The Whole 30 Diet Plan: A Primer

Every time you plan to go on a diet, for various reasons, you look for a diet plan that is effective, sustainable and most importantly accessible. A diet that does not have all of these attributes can only be followed in the short-term. A good exercise regime accompanied by a realistic, sustained and healthy diet is the aim and one of the latest approaches to that seems to fulfill just that need. The Whole 30 meal diet plan is a healthy eating structure that effectively and gradually pulls you away from the most addictive food habits. The habits might be the ones that are not letting you become healthy in the first place or some fixations that you are intending to get rid of for a long period of time.
The commitment is of 30 days, which seems to be a reasonable ask and is not an intimidating one either. 30 days of staying away from dairy products, sugary substances, grains, legumes, and most importantly, alcohol. This duration is perfect to see a noticeable difference in the heart, body and mind and not long enough for you to be weary to start in the first place for a Whole 30 weight loss.

What can you eat?

Meat
Poultry: Chicken, Sausage
Fish: Even canned fish
Veggies: Limitless options
Fruits: An apple a day will keep the sweet tooth at bay.
Fats: Avocados every single day.
Black coffee: The drink of choice.
Other: Clarified butter and coconut aminos.

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The complete NO list

Sugar or natural or artificial sweeteners. Not even maple syrup.
Alcohol
Smoking
Grains
Beans or legumes. No chickpeas and peanut butter.
Soy
Dairy (including cheese)
Processed additives – Carrageenan, sulfites or MSG.
Fake treats like cauliflower crust pizza and Paleo pancakes.

Guidelines for the diet

Plan your diet before you commence with it. Before you begin day 1 there should be a first week of meals planned, some amount of grocery shopping done and pantry stocked with Whole30-compliant food.
Do not cheat on the plan. The main guideline to any diet is to be sure to not cheat on the diet and follow it. Keep in mind that this is for 30 days, and for it to be truly effective, you need to follow it to the end.
Start the diet with a friend who is sailing in the same boat.
Do not alter the guidelines as per your cravings. As an example, the brain does not understand the difference between a zucchini pasta and real pasta.
Clear your house of any temptations that might make you skips your diet. Chuck the sugary snacks and can’t-eat-one chips and clear them from your mind as well.
Celebrate with some coffee occasionally. However, you can only have black coffee with a spoon of milk that is non-dairy, unsweetened and carrageenan-free.
Make extra and reuse the leftovers. A little extra lunch cooked can become your dinner with little hassle.

Sample Whole 30 Meal for a day

Breakfast: Eggs, homemade sausage and salsa
Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken, avocado, veggies and seasoning
Dinner: Ground turkey with spaghetti sauce, sweet potatoes and steamed veggies
Snacks: Fresh fruits

The benefits of Whole 30 (as compared to other diet plans)

This diet is a high motivation oriented diet (like most others) but what is so different about this one? Quite a few things actually!

There is no calorie counting and constantly measuring the amount of calories in each portion of food that you consume.
This is one of the diets that do not starve you till you actually quit it. It keeps you fed with a variety of options.
Weight loss is not all this diet is about. It is not the focus point to an extent that the person weighs himself on the first and the 30th day only and that too to note down the difference.
This is a feel better diet as keeping away from stuff (read alcohol and sugar) brings a sense of well being to the person working towards it.

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