Most diets are tough. The Whole30 diet takes this difficulty to a whole new level. The Whole30 diet asks you to stay away from soy, dairy, grains, legumes, alcohol and all added sugars(such as your favourite coconut laddus), for a period of 30 days. After 30 days you have to add all of these food products back one by one. The benefits? Dieters have reported better sleep, more energy, clearer skin and freedom from cravings. It truly redefines your relationship with food! To get a better understanding of this diet, let’s take a look at what you can and can’t eat, the pros and cons and how you can fit it into your lifestyle.

• What you can’t eat

To successfully complete the Whole30 diet and reap its benefits you will have to stay away from:

Dairy - All dairy products including cheese, cow milk, yoghurt, cream, sour cream and butter. 

Grains - No more grains. Grains like corn, rice, wheat, rye, quinoa, millet, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, bulgur or sprouted grains all come under this category.

Alcohol - No alcohol can be consumed on the Whole30 diet, cooked into your food or otherwise.

Legumes - For 30 days you cannot eat beans or peas and lentils of any kind. 

Added sugar - For the entirety of 30 days you cannot consume real or artificial sugar. This includes honey, maple syrup, agave, Splenda, xylitol and stevia. Check the labels on everything you buy, you will be surprised by just how many food items in shops have added sugars.

Junk food - This has a lot to do with the mental aspect of the diet. You cannot just switch from potato chips to baked potato chips and expect to get away with it. 

• What you can eat

Vegetables - You can eat as many vegetables and potatoes as you want.

Fruits - While you are allowed to eat fruits be sure to limit your intake as you should be staying away from sugars.

Unprocessed meats - Source your meat from natural sources instead of the grocery store to ensure that it remains unprocessed.

Seafood - Fish and shellfish get the sign of approval and can be consumed at all times on the Whole30 diet.

Eggs - Yes, rejoice, eggs are okay to be consumed on the diet.

Nuts and seeds - All nuts and seeds except for peanuts are allowed on the Whole30 diet.

Oils - Only olive oil and coconut oil are the oils allowed in the Whole30 diet.

Coffee - You can drink coffee on the Whole30 diet, but you cannot add milk or sugar to it. 

• Struggles and benefits

The most common disadvantages faced on the Whole30 diet are cravings and headaches. This diet also excludes legumes and grains proven to provide our body with essential nutrients. On the other hand, there have been people who stuck out the entire 30 days and reported reduced acne, increased energy levels and better sleep. By identifying which foods cause you physical and mental discomfort the Whole30 diet puts you back in charge of your well-being. Eating healthy snacks then becomes your default instead of a rare occurrence.  

The Whole30 diet helps greatly with weight loss however its primary goal is to fix your relationship with food instead of trying to lose weight. Having a fixed goal to work towards keeps you away from laddus and bhakarwadis and lets you focus on healthier meals. The long-term effects of the Whole30 diet make it a great way to tackle eating disorders and regain control of your eating habits. Being a diet that needs to be followed for a short period of time while giving long-term benefits, we recommend that everyone should give the Whole30 diet a chance to help change their lives.