I Vacationed with the Standard American Diet...and Lived to Tell about It

Every summer, I pack sunscreen, sandals, and a cat to hold my tongue.

It’s pretty easy to eat clean low-carb in the comfort of your own home. But with an extended multi-generational family on vacation? Not so much. Family trips are where old habits collide with new health resolutions.

I’ve been eating clean low-carb for some time now. Once, the struggle was resisting nonstop treats — beach snacks, ice-cream sundaes, candy bowls in every room. Those don’t tempt me anymore.

Now, the real struggle is holding my tongue. Because the Standard American Diet is alive, well… and quietly wrecking the health of the people I love most.

Oddly, no one wants to hear all about it.

“Want the mayo?” asks my sister-in-law.

Seed oil and sugar? No, thanks.

But she knew that.

And, no, I did not say the snarky part out loud.

Though I might have wanted to.

Every morning at the beach house, the women gather around the kitchen island, chatting about the weather while making sandwiches for the beach: deli meat and cheese on flatbread smothered in low-fat mayonnaise.

Mine looked…similar. Same meat, but mine was wrapped in a few slices of Swiss and flavored with sunny yellow mustard.

Did anyone notice my savvy swaps? Sure.

Did anyone follow suit? Not a chance.

Because who wants to be a food freak?

And make no mistake, I am the food freak.

While everyone else is packing chips and snacking on candy, not eating junk is easily the weirdest behavior in the room.

Not long ago, I ate like this.

Bread with every meal.

Heck, bread alone was often my meal!

Dessert? Yes, please.

All washed down with whisky or wine as often as I could rationalize.

I would’ve fought you for the last handful of pretzel rods.

But that was before.

Before I developed early signs of Alzheimer’s.
Before I had to retire early because I could not keep up with conversations.

Before I discovered that the key to turning it all around, to reclaiming my health, was simply… good food.

I changed my life by changing my diet.

No alcohol. No sugar. No seed oils. No ultra-processed foods.

Naturally, I am now a freak.

Everyone in our multi-generational vacation house has a story.

The topics are varied: new diagnoses, worsening symptoms, endless treatments.

Can you detect a theme?

Ailments around the table include high blood pressure, weight gain including morbid obesity, neuropathy, arthritis, rashes, boel complaints.

But they’ve all got their statins. They all take their medications.

And they all make “healthy choices”: salad with low-fat dressing, cherry tomatoes drizzled with balsamic glaze, a little grilled chicken.

They talk about the new drugs. The ones they hope will undo 60 years of tragic eating.

I do not engage.

I cannot engage.

After all, I “don’t understand” because I’ve never weighed 200 pounds or had an autoimmune disease of mysterious origin.

Then they dish out the black raspberry ice cream with hot fudge sauce and a side of peanut M&Ms.

I have spoken up.

Every now and then, something about an inflammatory diet just falls out of me.

• I tell them: We do know the cause.

• I tell them: It is well-established that chronic inflammation drives chronic disease. Including autoimmune disorders. Including many cancers.

• I tell them: Diet matters. An anti-inflammatory diet is a no-brainer.

Condescending smiles. Dismissive comments. Eye rolls.

They have their doctors. One even has a nutritionist! And they are all content with their medications.

Because with prescriptions and without accountability, they don’t have to give up their fried food and pasta, candy and alcohol.

They tell themselves the lettuce cancels out the caramels.

Probably not. Make that definitely not.

They pride themselves on eating better than the friend who eats McNuggets every day.

Maybe. But not by much.

I’ve given up.

Not because I don’t care.
But because I do.

I want to scream:
“This is like watching a group of chain smokers complain about their emphysema while lighting another cigarette!”

But instead, I smile, sip soda water, and eat an impolite portion of red meat.

I get it. I do. Before my health scare, no one could have convinced me to give up pancakes and pretzels. It wasn’t until I lived the fear of losing my mind that I lost my carbs.

Nothing I can say will persuade them, not before they are ready to hear it.

So I have vowed not to begin insufferable rants about food. Not because I want to keep mum, but because I do not want to ostracize myself completely.

When they are ready, maybe they will remember my choices.

When they are ready, maybe they will even ask.

They think they are doing just fine, thank you.

And in one sense, they are.
A couple are in their 80s and still here.

But what if they were not merely alive but also well?

What if they could walk without pain, orthotic shoes, a cane?

What if they could talk about something other than ailments and treatments?

What if they could live well instead of just live?

⚠️WARNING: This is the loneliness of low-carb life.

Eat low-carb and you will be mocked.
You will be misunderstood.
You will be told you “don’t get it” by people who are falling apart.

You’ll eat your steak while they eat ice cream and talk about dementia like it’s a mystery.

And you’ll wonder how much longer you can bite your tongue.

But you’ll also win.

You’ll come home without the vacation weight.
You’ll feel clearheaded, calm, maybe even energized.
You’ll know you didn’t feed the disease machine.

You’ll remember who you used to be… and be grateful you’re not her anymore.

And if you’re lucky, you’ll inspire someone else at the table.

Not with judgment or clever arguments or dazzling statistics.

But with stubborn strength and irrefutable health.

A clean low-carb diet reversed the worst of my early Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Are you feeling stuck in the “healthy eating” trap?

Most people aren’t overeating — they’re undernourished.
Discover how to stop feeding disease and start fueling health.
👉 Grab your free guide, Are You Starving? 7 Shifts to Better Health Through Good Food.

✨ Already eating low-carb but struggling to stay consistent? Check out my Beginner Bundle — all my baby steps and best advice for staying strong in a sugar-addicted world.

Until next time, stay strong, wise, kind, and good.

Choose good food for good health.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, not a scientist, not a nutritionist. I am not qualified to give medical advice. I am just a late boomer sharing what I’m learning on my journey to good health through good food.