I started the Whole30 on short notice and without giving it the tremendous thought and planning it requires and deserves. My daughter had read the book It Starts With Food: Discover The Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways by Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig. Since she has exceptionally good eating habits and nutritional understanding when she wanted to do the plan I decided to join her.

The Whole30 seems to be an elegantly simple healthy program and looked like it would be an easy adjustment as I'm used to eating a very healthy natural diet. Convenience food is not part of my diet at all so I anticipated a smooth and easy effortless transition.

The essence of the Whole30 is creating awareness of your eating habits and patterns and by eliminating certain food groups detemining what foods could be having a negative effect on your overall health. You start your thirty days with a weigh in and measurement check and then begin rule one which is no further trips to the scales or the tape. Calories don't count here as long as they are consumed in the allowed food groups which means you are eating only real food. No label required reading here, if it needs a label it's off the table!

Healthy fats are allowed with meat, fish, eggs, vegetables nuts, seeds and fruit in moderation. Absolutely no dairy, gluten, soy, sugar, artificial sweetners, alcohol and of course tobacco. And to quote directly from Whole30 the point of view is that it's only thirty days and it's not really not that difficult.

"It is not hard. Don't you dare tell us this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black is. not. hard. "

When you look at it from that context it really shouldn't be hard to shift your eating habits to consuming good healthy food and skipping the junk. I learned that we are really incredible creatures of habit! So while it was challenging, the awareness that came from that bit of discipline was life changing. It's worth making a 30 day commitment to learning what really works for you from a nutritional point of view and just getting a better understanding of how you relate to food.

If you are starting the Whole30 proper preparation is crucial. There is tons of great information online and recipes that work for the plan but you do want to download their four page free PDF file and really understand the rules of the game so you can truly reap the rewards. Also be prepared to stumble and know where you are in the program and what to do in the event of a slip.

I was really surprised at the level of cravings that showed up for me on Day Two. And, I haven't eaten junk food in years and maintain what I thought were really good healthy eating habits. It's the combination of your habitual eating and in my case a flat out craving for "healthy organic yogurt, fruit and granola" that left me feeling like quitting before I even got started.

However after really paying attention to that craving and being aware of it I became very clear that the Whole 30 really is something I needed to do for my own well being and to further heighten my awareness of food and the role it's playing in my life.

At day nine I downloaded the Kindle Book of The Whole 30 It Begins With Food. The book is amazing, without a question the best nutritional read I have ever gotten my hands on. This book is an absolute must read and I would have had a much better Whole30 experience if I had read it first.

By shifting your regular habits you have to think about what you are eating, how you are preparing it and staying within the guidelines.

Food is no longer a recreational activity. It's become a thinking strategic planning session to give proper fuel and maintain a satisfying diet within the requirements of the program. I found that by doing the Whole30 I really changed my life and have taken my nutritional awareness to a new level.

Take some time and read It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways. Even if you choose to not do a Whole30 experience yourself I guarantee you'll be richer for the experience.