B.Løvetann

I’ve finally done my first proper meal prep.

I made chicken sautéed in butter, garlic, and shallots, with rice, cauliflower, carrots, and a little bell pepper. Of course, I had to add one last knob of butter before calling it done. I also cooked lean ground beef, and my grilled pork steaks are ready to go.

In other words, I now have dinner prepared for an entire week.

For breakfast, I eat oatmeal with eggs. If I have leftovers, I eat those for lunch. If not, it’s granola with quark. I’m also trying to drink two liters of water every day.

If I can stick to this for six weeks, I hope I’ll notice a difference.

Not necessarily on the scale.

But in my energy.

My sleep.

And my body.

I hope I’ll have more energy for the things I enjoy instead of coming home and staring blankly at the wall after work. I also hope my body responds positively, and not least, I hope my finances improve. It’s amazing how much money you can save when you cook proper meals at home—food that actually keeps you full.

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about ultra-processed food.

I can’t seem to get enough of it.

It fascinates me that what we eat affects us all the way down to our cells.

That’s where it starts to get really interesting.

Can I actually eat my way to becoming stronger?

Physically.

Mentally.

I certainly hope so.

Because right now, my body isn’t exactly cooperating.

Everything hurts.

It hurts to sit.

It hurts to stand.

It hurts to walk.

My back aches after training, my knee is protesting, and one of the muscles in my glute has apparently decided to go on strike.

So at the moment, I’m limping around like I’ve forgotten how to walk.

Not exactly glamorous when you’re 42.

I also don’t quite understand why my feet always…

…or, in “man language,” I suppose “always” really means “sometimes.” 😄

…feel so heavy and sore. It almost feels like something is pulling on them.

I struggle with several inflammatory issues in my glutes, three herniated discs, and fibromyalgia.

My body simply has periods where it decides to protest.

And when everything has been hurting for three days straight, I get tired.

Really tired.

Sometimes I just want to sit down and cry.

I hope that changing my lifestyle will help my body stay on its feet.

That it will become a little more resilient.

A little stronger.

A little less inflamed.

I don’t know if food alone can change my life.

But I believe it can become an important part of it.

Because no matter what we want to achieve in life, we all need one thing first.

A strong foundation.

Living with fibromyalgia means inflammation is almost a familiar companion.

It’s fascinating, but also incredibly frustrating, that everything I’ve experienced throughout life seems to have turned my body into a storage room for inflammation.

If I could sell inflammation, I’d probably be rich.

Although…

I’m not convinced that’s a particularly good business idea.

My body isn’t always easy to live with.

But then again…

Look at everything it has survived.

It has endured storms.

It has carried loneliness.

It has taken blows.

Disappointments.

Losses.

Maybe it’s not surprising that it creaks and complains from time to time.

And honestly?

I think it has earned the right to speak up.

It should speak up.

Because if I listen to it, I can also give it what it needs.

Rest.

Peace.

Good food.

Movement.

Laughter.

Joy.

The human body is actually quite remarkable.

When we move, laugh, experience accomplishment, or feel close to the people we love, our bodies produce endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.

Chemicals that bring joy, motivation, reward—and even pain relief.

Isn’t that fascinating?

Some days, the body wins.

Other days, joy wins.

Accomplishment wins.

Hope wins.

Or simply the quiet realization that life is actually pretty good.

I don’t know if I can eat myself healthy.

But I do believe I can give my body better conditions to heal, recover, and keep going.

And maybe…

that’s exactly what it needs.

Not perfection.

Just a stronger foundation. ❤️