The trend of attaching importance to health has become more and more popular in recent years. Especially this year, it is obvious that people around us have begun to try to exercise and implement diet plans so that they can not only stay strong but also have a toned body. "Whole 30" is a diet plan that is quite popular among young people in their 20s and 30s abroad these days. Whether it is Instagram or Pinterest, you can always see Whole 30 challenge records or recipes, and of course there are many Before&After photos. It has been proved that the results brought to them after implementation, what exactly is Whole 30, and why it has become a trend abroad, follow Business Insider today to learn about this diet plan!
What is Whole 30?
Initiated in 2009 by a nutritionist couple, Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, Whole 30, as the name suggests, is a 30-day eating plan that does not include dairy, grains, beans, alcohol, sugar or any processed foods. , aiming to make your diet healthier while achieving weight loss. However, not all nutritionists agree with this plan. From a health perspective, they believe that removing whole grains and beans is unreasonable. However, this has not stopped Whole 30 from becoming popular on the Internet. Dallas and Melissa Hartwig It has more than 150,000 followers on Instagram and more than 230,000 fans on Facebook. Many people who have tried it have also given back positive reviews.
What is it like to do Whole 30?
Although many people will be timid after learning about the dietary restrictions, but because it is only 30 days, many people think that it is okay to try it for health reasons. Chantal Strasburger and her friend Michael Offerman, who shared the Whole 30 today, are one of them. She originally thought it was crazy to give up so much food, but then she decided to try it with her friends. It only lasted 30 days and it might be fun. They replaced all the food in the refrigerator with Whole 30-applicable ingredients. "We spent four times longer shopping at the store than usual. It was so full of meat and vegetables that we were completely obsessed," Offerman said. And what did it feel like after practicing it? In the first week, they thought it was almost like a nightmare.
1. You will become very emotional, but not for long
“You start to feel bad because your body isn’t getting the usual amount of sugar, and it feels like you’re on a drug withdrawal,” Strasburger says. “You get cranky, moody, and hate everything.”
“For the first week, all I thought was, ‘This is so sad.’ I felt like I was eating more than before, and not being able to eat dairy was especially difficult for me,” Offerman agreed.
But the two also said that after the second week, they found that their clothes fit better, they no longer wanted to eat sweets or bread all the time, and their bodies became more energetic. "The main thing is that I found that I no longer miss certain foods. Before I started, I was eating a lot of hummus every day. I thought it would be the most difficult thing for me in the whole process, but after a day or two After a few weeks I realized I didn't need them at all, your body will readjust to your eating habits."
2. Your friends must put up with you
The most difficult part is actually not the dietary restrictions, but the invisible pressure among friends. You can't go out for a drink with everyone in the evening, eat with colleagues at lunch, or order whatever you want when you go to a restaurant. Especially in this society where social interaction is focused on food, it is really difficult to implement this plan. It was not easy. They all admitted that they had wanted to give up, but fortunately this was only a 30-day diet plan rather than a lifelong diet plan.
3. You may not lose weight in the end, but you will feel great
"I think some people, myself included, are a little disappointed that they don't lose weight in the end," Offerman said. But in fact, the purpose of Whole 30 is not to change the numbers on the scale. After all, the plan itself does not limit the amount or calories you can eat in a day. If you feel that your clothes fit better, some parts of your body no longer hurt, or you can Clearly feeling that you are getting healthier is the biggest purpose of the diet plan. Moreover, modern people’s eating habits can easily lead to obesity. Experts also say that eating less sugar and processed foods is indeed beneficial to health. Through Whole 30, you can re-examine your eating habits. Many people also feel better after completing the 30-day challenge. Maintain the concept of healthy eating in a less stringent way to keep the body in optimal condition. For those who think they can’t give up certain foods for the rest of their lives, Whole 30 is a challenge that allows you to rediscover yourself and strengthen your mind.
What are your tips for doing the Whole 30?
1. Make a meal list for the week in advance: whole 30 encourages challengers to make a meal list in advance, or prepare the food first, so that you will not be lazy and want to go out and buy a sandwich. The idea of ??breakfast came up.
2. Use a variety of spices: "We add spices to everything, which makes the food taste better," Offerman advises.
3. Use creativity: Strasburger said he would use pumpkin and eggs to help him make pizza crust, or use unsweetened cocoa powder, avocado and banana to make his own chocolate milkshake. If you miss certain foods, get creative and help yourself find alternatives.
4. Don’t think of each meal as “breakfast,” “lunch,” or “dinner”: Whole 30 hopes you don’t categorize each meal in a formal way. Strasburger explains that doing so will save you a lot on your diet. Limitations, if you don't think of breakfast as breakfast, you may end up eating salad or chicken early in the morning, which also gives you a wider range of choices.
5. It’s ok if it’s a little cheating: Whole 30 hopes challengers won’t try to make waffle-like junk food meals, but sometimes a little cheating can really go a long way. “We discovered that dessert-like items like coconut milk, cocoa powder, and almond butter balls were part of the Whole 30 diet, so we bought them as snacks, which was kind of like cheating, but because there was no added sugar, they technically weren’t. Problem," Offerman said.
