The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom

I read It Starts With Food in January & completed my first Whole30. Before January, I had followed a very strict low carb diet for 2 months. I even consulted with a physician after one month of no results on the low carb diet, who suggested I add in more protein and small meals to help with weight loss. In the past, low carb diets worked like a dream for me, but this time nothing happened. Probably from years of dieting when the scale tipped to an undesirable number then eating what I wanted once I was back to my normal weight. (Or maybe all of the artificial sweeteners & processed protein bars I was filling up on?) I'm mid thirties with 2 kids &, even though I'd lost all baby weight, experienced a big move that precipitated me gaining about 15 lbs before I went low carb. When it didn't work, I panicked. Thank goodness I found It Starts With Food. I had never felt better in my life. I lost 10 lbs in one week (I know I wasn't supposed to weigh myself, but I felt so good I had to!), where I had been at a stale mate on low carb. In all, I lost 15 lbs, which took me back to my normal weight. Towards the end, though, it wasn't about the weight. It was about the health. I've gone in and out of a paleo type diet & falling off the wagon since January & felt like I needed a reboot. I had pre-ordered this cookbook in April so I dusted it off in July and got started on Whole30 number 2. My husband is doing it along with me this time. We are on day 8 & I referenced the Whole 30 timeline that says days 10 & 11 are the hardest days in conversation today. He has finally gotten through his energy slump & has been feeling great, so asked why Day 10 was supposed to be hard. I told him about food boredom. He acted appalled. "Everything we've eaten has been AWESOME!!" If you knew my husband you'd realize how out of character this comment is. His diet (pre Whole30) consists of numerous Cokes (sometimes 6-8 a day!), cheese, and grains with a healthy amount of meat. He loves doughnuts and French toast & canned green beans & carrots are the only vegetable he'd eat. Since following 90% just this cookbook, he's actually tried and LOVED asparagus, sweet potatoes & more. What's even more crazy is that this weekend he actually took to the kitchen & created some "hot plates" of his own. We have been married 7 years & I can count on my fingers the number of meals he's cooked. So this is big. He's interested in food & health & new flavors. His enthusiasm is making this 2nd time around so much more fun. I recommend this for anyone new to Whole30. While a lot of the info in the beginning of the book can be found on the website, the recipes really are delicious. They're not intimidatingly difficult, as several of the paleo books I've bought are. Most ingredients are common and easy to find. I still recommend It Starts With Food, but if you're only in it for weight loss, this book might be where to start. It Starts With Food is more of the "why" behind all of the rules. It helped me during my first Whole30 many times. Mainly because of all the questions I got--like "Isn't corn a vegetable??" and "Oh, one piece/glass/taste won't hurt you, will it??" I'm the type of person that needs to know the why or I might buy into a little cheat every now & then. My husband, on the other hand is not like me. He hasn't read either book & doesn't plan on it. Lol He just relies on me & what I tell him. So, I guess it depends on you, but if you want a good book with the Whole30 rules & resources & delicious recipes that are doable by anyone, this is a perfect place to get started. Best of luck on your journey!

This review is rather long, and I apologize for that, but the potential benefits to you of buying and reading this book are so monumental that it can literally change your life, both mentally and physically. Your results can vary but typically your thoughts will be clearer, you will have more energy, you will feel better overall, and you will probably eliminate some of the constant discomfort (or pain) that you have been dealing with for years. I encourage you to read it through in order to get a good understanding of what the WHOLE30 plan entails and could mean to you. My daughter and her fiance (both physicians) highly recommended that I try this WHOLE30 plan. They had both been suffering from intermittent bouts of gerd (and other digestive problems) and wanted to find out what specifically caused these episodes. Being "foodies" they found themselves trying different types of foods cooked with different methods and ingredients. And that is where this plan helped them pin down what was causing their unwanted reactions. They recommended the WHOLE30 plan to me because I have been suffering from constant (and sometimes debilitating) inflammation. There are several known foods/ingredients that can cause inflammation. However every individual is different and there are allergists specializing in determining what might affect you adversely. The problem with this is that even allergists (and/or their tests) can get it wrong. As a case in point, I am supposedly deathly allergic to tree nuts. I carry two Epipens with me just in case BUT I have never had a reaction to tree nuts! The problems I have with inflammation began after I retired and lost 80 lbs. Thirty years ago I had L4 and L5 (lower spine) repaired with a lateral fusion and a Bradford Wiring. My theory has been that dropping weight off my middle has caused my spine to shift and put extra pressure on one or more nerves. However after seeing four doctors (x-rays, CTs and MRIs) and two pain management specialists (epidurals and injections) I still have the same problems. Not only that but my imaging tests did not point out anything dramatic that could be causing my pain or require further surgery. Recently the pain has been migrating to different areas which makes it all the more mystifying. The WHOLE30 plan is designed to eliminate all processed foods and multiple ingredients that might be causing inflammation in people. The meal program essentially gets back to the basics and tells you what foods you can eat and which ones to avoid. The idea is to go through the purging process of eliminating your old food habits.. Assuming you have great results, like my daughter and her fiance have had after completing their first 30 days, you can then begin slowly adding in different foods to determine if the new food is causing any of your digestive or inflammation problems. They found that red wine, tomatoes and beer affected them adversely. Your results will depend on your own body chemistry. In the meantime, I have read the WHOLE30 book and begun the program. Additional weight has already been dropping off which of course is a side benefit. The average American diet is obviously geared toward instant gratification and we tend to eat foods that we love -- foods that are quick to pick up, tasty, full of salt and sugar, MSG, and gluten. Foods that cause Type 2 diabetes and the myriad problems that come from being overweight/obese. To help in this 30 day plan, the authors have told you what to expect (almost on a daily basis) as far as how you feel both physically and emotionally, that will show you what other people have gone through. Knowing that you are experiencing what other people have observed will confirm that you are doing the right things as far as your new eating habits. The WHOLE30 plan is simple and must be followed accurately and completely. The wild card is simply you as the individual and your reactions to being on it, how dedicated you are, and how successfully you get through the 30 days. If you get the amazing results you expect you can simply start adding some of your old foods back. You know which ones that should be avoided and you will probably find that you make more informed and intelligent choices. Feel free to go back on the 30 day plan at any time. Some people have done the 30 days several times, resulting in not only feeling much better but also losing a lot of weight. The knowledge to do so is in this book. The results depend on your level of commitment.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have read it starts with food I truly believe it saved my life. However I have had many friends who found it intimidating and a little heavy on the science. I think the whole 30 is a much friendlier read if you were intimidated by the first book. I am currently on my seventh round of whole 30 and I still found this to be a very informative read. I think there something in this book for everyone. If you're curious about the whole 30 but don't care too much about the science behind it this book is absolutely perfect for you and it will hold your hand and guide you throughout the entire 30 day process. If you've done whole 30 before I still think this is a valuable resource both for information and recipes. Maybe the whole 30 isn't for everyone but I have never seen a program that has done so much for such a wide spectrum of people and for that alone I really think this is worth checking out. You must keep in mind that while weight loss might be a side effect this is not a weight-loss program, this is a journey that will redefine your relationship with food. You might not even think you have any issues with food until you give this a shot and then all of a sudden you realize how much you really relied on the bagel in the morning or the sugar in your coffee. You're certainly going to discover that your skin might not be as clear as it could be or you don't have as much energy as you should or even that your mental disposition isn't quite as sunny as you might think. I have personally seen this program do wonders for people who have psoriasis and MS as well colitis and chronic migraines. Before discovering the whole 30 program I never had any idea how much food actually affected our physical and mental existence and it didn't even take 30 days for me to personally see all the negative ways I was being affected by the standard American diet. For my 28th birthday I gave copies of it starts with food to everyone in my immediate family and with my birthday coming up again I know I'll be buying more copies of this to hand out because what I really want is for my loved ones to be healthier.

To sum up my entire Whole30 experience, I would say this: This was a 30 day challenge for me, not a lifestyle. The book is gorgeous, with crisp pictures, helpful and accessible recipes and useful advice. The authors know the truth about this program: it's hard but there are much harder things. They drum up your confidence and willpower before embarking and give you tools throughout your 30 days to get you through. But you will not be able to cleave to this book as you're sitting out to dinner with your friends, unable to share an appetizer or toast with a glass of wine. This book will not provide solace for you as you sacrifice your Sunday (or another day) to meal prepping and planning. It will give you a pragmatic look at your journey, even providing a day by day timeline of your 30 days that was eerily accurate, down to the food dreams you'll have somewhere in the middle. This program did make me realize the excess foods that were in my diet, helped me to be creative in coming up with meal options and I never slept better than after the second week. Finding foods, especially for breakfast, that I enjoyed and could eat repeatedly was a challenge, as was not relying on potatoes or fruit for every meal. I appreciated being on this plan and learning what foods work for my system and those that don’t, but I could not do this every day for the rest of my life. I would recommend this book/program for someone who wants to learn about their body, habits and personal restrictions and for someone who wants to challenge themselves. Personally though, I could not sustain this indefinitely.

GREAT BOOK!! STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS!!!! This books is really honest and practical and makes it easy to change your health by the program's mission of changing what you eat and your psychological habits with food!!! Its so much more than a diet!! As a matter of fact as the author puts, its not a DIEt!!! For the records I DID NOT GET the other book that they advertise 'IT STARTS WITH FOOD', I honestly don't think you need to! For someone that is somewhat health conscious, we've all read about what is GOOD AND NOT GOOD!!! I would go straight into the WHOLE30 book and dive into the program!!!! The only hiccup but not enough to rate it less than 5 stars, is that I feel like 90% of what's in the book is ALSO in their website www.whole30.com. I guess the good amount the book is that it gives you a break-down of the 30 days in a funny way, which is actually so dang-on-point with how you feel through the 30 days!!! You also get a bunch of really good recipes!!! I mean I LOVE these recipes because they are DO-ABLE!!! I honestly hate those diet/recipe books in which the recipes are so difficult to do cuz there's either a bunch of products you don't have at home, or the techniques are so advanced or a combo of both!!! These recipes are easy to do, simple ingredients and quick!!! I also love the fact that its made me more organized!!! I can plan out what i am going to eat for several days, and I even go and buy what I need a day or two in advance, prep it/season it the night before, and then 1-2-3 cook an easy meal the day of! I love that you learn to prep a bunch of vegetables on the weekends, like Sunday evenings so you're ready to go the next day.

I'm a *huge* proponent of the Whole30 program, having had darn near miraculous results my first time. What I love best about Whole30, though, is that they offer the program for free online to anyone who wants it. You don't *have* to buy their books and products, which makes me more inclined to support them by buying their books and projects. I've not yet read the predecessor _It Starts With Food_, so this is my first Whole30 book. The Whole30 is a 30-day elimination diet designed to help you discover your individual sensitivities to certain foods – and, yes, we all have them, from gas to skin and attitude problems. The Whole30 is unapologetically strict. For 30 days, you eliminate: Added sugar of all kinds (fruit sugars are okay) Alcohol Grains Legumes (excepting green beans, snow peas, and sugar snap peas) Dairy Carageenan, MSG, or added sulfites Healthy “baked good” alternatives The scale/weighing oneself This book reviews the rules of the program as well as the rules of food group reintroductions, which I'll admit that I didn't really find much good info online when I first started the program. Perhaps that's changed now. Regardless, I found it helpful to have step-by-step suggestions for a successful reintroduction phase. The book has a fantastic balance of science, friendliness, and tough love. It's strict but encouraging, and the authors give us all the tools needed to make a successful Whole30. I loved the section on basic kitchen fundamentals – I thought I knew all that stuff, but I learned a few things. And I appreciated the authors making sure to cover every bit of ground so newcomers, especially people like me who hate cooking (and there is A LOT of cooking on the Whole30), don't feel lost or intimidated. They cover real-life scenarios like travelling for work, dining out, grocery shopping, professional athletes, pregnancy and nursing on the program, adapting its meat-heavy paleo-esque diet for vegetarian and vegan Whole30-ers. They include a fantastic recipe section that will definitely be a great help in switching up my usual health food fall-backs/ruts. I definitely recommend the book and the product to everyone, but especially those who are tired of being stuck in an unhealthy relationship with food or those who have chronic health issues and would like to free themselves from medication dependency.

I'm honestly not sure what to think about this book. It IS full of great recipes and (some) advice, but I'm not a huge fan of any eating plan / diet that can't be followed long-term. The book is at times written in a condescending tone some of the "rules" in the book didn't appeal to me. More on that later in the review. I knew I'd have a problem going cold turkey with everything at once, so this past September, I took one week cutting out gluten, the next week cutting out sugar and then began my third week (beginning of October) essentially cutting out all carbs and started the Whole 30. I stuck with it TO THE LETTER until Thanksgiving. I lost one pound. ONE pound. In a month and a half. And I felt no different than I had before the diet. No increase in energy, no other changes (and I'd made a list before I started). I *was* in ketosis (I know this because I had to go to an urgent care place for a UTI and they were initially alarmed at the keytone results). By the time Thanksgiving showed up, I truly had no motivation to continue the diet. I can't imagine doing rounds of this as some people do. I mean, the withdrawal from carbs, sugars, etc. over and over again? If I'm going to do it, I'd rather do that once and be done with it. The book's authors are adamant that you follow this diet perfectly for 30 days. If you screw up, even accidentally (someone serves you something with a "forbidden" ingredient), you're to start the diet all over again. I can't think of anything else more demotivating during a diet (well, other than not getting any results from it). The authors also insist that you don't try to create healthier alternatives to your non-healthy favorites (pancakes are used as an example in the book). I found this odd. If you love pancakes, and someone tells you to never have pancakes again -- even healthy ones -- you're going to spend the whole time craving pancakes and will ditch the diet in no time. I didn't agree with it being "okay" to do this diet for 30 days every few months but it not being okay to consistently choose healthy versions of your favorite foods. I kept the book because it IS a good resource for easy food prep and basic recipes. If you're looking for a basic diet that will improve your health and well being and you're ready to tough it out long term, check out The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged!: Lasting Fat Loss That's Better than Ever by Tosca Reno. Eat clean 80% of the time and don't beat yourself up about being perfect, and you'll find that you stick with it longer. If you're looking to lose weight and also want to re-create healthy versions of your favorite foods, check out any of the books in Lisa Lilllen's Hungry Girl series, like The Hungry Girl Diet: Big Portions. Big Results. Drop 10 Pounds in 4 Weeks . She's entertaining and has a great friend-next-door personality, too.

I absolutely love Thrift Books. The whole 30 was pristine.

This book could mean a healthier future to a lot of people in my opinion. It captures the Whole30 concept perfectly and I just love the photography and lay out within the book. I am currently doing my second round of Whole 30 after losing 10lbs the first time round (I know it's not just for weighloss however it is defo an added bonus). The thing that this book has taught me the most is to eat 3 meals a day and to stop snacking. This was a really bad habit of mine and after making the effort to cook some of these simple recipes I find that I am not hungry until my next meal is due therefore transitioned naturally. My favourite section is the 'One Pot Meals' section as I'm a kind of chuck everything in the slow cooker and get on with my life kinda girl! Whilst working different shifts etc, this really has been a life saver. I like the informal tone throughout the book also as it feel like you are talking to one of your friends rather than in depth complicated science about why it works. Another great section that they have included are recommendations such as website, books and films at the end of the book. I simply took the names of the people and typed them into youtube which bough up a wealth of lectures and websites relating to healthy eating, changing habits and living a more natural lifestyle. My and my mother are on day 10 of the second round of whole 30, I have not had a single craving so far, therefore wish me luck for the next 20 days! You should try it, it could change your eating habits for life :)

Chegou antes do prazo, bem enbalado e em ótimo estado.

very difficult to follow the diet also dishes are not meant for indian audiance

This is the one diet book I can honestly say is a life changer. I am 71 and have struggled with my weight all my life, weighing a maximum of 103kg in 2002. I have achieved good results with low carbohydrate diets but I still love chocolate and creamy desserts. This summer I was enduring a lot of osteoporosis pain and was determined to get my weight down once and for all. During this 30 day programme I went from 70kg to 62kg. In brief, it teaches you not to substitute fake sugar for real sugar. I write this after several days of eating (not bingeing, like I always have) all the Xmas goodies I fancied and this morning I weigh 63kg.

AMAZING! Great recipes and all the information you need to reset your body. Really loving this. Highly recommend.