Your pandemic diet plan

This pandemic thing has been going on for months now, and it has brought on a wave of emotions; everything from feeling grateful, to resentful, happy and disappointed.

Oddly enough, what it reminds me most of are the times I’ve made significant changes to my diet, and most recently when I committed to an Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) diet to reverse my Hashimotos (an autoimmune thyroid disorder).

As I sit here now, writing this in remission with Hashimotos and living my best life, I can honestly say the significant dietary changes were well worth it.

Going on an AIP diet wasn’t just about doing a diet.  It taught me so much about my body, my health, myself and what really mattered in life – similar to what this pandemic is doing for all of us right now. 

So consider this your pandemic diet plan…if you’re open to it, it will also teach you SO MUCH about your body, your health, yourself and what really matters.

Sure in the beginning it felt restrictive and maybe it still does even, just like starting a diet… 

…eliminating some of your favorite foods in order to do what’s right for your body sucks, you miss them.  Just like not being able to go to your favorite places during this pandemic.

But after a while, you find a new groove; a new way of eating, a new routine and even some new foods that you love just as much as the old ones.  Similar to how we are all finding a new way of being during this pandemic.

You also start to feel better once you are eating in alignment with what your body needs; your energy increases, you sleep better at night, you can think clearly again, you start shedding pounds and overall you feel more comfortable in your own skin.

Eventually eating in this new way just becomes part of what you do; you no longer have to work hard or think about it too much, it just comes naturally. 

You can see the difference in how you feel, how you look at the world and your health. You have healed.  

And if you look back over the last few months, I’m sure you can see how much you have grown or changed along with this pandemic. 

In this week’s video and blog, I share my top tips and insights for getting through changing your diet that will help you not only get through this pandemic but also come out the other side feeling more comfortable in your own skin.

When talking about making changes to their diet, I often hear clients say…

 “I don’t want to be ‘that’ person at the dinner table making special food requests.”  

To which I will reply, “what’s more important to you, not being ‘that person’ or feeling like your best self?”

Every choice you make will either build your health or break it down.  And I get it, when others are making certain choices, the fear of missing out (FOMO) can hit you hard. 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while doing an AIP diet was this…

Food or alcohol doesn’t make the moment or the experience, I do.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a foodie and a wine lover so when I committed to avoiding alcohol and AIP foods for however long it took to get my body back, I missed those things; but I also didn’t avoid social events or sit in the corner feeling sorry for myself because I was missing out on them either.

Instead, I found other ways to enjoy the moments and create experiences.  

I explored making creative mocktails and dishes that I could have and bring with me to social gatherings.  I made a point to be more present and engaged in conversations, to really connect with people and really be in the moment.  I found other ways to treat myself at the end of a long week with activities such as massages, tea with a friend, taking a spiritual class or spending time outside. 

An AIP diet is what some would call very restrictive, and while yes it did require me to avoid a longer list of foods, it also challenged me to find a deeper sense of self and connection. 

It encouraged me on a deeper level to really think about:

• What I was putting in my body and how it responded to it? 
• Were my choices in alignment with how I wanted to be feeling?
• How did I want to spend my time and my energy?
• What really were my priorities – health, work, food, family, me?

To sum it up, it made me pay attention to what I was ignoring before. 

As I said when this whole pandemic thing started…

Life gives us exactly what we need when we need it, we just have to be open to receiving it.

The recent events are forcing change.  They are forcing us to change the way we look at the world, the way we look at our health and what we prioritize in our lives.

It seems as if this pandemic is encouraging us to…

• Slow down
• Let go of being busy
• Look inward instead of out
• Be with yourself and those closest to you
• Practice patience and hold space for health
• Take time to create and contemplate what is really important

Interestingly, these are also basic practices that help you to build and maintain your health, and they were pivotal parts of my health journey that helped me to reverse Hashimotos, balance my hormones, restore my energy and get back to my ideal body. 

Part of the reason why people get sick is because we are so busy or we ignore what our body is trying to tell us.  Think about how many times you or people you know have…

• Come to work sick
• Pushed through the pain
• And kept going till burn out

All because there was “too much to do.”  And all of which suppresses your immune system, making you susceptible to the common cold, flu, chronic illness and pandemic type viruses such as COVID-19.

So as we continue to move through this pandemic diet for life experience together, ask yourself…

• What is important to you?
• What do you need to eliminate that has been robbing you of time, money and energy?
• What have you been ignoring that needs your attention?
• How can you find ways to make every moment count and create your own experience?

And in the end of all of this, you’ll realize change was needed and it actually feels better just like I did at the end of my AIP diet plan.

Now I eat mostly AIP to continue supporting my body in the ways it needs it most, and I have a greater understanding of what supporting my body really means. 

Similarly, this pandemic has shown me that I don’t need constant access to all the “busy things” or luxuries that were at my fingertips before.  This different way of living is actually supporting my best health, self and growth. 

P.S. If you want more guidance on how to find the RIGHT DIET for you during this pandemic, click here to get my Food & Body Language Log Tool