“I feel like I have a path forward with food: Jennifer’s Story”

Craig, Colorado
Jennifer Riley with skis

I had a few BIG wins this round of my Whole30. I’ve completed several rounds of Whole30, but none were as successful as I feel this round was. There are a couple of reasons…

Last year, after I completed a Whole30, I still wasn’t feeling the “tiger blood” feeling that I thought I should. My skin wasn’t cleared up, and I just didn’t feel amazing. I decided to do some blood tests to see if I had any food sensitivities or intolerances. The test results came back and revealed five foods to which I had a high level of reaction/intolerance: beef, avocado, cashews, watermelon and cucumbers. I was kind of shocked about the first two – beef and avocados – because I LOVED THOSE. Begrudgingly I gave them up. My skin cleared. I stopped getting sores on my scalp. Over the late summer/fall, if I ate one of those foods, a few days later I’d get the sores and bumps on my chest.

Fast forward to this Whole30. I avoided the foods mentioned above. This was my first time doing a Whole30 without beef and avocado. Midway through the 30 days, my energy was really great, my sleep was amazing, my night sweats and night-time were itching gone (thanks peri-menopause), and my was skin clear. I just can’t believe the changes. I feel like this was what I was waiting for each time before, but when it didn’t come, I was disappointed and frustrated. I would slide right back to old habits because I felt like “what’s the point?”

I am committed to reintroduction. So committed, that I delayed it to Super Bowl Sunday. I’m starting with non-gluten grains so I can have popcorn with the game.

I feel so happy and honestly, so relieved. I feel like I have a path forward with food.

Thanks, Melissa and Whole30 team. I love the support, the resources (FREE resources, to boot), the culture and climate.