But I AM eating healthy...

Or at least I thought I was, until I read "Why we get fat and what to do about it" by Gary Taubes. Living in a perpetual state of hunger, trying to stay motivated to adhere to any number of low calorie diets, I was fed up (or not, if you take it literally) and couldn't figure out why none of these programs were working for me. Leaving a trail of unrealized goals and empty chip bags behind me,

I resigned myself to the fact that I was packing my suitcase for a friend's wedding in Cuba and I hadn't even managed to lose 10lbs and I probably was just meant to be "fat". For the last several months I had been listening to Nicole go on and on about, first Wheat Belly, then the Whole9, so I decided to take "Why we get fat and what to do about it" with me to Cuba. I said to myself: "Self, this could be good! Maybe reading this health book on the beach, feeling like an overgrown seal in your bathing suit and hating that feeling will help you find the motivation to make some real changes".

Yep, it helped me make some changes alright. How about coming home to Nicole (aka. the Food Nazi) with my tail between my legs and admitting that she was right and that I had finally seen the light. I now understood what she was blabbing on about and what she was trying to convince me of all those times when all I did was listen politely and roll my eyes. Taubes' book was just enough science for me to really get it. I'm a logical person, I believe in Freakonomics (that statistics can be used to prove ANYTHING, for those of you who haven’t read those books), and I need to hear the science! It's not enough to tell me what to eat; I need to know why I should eat it and how it impacts my body. So, I tried cutting out simple carbs and refined sugars and started jogging. Still not seeing a lot of change in the scale, but feeling better that I was eating better, I started to give consideration to trying a Whole30 and I ran my first road race (8km) just a few weeks ago.

So, the Whole30 eh? The Food Nazi helped me to understand that this means choosing to eat lots of nutrient dense, whole foods. The founders of the program (Dallas and Melissa Hartwig) believe that no food is neutral; a food either contributes to your health or makes you less healthy. Basically, by doing the Whole30 you get to hit the refresh button on your digestive system as well as redefine your psychological relationship with food. By the time you finish, you've changed your tastebuds, eliminated (or at least greatly reduced) your cravings for sugar/junk food, and you will be able to start adding back foods that may be impacting your health without you even knowing about it. The foods you eat during the 30 days are natural, whole, healthy foods - vegetables, meats, eggs, nuts, fruits, and good fats. But there is also a "not allowed" list - sugar, dairy, grains, soy, and preservatives. Sounds healthy right?

But, how can we determine if a food is healthy or not? (Insert dramatic movie music here and stay tuned...)