Whole30 Challenge | Why I am doing a Whole30

It’s been too long! One of my goals this year was to REALLY get into Thyme and Joy so that it propelled me forward into taking the leap to start a huge business undertaking.

Well that didn’t happen . . .

Life has been full and yet dull at the same time. Life in Hawaii had it’s challenges, but it also had so much looming excitement for the future. The future is now and it’s safe to say that we’re kind of in a rut. Long story short, I’ve taken on a full-time “bridge” job which keeps me busy and purposeful albeit much more low paying then I am used to. Mike has started his rotating shift work which leaves him working overnight shifts, mid day shifts and day shifts. We haven’t had much time together that we’re either not exhausted or trying really hard to get our rescue dog to love us. My friends suggested that we try out some soothing, stress-relieving stuff like cannabis maybe; they even told me about this edmond dispensary that delivers anything we may need. I think I may just consider it soon enough, what with the stress and the tedium of daily life getting to us. But, before that, there were other changes to be made.

These ruts are the hardest because nothing is really “wrong” with life. We see each other just enough and we’re making just enough money and we’re just enough happy with the present and future. I started thinking about what I can change to start moving towards a more exciting life and what I realized is that big and small changes always come from a clear head and a positive mind which for me always happens when I change my diet for the better or do a legendary juice cleanse.

Seriously, I’m addicted. I’ve juiced for so many years and have helped turn it into a business because I truly believe in juicing. For better or worse, juice CLEANSES in particular turned me from a foggy, lethargic zombie into a werewolf who only needed 6 hours of sleep a night and accomplished SO MUCH with boundless energy.

Moreover, now I sleep like a baby at night without having any issues such as sleeplessness and insomnia, which was the leading cause of my feeling tired all the time. Perhaps, as a next step, I might consider getting a new adjustable bed with a mattress since it can have various benefits, including better sleep circulation, reduced back pain, prevention of medical conditions like sleep apnea, and more. I can look into websites like Sleep Education to get information on various bed brands available in the market. However, first I am going to focus on juice cleanses until I get habitual to this daily routine, and then I could move on to looking for other lifestyle improvement methods.

The problem always was at the end. I would do fairly well after and then crumble into old habits which I know most of us to do. Still… I need that head space and motivation again for SO much more than weight loss which unfortunately was the goal of most of my juice cleanses.

After a lot of research and a LOT of fast food and sugar consumption stemming from a recent cross country move, I have decided that the best way to approach this is to eat in a way that rids me of reactive and inflammatory foods while consuming foods that my body knows what to do with. Ok, yes, for a while I did also consider pairing this new diet with a bit of medication that can help boost metabolism and energy for me, and maybe also help me reduce those cravings, you know? But in the end, I decided against it and stuck with the natural Whole30 program instead.

Enter the Whole30

There are quite a few books, websites and blogs about the Whole30 program and they explain everything with free printables. But in easier terms, I am cutting out dairy, sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes and chemical additives for a full 30 days. After the 30 days I will be introducing those foods back into my diet to see how they affect my mood, energy, fogginess etc. Only then can I see what my body doesn’t agree with and how often I want to consume those things. I might not resume alcohol consumption so soon though. Ever since I witnessed a car accident, my opinion on alcohol may have shifted a little because of the trauma. Keeping it strictly indoors and at home would be a much safer option. Not just for me but for anyone else on the road too. Of course, keeping an eye out on the road may help me prevent accidents but it would pay to be weary of drunk drivers. As much as I would hate it, it would be necessary to contact car accident attorneys in Schaumburg if I’d be involved in an accident.

My hope is that I will:

• Wean myself off of sugar to the point where it doesn’t become a lifeline of shoveling handfuls of cadbury eggs in my mouth (easter is my fav holiday…)
• Create better habits by giving a shit about what I feed myself (i.e – less chemicals)
• Sleep deeper through the night
• Become a clean state where my mind, emotions and energy are all in sync to the point where I am utilizing my free time better to truly dig into my future plans so I can create a more flexible and financially sound future doing what I love

Feel free to follow my journey on IG @thymeandjoy

CHEERS! (with kombucha) and stay tuned for my weekly recaps!