Looking at the table above, two thoughts might come to mind: first, a pain-free diet appears exceptionally healthy; second, it seems incredibly boring. And to be fair, it kind of is. You’ll need to step up your cooking game a bit, but eating exclusively from the pain-free section doesn’t mean settling for bland or uninspired meals. I followed this strict regimen for nearly a year—restrictive, yes, but surprisingly rewarding in ways I hadn’t expected.

The good news is that by adding small amounts of sodium bicarbonate to my water during meals, I can now enjoy almost everything from the pain-inducing section. After months of persistent and uncontrolled pain, followed by a year of relief at the cost of a highly limited diet, being able to eat the foods I had written off entirely has completely reshaped my relationship with food. I always looked forward to eating, but now there’s an added layer of appreciation—what was once effortless indulgence now carries a sense of triumph.

An old proverb captures this feeling well: How does God make a poor man happy? He takes away his donkey, then gives it back. That pretty much sums up my experience. The foods I once thoughtlessly enjoyed now feel like a privilege, and the sheer variety available in modern life is something I appreciate more than ever—even if I do still keep things a little boring.​​​

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