The Whole30 diet is a 30-day elimination diet that has gained popularity for its promise to reset your health, habits, and relationship with food. It involves removing certain food groups that are believed to be inflammatory or problematic for some individuals, such as sugar, grains, dairy, legumes, alcohol, and processed foods. After the elimination phase, you gradually reintroduce these foods to identify any potential sensitivities or intolerances.
What is the Whole30 Diet?
The Whole30 diet is a restrictive dietary program that promises to change your life in 30 days through some tough-love nutritional changes. The idea behind the program is to eliminate and then reintroduce potential problem-causers so you can better understand how what you eat is affecting you. Think: Paleo meets an elimination diet-but just for 30 days.
Guidelines of the Whole30 Diet
The elimination phase requires strict adherence, so if you’re considering this diet, you may need to spend a few days prepping your kitchen. Then, for the next 30 days, you’ll need to stick to the following rules:
Foods to Eat
- Whole foods: Stick to consuming real, unprocessed foods.
- Meat and eggs: Poultry, beef, pork, eggs, and seafood are allowed. If you’re vegetarian, there is a Plant-Based Whole30 that allows certain protein sources that otherwise would be excluded, mostly legumes such as lentils, peas, and soy.
- Vegetables: Include a wide range of these, both starchy veggies (such as sweet potatoes and root vegetables) and non-starchy vegetables (think leafy greens).
- Fruits: Enjoy fresh fruits in moderation. While these contain nutrients, certain fruits are also high in sugar.
- Fats: Use healthy fats for cooking and drizzling such as olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.
- Nuts and seeds: Consume nuts and seeds in moderation.
- Herbs and spices: Use common kitchen herbs and spices to flavor your dishes, with added health benefits.
- Coffee and tea: Unlike some elimination diets, the Whole30 allows black coffee. Unsweetened tea of all kinds is also acceptable.
Foods to Avoid
- Sugar: Limit all forms of added sugar, including everything from honey to ice cream, maple syrup, fruit juice, and artificial sweeteners.
- Grains, including non-gluten grains: All grains, including wheat, alternative flours like sorghum, oats, rice, corn, barley, rye, wheat berries, farro, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa are not allowed under this diet.
- Dairy: Exclude dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yogurt.
- Legumes: Legumes like beans, lentils, chickpeas, soy, and peanuts are all avoided on this diet, with the exception of green beans and peas.
- Alcohol: Alcohol is not allowed.
- Processed foods, baked goods, and “junk foods”: All processed foods are also off-limits.
- MSG, sulfites, and carrageenan: Avoid these additives commonly found in processed foods.
Additional Guidelines
- Read labels: This program recommends being vigilant about reading food labels, since many products can have hidden ingredients. This can be helpful, since according to the diet’s restrictions, consuming an item on the “avoid” list, whether intentionally or by accident, can mean you’ll have to start over.
- Don’t take cheat days:
- Focus on mindful eating: Eating slowly and mindfully can help you to pay attention to your body's hunger and fullness cues
- Cook at home: Preparing meals at home can also allow better control over ingredients.
- Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is another important factor, and these nutritionist-recommended hydration strategies can be helpful if you have trouble staying hydrated.
Potential Benefits of the Whole30 Diet
- Can include essential vitamins and minerals: One benefit of this diet is it can help you to focus on nourishing your body with whole, minimally processed foods which are filled with essential vitamins and minerals.
- Can be high in fiber: While you won’t be eating grain- or legume-based sources of fiber, you’ll still likely consume plenty of fiber from vegetables, fruits, and nuts, which can have beneficial effects for your metabolic health.
- Can support gut health: Limiting high-calorie and inflammatory foods like sugar, alcohol, and processed foods in your diet can support better overall health and may even be beneficial for weight loss.
- May support blood sugar regulation: By limiting your intake of refined carbohydrates and putting a focus on whole foods that can be rich in fiber and other nutrients, this diet may help prevent blood sugar spikes for some people.
- Improved energy levels: Some individuals report heightened energy levels.
- Weight loss: Eliminating processed foods and sugars, bolstered by an increased consumption of whole foods-studies show-can instigate weight loss.
- Improved digestion:
- Heightened awareness of dietary choices: It can also help individuals become more aware of their dietary choices and how certain foods affect their bodies leading to healthier long-term eating habits.
Potential Disadvantages of the Whole30 Diet
- Potential nutrient deficiencies: While the Whole30 may have certain benefits, you’ll also be missing out on important nutrients that are found in foods like dairy products, legumes, and grains.
- Overly restrictive: If you tolerate foods like grains, dairy, and legumes, you may not need to eliminate these nutrient-dense foods to address your symptoms. And even if you don’t tolerate these foods well, you may not need to eliminate them completely from your diet. Rather, taking periodic breaks and avoiding frequent exposure may be the answer to keeping them in your diet.
- Can encourage eating disorder tendencies: Although the Whole30 is meant to change your relationship to food in a positive way, overly restricting foods can result in unhealthy habits and worsened cravings and reactive binging once the elimination phase is over.
- Not sustainable: If you don’t tolerate one or more “avoid” foods, eliminating those foods and cutting out entire food groups may not be sustainable or even necessary.
- Social challenges: The diet's rigid demands and the challenges presented in social situations-where non-compliant foods are served-are difficult to navigate. The Whole30 diet's stringent regulations may also negatively impact one's social activities, especially considering the centrality of food at many social events. The anxiety, derived from having to forgo particular foods, can potentially harm mental health.
- Feelings of isolation and frustration: It's important once the 30 days are over, to have a plan for transitioning to a balanced and sustainable eating pattern. Also, the diet can be socially challenging, as it may limit one's ability to dine out or participate in certain social events. This can lead to feelings of isolation and frustration
- Fatigue, dizziness and even mood swings: Some report heightened energy levels, weight loss and improvements in overall health; others, however, in contrast, experience fatigue, dizziness and even mood swings over the course of 30 days. So, reactions to this dietary regime can be remarkably individualized and divergent.
Is the Whole30 Diet Effective?
While many people lose a few pounds or more while doing the Whole30, the creators of the Whole30 state that it is not a weight loss diet. Any pounds lost may be the result of a lower caloric intake and a reduction in sugar or processed foods.
According to Heather Davis, MS, RDN, LDN: "While the Whole30 diet may offer short-term benefits for some individuals, it's important to recognize its drawbacks. The diet's extreme restrictions can lead to nutrient deficiencies and potentially foster unhealthy relationships with food in the long run. The all-or-nothing elimination philosophy may also not be effective for addressing true intolerances longer-term."
Read also: Satisfy Your Cravings with Whole Foods
"Instead, following a balanced, sustainable, and more personalized approach to nutrition that includes a wider variety of whole foods with a nuanced tolerance assessment is often a better choice for overall health and well-being."
The Whole30 also doesn’t include a movement component, which is important for weight loss. By focusing on consuming a nutrient-dense whole food diet, but not overly-restricting yourself by eliminating grains, dairy, and legumes, you may observe similar benefits without the downsides.
Do Doctors Recommend the Whole30 Diet?
As Dr. Kevin Huffman, D.O., a board-certified bariatric physician as well as the CEO and Founder of Ambari Nutrition, tells us, “Within the medical community, opinions about the Whole30 diet diverge significantly: some physicians and nutritionists view it as a beneficial short-term reset-designed to cultivate healthier eating habits; others express concern over its stringent restrictions and potential long-term consequences.”
For some, it could provide benefits, as Dr. Jihad Kudsi, MD, ABOM, MBA, MSF, FACS, bariatric surgeon and Chair of Surgery Duly Health and Care Chicago IL says, “The Whole30 diet encourages the elimination of processed foods, added sugars, and artificial additives. This can lead to a diet that's rich in whole, unprocessed foods, which is generally a healthier way of eating.
At this time, there is limited scientific evidence to support the potential benefits. “Current scientific studies offer only scant evidence: they neither fully support nor refute the purported benefits of the Whole30 diet,” says Dr. Huffman, adding, “Eliminating processed foods and sugars, bolstered by an increased consumption of whole foods-studies show-can instigate weight loss.
Read also: Whole Foods Breakfast Options
While the Whole30 is more restrictive than many elimination diets, other elimination diets may also be more targeted. For example, the low FODMAP diet is formulated to address specific health concerns. And it may not be sustainable over time, in large part because of these restrictive demands.
Dr. Huffman explains:“The diet's rigid demands and the challenges presented in social situations-where non-compliant foods are served-are difficult to navigate.
Dr. Kudsi adds, “The Whole30 diet is quite restrictive, eliminating entire food groups such as grains, dairy, and legumes. This can make it challenging to follow and may lead to nutrient deficiencies if not well-planned. It's important once the 30 days are over, to have a plan for transitioning to a balanced and sustainable eating pattern. Also, the diet can be socially challenging, as it may limit one's ability to dine out or participate in certain social events. This can lead to feelings of isolation and frustration”
While there are potential benefits it may offer for some, for most people, meeting with their medical providers and a registered dietitian or nutritionist may be a more effective approach, as they can work with you to define a personalized plan designed to help you to reach your health goals.
So, if you are trying to get to the root of a specific condition and considering the Whole30, consult a doctor or qualified nutritionist to determine if the diet is the right choice for your needs.
Read also: Plant-Based Diet Guide
Personal Experience with the Whole30 Diet
One individual shared their experience with the Whole30 diet, highlighting both the challenges and the positive outcomes. They started the program at 293 pounds and lost 22 pounds during their first round, even without exercising. More importantly, they experienced increased energy levels and a better understanding of how food affects their body.
"I had never remembered feeling the way I did towards the end of that month. I had more energy than I ever had before. Even in high school I was over 230 pounds and didn’t know what feeling ‘good’ actually felt like. I was always tired, moody and avoided doing anything physical. It was just my normal and I didn’t know anything different. That all changed that first month and I caught a glimpse of what normal, healthy people must feel like."
They also emphasized the importance of mindful eating and self-awareness, noting that each round of Whole30 can teach you something new about yourself and your relationship with food.
Success Stories
Many individuals have reported positive results from the Whole30 diet, including:
- Kelly Small, 45: Lowered her cholesterol 27 points in 60 days using the plant-based version of Whole30, avoiding the need for statin medication. She also improved her blood pressure, blood sugar, sleep, mood, and energy levels, and lost 10 pounds and one clothing size.
- Cindy King, 54: Experienced a significant reduction in arthritis pain within two weeks, lost 8 pounds and several inches in the first month, improved her skin, increased her sleep from 5 hours to 7 or 8 hours a night, and improved her A1C from 7.1 (diabetes) to 6.2 (pre-diabetes range).
- Donna Scott Johnson, 51: Took her life back after being diagnosed with lupus by staying away from dairy, sugar, and pasta. She reduced her pain, joint swelling, and medication dose, and lost 30 pounds and 4 clothing sizes.
- Jessica Hersch, 46: Experienced a complete identity shift, more energy, and overall happiness by cutting out sugar and eating more.
- Heather Weibel, 45: Reduced inflammation and pain, lost half her size (from 24 to 12), and no longer needs cholesterol medicine or a sleep apnea machine by eating plant-based whole foods.
Tips for Success on the Whole30 Diet
- Keep it simple: You don’t need fancy, complex recipes.
- Keep food costs low: Reach for frozen or canned fruits and veggies, which are often cheaper than fresh, and contain the same amount of vitamins and minerals.
- Make your own sauces: Homemade dressings and marinades add flavor without added sugar or chemicals.
- Consider convenience: When possible, cook in big batches and freeze to save time in the future.