Hi friends! Alright week two for Whole 30 has concluded and we are on to week three. This time around, I’m already in the Tiger Blood stage meaning I feel like I can conquer the world. Refined sugar addiction sluggishness has subsided, withdrawal signs have passed, my clothes fitting way looser and saying no to temptations is much easier. I do have to say, I’m exhausted. While I have energy during the day, I am super tired come bed time. I think since I’m working out twice a day with the TIU Love Your Body series, my body is getting tired earlier, but that just makes for a great nights sleep. S and I have Friday off, so after a family event in the morning, I took a seriously long, much needed catnap.

You can read my week 1 recap from last week here.

Okay, this week’s Whole 30 post is a Q&A style. I’ve had a lot of Instagram DMs and emails asking about my Whole 30 experience. Keep in mind that I am not a certified Whole 30 program coach, I am not en expert at this program and I do not have a nutritional background. What I can speak to is my personal experience and research interpretations which is what I’ll be sharing today! Another note is know that everyone’s healthy journey is different, especially with Whole 30.


Q: How do you avoid sugar withdrawal headaches?
My first time around, I had serious headaches. I’m not going to lie.. sugar withdrawals are intense. This time around, they weren’t that bad. I really think it’s because I’m taking in a massive amount of water, getting enough sleep and always incorporating healthy fats into my meals. There is research that shows healthy fats like avocados and almonds can reduce headache occurrences.

Q: What are your favorite breakfast meals?
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I’m an early bird too. If I’m on the go and heading to the office, I always have a smoothie. I combine spinach or kale, ice cubes, water, maca powder [makes it a tad sweet without added sugar!] Califia Farms unsweetened almond milk. I’ll add in almond butter or avocado for added protein and healthy fats too. I do avoid adding fruit to my smoothies to reduce a chance at spiking my blood sugar levels. I save my fruit as a treat instead of drinking it.

On days I work from home, I’ll eat eggs, arugula and avocado with cracked pepper and garlic. On the weekends, I’ll make us a breakfast scramble hash mentioned in this post.

Q: How do you find meals to make?
Pinterest! I have a Whole 30 board here if you’d like to follow along for ideas. I also follow the Whole 30 and Whole 30 Recipes Instagram accounts for ideas.

Q: What’s your favorite healthy dessert?
While Whole 30 works to kick your snacking habits, if I am craving something sweet after dinner I will have an apple with cinnamon. My first round, S and I loved “nice cream” which is a frozen banana blended with berries, almond butter or cinnamon. I killed it. I have a really bad habit of killing foods. Tasting nice cream makes me gag now, but it was good at the time haha.

Q: How do you find the energy to work out?
Honestly my first round, I could hardly find the energy to work out. My body was going through a huge detox. After that experience, I primarily have eaten cleans o my body didn’t go through an intense purge this time around. The first week I was the most exhausted and listened to my body. I got to two spin classes. Now I have the energy to work out 2X a day which is a routine I look forward to and enjoy. Come bed time, I’m exhausted though!

Q: Was it hard ditching alcohol?
It is for some, but not for me. I’m not a big drinker. I have a cocktail maybe once every other month if that, so this isn’t a temptation or challenge for me personally. I’d suggest replacing your wine or cocktail with a seltzer water [make sure it’s compliant and 0 sodium, sugar free like La Croix].

Q: Is your husband doing Whole 30?
Yes. He’s so supportive and I’m very lucky. I 100% couldn’t do it without him. I’m not saying that you can’t do it if your partner doesn’t follow the program, but for myself I know I wouldn’t have the will power to not eat a pizza if it’s sitting on my counter. We hold each other accountable, but really he holds me accountable haha. He has the willpower of no other and doesn’t contemplate temptations. He eats even more clean than me when not on Whole 30, so he’s an overall great accountability buddy to have.

Q: What are your most noticeable differences when doing Whole 30?
Here are a few of the most rewarding effects of the program I experience:
1. Food becomes fuel. It does not have an emotional attachment and it isn’t treated as a reward which allows me to make smarter, healthier decisions.
2. Post-meal bloating is gone.
3. Digestion and stomach issues are totally nixed.
4. I sleep much better and truly feel rested in the morning.
5. Clothes fit way more comfortably and I feel much more confident at my ideal weight.
6. My mind isn’t foggy and I think much clearer.
7. My body is naturally energized to kick work outs butts and zoom through the work week.
8. Skin redness on my face is gone which I’m assuming was due to the holiday cookies/sugar 😉

Q: Are collagen peptides Whole 30 approved?
I can’t speak for all brands available, but I drink Vital Proteins which are approved.

Q: Where do you find sugar-free bacon and sausages?
Whole Foods carries Applegate brand of turkey bacon that is labeled “paleo” and “whole 30” approved. They also carry varying types of chicken sausage that are compliant.

Q: How do you eat out?
We really don’t. We don’t eat out much to begin with, but do typically enjoy a weekly date night. This past week we had a family event and went to dinner. I opted for a salad! You can ask for them to hold the dressing and ask for olive oil, vinegar and/or lemon. Also, check how the chicken is cooked! Oftentimes you can just find a grilled options and confirm they won’t use butter or junk and use olive oil.

Q: Do you need to eat organic meats and produce?
It’s not a program requirement, but we personally always purchase organic, free range, local meats. I was a vegetarian for seven years and needed to incorporate chicken back into my diet due to health reasons. It wasn’t easy, but now I can eat chicken and turkey without my stomach curdling. For produce, we buy organic at times, but aren’t as consistent. I hate unorganic apples because of the heavy wax coating and try to always get organic strawberries since they are known to really soak up the pesticides.

Q: Is kombucha approved?
While sugar is used during the process of fermenting kombucha, it’s still compliant and you can read more about that here. What you want to check for is that there isn’t added sugar after the fact. The brand I’ve found that has compliant options is GT’s.

Q: How do you take your coffee?
If you typically drink sugar and cream in your coffee then this program will be a big adjustment for you! I personally drink espresso with a drop of Califia Farms unsweetened almond milk, which is Whole 30 approved so I don’t need to make an adjustment. You can dry to go black, but almond milk works perfectly for me. I like Califia Farms because they don’t use added sugar or ] carrageenan.

Q: Do you have any cheat days?
Nope. The program is 30 days of clean eating. This round my birthday falls during the month so I may decide to live a little and enjoy the night S planned with friends. I won’t go crazy, but if I want a grilled chicken wrap and fries, then I’m going to enjoy my birthday and get a grilled chicken wrap with fries haha.

Q: What are come compliant snacks?
Before snaking I drink a glass of water to see if I’m actually just thirsty! If I really am hungry, I’ll grab almonds, apples with cinnamon, carrots or red peppers. S loves bars and enjoys Larabars and Rx bars. Not all are approved for Whole 30, so do the research. The ones with chocolate chips or maple syrup are easy inclinations it’s off limits.

I hope this Q&A answers your Whole 30 program questions! If you’re currently completing the program – let me know how you’re feeling or any additional question in the comments below. Xo Mindy


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