Eyes on Nutrition 2022

Monthly Focus: Whole30 & Inflammation

JANUARY 17 - FEBRUARY 15TH, 2022

PRIME Fitness + Nutrition Whole30 BASICS

WHAT is the Whole30 and WHY do it?

For 30 days, you eliminate foods that are known to cause inflammation, craving, blood sugar disruption, and gut damage. Then, after the 30 days you reintroduce one food at a time to see how your body responds and help us figure out what causes our bodies to "Dis-Ease."

Removing sugar, alcohol, processed soy, dairy, grains, wheat, and legumes is a wonderful way to reset and detox your body - potentially lose extra weight. 

Note: the Whole30 was not designed as a weight loss program. It is a plan to let you see what causes your personal body DIS-Ease and reduce inflammation. However, most women that we have worked with in the past have lost weight doing it. If you want to make certain that you absolutely DO lose the maximum amount of weight on the Whole30 then you will want to limit your fruits and starchy carbs to post work out, or even remove them completely. 

The BEST way to approach this program would be to read the book prior to beginning the program: “The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom” by Melissa Hartwig Urban.

If you're not reading the book, read the very easy to navigate website, before beginning: https://whole30.com/ - here you will find EVERYTHING you need to know including RECIPES, and Whole30 approved brands. 

We will be supporting each other on our PRIME internal Facebook groups: PRIME Wayland Family (PRIME Wayland Family Group) and PRIME Women: Westford Tribe (PRIME Women: Westford Tribe). If you are not currently part of the group, just click “Request to Join” and one of the moderators of the group will approve your request.  

All you need to do to get started is read the program rules, plan your meals, get ready to do your shopping, and meal prepping. Let one of our PRIME Team members know that you are joining us!

At the end of this page, we’ll have included a link to the official Whole30 website that shows the program's quick and easy rules. There are other resources On the Whole30 website too, including shopping lists, sauces and dressings that are Whole30 approved - and even a guide on how to travel during the Whole30!

a note FROM SANDY, our Westford Studio Manager

Personally I think you can make this as complicated or easy as you like. From my experience having done the Whole30 six times now. Below is how I have made it easy for me and my family.

  • Surprise, surprise has always been a statement to myself when I am diligent about this during the Whole30. Try it, you will be shocked too!

  • or else I stick with different ground meats, different vegetables, and good plant fat (avocado and olive in all forms). My favorite recipe source is https://nomnompaleo.com/. There is a complete Whole30 meal plan available there!

    The Whole30 website is chock full of recipes. Try “Whole30 Chicken” and you get 60+ pages of results, including “Whole30 Chicken Pot Pie Soup”. However, https://nomnompaleo.com/ has a Whole30 section where the blogger, Michelle Tam, has designed and photographed all of her meals for 30 days with full recipes. She also has a section on how to make sauces and dressings if you are so inclined! She is a genius and this is her thing. She will delight you!

  • If you are not a cook or creator or foodie of any kind google "Whole30 approved + anything you are looking for" and up will come store bought and recipe resources that will make your life easier and still Whole30 (Like Rao Sauces). If looking online, make sure the Whole30 logo is around. Note: Primal Kitchen products are always approved. You can get them at Whole Foods, Market Basket, and Thrive Market online.

  • It just makes it easier to avoid them. if bars are in the mix (even Epic bars which are technically Whole30 approved) it is a slippery slope. Back to this is all about me eating whole food for 30 days. Just 30 days. NOTE: If you travel or just need to have a quick something to stay ahead of the Whole30 their website is filled with Whole30 approved foods for on the go. They also have resources that will send you meals weekly so you never have to cook a thing. https://whole30.com/ is a HUGE resource!!

  • For example (and this is my big one usually). If you cannot drink your coffee black or with coconut milk, have your coffee your usual way just in the morning where it is a ceremony and the rest of the day go along with the Whole30. This does not mean the cafe au lait macchiato salted caramel supremeness. That is never good for you. However, a splash of half and half with a shake of stevia will not kill the thrill of the Whole30.

  • Whole30 used to put out a daily note that talked about the experience (like the 4 day carb flu in the beginning) and some research. They have since bagged that and now they have the 'Day by Day' journal resource. You can get it on Kindle or buy the book.

    Besides outside advice there are a number of places that you could just order your meals frozen in advance. Fully cooked, ready to go, Whole30 approved. There are Whole30 approved resources on their Whole30 meal choices delivered right to your door! https://whole30.com/meal-delivery/

  • AND whether it will really be worth starting all over once again then I will take the hit and begin again after I have fallen off (the rule with the Whole30 is that if you go off you need to start on day one all over again).

  • yes, this is called the Whole30, yes it is whole foods for 30 days. However, a lot of the learning is during the reintroduction period. On the 31st day you introduce sugar back, on the 32nd day you go back to reset with the Whole30, on the 34th day you introduce legumes back, 35th go back to the Whole30...and so it goes.

  • That way I am not ALWAYS thinking about food....it can make you craaaaazy!