5 Ways to Cope with a Doctor-Diagnosed-Diet Change

Picture it. Sicily. 1932. Just kidding.

It's now and you are wherever you are. A doctor diagnoses you with something that requires you to change your diet. Drastically.

Maybe it's diabetes and requires lowering your sugar intake. Perhaps it TMD, like me, and you need to go on a soft, anti-inflammatory diet.

Whatever the reason, you suddenly find yourself in a position where you must change your diet or suffer the consequences. It probably seems totally overwhelming. Where do you even begin?! This has been a major focus for me the past few months. (You can check out my Insta to see some of my progress.)

And here's the thing people don't realize, the food you eat is either helping you or hurting you and there's honestly not much middle ground in between those two extremes.

Today, I can help you downgrade from overwhelmed to simply whelmed. After that, you'll have the tools to take yourself from whelmed to okay, then from okay to better than ever. And newsflash, it's not all about recipes. If it were, there wouldn't be so many people out there struggling with changing. So, what is it about?

And I'm gonna warn you in advance, the information in this entry is dense. I'm sharing a lot of information. I know it would be better as a video, but...hello...TMD. *whomp whomp* But for anyone struggling with changing your diet, this will be worth reading, I promise.



If you get this reference, you are my people.
So much of your success with changing your diet depends on how you feel about your diagnosis.

It all starts with your emotions, which then lead to your thoughts, which then lead to your actions.

What we put into our bodies affects everything. Our energy levels, our immunity strength, our emotions...literally everything. So step number one?

1. Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself

Don't indulge self-pity. Many people never exit the self-pity/denial phase. This keeps them trapped in a depressing cycle of feast or famine. They do well for several days, then go back to their old ways, feel guilty and start the cycle all over again. They never really make true progress. They just go back and forth.

Then there's the second type of person. They deny what's happening and make substitutions that don't actually help them at all. (We all know that one diabetic who pours excessive amounts of Splenda on everything. That might be slightly less damaging, but it's certainly not helping in the long run.)

Start by getting real with yourself. So, you have to change your diet? Who cares?! You're alive! You're still in control of your body and your circumstances. (As much as any of us can be, of course.) It's okay to feel shocked and depressed, I'd even encourage you to process those feelings with a qualified therapist or a sensitive, encouraging family member.

But don't grieve forever. That old way of eating? It doesn't work for you anymore. If you're struggling to accept that, ask yourself why? Is eating your only source of joy? A coping mechanism? If you have a healthy relationship with food, you'll be ready to make adjustments and recognize that we must make adjustments throughout our entire lives to stay healthy.

If you've been using food as a drug, it's going to be more difficult. But that's even more of a reason to change.

There is more to life than food. There are adventures to have and mountains to climb. (Or maybe gentle walks in the park. Laps in the pool. Whatever floats your metaphorical boat!)

Your body can take you to so many wonderful places if you treat it well.

2. Cut the Junk Cold Turkey

The simplest and best way to start is by cutting out refined sugar, all animal by-products, chemicals and caffeine. Yes, it's hard. Really, really hard. But you can do it and you are worth it. So many people live in a fugue state because they are addicted to things they were never meant to consume in excessive amounts.

If that seems like too lofty a goal, choose one to cut out. Refined sugar, animal by-products, chemicals or caffeine. Fasting from any one of those will take you through withdrawal. But if you can eliminate them, you'd be amazed at the difference you'll feel.

Are you balking even reading this? Are you getting angry? Then this is for you. Let yourself be challenged! 



Be willing to take the first step! Make a leap of faith. No, maybe you're not "that guy" today, but you could be tomorrow if you started today.

So many people are cynical about getting healthy. That's a defense mechanism. Your sub-conscious lives with an accepted pattern of eating. Challenging that will create internal resistance. But if you're willing to ask yourself where your cynicism comes from, you may be surprised to find the source. It's likely emotional. Maybe you were bullied by an athlete as a kid. Maybe you have low self-esteem still today. Find the root cause and address it. Then? Cut the junk.


3. Make One Change at a Time

I started by changing breakfast. I either have a vegan protein smoothie or a fresh vegetable juice. It's best to eat fruit sugar on an empty stomach anyway, so breakfast was a natural place to begin.

Did you know you can have smoothies and juices sweet or savory? The varieties are endless. When I experimented and found what I liked, getting up in the morning was easier because I was excited. Breakfast started feeling like a treat!

To top it all off? I saved money. Just buying fresh and frozen vegetables, protein powder or almond milk to last a week or two is a lot easier than boxed waffles that taste like cardboard. You'll be surprised how quickly your taste buds change. You'll also notice an energy that lasts you all the way to lunch.

Try it. I double dog dare you. Try it earnestly for two weeks and see what changes.


4. Use Pinterest!

Infographic from Pinterest via Leading Dentists
I do! Here and here. I've found so many recipes and ideas for living with an anti-inflammatory diet on Pinterest. (Yes, even if you're a dude. Just try it, I dare you again.)

Go to Pinterest, you don't even have to make an account. Just search a topic like "anti-inflammatory food" and see what comes up. You'll be amazed. There's plenty to keep you trying new recipes and ideas for a lifetime.

Most of what I hear from people who say they "can't do it", is honestly despair. They know they need to change but they simply don't know how. This is especially true the later in life you are asked to change your habits.

Don't feel bad that you don't know how. You only know what you know when you know it. (If that makes sense.) Nobody expects you to know. So just let go of feeling bad about that. Use resources. Seek information. If you really want it, you'll find it by any means necessary. Google, Pinterest, your local library...go find what you need.


5. Eat Real Food

It's more simple than you could ever realize. So many people aren't eating real food. They're eating beige, processed, factory-built weirdness. Isn't it crazy to you that food grows in these little pods from plants? That's the real food.

Consider Michael Pollan's simple, intelligent diet plan. "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much." That's it, you guys. That's honestly it.

I challenge you to choose just one of the five points outlined above and institute it in your life this week. Try it for at least a couple weeks, or if you're really brave, a month. Be resolute about it and just see what begins to change.

You can do this. I believe in you.


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