For those who aren’t familiar, the Whole30 is a 30-day elimination diet that seeks to push the “reset” button on your digestive system, whilst simultaneously redefining your relationship with food. In order to succeed, you must eliminate grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, and of course, alcohol. You’re only eating real, whole foods. While this is absolutely good for you, it’s also difficult for semi-broke university students who are busy, and, let’s face it—lazy.
My roommates, and I decided to start the Whole30 for the month of November. While we each had our different reasons, we decided that it was a really good opportunity to clean up our digestion, our skin, and slim down a bit. Plus, on the Whole30 you can eat as much as you want. We’re not the best cooks, but we are always looking to improve our skills. So we decided to embark on a (potentially problematic) journey to “food freedom.”
The first couple of days started out great—we were really excited to go grocery shopping. While I was walking around the aisles, checking every label, it really made me realise how much crap there is in everything we eat. If I couldn’t pronounce the ingredients, I couldn’t buy it. Bye, bye, maple-crusted bacon. It didn’t end up being too expensive, either; it was the same as the price of a weekly grocery shop. We made sure we were making a huge effort to include all micronutrients in our system, through salads for lunch, eggs for breakfast, and veggies for dinner.
As I had attempted the paleo diet before (which is pretty similar to this) I found it a bit easier. Plus, not buying coffee and a bagel at Tim’s every day saved me quite a bit of money. Here’s a typical salad that I ate:
I prepped turkey patties for the week and used them in my salad for lunch and for dinner with roasted vegetables. Can I just say—roasted vegetables are totally a life saver. Flavourful, delicious, and totally Whole30 approved.
For the next couple of days, I had a foggy head due to the lack of carbs. When your only carb source for the day is sweet potatoes, it can be hard to get the amount of energy required. I was also getting pretty bored of my food, so I looked up some recipes online that I could make. I ended up making sweet potato fries with guacamole—it was amazing and I would have eaten it even if I wasn’t on the Whole30. Plus, I could eat as much guac as I wanted; I don’t need portion control if I’m eating whole foods, right?
However, the “honeymoon” period came to an end on Thursday, Day 3. Thursday was the day of HCWO’s charity bar night. I knew I couldn’t drink, which was fine, but it was as if the universe decided to place every single college-related barrier in my way. First, I was drinking club soda when normally I would have been drinking wine (much sadness). Second, the club decided that that night was the night they were going to serve KFC for free. I’m pretty sure my roommates and I cried when we heard this. Lastly, our amazing events exec Elisa brought a ton of candy to the pre-drinks, and I hadn’t eaten any dinner because my life is not together. I ended up sitting on the couch, eating a cold baked potato like an apple—which brought great confusion and hilarity to many people (it was offered to be heated up but I was lazy and hungry). However, when I was at the club I was able to dance, let go, and be myself, sober.
The morning after was a turning point—I only had six hours of sleep and this usually would have meant that I would be a monster, however I felt energized and ready to face the morning. I focused all the way through my 9.30a.m, three hour Friday morning lecture and then I was productive the rest of the afternoon (even though I almost cried because the prof brought candy to lecture and I couldn’t eat it).
Over the weekend, my roommate and I explored some culinary creations (of basic skill, of course). We made our own potato chips (which were so good) and we used manual labour to squeeze out OJ. We also made roasted potatoes, which were so crispy and delicious. She also made a thai curry with coconut milk and potatoes, which I was so jealous of.
Overall, I would say the first week was a success. I definitely had one or two (or five or six) moments where I was dreaming about cheesy pizza and garlic bread, but I feel like I have so much more energy. The downside of the Whole30 is definitely the social aspect—I love going out for dinners and drinks with my friends. But in that, I have also saved a lot of money. Bring on the next three weeks!