We founded Whole9 in 2009 and created the 9 factors as a way to incorporate a holistic approach into our lifestyle consulting practice. Since then, the Whole30 and Whole9 communities have grown by leaps and bounds. Our New York Times bestselling book It Starts With Food, has been translated into Czech and Lithuanian and we’re currently working on the audiobook, hoping a Spanish version isn’t far behind. There are lots of exciting projects on the horizon. We wanted to share this list of things we’ve learned and hear what you’ve learned on your Whole9 life journey.
9 Things We’ve Learned Since Starting Whole9:
- We never, ever get tired of hearing people’s stories, changes, successes, transformations, joys and, yes, sorrows.
- Stress management is everything.
- No matter how “perfect” your nutrition is, it can’t fix everything. It only starts with food.
- Sometimes, people you meet online become dear friends.
- Running a health & fitness business can take a real toll on your health & fitness. It’s easy to justify overworking when “it’s helping so many people.” Practicing what we preach is hard.
- Individual hormone levels or nutrient levels or genetic variants never tell the whole story, and rarely tell you much at all. Context always matters.
- Even with the education and experience we have, sometimes we still get it wrong. We can’t get too attached to our own recommendations – we learn new things all the time.
- If you want an amazing, positive community, it has to come from the top. There is no marketing substitute for genuine passion and love.
- People respect you for saying, “I don’t know, but I’ll try to find out.”
What have you learned since connecting with Whole9, doing a Whole30, reading It Starts With Food and/or living your Whole9 life?
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I really love #7! Thanks for keeping an open mind and having the courage to update or change your recommendations when the evidence supports that change. You guys are fantastic–keep doing what you’re doing!
Being a wellness coach myself, I can’t tell you how much I agree with all of these facts. Health information grows and changes all the time, we do a disservice to our clients if we continue to preach what we learned in school (how many years ago?) – if I learned anything in my schooling an career it’s that you always need to be on your toes and READ and inform yourself.
I LOVE every aspect of Whole9. It finally embraces change and looks at the whole person from a pretty awesome point of view. Your Health Equation is what I have been searching for to explain the importance of all aspects of health, wellness and change. I really love your stuff guys. Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication to this field!
I’ve done the Whole30 a few times. My favorite thing about it? Eating processed junk food afterward is always disappointing. It tastes bland and dry. All the flavorful “dust” that is sprinkled on Doritos suddenly tastes like cardboard. Eating real, whole foods changes your pallet and actually makes it difficult to go back to eating junk.
I absolutely love how much energy I have, how much better I sleep, and how much more at peace I feel in general! Even my husband has noticed how I seem “happier” and more stable, able to stay focused and keep myself in check. My body is looking amazing and I am utterly addicted – #wholelife for me! :-) (yes, I pick my own treats every now and then)
I can be well! After two decades of hypothyroid and hashimoto. I am not a slug! I have lost 34 pounds and going into my 60’s feeling better than I ever imagined. All because I stumbled upon Whole 30. I figured why not give it a try. I had constant leg pain. Now I walk a daily mile at lunch and incorporate stairs at work. Thank you!
I love you all! Your approach is honest, down to earth, no sugar coating, respectful, factual, ever-changing with new research and studies, …humorous!!… the list goes on. Thank you ~Laura, Anchorage, Alaska
I started whole 9 late July 2014. I have been struggling with anxiety and depression for over 15 years. I was on antidepressent for 12 years and have now been off of them for2 years. I have been on a “self discovery” path and have used the whole9 program as a supplement in healing naturally. I am amazed at how calm and focused I feel.
I now know when I have joint pain and gas where that comes from in my diet. This has helped me to stand clear of those foods that cloud my thinking hurt my joints and make me moody and leave me restless! I am much more in tuned with my body mind and spirit which is so helpful! I am mindful of negative thoughts and fell connected in my body! So happy I found the book!
Lynda,
Thanks for sharing your success experience. It sounds like you have put in the hard work to make significant changes and now you’re reaping the benefits. Amazing.
Backstory: I have been dieting most of my life ( I’m 61)….mostly Weight Watchers, which really is a good weight loss plan. Except it never worked for me. I rarely lost weight, but since I have a lot of weight to lose and have health issues that make losing weight very difficult, being able to maintain (as I did on WW) felt like a gift. I have always felt like a food addict – NO weight loss plan ever stifled my cravings.
Sooooo, I started noticing this whole30, day ‘whatever’ thing happening on Instagram, and being the curious type I checked it out, bought the book, and just finished a whole45. Well let me tell you – I am a new woman! I am clear-headed, less prone to mood swings , not hating myself for not being able to control myself around food, 16 lbs. lighter, and so very thankful that I figured out that it all ‘starts with food’. I had given up hope that I would EVER not crave food, but now it’s my reality. I’m a little scared to re-introduce and already know that gluten grains and sugar will be a no-no and I’m ok with that – WOW, that is a testament to how I’ve been changed! So anyway, I plan to live very intentionally a whole30/paleo-ish life while allowing for the occasional treat (?). I still can’t even believe how painless it was to give up diet soda, sour cream & cheese, pasta, Doritos…….the list goes on. This new way of living was truly a gift from God and I’m so grateful! Thank you, Hartwigs, for supplying the tools to lead me on this new food journey!
Love hearing your story, Debbie! Dallas and Melissa never get tired of hearing of experiences like yours. Congratulations! And don’t be afraid of re-introduction. There’s a lot of great articles on Whole30.com. Just search “reintroduction” or start with this one: http://whole30.com/2012/01/ride-your-own-bike-2/
On Day 14 and feeling great (AND proud!). Refrigerator cleaned out and pantry is sooo clean!
Thanksgiving here! Turkey and sweet potatoes served guests bringing all sides, desserts, etc. and taking them home with them.
Now the problems~~~ house guests during the holidays! We can’t force them to eat clean but we will have no poisons in the house. How do we handle that?
Ann, try reading these articles below. Maybe they can help give you some ideas. Most likely you’ll need to at least warn them so they can determine if they can survive without “poisons.”
http://whole30.com/2014/11/dear-melissa-whole30-holiday-strategy/
http://whole30.com/2014/11/dear-melissa-whole30-holiday-strategy/
There’s more on Whole30.com about this. Just go there and search for more resources on the topic! All the best to you on your holidays.