What I’ve learned so far: lessons from attempting the Whole 30

We are officially off the Whole 30 and I can tell my family is relieved. I am a little disappointed, because I thrive on challenges. But the stomach flu did us in, and we have started to re-frame our plan for eating. I’m proud that I completed a “Whole 17” and I’m excited about the things I learned from that process. (I also lost about 6 lbs. which was a nice bonus!) Here’s my takeaway:

I can be creative in the kitchen. I learned this after we were stranded at home because of the cold with very little left in the pantry. It made me feel really proud and empowered.

It’s not hard to make your own ketchup, salad dressing, breakfast sausage, whipped cream, etc. It’s really not. That said, time is a factor. With two young children, it has to be. But I think going forward I will be more inclined to make my own products with real ingredients rather than buy packaged ones with a bunch of chemicals.

Sugar cravings really do go away. It’s not that I don’t look forward to eating a really decadent dessert, but I think I’ll only do it on occasions when it’s “worth it” and not several times a day because I need a ‘fix.’

Stomach flu is the enemy of clean eating. Being sick demands comfort foods - whether that’s because of our biology or culture, I’m not sure. That said, John went out the other night and bought ramen for him and mac & cheese for me. I was so excited to eat it and after a couple bites, I really didn’t like it. (Perhaps because it was prepared with coconut milk and no butter, but the jury is out.) Have I lost my taste for my favorite comfort food??

Eliminating allergens has had a noticeable effect on my stress level. It also made my job easier (which was balanced out by the fact that cooking every meal made my job harder). I’d like to continue eliminating allergens at home as much as possible.

We need to eat more vegetables, and it’s hard to do. If ever there was a time to eat veggies, this was it. And I still don’t think we ate enough. Finding new ways to cook and enjoy veggies is a top goal of mine.

So there you have it. The whole truth about our (first?) Whole 30. Stay tuned.