Appreciate your vulnerability on this subject, Katie. We live in a culture that surrounds us with convenience foods, most of which are made with ingredients & portioned sizes that aren’t great for anybody on a regular basis, let alone those of us with food sensitivities. And eating whole foods all the time DOES take a ton of mental energy in that cultural environment. You’re not alone. ♥️
Thanks so much for linking to my essay on moderation, Katie. “Everything in moderation” is a myth that, for me, doesn’t work and holds potential for harm.
Sending you an abundance of care as you walk with this. Though my own issues with food and eating are different, I very much understand the impact they can have.
Only since you asked us to share what’s worked for us, I’ll mention that when I ate a (nutrient-deficient) vegetarian diet for ten years, I was deeply addicted to processed carbs and sugar and deeply lacking in healthy fats and protein. That was in my 20s, so I could “kind of” pull it off for a while (though it wreaked havoc on my mental health, energy levels, etc.). Now, at age 49, no way. I don’t need a lot of meat, but I need it at least 2-3 times a week and eggs on the other days. I find it essential for mood, focus, energy, sleep, metabolism, immune health, everything.
I’m in no way saying what worked (and works) for me is the best fit for everyone, but doing a no-cheat, no-negotiation “Whole30” in my late 30s was a game changer. Since then, I’ve followed a paleo-primal diet 90 percent of the time (with many months at 100 percent); I practice intermittent fasting and eat two meals a day without snacks, making sure to get plenty of food, protein, and fat at each meal (the first is a late breakfast/early lunch; the second is dinner - I also have coffee with butter and/or almond milk upon waking).
This was the only thing that disrupted my sugar and carb addiction AND changed the kinds of foods I crave and love. Physically and mentally, I’ve thrived eating this way and am no longer stuck in the starve-binge cycle.
At 49, I still have a regular monthly period, am pain free, have a vigorous yoga practice, and feel energized. In my 20s, while vegetarian, I went a decade without menstruating, was depressed and exhausted, and reached a point where I was getting a new injury at every step and not healing. For me, feeling like I do now is worth the tradeoffs (but, as mentioned, I still love eating my meals!).
Again, sending so much care to you, Katie. Whatever ends up working for you - which may be totally different than what worked for me - there IS hope. The specific foods we consume can re-pattern our tastes and our whole system - in ways that are unhelpful…but, also, depending what we eat, in ways that are helpful and align with our biology. Cheering you on.
Thank you for taking the time with this thorough response. I really appreciate hearing what has worked for you. So many feelings tied up in food and I appreciate you sharing the impact your different diets had on you over time. I'm starting to really see the patterns and hoping to break them by dissecting them out in the open. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone.
*Just for the sake of precision and transparency, I’ll add that I’ve been eating white rice daily since moving to Thailand two months ago (and that’s not paleo-primal). I do notice some not-so-great effects from it, but they are relatively minor (skin breakouts, bloating). But if I overdo the rice, or revert back to more grains and sugar, the tradeoffs quickly become not worth it to me.
Shame is huge when it comes to food. We get messages that some foods are "good" or "bad" so we are good or bad when we eat them. I struggled with this for years! Letting go of good/bad when it comes to food is huge. Instead I find that asking if this food will make my body feel good or bad is more helpful. Also, "I can't eat" vs "I don't eat." Vegetarians don't eat meat. They can eat it, they choose not to and don't. If you were craving meat, you may have been low on B12 or protein or iron. The point is how you speak to yourself around food matters.
I run a 6 week program all about this, using principles of yoga to help your relationship with food. I am happy to send you details if you like. 💜
I was with you from the moment you pulled out your Valentine's Day Wawa-won award. It's so emblematic (for me) of how we wait, and hold, for just the right moment, and how to decide we are worth it. Your sharing on food spiral, reminds me how much energy I can spend on deciding on the moment, the worth, the rightness (or wrongness of a thing). Thank you, Katie! Very powerful post.
Thanks for reading Kate - it's the energy for sure that I need to readjust. Just the writing this week, the posting/sharing, and the text messages I've gotten from friends saying Me Too and leading to more conversations - it's like I'm purging all the things I've been hiding and it feels good to let go. I'm hoping this whole process is the beginning of my healing with food. Thanks for being a part of that!
If you haven't already, you might check out The Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougall. He has a different POV about craving and solutions. It seems to be helping me.
Thanks for your honest bravery in sharing this. You are absolutely not alone. My hand is up. I too am better off without dairy and gluten. I find that when my eating gets out of control there's usually an emotional issue underneath that wants to be recognised. I mostly realise this too late though. 🧡
Thank you so much for letting me know I'm not alone - what a relief in that! Yet I'm sorry you struggle with the same things. Realizing too kate has been my pattern too. I'm hoping to get ahead of it by being open like this. Thanks for sharing!
Appreciate your vulnerability on this subject, Katie. We live in a culture that surrounds us with convenience foods, most of which are made with ingredients & portioned sizes that aren’t great for anybody on a regular basis, let alone those of us with food sensitivities. And eating whole foods all the time DOES take a ton of mental energy in that cultural environment. You’re not alone. ♥️
Thanks Kait. The mental energy expended on food is entirely too much! Thanks for reading and reminding me that the environment plays a role too
Thanks so much for linking to my essay on moderation, Katie. “Everything in moderation” is a myth that, for me, doesn’t work and holds potential for harm.
Sending you an abundance of care as you walk with this. Though my own issues with food and eating are different, I very much understand the impact they can have.
Only since you asked us to share what’s worked for us, I’ll mention that when I ate a (nutrient-deficient) vegetarian diet for ten years, I was deeply addicted to processed carbs and sugar and deeply lacking in healthy fats and protein. That was in my 20s, so I could “kind of” pull it off for a while (though it wreaked havoc on my mental health, energy levels, etc.). Now, at age 49, no way. I don’t need a lot of meat, but I need it at least 2-3 times a week and eggs on the other days. I find it essential for mood, focus, energy, sleep, metabolism, immune health, everything.
I’m in no way saying what worked (and works) for me is the best fit for everyone, but doing a no-cheat, no-negotiation “Whole30” in my late 30s was a game changer. Since then, I’ve followed a paleo-primal diet 90 percent of the time (with many months at 100 percent); I practice intermittent fasting and eat two meals a day without snacks, making sure to get plenty of food, protein, and fat at each meal (the first is a late breakfast/early lunch; the second is dinner - I also have coffee with butter and/or almond milk upon waking).
This was the only thing that disrupted my sugar and carb addiction AND changed the kinds of foods I crave and love. Physically and mentally, I’ve thrived eating this way and am no longer stuck in the starve-binge cycle.
At 49, I still have a regular monthly period, am pain free, have a vigorous yoga practice, and feel energized. In my 20s, while vegetarian, I went a decade without menstruating, was depressed and exhausted, and reached a point where I was getting a new injury at every step and not healing. For me, feeling like I do now is worth the tradeoffs (but, as mentioned, I still love eating my meals!).
Again, sending so much care to you, Katie. Whatever ends up working for you - which may be totally different than what worked for me - there IS hope. The specific foods we consume can re-pattern our tastes and our whole system - in ways that are unhelpful…but, also, depending what we eat, in ways that are helpful and align with our biology. Cheering you on.
Thank you for taking the time with this thorough response. I really appreciate hearing what has worked for you. So many feelings tied up in food and I appreciate you sharing the impact your different diets had on you over time. I'm starting to really see the patterns and hoping to break them by dissecting them out in the open. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone.
*Just for the sake of precision and transparency, I’ll add that I’ve been eating white rice daily since moving to Thailand two months ago (and that’s not paleo-primal). I do notice some not-so-great effects from it, but they are relatively minor (skin breakouts, bloating). But if I overdo the rice, or revert back to more grains and sugar, the tradeoffs quickly become not worth it to me.
Shame is huge when it comes to food. We get messages that some foods are "good" or "bad" so we are good or bad when we eat them. I struggled with this for years! Letting go of good/bad when it comes to food is huge. Instead I find that asking if this food will make my body feel good or bad is more helpful. Also, "I can't eat" vs "I don't eat." Vegetarians don't eat meat. They can eat it, they choose not to and don't. If you were craving meat, you may have been low on B12 or protein or iron. The point is how you speak to yourself around food matters.
I run a 6 week program all about this, using principles of yoga to help your relationship with food. I am happy to send you details if you like. 💜
Yes - thank you! I'd love to hear more details about that.
Language has certainly played a role and been something I've been trying to be more mindful of - thank you for sharing.
I'll send the link in the chat and you can take a look.
I was with you from the moment you pulled out your Valentine's Day Wawa-won award. It's so emblematic (for me) of how we wait, and hold, for just the right moment, and how to decide we are worth it. Your sharing on food spiral, reminds me how much energy I can spend on deciding on the moment, the worth, the rightness (or wrongness of a thing). Thank you, Katie! Very powerful post.
Thanks for reading Kate - it's the energy for sure that I need to readjust. Just the writing this week, the posting/sharing, and the text messages I've gotten from friends saying Me Too and leading to more conversations - it's like I'm purging all the things I've been hiding and it feels good to let go. I'm hoping this whole process is the beginning of my healing with food. Thanks for being a part of that!
If you haven't already, you might check out The Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougall. He has a different POV about craving and solutions. It seems to be helping me.
Thank you Kristin!! I'll look into it now. Glad to hear it's something you found helpful - I'll keep you posted!
Beautiful and heart wrenching and totally relatable! Thank you so much 😊
Thank you for giving me the courage to share!
Thanks for your honest bravery in sharing this. You are absolutely not alone. My hand is up. I too am better off without dairy and gluten. I find that when my eating gets out of control there's usually an emotional issue underneath that wants to be recognised. I mostly realise this too late though. 🧡
Thank you so much for letting me know I'm not alone - what a relief in that! Yet I'm sorry you struggle with the same things. Realizing too kate has been my pattern too. I'm hoping to get ahead of it by being open like this. Thanks for sharing!