By Bradley Robertson

Tis the season friends, that everyone is talking about “Eating Healthy.”
Including myself.
I’m going to start off honest and say that it has always been a challenge for me to maintain a healthy weight. Even here, I feel odd saying “healthy weight,” what does that even mean? Truth is, it is different for all of us. We are not all shaped and formed for one mold.
I thoroughly enjoy working out, and being active. But on the food side, I love good food. All of it. I like to taste. I like to create. I like the smells and all the warm feelings when eating something fantastic. We all know that lots of sugar and bread can have a negative effect on our shape.
But, as I’ve gotten slightly older, and slightly wiser, I’ve also realized what a negative effect food has on my mind and my overall health. I first brought this little notion to surface the first time I tried Whole30.
I had been at the beach for a week with my little family, eating all the good stuff one can imagine; seafood, Bloody Mary’s, bologna sandwiches out of a cooler, cold beer and potato chips. May I mention the huge pack of cookies I buy my kids every beach trip? You get the point. I love it all. All this goodness will leave one wanting to hibernate for days when they make it back home.
So feeling all the blahs post-beach, I looked up Whole30 on Google. I learned all the basics in about five minutes and ordered the official book on Amazon. Thus began my Whole30 journey.
I am now on my 10th Whole30. I love it. I really do. And I have never said that about any sort of nutrition plan or diet. It is the only plan I have ever gone back to again and again.
And it is the only plan that truly brought me to overall health and wellness. It is for me. It is not for everyone. However, I’m going to give you all the fabulous reasons why you should give it a try. 
These are all my opinions. There are some Whole30 facts woven in here that will be quite helpful. They are in no particular order as they each add equal value to my day. So here you go, friends…
Top 10 Reasons to Try Whole30:

  1. Whole30 was created to last 30 days, that’s all. Anyone desiring to get their nutrition in check can try anything for 30 days.
  2. You do not have to weigh or measure any food on Whole30. Nothing. I do not have time, nor the patience for all that…
  3. The taste and flavor of my food is better than ever. The natural flavors of food are not covered up by sugar or random add-ins. You learn to allow raw foods, herbs and healthy fats to bring out the natural flavors already there, which makes for the most robust flavor at every meal.
  4. Whole30 is designed for you to create the best nutrition plan just for you.
    Not a plan for your neighbor, not a plan for the model at the gym, not a plan for your husband, Whole30 is designed for individual care.
  5. No back-tracking or questioning whether what you ate was “good” or “bad.” Everything on Whole30 is good for you. I drive my mind bananas sometimes thinking over what I ate in a day, like a mental bedtime check list. This end of the day check list drives me crazy. I do not have time for all that. Whole30 = No mental checklist.
  6. My energy levels are at their best on Whole30. I run a business and tend to three kids and a wild husband. I’ve got things to do. I need all the energy I can muster up. The food choices on Whole30 are absolutely meant to give your body all it needs to make each of your days successful.
  7. I can snack and eat on-the-go. I’m a pretty busy woman, sometimes I’ve got to get it and go and cook up all the good stuff later. Nuts, fruit or a compliant turkey roll, it’s available and I need that flexibility.
  8. Mental Clarity. I’ve got way too much to accomplish in this world. Should I let my nutrition hold me back? No. I need to be at my best and my sharpest. I need to be on top of things. I’ve got purpose. My mental health has got to be on-point. Whole30 makes me the sharpest and at my best. Who doesn’t want that?
  9. It is 100 times easier to do Whole30 today than when I first tried it in 2015.
    There are so many Whole30 approved and labeled items on the market.
    This includes: coffee creamer, salad dressing, bacon, nut-butters, nutrition bars, mayo, the list goes on. It has become almost easy to stick to the Whole30 plan.
  10. Tons of Instagram, Google and Facebook resources. Whole30 are all over the place, making it easily accessible to readers and internet folks.
    Hope this inspires anyone wanting a simple, well-rounded nutrition plan.
    If I can be of any assistance feel free to reach out to me bradley@passionandtruth.com. I’d love to hear from you! Also follow me on Instagram and Facebook.
    Robertson is a local mother, wife and creative. She’s an Auburn University graduate, loves good food and getting outside with her family. Bradley enjoys feature writing, as well as southern culture and lifestyle writing.