Hi friends! I hope this finds you still enjoying the holiday season and some restful time to go along with it! We’re still in Taos, and our time here has been so wonderful. It’s exactly what our family needed. Down time, play time, and plenty of time together as well as with the rest of our family. It’s felt really good to slow down for a while and reflect on all I have to be thankful for this year. I’m grateful for the space and quiet moments we’ve had here to do just that…
All that being said, I’ve been meaning to get this post out all week! Honestly, when we’re here, sometimes I lose track of which day it is…can’t believe its already Friday and 2017 is just two days away!
It’s become a welcome tradition in our house to start the new year with a Whole30!
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that the Whole30 has been a total game changer for me. I credit what I’ve learned with changing my perspective and relationship with food! I’ve experienced huge improvements in my health, habits, and mindset. (For more, see the Whole30 category in the main menu, for posts from my Whole30 journey beginning in 2013!)
We’ll be starting our January Whole30 a little later, on January 9th…
This gives us (me!) a little extra time to prep! We won’t be back home in Dallas until the 1st, and it usually takes a week to catch up and get back into a good routine. Many are starting on the 2nd, but whatever your start date, I hope you will follow along on this journey with us!
Making the connection between what we eat and how we feel is a key component of the Whole30…
Sounds simple, but most people (including myself at one time) neglect to see it! The foods we eat directly affect how our body and brain operate. Just by feeding them nutrient dense food we’re able to change how we feel in a positive way! Through the Whole30, we also learn which foods don’t work well for our (unique) bodies.
Our 14 year old recently commented (without any prompting from me!) that she’s looking forward to us doing the Whole30 in January, so she’ll be able to perform at her best during her dance competition season, which begins in February. Hearing her make the connection between what she eats and how she feels/performs makes me so happy for her! If I had that knowledge/realization at her age it would have saved me from a lot of the frustration and stress around food I felt in my teens and 20s!
The point of me telling you that story is to:
(1) Hopefully convince you to join us!
(2) Make you think about WHY you might want to do the Whole30.
Here are a few reasons: Do it to finally let go of the guilt you feel around food or to break through a food or sugar addiction. Do it to teach yourself how to prepare simple, healthy meals for yourself and/or your family. Do it to give yourself a gift, the best start to the year you possibly can. Do it because the improvements in your health often bleed into other areas of your life… because once you start to feel more energy, you’re able to accomplish more! There are so many reasons, but most importantly, do it for YOU!
I’m going to list my favorite resources below, to help you succeed with your Whole30. I’ll be blogging about it as we go, and sharing our weekly dinner menus/meal planning. And, I just created a closed group on Facebook for anyone who wants to join us this month and beyond (click HERE to request to join!). It will be a positive community for support, encouragement, and to share recipes and resources with one another! I hope to see you there!
Be sure to sign up for my newsletters so you don’t miss a post….
- Loubies and Lulu Newsletter (You’ll receive an email on the day of ALL new blog posts, including Whole30 posts.)
- L&L Whole30 Updates (You’ll receive an email on the day of new Whole30 related blog posts ONLY)
The Books:
- It Starts with Food: The WHY behind the program, backed up by research
- The Whole30: The HOW-TO Guide + recipes
- Whole30 Cookbook: A collection of 150 new RECIPES
- Food Freedom Forever: A guide to life AFTER your Whole30
Some people do the Whole30 without ever reading the book. Totally fine, but I highly recommend all of the books (especially The Whole30) to get a complete understanding of the program and up your chances of sticking to it. If you want to know why the Whole30 works so well and how it was designed, these are essential. And, it’s just good overall info to know! I’ve learned so much from these 4 books, you can’t go wrong. Plus, the writing and recipes are awesome!
The Official Website:
Your official go to for anything and everything Whole30 related. Really, everything you need for the Whole30 can be found here. Be sure to check out the official rules, their FREE downloads (print out, they come in handy for quick reference!) and their super helpful moderated Forum.
*You can also sign up for the January Whole30 & the official Whole30 newsletter HERE!*
On Facebook:
Whole30 & Official Whole30 Recipes
On Instagram:
@whole30, @whole30recipes, @melissa_hartwig, @whole30approved
On Twitter:
Thank you for stopping by! Happy New Year & Cheers to a Healthy 2017! xx
Images: Beckley & Co.
I’m in. Can’t decide when I’ll start, but I’ll be along for the ride!
Yay! Happy that you’re joining us
Do you have any recipes or meal plans that you can share for the whole30 aip?
I have not completed the AIP myself but I interviewed a friend a few years ago with Ulcerative colitis who did the AIP about her experience. (She had a food blog but its not active any more). I would also take a look at the Whole30 forum (on their site) for resources or maybe the @whole30recipes instagram account…Hope that helps! Here is a link to the post I did: https://loubiesandlulu.com/whole-30-aip/