Whole30, Dallas and Melissa Hartwig’s program to detoxify, heal from systemic immune issues and change our relationship with food, is a good way to shed belly fat that may have crept up around our middle during the winter. The focus is not on counting calories, but about eating whole foods in amounts they suggest per meal.

What’s recommended is to eat plenty of healthy protein from sustainable sources without hormones and antibiotics, coupled with loads of veggies and high-quality fat sources like olives, avocado, coconut, olive oil, ghee and sesame oil. Dairy is out, as is all sugar, even what we may consider healthy sugar, like stevia and coconut sugar. Fruit works in very small quantities and all grains are left out of this plan.

Their book, It Starts with Food, offers tips and guidelines, recipes and testimonials with humor and lightness. People in this program report better sleep, higher energy levels, better mood, higher selfesteem and the elimination of many symptoms, diseases and conditions in 30 days.

To explore this option further after trying everything to alleviate tough symptoms for autoimmune issues or just find a discipline for changing your relationship with food, visit Facebook.com/whole9.

Sylvia Haskvitz is a food product designer, communication specialist and author. Contact her at 520-572-9295 or EatByChoice.net.