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Whole30 is a 30-day elimination diet with rules that include eliminating alcohol, sugar, legumes, grains, dairy, and all processed foods. Followers of the diet have noted weight loss and increased energy, as well as identifying any problem foods. But what are the disadvantages?
Some disadvantages include Whole30 side effects such as digestive problems, worse food cravings, and reduced nutrient intake. The diet restricts certain foods and food groups, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies if followed long-term. Here’s what you need to know.
For the Whole30 diet, a person eliminates certain foods or additives for 30 days. When dieters complete Whole30, they enter a “reintroduction” phase that lasts 10 days.
During the re-establishment phase, you put the foods you avoided for a month back into your diet one by one. The point of this step is to help people find the food groups they are missing. For example, if a person eats a bowl of yogurt after Whole30 and suddenly becomes bloated, it could indicate that dairy does not sit well with them.
What Can You Eat?
The Whole30 diet basically focuses on many whole food and protein options, such as:
- Eggs
- Fruit and vegetables (including fruit juice)
- Foods with simple or recognizable ingredient lists
- Herbs, spices, and seasonings
- Meat and seafood
- Natural fats such as olive oil, avocado, nuts (except peanuts), and seeds
- Vinegar, other than malt-based vinegar, and botanical extracts, such as vanilla or lemon
What Can’t You Eat?
Although you have some options that you can eat, the list of things that you need to avoid is longer. Foods you can’t eat while on the Whole30 diet include:
- Added real or artificial sugars
- Alcohol
- Carrageenan – a type of plant-based sugar – or sulphites
- Commercially prepared chips or French fries
- Dairy products, except for clarified butter or ghee
- Foods reconstituted with approved Whole30 ingredients (eg, coconut milk ice cream)
- Grain
- Legumes other than green beans and most peas
Other Rules
A non-food rule of Whole30 involves scales and measurements. You don’t need to keep track of your weight or use a tape measure to find out if you’ve lost an inch. The goal is to focus on your food intake.
There isn’t much research available about the benefits of Whole30. The benefits below are listed on the Whole30 website but are not scientifically proven or fully studied. These outcomes are self-reported:
- Better mood, self-esteem, and self-confidence
- Fewer episodes of conditions such as seasonal allergies, migraines, and asthma attacks
- Improved blood pressure, blood sugar regulation, brain function, energy, and sleep
- Decreased GI symptoms and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
- Stronger hair and nails
Doing the Whole30 diet can lead to digestive problems because the diet prohibits beans. Legumes are great for gut health. Rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre, beans are vital for a healthy gut microbiome, as they support the growth of good bacteria in your gut.
Whole30 does not allow beans based on the idea that they contain “anti-nutrients” like phytates. Phytostatins are compounds found in plants that can block the body’s absorption of important minerals such as magnesium, iron, and calcium. If you are someone who has trouble digesting FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), reducing your intake of beans may help with bloating, gas, and digestive symptoms.
In fact, the health benefits of beans far outweigh this potential interaction. That’s because phytotests are mostly destroyed by food preparation methods like sprouting, soaking, and cooking.
Since the Whole30 diet is basically a month-long exercise in avoiding certain foods, you may start to crave more of the foods you’ve been putting off. One review noted that short-term food avoidance can increase cravings for those foods.
“When you restrict the diet too much, it can set up unhealthy eating behaviors and attitudes,” Sharon Palmer, RDN, nutritionist and author of “The Plant-Powered Diet,” said. Health. “If you feel deprived, the diet encourages you to have a strong desire for ‘forbidden’ foods.”
Additionally, if you have a history of disordered eating, this side effect may be triggered. Talk to a mental health professional if you’re thinking about trying Whole30.
You could be missing out on important nutrients if you don’t eat whole grains while doing the Whole30 diet. You get a number of nutrients from whole grains that play a role in various body functions, from thyroid regulation to immune system maintenance. These nutrients include:
- B vitamins such as thiamine and folate
- Dietary fiber
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Selenium
Here are some other challenges that may come with the Whole30 diet:
- Cost: Since Whole30 focuses on a lot of whole foods like fruits and vegetables, grocery trips can get expensive. Food costs, like grocery prices, are steadily increasing, and healthy foods in particular are associated with higher costs.
- Flexibility: Because the diet restricts many foods – even some healthy foods – there is almost no flexibility in what you are allowed to eat. For example, you are not allowed to eat or create foods with Whole30-compatible foods as substitutes for things you cannot eat on the diet.
- General feelings about eating: “When you restrict the diet too much, it can set up unhealthy eating behaviors and attitudes,” Palmer said. “If you feel deprived, the diet encourages you to have a strong desire for ‘forbidden’ foods.”
- Sustainability: The diet is not meant to last forever. “A diet needs to be a way of eating that you can maintain throughout your entire life,” explained Palmer. “It should set you up for a healthful, more vibrant life, not just a period of weight loss.”
The diet program made the following recommendations as tips:
- Stick to the rules, and don’t negotiate. For example, a person may tell themselves that they are can do the diet instead they will try to do it.
- Set and maintain food boundaries, even during special occasions. That means what you can eat and stick to the plan.
However, Palmer suggested focusing on the core principle of Whole30—eating more whole, unprocessed foods—instead of following the entire program. That way, you don’t have to focus on taking an all-or-nothing approach to eating changes.
You should also consult a health care provider or registered dietitian before starting any diet or changing your diet. Whole30 is not for everyone. People with a history of an eating disorder or who are at risk of developing an eating disorder should not try this diet.
While there are some beneficial aspects of the Whole30 diet – namely that it promotes a minimum of processed foods – there are also downsides. You can crave the foods you eliminate, and ultimately, it is not a sustainable way to eat. If you have any questions about whether Whole30 is right for you, contact a registered dietitian or healthcare provider.
