Whole30 Review - part2

Dairy reintroduction

I love cheese. Really, I LOVE cheese.  On dairy day, I only tried two items - butter and cheese.  I wanted to make certain I had no reaction to those before trying regular milk or egg nog or other more problematic dairy items. However, butter and cheese made me nauseous and even dizzy, as well as a slight headache.  I became stuffy the next day with itchy ears and all my skin issues returned with a vengeance.

Gluten reintroduction

So as not to contaminate my results with dairy, I chose cream of wheat, cooked in water and served with raisins as my gluten test, followed by a cup of Dandy blend (a coffee substitute with chicory, dandelion, beets, and BARLEY.). Within minutes of eating gluten my cheeks turned red and hot.  That evening, the headache began, followed by serious nausea and vomiting.  When I woke the next morning, I had terrible bad breath, neck ache, and headache.  

Now I am armed with new information regarding my body and the foods I choose to consume.  What I thought would be a month long experiment, one that I began on a whim in the doctor's office, is now the new normal.  I like feeling good.  I like knowing that my headaches are not a random, unavoidable occurrence which can steal away my days.  Christmas is coming, and with his new information, I can decide whether it is worth it to indulge at parties, or whether I want to feel great the next next day.  I may choose cookies at an event because I decide that I can lay low the next day, but I won't be shocked when I feel terrible.  I know to avoid the hummus if I don't want my knees to scream in pain.

Going forward, I plan to adopt a whole30-like Paleo diet full time, but make exceptions for extra special events such as our Super Bowl party.  But even then, I reserve the right to decide whether a favorite treat is worth the consequences.  Hopefully, with some herbal support and nourishing foods and lifestyle, my gut will heal and the next time I do a formal reintroduction, the consequences will be less or even non-existent.  But that takes time, and for now, I choose to avoid my food triggers and feel good!

Whole30 Review

Vines of Wellness isn't just about essential oils.  Holistic wellness encompasses all aspects of a healthy lifestyle and the promotion of vibrant wellness, not just the absence of illness.

Personal confession:  I have had the Whole30 book on my shelf for over a year, but didn't want to commit to it due to my love of black beans.  Legumes are eliminated for 30 days during Whole30.  I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in 2008, and recently, my dosage of Armour Thyroid has gone up.  I began consistently working out (lifting weights and cardio 5-6 days per week) back in February 2017.  I dropped from a size 14/16 jean down to a size 6.  But, the weight hung on.  I was thinner, but still very overweight and the scale just would not budge.  At my thyroid appointment, my doctor suggested I try Whole30, as she believed that food intolerance could be at the root of my stubborn weight issue.  My breakfast had been Whole30 compliant that day (I eat a clean diet to begin with); so, I went home, made myself a big salad with leftover chicken and oil & vinegar, and laid out the meal plan for the next month.





Honestly, the first week was not as awful as some people describe.  Because my diet was already fairly clean, I didn't experience the common detox symptoms.  However, my results at the end of the thirty days were none-the-less astounding.  Here are just a few of my successes during / after Whole30:

• Rings fit nicely (finally!)
• Clothes are loose
• Belly is much flatter
• NO.HEADACHES.AT.ALL
• Knee pain is gone
• Elimination of panic attacks and anxious thoughts
• Black tea consumption dropped without trying
• Lost 15 pounds even though I was eating a TON of food
• Eczema completely cleared
• Improved sleep, especially falling asleep better

I have never gone more than a week without a headache in over 30 years.  This alone makes it worth it for me to be extremely judicial with my reintroduction and highly motivated to stick to Whole30.  So far, I have only retintroduced two food groups.  

Legumes (no peanuts)

On legume day, I had lentils with my breakfast, hummus at lunch, and my beloved black beans with dinner.  That evening, my knees swelled up and were hot and painful.  Obviously, legumes are causing some serious inflammation in my joints.  I also noted that my muscles stayed very sore for a couple days after my workout on legume day.  They shouldn't have been that sore, I didn't add extra weight, reps, sets, or anything that would have caused my muscles to react this way.  My knees & muscles finally felt pain-free about 72 hours later.  My plan is to keep them out of my diet for several months while my gut heals, then try again.

Non-gluten grains (no corn)

On this day, I had brown rice with breakfast, GF oats, amaranth, and quinoa for lunch, and quinoa with dinner.  I experienced some very mild hearburn and gas that night, but the next morning, I felt drained of energy.  Zap, no more "tiger blood".  I am not quite sure what to think of this.  One possible issue clouding my finding here is that I accidentally bought and ate cashews that were roasted in peanut oil, so I am not sure if the grains or the peanut oil zapped my energy.  I will need to investigate this further.

I still need to reintroduce dairy, peanuts, corn, and gluten-grains.  This experiment is teaching me quite a bit about what I, personally, need to minimize, or eliminate from my diet.  I am also learning that I need to make an effort to re-establish microflora and heal my leaky gut.