I Ate My Way Through the Pandemic—And Still Felt Unsafe

Dinner is a bowl of lentils and roasted broccoli. I tell myself it’s for my health, that every bite is a shield. I scroll through studies—plant-based, lower risk, stronger immunity. I want to believe it’s enough. But when the headlines fade and the dishes are clean, I still check my throat for a tickle, still flinch at every cough. I track every meal, every symptom, every number on the scale. I want control, but all I feel is the weight of not knowing if it’s working. Sometimes I wonder if I’m eating for protection or just for permission to feel safe. #ControlIsExhausting #FoodGuilt #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet