First of all, thanks so much for all the sweet comments on my race recap! I’m actually enjoying a few days of recovery. I did really want to run today because the weather was gorgeous, but I opted for a walk instead.  I was glad I did when I ran across the street to beat the stoplight and my legs screamed, “NO! We’re not ready to run yet!” Such melodramatic legs.

But that’s not what I’m talking about today. I vaguely mentioned last week that my eating habits post-marathon would be undergoing an overhaul, and that they are. On Monday, I started the Whole30.

In a nutshell, it’s 30 days of no grains, beans/legumes, dairy, sugar, or alcohol, and a lot of veggies, fruits, nuts, and meats.

This diet/program/whatever you want to call it has been discussed all over the interwebs for a couple of years now. I’d read about it on blogs, seen it on Pinterest, etc. At first, I thought it was just a weight loss program, and I thought people were insane for trying to lose weight by cutting out entire food groups. “Not sustainable!” I’d mumble. “Probably not safe, either.”

But then I read a few blog posts from bloggers I respect that talked about how the Whole30 cleared up allergies, asthma, and acne, and, most intriguing to me, solved ongoing digestive troubles. Those posts interested me enough to buy the book, It Starts With Food, and see what it had to say.

I don’t talk about this much (on the blog or in real life), but for a long time, I’ve had digestive issues. And because I don’t talk about it to any but my nearest and dearest, that’s all the info you get.

Sorry, internet, but you’re not my best friend. Yet.

In addition, my 28-year-old skin thinks it’s necessary to break out like a 14-year-old’s. Which is super awesome. I really believe that these two problems must be related to what I’m eating. And reading It Starts With Food made that belief even stronger.

I’ve been to three different doctors for these troubles, and none of them were much help. The first was my gyno, who referred me to a gastroenterology clinic. The doc there wanted to stick me on some drug (and acted like I was a complete moron for asking basic questions about said drug). The third doctor actually ran some tests for celiac, thyroid disorders, etc., but when they came back negative, said, “I guess that’s just how you’re made.” Not one of them asked about my diet. So I figured that instead of dropping endless $60 copays for no help, I could try cutting some food groups for 30 days.

Just to reiterate: I’m not doing this to lose weight. In fact, I expect to gain 2-3 pounds over the next couple of weeks, because I usually do when I ease up on training post-marathon. So please don’t yell “You don’t need to lose weight!” at me. That’s not the goal here.

The way I see it, if it works, cool. I will have saved money, discovered the root of the problem and, most importantly, be feeling better. If it doesn’t work, all I’m out is 30 days of peanut butter (and other stuff, obviously, but I sure do love PB).

Three days in, I can’t really say too much about it. I can say that eating a lot of fat (as per the program) is weird but satiating. I haven’t had the headaches, brain fogginess, or fatigue that the book warned could happen in the first week (knock on wood). I hope that because I don’t each much sugar anyway, this won’t be as hard for me as it is for some other people. It probably also helps that I’m not working out so my body’s not craving the carbies like normal.

So, that’s the road I’m on right now. I’ll let you know in 30 days what I learn.

Have you or anyone you know done the Whole30? What did you think?

A couple of weeks ago, I watched Forks Over Knives on Hulu while I ran on the treadmill. I know this movie sparked a lot of controversy when it first came out, but I mostly just thought it was interesting. I do think its overall argument — that Americans need to eat more plants and less crap — is a good one.

At one point , one of the women featured in the film talked about never shopping at Wal-Mart. I thought, “Isn’t that special.”

I’m sure it would be nice to shop at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods or Sprouts every week. But for some of us — especially those of us in rural America where Wal-Mart is THE grocery store (and the clothing store, and the hardware, and the craft store…) — not shopping there is pretty much not an option. Here in Fort Morgan, we have a also Safeway and a small local grocery, but neither has better selection than Wal-Mart, and who has time to go to three different stores on a single grocery trip? And some rural folks don’t have even those options. My sister-in-law, for example, drives 45 minutes each way just to get to Wal-Mart.

The good news is that healthy grocery shopping at Wal-Mart is completely possible…and Wal-Mart is getting better and better at carrying healthy foods. So if you’re a Wal-Mart shopper, from choice or necessity, here are some simple tips to help you fill that cart with healthy stuff.

Plan ahead. 

Shopping at Wal-Mart is stressful. It’s always crowded, and since they cram those aisles together as closely as possible, you’re always either in somebody’s way or waiting for someone to get out of your way. Or both. This means that stopping to casually browse the shelves or even read a label is nearly impossible. Thus, your shopping success hinges on having a detailed list.

Plan your healthy meals for the week, make a list of everything you’ll need to cook them, and refuse to deviate from that list.

(image source)

If while you’re shopping,  you see a new product that you’d like to try, but you can’t read the label without causing 47 people to line up behind you, don’t just toss that product in your cart and hope it’s healthy. Make a mental note (or take a fast picture) and Google it when you get home. Healthy? Put it on the list for next week.

Assume everyone is judging the contents of your cart. 

I’ll admit it: I’m a cart-judger. Should I judge? No, judging is rude. But I do it, and I know I’m not the only one.

Use jerks like me to your advantage. It’s a lot easier to bypass the Doritos if you think everyone who looks in your cart is thinking about what poor eating habits you have. And it’s a lot easier to not eat Doritos if they never make it into your cart and your cupboard.

Shop the perimeter. 

This is a pretty basic healthy-shopping tip, but it’s still a good one. Most of the junk is in the middle of the store. Most of the real food will spoil if it’s thrown in a box on a shelf, so it’s in the refrigerated sections along the side of the store. Stick to that area and deviate only for those nonperishable essentials ON YOUR LIST, like oatmeal, coffee, and canned pumpkin. (Oh, maybe those are just my essentials.)

Pride yourself on being smarter than the marketers. 

(source)

Those highly-paid Wal-Mart marketing experts are smart. They know that people like me are telling you to shop the perimeter. So they’re sneaking crap into the perimeter, too. Bananas here? Oh, let’s put some NIlla wafers here, too. Apples? How about some caramel dip?

But you’re no fool, you. You know they’re trying to get you spend your hard-earned money on crap. And you don’t buy crap. Strut past those displays like a boss, and go get you some Nilla-free bananas.

Avoid the checkout line temptations. 

Just when you’re patting yourself on the back for not putting anything unhealthy in your cart, you find yourself stuck in a line of 25 people with the world’s slowest cashier. And next to you, for the 30 minutes you’re in line, is a whole shelf of this:

Stay strong! Indulge your other guilty pleasures instead:

Or pass the time by cart-judging other people. I won’t tell.

Where do you grocery shop?

What are your best healthy shopping tips?