Whole30 - thoughts?

I read up a bit recently about the Whole30. I did wonder about trying it, but the myriad of rules and regulations kinda put me off. I wasn't sure I wanted to get quite that obsessive about food, whether that would be particularly healthy. It also smacked to me of "diet" - which as far as I understand about Paleo/primal, it's more of a lifestyle or a way of eating for life, not a short term fix.

BUT....I think there are some very good principles behind Whole30 as well and I can see how it might promote healing.

Any thoughts here?

I think it is good way to kick off with 100% paleo quickly - to get rid of cravings, go through the carb flu, regulate the hormones etc. They have worked in quite a few mechanisms that make the transition short and comparably painless. I am 100% sure about following their food guidelines, not so sure about strict adherence to mealtimes etc.

I was thinking about doing it myself but them decided that I have been Primal long enough and don't have any health issues at the moment, so I don't think I'd notice much difference. Not much difference = not worth being too strict:) However from someone straight off SAD or for someone who hasn't really dealth with underlying health/psychological issues, it might be a good way to straighten things out.

For how strict it is, I personally would rather stay Primal. Going Primal is a big enough commitment for me, cutting out even more would make me go crazy. I tried the Whole30 for a couple days last week and felt like I was constantly worried about what I was putting in my mouth. With PB I know what to stick to and don't get all caught up in the crazy little details.

Whole 30 is just a marketing buzzword for the general protocol that's already advocated here and on a million other blogs. It's good for self-diagnosing out food intolerances, but that's about it.

For me, whole30 was a way to get off Diet Mtn. Dew and whey protein. People here call it a 'reset', and that's kind of what it was, a clean break just to get the toxins out and 're-learn' how to eat, and what is food and what isn't.

Yeah, I'm sure it's good for some people to diagnose problematic foods and/or just get started on a healthier eating plan, but it's too restrictive for me.

thoughts:

1. All it is is strict paleo. No need to pay for it, buy the guide etc.
2. Melissa from Whole30 is an ex drug addict (the hard stuff). Personally I have a hard time supporting health gurus who aren't really that healthy (or weren't in the past); however others admire her for changing her life and see her transition as empowering which is cool.
3. It's nothing new that you don't know you should be doing, it's just a third party telling you to do what you know you should be doing. If that's motivation, direction you thrive on go for it. It's nothing new, revolutionary or different than strict paleo though.

[QUOTE=TheFastCat;1076863]2. Melissa from Whole30 is an ex drug addict (the hard stuff). Personally I have a hard time supporting health gurus who aren't really that healthy (or weren't in the past).[/QUOTE]

On one hand I don't think it's fair to assault someone's credibility based on their past. On the other, this serves as a typical example of someone who's flipped to the opposite extreme of being authoritarian and strict in order to overcompensate for past sins. The Whole 30 is very arbitrarily restrictive and presumptuous in telling people to stay away from dairy, non-grain carbs, protein powders, etc. without there being any actual scientific consensus saying these things are not healthful. It's promoting orthorexia and low-carb nutritional bullshittery more than anything else.

Interesting--but I'd like to hear from people who have done Whole 30 and had a good experience. I know there are some on this forum because the Whole 30 thing comes up practically every month. I've been thinking about it as well, but have hesitated for the same reasons as everyone else who is happily Primal--kind of like, it's not broken, don't fix it, why worry? But that's exactly the reason my grain- and sugar-munching father uses to not try Primal, in other words, it's a kind of inertia. I wonder how much better I would feel on Whole 30...so I may just have to do it to find out. For me it would mean eliminating the chocolate (88% dark, but every day), wine (red, 1-2 glasses, but again, daily) and dairy (cream in the coffee and tea, occasional cheese and yogurt), but that's about it. Oh yeah, and the Primal Fuel (whey protein powder) I've been having every now and then.

[QUOTE=Chaohinon;1076876]On one hand I don't think it's fair to assault someone's credibility based on their past.[/QUOTE]

I don't think you really feel this way do you?

Convicted felons? (of which a drug dealer dealing the stuff Melissa was on would be one) Rapists? Convicted murderers?