Why I am doing the Whole30

Yesterday I posted that I will be starting the Whole30 program for the first time. As I finished reading the book, It Starts With Food, I began to think about the possibilities presented by the program and why I am ready to embark on what others may view as a radical lifestyle change. About 9 years ago I wasn't feeling right and I didn't know why. I searched to find the reason for my depression, exhaustion, moodiness, and sometimes off the wall behavior. I just didn't feel like myself. I ended up being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and all the diagnosis didn't quite fit I allowed the doctors to put me on all kinds of medications. Finally two years ago, I got a dog who I credit with saving my life. I was allergic to my fantastic puppy and went to a specialist for allergy testing. Along with the dog allergy and several other environmental allergies, we discovered I had a severe allergy to yeast. My allergist suggested cutting it out of my diet. I immediately went home and googled yeast allergy and candida free diets and in my reading I noticed a list of physical and psychological effects of anaphylaxis. I started to wonder if maybe the reason all of those psych drugs weren't working was really because I wasn't crazy, but was eating the wrong things. I cleaned up my diet and started talking to my psychiatrist. He slowly started reducing the levels of the medication I was taking and I strived to eliminate as much yeast, which also means processed foods and sugars, from my diet as possible. In March of this year I was officially released as a patient from the psychiatric clinic after being medication free for 18 months.

My eating habits are far from perfect though and I am still struggling to lost the 70lbs that I gained from the psychiatric medications they tried. I exercise daily but struggle with aches and pains of arthritis in my joints from my younger athletic days that resulted in 9 knee surgeries and two shoulder surgeries.

So why the Whole30?

It may not help me lose weight, but it is possible it will.

It may not help my inflamed joints, but it is possible it will.
It may not help me sleep better, but it is possible it will.
It may not help me make better choices and eliminate what I'm allergic too, but it is possible it will.
It may not help my body fight my environmental allergies, but it is possible it will.

There are too many possibilities that it may help, for me to ignore!!

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah