Decoding Two Popular Diets: Whole30 and TQI

Your CrossFit friend is “doing the Paleo Challenge.” The neighbor wants to tell you all about the book Wheat Belly. One coworker is going dairy-free, while another has mentioned “eliminating nightshades.” 

Few people go on diets in that old-school, calorie-counting, fat-skimming way these days; instead, many folks, especially in health-conscious Seattle, are opting for diet plans that help improve health, such as lowering blood pressure or cholesterol; health improvements by which a slimmer waistline might happen to be a side benefit. Still, there is a mind-bending variety of options that purport to help you with those goals.

We asked a few local doctors and nutritionists to chat with us about two particularly popular diets du jour: Whole30, which puts an emphasis on avoiding certain food groups and ingredients for 30 days in order to tackle ailments such as fatigue, aches and pains, weight gain, digestive problems, allergies and skin issues; and the TQI (to quiet inflammation) diet, which skips portion control and dictates that meals should be divided as two-thirds unprocessed fruits and vegetables, and one-third protein and carbohydrates. It was created by Vashon Island–based Kathy Abascal (an herbalist with a background in biochemistry, neurobiology and law), who teaches TQI classes at local hospitals and online. The diet also avoids processed or refined foods, and reduces sodium, additives and other artificial ingredients in meals. 

Although most doctors and nutritionists always recommend a well-rounded diet over a specialized one, our experts weigh in on the pros and cons of these two buzzed-about approaches.

What are the pros and cons of the Whole30 diet? 

Kelly Morrow, associate professor, nutrition clinic coordinator, Bastyr

Whole30 pro: This whole foods diet deemphasizes highly processed foods. Con: It is very restrictive, overly focused on eating meat, and the tone is really restrictive. This isn’t a diet most people could follow long term (even the title of the diet recommends trying it for 30 days). There is lots of restrictive language like “Don’t even think about slipping up,” “Don’t eat grains of any kind, don’t eat legumes,” etc. I strongly disagree with broad, sweeping diets that eliminate so many whole foods like grains and legumes. I don’t understand the logic behind not eating grains or legumes.

I would agree that from a personalized nutrition standpoint, some people would do better with fewer grains and legumes (especially people with carbohydrate intolerance and digestive issues or uncontrolled issues with blood  sugar), but to make a sweeping statement that these are not healthy foods—this is not based in good science. The authors of this diet are not registered dietitians—one is a physical therapist, and the other one got a certification that is done online after reading a book and some articles. 

Korrin Fotheringham, dietitian, EvergreenHealth

One of the major drawbacks is that it promotes drastic change for just 30 days, which may set someone up to overconsume the foods that are excluded after the 30 days and go back to an unbalanced, nutrient-poor diet. Additionally, the “avoid list” includes whole foods such as legumes, dairy products and grains, which have all been shown to be beneficial in a well-balanced diet for all of the nutrients that these foods provide. The Whole30 diet does have some benefits, such as promoting whole foods with minimal ingredients, a high intake of fruits and vegetables, and low in refined or processed foods. 

Processed foods tend to be low in vitamins and minerals, and high in added calories, fats and sugars, which have contributed to the development of certain chronic diseases in our society. Unfortunately, this type of diet places blame on these food groups as being the main problem rather than providing education on how to create healthful, well-balanced meals. 

What about the TQI (aNTI-INflammation) diet?

Bastyr’s Morrow: The TQI diet is a local diet, and I have worked with many people who have done it. Pro: It is a whole foods diet that is aimed at reducing inflammation by focusing on reducing sugar and refined grains, increasing plant-based foods and eating healthy fats. Kathy Abascal is careful to cite research and has a good science background; she is also a registered herbalist. The book does a good job describing how some foods can be inflammatory and comes with a cookbook. I like that the diet is based on eating healthy versus losing weight. For people living locally, she also does classes on the diet. Con: It is pretty restrictive and difficult to follow long term for many people. There is some strict language in the book about needing to avoid many foods—it doesn’t leave much room for flexibility, and that is where many people have a hard time following it long term in my experience.

EvergreenHealth’s Fotheringham: Surprisingly, the ratio and balance of food groups is addressed in this diet, which provides the framework for those wanting to follow a healthy meal plan long term. With the TQI anti-inflammation diet, entire food groups are not eliminated, which makes this diet more reasonable and encourages a lifestyle change to enhance health and wellness long term. Overall, the promotion of whole foods that this diet encourages is a great basis for healthy eating. 

Greg Sharp, M.D., internal medicine, The Polyclinic

These two diets [Whole30 and TQI] are very, very similar in principle. Neither of them are “quick-fix diets” but rather, a long-term nutrition and lifestyle plan. They differ a bit in the research they cite [but] there is very little real-world difference in these two nutrition plans, and anybody following the standard American diet would benefit greatly from following either approach. The other fundamental similarity that both of these share is the focus on excessive insulin signaling being a driving force behind a great majority of our modern “diseases of civilization,” such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, etc. I think this is spot on. 

The detractors will say that this type of approach can be too dogmatic and that cutting out any food group is unhealthy or unsustainable. I tend to take a more pragmatic approach and tell patients to try something like either of these nutrition plans for 30 days, because they each have a scripted way of reintroducing foods back into the diet. Most people will be able to tell what they’re sensitive to or not and then figure out how strict they need to be in the long run.

There are so many different gauges to use for finding the right individual nutrition plan. It’s certainly not just the number on the scale, or even blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol metrics, but also body composition changes, energy level, gastrointestinal health, joint issues, skin health and even mood. I’ve had exponentially more success with my patients (and myself) using nutrition plans that resemble the Whole30 diet and TQI diet as opposed to the conventional-wisdom low-fat, low-calorie, “everything in moderation” principles that most of us have heard (and tried) for the last 30 years.

For more sound advice on the best tips for everyday eating, visit seattlemag.com and click on “health”