The Whole Picture: Understanding the Whole30 Program

Have you ever wondered how celebrities such as Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, and Miley Cyrus remain as thin and fit as they are? Although they'll never fully reveal their weight loss and fitness secrets to us, it's true that these three gorgeous and well-known celebrities have both supported and followed the Whole30 program.

So, what is the Whole30 program? Ever since 2009, millions of people – celebrities included – have implemented the Whole30 program in their lives. Co-creator Melissa Hartwig explains that the Whole30 diet eliminates craving-inducing foods in order for you to live your best life. In fact, she's so convinced that this program will work she claims it will change your life.

The Whole30 program serves as a way to allow your body to heal and recover from the negative effects of damaging and unhealthy foods. However, there's much more to this diet than stripping away unhealthy foods.

Another important component of the Whole30 program is its ability to help reshape your relationship with food. Busy Phillips, the actress from the cult classic Freaks and Geeks, says that the Whole30 program helped her to stop emotional eating. With that being said, the Whole30 program is believed to have a psychologically beneficial component to it as well.

The Whole30 program is almost similar to a detox treatment. Basically, you follow the rules and restrictions of this program for a full thirty days. While using the Whole30 program, you can eat the following foods:

• Certain meat
• Seafood
• Eggs
• Vegetables
• Certain fruit
• Natural fats
• Herbs
• Spices

Although these foods are accepted, the Whole30 program has some very specific restrictions. For thirty days straight, you cannot consume the following:

• Real or artificial sugar
• Alcohol of any kind, even for cooking
• Grains
• Legumes
• Peanut butter
• Any kind of dairy
• Baked goods
• Junk foods
• Commercially prepared foods, such as chips
• French fries

In addition to these dietary restrictions, the Whole30 program has very specific rules. According to the program, it's up to you not to slip up.

There are some very positive benefits to this program. For starters, you don't need to count any calories. One of the main rules of the program is that you can't weigh yourself or take any measurements, which is relieving for those who don't want to feel dependent on the numbers of a scale to determine their happiness.

Of course, there is one major downfall to this program: it is strict, to say the least. Not only are there extreme restrictions, but there are a few rules to follow which you are held accountable for.

Before I close, I thought you might be interested in the diet table below.  This is Tracey Sivak's one week meal plan.  Tracey is a certified health coach and culinary nutrition expert along with instructing Yoga classes.  You can learn more about Tracey and her approach to the Whole30 Program by clicking here.

If you've ever tried the Whole30 program, comment below and let us know how the results worked out for you. We're curious to see how this celebrity favorite has worked for our readers.