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APR 2018
‘EAR, NEWS, AND THROAT’
How theWhole30 Inspired Better Eating Habits RESOLUTIONS IN APRIL?
H ow’s your New Year’s resolution coming along? Did you have to pause for a moment to remember what your 2018 resolution was? That’s okay — you’re probably not alone. A few years ago, U.S. News reported that 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions “fail” by the second week of February. I don’t think this statement is totally accurate. I believe you can’t call your resolution a failure until Dec. 31. February is still the beginning of the year, after all. Even today, there are still eight months left in 2018, which is more than enough time to get back on the horse and bring your resolution to fruition. Most New Year’s resolutions involve our health, often through weight loss, exercise, or better diets. If you need some help jump-starting your healthy resolution, I recommend giving the Whole30 diet a go. My wife and I tried this diet ourselves earlier this year. We started on Jan. 1, and by day 30, we felt great! Whole30 is basically a strict paleo diet that lasts for 30 days. The diet allows meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. And that’s about it. The diet cuts out added sugars and alcohol, as well as grains, dairy, and beans. If this sounds like a challenge, I can promise you it is. When I first started, I was surprised to realize how many off- limit foods I ate without thinking every day. The biggest downside was the amount of time we spent grocery shopping and preparing our food. Everything is made from scratch using whole ingredients, and that takes time. Fortunately, the book behind this diet, “The Whole30” by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, also “Like any good NewYear’s resolution, the goal is to make yourself healthier in the long run.”
has a recipe book, and the food is genuinely delicious. Sure, there were a few duds, but for the most part, the recipes were super easy and rarely took longer than 30 minutes. It was food I wanted to keep eating even after the 30 days were up. Plus, Renee and I learned how to prep future meals, which kept us out of the drive-through. The Whole30 isn’t meant to be used as a weight loss diet. You are only supposed to weigh yourself on day one and day 30. Whole30 is about rebooting your eating habits in a sustainable way. Junk food is obviously cut out, and after 30 days, you can determine whether certain foods lead to negative reactions you never noticed before. For example, maybe you didn’t realize that slice of toast in the morning caused your stomach to churn. Or maybe you discovered that cheese doesn’t love you as much as you love it. While Whole30 isn’t about weight loss, you see results when you start eating healthier. My pants definitely felt looser after a few weeks. I lost exactly 10 pounds. In the weeks that followed, I found I didn’t have any negative reactions to the restricted foods and dropped another 1.5 pounds. I felt great and made a point to keep healthy foods in my diet. I’ll allow some treats occasionally, but this diet helped me stay consistently healthy 90 percent of the time. Whole30 is about creating positive, sustainable eating habits. Like any good New Year’s resolution, the goal is to make yourself healthier in the long run.
Whole30 isn’t a guaranteed path to success — nothing in life is — but if you work hard, you might find a strategy that works for you. The year’s not over yet, and there’s still time to embrace healthier life choices, one meal at a time. –Dr. Seth Evans
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