A Sober Experiment Part 2 + My Whole30 Review
I've officially completed my first simultaneous Whole30 / sober experiment! As you may remember, over the summer my husband and I decided to take a month off from drinking. You can read that blog post here. And because I've been asked about the Whole30 by clients, but never tried it myself, I figured this would be the perfect time to do it. For those who are not familiar, the Whole30 is a 30 day reset program designed to reduce inflammation and sugar cravings, change habits and foster a healthy relationship with food. It does this by removing certain foods for a period of time (namely added sugar - real or artificial, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, additives such as carrageenan, MSG or sulfites, or baked goods of any kind - even with “approved” ingredients). It's worth noting that I did not do this with a goal of weight loss, but as a self-experiment to see how I would feel without dairy, sugar and alcohol (gluten and legumes were already very rare in my diet). And while I've yet to start adding these things back in to see how they affect me, as of right now I can say I feel really good! This is what I've noticed:
Lots of energy! My workouts felt great and I definitely do not feel as wiped at the end of day.
Slept really well. I have been having a little insomnia here and there over the past few months. During these 30 days, I had 2 not-so-great nights which I consider a big win. Sleep is dependent on many variables though, so it's hard to know how much Whole30 contributed.
Reduced sugar cravings
Improved digestion
Zero skin itchiness and hives (which I get from dairy)
Reset my expectation that I need alcohol to unwind. I attended social gatherings and really did not miss the wine.
Lost a few pounds (again, not the goal for me)
Was it hard?
Day to day meals were pretty much what I usually eat - I didn't even realize my Sunbasket meals were all Whole30 approved anyway!
Took some creativity for me to alter my on-the-go breakfasts without my protein powder (it's sweetened with monkfruit). What worked well was sweet potato or pumpkin chia pudding topped with shredded coconut and berries.
During the first week I really missed my dark chocolate after dinner (and sometimes lunch) habit. This definitely faded after the first 7 - 10 days.
Wanted to have dessert occasionally, so I found some sauteed fruit with cinnamon, almond butter and coconut cream was quite satisfying. To be honest, I probably overdid it with the nut butters. They were my go-to when the sugar cravings hit! The next time I do this, I may take out nut butters as well as too much can upset my stomach.
Really enjoyed having more carbs in the form of sweet potatoes and fruit than I usually do.
When the first weekend rolled around, I definitely was thinking about wine, but more because that is just something we do (or did) on those nights, not because I truly missed it. It felt great to wake up on weekend mornings with as much energy as during the week.
I was most surprised at how much I didn't miss the alcohol!
So what now? One-by-one I'll reintroduce sugar, dairy, grains and alcohol to see how I react. Ultimately I want to determine how to reincorporate these with intention, assuming any potential downsides that come along with them, are worth it to me. And because the Whole30 feels like a great reset without much deprivation, I think it’s something I may try to do 2 - 3x per year. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to try and pinpoint sensitivities they may have with food, reduce sugar cravings, bring whole foods into their diet, explore their relationship with food and/or alcohol, or just have a digestive reset.
Looking for more information on the Whole30? Here are some helpful resources!
The Whole 30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom
Do The Thing Podcast with Melissa Urbanhttps://whole30.com/The Whole 30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom