There are other good reasons to do Whole30 besides trying to find new Food habits. It’s been really great for the marriage too! Yeah, I had visions of us both being crabby and hungry and blaming each other as we ate our dry lettuce together, but I was 100% wrong about that.

Husband and I do occasionally get into little sad dreamfests about crunchy pretzels and chips and queso and pasta with brie… but mostly we come up with delicious meals, cook together, and prep piles and piles of vegetables together (so much chopping!). We’re kind of relieved and delirious every time we eat something we like, because every Meal starts with the expectation of “this might taste like nothing and not fill me up.” Where pizza never satisfies as much as the idea of pizza promises, neither are healthy meals as dissatisfying as I dread – they’re usually wonderful!

Just having a joint Challenge has made chats more lively in a time of year when we cannot have our favorite bike rides, gardening, outdoor concerts, or just comfortable walks – I want to make it a yearly thing, mostly to make January less grey. I like the idea of only doing this for 30 days, not because it stops being healthy on day 31, but because this way it stays fresh and new for the whole month.

The last thing I’ve seen happen (and it could be a total coincidence, but still!) is that I’ve felt like I can do anything at work lately. I don’t get foggy after lunch, and I don’t feel defeatedly sleepy or sluggish at all. I drink a lot of coffee still, but I feel like all this good, nutrient-rich food with reasonable portions (I don’t seem to overeat unless something is cheesy or bready!). It’s been wonderful with the new semester starting tomorrow, and I’m so grateful even when I want other foods in the back of my mind.

Tune in next time for delicious Whole30 foods we’ve discovered!