Started in the year 2009 by sports nutritionist Melissa Hartwig, the Whole30 diet is a 30-day program aimed at transforming one’s health by eliminating food groups that are known to be harmful. The diet helps reset your body and fix issues that are caused due to certain foods.

Unlike most diet plans, Whole30’s aim is not to help you lose weight but rather fix your health in a manner where you reset your body. This encourages you to follow a new, revised relationship with food that suits your body’s needs and helps you live your best life.

The program is very strict and asks the participant to follow a diet which is completely avoidant of the food groups that are known to be inflammatory, gut-disrupting, and psychologically unhealthy. Additionally, foods that cause hormone imbalance should be avoided as well.

The following is a list of foods to avoid:

1. Sugar
Consuming any added sugar (real or artificial) is a big no-no. Foods like maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, date syrup, stevia, monk fruit extract, agave nectar, xylitol, NutraSweet, Splenda®, Equal should be avoided at all costs. Be careful of any added sugars in packaged foods as well.

2. Grains
As mentioned, the diet is very strict. Its restrictions extend to certain grains as well. Some of the grains that you should absolutely avoid include wheat, rye, millet, rice, corn, bulgar, sprouted grains, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, barley, and oats. Again, when buying packaged foods, read the ingredients list properly to make sure you aren’t consuming any of these into your diet.

3. Legumes
Avoid all kinds of beans. Yep, that’s right. You’ll also have to say bye to lentils, peanuts, chickpeas, and peas. But don’t worry, it’s all part of a cleansing process that will help your body get better and stronger.

4. Baked goods
Most baked goods come with ingredients that are not permitted in this diet, so this is also not an option for those participating in the program. Even if baked goods are made out of ingredients that are okay to consume, the idea of baked goods is that of junk food, so it is crucial that you avoid this.

Moreover, the consumption of dairy products, MSG, junk food, and alcohol should be avoided as they are known to be harmful to your body.

Now that you know what you can’t eat, let’s take a look at the superfoods in this diet that will help you stay healthy. These include meats, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, natural fats, herbs, and spices. When buying any packaged products, make sure to read the list which specifies the ingredients, so you are aware of what you are consuming. There are also certain exceptions to this diet which one should take note of as it may provide some sort of motivation during your diet. These include clarified butter, natural fruit juices, green beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, vinegar of all kinds (except malt vinegar which has gluten in it), coconut aminos, and salt.

A diet like this can be taxing mentally, so it’s important that you find a buddy or coach who can help you through this rigorous process. But once you manage to complete this 30-day challenge, you will have understood your food needs and how to take control of what you eat and how much. It is important that we share a healthy relationship with food, and that can’t be done due to a crash-course. With time and in a regulated, strict manner one can achieve anything. Make sure you keep your food vision board ready and get on with this challenge!