What Most Get Wrong About Eating for Health

And how I learned to heal without strict rules or stress.

Can diet truly improve autoimmune conditions? That’s the question I asked myself back in 2019 when I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s syndrome. I asked that question because after months of trying Prednisone, Plaquenil, Methotrexate, and steroid injection in the back of the eye, the traditional medical approach wasn’t working.

However, as a health coach, I have been reviewing research studies to understand better the efficacy of dietary interventions in reducing autoimmune symptoms.

Like many, I found the autoimmune protocol (AIP), which provided me with hope of feeling better. But as someone with a history of disordered eating, I wasn't about to jump into any dietary approach that required elimination without doing my homework. After reviewing AIP medical studies, I realized that aspects of this dietary approach could greatly benefit me.

In full disclosure, coming from a disordered eating background, I was personally motivated to work with a coach. Even though I had recovered from my past disordered eating habits, I wasn’t confident at the time that AIP wouldn’t trigger me to go back to those old, health-harming behaviors.

That’s why I often hesitate to discuss AIP, because I know that it took me personally a long time before I didn’t see it as another ‘restrictive diet.’

Looking at the research and finding Autoimmune Wellness convinced me that the ‘elimination phase’ of AIP is temporary for a reason. The idea isn’t to cut out ‘bad’ foods but to better understand which foods work for your body and which don’t. Through AIP, I became aware that I’d been downplaying how certain foods made me feel, and it was time just to let them go—not because they were bad foods but because they were bad for me!

However, on the flip side, a problem often exists within the autoimmune community. Some in the community don’t treat elimination as temporary but permanent. As a result, they end up eliminating nutrient-dense foods. This might have little effect in the short term, but it can lead to fatigue, burnout, and nutrient gaps that do far more harm than good in the long term.

I remember speaking with a community member, whom I’ll call Sondra, who had eliminated so much that she was now scared to eat.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this truly broke my heart. She was doing what she thought she needed to be healthy: making the dietary changes and following the plan. But the plan had failed her!

Any dietary approach should take the LEAST restrictive approach, not the most restrictive one. Too often, Black women are told to “just eat better” without any real context that takes into consideration our lived experiences or cultural foods. That leaves women like Sondra confused (or scared) about what she can eat when the elimination ends.

We're not being set up for success when told to eat better without being given an actual framework. We’re being set up for failure. That’s why I created my upcoming masterclass, 15 Minutes to Stress-Free Meals for Your Real Life, so you can:

• Stop second-guessing every meal because you feel it isn’t “healthy” enough.

• Start planning your meals with clarity, consistency, and confidence, because you have the skills to make this a lifestyle.

• Do it all in 15 minutes (or less) without having to follow restrictive rules or waste food you don’t feel like eating.

Save your spot here >> enhanceblackwomenshealth.com/masterclass

• This free, 60-minute masterclass will walk you through my step-by-step meal planning strategy, including the one step most people skip, making planning harder than it needs to be.

• You’ll leave with a flexible framework that supports your health and fits your lifestyle, especially if navigating chronic conditions or low energy.

• Whether you manage an autoimmune condition or want a more straightforward way to nourish yourself, this class will meet you where you are.

I’d love to see you there!

Tomesha

P.S. Join LIVE and you’ll get my 15-Minute Meal Plan Cheat Sheet, a printable template, plus 5 meal ideas to help you plan your week with ease (and flavor!)