Gotta start somewhere

So I'm thinking of doing the "Whole30 Program" on June 8th.  It's been on my mind for a week now and you could say I've been actively thinking about it, talking to people who've done it, asking 10 million questions about the program, doing my research, etc.  I even went to the library 2 days ago to borrow the book.  So I guess I'm serious about it!

I don't know how I'm going to do it because I hear it's challenging.  But I want to know what the BIG deal is and since it's the summer and I am not stressed, it's the perfect time for me to dive into it.

Let's start with the basics, THE RULES:

1) Eat real foods

• meat
• seafood
• eggs
• lots of vegetables
• some fruit
• plenty of natural fats
• foods that have pronounceable ingredients OR
• foods that have NO listed ingredients, which mean "whole" or "processed" :)

2) Avoid for 30 days

• NO added sugar
• maple syrup
• honey
• agave nectar
• Splenda, Equal, etc.
• NO alcohol
• not even for cooking!
• NO grains
• wheat
• rye, barley, OATS!?!
• corn
• rice
• quinoa
• buckwheat
• NO legumes
• beans
• peas
• chickpeas
• lentils
• peanuts
• soy sauce
• miso
• tofu
• endamame
• lecithin
• NO dairy
• milk
• cream
• cheese
• yogurt, frozen yogurt
• ice cream
• sour cream
• NO MSG
• NO baked goods, junk foods
• pancakes, waffles
• bread
• tortillas
• biscuits
• muffins, cupcakes
• cookies, pizza crust
• cereal
• chips, plantains
• les frites!!!:(:(
• anything you don't think would be healthy
• ***When in doubt, leave it out!!!***
• NO stepping on the scale or body measurements.

3) Allowed

• green beans
• snow peas
• vinegar, balsamic
• coconut nectar

4) No need to

• buy organic, grass-fed...
• cheat, don't cheat!!!
• make exceptions for special occasions!!!