When folks find out I eliminated most processed food from my diet as part of my fibromyalgia recovery plan, they invariably ask, "What should I eliminate first?" That's an excellent question. I consumed things from bottles, boxes, packages and cans for decades without giving a single thought to the toxic chemical ingredients used to make them. It was overwhelming to consider eliminating all processed food in one fell swoop. I knew I would eventually need to change most of my dietary habits, but I started by ditching just one thing: soda.
Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may call it soda, soft drinks, or pop. Here in the south we call every soft drink coke even if it's Dr. Pepper or Mt. Dew. Whatever you call it, here's the 411. Researchers have linked consuming soda to obesity, kidney disease, elevated blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, some types of cancer, asthma, reproductive issues, tooth decay, diabetes, bone weakness, suppressed immune system disorders, and tissue damage on a cellular level. I was especially interested in the fact that drinking soda is linked to suppressed immune system disorders and tissue damage on a cellular level since fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease that causes damage on a cellular level throughout the body.
I have one simple rule about making smart food choices. If it came from a plant, eat it. If it's made in a plant, don't. Soda is manufactured in an industrial plant from chemical ingredients. It's not a natural food. It was a logical choice for the first processed food to eliminate from my diet.
At first, I thought I would just cut back gradually, but that didn't work for me. So, I quit drinking soda cold turkey. I had horrible withdrawal symptoms for about two weeks including nervousness, anxiety, and an intense craving to grab a can of carbonated chemicals and pop the top. That just confirmed how addictive it is and how bad it was for my health. After two weeks, the withdrawal symptoms abated and I didn't miss it at all. I know several people who have experienced reduced inflammation and reduced pain just from cutting out soda and not doing a single other thing.
What do you drink, instead, when you let the soda go? Tea, coffee, and water are great substitutes. I don't like coffee. (Coffee lovers, please no snarky remarks. I gotta be me.) I've always liked hot tea. I used to just plop a tea bag in a cup of hot water.Now I enjoy trying all kinds of loose leaf organic teas. I had no idea there were so many choices. My current faves are Darjeeling, Irish Breakfast, Nilgiri, Oolong, and Russian Caravan.
Ditching processed food, along with other practical priorities for creating a healthier life, eventually lead to reducing every single one of my fibromyalgia symptoms. I've remained symptom-free for almost seven years. That's a million times more delicious than any processed food I can thing of, including soda.
At first, I thought I would just cut back gradually, but that didn't work for me. So, I quit drinking soda cold turkey. I had horrible withdrawal symptoms for about two weeks including nervousness, anxiety, and an intense craving to grab a can of carbonated chemicals and pop the top. That just confirmed how addictive it is and how bad it was for my health. After two weeks, the withdrawal symptoms abated and I didn't miss it at all. I know several people who have experienced reduced inflammation and reduced pain just from cutting out soda and not doing a single other thing.
What do you drink, instead, when you let the soda go? Tea, coffee, and water are great substitutes. I don't like coffee. (Coffee lovers, please no snarky remarks. I gotta be me.) I've always liked hot tea. I used to just plop a tea bag in a cup of hot water.Now I enjoy trying all kinds of loose leaf organic teas. I had no idea there were so many choices. My current faves are Darjeeling, Irish Breakfast, Nilgiri, Oolong, and Russian Caravan.
Ditching processed food, along with other practical priorities for creating a healthier life, eventually lead to reducing every single one of my fibromyalgia symptoms. I've remained symptom-free for almost seven years. That's a million times more delicious than any processed food I can thing of, including soda.
​Find out more about the benefits of eliminating processed food from your diet, healthy living tips, effective strategies to improve fibromyalgia symptoms, methods to reduce toxic chemical exposure from common household products, and recipes and resources for creating a personalized healthy living plan in my new book, Practical Priorities for Fibromyalgia Recovery. Now available in paperback and eBook versions at amazon.com. Buy your favorite version today. Buy Kindle eBook. Buy Paperback.
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