I’m all about being educated, organised & consistent when it comes to nutrition. I’m a dietitian after all !!
But at what point does being “healthy” with food tip over to being “obsessed”
Balance & flexibility with your diet is part of being healthy.
Yes, obviously food & nutrients play a vital role in your health. But food is more than the nutrients it provides.
We get pleasure out of food. Our family & social gatherings are mostly enjoyed around food.
Certain behaviours such as food restriction, calorie counting, daily food weighing, strict food rules or constant anxiety about what you should & shouldn’t be eating are exhausting !! And are not necessary for overall health. Only in medical instances (eg. Food allergy/intolerance or other medical reasons), under the guidance of a dietitian, will some of these behaviours be warranted.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where there are a lot of mixed messages around what is “healthy”. Many nutrition messages are not backed by evidence or are often a form of marketing to sell a product
Through this, we have learnt to associate some foods with guilt rather than pleasure. And as a result, we either deprive ourselves of this food or feel guilty after having it. We are trusting our own bodies less & less in regards to what, when & how much we feel like eating
Tune into how food makes you feel. Yes, having a healthy dietary pattern overall will make you feel good (energy levels, sleep, mood etc.) but being healthy is also about dietary balance, flexibility, choice, moderation, enjoyment and variety. And being ok with that.
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