Whole30 and my Food Philosophy

readerskitchen
Apr 27, 2015
2 min read

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien

Food is such a personal thing. We may not necessarily see it that way because we're constantly being told what to eat, how to eat it, when to eat it, etc. Nonetheless, it's still very personal. Biologically, we consume food to give our bodies energy and nutrients to survive. Very few of us just eat for the survival. We eat our favorite foods. We cook for the enjoyment. We eat at fancy restaurants with awards. There's a whole culture around food.

There is also a lot of controversy. With obesity becoming such a problem in the US, food is often the topic of conversation. Everyone has their solution to the "food problem." There's clean eating, veganism, vegetarianism, paleo, gluten free, low carb, low fat, low calorie.... and not only do people pick one to follow, but they make it their mission to hate on everyone else. Even I have been guilty of this. When someone tells me they're paleo because "we were never meant to eat anything but what the cavemen ate" I laugh in their faces. When others tell me that "everything wrong with people's health today can be linked back to using animals" I shake my head in disbelief.

Here is what I believe: You do you. Every person is different and should do what works for them. If you're getting all of hte nutrients and energy you need from your vegan/paleo/local/gluten-free diet, then have a nice life. But please, stop evangelizing your diet on me. I believe that what we eat should be based 100% on what our bodies tell us. We're so used to eating at certain times of day, filling our plate with specific ingredients, and finishing our plate that very little around our food cultures even involves listening to your body.

I choose to do Whole30 a couple of times a year because I know that my body doesn't love food as much as I do. My favorite food may be macaroni and cheese, but I'm lactose intolerant. The first time I did a Whole30 I discovered that I'm violently intolerant to all soy products. I also found that my regular migraines all but disappeared. That made me genuinely sit down and think: Do I prefer the momentary enjoyment of a food or the knowledge that I'm not forcing my body to take in anything it can't handle? (the answer varies based on how badly I want that momentary enjoyment).

So, long story short, I am embarking on my third Whole30. Most recipes I post for the next month will be paleo, whole30 approved. They're not "diet" foods though. They're really quite tasty, so I hope you enjoy this journey with me. I'll update you on my progress as well as my food philosophy along the way. If you'd like to read more about the Whole30 check out their website!