Rediscovering My Low Carbohydrate Diet

Over the last year and a half, I had been tapering off of my low carbohydrate diet for a variety of reasons. Partly from laziness, partly from getting hungry and having no other options, partly from a lack of self-control, but I think the biggest reason if that I forgot the tremendous benefits that it brought into my life. My self-awareness at the time was keen, but I have since developed this skill to a much greater degree. Before, I knew that the diet was helpful to me, but I didn’t know why it was so good for me.

A Physical Remedy

First, my skin stopped getting eczema flareups everywhere my body had them, especially on my face. I also stopped getting dandruff on all but one part of my scalp. The bulge in my belly shrunk – I don’t know if this is because of losing weight or if it’s because of reduced inflammation in my intestines. The weight loss definitely did happen, though, as my entire body looks more muscular from losing excess pounds. This is going to get quite personal, as I will also say my stools are a lot less varied in consistency and I no longer get random bouts of constipation or diarrhea.

A Mental Remedy

I’ve also noticed my behaviors have changed since going back to low-carb. My self-discipline and self-control have been greatly enhanced. I am less frequently staying up all night (I love to stay up all night, but I always pay for it dearly the next day). I am going to the gym more often than before (i.e. never/not consistently for the past 2 years). I have been chipping away at my personal and work To-Do lists with greater efficiency and productivity. I have been able to take the time to read more books and to stay focused on them while I am reading them. To top it all off, I’ve been hallucinating less, I’ve been less paranoid, and I’ve been getting a lot of anxiety-generated fantastical scenarios playing out in my head from being suspicious of people around me.

New Year New Me? Nah, New Diet New Me

It’s quite fascinating how a simple diet change can make a person healthier, leaner, more attractive, and less in pain; sleeping better, physically fitter, more productive, more efficient, learning more, and overall, more at peace with who they are and where they’re at in life. I’m ever grateful that person is me and that I have discovered a diet that can do that for me.

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Photo Credit: Brooke Lark