A couple years ago, Abigail Keel started having debilitating attacks of vertigo. Once she got a diagnosis, the treatment seemed simple enough: reduce your salt intake to 1500 milligrams per day. But that change upended Abigail’s life in ways she never expected, altering her relationship with food, and leading her to question the way we think about medical diets in the first place.
As a kid, I was just your straightforward, extreme, picky eater.
Like, only ate buttered noodles, hot dogs, et cetera.
This is my friend and former colleague, Abigail Keel.
Abigail grew up in St.
Louis with some very strict rules for what she would eat.
She'd have ketchup, but not mayo.
She didn't like crusts, and anything green was off the table.
Then in high school, her friends took her to a Mexican restaurant and ordered something that sort of woke up her culinary senses.
I had, like, guacamole for the first time.
Ooh, wow, you're really stepping out.
I know.
Then around college, I was like, oh, yeah, food is actually a really awesome thing.
This is when the Abigail I know began to emerge.
She started eating mushrooms, aioli, sushi.
Then she got into cooking shows.
She started following celebrity chefs.
By the time she was in her late 20s, living in New York City, Abigail was shopping at the farmer's market and throwing dinner parties.
It becomes, like, a real part of my life and a love of my life.
Eating is a pleasurable experience.
Yeah.