If you follow me on Instagram, you know I am doing my second Whole30, and you are constantly bombarded with images of my food 😉 I’ve been getting a lot of comments/questions on Insta, Facebook, and even in person (when people see my lunches) about what I am eating, why I am eating it, how I do it, and where I get all my ideas and recipes from. So here are some of my secrets and examples of my day to day meals. 

First things first, what is Whole30? 

It’s 30 days of clean eating very similar to Paleo, but a little more strict. You can read all about the rules here and about the why and the science behind it in the book It Starts with  Food, here are the basic rules:

No Grains

No Dairy

No Legumes (including peanuts)

No Soy

NO SUGAR (except fruit)

No carrageenan, MSG or sulfites

Everyone’s first reaction when I tell them this is “Oh my gosh, what do you eat?!”. My answer is typically something like “everything else, duh”, but the non sarcastic answer is veggies, fruit, meat, and fish (I’m allergic to eggs, so even though they are Whole30 approved, I avoid them).

Why? There are a few reasons why I am doing another Whole30 and why I try to mostly maintain these eating habits and lifestyle when I am not doing Whole30. 

The first reason is to keep my Ulcerative Colitis in check. I’ve had it since 2012, and fought it despite my medications for a few years before changing my lifestyle. Once I started eating healthy, exercising, and discovered my food allergies, I stopped having symptoms. That was a year ago!

After the 2015 holidays, I couldn’t seem to get my 2016 sugar cravings under control. Best way to beat that is to starve your craving and stop eating desserts! 

The third reason is because I feel better. I am more energized, I sleep better, I have less breakouts, My joints stop hurting, and I am not bloated – ever.

Lastly, and quite honestly because my confidence and self esteem are through the roof. Ain’t nothin

wrong with wanting to look good and feel good about yourself!

A few tips if you’re going to try this out:

Here are some examples of what my husband and I eat day to day with links to the recipes!

Remove the lid and cook for another 10 min.

Dinner: Italian Chicken Tenders with roasted brussels (I sub eggs for almond milk – works just as well)

Dinner: Grilled chicken thighs (seasoned to taste) with a side of green beans

Dinner: Shepherd’s Pie from Well Fed (link above)

Breakfast: Banana coconut pancakes topped with sautéed blueberries and side of bacon and peaches

Banana with almond butter (I buy this at Publix) and a side of bacon and blackberries

Snack: Roasted Artichoke

Well, I’m sure you’re starving now, but I hope you’re also feeling motivated and inspired! If not, at least maybe your questions were answered 😉