I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I embarked on my latest endeavor. I had watched several people close to me tackle the Whole30 diet plan, but now it was my time. For a few years now I have been battling crippling migraines. I wish I could say I found methods or medicines to alleviate the pain, but not even doctors could help. My next hope: Whole30. With this I am hoping to find an answer to what causes my mind-splitting migraines accompanied with the even more joyful vision loss of my left eye. Could it be something I have been eating that I am allergic to? Here’s to hoping for an answer.
Seeing many people, including members of my family, totally tackle this Whole30 process while still eating foods they loved I figured it would not be too hard. Man, was I wrong. Let’s get one thing straight: if you are blessed enough to have a kitchen and a full-sized refrigerator; give Whole30 a shot, you’ll be able to rock it. Being able to cook yourself meals of grilled meats, baked veggies, cauliflower dishes, eggs, etc. is key to surviving this diet while also meeting nutritional needs for a healthy life. For more in-depth information on the dos and don’ts of Whole30 visit www.whole30.com but for those who have no prior knowledge, I will give a quick run-down. You may not have sugar of any kind, alcohol (not even for cooking), grains, legumes (beans including peanuts), dairy, and any GMOs. This might not sound too bad at first, but when you are rummaging through your local grocery store and have laser-focus on the ingredient labels you realize just how much companies sneak into foods you think are good for you. If you’re in need of a nutritional reset, think you may be allergic to something you consume often, or just want to test your will against temptation give whole30 a try. Even as a college student it can be done, without starving yourself!
Surviving As A College Student
If your college is anything like mine, your options are going to be very limited. If you decide to do this while living in a dorm with a microwave and a mini-fridge, it is going to take time to find your clean eating groove. While there are some days that the dining hall will have a limited option of one thing you could have, you never really know what all goes into the process of what you will end up eating. If you have the chance, inquire about all the ingredients and sources of the food you think you can have there, but you may find yourself unluckily talking to a student worker who has no clue. If you think you might be risking having something on the Whole30 banned list, just walk away. If you’re going to do these 30 days right, your bank account is going to take a hit. First step, invest in a crockpot, or do as I did and text your sibling group message and hopefully one of your four older sisters will send you one through Amazon. Second step, open your wallet and get ready to drop a heavy penny at the grocery store. Here are the things I found that got me through a week at a time until my next grocery store visit: fruit (bananas, raspberries, grapes to freeze, blueberries, and white-plums), salad (look on Whole30 website for approved dressings), coconut water, La Croix, Lara Bars (look for approved ones), apples sauce (look at ingredients for sneaky additives), plantain chips, and snap peas. Don’t limit yourself to my personal shopping list. Find the foods that are permitted by the program that will make you and your tummy happy for 30 days.
A wise step to take before your departure to the store is to do heavy research on Whole30 crockpot/slow cooker recipes. If you are an active pinner on Pinterest, make a board it will come in handy. If you don’t already have any, buy tupperware. Find crockpot recipes that will last you at least four days, store it in the fridge and reheat at your leisure. If you are running into the problem of cleaning the crockpot in your tiny bathroom sink, do not be discouraged. Spend the extra couple of dollars on disposable crockpot liners. Once the food is out, just throw the bag away and you have yourself a clean crockpot. Do it right, get a crockpot.
Enduring Through Cravings
Remember you are human and cravings are inevitable. You will have your bad days where you have visions of Raising Canes sauce dancing in your head, the thought of a warm brownie with vanilla ice-cream drilled into your mind, and you maybe even be launched into a heated debate with your friends over if Shipley’s or Krispy Kreme is better (Shipley’s obviously). It is best to curve these cravings with the snacks you can have. Plantain chips, grapes, Lara bars and avocados help get me through these “hangry” episodes. When those did not work I honestly turned to Jesus. You may not think to turn to Christ in something like this but He can sustain you in your hardest times of this diet. Sing to Him, talk to Him, fall into Him and you can make it through anything, especially a 30-day nutrition plan. Do not stress over the bad days, you will have good ones too. The farther into it you get the more you start to crave those grapes, your favorite flavored Lara bar, and at worst a poor college students biggest vice: a simple PB&J.
Encouragement
Starting something like this is not going to be easy at all, trust me. But also trust me in this; you can do anything. When you commit yourself to this 30-day reset not only will you receive the physical benefits, but you have power in knowing every day that you can stick to your choice and make it through another day. With the combination of a crockpot, friends making up a support system, a now empty wallet, and the freedom to turn to Christ; Whole30 is far from impossible even for a college student.
