High performance fuel

I try to read articles/books/blogs that focus my efforts when I'm participating in a challenge. I feel like it solidifies my commitment and sometimes it's all I need to help me walk away from that tub of ice cream my MIL left in my fridge (true story). This article (http://sealfit.com/sealfit-blog-a-30-day-challenge/) from Mark Devine of SEALfit is one of those articles that hit home for me. I personally see treats as just that, treats. So when I see athletes posting about how they are making "gainz " eating Oreos I often wonder how that's hindering their potential success.

Use this challenge to see how whole food actually gives you real "gainz". Don't trick yourself into thinking all calories are created equal, because they are not. Inflammatory food choices are HURTING you at a cellular level. Oreos are delicious, yes, but can you live without them for 30 days? Yes. Can you realize at the end of this month that Oreos (insert junk food of choice here) are not "gainz"? Yes! Just think about all that hard work in the gym, work that hard on your diet and I promise you will be happy with the results you see. 

Welcome to the party! (and some light reading)

I'd like to say "Welcome!" to the CFME athletes that are joining the Whole30 this Monday! I'm so excited to have you! Maybe some of you were hesitant to start last week. But guess what?! The people who are a week in already are reporting back some pretty awesome and powerful stuff.
If you are starting this week ...

1. print out your calendar (see earlier blog post) and label from 8/24-9/20
2. Prep!!!!
3. Do Monday's WOD so you can repeat and see your progress
4. weigh (once) and take some pictures
5. Let me know if you have questions

Now for your reading assignment. Please take the time to read THIS ARTICLE and it's sequel, ARTICLE (PART 2). Melissa Hartwig, co-creator of the Whole30, goes over the WHY's of the Whole30 - specifically why it is strict for 30 days. I love her analogy to the "Sugar Dragon" and I have read this several times, especially when I am craving a treat. Tomorrow I will post another article from another health/wellness expert, and former navy seal (not Zach ;) ) so tune in for that. 

GOOD LUCK on week 2 for all of you who started last week! Stick with it, you will be SO proud of yourself

SUGAR CRAVINGS!

Congratulations you made it through day 2 of the Whole30! That is no small feat! If you are like me, you are realizing a few things. I knew I was eating a lot of sugar, but I had no idea how much. It adds up quickly, especially when you are finishing off your kid's yogurts and eating "healthy" bars that come loading with sugar. I wanted to pass along this article from Mark's Daily Apple. If you have not checked out his website, you should. It is loaded with a TON of helpful and interesting information related to Primal/Paleo lifestyle.

Here are some tips for dealing with those cravings:

1. Eat something! You may be hungry. And remember the Whole30 isn't a low carb diet. Make sure you are eating enough vegetables, fruit, AND fats to keep you satiated.
2. Drink enough water. Also teas are a good way to get some flavor without the sugar.
3. Exercise!
4. Write down your goals and read them when you are having a weak moment. Look at that calendar you are crossing off and remember, YOU CAN DO THIS! You are better than a candy bar, you deserve more

Prep prep prep

Please excuse all the toys in the background, but I had to capture food prep the way it's going down these days!

Which leads me to my next point, food prep must happen, at all costs. It is truly the key to your success. "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail" 

It doesn't have to be fancy meals all the time. Focus on putting a protein, carbohydrate, and fat with every meal. Last night I baked chicken breast, green beans, and I'll throw avocado in there when it's time it eat. I wanted to share my egg muffin recipe because it's so easy and it saves me lots of time in the morning. They are also great little snacks if you need to grab something. 

Egg Muffins:

12 eggs

1lb bacon (no sugar added, can be found at whole foods) OR any protein source you choose

Small diced onion

1 diced bell pepper OR any vegetables you want (spinach,tomato etc)

Cook the bacon (or protein) with the onions until the onions are soft and the bacon is cooked the way you'd like

Heat oven to 350

Scramble 12 eggs

Use a 12 space muffin tin and line with muffin liners(I prefer parchment paper)

Divide the eggs, bell pepper, and bacon mixture into the 12 spaces. Cook in oven at 350 for 18-20 mins. 

Please send me any recipes (nicoleraustin@gmail.com) that make your life easier. I'll put them on here for everyone to see. Thank you!

Step 8: Do the Whole30

Let's do it!! Tomorrow is Day 1! Did you read the steps? Go grocery shopping? Print your calendar? Weigh and take pictures? Pack your gym bag for tomorrow?

I'll be updating this blog with information throughout the next month. Ask questions in the "Comments" section. Send me the following, and I'll add it to the blog for everyone. You can also email me at nicoleraustin@gmail.com

• Is there something you want to share that is helping you that may help others?
• An awesome recipe
• Advice from a seasoned Whole30 participant?

STEP EIGHT: DO THE WHOLE30!

You’re ready, you’re set… now it’s time to kick off your Whole30 program, using the plan you’ve created and the many resources we’ve got available for you here.

The Whole30 Timeline

Want a sneak preview of what’s to come during your program? We’ve created a Whole30 Timeline as a fun (but eerily accurate) way to help new participants know what to expect. As with any process that involves personal experience, your results may vary, but here’s what your first day might look like:

Day 1: So what’s the big deal? It’s 3 p.m. on Day 1. You had a decadent plate of steak and eggs for breakfast, breezed through the morning with coffee and coconut cream by your side, and had a fresh, crisp chicken salad for lunch. Your body is telling you it needs a little more fuel, so you grab a handful of almonds and an apple and head back to your desk to finish out your day. You’ve got a slow cooker full of chili infusing your kitchen with a heavenly smell, and right now you can’t see why anyonethinks this is hard.

This delusion is somewhat akin to the first episode of any given reality show on which the contestants are herded together and forced to live in one house. At the end of the first episode, everyone can just tell they are going to be best friends for life. Those of us on the other side of the screen know better, though, don’t we? No one really believes this mess to be true, but everyone humors it… because how long can it last, really?

The truth is that you’re feeling empowered by making one good choice after another, all day long. And you should! Take note of that rock star feeling, stash it away, and bring it back out when days get rough. Because rest assured that after a lifetime of suboptimal choices, things are probably going to get worse before they get better.

- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-eight/#sthash.TwSS1kT5.dpuf

Step 5,6, and 7 : Planning

Step 5,6, and 7 are about getting your house ready and planning for the next 30 days! Utilize your weekend to set yourself up for success! Here is another set of CFME homework for you...

1. Take a before and after set of photos. You aren't required to share them with anyone but it is good to see where you started.
2. Weigh yourself. ONCE. The Whole30 says (see step 7 below) no weighing throughout the month. So do it now, write it down, and start focusing on how you FEEL instead of a silly number. 
3. Do the WOD on MONDAY at CFME. Zach will be repeating that workout on Monday 9/14 for a test/retest

STEP FIVE: GET YOUR HOUSE READY

It’s time to get your house Whole30-ready. Don’t skip this step! Remember, planning and preparation is everything when it comes to making a dramatic lifestyle change like the Whole30.

Clean House

First, get the stuff you won’t be eating out of the house. Having tempting food-with-no-brakes just sitting around is a recipe for late-night stress eating, so let’s put some distance between you and those Pringles, shall we? Time to clean out the pantry—toss the stuff you won’t be eating, give it to a neighbor, or donate it to a local food bank, as long as it’s not within striking distance. Habit research shows that the average craving lasts only 3-5 minutes, which means by the time you change out of your PJs, find your keys, grab your wallet, and head for the door… the craving has passed, and you’ve stuck to your Whole30 another day.

Create a “No Fly Zone”

If you’re the only one at home doing the Whole30, chances are your family isn’t going to take kindly to you tossing their favorite snacks and desserts. Dedicate one drawer in your fridge and an out-of-the-way cabinet for these off-plan items, so you don’t have to reach around the Oreos every time you need a can of coconut milk.

Plan a Week’s Worth of Meals

If you’re a busy bee or just a super-planner, get ahead of the game by writing down a week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. (We’ve made this easy for you; just check out page 196 in The Whole30!) You can also check out these meal plans from other Whole30 participants to get you started, or browse your favorite Whole30-friendly cookbooks and select your own meals.

Remember, meals can be so simple, no recipe is required—just take healthy ingredients and make them a meal. Breakfast can be scrambled eggs, a side of fresh salsa, and a half an avocado. Lunch can be chicken chunks mixed with homemade mayo, celery, grapes and walnuts. Dinner can be a grilled steak, fresh garden salad, and ghee-roasted sweet potatoes.

Go Shopping

Time to stock up on Whole30 foods! Use your meal plan to help you create a shopping list, and head to your local grocery store, health food store, farmers market, or co-op.

• Hit the meat, seafood, and eggs first, as the first place your pennies should go is high-quality animal protein sources.
• Next, load up on vegetables and fruit (in that order). Although many produce items are now available year-round, shop seasonally for the best price and taste.
• Next up—healthy fats, like extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, pastured butter (to clarify at home), olives, nuts, and seeds.
• Finally, stock your pantry with the essentials—and don’t forget to check Amazon for not-necessary-but-nice-to-have items you may not be able to find locally (like coconut aminos).

- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-five/#sthash.YTRYTsOV.dpuf

STEP SIX: PLAN FOR SUCCESS

Unless you plan on living like a hermit for the next 30 days,  your Whole30 will likely be littered with obstacles. Unfortunately, when we hit some of these, we often quit. Why? Because we have no plan.

So instead, think about the next 30 days and anticipate your obstacles. Then, make a plan for what you’ll do when you face them.  We like using if/then statement when crafting our plans, so follow this template to map out your best Whole30 success strategies.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare Some More

First, write down every potential stressful, difficult, or complicated situation you may encounter during your Whole30. These may include business lunches, family dinners, travel plans, a long day at work, birthday parties, holiday celebrations, or office gatherings.

Next, create an if/then plan for each potentially difficult situation: “If this happens, then I’ll do this.” Here are a few examples, but we give you a ton more starting on page 27 of The Whole30:

Business lunch: If my co-workers give me a hard time about not ordering a drink, then I’ll say, “I’m doing this food experiment right now to see if I can make my allergies better, so it’s mineral water with lime for me tonight.”

Travel day: If I get to the airport and my flight is delayed, then I’ll snack on the Whole30 emergency food, apples, carrot sticks, and the small packet of almond butter I brought in my carry-on.

Keep this list handy, and add to it as additional situations come up. Having a plan means you’re far more likely to stick to your commitment!

- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-six/#sthash.uG77WqgD.dpuf

STEP SEVEN: TOSS THAT SCALE

We take this rule very seriously, and you should too. There’s no faster way to sabotage your Whole30 than to subject yourself to weekly (or daily!) weigh-ins, but many participants find this rule the hardest of them all to follow. If you’ve been a slave to that $20 hunk of plastic, it’s time to set yourself free… at least for the next 30 days. Why are we so dead-set against tracking your “progress” based on body weight?

Ditch the Scale

Scale weight fluctuates wildly. Over the course of a day (or a few hours!) your weight can fluctuate by as many as five pounds—sometimes more—and that fluctuation isn’t at all representative of body fat gained or lost. Weighing yourself daily tells you nothing about your big-picture trend, and only serves to reinforce the next three points.

Scale weight says nothing of health. Is gaining or losing five pounds moving you in the direction of better health? It’s impossible to say, because that number tells you very little about what’s going on with your relationship with food, hormones, digestive system, or inflammatory status. And those are the factors that impact your health far more directly than body weight.

The scale blinds you to real results. By focusing so much of your attention on that number in the scale, you effectively miss out on observing the other, more significant, results of your efforts. Those results (improved sleep, energy, mood, cravings, athletic performance, recovery, or medical symptoms) could be motivating you to continue with your new eating habits—but until you stop obsessing about gaining or losing half a pound, you’ll never be able to see the health progress you’ve actuallybeen making.

The scale maintains control of your self-esteem. It’s psychologically unhealthy to allow a number to influence your sense of worth, value, or self-confidence. And yet, that’s exactly what happens when your daily weigh-in determines whether you have a good day or  bad day, and whether or not you feel good about yourself. If this is your scenario, consider ditching your scale permanently, because you deserve better.

- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-seven/#sthash.83KHCMZ5.dpuf

Step 3 and 4

If you haven't already read Step 1 or Step 2 make sure you catch up...
On to Step 3 and 4 (since they pair up nicely). These next steps are about commitment and support. These are really important steps. Don't hide the fact that you are doing the Whole30! Be proud of your decision to better yourself and your performance. The more people that know that you are "in it to win it" for the next month, the more successful you will be. Also, to help you become more prepared I think we all should print out this calendar.

Here's what I want you to do with it.
1. Put it somewhere you will see it (Refrigerator, Bathroom mirror...)
2. Label the Calendar from August 17-September 13. Cross-off days as we go
3. Write down NON-FOOD rewards as frequently as you need them. i.e.) I know I will need a "reward" about every week to keep myself on track. I will write down "Massage" on the 24th, new workout clothes on the last day. Then follow through and reward yourself for sticking with this program!
4. Personalize. Do you like motivational quotes? Stickers? ;) Make it yours

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STEP THREE: COMMIT

We want you to commit to the program now, but that doesn’t mean starting right this minute. In the next step, we’re going to ask you to prepare for the Whole30 by cleaning out your pantry, grocery shopping, and doing some basic planning for the month.

Don’t skip the planning process—habit research shows that when people get excited and jump from contemplation straight to action (skipping right over the “preparation” phase) they’re less likely to see the change through. As you’ll hear over and over again, when it comes to the Whole30, planning and preparation are key.

You may need just a day or two to prepare, or you may need a week or two to get your house (and your head) around the changes you’re about to introduce. There is no one perfect timeline—you’ll have to decide what works best for you.

Choosing Your Start Date

Here are some general guidelines for choosing a start date:

• Start as soon as you possibly can, given the amount of preparation time you need.
• If you’ve got a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, an international trip to an unfamiliar location, or a wedding (especially your own!) in your imminent future, consider starting the Whole30 after those events. Navigating the Whole30 for the first time under those conditions may prove extremely difficult, and we don’t want you to begin your program stressed out.
• If you’ve got an important athletic event or an A-level race in the coming month, consider starting the program after your event is over, as your performance may suffer during the first few weeks of the program. (Hint: if you’re not getting paid for your performance, it’s not that important.)
• If you’ve got a family dinner, a business lunch, or a bridal shower in your imminent future, consider it an opportunity to take your Whole30 skills out on the town! You’ll have to deal with lots of new situations during your program, so write these events into your plan for the month, but don’t let them push your Whole30 off.

Go Public!

Once you’ve decided when you’re going to start… tell someone! Anyone! Everyone! Write your start date on the whiteboard at work, create a 30-day countdown calendar, or post our banner on your Facebook page or Instagram feed. 

Congratulations! You are now officially part of the Whole30!

- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-three/#sthash.K5v6m5ds.dpuf

STEP FOUR: BUILD YOUR SUPPORT TEAM

For many of you, the Whole30 will be a radical lifestyle change—and that kind of change is hard when you’re going it alone. Finding the right support network will be critical to keeping you motivated, inspired, and accountable during your program. We’ve created a variety of ways to find the support you need:

Subscribe to the Whole30 Daily

The most important support you can secure during your Whole30 is our Whole30 Daily newsletter. We’ve created 32 days of information (including a Day 0 and Day 31) written just for you, specific to that particular day of your Whole30. (After watching tens of thousands of people run through our program, we know exactly the kind of guidance you need, and when you need it.)

The Whole30 Daily is our way of checking in with you during every single day of your Whole30, filling your in-box with positive messages, helpful instructions, and a vast number of resources. We’ll provide you with specially developed guidance (especially in the first week); resources to make shopping, prepping, cooking, avoiding temptation, exercising, sleeping, and managing your stress that much easier during your program; and give you introspective assignments designed to keep you focused and aware during every stage of your Whole30.

We’ve also built in some accountability—at the end of every day, you’ll have to click the button that says, “I completed another day of the Whole30!” Yep, that means we’re waiting to hear how you did on your program every single day… which gives you even more incentive to stay committed and see your program through.

Make Friends on the Forum

Our Whole30 Forum is another way to connect with others doing the program, and learn from the many “veterans” who stick around to offer support to the new folks. With 30,000 participants and a fantastic team of Whole30 expert moderators, our forum is the friendliest, the most collaborative, and the most supportive on the internet.

In particular, the Whole30 Logs allow you to share your day-to-day experience with our community, and stay in touch with others who started the program when you did. Feel free to start your own threads, search for specific questions, and post on others’ threads to connect with our fantastic members during (and after) your program.

Connect on Social Media

Our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds are another thriving part of our Whole30 community, and a fun way for you to participate and connect. (The hashtag #Whole30 on Instagram has nearly 150,000 photos, all tagged by Whole30 participants!) Our Facebook page is particularly active—we post new, fun content several times a day, and participants share their questions, relevant articles, and success stories on our wall. And yes, we respond personally to every single post! 

Get Support at Home

Ideally, you’ll have the support of your family and friends at home during your program. (They don’t have to do the program with you—they just have to support your health efforts for the next 30 days.) Share the program and why you are choosing to embark upon this journey with those you care about. Make it personal—share your current struggles, your goals, and all of the ways you believe the program will make you healthier and happier. And don’t forget to ask for their support! Asking directly, “Can I count on you to support me for the next 30 days?” lets them know how important these efforts are to you, and how much you’d value their encouragement and help.

Finally, if you’re part of a gym, church, school, office, or other organization in your local community, see if you can find a Whole30 buddy (or an entire group!) to do the program with you. Having a local Whole30 network enhances your commitment to the program, and makes your journey more fun. 

- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-four/#sthash.Tocfd6k8.dpuf

So you're interested... STEP 2!

Alright I sparked your interest... you are seriously thinking about dedicating one month to your nutritional well being! The next most important step is to read the rules. Here they are from the creators of the Whole30 :
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The Whole30 Program Rules

Yes: Eat real food. 

Eat meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re totally natural and unprocessed. Don’t worry… these guidelines are outlined in extensive detail in our free shopping list.

No: Avoid for 30 days.

More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.

• Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
• Do not consume alcohol in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
• Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
• Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
• Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
• Do not try to re-create baked goods,  junk foods, or treats* with “approved” ingredients. Continuing to eat your old, unhealthy foods made with Whole30 ingredients is totally missing the point, and will tank your results faster than you can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” Remember, these are the same foods that got you into health-trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a pancake, regardless of the ingredients.

One last and final rule: You are not allowed to step on the scale or take any body measurements for the duration of the program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic and lifelong benefits this plan has to offer. So, no weighing yourself, analyzing body fat or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30. (We do encourage you to weigh yourself before and after, however, so you can see one of the more tangible results of your efforts when your program is over.)

*A few off-limits foods that fall under this rule include pancakes, bread, tortillas, biscuits, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, pizza crust, waffles, cereal, potato chips, French fries, and this one recipe where eggs, date paste, and coconut milk are combined with prayers to create a thick, creamy concoction that can once again transform your undrinkable black coffee into sweet, dreamy caffeine. However, this list is not limited to these items—there may be other foods that you find are not psychologically healthy for your Whole30. Use your best judgment with those foods that aren’t on this list, but that you suspect are not helping you change your habits or break those cravings. 

The Fine Print

These foods are exceptions to the rule, and are allowed during your Whole30.

• Clarified Butter or Ghee. Clarified butter or ghee is the only source of dairy allowed during your Whole30. (Plain old butter is not allowed, as the milk proteins found in non-clarified butter could impact the results of your program.) Refer to our Butter Manifesto for details.
• Fruit juice as a sweetener. Some products will use orange or apple juice as a sweetener. We have to draw the line somewhere, so fruit juice is an acceptable ingredient during your Whole30.
• Certain legumes. We’re fine with green beans, sugar snap peas, and snow peas. While they’re technically a legume, these are far more “pod” than “bean,” and green plant matter is generally good for you.
• Vinegar. Most forms of vinegar (including white, balsamic, apple cider, red wine, and rice) are allowed during your Whole30 program. The only exceptions are vinegars with added sugar, or malt vinegar, which generally contains gluten.
• Salt. Did you know that all iodized table salt contains sugar? Sugar (often in the form of dextrose) is chemically essential to keep the potassium iodide from oxidizing and being lost. Because all restaurant and pre-packaged foods contain salt, we’re making salt an exception to our “no added sugar” rule.

Give Us Thirty Days

Your only job during the Whole30 is to focus on making good food choices. You don’t need to weigh or measure, you don’t need to count calories, you don’t need to stress about organic, grass-fed, pastured or free range. Just figure out how to stick to the Whole30 in any setting, around every special circumstance, under any amount of stress… for 30 straight days. Your only job? Eat. Good. Food.

The only way this will work is if you give it the full thirty days: no cheats, slips, or “special occasions.” This isn’t us playing the tough guy. This is a fact, born of education and experience. You need such a small amount of any of these inflammatory foods to break the healing cycle—one bite of pizza, one splash of milk in your coffee, one lick of the spoon mixing the batter within the 30 day period and you’ve broken the “reset” button, requiring you to start over again on Day 1.

You must commit to the full program, exactly as written. Anything less and we make no claims as to your results, or the chances of your success. Anything less and you are selling yourself—and your potential results—short.

It’s only 30 days.

It’s For Your Own Good

Here comes the tough love. This is for those of you who are considering taking on this life-changing month, but aren’t sure you can actually pull it off, cheat free, for a full 30 days. This is for the people who have tried this before, but who “slipped” or “fell off the wagon” or “just HAD to eat (fill in food here) because of this (fill in event here).” This is for you.

• It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You’ve done harder things than this, and you have no excuse not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime.
• Don’t even consider the possibility of a “slip.” Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of doughnuts, there is no “slip.” You make a choice to eat something unhealthy. It is always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. Commit to the program 100% for the full 30 days. Don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even started.
• You never, ever, ever have to eat anything you don’t want to eat. You’re all big boys and girls. Toughen up. Learn to say no (or make your mom proud and say, “No, thank you”). Learn to stick up for yourself. Just because it’s your sister’s birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, or your company picnic does not mean you have to eat anything. It’s always a choice, and we would hope that you stopped succumbing to peer pressure in 7th grade.
• This does require a bit of effort. Grocery shopping, meal planning, dining out, explaining the program to friends and family, and dealing with stress will all prove challenging at some point during your program. We’ve given you all the tools, guidelines and resources you’ll need, but take responsibility for your own plan. Improved health, fitness, and quality of life doesn’t happen automatically just because you’re now taking a pass on bread.
• You can do this. You’ve come too far to back out now. You want to do this. You need to do this. And we believe that you can do this. So stop thinking about it, and start doing. Right now, this very minute, tell someone that you are starting the Whole30.

We want you to participate. We want you to take this seriously, and see amazing results in unexpected areas. Even if you don’t believe this will actually change your life, if you’re willing to give it 30 short days, do it. It is that important. We believe in it that much. It changed our lives, and we want it to change yours too.

Whole30 Challenge - CFME August 2015

Hooray! I'm so glad you are here! This is the CFME page that will be updated with all information related to the Whole30. What should you expect? For the next several days I will outline what the Whole30 is and get us started in the right direction. Here is what the Whole30 website has to say:
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What is the Whole30?

Established by Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.

Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat—even the “healthy” stuff.

So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you? Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.

Whole30 Benefits

The most important reason to keep reading? This will change your life.

We cannot possibly put enough emphasis on this simple fact—the next 30 days will change your life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, it will change your habits and your cravings. It could, quite possibly, change the emotional relationship you have with food, and with your body. It has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. We know this because we did it, and tens of thousands of people have done it since, and it changed our lives (and their lives) in a very permanent fashion.

The physical benefits of the Whole30 are profound. More than 95% of participants lose weight and improve their body composition, without counting or restricting calories. Also commonly reported: consistently high energy levels, improved athletic performance, better sleep, improved focus and mental clarity, and a sunnier disposition. (Yes, more than a few Whole30 graduates said they felt “strangely happy” during and after their program.)

The psychological benefits of the Whole30 may be even more dramatic. Through the program, participants report effectively changing long-standing, unhealthy habits related to food, developing a healthier body image, and a dramatic reduction or elimination of cravings, particularly for sugar and carbohydrates. The words so many Whole30 participants use to describe this place? “Food freedom.”

Finally, testimonials from thousands of Whole30 participants document the improvement or “cure” of any number of lifestyle-related diseases and conditions.

high blood pressure • high cholesterol • type 1 diabetes • type 2 diabetes • asthma • allergies • sinus infections • hives • skin conditions • endometriosis • PCOS • infertility • migraines • depression • bipolar disorder • heartburn • GERD • arthritis • joint pain • ADD • thyroid dysfunction • Lyme disease • fibromyalgia • chronic fatigue • lupus • leaky gut syndrome • Crohn’s • IBS • Celiac disease • diverticulitis • ulcerative colitis

We’ve also read some stories that can only be described as miracles, like Jessica’s trichotillomania, Jeremiah’s type 1 diabetes, Summer’s juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and these 100 pound weight loss stories.

One Person at a Time

We believe that vibrant health and quality of life should be accessible to all, not just those who can afford a personal nutritionist or expensive meal plan. Since day one, the Whole30 program rules and a huge number of resources have been available for free on our website.  (We’ll introduce them in the next steps.) Our program will always be free, so that we can reach (and help) as many people as possible.

However, we encourage all of you to explore the roots, goals, and spirit of the program in more detail. We discuss the program’s background, rules, preparatory tips, meal planning strategies, and success stories and provide you with more than 100 delicious recipes in our New York Times bestselling book, The Whole30, available at all major retailers. 

- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-one/#sthash.sdh7tYzd.dpuf