Professional Endorsements

As a psychiatrist, I wholeheartedly recommend the Whole30 program, and I use it frequently as a tool in my practice. There is substantial medical research demonstrating that inflammation and micronutrient deficiencies can play a role in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar disorder, and the Whole30 supports people in correcting both of these states of imbalance. In my clinical experience, the Whole30 program is not only therapeutic but also diagnostic. It helps my patients identify which foods seem to be their most potent dietary sensitivities. I’ve prescribed the program to hundreds of patients over more than 10 years in practice, and many have experienced improved health markers and mood. I will continue to use Whole30 in my practice, and I endorse it as an excellent foundation for habit change for anyone evaluating whether food and nutrition can help improve their wellbeing.

When beginning any health planning with a patient, we discuss the importance of real foods, which requires a shift in awareness. Prescribing Whole30 has led to a profound change in my patients’ autoimmune diseases and cardiometabolic health. My patients could not have the successes they have had without this whole-food based nutrition approach. Whole30 is the perfect introduction to that lifestyle and a great guide for continued success.

A basic internet search of Whole30 will show that participants report significant changes in their lives. As a medical professional, quantitative data to support those results is important. I’m Board-certified in advanced diabetes management, and I’m also the founder and executive director of a hospital and community wellness center. In 2018, I began to wonder if my patients’ lab results would reflect what I already observed in them—that Whole30 was helping them reclaim their optimal health. In a preliminary (unpublished) study of 62 participants, our group found that participants’ mean overall LDL cholesterol decreased by 6.33 mg/DL in just 30 days, along with a decrease in triglycerides of 24.57 mg/DL. The vast majority of patients in the study (70%) experienced lower blood sugar, and an estimated two-thirds had lower blood pressure. I believe Whole30 is a powerful tool for creating long-lasting change and multidimensional wellness. I enthusiastically endorse it and will continue to recommend it to my patients.

As the founder of one of the first functional medicine telehealth centers and a specialist in the underlying factors of chronic disease, I approach patient care with the idea that “food is first.” My patients come to me with autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, and digestive disorders, and though my treatment plans are always customized for the patient’s individual needs, I’ve come to rely on the Whole30 elimination protocol as a first-line option for many of them. I’ve been recommending the Whole30 since 2018, because their elimination and reintroduction protocol provides deeply personal data and gives me valuable insights about how commonly-inflammatory foods may affect each patient. Whole30 is one of the ways I help my patients learn to love food that loves them back, and I endorse it wholeheartedly after observing the Whole30 help them discover invaluable self-knowledge that empowers them–and me, as a physician–to identify their most functional, healthy lifestyle.

I’ve been using the Whole30 in my clinical practice for over a decade to support patients with digestive concerns, skin irritations, headaches, low mood, and fatigue. In my experience, there’s a probable link between what my clients are consuming in their diet and the severity of their symptoms. The Whole30 is a simple, effective, and accessible protocol to help people connect their food choices to negative health symptoms and trouble with energy, sleep, and mood. The Whole30 is especially helpful when the protocol they’ve been given from their other providers doesn’t seem to be resolving the issue. I’ve witnessed hundreds of clients’ success on the Whole30 program.

As a clinical psychologist, I have used the Whole30 with clients who want to investigate the link between what they eat and their mental health. Many clients experience reduced anxiety, improved mood, greater energy, less brain fog, and reduced inflammation and pain while on the Whole30 and use the reintroduction phase to identify potential food sensitivities. In addition, during the Whole30, many clients recognize that they may be using food as their primary emotional coping strategy. We can then build and strengthen alternative skills, such as coping strategies, boundary setting, identifying their own needs, and living a life aligned with their values. Although the Whole30 may not be right for everyone (for example, individuals with a history of disordered eating), it has helped my clients make behavior changes and evaluate how nutrition can impact their physical and mental wellbeing.

I’ve used the Whole30 in my clinical practice for a decade. I like that there are free tools available to guide my patients, and my patients love the community around the program; it helps keep them motivated. I can’t tell you the number of patients who were told they would have to live with their gut issues for the rest of their life, but through the Whole30, were able to heal their gut. The Whole30 also gives me a starting point that I can modify however I need when working with patients. As a functional medicine practitioner, I definitely recommend the Whole30 as a tool for your clinical practice.

I have benefitted from the Whole30 for over a decade. As a licensed mental health professional, I often discuss nutrition with my clients as a means to explore how “external” factors may be improving or harming their mental well-being. I present the Whole30 as one avenue of exploration to clients who want to make holistic changes  in their life to better their health and wellness. I also believe that a food-based program that truly incorporates and cares about diversity, accessibility, anti-racism, and the “whole person” is helpful for my clients, and makes me more comfortable presenting the Whole30 as an option to clients who have been otherwise historically marginalized. The fact that Whole30 addresses the complex and nuanced nature of physical and mental wellness makes the program far more than just a “meal plan.”

As a primary care Physician Associate, I work very closely with my patients using a wholistic approach to wellness, and Whole30 is one of the best resources in my toolbox. My patients rely on me to help discover the cause of their chronic pain, inflammation, digestive disorders, anxiety, depression and a host of other conditions. Whole30 serves as a wonderful foundation in this process. Through the elimination phase and the discovery during reintroduction, patients develop powerful insights and a new sense of self-confidence. Because of the impact I’ve seen the program have on so many patients’ lives, I have been wholeheartedly endorsing Whole30 for over seven years in my practice and personal life.

I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and I have been working in the mental health field since 2009. I have participated in the January Whole30 myself, and learn something new each round. I believe that our mind and body are connected, and that the foods we eat have a direct impact on our physical and mental health.  I encourage my patients to add nutrition to their toolbox of healthy coping skills. Patients have reported lower anxiety, stress and depression and improved sleep through the Whole30. I also use use the “Green/Yellow/Red” framework from The Book of Boundaries when helping patients develop a plan for better boundary setting. I will continue to recommend the Whole30 and The Book of Boundaries in my practice.

All dietitians should consider using the Whole30 program in their practice. I’ve been a fan of Whole30 since day one because it’s an intuitive, easy-to-follow protocol. So many people have an unhealthy addiction to ultra-processed foods, which can stimulate us to over-eat and are lacking in the nutrients we need to thrive. Through Whole30’s focus on whole foods and the fact that Whole30 doesn’t count or restrict calories, people can rediscover their natural satiety cues—and everyone is happier when they’re full. I also like that weight loss is not the goal of Whole30. Instead, participants measure progress based on how they feel, how they sleep, and  other “non-scale victories” like clear skin and more energy. I even had one client see a reversal in type 2 diabetes simply by following the Whole30!

I have done the Whole30 and prescribe it to my patients. In my clinical practice, I have had patients lose weight, lower the amount of insulin they need to take by up to 80%, lower their hemoglobin A1c by three full points in three months, improve or completely resolve symptoms of brain fog, fatigue, and chronic pain. More importantly, patients feel better when they eat this way.