The Worst Time to Try the Whole30

I know, I know. Donuts are definitely not on the Whole30. But I thought a new home, a new city, a new school and a cross-country move would be the perfect setting to introduce a highly restrictive diet into my routine. Turns out the body can only take so much. I felt the sludge of my brain moving at an even slower pace and common daily puzzles were stumping me.

Had I received all my textbooks in the mail? Let me count them for the fourth time. 

It also turns out that complex carbs are the sweet, sweet fuel that a student's brain runs on.

Not only was I insecure about my new surroundings and identity, I was depriving my body of nutrients it needed to think clearly. (Trust me, I tried sweet potatoes.) As a creative person, I am naturally insecure and the critic in my head is loud most days—even on the good days. Not having the mental juice to do battle on these worst days was sucking somethin' fierce. My internal voice got louder and I slowly folded in on myself. The extra layer of restriction added an unnecessary link in the chain of change.

Lesson to learn here: be gentle to yourself if you're embarking on change. If your heart is tender and open, your body needs you to go easy on it. And funny enough, your physical brain is tied to your mind which is also tied to your heart. Your human unit is a little package of interlocking rollercoasters, and what goes up must come down on different terrain. What churns physically in your cells and nerves will impact your spirit's courage. So today I will eat bravely. Donut, anyone?