My body needs all the help it can get!


4. The Family Meal Table is essential.

I was really thankful that we already had routine family meals established in our home-- something both Daniel and I grew up with and then brought into our marriage and home-- because eating Whole 30 requires lots of food prep. You can't eat anything "quick" or "easy" (remember: even fruit is in moderation), but fortunately for me, meal prep and sitting down with my kids three times a day was already a pretty normal part of my day.

In that sense, Whole 30 only confirmed what I've had a strong conviction about: food is meant to be eaten in community, shared at a table, used as a pause from the day's demands and activities, an opportunity to connect relationally; and the very act of sharing food together has spiritual implications. Obviously this isn't always possible and sometimes it's eaten more on-the-go than is ideal, but even my own bad habits of making use of the time the kids are busily eating lunch to throw the next load of laundry in or zip off a few emails were curtailed this past month and I am seeing afresh how much healthier it is to prepare food for myself (rather than eating the leftover bits off their plates!), sit down, eat and converse with them, etc.

Whole 30 requires lots of cooking. It requires thought and planning. And once I've put in that effort, I want to enjoy it. So I sat. I ate slower. I ate more thoroughly and thoughtfully. I ate with laughter and conversation surrounding me.

What a gift!


5. What goes in is as important as what doesn't.

I've long wondered if there isn't a better way than the American fascination and obsession with what we shouldn't be putting in our bodies. We count calories and weigh food and go on starvation-type-diets left and right.

I really appreciated that Whole 30, while it has a long list of what you're not eating, focuses more on what you are eating. And trust me, if you make sure you're eating a healthy serving of protein and fat and loads of roasted and raw and grilled vegetables, you are full at the end (and sometimes mid-way through!) each meal. I didn't really miss the grains and sweets, honestly. I didn't feel hungry until 4-5 hours after my last meal.

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And so, in conclusion, I'll just say:

Whole 30 was an eye-opening and helpful experiment for us, and I'd highly recommend it to others!

Next up: what we ate from day-to-day on Whole 30.