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Reviews
It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways by Dallas Hartwig
sburgart's review
3.0
I truly agree with the science and the philosophy of good food for optimal health in this book (I'll be doing a Whole30). However, it gets 3 instead of 4 stars because I absolutely despise the writing style. Yes, it is for the general public, but the tone of "you must be a moron" is infuriating. Yes, they tell you they can be patronizing, but it goes beyond that. In spite of this, it's still a very good read because of the message. Good Food = Healthy You.
searser's review
4.0
Dallas and Melissa Hartwig provide an easy to understand explanation of what our bodies do with the food we eat, and how what we consume affects our daily lives. Generally "paleo" in practice, their guide to food is thoroughly researched with authoritative footnotes and references. I also like their style of writing, which is straightforward and unashamedly candid. It's just what some people need to hear if change is hard. Good for everyone to read!
ebtdean's review
5.0
Well this book changed my life. I feel infinitely better after completing the whole 30, and will stay paleo the majority of the time!
elainegl's review
5.0
Excellent book! Must read before (or at least while) doing the Whole30 challenge. This book keeps you motivated.
fulyao's review
4.0
Interesting look at why the foods that are avoided during the Whole30 are and how they effect your body and system. Written in a way that it's understandable for the everyday non-health fanatic.
frisby0's review
5.0
Wow. If you are contemplating embarking on a Paleo Adventure in your life, I highly reccomend this book to get you started! I read this after Robb Wolf's book, The Paleo Solution, and I still found more info, explained in a complimentary manner in which to add to my arsenal of knowledge on the subject. Told with humour and the sciency bits laid out with good analogies a lay person can understand (me!), I ended up buying this book to keep around for the constant reference and recipes I will use every day! LOVED IT!!
snikkidee's review
2.0
Do I have a problem with the actual program?
No. I think it is a great idea to eliminate foods that may be causing issues and then reintroducing them slowly.
Do I think this is scientifically sound?
Absolutely not. They specifically say don’t rely on science alone and talk about leaky gut syndrome and state it’s not accepted by mainstream medical providers.
The writing is not great.
I did learn some about metabolism and I think if you were to follow this diet you would be eating healthier than 95% of Americans. Myself included.
No. I think it is a great idea to eliminate foods that may be causing issues and then reintroducing them slowly.
Do I think this is scientifically sound?
Absolutely not. They specifically say don’t rely on science alone and talk about leaky gut syndrome and state it’s not accepted by mainstream medical providers.
The writing is not great.
I did learn some about metabolism and I think if you were to follow this diet you would be eating healthier than 95% of Americans. Myself included.
midwifereading's review
4.0
Overall, I really appreciated the approach in this book. It wasn't what I expected, at all. Essentially, Whole30 is an elimination diet, designed help you rule out, for yourself, which kinds of foods may be a problem for you. Essentially, you eliminate the foods most commonly linked to systemic inflammation, hormonal problems, and cravings. It's like quitting smoking cold-turkey, but with problem foods. After your initial 30 days, you gradually reintroduce the problem foods, one at a time, and evaluate yourself to see if/when/how you ought (or ought not) to add them back into your regular diet.
It has a very down-to-earth, conversational writing style, which isn't stellar, but very accessible. I think my favorite part is near the end of the book, when the dreaded "meal plan" is discussed. Rather than giving you a pre-made menu and grocery list, this book outlines some basic staples to have on hand, a few bare-bones recipes, and tells you to run with it. This is right in line with the way my husband prefers to cook. We make a menu plan, I buy him some ingredients, and he makes what he wants, based only very loosely on the menu. So, I think this might be do-able for our family.
I felt encouraged by the overall tone (in spite of a condescending sentence every now and then), and the fact that it encourages personal responsibility and informed decision-making. They expect you to take the science, their experience, and the information in the book, and apply it to yourself, evaluating carefully as you go.
I'm happy with it.
It has a very down-to-earth, conversational writing style, which isn't stellar, but very accessible. I think my favorite part is near the end of the book, when the dreaded "meal plan" is discussed. Rather than giving you a pre-made menu and grocery list, this book outlines some basic staples to have on hand, a few bare-bones recipes, and tells you to run with it. This is right in line with the way my husband prefers to cook. We make a menu plan, I buy him some ingredients, and he makes what he wants, based only very loosely on the menu. So, I think this might be do-able for our family.
I felt encouraged by the overall tone (in spite of a condescending sentence every now and then), and the fact that it encourages personal responsibility and informed decision-making. They expect you to take the science, their experience, and the information in the book, and apply it to yourself, evaluating carefully as you go.
I'm happy with it.