What's the RIGHT way to eat for Lipedema?
A BIG question for those with lipedema is what to eat. There are many very strong opinions and they can be both overwhelming and confusing. The thing is, what works for one person may not be great for another. If you have thyroid issues, for example, you likely need more healthy carbs like fruits and veggies. While all of us could benefit from limiting our sugar intake and all that processed and junk food, beyond that there are just a lot of questions!
Another challenge is that for years, many of us with lipedema have been told to eat less, and less, and less. This leads to malnourishment and an inability of the body to support and heal. We find ourselves hardly eating, eating the exact same few things due to food reactions, feeling worse and defeated, and still not knowing what to do about food.
What we need to remember is that have one diagnosis doesn't make us carbon copies of one another. Your dietary needs may be very different from another person's who has the exact same condition. You haven't lived the same life to get where you are and you likely aren't living the same life now. The single most important thing you can do is become a student of your own body. Listen to what it's saying. Pay attention to how you feel when you eat certain things. Not just if it makes you feel like puke or need larger clothes the next day. There are numerous reactions to food and some don't show up until a few days later! If you are constantly eating a food that makes you have more pain or inflammation you might not even be aware because you're always in pain and inflamed.
My advice is to do a dreaded elimination plan for at least a little while. As you reintroduce foods after your body has had time away from them, the reaction to them will be clearer. A journal is important to a simple way to track reactions over a few days. It can be surprising how much your body will tell you! Some reactions you might have are increased inflammation, joint pain, brain fog, increased fatigue, digestive upset of various forms, puffy hands and face, heaviness in the arms or legs, headache, a feeling of the throat closing, indigestion or reflux, restless sleep, nausea, insomnia. Those are just a few! Links between the foods you eat and how your body feels begin to show up in patterns as you track your symptoms.
Think about how to bring some variety into your nutrition and also consider increasing how much you eat. Eating for lipedema isn't about restriction or counting calories. It's very important that we are supporting our bodies with enough nutrition not only for the usual body processes, but the stress and strain a chronic condition adds to the the body's demands. We cannot feel better if we aren't giving our bodies what they need to thrive.
Let's rethink nutrition. Let's figure out what we can add rather than feeling like we have to take away. Let's invesigate what works best in the body you're living in rather than feeling obligated to follow the regimented diet plan from someone who doesn't even know you. Begin to trust your body again as you listen to what it's telling you.
There is a way forward with food and lipedema, and it's not a one-size-fits-all solution.
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