NOW AVAILABLE PLANT-BASED WHOLE30 Cravings are often more complex than they seem, especially when they’re invisibly linked to coping mechanisms in times of stress. The Whole30 can better help you understand these cravings and practice more mindful eating. This question from the Whole30 community—and Melissa Urban’s answer—can help you better navigate the emotional cycles that can perpetuate cravings. Dear …
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This issue of Dear Melissa & Friends is all about taking a look at your relationship to alcohol. Laura McKowen—bestselling author and a leading voice in the modern recovery movement—answers your questions about alcohol. “How can I cut out alcohol when my S.O. drinks? It’s not a problem for them, but their drinks tempt me.” …
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You learn so much about your relationship with food, and your habits around food during your Whole30. There were plenty of times you learned to cope with stressful situations during those 30 days without diving into emotional eating. Using food as self-care during times of frustration, stress, or anxiety is common. But you can use …
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There are more awkward conversations to dive into on a first date than the finer points of the Whole30. But that doesn’t mean you want the conversation to turn to why you subbed out the fries for a salad or brought your own dressing—which is an excellent Whole30 power move. Dates on the Whole30 are …
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Recipes are amazing. (And Whole30 has so many great ones.) But sometimes you want easy Whole30 meals that have more flexibility and can provide variety for days—with one cooking and prep session. That’s where my Whole30 meal templates can help out. And one of my favorites is the protein salad. This delicious, filling, protein-packed, Whole30-compatible …
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In last week’s Dear Melissa newsletter, I talked about the unexpected benefits of my first Whole30 back in April 2009, and how those 30 days sent positive ripples into every area of my life, giving me a sense of confidence, empowerment, and trust in myself that I had never before experienced. (As I’ve often said …
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I did the very first Whole30 in April 2009, before the program even had a name. It was supposed to be a fun self-experiment where I’d eliminate potentially inflammatory foods for a month and see if anything improved. The idea (put forth by prominent researchers at the time) was that some of the foods we’d …
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The September Whole30 In 2009 and 2010, I was traveling several weekends a month to CrossFit gyms all across the country, to speak to their members about the Whole30 and help them get started with the program. At the time, participants liked to think of the Whole30 as a 30-day “challenge,” which makes sense if …
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Dear Melissa, Is this Whole30 compatible? <attached photo of ingredient list> Love, Everyone Dear Everyone, We have compiled 1,734 resources to help you determine whether a food or beverage is Whole30 compatible. This is not an exaggeration*. Now, you CAN send me a DM from the middle of the grocery store to ask whether you …
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