One of my pet peeves when it comes to the nutritional and wellness community is the emphasis some dieticians and nutritionists place on intuitive eating.
Hear me out..
Intuitive eating is great for everyone. Especially folks with a history of disordered eating.
But telling an autoimmune warrior to "just eat the cupcake" is blatantly disregarding a huge part of autoimmune wellness which is...the food we eat doesn't just bring us joy and fulfillment.
IT KEEPS US WELL.
OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.
OFF OUR MEDICATIONS.
But I'm not saying we can't indulge at all.
SO HOW DO YOU INDULGE AS AN AUTOIMMUNE WARRIOR WITHOUT ENDING IN A FLARE?
Don't stress. Stress induces inflammation so berating yourself while indulging in something that may make you flare is only going to make a bad problem worse. So lean into your cravings when you have them rather than fighting them. You're human. Cravings are a part of life.
Plan ahead and take some anti-inflammatory supplements before you indulge. (A list of these are in the Flare Free Cooking Academy private online group.)
Do Flare Free Math.
Eat slowly so you can digest well + enjoy the process of eating.
Drink water.
Most importantly, be prepared to flare. Don't beat yourself up if you do. Be proud of yourself for indulging peacefully.
Replenish with nourishing foods and supplement with more anti-inflammatory supplements.
Healing through food is hard. It's a journey. And not a linear one. You're doing great. Keep it up!
xo,
Laura
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NOTE: I'm not a doctor, nurse, dietician or nutritionist and this is not medical advice. Please work with your practitioner before using any healing advice suggested in this article.