5 stages of food grief
Change is hard. Grieving for what used to be is understandable. When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis nearly 5 years ago there was a sense of dread for the unknown. I began a deep dive into researching how AIP (AutoImmune Protocol) could benefit those with Multiple Sclerosis or other types of autoimmune diseases. However, the #AIP stage 1 restrictions were overwhelming and I definitely went through the stages of grief at the beginning of my healing journey.
Denial - “Maybe this isn’t actually MS, just crazy symptoms I’ve been dealing with for 2 and a half years.”
Anger - “How can I possibly give up bread, cheese, and sugar??! All my favourite foods include those things!”
Bargaining - “60 days. I’ll do this crazy way of eating for 60 days and WHEN it doesn’t work, I’ll go back to eating whatever I want” (*spoiler alert by 60 days all my symptoms were gone and I’m now approaching my 5 year anniversary of eating this way*)
Depression - “looking around the staff room table and seeing all the food and treats makes me sad as I eat my salad and plain meat without any sauce.” (My coworkers were very supportive but also got to witness my grumpiness as I adjusted to this new way of eating 🙈)
Acceptance - As I started feeling relief from my symptoms, my mindset began to change from “I can’t eat that” to “I choose not to eat that because I don’t feel good when I do”. My New Years Resolution in 2018 was to find a new favourite food. After over 2 months on AIP, eating was not enjoyable or something I looked forward to, but something I had to do to survive. Over that year I experimented with new ingredients, tried food I’d never had before, and found ways to modify my old favourite foods into compliant versions. I was also able to successfully reintroduce some things back into my diet that I previously eliminated. I’m not only still eating this way, but I’m thriving in it AND through #paleoplatery I’m now helping others reach their own acceptance stage. What an honour and a privilege!
Denial - “Maybe this isn’t actually MS, just crazy symptoms I’ve been dealing with for 2 and a half years.”
Anger - “How can I possibly give up bread, cheese, and sugar??! All my favourite foods include those things!”
Bargaining - “60 days. I’ll do this crazy way of eating for 60 days and WHEN it doesn’t work, I’ll go back to eating whatever I want” (*spoiler alert by 60 days all my symptoms were gone and I’m now approaching my 5 year anniversary of eating this way*)
Depression - “looking around the staff room table and seeing all the food and treats makes me sad as I eat my salad and plain meat without any sauce.” (My coworkers were very supportive but also got to witness my grumpiness as I adjusted to this new way of eating 🙈)
Acceptance - As I started feeling relief from my symptoms, my mindset began to change from “I can’t eat that” to “I choose not to eat that because I don’t feel good when I do”. My New Years Resolution in 2018 was to find a new favourite food. After over 2 months on AIP, eating was not enjoyable or something I looked forward to, but something I had to do to survive. Over that year I experimented with new ingredients, tried food I’d never had before, and found ways to modify my old favourite foods into compliant versions. I was also able to successfully reintroduce some things back into my diet that I previously eliminated. I’m not only still eating this way, but I’m thriving in it AND through #paleoplatery I’m now helping others reach their own acceptance stage. What an honour and a privilege!