Making Healthy Choices When You Feel Like Garbage

I noticed the signs a few months ago. The routine has now become all too familiar to me. I’d go sometimes weeks, flawlessly managing my anti-inflammatory diet. And as soon as I started to feel the familiar feelings of a flare, certain foods would suddenly become totally irresistible to me. Burgers (of the greasy fast food variety), cheese, chocolate: if I didn’t already know, these cravings always came to tell me it was time for a flare. When I feel like total garbage, all I want to eat is total garbage. What’s up with that?

Why is it so difficult to make healthy choices when our bodies feel pain?

You would think, given the relationship between what we eat and how we feel that making good choices would be a no-brainer. I know in my head that eating inflammatory foods will only cause me to have more inflammation in my body. And yet, when my body is hurting or I’m experiencing a great deal of fatigue I crave gluten-filled, dairy-loaded, preservative-saturated deliciousness. It simply defies logic.

More pain should be enough of a diversion, yet it isn’t

You might argue that maybe the pain I experience isn’t “bad” enough to force me to make better choices. Egh. Maybe you are right. After all, pain is nearly impossible to accurately quantify. All I know is that for me, bad really is bad. You would think it would be enough to keep me from eating garbage foods, but somehow it never is.

Maybe it is accessibility

The only rational reason I can come up with is the ease and accessibility of foods that trigger more inflammation in me. It’s easy to grab fast food. It’s affordable to purchase things with preservatives and easy prep directions. On top of all that, the rest of my family really seems to like these meals.

I know it seems odd that I (of all people) will now attempt to offer you “tips” to make healthy choices when you feel like garbage. But rest assured, these are just as imperfect as I am. My tips come from the daily reality of living with chronic pain. This is what I have found to work best for me.

Plan, prep, and plan again

Ideally, we should use our “good” days to prepare for the bad. Just like the old fable of "The Ant and the Grasshopper." Plan for the (inevitable) bad days, make easy prep foods, and plan more all over again. (Also known as Pinterest, Pinterest, and more Pinterest!)

Take advantage of food services

Never in all of our history has access to healthy food been easier. There are grocery delivery services, pick-up services, even many companies that offer meals-in-a-box with all the ingredients you need to an inflammatory friendly meal on the table with minimal effort. Yes, these services are a little pricier and may not be affordable for all of us, but I still think it is pretty remarkable that it’s even available. Set aside the “guilt” for the time being and take advantage of it, especially if your health and well-being is at stake.

Give yourself a little grace

When it comes down to it, we are only human. We are flawed. And when we feel bad, sometimes comfort food is just that, comforting. Even if it isn’t the best choice in the long run. If you aren’t happy with the unhealthy choices you make when you are feeling poorly, give yourself a little grace. This is a difficult life that we live and we are all only doing the best we can. Don’t beat yourself up, a little grace can go a long way.