Melissa Hartwig - It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways

First Published in 2012 by Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

Copyright 2012 Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN:
978-1-936608-89-8 (hc)
978-1-936608-42-3 (ebook)

The information included in this book is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information in this book does not create a physician-patient relationship.

Victory Belt is a registered trademark of Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

Whole30 is a registered trademark of Whole9 Life LLC.

Produced in the USA

Cover and interior design by Kathleen Shannon

Illustrations by Greg White

Author photo by R. Sean Galloway

Meal Map created by Melissa Joulwan

Food photography by Dave Humphreys

ebook layout and design by John McClure (www.signalmanpublishing.com)

The Whole30 program is completely safe, healthy, and effective. The changes I have experienced have led me to promote these dietary changes to many of my patients as the first step in medical treatment, and the results they have seen have been equally amazing. What I have learned from the Whole30 is that diet can make some drastic improvements to peoples healthI look at food as medicine now.

Matthew Mechtenberg, DO

I have done the Whole30 and prescribe it to my patients. The Whole30 dietary program is safe and healthy for the following reasons: First, it is based on whole, unprocessed foods, thus making it very nutrient-dense. Second, it is anti-inflammatory. Third, it helps to regulate insulin metabolism. And fourth, the Whole30 eliminates most of the foods known to cause allergies and intolerances.

Luc Readinger, MD

I have personally experienced the benefits of the Whole30 program, and I wholeheartedly recommend the Whole30 plan to optimize a womans health during pregnancy and lactation . The nutrient-dense foods recommended provide ample vitamins and minerals without the need for the standard prenatal supplement. This healthy eating program will also help regulate blood sugars, alleviating hypoglycemic spells common in pregnancy. In addition, the Whole30 will reduce the likelihood of gestational diabetes and excess pregnancy weight gain.

Michele Blackwell, MD, OB-GYN

As a doctor who started with a love for food as medicine, I counsel every patient I see on nutrition due to its powerful ability to heal and restore. I can attest to the safety and efficacy of the Whole30 program, particularly in the area of food sensitivities, autoimmune diseases and digestive disorders like IBS and IBD. The plan is organized, doable and easy to follow. Every patient with these disorders should show this program to their doctor and give it a try.

Lauren Noel, ND

The Whole30 program is a great tool to get people motivated and on track. Its focus is real, whole, high-quality foods. This is not some fad diet that cuts calories to a ridiculous level and prescribes pills and powdersthere is nothing for sale but health. If done correctly it is safe, effective, sustainable, and includes nothing outlandish, expensive or hazardousjust the basic tenets of good nutrition and health.

Amy Kubal, RD, LN

I have done the Whole30 myself, have been using the Whole30 with my patients, and have seen some amazing and exciting results. One patient lost twenty pounds in three months, and her most recent labs show a normal A1c, increased HDL cholesterol, and lower overall cholesterol and LDL-C. She also was able to completely resolve her non-ulcer dyspepsia without the need for medications. I have seen similar results in those patients compliant with the recommended program.

Chad Potteiger, DO

The Whole30 is by far one of the best programs available to help individuals learn how and why to make the best food choices. While Dallas and Melissas information is based on credible scientific references, the information is presented in an easy-to-understand and captivating manner. There are thousands of testimonials available that give credit to this programs success, and I highly recommend it.

Stephanie Greunke, RD

I first heard of Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (and the Whole9 community) while listening to their interview on Robb Wolfs Paleo Solution podcast. After the interview, I visited the Whole9 Web site and found a gem called the Whole30, Dallas and Melissas original thirty-day nutrition program. It is part diet guide, part tough-love behavioral coaching, and I have witnessed the way it has transformed the lives and health of many.

I was working at an integrative family medical practice in a rural town. From day one, I realized my patients could benefit from dietary changes. Often a complete overhaul was in order. On both a personal and professional level, I knew many of these people would benefit from Dallas and Melissas healthy eating plan.

There are several good books on the subject, many of which I recommended. But it really came down to making it as easy as possible for people. I knew the diet I was recommending probably sounded unappealing, intimidating, or downright challenging and that only the super-motivated would follow through with purchasing a book. So to facilitate compliance with this lifestyle change, I printed copies of the Whole30 program from the Web site and began handing it out to those patients needing an intervention. They left my office with four pages in hand that contained everything they needed, freshly motivated by the programs admonition to start right now .

I did not have a lot of hope at first. The changes I was asking people to make could be perceived as radical and even, in some cases, near impossible. To my surprise, people started returning to my office feeling betteroften amazingly so. They had followed through! They had made drastic changes in how they ate and were reaping the results.

Almost all had lost weight and reported improved energy and mood. Patients were able to stop their blood-pressure medications after just thirty days on this plan. One diabetics hemoglobin A1c (a marker for average blood sugars over a four-month period) dropped by three points in three months, an unheard of improvement using oral medications alone. Another diabetics insulin requirements decreased by 80 percent. Asthma improved, rashes went away, chronic infectious diseases abated, chronic pain diminished, and health and well-being increased.

One day, my secretary told me that Melissa Hartwig had called. Uh-oh, I thought, shes found out that Ive been printing the Whole30 off their Web site and handing it out to patients. A cease-and-desist order must be close at hand. A patient who had experienced the tremendous benefits of the program had reached out to her and given her my contact information. To my relief, the Hartwigs were thrilled that I had been able to apply their material in my clinical practice and told me of other health-care providers who have had similar experiences with their patients as a result of the program.