Like so many others, I’m on the January Whole 30 train with the hope of resetting my body after a December of chocolate, cheese, and enough wine to make any Game of Thrones character blush. By the end of December, I was feeling sluggish, bloated, and lazy about making food choices.

Enter the Whole 30! An eating program that cuts inflammatory, processed, and hormone-unbalancing food groups (like grains, dairy, artificial sugars, and alcohol) for a full 30 days. If you haven’t heard about it, check out the details here.

I completed my first Whole 30 in August of last year, and while it was hard at times (like anything worth going after), I felt incredible by the end of the month. In fact, by the end of my second week on the program, my energy levels were through the roof. I was running faster, lifting more weight, and once home, sleeping more peacefully. The Whole 30 creators call this energy Tiger Blood, and it’s ah-mah-zing.

Besides the increased energy, I love that the Whole 30 never made me feel totally deprived. (Well, except for when I had to order a water with lime when going out for drinks with friends. Let’s be real; that part sucked.) I LOVE food and cooking, and both are an essential part of who I am. The Whole 30 celebrates healthy food and allows you to enjoy tons of nourishing, homemade foods—like this brussels sprouts and bacon dish with eggs.