Whole30
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
The Whole30 is a 30-day fad diet[1][2] that emphasizes whole foods and during which participants eliminate sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, soy, and dairy from their diets.[2][3] The Whole30 is similar to but more restrictive than the paleo diet, as adherents may not eat natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup.[4] Foods allowed during the program include meat, nuts, seeds, seafood, eggs, vegetables, and fruits. During the Whole30, participants are advised not to count calories or to weigh themselves.[4] After the program is complete, participants are counseled to strategically reintroduce non-Whole30 compliant foods, document the impact of these foods, and decide if eating such foods is "worth it".[5] The program's founders believe that sugar, grains, dairy, alcohol, and legumes affect weight, energy, and stress levels.[6]
The program was created by sports nutritionists Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig in 2009.[7] In July 2016, a New York Times article on use of Instagram by dieters noted that participants in the Whole30 program had shared over one million Instagram posts using the #Whole30 hashtag, and noted that those sharing the tag were "one of seemingly endless like-minded communities," comparing it with the over 3.5 million posts under the #WeightWatchers hashtag.[8]
No studies that specifically look into the health impacts of the Whole30 have been conducted.[3] While dieticians generally agree with the program's emphasis on proteins, vegetables and unprocessed foods and the avoidance of added sugars and alcohol, they also view the diet as too extreme.[4][7] The diet ranked last among 38 popular diets evaluated by U.S. News & World Report in its 2016 Best Diets Rankings; one of the raters, dietician Meridan Zerner said: “We want behavioral changes and dietary changes that are slow and progressive and meaningful."[4] David L. Katz said of the diet: “The grouping [of banned foods] is both random, and rather bizarre from a nutrition perspective. If the idea is good nutrition, cutting out whole grains and legumes is at odds with a boatload of evidence.”[2] It was selected as one of the worst health trends for 2013 by Health Magazine.[1]
Bibliography
- It Starts With Food by Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig (2012)[7]
- The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom by Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig (2015)[7]
- Food Freedom Forever: Letting Go of Bad Habits, Guilt, and Anxiety Around Food by Melissa Hartwig (2016)[9]
References
- ^ a b Fetters, K. Aleisha (November 20, 2013). "Best and Worst Health Trends of 2013: Worst: Whole30 diet". Health.
- ^ a b c Willett, Megan (June 25, 2015). "Millennials are obsessed with Whole 30, the 'cultish' fad diet taking over Instagram and Pinterest". Business Insider. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ a b Rini, Jen (September 19, 2016). "Whole30: is the restrictive diet worth it?". The News-Journal. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d Cho, Hannah (May 22, 2016). "Is the Whole30 diet right for you? Program has ardent supporters but some experts worry that it's too restrictive". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ "Whole30: It All Starts with Food". WGN TV. June 28, 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ Cahn, Megan (April 28, 2014). "Why the Whole30 Diet Is Taking Over Instagram". Elle. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d Medaris Miller, Anna (December 15, 2014). "Should You Try the Whole30 Diet?". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ Rogers, Katie (July 7, 2016). "Why Dieters Flock to Instagram". New York Times. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ "Food Freedom Forever: Letting Go of Bad Habits, Guilt, and Anxiety Around Food". Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved 28 September 2016.