How to Prepare for a Whole 30

Eating healthy isn't difficult per se, but like anything worth having, it takes time and understanding to be successful. When you commit to a Whole 30, it is the foundation of a lifestyle change. You won't be able to eat at McDonald's anymore. 95% of the time you will prepare your own food, which can be extremely intimidating. The good news is that once you have the right foods, spices and a plan of attack you will be craving your own creations more than the convenience of any of your favorite drive-thrus.

For a true lifestyle change to occur and sustain, you have to accept that you must step outside of your comfort zone. You must shop at different places (some of which you've never heard of and/or never imagined you'd ever step foot in); you must try those fruits and vegetables you've "always hated" or never even tried (I didn't even know what kale was before I started all this--now I eat it at least 4 times a week and I love it!); you must do things that you don't normally do (dust off that apron and the potholders because you will be cooking, and by cooking I mean constantly cooking); you must exercise in a healthy, efficient manner (start lifting weights--not machines or 3 lb little weights--a barbell); and, most importantly, you must believe that you are worth fighting for, worth fueling with good, healthy, nutritious food that will heal you from the inside out and make your life more enjoyable for all the days to come (this was actually the hardest for me to grasp and something I still struggle with daily). Take heart--it IS doable! I promise! Let's break it down with the good old Five W's.

Who?
 You, silly. But don't expect this to be completely smooth sailing for those around you. Spouses, significant others, children, co-workers and even friends may have sharp opposition to your participation in a Whole 30 or even just general healthy eating. This can be for a variety of reasons from not wanting to eat what you are eating if you are the cook of the house to feeling guilty about their own food choices to mere inconvenience at your now "special needs". Remember, eating is all about personal choice and responsibility. You choose what you eat, not your boss or your husband or your best friend. You will be cajoled into "just having one" or "one _______ won't hurt you!" but remain firm. Also, try to say and think "No, thank you. I choose not to" instead of "No, I can't" because you can if you want to. No one is chaining you down and force feeding you anything. Empower your mind and you will empower your body.

What? and Where?
 Your kitchen will be your new home for the next thirty days. Clean out all of the processed, unhealthy junk foods and while you are at it, clean out the fridge, the pantry, the counters. Eliminate all of the temptations you feasibly can (don't risk a divorce if your better half isn't joining you on this adventure, but do what you can!). Get organized. Buy disposable containers so you can take your lunch with you to work. Go to the stores and stock up on your new ingredients.

 But which stores? And for what? Here is a list of my typical shopping lists for each store,

1. Meijer  I love Meijer. For those of you not in the midwest, this is a regional Wal-Mart-esque store without all the people of Wal-Mart. You can get great deals and they have an amazing, and surprising, selection of organic foods. Look here for fresh organic fruits and vegetables, raw nuts (walnuts, cashews, almonds, sliced almonds and pecans) and wild caught salmon.
2. Super Target What a wonderful store for so many reasons! However, Super Target now carries Thousand Hills Cattle Company meats, which are 100% grass-fed beef products. You can even get grass-fed beef hot dogs! This is so much easier than driving up to the Northside for Whole Foods (I'm considering starting a petition for a Whole Foods on the Southside if there's enough interest) AND if you have a Target credit card, you automatically save 5% every time you shop. A couponer's dream! You can also find organic fruits and veggies here, but the selection and quality aren't half as good as Meijer's or Whole Foods' and they are usually more expensive.
3. Whole Foods I love Whole Foods. I hate that Whole Foods is 25 min and an interstate away from me. But what a wonderful selection of healthy meats, organic veggies and fruits, and local products. They carry Pinetree Farms chicken, which is cage free chicken, all vegetable fed, hormone and antibiotic free dee-licious chicken. You can buy it in bulk and save 15% off when you do that. This is perfect for the Whole 30--you can spice 4 of the chicken breasts to shred (coming soon to a future blog post) and then freeze the remaining 2 chicken breasts for crock pot chicken fajitas (coming soon to another future blog post). You can also buy organic garlic cloves, pre-peeled (which are worth their weight in gold) in the produce department right next to their in-store made fresh salsa and guacamole. Both Whole Foods fresh salsa and guacamole are Whole 30 compliant and can really spice up your meals. If that wasn't enough, you can make your own almond butter in the store! Ingredients: Crushed up almonds. Nothing else. It is delectable on it's own or with cut apples or celery. They also have organic dried fruit in bulk--just watch out because about half of it is sweetened with organic evaporated cane sugar. Reading labels is always critical, even at Whole Foods! If you "like" their page(s) on Facebook, you will be able to see when various meats go on sale, which can really save you money.
4. Smoking Goose Meatery Okay, I confess that I never in my life imagined I would walk into a butcher to buy my meat. It all seemed so yuppie, so hippie, so expensive, so.....not me. Thank goodness I got over myself and took a trip to the near Eastside of Indianapolis where this wonderland exists. Don't forget to try their smoked turkey breast, their breakfast sausage, and my favorite, applewood smoked bacon bits! Check them out at http://www.smokinggoose.com/ Their meats are showing up at more and more local groceries and they supply a ton of local restaurants including the Caveman Truck (another future blog post).
5. Fresh Market A smaller Whole Foods type store, they have my favorite Tuesday specials, where they have a lot of their meats on sale for 50% off. They also appear to have more specialty organic foods (I got organic cherries there this summer that were to die for). A little pricey, but remember darling, you are worth it. "Like" their Facebook page to find out what their Tuesday specials are, along with some recipes. 
6. Publix If I were back down South, I'd be at Publix all the time! :) But even if you never have and never will visit one, "Like" their Facebook page for wonderful recipes that are updated weekly.

Why?
This varies from person to person and can be for multiple reasons. Whether it is to improve general health, to lose weight, to alleviate a specific ailment (joint pain, insomnia, lower cholesterol, etc.), or just to challenge yourself for 30 days, focus on yourself. Listen to your body. See how your body reacts to certain foods, or to a lack of certain foods. Learn more about the only container you'll ever have to live in. 

How?
 Okay, okay, so the last W is really a H.  But this is the longest one to explain, and will be the focus of the rest of the blog. You just do it. One meal at a time. You know the principles, you know what you can and can't eat (and if you are unsure you don't eat it until you find out if you can) and you focus on enjoying each meal by feeding yourself until you are full, then going about your day until the next meal comes along. Feel free to let me know if you have any specific questions about how to do something. We'll figure it out together.

Also, the steamer will become a favorite kitchen appliance. It's so easy to throw some frozen vegetables (plain, no sauce or butter) into the steamer while your meat is cooking. If you don't have one, get one now!

How Much?
The beauty of the Whole 30 is that you don't count anything. Not calories, ounces, number of blueberries. Nothing! You eat until you are full. Period. But that isn't really helpful when you are trying to figure out how much to eat of what. Consider the photo below. That's about 5.5 oz of salmon, a handful of grape tomatoes, the equivalent of green beans, some blueberries and about 10-15 pecans. I try to make half of my plate protein, half fruits and vegetables, and a serving of healthy fat (the pecans). Unsweet tea is my favorite beverage followed by water with lemon. Remember that you should prioritize protein because it will keep you full until your next meal. Get your fruits and veggies because they will give you the vitamins, minerals and fiber you need throughout the day. Don't be afraid of fat! You are turning your body into a fat burning machine and it needs fat in order to burn the fat that is already stored in your body. Just make sure it is the healthy fat (avocado, raw pecans, cashews, almonds, walnuts, olive oil and coconut oil) and not the processed fat.

Preparation is only the beginning, and you can't possibly prepare for everything. Half the fun is learning through the process. So, start cleaning those kitchens and buying the ingredients to a better you. And get on it--2013 is less than 30 hours away!