People ask me all the time, “what started you on your wellness journey?”. I can without a doubt say it was when I read the book It Starts with Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. Let me start by saying… I hate reading, but this book was simple. It explains how the food we eat directly impacts EVERY aspect of our health. Our diet is the governor of how our body functions on every level. Many times, the foods we eat cause inflammation and confusion within our body which initiates silent illness over time. After a period of exposure to these foods and ingredients our bodies crash, and we see symptoms like sleep issues, insomnia, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, developmental issues, focusing struggles, mental fog, behavioral issues, headaches, weight gain, autoimmune disease, cancer…. The list is endless.
So, what do we do? Rid our body of these inflammatory foods and ingredients! This book is an amazing guide that gives step-by-step instructions on how to eliminate inflammatory foods, detox your body and start over from scratch. It’s a body reboot. And EVERYONE needs it! It’s a 30-day detox called Whole30 designed to eliminate certain food groups from your diet that could be having a negative impact on your body. Those include dairy, added sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, carrageenan, MSG, and sulfites. It also teaches us to break our emotional ties to food, which we all have on some level. Food is for nourishing our body, not emotional gratification or mindless snacking.
Let me end by saying, do NOT complete the Whole30 Challenge without reading the book in its entirety. Understanding why the program is formulated the way it is, and how to structure your plate, meals and day correctly is crucial for success. I also highly recommend doing it with a support partner.
Personally, I continue to complete the Whole30 periodically as a body systems reboot. It’s amazing how once we clear out our systems, we can begin to feel when they start to become clogged with toxins again. I find my sleep, irritability, skin and headaches are the first clues to a needed detox.
What is almost equally important is re-integrating a healthy diet for long-term success. Whole30 is just for 30 days. But then their program called Whole 9 Life teaches you proper integration techniques and how to continue a path to health and wellness the other 11 months out of the year.
They even have a program specifically for nursing or expecting mamas called Healthy Mama, Happy Baby.
Health is a lifestyle, not a quick fix or temporary fad. Cultivate it!
*I was in no way sponsored or paid to write this review. It’s simply that life changing.