How Food Blogging Almost Killed Me

How Food Blogging Almost Killed Me

Learning the hard way that insta-worthy food can also be healthy

By Jason Vowell

On May 28, 2020, I had just finished posting a picture of a gargantuan cheeseburger I devoured on Instagram when I started feeling a pain in my chest—a nagging, dull weight that I shrugged off as indigestion. I was anxiously watching my iPhone screen for an onslaught of new likes, followers, and shares to prop up my quickly growing social media account. See, for better or worse, I had become “that guy” who goes out and orders up all the crazy, photo-worthy foodie trends in order to get the shot best poised to send my followers into a slobbering frenzy. Sometimes I ate two, or three, or even four of these typically-unhealthy food trends in one day. Compound that over a handful of years, and I found myself adding more pounds to my gut than followers to my Instagram account. So there I was, pushing three hundred pounds, sitting on the couch refreshing my browser, when that dull ache in my chest spread to my stomach. Then the dull ache became a sharp roar. By the time my wife came home from work, I was doubled over, incapacitated, and she rushed me to the emergency room. What came next was a blur of words in a haze of semi-sedation. Pancreatitis. Untreated Diabetes. Ketoacidosis. Immeasurable triglycerides. Blood transfusion.

Long story short? Instead of eating my way to Internet stardom, I almost ate myself into an early grave. Fourteen days in the hospital amounted to a very, very scary wake up call. How would I, the guy whose life revolved around eating, photographing, and writing about food, completely reverse my lifestyle and get healthy?

Easy. I’d eat, photograph, and write about it. Instead of moping about and focusing on what foods I had to steer clear from, I learned very quickly that almost any dish could be “hacked” in order to fit into my new low-carb, lowsugar lifestyle. And in just six months I have, much to my doctor’s surprise, lost nearly one hundred pounds and essentially turned my terrifying diagnosis around—thanks to healthy eating, moderate exercise, and the unwavering support of family and friends. Let's face it, diets are scary, but with a few substitutions, you really can eat healthier and not miss out on the foods you love.

In the following pages, I offer one of my of my favorite comfort food hacks: lasagna. By subbing out the noodles for hearts of palm sheets, you cut the carbs and calories in half. You can find heart of palm pasta substitutes in most grocery stores now, or you can order them online. And loading up a low sugar sauce with a mirepoix adds extra flavor and nutrition! This can be made vegetarian as well by omitting the bacon and subbing the Italian sausage for a “beyond meat” brand.

Then, continue on for a dessert I bet you never thought could be (successfuly) healthified. I'll gladly prove you wrong.

Follow along with Jason's journey in healthy foodhacking on Instagram @skillet_pop_up.