My husband and two of our best friends chattered and laughed in the living room while our collective group of six children ran rampant in the basement. I stretched out in the dark guest room with my eyes and the door closed, trying to focus on my breath and will away the splitting headache I was experiencing.
Sharp and constant pain enveloped my brain, and I excused myself when My stomach began to feel upset.
Is this a migraine? I asked myself.
I’d never experienced one before, and I never wanted to again.
The headache only relented a little after caffeine, essential oils, and medicine. I quickly realized this migraine was one of the many horrible withdrawl symptoms I experienced after cutting out so many foods my body had become accustomed to having.
When I left my nutritionist’s office earlier in the week, she sent me home with shopping lists and a packet of anti-inflammatory recipes, but I was never advised to adequately prepare for how my body might react to suddenly cutting our all sugars, all grains, all caffeine, and more.
Whether you plan on beginning the anti-inflammatory eating plan or another type of diet, preparing your body well beforehand will help curb uncomfortable withdrawl symptoms and ensure success for the duration of your diet.
This preparation extends beyond simply cutting out sugar and coffee a few days ahead of time— this is about what you can say “yes” to more than what you might need to say “no” to.
I liken this preparation to charging your cell phone battery to 100% before starting your day. If you leave home in the morning with only a 50% charge, you’ll be less likely to make it the whole day before your phone shuts down.
Likewise, beginning a new eating plan at anything less than 100% is going to make sticking it out more challenging.
You don’t want to find yourself alone in the dark guest room with a migraine like I did.
Make sure you prepare your body well before starting any new eating plan. Download my free one-page PDF guide with 5 tips + 13 actionable steps on how and why to properly prepare your body for a new eating plan.