It Starts with Food

Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways

By: Melissa Hartwig, Dallas Hartwig

Narrated by: Melissa Hartwig, Dallas Hartwig

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

It Starts With Food outlines a clear, balanced, sustainable plan to change the way you eat forever-and transform your life in profound and unexpected ways. Your success story begins with the Whole30®, Dallas and Melissa Hartwig's powerful 30-day nutritional reset.

Since 2009, their underground Whole30 program has quietly led tens of thousands of people to weight loss, enhanced quality of life, and a healthier relationship with food-accompanied by stunning improvements in sleep, energy levels, mood, and self-esteem. More significant, many people have reported the "magical" elimination of a variety of symptoms, diseases, and conditions in just 30 days.

Now, Dallas and Melissa detail not just the "how" of the Whole30, but also the "why," summarizing the science in a simple, accessible manner. It Starts With Food reveals how specific foods may be having negative effects on how you look, feel, and live-in ways that you'd never associate with your diet. More important, they outline their lifelong strategy for eating Good Food in one clear and detailed action plan designed to help you create a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation, and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food.

Infused with the Hartwigs' signature wit, tough love, and common sense, It Starts With Food is based on the latest scientific research and real-life experience, and includes testimonials, a detailed shopping guide, a meal-planning template, a Meal Map with creative, delicious recipes, and much more.

(Please note: If you purchase this book on iTunes, the PDF of free, accompanying material may appear in your music library rather than in your book library.)

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2012 Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig (P)2014 Victory Belt Audio

I loved it! Now I know what all the hype is about

I just finished listening to it -- the Hartwigs did a great job! I'm a VERY AVID audiobook listener, and I honestly had no knowledge beforehand of the Whole 30 plan or this book. I had seen it mentioned on Facebook a few times with a lot of enthusiasm, and I'm already a fan of pseudo-Paleo eating, so I decided to download this and see what the hype was about. I wasn't able to tell that they didn't use professional narrators. In fact, Melissa sounded better than some paid professional narrators I've listened over the years. (Dallas isn't so bad, either! Every now and then I'd think about which person I liked hearing best, and I never could decide.) The only thing that did get super annoying right from the get go was the little Disney-ish magic wand sound that interrupted each section. It reminded me of Nickelodeon as a kid and took away from the authoritative tone of the book. But it's not so annoying that it would dissuade someone from listening. I downloaded my accompanying PDF just fine, and it was a terrific experience. I pretty much listened straight through.

As for the book and plan itself, it made perfect sense. If any of you have listened to or read Dr. Mark Hyman's "10 Day Detox," it's nearly identical in theory and practice, only the Hartwigs have you going for 30 days vs. 10. I read and did the 10 day detox, but I honestly don't believe it was long enough to really determine or establish any particular allergens or irritants in my diet. It got me to lose a few pounds back in the spring, but then I kinda forgot all about it. I'm hoping/expecting this plan to teach me more about what I want to add into my diet. They kind of gloss over the reintroduction part -- too much IMHO. I think I'm going to take my time and reintroduce at my own pace with smaller portions and longer phases.

All in all, the authors delivered their book in an enjoyable, easy-to-understand way that's even a bit entertaining. I loved the bits where they gave it to the readers straight -- it made me laugh, but I was also nodding my head thinking, "Yeah. They're right!" I'm one of those fortunate people who have no real ailments, aches, pains, diseases or chronic issues. (Very blessed!) But I do have metabolic damage from yo-yo dieting, starvation diets and super-low carb eating. I want to find a sustainable, healthy food lifestyle that totally eliminates anything that might affect my sluggish metabolism while still eating plenty of calories, starches/fats/protein. This is the perfect way jump start the process and figure out what I do (and what I don't) want in my long-term way of eating. I highly recommend!

Not a child

My major gripe with the Hartwigs is that they write to you as if you are a child. I stopped listening to this book after they answered the question "but what if I don't like vegetables" with "we don't care. When you become an adult sometimes we have to do things we don't like and that includes eating vegetables". The way that it was narrated also sounded extremely condescending. In another book they wrote, they stated that "drinking your coffee black for 30 days [was]. not. hard." after comparing it with battling cancer. I'm here to tell you that as a person who has done several whole30s and eats a mostly paleo type diet, whole30 is hard. It's worth it, but breaking a sugar addiction is hard (studies show that sugar is 8 times more addictive than cocaine!)! I get the concept of tough love, but I'm not your kid.

The other thing is that they reference the science when it benefits their agenda, but seemingly ignore it when it doesn't, which is pretty frustrating to me. I am glad that they are at least basing their diet on science, but it seems that if they're going to do that then it should be even across the board.

Other than that, I do advocate the diet as a health coach and I think that they have a great product. I just don't like their books.

Wow, this is a life changing book!

Any additional comments?

I have had digestion issues for the past 5 yeas, bloating, fatigue, brain fog, stomach pain, joint soreness and overall feeling unwell. After countless medical tests, even biopsied to find out if I was celiac ... doctor concluded I must be gluten sensitive. I went completely gluten, corn, diary free and though my symptoms weren't as severe, they were still there. To say I was frustrated, would be a huge understatement. Nothing seemed to help.

Even before I finished reading this book I started a total grain free diet, dairy, sugar , ect... way of eating ,... and after about 5 days every symptom disappeared! It is mind blowing how simply changing the way I ate had such a dramatic impact. I guess I had been feeling so sick for so long that I had forgotten what it truly felt like to have energy and feel well.

I am about a month and half into this new lifestyle change and I can't imagine every introducing those items back into my diet. I had some rice with a meal and then followed by cake 3 weeks into this new way of eating, and the resulting ill feeling was an eye opener and reminded me of how I'd felt like for years.

Thank you to the authors for putting together such an amazing book, in a very simple to follow way. I have read countless books on nutrition and diet, this by far is the best one! Total life changer for me!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Worth the listen

What made the experience of listening to It Starts with Food the most enjoyable?

I chose to listen to this book, not to lose weight, but to adjust my lifestyle and eating habits. To be as healthy as I can possibly be. The information was intriguing, and there are some good tips. The mantra "Change the food on your plate" will stick with me forever. The Hartwigs make excellent cases for eliminating certain foods.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig ?

Literally anyone else. The narration style was boring and felt like they were reading. The most pleasurable books to listen take a more conversational tone rather than scripted tone.Also, the pronunciation of "legume" rubbed my ears the wrong way. I don't know what it was, but it was grating. You will know it when you hear it. The weird chime sound between sections is also less than pleasant.

Any additional comments?

The tone of the book was a little condescending. Using lines like, "What are you, 12?" in references to behaviors with food was irritating. There were several "zingers" like that in the book, which put me off. I do not need an informational book to treat me with kid gloves, but rhetorical insults aren't going to make me an ambassador of your book. The testimonials also SEEMED wildly exaggerated. They may be true, but it the majority just sounded incredibly puffed up.

Better than hardcopy!

What did you love best about It Starts with Food?

This book has been life changing for me. I spent 2 years going to doctors to figure out what was wrong with me. It doesn't even take a whole 30 to feel and understand your body's reaction to food. I wanted them to be wrong, I wanted to be ok with dairy and wheat but my body says otherwise. Highly recommend getting on their website mailing list for both whole 9, whole 30, recipes and Facebook. When I first ordered it I had to read it in ebook form. Because the are some medical terms that are very important to follow I found that listening was easier to do. I was able to rewind and re-listen. I am very impressed how well Melissa and Dallas narrate. This book was done nicely. Only negative is the little ching between chapters....irritating.

Super informative and easy to digest!

I wasn't sure how well an audio version of this book would work because sometimes I start tuning out during the more science-y bits of health books and have to re-read them. The Hartwigs did such a great job of giving you enough info so you know the why while still keeping you interested with analogies and entertaining bits.

I also love that the book isn't super long and is broken up into smallish chapters. This way I can go back and listen to key parts without having to listen to a bunch of stuff that doesn't pertain to a specific question that I might have.

I am definitely going to be recommending this one to friends and family!!

Another Low Carb Diet...

Started listening and was getting excited but when I reviewed the results from others and researched a little further online I found this diet ranked close to last for sustainable weight loss and wasn't in the top for short term weight loss. I get it, low carb diets will drop some weight but most people can't live that way long term. I did Atkins and lost weight only to have it sneak back on me over time. I have had better success with MyFitness Pal and monitoring what I eat to lose weight and kept it off for over a year now. If it works for you then go for but its not for me.

I would also suggest Melissa narrate the entire book. She was much more interesting and engaging in her tone than Dallas.

Not what I expected

The title and written summary should have mentioned that this was a low-carb diet. Or I should have listened to the audio sample carefully. I thought this would be a discussion about avoiding processed foods. If you are looking for a book about a Paleo diet, then this is it.

Common sense approach to clean eating

I just listened to It Starts with Food for the second time in six months in preparation for my second Whole 30. In my first go round, I lost 15 lbs, people told me my skin looked brighter and I had more energy. It seems crazy that I let myself backslide, but the book prepared me for such an eventuality. I didn't let myself go too far amuck, and I'm revisiting the program. It really is so simple, but with incredible potential to change your life for the better. I highly recommend getting the hard copy book as a reference in addition to the audiobook. There is a lot of information I like to check as I move through the 30 days, and the actual book is more conducive to that.

extremely helpful

having purchased both the book and audio format, having the information relayed verbally re-enforces the information I have already read. The authors encourage, inform and basically make a drastic change in life not only easier, but understood as to why. I encourage everyone to read this book, whether they are ready for a life changing process in mind or not.
"It is not hard."

Life changing!

If you could sum up It Starts with Food in three words, what would they be?

It works wonders! Just do it! Change your life!

What other book might you compare It Starts with Food to, and why?

The only other book I can compare it to is Harry Browne's "How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World". Both have impressed me a lot and significantly innfluenced my life. I keep recommending both of them to everyone.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! Couldn't stop listening, will listen to it many more times!

Any additional comments?

I love this book. It's absolutely brilliant. Absolutely in love with how following its advice changed me.

Fantastic!

A truly life changing book. Having it read by the authors themselves makes it even better. I've enjoyed it immensely. Check it out!

Blood pressure down and lost a stone

Would you consider the audio edition of It Starts with Food to be better than the print version?

Yes the first half is a lot of science much easier to listen to

Any additional comments?

This is a diet for life but only strict for 30 days, after that try to stick to it for 80% of the time. My cholesterol is down and weight just fell off. A friend has avoided a hysterectomy and has mood swings under control. There are lots of similar stories at the beginning of each chapter which I was sceptical of but now feel they are probably true. Cutting out the junk (well most of it) has made such a difference.

If you don't think you can be good for 30 days just try a week; the benefits are almost immediate. Good luck.

Excellent. Informative. Well researched

Everyone should read or listen to this book. Dallas and Melissa although not professional narrators do an excellent job narrating the audio book - the best I've heard yet in fact. The content of the book is excellent, well researched, well backed up and the scientific parts are relayed in a manner that makes it comprehensible to even the most science phobic. Armed with the knowledge from this book you can make informed food choices and decide which less healthy foods are worth it and leave all the rest behind.

A must read if you are going to do the whole30

Really informative and easy to listen to. The lifestyle is working too so I am very pleased with this purchase

A must read/listen to for all

This book lays it bare. You are really what you eat! I feel enlightened.

Simple and Powerful

Simple yet comprehensive overview of how different foods contribute to various health conditions. 9 days into the program, the fatigue side of my fibromyalgia has vanished. My energy and concentration are improving and I am noticing a gradual reduction in symptoms. I even had the energy to hit the gym at the weekend! Here's hoping this book has me on the road to recovery!

Largely overrated

The research and voicing was well done, everything else was nonsense and a waste of a credit

Could change your life?

This is an interesting take on diet. Being short of time, the audio book was a great way to get an overview of the basic principles. A lot of points I found really interesting and I must admit that I am now around ten days into my 30 day "cleanse" and yes I do feel better, and yes I have lost weight. And yes I did buy their cookery book. So I would would certainly recommend it. For me It's been a gentle push into a much healthier eating regime. Which has to be a good thing, possibly even life changing.