What Are the Signs Your Diet Is Making You Sick?

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You might be eating “healthy”—but still feel tired, foggy, bloated, or in pain. The truth is, even common or trendy diets can silently cause chronic inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, gut damage, and hormone disruption.

Your symptoms may be trying to tell you that your diet is not working for your body.

Here’s how to know if your diet is making you sick—and what to do about it.

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🚨 Top Signs Your Diet Is Damaging Your Health

1. You’re Constantly Tired, Even After Sleeping

Chronic fatigue often stems from blood sugar crashes, micronutrient deficiencies, or inflammatory foods taxing your mitochondria.

High intake of ultra-processed foods is linked to fatigue, poor sleep quality, and energy imbalances.
(Hall et al., 2019)

2. You’re Bloated, Gassy, or Have Irregular Bowel Movements

Your gut is the first place food interacts with your body. Processed grains, pasteurized dairy, and seed oils irritate the gut lining, promote dysbiosis, and reduce digestive enzyme function.

Diets low in fiber and high in refined foods lead to gut inflammation and microbiome disruption.
(Singh et al., 2017)

3. You Have Brain Fog or Trouble Focusing

Brain inflammation, blood sugar dysregulation, and food intolerances like gluten or dairy can cloud cognition.

Inflammatory diets impair memory, mood, and executive function over time.
(Francis et al., 2015)

4. You Crave Sugar or Carbs Constantly

Frequent cravings are a red flag of blood sugar instability and low nutrient density. Many “healthy” diets are too low in healthy fats and protein.

5. You’re Gaining Weight Despite Eating Less

If you’re eating fewer calories but still gaining fat, it may be a sign of metabolic slowdown from low protein, nutrient deficiencies, or excessive insulin spikes.

6. Your Joints Ache or You Feel Inflamed

Inflammation caused by gluten, seed oils, and sugar often shows up as joint pain, swelling, or stiffness—especially in the morning.

7. Your Skin Breaks Out or Looks Dull

Skin is a reflection of internal health. If you’re eating inflammatory foods, your liver and gut may be overwhelmed—leading to acne, rashes, or premature aging.

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🧪 Hidden Triggers in Many Diets

Even some “healthy” diets include hidden problems:

• Plant-based diets: Often high in grains, seed oils, and antinutrients—low in B12, choline, and iron

• Keto: Can overload the liver and disrupt hormones when high in poor-quality fats

• Low-fat diets: Starve the brain and hormones of essential fats

• Paleo/Whole30: Can be too restrictive or low in fiber if not done mindfully

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🌿 A Healthier Path: The ASTR Diet

De ASTR Diet was developed by a clinician and chronic illness survivor to heal the gut, fascia, hormones, and immune system through food.

It focuses on:

• Removing inflammatory foods (gluten, seed oils, pasteurized dairy, processed sugar)

• Eating organic, whole foods that support detox and repair

• Balancing macronutrients to stabilize blood sugar and hormones

• Intermittent fasting to activate cellular healing

👉 Learn the full method in the Eat to Heal book—your practical guide to reversing pain, fatigue, and disease through nutrition.

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✅ Checklist: Is Your Diet Hurting You?

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Final Thoughts

If you feel worse after “eating clean,” it’s time to take a closer look. Your symptoms are feedback from your body—and the wrong foods can silently erode your health over time.

By removing harmful foods and adopting an anti-inflammatory diet like ASTR, you can restore energy, mental clarity, and long-term health. Your body is capable of healing—when given the right tools.

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📚 References

• Hall, K. D., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain. Cell Metabolism, 30(1), 67–77.e3.

• Singh, R. K., et al. (2017). Influence of diet on the gut microbiome and implications for human health. Journal of Translational Medicine, 15(1), 73.

• Francis, H. M., et al. (2015). A brief diet intervention can reduce symptoms of depression. Nutritional Neuroscience, 18(3), 161–168.

• Monteiro, C. A., et al. (2018). The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA food classification and the trouble with ultra-processing. Public Health Nutrition, 21(1), 5–17.

• Ludwig, D. S. (2002). The glycemic index: physiological mechanisms relating to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. JAMA, 287(18), 2414–2423.