The arrival of a new year always brings with it the rise of new eating habit trends and fads. A very popular goal for many Americans is to eat healthier in the new year; most of the time this is considered “dieting”, but we want to offer a fresh perspective on how you can achieve healthier habits without a negative connotation.
This week, we are diving into the newest dieting craze – the Whole30. We’ll share some information about the practice itself, pros and cons of participating, and how you can adopt certain values from the practice in order to create a customized version just for you. Keep reading to learn more.
The Whole30
The Whole30 is a dieting trend that has quickly picked up speed and gone viral as the season of resolutions is now upon us. According to healthline, this month-long practice encourages individuals to cut sugars, legumes, grains, dairy and additives from what they are consuming; some believe this is just another unsustainable trend, while others believe it’s an opportunity for a complete lifestyle change.
This eating practice was developed in 2009 by two sports nutritionists who were seeking a way to reshape one’s relationship with food, as well as revamp one’s metabolism. The motive behind this practice is to take away foods that may have a negative impact on the mind and body, and to promote long-term health.
If you want to learn more about the details of The Whole30, take a look at this article by Healthline.
Pros of Participating in The Whole30
- It provides the opportunity to discover unknown food intolerances by cutting certain foods from your diet, and observing how your body responds
- You can lose weight without perpetuating a negative relationship with the food you love
- It emphasizes the intentionality of what you consume and why
Cons of Participating in The Whole30
- This eating practice entails an extremely strict and intense set of rules that may be discouraging and counterproductive for some; if you break the rules of The Whole30 even once, you’re set back to the beginning of the challenge
- It is extremely difficult to cut all of these foods out of your daily eating routine, and this hard shift could be seen as unsustainable for a prolonged period of time
- Eating in this fashion is not accessible to all people
Customize It
It’s undeniable that there are certainly some wonderful aspects to The Whole30. That said, here at Gardenuity, we like to promote small and sustainable changes that are attainable and that don’t involve depriving yourself of food that you love.
Over the past year, we’ve had the good fortune of talking with a certified dietician, Dixya Bhattari, as well as culinary medicine professional, Brooklyn Palmer. Each of these phenomenal scholars shared with us that the best way to make healthy changes to your diet is to slowly make adjustments by adding in greener foods to what you’re already eating.
A common misconception in approaching a healthier lifestyle is that you have to quit everything cold turkey. This is simply not a sustainable or achievable model for most people, and that’s okay! It’s so important to remember the reason why you want to change your lifestyle; the difference between wellness and well being is all in the intention. If your intentions are to create a wholesome and healthy change from the inside out, then you won’t be ignoring how a diet makes you feel mentally and physically.
We encourage you to adopt the aspects of The Whole30 that feel fitting for achieving your personal goals, while also maintaining a positive mindset. This can be easily achieved by growing your own selection of herbs and veggies in a container garden!
Get Started
It’s never too early or too late to start on your journey to a healthier lifestyle; whether it’s a month-long or a week-long of setting your intentions, be sure to appreciate all of the time and energy you are devoting to yourself.
If you want to get started with a container garden to boost the amount of fresh greens in your daily eating ritual, consider starting your own container garden. Take a look at our Complete Guide to Container Gardening for Beginners to help you out.
