When it comes to nutrition and eating well, it seems as though new information is constantly popping up around us. There’s always a new fad diet that influencers claim to be more effective than the last, or somebody telling us that a “good” food is actually “bad“- or vice-versa.
While it certainly isn’t surprising and speaks to the ever-changing nature of this field, there’s no doubt that it can get pretty confusing. When you’re embarking on a journey to eat a bit healthier, or are looking to change up what you eat to achieve a certain health goal, sorting through the sheer amount of information and advice we’re flooded with can become overwhelming.
Before I decided to study nutrition, I can remember how lost I felt when I first started trying to figure out how to heal my relationship with food, and clean up my diet. I found myself trying to navigate through questionable advice, conflicting claims, and biased articles written by companies trying to sell self-proclaimed health products. I had no clue where to start, and the frustration I felt only made my relationship with food worse. I wanted to give up, accept my unhealthy diet as it was, and throw in the towel. For all of you out there who feel this way- you’re definitely not alone.
Thankfully, I didn’t give up. As I began to dive into the wealth of information, this seemingly-endless pit of knowledge began to fascinate me instead of frustrate me. The more I learned, and the healthier my relationship with food became, I began to realize a few core ideas that finally made healthy eating make sense.
If you’re just starting to search for ways to eat healthier but don’t quite know where to start, you’re in the right place. As a dietetics student, here are three ideas that changed the way I look at healthy eating, and that I feel would benefit anyone who’s just beginning to dive into the world of nutrition.
1. Diet culture is counterproductive to almost any health goal.
When I talk about “diet culture”, I’m referring to beliefs that honor, reward, and value thinness and an “attractive” appearance over all other aspects of health and wellbeing1. Diet culture is why so many of us believe that excessive calorie restriction is the only way to reach weight loss goals. It’s why we label certain foods as either “good” or “bad”, and why our society collectively fears fat. This can lead to an extremely toxic belief that skinny = healthy, and that weight control should be our top priority.
Diet culture is spread largely through the internet and social media, and can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food, or even disordered eating2. This can negatively impact younger girls (or teens of any gender) as it negatively skews their body image at such an early age. It leads them to believe that the ideal physique is achieved through demonizing calories, sugar, and fat, or engaging in obsessive exercise. There’s no doubt that these beliefs and behaviors are harmful to young minds and growing bodies- but there’s no doubt that it can also impact adults who are trying to reach personal health goals.
When engaging in excessive calorie restriction (which is what the term “dieting” has come to mean) you’re really not doing any favors for your health. To your body, dieting looks a lot like starvation- and it’s going to react accordingly. Your metabolism will lower to conserve energy, which can make weight-loss even harder3. When you’re not supplying your body with the energy it needs to preform the vast amount of chemical processes that are constantly happening within us, it will slow these processes down so that we’re able to survive on a limited energy supply. Once this happens, it can cause dieters to feel discouraged, and as though they might be doing something wrong as they’re not seeing the results they expect. If this sounds familiar, it’s not because you’ve “failed” at your diet, or that you’re not trying hard enough- it’s because our bodies are trying just as hard to keep us alive!
Another hidden risk that many don’t often consider when setting out on a new diet, is whether or not they’ll still be able to supply their body with all the nutrients it needs! Excessively cutting calories can lead to under-eating, making it really tricky to ensure that our nutrient needs are met. So, it’s no surprise that low-carbohydrate/low-calorie “fad” diets can lead to nutrient deficiencies4 (especially if not done under the supervision of a dietitian or health professional, who would ideally account for, and prevent a deficiency). This only pushes you farther away from achieving whatever health goal you’re working towards. You might be losing weight or lowering your blood sugar, but a nutrient deficiency can throw off the delicate balance of systems that exist within us, possibly even causing a new problem. You’re taking one step forward, but two steps back!
It’s time to ditch diet-culture, and approach health from a standpoint that doesn’t prioritize weight as the sole marker of health. For more resources about this, I recommend checking out Health At Every Size, a movement that celebrates body diversity, and encourages healthy habits regardless of weight.
2. There is no such thing as “one size fits all”.
It seems as though we’ve entered an age of personalization. Between meal-delivery systems, skincare, shampoo, and even pet food, it seems like anything can be customized to fit a consumer’s specific needs. Why should the way we approach our health be any different?
Our bodies all work a little bit differently, and one person’s response to a certain diet, or lifestyle change could look very different from someone else’s. Even if two people were to have the same exact health goal, chances are they might have to take two different paths to get there. For example, say we have two people who want to lose a similar amount of weight- but the first person is experiencing weight-gain as a symptom of their thyroid disorder, while the second person has a problem regulating their habit of over-eating. These two people have the same exact health goal, yet their plans of action for achieving that goal are going to look very different. Achieving health or managing disease through diet, requires correcting the root cause of the issue- which is not going to be the same for everyone!
One of the best ways to achieve any health goal, is to work with a dietitian or healthcare professional who can devote time to personalizing your approach. By taking your personal health data, lifestyle factors, and personal day-to-day habits into account, you’ll be able to figure out why you’re experiencing the problem you are, and how to solve it in a way that works best for you and your lifestyle. To find a dietitian or health practitioner near you, a quick search on google or HealthProfs.com might help! Checking in with your health insurance provider to see what services they cover is also a good idea.
3. It’s not necessarily about what you restrict, but what you can add.
I personally think this is one of the most important things to learn. When I finally understood this, it was truly a “light-bulb” moment for me, and this idea continues to be something that I emphasize when talking to anyone about nutrition.
Of course, when it comes to things like allergies, food sensitivities, and diagnosed health conditions that require dietary restriction, it’s extremely important to omit certain foods or food groups from your diet. Additionally, there are certain types of food (like any processed “junk” food, processed meats, or fast food) that many health professionals would recommend limiting.
When I say it’s not about what you restrict, I mean that we shouldn’t get so caught up in trying to restrict every ounce of sugar or fat from our diet, count every carb, or make lists of “bad” food that we can’t let ourselves eat. Focusing so intently on what to restrict from your diet can foster an extremely unhealthy relationship with food, and could even push you farther away from achieving a healthy diet. It can also be overwhelming at first and make you feel as though you have to throw out your entire pantry and all of the food your body is used to eating. Cleaning up your diet doesn’t have to be immediate- making small steps to increase the diversity of good, quality food in your diet is a great way to start making healthier choices without it becoming stressful.
So, ask yourself: what vegetables can you throw into your favorite dinner recipe? What kind of healthy fats, seeds, or leafy greens can you add into your smoothie? What kind of fruit, or nuts can you throw in your bag to snack on throughout the day? When you’re trying to clean up your diet, it can be frustrating to constantly think about what you need to avoid, and it can be extremely hard to suddenly ditch your favorite foods. When you begin by focusing on what healthy choices you can add to the food you’re already used to eating, it can make this transition just a little bit easier.
Sources
- Daryanani, Anita. “‘Diet Culture’ & Social Media.” UCSD Recreation, 28 Jan. 2021, recreation.ucsd.edu/2021/01/diet-culture-social-media/.
- Hogan, M. J., & Strasburger, V. C. (2008). Body image, eating disorders, and the media. Adolescent medicine: state of the art reviews, 19(3), 521–xi.
- Rosenbaum, M., & Leibel, R. L. (2010). Adaptive thermogenesis in humans. International journal of obesity (2005), 34 Suppl 1(0 1), S47–S55. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.184
- Malik, N., Tonstad, S., Paalani, M., Dos Santos, H., & Luiz do Prado, W. (2020). Are long-term FAD diets restricting micronutrient intake? A randomized controlled trial. Food science & nutrition, 8(11), 6047–6060. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1895
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