I Finished My Whole30, Now What??

So I am done. Here is what I wrote on my Instagram page (@darcieats) about my process so far.


"I did it! So now, my thoughts. #whole30 taught me so much. I have always loved to cook but it made me more confident in the kitchen. It taught me to read my labels and don't trust everything you think should be healthy because there are so many hidden nasty ingredients out there that have no place in our bodies! I learned that I am in charge of my health and it is empowering! Small changes can make a big difference. So, now what? I started Whole30 as a detox. I wanted to heal my body and restart my system. I feel I have accomplished that. But it also have me a deep love for #wholefoods in general. I am going to keep this account and keep my blog and continue on a #cleaneating journey to find what works best for me and my family. Through the reintroduction phase I want to be able to figure that out.

So are we going to be strict paleo? I don't know. Will we enjoy whole grains (gluten and non gluten)? Will we be dairy-free? I honestly don't know yet. Will I do another whole30 in the future? You bet. I know for sure I will continue to cook whole30 meals but I want to find moderation. I want to experiment and discover the best all-around diet for my family and I hope you guys join me! Thank you for being so supportive and the best people ever. You all lift me up and make me feel I can accomplish these food-goals! Whole30 is amazing. If you are on the fence about it, get the book It Starts With Food and just read it first. It will change your relationship with food for the better! I promise!

Oh and PS: I lost 6 lbs. what?? Wasn't planning on that but now I weigh what I did before having my first child. Added bonus!"

That being said, what are my goals now?

• Follow reintroduction and figure out what works best for me and my family.
• Do I handle dairy well? There is lactose intolerance in my family and I want to make sure I don't have an intolerance as well.
• If I do handle dairy well, reintroduce it into our diet in the BEST forms.
• Do I handle grains well (both gluten and non gluten)? Figure out what forms my body can adjust to and go from there. Try to eat the best forms (whole grains, try to make my own breads).
• Legumes, do I do well with those? Keep a wide variety in our diet.
• Limit the sugar consumption in our home.
• Get out of my box and explore new recipes! I am excited to share them on here with you all as you continue to follow along on my journey!
• What about sweets? We are still going to eat them. My goal is: If I make it I can eat it. I rarely make sweets/desserts. So when I do, I feel like it is fine for my family and myself to eat them because it means we are eating in moderation. So if I make cookies, I am going to eat some. I made them, put in the effort, and it will be a rare occasion (and most likely for a special occasion). That is fine by me. 

Thank you for all your love and support and hopefully you all can find something through my journey that has inspired or helped you! It is hard to put myself out there sometimes but I know that in the end it might be helping someone else who is in the same situation as me. So it is worth it.