Back in November I did a video presentation for people in the health and wellness field on the topic: "Guiding your patients through dietary changes". You can check it out here if you're interested: Guiding Your Patients Through Dietary Changes | gphealthandwellness.com | Loreal | - YouTube
For this post, I want to talk about what YOU can do in regards to your own dietary changes and the mindset you should be having. How do you start? How do you know if you're doing it right? How are you supposed to feel? What are common symptoms? and more.
For starters, there is no "right" way to approach dietary changes. There are tips I can give but everyone is completely different. Our bodies will react differently, our mental and emotional stability is different, and our friends and family are different as well. These all heavily affect how you will help yourself. Our bodies are all built differently and our gut health is also very different from one another. We may eat fairly the same, but we so also do eat differently and are exposed to different outside factors from air and water quality, environmental toxins, toxic products we put on our skin, the quality of food we eat, how we take care of ourselves, etc., etc. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to diets, dietary changes or general health for that matter.
But with all that said, here are some highlights I hope can bring you a little peace if and when you enter the sometimes daunting world of dietary changes. Before you go any further, please SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE. I am not a doctor, and if you are going through any form of symptoms or diet changes, please seek help from a medical professional. The tips I will give I hope to be of help to you outside of the doctors office when it's just you holding yourself accountable.
How to start.
Seek out advice from your doctor. If you aren't a fan of your current doctor I highly suggest switching (and yes, you can switch very easily!) You need a doctor you trust and relate with. It is necessary to always inform whoever your provider is of any changes you will be making. A naturopathic doctor, primary care medical doctor, nutritionist, dietician - whomever you go to when you seek help for your health should be notified.
If you have symptoms and you aren't sure whether they could be food related or not, track it. You can track the foods you eat yourself by using an app, logging it in the notes section of your phone, a journal, or try out a template (I have one here on my website you can download). Track what you eat and how you feel before, during and after. This is a helpful tool for not only yourself, but for your doctor to look at and use in order to get to the bottom of your symptoms.
Also track your overall symptoms. Bowel troubles? -When do you struggle with them? Morning/evening? All the time? Nausea? - What time? What did you eat? What did you drink? and on and on. Be as detailed as you can. Is it annoying to do? For sure, but it is extremely helpful and you'll be happy you did it in the end.
What are common symptoms that may require dietary changes?
Honestly this list is too long. Anything from stomach pain, bloating, nausea, headaches, fatigue, bowel changes (diarrhea, constipation), weakness, irritability, depression, hair loss, etc. Everyone's symptoms will present themselves in different ways. For gastroparesis I had an insane amount of stomach pain whereas most other people I know with gp have had more nausea and bowel changes and absolutely no stomach pain... it all depends on the person.
How do I know if I'm doing it right?
There is no "right" way. Dietary changes are overwhelming but they should NOT make you feel completely defeated, depressed, chronically stressed or make your symptoms worse. This is why reaching out to a doctor or a friend is really beneficial. Thankfully I have a S/O who is there for me and could tell/help me whenever I had an off or depressed day. Your mental, physical and emotional health are the most important thing. Strive to stick to your diet, but do not focus too much on it. Remember that this is to HELP you, not hurt you. If you remember that, then you're "doing it right".
I'm feeling depressed and exhausted, what do I do?
Sweat it out, move your body, do something you love, talk with a friend, contact your doctor. Do something to get your mind away from being too focused on food. It's important to eat healthy and to fuel your body with the foods you love but if you're in a constant state of thinking about your diet all day every day - stop it. Contact someone who can help you. Dietary changes can be exhausting but should not be debilitating.
How are you supposed to feel?
You can feel however you want to feel, it's really up to you. As far as physically feeling, depending on the diet you could get different symptoms that will present themselves merely because you started the diet changes. This is because you have been eating the same all your life and have now altered it. It will take your body a little while to get used to it, and that is normal. If you are feeling really awful though, again, talk with your doctor.
What if I have no support?
This is really the baseline of this entire post. What IF you have no support? Be your own support. Find ways to motivate yourself, reward yourself with a fun activity, remember that you are doing something that is hard - but rewarding in the end.
With all that said, you defiantly have support. Even if you have absolutely no friends or family, there is still so much support out there, you just have to look for it. Join a group on Facebook, follow people on Instagram, Google different clubs, forums, groups, etc. This world is big and there are so many other people going through similar or the same thing you are. One of the best things I did for myself was reach out to people online. I had support at home as well, but an online support of strangers is really helpful, I've met so many great friends by doing so!
How to deal with family and friends who just don't understand.
This one is hard, frustrating, irritating, annoying, aggravating (and all of the other related synonyms). Sometimes you may have that one person (or more) who has absolutely no idea what you're going through or why you "have to" do it. Sometimes these people may make incredibly ignorant remarks and the best thing you can do is educate them. If that doesn't work, choose to ignore them, or (my favorite), tell them exactly what you feel. Out right say it to them because you have to stand up for yourself. Just like how you have to constantly advocate for your health, you have to do the same thing with family and friends. Set boundaries and don't let them cross it.
I don't feel like I can enjoy life anymore or while I go through this.
This one is my favorite to talk about and I don't think I have shared it with anyone but my boyfriend.
For the first 8-10 months of getting sick and switching my diet all around (having horrendous symptoms and feeling depressed), I felt like my life would never be good again - like I would never be happy. I was at a birthday party one day and an older woman I knew came up to me. She knew what I was dealing with and asked how I was doing. I told her I was really struggling diet wise and said "my life is over because I can't eat anything normal". Those words actually came out of my mouth and thinking about it now I tell myself how dramatic that was but remind myself that so many people feel that way. The woman looked at me and said "oh honey, there is a LOT more to life than food." A year and a half later I still remember it and probably always will. There IS so, SO much more to life than food. It can be hard to think that way when you're first going through the changes but give it a little time (or a lot time) - you will start to feel better and you will realize that there is so much more to life that's worth enjoying apart from food.
Now, I hardly think about my food limitations and that is pretty powerful for me. I don't let food consume my every day life. I don't let the sadness of never going to a Texas Roadhouse again consume me because I've realized that I am so much healthier without it. Health is important to me, incredibly important to me and that has been what has consumed me instead, and I'm grateful for it. Now, I will note that being overly consumed in health is not great for you, but there's a saying that the key to life is balance, and it's very true.
Will I ever get back to "normal"?
What is normal? What is normal for you? Normal shouldn't even be a word. What were you eating before that was so great that you can't ever fathom living without it? Were/are you on a standard American diet that consumes high amounts of sugar, processed foods/fast "food"? Can you really tell me that you can't imagine living without McDonald's French fries? Think about what foods you consider to be "normal", write it down, forget about it for 6 months and come back to it after some time of dietary changes and educating yourself on health food... then see if your views change, I know mine did.
Now for symptoms, I do think you can go back to living a pain free life. There is a root cause to your symptoms and hey, they may not even be diet related, but I do think that you can live a joyful life managing your symptoms well. I hope you will get that mindset too one day, that you can get better and live a joyful life at least I hope that is your goal.
I have cheat days... is that okay? How do I stop?
If you're having symptoms that are food related or have a condition such as gastroparesis or celiac, my hard answer is no. Now, don't shame yourself and feel overly bad if you happened to cheat one day but I would strongly ask yourself why you did it. If you know that the food you ate is going to harm you, why did you do it? If you're going through cravings and feel like you need that specific food I would, again, talk with your doctor. You can also look up ways on how to handle your cravings. Another question is why do you have access to that food? Is it in your home? If so, get rid of it. If you drive past that McDonald's on your way home from work every day and can't help but stop, see if there's an alternative route or put a sticky note on your dashboard to remind yourself that you're strong and can fight that craving.
Don't drag yourself down. Food is comfort for some people, I get that, but I think you really get to know yourself better once you go through any form of diet changes. You start to recognize your weak spots, spots in your life that need for help, you start to understand your body more and realize what is actually important in life because it's not food, not all the time at least. I found other activities that made me feel comfort and I have also been drinking more tea as my "comfort". In the end, you are your biggest obstacle. Not the food, not your family or friends, not your disease, symptoms, or doctor. It all comes down to you, your control. If you are in the way of your own health then you should be asking yourself why and not be pitying your situation. You can get better if you believe in yourself and the ability to do hard things.
Please let me know if this post was helpful to you. You can also check out my Instagram page at: gphealth_loreal or find me on Facebook at GP Health and Wellness
Stay healthy and focused on your goals,
Loreal
*I may write other posts in the future to specifically address the individual questions listed above, but please remember the basis of my content is for people who have gastroparesis, Hashimoto's or other related conditions, or who go through similar struggles. I am here to share my experience and offer tips, but not medical advice.*
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