Everything You Need to Know to Start the Whole30 Diet

Help! I’m addicted to carbs, sugar and I love alcohol. But my days of getting away with these indulgences are over.

It’s time to take a closer look at how these foods affect my health. In this post, I’ll share everything you need to know to start the Whole30 Diet.

I’m about to push the reset button on my eating habits. Want to do it with me?

After researching how I would start the Whole30 Diet, I’ve determined I can do this for 30 days. And if I can do it, you can too! I will be documenting my experience throughout my journey to give readers perspective and also to stay accountable.

The Reason I’m Going to Start the Whole30 Diet

Something happened to my metabolism after I turned 40. Well, maybe it slowed down before then, but I didn’t notice as much since I was training for marathons. When you’re running 30-40 miles a week, its easier to eat and drink what you want. Over the last few years, the scale hasn’t been my friend as it’s been creeping up each year despite my regular exercise routine of Crossfit and running.

I am a food lover. Although I follow a relatively healthy diet with lots of vegetables and protein, I love my ice cream, gummy bears, and hi-chews as well as a glass (or 2) of Sauvignon Blanc. And bread? If you’ve ever watched my Insta-stories as I savored a Kings Hawaiian glazed donut, you saw the addiction in my eyes.

The Whole30 promises to clean out our system and teach us how food affects our bodies. It states the diet will change our perspective on food and shape our future choices.  Doing this diet for 30 days will detox my body, end my alcohol, carb and sugar cravings as well as heal my digestive tract.

After the 30 days are up, we can slowly reintroduce foods that are off plan. We’ll be able to have a good picture of what our bodies like and don’t like during the reintroduction phase.

Other things the Whole30 Diet states will happen:

• Give us more energy
• Improved athletic performance
• Better sleep
• More focus
• Mental clarity
• Sunnier disposition

Hmm. This diet seems too good to be true, and I don’t need it to change my life drastically. But if it breaks my carb, sugar and alcohol addiction and I can lose a few pounds; I’ll be happy.

Whole30 Diet In a Nutshell

You Can Have

• Meat and Seafood – moderate portions
• Vegetables – no limit
• Fruit – in moderation
• Natural Fats (includes nuts except peanuts) – no limit
• Potatoes – eat sparingly
• Vinegar with no added sugar
• Spices

You Can’t Have

• Sugar- real or artificial or even natural unless fruit
• Alcohol
• Grains
• Beans (except green beans and snap and snow peas)
• Soy (except coconut aminos – soy sauce substitute)
• Dairy (except Ghee or clarified butter)
• Sulfites, MSG

Other Rules

• No counting calories
• No weighing yourself for 30 days after day 1
• If you cheat, the 30 days starts over

I like not having to count calories. And I’m happy I can eat what I want as long as it is on the approved list. Nut butter is going to save me on this diet (although peanut butter is a no, due to its added sugar).

I’m told its hard to overdose on the approved foods (except potatoes) because my body will only want what it needs. Alcohol will be the toughest part of this diet for me. 

The first ten days are supposed to be kind of brutal. I will get hangry, have low energy and may get dizzy from the sugar, carb and alcohol detox. But after this, it’s supposed to be a breeze!

We shall see about that! But I’m committed. And I’m excited that my husband has agreed to try this diet with me. Having each other to lean on will keep us from cheating! 

I’m looking forward to the after Whole30 phase when we slowly add back one type of food at a time to see how our bodies react. Many find they have food allergies this way. I think the diet’s encouragement of eating whole foods, meal planning, and preparation will help us practice beneficial habits for a healthier lifestyle.

Trader Joe’s Grocery List to Start the Whole30 Diet

The following is a list of some groceries I’ll pick up from Trader Joes for my first week of Whole30

• Eggs, chicken, beef, bacon, tuna
• Vegetables
• Jarred artichokes and hearts of palm
• Coconut flakes
• Nut butter
• Salsa with no added sugars
• Jarred pickles and olives, which are great for snacking or toppings
• Nuts: raw, roasted, and salted
• Organic Turkish Dried Apricots
• Dates
• Grainless Granola
• Lara Bars and Rx Bars that DON’T have (vanilla extract, choc chips, peanut butter). The following Lara Bars are Whole30 approved: Apple Pie, Banana Bread, Carrot Cake, Cashew Cookie, Cherry Pie, Chocolate Coconut Chew, Coconut Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Lemon Bar, Pecan Pie.
• Kale, Cashew and Basil Pesto sauce for zoodles
• Pre-made compliant guac – a spicy and regular
• LaCroix
• Tea

Watch your dried fruit consumption, as it’s just concentrated sugar. But I’m glad to have these to curb my sugar withdrawal, especially during the first few days.

Ralphs Grocery List to Start the Whole30 Diet

• Ghee – butter substitute
• Nutpods to use in place of coffee creamer/milk

Whole30 Diet Approved Recipes

I found these recipes that look pretty tasty! I’ll let you know on my Insta-stories when I make them and how they turn out.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

Vinegar-Braised Chicken and Onions

Breakfast BLT Salad 

4 Ingredient Tuna Avocado Cakes

Lemon Chicken Breasts (omit wine)

Massaged Kale Salad with Cherries, Pistachios & Grilled Flank Steak 

The Best Crispy Avocado Oil Chicken Tenders 

Apple Parfait

So, there it is. Everything you need to know to start the Whole30 diet. Please message me if you want to do this together. We can create a support group! My husband and I will be starting on Sunday. Let’s go!

“Flavor Your Life with an Ounce of Salt.” A lifestyle blog by Jen Oliak.