You’ve likely heard of Whole30 or maybe even tried it yourself. The diet involves eliminating sugar, dairy, grains, alcohol and other major food groups for 30 days — no calorie counting involved.
According to the Whole30 website, the program is designed to be a “short-term reset” which promises a variety of benefits, from weight loss to high energy levels. Since it came on the scene in 2009, Whole30 has garnered millions of followers and become a popular fad diet, especially around New Years resolution time. The diet is intense and restrictive — many people call it the Whole30 “challenge.”
However, Whole30 has never ranked high among top diets by experts. It didn’t even make the list of overall best diets in 2023 from U.S. News & World Report.
Despite having many critics, the 30-day elimination diet remains popular — likely thanks to social media. Proponents of the diet have flocked to Facebook and Instagram to share their Whole30 recipes, progress and results. There are over 4.4 million posts on Instagram using the hashtag #whole30 with countless photos of delicious-looking meals.
So how does the Whole30 diet work and is it actually healthy? Here’s what experts say.
What is Whole30?
Whole30 is basically an elimination diet — you cut out certain foods, namely processed ones. By following the Whole30 diet rules and not eating foods that are likely to contain common allergens or trigger inflammation, you can see how your body responds. That means no cheating — you’re expected to follow the program to the letter for 30 days.
The idea is that by cutting these foods out, you’ll learn which of them haven’t been working for your body. After 30 days, you systematically reintroduce the forbidden food groups and pay attention to how they make you feel. In a way, you’re using your body as a laboratory and testing what causes you to have a reaction and what doesn’t.
But that science-y sounding strategy doesn’t mean that Whole30 isn’t a diet. It definitely…
Read the full article here
