I first came across the Whole30 by way of my CrossFit gym. At the time, I thought this was a pretty good, if albeit drastic, program to get people eating better. However, as I progressed through my nutrition education I became curious about the scientific research provided in their book, It Starts With Food.
Because so many of my friends and family were embracing this program, I decided to review the 450+ citations the authors, Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, provided to see if their claims were backed up by rigorous science.
I believe that anyone who presents themselves as a nutrition expert has an ethical responsibility to provide accurate, science-based information. High-quality information can empower people to make informed decisions about their health. On the flip side, if you provide inaccurate or false information the less empowered people become. At worst, bad information can cause harm to someone's health. It is this philosophy that has guided my motivation for reviewing the wildly popular Whole30.
These posts take mountains of time to complete, but the links below are the chapter reviews conducted thus far. This list will be updated as I complete new chapters. For the RSS feed, copy the link here.
It Starts With Food: A Critical Review Introduction
Chapter 1: Food Should Make You Healthy
Chapter 8: Sugar, Sweeteners, and Alcohol