A less restrictive Whole30?
October 2, 2017 2:37 PM Subscribe
A co-worker of mine wants me to do Whole30 with her. After doing some research, it sounds too intense for me (and it seems like there's some skepticism from dietitians), but some aspects are quite appealing - particularly the more rule-based approach and time-limited diet reset. Seeking recommendations of similar short-term diet plans that are less restrictive - with bonus points if they're more science-based.
I'd be hoping to enlist my (wonderful chef) husband as well, and would be hoping for a healthy reset of our diet, trying new healthy recipes, curbing cravings, increasing energy and potentially some weight loss. I think the time-limited challenge with a specific list of "avoid" items would work well for us. I do like the Whole30 idea of then reintroducing items at the end of the challenge to see what foods don't agree with you - but we don't have any reason to think we have food allergies or sensitivities.
Sugar and carbs are major cravings for me, so a challenge to cut them out completely for a reasonable period of time seems like it might be the greatest bang for the buck. Giving up alcohol will be tough but possible. The Whole30 exclusion of diary, legumes and all grains seems maybe excessive for what we need (and also leading to more a more meat-based than we'd prefer), while also making it more difficult to stick with it. Is there a regimented diet like Whole30 that has somewhat less items on the "do not eat" list? Should we just try cutting out sugar and carbs from our diets? If we were to eliminate sugar, carbs, alcohol and one other "grouping" what should that be? Could we do Whole30 + legumes + quinoa, or does that somehow negate the magic of it?
I'd be hoping to enlist my (wonderful chef) husband as well, and would be hoping for a healthy reset of our diet, trying new healthy recipes, curbing cravings, increasing energy and potentially some weight loss. I think the time-limited challenge with a specific list of "avoid" items would work well for us. I do like the Whole30 idea of then reintroducing items at the end of the challenge to see what foods don't agree with you - but we don't have any reason to think we have food allergies or sensitivities.
Sugar and carbs are major cravings for me, so a challenge to cut them out completely for a reasonable period of time seems like it might be the greatest bang for the buck. Giving up alcohol will be tough but possible. The Whole30 exclusion of diary, legumes and all grains seems maybe excessive for what we need (and also leading to more a more meat-based than we'd prefer), while also making it more difficult to stick with it. Is there a regimented diet like Whole30 that has somewhat less items on the "do not eat" list? Should we just try cutting out sugar and carbs from our diets? If we were to eliminate sugar, carbs, alcohol and one other "grouping" what should that be? Could we do Whole30 + legumes + quinoa, or does that somehow negate the magic of it?
We did (most of) a Whole30 and found that we HATED IT. We did like the structure but there's a whole lot of woo-woo mumbo-jumbo going on in the Whole30 community that drove us crazy. Eventually we stopped because if one more person said black beans were bad for us because of science my husband (a scientist) would have thrown his computer out the window.
No sugar + no carbs is a great alternative. There's nothing magical about Whole30 that can't be achieved with another similar diet.
posted by good day merlock at 3:15 PM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
No sugar + no carbs is a great alternative. There's nothing magical about Whole30 that can't be achieved with another similar diet.
posted by good day merlock at 3:15 PM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Well, the Mediterranean diet has scientific backing, but it's not as neatly rule-driven as the Whole30.
Who says you can't make up your own plan? Maybe call it Whole 33, because you'll include dairy, legumes and whole grains. (For this I would interpret "whole grains" to be very literal--whole grain bread would not count, but grains in their "whole" form would: rice, quinoa, millet, bulgur, steel cut oats, buckwheat, etc. that you cook with water or broth.) Legumes are good for most people--fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, what's not to like?
I have a theory that one reason the Whole30 has been so "miraculous" for some folks is because it completely eliminates most major allergens. So if you were suffering from some allergy or intolerance and didn't know it, you probably will feel *tons* better on Whole30.
I also theorize that legumes are excluded from the Whole30 because if you've never eaten a higher fiber diet before, legumes might tip you over from "woah what are my guts doing?" to "oh no I am made of gas" territory.
Fwiw, eliminating alcohol and added sugars has always resulted in higher and steadier energy levels for me personally.
posted by purple_bird at 3:39 PM on October 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
Who says you can't make up your own plan? Maybe call it Whole 33, because you'll include dairy, legumes and whole grains. (For this I would interpret "whole grains" to be very literal--whole grain bread would not count, but grains in their "whole" form would: rice, quinoa, millet, bulgur, steel cut oats, buckwheat, etc. that you cook with water or broth.) Legumes are good for most people--fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, what's not to like?
I have a theory that one reason the Whole30 has been so "miraculous" for some folks is because it completely eliminates most major allergens. So if you were suffering from some allergy or intolerance and didn't know it, you probably will feel *tons* better on Whole30.
I also theorize that legumes are excluded from the Whole30 because if you've never eaten a higher fiber diet before, legumes might tip you over from "woah what are my guts doing?" to "oh no I am made of gas" territory.
Fwiw, eliminating alcohol and added sugars has always resulted in higher and steadier energy levels for me personally.
posted by purple_bird at 3:39 PM on October 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
I like Michael Pollan's simple recommendation: "Eat foods. Not too much. Mostly plants."
By that he means:
- eat mostly plants, in their whole, plain form - whole fruits, vegetables (frozen is fine), beans, legumes, nuts, etc. Eat all of them pretty abundantly
- cook everything yourself as much as possible. You want french fries? OK, but make them yourself, totally and completely from scratch
- eat ingredients - not things *made* from ingredients (carbs are not the enemy, but choose whole, non or minimally processed things - ie carbs from chickpeas are totally fine, but probably not that white flour, french baguette)
- some meat and dairy is fine sometimes, but choose healthier and more quality options. Try not to eat these things daily (or at every meal!), but everything in moderation is ok
- when you go grocery shopping, shop the perimeter - the middle generally has all the junk. The perimeter generally has the ingredients (not things *made* from ingredients)
posted by raztaj at 3:48 PM on October 2, 2017 [12 favorites]
By that he means:
- eat mostly plants, in their whole, plain form - whole fruits, vegetables (frozen is fine), beans, legumes, nuts, etc. Eat all of them pretty abundantly
- cook everything yourself as much as possible. You want french fries? OK, but make them yourself, totally and completely from scratch
- eat ingredients - not things *made* from ingredients (carbs are not the enemy, but choose whole, non or minimally processed things - ie carbs from chickpeas are totally fine, but probably not that white flour, french baguette)
- some meat and dairy is fine sometimes, but choose healthier and more quality options. Try not to eat these things daily (or at every meal!), but everything in moderation is ok
- when you go grocery shopping, shop the perimeter - the middle generally has all the junk. The perimeter generally has the ingredients (not things *made* from ingredients)
posted by raztaj at 3:48 PM on October 2, 2017 [12 favorites]
I was interested in the Whole 30 because I was feeling out of control and I liked the idea of the regimented, just stick to a simple plan idea. I wanted to feel IN CONTROL again. :)
However, after reading a lot of the science around it, and also after learning how restriction can actually make your eating habits worse, I picked this book up: The Food Lover's Cleanse.
Spoiler alert, it's not really a cleanse. It's balanced, knocks no food groups out of the running, and it's a list of seasonal two week meal plans "designed to guide you back into healthful eating" without following some weird, dogmatic, not-backed-by-science plan, and that has no restrictions.
I really enjoyed it, though some of the ingredients were hard to find. Some of the dishes have made their way into my regular meal planning. I'm a big fan.
posted by pazazygeek at 3:50 PM on October 2, 2017 [7 favorites]
However, after reading a lot of the science around it, and also after learning how restriction can actually make your eating habits worse, I picked this book up: The Food Lover's Cleanse.
Spoiler alert, it's not really a cleanse. It's balanced, knocks no food groups out of the running, and it's a list of seasonal two week meal plans "designed to guide you back into healthful eating" without following some weird, dogmatic, not-backed-by-science plan, and that has no restrictions.
I really enjoyed it, though some of the ingredients were hard to find. Some of the dishes have made their way into my regular meal planning. I'm a big fan.
posted by pazazygeek at 3:50 PM on October 2, 2017 [7 favorites]
I‘m doing no gluten, no dairy right now and it‘s a nice change. Enough restriction to overcome my junk fallbacks (pastries and lattes). Not too crazy to work around though. I also did low carb once and this feels waaaay less restrictive. Avoiding stone fruit while they are in season just seems cruel ;-)
posted by The Toad at 3:51 PM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by The Toad at 3:51 PM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
I have a theory that one reason the Whole30 has been so "miraculous" for some folks is because it completely eliminates most major allergens.
It's been a few years since I tried it (and quickly gave up), but I thought that was the whole point of the exercise.
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:20 PM on October 2, 2017 [6 favorites]
It's been a few years since I tried it (and quickly gave up), but I thought that was the whole point of the exercise.
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:20 PM on October 2, 2017 [6 favorites]
You could always try raw vegan for a day or two. :-)
posted by Ms Vegetable at 4:50 PM on October 2, 2017
posted by Ms Vegetable at 4:50 PM on October 2, 2017
I'm having a lot of success and happy to share...
Dr. Joel Furman's book Eat To Live is super easy, well I mean I haven't really read the book (although it's right here next to me!) but I am following the basic guidlines to reduce inflammation which is essentially - No Sugar, No Dairy, lots of veg, fruit, some legumes, nuts & grain. No Meat.
I downloaded an app called BiteSnap that made it dead simple to track my eating habits. I thought I was going to start seeing a dietitian as part of the physical therapy... Spoiler Alert: I skipped the dietitian appointment for now because I found BiteSnap incredibly helpful in terms of identifying patterns and cutting back on all sorts of not so great food choices. Cravings for "bad stuff" are mostly gone. I've been happily temporarily vegan since the middle of last week and I'm ready to dig into the Eat To Live book and follow the program because I gradually changed my cravings slowly, over about 2 to 3 weeks, with the BitSnap app.
posted by jbenben at 5:09 PM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Dr. Joel Furman's book Eat To Live is super easy, well I mean I haven't really read the book (although it's right here next to me!) but I am following the basic guidlines to reduce inflammation which is essentially - No Sugar, No Dairy, lots of veg, fruit, some legumes, nuts & grain. No Meat.
I downloaded an app called BiteSnap that made it dead simple to track my eating habits. I thought I was going to start seeing a dietitian as part of the physical therapy... Spoiler Alert: I skipped the dietitian appointment for now because I found BiteSnap incredibly helpful in terms of identifying patterns and cutting back on all sorts of not so great food choices. Cravings for "bad stuff" are mostly gone. I've been happily temporarily vegan since the middle of last week and I'm ready to dig into the Eat To Live book and follow the program because I gradually changed my cravings slowly, over about 2 to 3 weeks, with the BitSnap app.
posted by jbenben at 5:09 PM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
This might be the complete opposite of what you're looking for, in that it's a full meal plan for 2 weeks with very little flexibility, but the BuzzFeed clean eating challenge was way simpler and easier to stick to than Whole30. I loved not having to come up with meals that followed the rules, I just ate what was listed. Everything was delicious and I felt fantastic, probably because I was eating heaps more produce.
posted by third word on a random page at 6:22 PM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by third word on a random page at 6:22 PM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
I may be wrong (and welcome counterexamples), but I don't think there is anything much that is both "short-term diet" for a limited time, and also "science based".
Health via diet and nutrition are long term processes: it's what you eat as a habit, over months and years, trends accumulate, etc. Ultimately no short-term diet choices have much lasting effect on health.* † ‡
* elimination diets to discover allergens and intolerance have scientific support, but that's not really about "eating healthy food" it's about diagnosing a disorder.
† Intermittent fasting has been shown to have some health benefits in some laboratory experiments on animals (e.g here), but that's still a long term plan, not a one-off thing.
‡ Ok ingesting poisons or infectious agents may have lasting effects on health too. This is why scientists and health professionals make few sweeping statements. The Michael Pollan bit above is good, but only because it's so vague and simple, and even then it's probably bad advice for some few individuals with odd conditions.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:41 PM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Health via diet and nutrition are long term processes: it's what you eat as a habit, over months and years, trends accumulate, etc. Ultimately no short-term diet choices have much lasting effect on health.* † ‡
* elimination diets to discover allergens and intolerance have scientific support, but that's not really about "eating healthy food" it's about diagnosing a disorder.
† Intermittent fasting has been shown to have some health benefits in some laboratory experiments on animals (e.g here), but that's still a long term plan, not a one-off thing.
‡ Ok ingesting poisons or infectious agents may have lasting effects on health too. This is why scientists and health professionals make few sweeping statements. The Michael Pollan bit above is good, but only because it's so vague and simple, and even then it's probably bad advice for some few individuals with odd conditions.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:41 PM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm doing a nutrition challenge through my gym this month. Everyone agrees to give up "dessert" (ie, sweets that are not fruit) and alcohol for the month. Beyond that, you get to decide what rules you're following - but you have to state them at the beginning, and stick with them for the entire month. You also have to share what you ate each day.
I'm three weeks in. I chose no gluten in addition to the dessert/booze rules (because i think it causes some gastro issues for me) and it's been kind of staggeringly useful so far. I've never gone so long without eating gluten or sweets, but somehow the challenge bit, and the knowing it's only a month, and the sharing what I ate, are making it pretty straightforward to just not have that stuff. It would have been a LOT harder if I were doing something as severe as Whole 30.
I'm not looking at this as a diet or weight-loss plan, because it's not really sustainable, but I am getting a lot out of it. 1. proof to myself that I don't actually NEED sweets and bread every day. 2. Breaking habits like eating fast food too much or keeping a pint of ice cream in my fridge 3. learning new things about myself, like that I don't have nearly as much of a sweet tooth as I thought I did! 4. Learning that small amounts of gluten don't seem to hurt (I accidentally had some yesterday and was fine) so I can have it sometimes but I probably shouldn't have as much of it as I was before.
So I would say, agree amongst you about a few rules you want to follow, and make a plan to follow those rules and hold each other accountable. I almost don't think it matters what the rules are - maybe something like "no dessert, no booze, no grains" - I think the real power is in making a choice together and sticking to it, together.
posted by lunasol at 11:08 PM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'm three weeks in. I chose no gluten in addition to the dessert/booze rules (because i think it causes some gastro issues for me) and it's been kind of staggeringly useful so far. I've never gone so long without eating gluten or sweets, but somehow the challenge bit, and the knowing it's only a month, and the sharing what I ate, are making it pretty straightforward to just not have that stuff. It would have been a LOT harder if I were doing something as severe as Whole 30.
I'm not looking at this as a diet or weight-loss plan, because it's not really sustainable, but I am getting a lot out of it. 1. proof to myself that I don't actually NEED sweets and bread every day. 2. Breaking habits like eating fast food too much or keeping a pint of ice cream in my fridge 3. learning new things about myself, like that I don't have nearly as much of a sweet tooth as I thought I did! 4. Learning that small amounts of gluten don't seem to hurt (I accidentally had some yesterday and was fine) so I can have it sometimes but I probably shouldn't have as much of it as I was before.
So I would say, agree amongst you about a few rules you want to follow, and make a plan to follow those rules and hold each other accountable. I almost don't think it matters what the rules are - maybe something like "no dessert, no booze, no grains" - I think the real power is in making a choice together and sticking to it, together.
posted by lunasol at 11:08 PM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's probably healthier than the standard American diet.
I think all short-term programs, cleanses and "resets" of appetites or metabolism are woo, so ditto this.
The only "weight loss" programs that are worth a damn are those which presage weight loss maintenance, an ordinary way of living that can persist for years. Conventional low carb (which not only permits, but celebrates, dairy and high-fiber nuts like peanuts, and which tolerates artificial sweeteners and non-beer alcohol) ticks that box for many people. Seems pretty unlikely that anyone who tends to fat would be able to stick with Whole30 indefinitely.
posted by MattD at 7:20 AM on October 3, 2017
I think all short-term programs, cleanses and "resets" of appetites or metabolism are woo, so ditto this.
The only "weight loss" programs that are worth a damn are those which presage weight loss maintenance, an ordinary way of living that can persist for years. Conventional low carb (which not only permits, but celebrates, dairy and high-fiber nuts like peanuts, and which tolerates artificial sweeteners and non-beer alcohol) ticks that box for many people. Seems pretty unlikely that anyone who tends to fat would be able to stick with Whole30 indefinitely.
posted by MattD at 7:20 AM on October 3, 2017
I think the main benefit of the extra-restrictive things like Whole 30, is the careful focus it brings to what foods are composed of and their effect on the individual person, and sometimes that cause and effect doesn't become clear without being weirdly meticulous/intense about it. For me, doing a very-restrictive Keto experiment (related to epilepsy in my case) taught me a lot of things that a looser form never did. I *really* learned about how many carbs are in things, and confirmed how much better I function on a high-fat diet, learning how much my low blood sugar had effected my life, and how it looked like I lost 15 pounds in one month just because I wasn't so puffy and bloated all the time, and also that I finally started waking up without feeling like knives were being stuck into my stomach which apparently was my 'normal.' Nothing short of this weird, extreme experiment ever made this all clear enough, because I had never really cut out all grains and almost all carbs and all sugar, etc. It can really be worth it.
But something similar to Whole 30 but less extreme, would just be low carb/high fat/no grains. I include 'no grains' because they cause problems for lots of people, and its something worth trying to cut out properly once to see its effects.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 8:31 AM on October 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
But something similar to Whole 30 but less extreme, would just be low carb/high fat/no grains. I include 'no grains' because they cause problems for lots of people, and its something worth trying to cut out properly once to see its effects.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 8:31 AM on October 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
Pretty any much fad diet will work, if you're just trying to pay attention to what you eat and don't do anything stupid like try to live off grapefruit. I occasionally do Primal Month, which is like Paleo Month but I love dairy too much to cut it out (and I don't have any problems with lactose). Mr Corpse prefers to break out My Fitness Pal and do calorie restriction.
I heartily recommend Nom Nom Paleo for recipes; her new cookbook, Ready or Not, is great (try the salmon with macadamia nuts!).
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:39 AM on October 3, 2017
I heartily recommend Nom Nom Paleo for recipes; her new cookbook, Ready or Not, is great (try the salmon with macadamia nuts!).
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:39 AM on October 3, 2017
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They both found it challenging, and our whole household had to shift gears to ate to accommodate creating meals with no additional sugar. We baked bread and basically all of our meals from scratch all last month, we had to carefully examine the sauces and condiments and so many normal ingredients that we use for hidden sugar (lots of different names for sugar out there), we had to get creative in some of the cooking we did - it was surprisingly eye opening.
I think no sugar + no carbs, as you suggested, would be a big diet change in and of itself, and a great challenge.
posted by warble at 3:13 PM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]