day 0: whole30's eve

'Twas the night before Whole30 and all through the house...

Right now I am in this strange purgatory where I haven't technically begun my Whole30, but I am chomping at the bit to do so (tomorrow!). I am in mad meal preparation mode (bone broth in the works now) yet I am still trying to finish off the last bits of non-compliant foods in my apartment so they aren't wasted. Today for dinner I had cornbread, greek yoghurt and granola, and a vanilla protein shake. Weirdest meal ever, right? (I'm already craving ALL the vegetables sautéed in ALL the ghee.)

I'm so excited to get started I probably won't sleep tonight (I never grew out of Christmas Eve Syndrome), which probably won't get my hormone balance off to a good start, but hey--I'd much rather lose sleep because I'm excited about being healthy than because my neighbors are up drinking, smoking, and playing videos game every night until 3:00am.

But that's neither here nor there.

So a few people close to me have expressed some concern that taking on the "challenge" of such a "strict" diet may be too much given my already stressful, hectic life as a veterinary student.

Here's the thing:

For me, making decisions is anxiety-inducing (okay--a lot of things are anxiety-inducing for me, but that's a different blog altogether). So, when I take away the need to make decisions about food (which are constant, everyday decisions) and instead commit to following a simple set of rules, my overall anxiety level decreases A LOT. Like, a lot a lot.

This may not be the case for most people. I completely understand that tackling the Whole30 may seem daunting for those who are not accustomed to cooking three meals a day, or those who rely on take-out and processed/packaged foods for the bulk of their nutrition. Making real meals out of real food takes effort, but it is SO rewarding.

I want to take a moment for perhaps an obvious but necessary DISCLAIMER. I think it's important to reiterate that this is only my experience--my Whole30. If you were to go off and do your own, I would expect nothing less than for you to have a completely different experience. Everybody is different. Every body is different. I am not composing this blog as a platform to preach about what you should do to be healthy. I am simply communicating my observations, interpretations, and ruminations on nothing more than my own journey.

That being said, I will be sharing what I'm learning about food, about health, and about myself (be warned, it could be TMI). And I hope to serve in some manner as an inspiration, or, at the very least, as a catalyst for questions, discussion, and discovery.

Tomorrow, it begins. Whole30 is coming.