When you embark on a journey to improve your health through diet and lifestyle changes, it’s natural to hope for steady, linear progress. But the reality for people with chronic illnesses is that the path to better health is often full of setbacks and unexpected flare-ups. These can feel discouraging, but it’s important to understand that they’re a normal part of the process. The key is persistence, understanding the factors that influence your progress, and remembering your long-term heart goals.
- Are Setbacks Always Part of the Journey?
Setbacks are a normal part of the process when overcoming chronic symptoms. A flare-up or feeling like you’ve regressed doesn’t mean you’re failing—it’s simply part of the journey. Progress isn’t always linear, and understanding this helps you stay patient and committed, even during frustrating moments.
Many people who have successfully eliminated chronic symptoms describe their journey as filled with ups and downs. Often, they felt much better for a while only to experience a setback—sometimes even worse than before—despite doing everything right at the moment. In fact, some experienced their worst flare-up after starting a healthier diet. This wasn’t caused by the diet but by the natural progression of symptoms that were already developing over time. In reality, the diet may have softened the blow.
While setbacks can feel discouraging, they are not a sign you’re on the wrong track (as long as you are following a healthy plan). Every positive change brings you closer to long-term relief, and your efforts will ultimately pay off many times over.
- Understanding the Timeline of Chronic Disease
Chronic diseases often don’t emerge overnight; they typically develop over years, sometimes even decades. For many, this progression begins with subtle issues in the body that may go unnoticed or be dismissed as temporary discomforts. These initial symptoms can gradually evolve into more significant problems, manifesting as mild pain, fatigue, or other noticeable signs. It can look like this downward spiral:
- Maximum health
- Normal function
- Stiffness/symptoms that go by undetected
- Tension / small symptoms
- Discomfort / noticeable symptoms
- Pain
- Sharp pain
- Damage
- Degenerative changes
As these symptoms accumulate, they can lead to a tipping point where chronic illness starts to impede daily life. This journey from minor health concerns to debilitating symptoms can feel overwhelming, both physically and emotionally.
Consequently, the path to recovery mirrors this timeline to some point. Though it can be substantially shorter with the right knowledge and effort. But just as it took time to reach this point of chronic illness, reclaiming your health will also be a gradual process. It’s important to be patient with yourself as you work toward better health through diet and lifestyle changes.
- Your Body Might Have Other Priorities Than What You Hade In Mind
When we decide to take control of our chronic illness, we often focus on a specific symptom—whether it’s joint pain, skin issues, or fatigue—that we want to improve first. But your body might have a different route to health in mind. As you start to make positive changes to your diet and lifestyle, your body might prioritize fixing underlying issues that you weren’t even aware of. These deeper issues could be more critical for your overall health, even though the symptoms you’re most focused on are still important.
Many people notice improvements in unexpected areas first—better digestion, clearer thinking, or improved sleep—while the symptoms they were initially most concerned about take longer to change. This doesn’t mean your efforts aren’t working; rather, it’s a sign that your body is working through a process, repairing itself from the inside out.
- The Journey to Gradual Improvement
Recovering from chronic illness is often a slow and non-linear process. It’s essential to understand that the efforts you make today may not yield visible results for weeks or even months. But they still get you closer to your goals. This chapter outlines key aspects of this journey, offering insights and encouragement along the way.
The Delayed Reward System
- Efforts Today, Rewards Tomorrow: The healthy choices you adopt now—like improving your diet and managing stress—may only begin to show benefits months down the line.
- Delayed Setbacks: Conversely, stressors you encounter today might lead to setbacks that don’t manifest until weeks later. This delayed reaction can complicate the search for triggers behind flare-ups.
Tipping A Scale
Sometimes, it can also be like tipping a scale. Imagine adding grains of sand one by one. For a long time, nothing seems to happen, but eventually, that final grain tips the balance, and suddenly, everything changes. The same can be true for your symptoms. Progress may feel slow, but trust that each healthy choice brings you closer to that tipping point.
The Complexity of Triggers
- Identifying Triggers: While understanding what triggers your symptoms is valuable, it’s crucial to recognize that not every setback will have an identifiable cause. Some days, despite your best efforts, symptoms may arise unexpectedly.
- Acceptance of Uncertainty: Embrace the unpredictability of your journey. Setbacks are part of the process, but staying committed to your path is vital and will yield long-term results.
Celebrating Small Victories
As you persevere, you will likely notice gradual changes over time.
- Recognizing Improvement: For instance, after about six months, something may start to feel different—an old symptom that had been quiet for a while might resurface.
- Shift in Perspective: Rather than feeling discouraged, celebrate the fact that you had a break from this symptom. Use it as a reminder of how far you’ve come and how your body is capable of improvement. And know that the symptoms will disappear again. And at some point, it will disappear for that last time, never to surface again because the root cause is no longer there.
Notice The Changes
On your path to better health, it is important to focus on the small victories, which can provide motivation and a sense of achievement. When we regain more energy, we usually use that new energy right away. For many, without even noticing. That makes progression seem slower than it actually is. You feel like you are still drained, or in pain, but you pushed yourself further than you were used to. Try to take notice when something is suddenly easier than before, or less painful. Even if it was only one time, that “first” is important to take notice of. As time goes by and you keep your healthy habits, what was first something rare will be the new normal. And slowly you will regain your health.
- Firsts to Celebrate:
- Shopping for Groceries: The first time you go grocery shopping without feeling overwhelmed.
- Taking a Walk: The first time you have the energy to go out in nature or take a short walk.
- Completing Tasks: The moment you finish a task that previously drained your energy.
- Noticing Improvements: Observing your skin or joints feeling better for a while.
A Non-Linear Path to Recovery
Recovery is not a race; it’s a journey toward reclaiming a symptom-free life where you can enjoy your daily activities. Embrace the highs stay persistent through the lows, and remember that improvement will come. With time and persistence, you will create a brighter, healthier future for yourself.
- Personal Success Story: Maria’s Journey Through Setbacks and Triumphs
Maria had been battling rheumatoid arthritis for years. Her pain and fatigue were daily reminders of the chronic illness that made life so difficult. Despite trying various medications, her symptoms persisted. Frustrated but determined to improve her health, Maria turned to dietary changes, cutting out inflammatory foods and increasing her intake of whole, plant-based meals.
For the first few months, Maria saw small improvements. But then came the flare-ups—unexpected pain, swelling, and fatigue that took her back to square one. It was disheartening. She questioned whether the changes were working at all.
However, Maria stuck to her routine, remembering that setbacks were part of the process. She made sure to focus on her stress levels, prioritize sleep, and minimize exposure to environmental triggers. Slowly but surely, the flare-ups became less frequent and less severe. After six months, Sarah felt significant relief. Her energy improved, and her pain levels dropped dramatically. While setbacks continued occasionally, she learned to manage them better and stay committed to her goals.
Maria’s journey is a testament to the power of persistence, even when progress seems slow or non-existent. It highlights how, despite setbacks, significant health improvements are possible through consistent effort and lifestyle changes.
- Diet: The Foundation of Managing Chronic Illness
Diet is the cornerstone of managing chronic illness. The food you eat directly impacts every system in your body, from your immune response to your eyesight, to how well your organs function. However, while the right diet will lead to profound improvements, it takes time for those changes to manifest. Think of it as building a house—brick by brick. Each healthy choice you make is like laying down a single brick, contributing to the foundation of a stronger, more resilient body. To help the body we need to flood it with foods that build health again and again and again.
7. Other Factors That Influence Your Progress
Other than diet, your progress toward better health is influenced by several factors. We are not living in a perfect world, and most people can not solely focus on getting their health back without interruptions. We all have stressors in our lives, and we are all burdened with environmental toxins that impact our health and can set us back even when we are doing our best to get better. Both stress, sleep, and environmental factors play crucial roles in our health. Here’s how some of these other factors can impact your body´s repairing process:
- Stress: Stress can worsen symptoms and slow down your progress. Stress triggers inflammation in the body, which can mask the positive effects of your dietary changes. The dietary changes will still have a huge impact on the body, but if we are dealing with stress we might not see it. Learning stress management techniques, like deep breathing, meditation, or even taking time out for yourself, can help reduce the impact. We also recommend lemon balm tea for calming down and supporting the nervous system. You can read more about managing stress in our other articles.
- Sleep: Quality sleep is important for restoring your health. During sleep, your body repairs itself and reduces inflammation. Poor sleep can lead to increased pain, fatigue, and a greater likelihood of setbacks. It IS however possible to get rid of chronic symptoms even if you are not able to get good sleep. Do your best and have compassion for yourself. Try your best to relax. Even lying down and relaxing, focusing on trying to calm your nervous system will help. And there is a lot you can do to support your body in being able to sleep over time. Sleep issues are not a quick fix, and chronic symptoms may also make sleeping seem impossible. Take one step at a time, you will get there.
- Environmental Factors: Exposure to toxins or allergens in your environment—like common household cleaners, mold, or pollution—can trigger flare-ups or even new symptoms and slow down the body’s ability to manage chronic symptoms. Being mindful of your surroundings and making healthy changes, such as using natural cleaning products or improving indoor air quality, can help minimize these effects. Be sure to get rid of any home fragrance and other harsh chemicals in your home. We are not able to stop all exposure to these chemicals as we are also exposed to them in the air and even outside our homes. Exposure can lead to setbacks, but remember that in time when your body is doing better, you will be able to tolerate exposure without worsening symptoms.
- Exposure to viruses: When your body is fighting off a virus, it diverts energy and resources toward managing the infection, which can temporarily slow your progress in managing chronic illness. It might be a virus infection that you notice, but it might also go under the radar, nevertheless making your body work extra hard. Symptoms might flare up or seem to worsen during and after viral exposure. It’s important to support your immune system during this time with rest, and hydration, possibly supplement with zinc, and eat nutrient-rich foods. Remember, these temporary setbacks are part of the process, and once the virus clears, your body can refocus on long-term repair and recovery again. Be patient and allow your body the time it needs.
Many factors impact our health, and we can only do so much. Diet and other simple lifestyle changes have been the most important in getting rid of chronic disease for our chronic illness survivors. Remember that even though it takes time, it is possible to achieve a body without chronic symptoms.
If you want more support in how to deal with setbacks, this article is also for you.
8. Pushing Beyond Previous Limits: When Progress Can Feel Like a Setback
As you start to feel better on your journey to improved health, you may find yourself doing more than you could before—sometimes without even realizing it. It’s natural to want to stretch your limits when the energy returns or symptoms ease. However, it’s easy to overdo it, which can make you feel like you’ve hit a setback when, in fact, you’ve simply pushed yourself beyond what your previous limit was because you could.
For example, imagine you’ve been managing fatigue for months. One day, you wake up feeling more energized, so you decide to clean a part of the house or go for a small walk. By the evening, you’re completely wiped out and experiencing symptoms again. It’s tempting to think that something went wrong or that your progress has stalled. In reality, you’ve just tested your new boundaries—and it’s a sign of progress.
Recognizing this pattern is crucial. Instead of viewing these moments as setbacks, see them as opportunities to learn where your current limits lie and be grateful for the progress you’ve made. Have patience and compassion for yourself. Better times will come again—and eventually, they will stay.
9. How Do I Know If What I Am Doing Is Helping?
As long as you are following a healthy plan, eating anti-inflammatory foods, staying away from trigger foods, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, over time, this will yield results. When managing chronic illness, it can sometimes feel like progress is slow or even nonexistent. So, how can you know if what you’re doing is actually helping? The answer lies in reflection and comparison.
Reflect on the Past 3 or 6 Months
It is often three steps forward, two steps back. Instead of focusing on how you feel today or this week, take a moment to reflect on where you were 3 or 6 months ago. Ask yourself:
- Are my symptoms less severe or frequent?
- How did I feel and what were my days like 6 months ago?
- Do I have more energy on some days?
- Am I sleeping better or more consistently?
- Do I feel more in control of my daily routine?
- Maybe the symptom you wanted to get rid of is still there, but something else got better?
Compare Your “Bad Days” and “Good Days”
Even on bad days, you might notice a difference compared to the past. Ask yourself:
- Are my setbacks less frequent?
- Are the bad days less intense than they used to be? These may seem like small improvements, but they’re meaningful steps in the right direction.
- Was I able to do more than before?
Track Your Progress
Consider keeping a symptom journal or using a health app to track how you feel and what symptoms you experience over time. This will help you better visualize your progress and motivate you when things seem stagnant.
Read our article “How To Manage Setbacks”
The Path Forward
It can be heartbreaking not to feel better right away or to do the things you want to do right now. The desire for quick relief is natural, especially when you’re struggling with chronic symptoms that interfere with daily life. But remember, this journey is taken one step at a time—one hour, one day, one month at a time. True progress is slow but steady, and with each healthy choice you make, you’re building toward a better future.
Imagine a life where chronic symptoms no longer define your days—a life where your energy is restored, and you can focus on what truly matters to you. That future is possible, and it’s waiting for you. Your life doesn’t have to be filled with the same limitations you’re experiencing now.
So start today.
Begin with the steps you can control and keep moving forward, even on difficult days.
And whenever you need support or encouragement, reach out—we’re here for you.
The rest of your life is ahead of you, and it can be free from chronic symptoms. <3
