While cruising Facebook recently, we stumbled across a “Whole30 Challenge” group with more than 6,000 members. The Facebook cover photo was one we created, with our official logo and branding. Nowhere did it mention that the group wasn’t officially sanctioned or run by Whole9 or the official Whole30 program–in fact, it looked a lot like it was an official page. Problem is, the page contains a lot of misinformation, non-compatible recipes, and misunderstandings about the program. This is to be expected, because it’s just meant to be a place for people to come together and support each other during their program, not to learn the official ins-and-outs. However, it’s clear from reading the comments that group members don’t know it’s not an official Whole30 page–hence, today’s PSA. The only official Whole30 support pages are found on our website at whole30.com, our forum at forum.whole9life.com, and the Whole30 Facebook page (facebook.com/whole30). These communities are run by the Whole9/Whole30 team, and can be trusted to provide accurate information about the program, its rules, and its more subtle nuances. We encourage you to find support anywhere you choose, whether it be our site or one of the groups that have popped up online. We love seeing these groups sharing our Good Food word and connecting those doing the program on their own. Use these outlets to motivate and inspire each other, talk about your struggles, or share your success stories with others. But please, be careful when asking about program rules, don’t take recipe submissions at face value, and always return to an official resources when in doubt about any aspect of the program. If you want to create an online support group for the Whole30, please follow these guidelines:
- Make sure the group name makes it clear that this is not an official offering of the Whole30 program. “Jenna’s Whole30 Journey” or “CrossFit Love Does the Whole30” are great examples, “Whole30 Recipes” is not appropriate.
- Make it clear to all group members that this is a fan page only, and not an official offering of the Whole30 program, either in the cover photo or in a pinned post at the top of the page.
- Clearly direct people to our official resources for questions or clarification about the program.
Thank you for your cooperation. We wish you the best of luck with your Whole30 program.
