There are a lot of advantages to following a diet plan and avoiding eating specific food items for 30 full days. However, you will experience the benefits only after some days of following the Whole30 diet as it is not known for showcasing instant results. The first thing you need to know about following this diet is what you should eat and what you should avoid when you are on it.
1. What should you eat when following a Whole30 diet?
There are plenty of things you are allowed to eat when you are following this diet. Here is a list of some of the foods included in the meal plans for this diet:
- Nuts and seeds (except peanuts)
- Vegetables
- Unprocessed meats
- Olive oil and coconut oil
- Fish and shellfish
- Coffee (without sweeteners and milk products)
If you prepare your meals majorly with these food items, you will start feeling a positive change in your body in a week. These food items not only increase your energy, but they also bring down lethargy, poor sleep, and resultant lifestyle disorders.
2. What should you avoid when following a Whole30 diet?
The primary idea behind this diet is that you should avoid eating food that triggers health issues. However, you might not even know that some foods are triggering specific health-related problems in your body. So, when you start following this diet, eventually you become more aware of what is right for your body and what is not. Here is a list of things that you should avoid eating when following a Whole30 diet:
- Sulfites, MSG and carrageenan
- Dairy (except ghee)
- Added sugar
- Alcohol
- All junk food
- Grains
- Legumes
You will have to avoid using these food items when you cook meals for yourself during the whole month of the diet. In only a few days, you will start feeling a significant change in your physical health and even in your mental health. Eating these food items generally triggers several health issues, so eliminating them from the diet for 30 days improves the immune system. An important thing to keep in mind is that the consumption of even a little of these foods means you will have to start from scratch again, so follow it strictly.
3. Major benefits of this diet
There are a lot of benefits associated with following the Whole30 diet. Here are the major ones:
- Improved quality of sleep
- Improved concentration and energy levels
- Knowing the difference between real hunger and emotional hunger helps you better control cravings
- Improved skin and hair health
- Aid in weight loss and muscle gain goals
However, it is recommended to not step on the weighing scale for the 30 days that you are following this diet. This is based on the belief that only focusing on the weighing scale numbers makes you lose sight of all the other long-term health benefits that the diet brings with it.
