Book Review: The New Whole30, by M. Urban

Urban, M. (2024). The new whole30: The definitive plan to transform your health, habits, and relationship with food. New York: Rodale.

Summary

The Whole30 is a 30-day protocol that guides the reader through removing foods commonly associated with food intolerances and sensitivities and reintroducing them to see whether they tolerate them well. This book is an updated version of the program published in 2015. The author states that changes were made based on the latest science and seeks to eliminate the smallest number of foods while maximizing nutrition and health. The goal remains the same: food freedom.

There are five parts. Part 1: Welcome to the Whole30, which covers the program rules, the rule changes, a new plant-based version, checklists, planning instructions, and the Whole30 timeline. Part 2 covers the frequently asked questions (FAQ). Part 3, Cooking Whole30, provides the tools and cooking tips for success. Part 4 is dedicated to the original Whole30 program with rules, a meal template, a shopping list, and compliant recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, sauces, snacks, and more. Part 5 covers the plant-based version with the same resources of rules, a template, a shopping list, and recipes.

An elimination diet and reintroduction protocol remain the gold standard for identifying food sensitivities. I highly recommend this book for those committed to finding their food freedom.

Goals of the plan

·       Identify food sensitivities and adverse food reactions

·       Create new tools to navigate stress and negative emotions

·       Restore a healthy relationship with food and your body

·       Create a personalized, sustainable, joyful diet based on your learnings (p. 19)

Advantages

The Whole30 timeline provides a picture of what the journey will look and feel like based on the millions who have previously completed it. The FAQ section is thorough and helpful. Although I don’t enjoy cooking, I appreciate the variety of cuisines represented in the recipes and the valuable tips. If this is your first time trying an elimination diet and reintroduction protocol, this book has you covered.

Disadvantages

The tone and rules of the new Whole30 are softer. Some might miss the tough love or disagree with the changes. If this is your first time trying an elimination protocol, don’t be overwhelmed by all the recipes—you can keep it simple.

Highlights

·       Page 17, “…the Whole30 provides the framework, structure, and support to help you determine the foods that work best for you, and use that information to create your version of food freedom.”

·       Page 21, Elimination Basics

·       Pages 29 – 35, Whole30 program rule changes now allow the following: coconut aminos, botanical extracts, peas, MSG, carrageenan, sulfites, and all cooking oils; additionally, the pancake rule language was modified

·       Page 46, “A ‘why’ is your internal motivation for pursuing a specific behavior or course of action. A good ‘why’ comes from inside and happens when you create space to be self-aware and introspective.”

·       Page 49, “Habit research shows that the more distance between you and temptation, the easier it is to resist the pull…”

·       Page 61, “A food intolerance is usually caused by the lack of an enzyme needed to digest the food, but it can also be caused by enteric infections, drug or alcohol use, bowel surgery, chronic inflammation, or a digestive disease (like irritable bowel syndrome).”

·       Page 61, “With food sensitivity, an individual experiences either an immune-mediated reaction or a reaction to the food itself, which can generate a multitude of symptoms.”

·       Page 62, “A food allergy is an adverse reaction arising from a specific immune response after exposure to a given food, even in small amounts. It is mediated by IgE antibodies that trigger an immediate response upon exposure, typically within a few minutes to an hour.”

·       Page 62, “These IgG-based food sensitivity tests have not been proven to identify food sensitivities, and often have false positives…By contrast, elimination protocols like the Whole30 offer a free, clear, and effective way to assess which foods may be contributing to symptoms in your body.”

·       Page 87, Reintroduction symptoms

·       Page 141, Quick pickle vegetable instructions

·       Page 142, Clever way to make a single-serve soup that maintains texture and fresh flavor