getting ready for a whole30, the easy way

First, may I say I'm starting a Whole30 on March 1 and invite you each to join me in this?

This approach to simple, healthy, and ultimately tasty eating is the best I've encountered, and believe me, I've tried lots. This is not the only approach; it's just that it's my favorite, so I'm sticking with it for awhile. This will be my second Whole30, and while I do not pretend to be an expert on the subject, I have found a few tricks (for lack of a cooler word) and tips for focusing on the good stuff and abandoning any sense of deprivation. I'd also like to share some money-saving ideas.

I don't know about every one of you, but I'd venture a guess that you are no more fond of spending more and more and more while you work toward your health and fitness goals than I am. The Whole30 and the information you need to complete it are completely free of charge. (If you'd like lots more detailed information, check here.) Yes, there's a Success Guide that you can purchase, and no, it is not needed to get results you will love. The whole cost thing can be scary, and protein, fresh vegetables and fruits, and healthy oils can be a bit pricier...unless you spend a little time in the kitchen. And I do mean a little; you won't have to live there unless you choose. What I have noticed is that when our purchases of processed foods and ready-to-eat meals decreased, so did our overall spending. I'm not suggesting any of you are buying junk food, though I have certainly been known to do that myself at times. Some foods that do not really do much for our bodies have somehow made it into the indispensable category for many of us. If you're not buying cheese or ice cream, frozen entrees, or jars and bottles of sauces and spreads for awhile, there's a lot cash freed up. I'm not even addressing cookies and chips. If you've been adding gluten-free or Paleo "treats" to your shopping cart, your savings will be even greater.

You won't be needing sugar or other sweeteners, processed foods, grains, beans, potatoes, juices, sodas, or liquor. If leaving some of these items behind sounds scary, remember this is the Whole30, not the Whole365, as its creators, Dallas and Melissa, often point out. You can do this for 30 days. We can do this for 30 days.

Now for the fun and easy part. We'll be eating meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, piles of fresh vegetables, some fruit, and healthy fats like nuts, avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, lard, and tallow. The food is good, really good, because it is comprised of your favorite things from this list. There's no reason in the world to add something you don't love. Okay, very few reasons and none really compelling. Still, don't like fish? Don't eat it. Like beef but not pork? You choose. And the very best part is there is also no significant reason to be hungry. Good fats are healthy and filling, and if you've ever done a low-fat diet, you know first-hand how hard it is to get really full on low-fat stuff. Goodbye, deprivation.

Next post will cover in detail some of my suggestions for making this as easy on yourself as possible. And, yes, it will be in plenty of time to get ready to start this with us on March 1.