Feeling mentally worse when I eat clean. Seeking advice

[[Po...]]

I’ve been really trying to clean up my diet, but every time I try I fail because I seem to feel worse mentally. I’m a year off Benzos June 15th, and this entire year I’ve been eating nothing but fast food and takeout. My body physically can’t take much more, but mentally I feel worse when I eat healthy, which causes me to fall of track after 2 or 3 days in. Has anyone had this problem? I’m assuming it’s because I have a food addiction at this point and it’s triggering my symptoms to deal with an additional detox. Has anyone felt this way while switching over to a healthy diet, and has it gotten better over time?

[[Kl...]]

This makes total sense to me.  Your gut is your "second brain".  Different bacteria, which digest our food, grow in proportion to he kind of food we eat.  If we

eat a high carb diet, eventually a bacteria called candida will grow and will talk to the brain saying "feed me more sugar and starch".  It takes a long time to change

the bacteria in the gut.  When one has eaten a good diet inclusive of vegetables, fruits, good fats, proteins etc., the bacteria will change and begin signaling to the

brain to eat these new foods.  The bad bacteria, like candida, are the ones that cross the intestinal walls and circulate in our blood to cause so many harmful reactions.

If you change up what you eat very quickly, your brain will be crying out for the quick fuel it used to get.  It will not be happy!!

 

There are thousands  of kinds of bacteria in the gut.  One course of antibiotics can wipe out thousands of kinds of bacteria, never to be seen again...unless you

can get them back with probiotics, fermented foods, quality yogurts, drinks and more. 

 

In short, you mess with your gut, you mess with your brain.

 

These are just my thoughts and some information I've learned from my N.D. daughter doctor.  Might not be scientifically specifically but just a general analysis. Hope this

makes sense.

 

Good luck with your new diet.  It will certainly pay off for you in the future.

 

Klonkar

[[Po...]]

Thank you Klonkar! That’s very inspiring, and great info I needed to hear at the moment. I’m currently two days in on a strict grilled chicken, green beans and red potato meal prep plan. Maybe I should ease myself into a healthier life style rather than jumping head first. I don’t really know how to eat healthy because both my parents have terrible diets, and since having to move back home due to the Benzo withdrawal process, it’s even more challenging to eat properly. I’m determined to do it though, just need to push through. Thanks again for the thoughtful comment.

[[se...]]

I've been working a lot on my diet since I started my clonazepam taper.  I was accustomed to eating pretty unhealthy food before - lots of carbs, high fat and salty food.  I am not familiar with how my gut bacteria influences the process but I can tell you, my mind and body would scream at me and I would end up binging if I was too strict and the changes were too drastic.  I stuck with it though and over the past 10 months I've managed to get to a really healthy diet and cut out all binging on unhealthy food.  It's taken awhile to migrate but I played the long game like I did with benzo withdrawal.  I'm still adjusting and my attitude and appetite for healthier food is still improving.  I prefer super healthy food now because I know it'll make me feel better.  I try not to eat anything unhealthy at all because I kind of view what I was going through with the food as an addiction. I'm not exactly craving the flavor of healthy (yet!) but it's becoming more desirable in other ways (feeling better, losing weight, not as many ups and downs throughout day) and I hope and expect I'll be a lot more excited for the flavors and experience of eating in the future.  Good luck with your plans to switch to a more healthy diet.  I wish you the best!

[[Pe...]]

I can relate to this. I’ve eaten a healthy diet for a few years now but since my taper I am having lots of histamine issues so I am trying a low histamine diet and it’s extremely stressful. It’s hard to get enough calories. I don’t want to lose more weight. I want to eat the right things but I’m also very very hungry and i tend to binge when I’m emotional. I’m a stress eater so I totally get it. Trying to get the food right as I’m scared of everything I eat. Scared of a reaction to it so it’s consuming my mind as well.

[[Kl...]]

Hey Positive:

 

You are more than welcome.  So you are doing an awesome job so congratulations on your willingness to try something new.  These changes will no doubt

affect your health in so many positive ways.  I would say be kind to yourself on this life style change and if you are eating mostly healthy food then don't beat yourself

up if you want to have a treat.  It will take a while to adjust and cultivate a taste for other foods but it will come.  It sounds like you are in a good place with your

taper too.  So very happy for you. 

 

PENNY:  I get that you are obsessing about your food.  I was the queen of food obsession when I thought my benzo tolerance was gluten intolerance.  I tried for

a year gluten free...I mean rigid GF... and then GF and then added dairy and egg.  I think Heather Ashton said it best when she said just eat a well balanced diet

and you will be fine.  She wasn't even a big proponent of supplements.  I kind of believe that if one is eating a balanced diet, there isn't enough room in the tummy

for any one type of food, like histamines, to overwhelm the system.  I hope you can relax and be kind to yourself too. 

 

All during my taper and now in acute, I don't think that what I am eating (but I do eat healthy)  change my symptoms too much.  Stimulants like a lot of coffee or

tea is off base but then I always reacted to those. 

 

Have an awesome day tomorrow.

 

Klonkar