When Healthy Eating Becomes Unhealthy

Food. Body image. Health. Things we think about everyday. With ads on TV, in magazines, on the radio and with restaurants and fast food places changing menus to provide healthier options, it’s not our fault that food is on our minds a little bit too often. But did you know that even thinking about food could be having a dangerous affect on us?

Eating disorders have always been around, and are spreading like wildfire nowadays. But we’re not just talking about anorexia and bulimia, disorders where you either starve yourself or binge and purge. We’re talking about a new disorder associated with eating healthy. Meet Orthorexia, a serious disorder that may plague a lot more people than you think, including yourself.

Orthorexia nervosa is a condition in which people become obsessed with eating the “right” kinds of foods. We may roll our eyes and call them “health freaks” but the truth is that this is a very serious condition. Orthorexia causes people to obsess over what is eaten, how much is eaten, and how it is prepared.

So what’s so bad about being obsessed with eating healthy?

Anything is bad if you are obsessed. Washing your hands prevents germs, and what not, but if you are a compulsive hand washer, it can affect the rest of your life. Overdoing any healthy practice can compromise other healthy practices in your life, and this in turn, reduces your overall health.

Some severe consequences of this orthorexia involve not being able to enjoy certain social activities, becoming depressed, or always feeling guilty if you happen to indulge or eat something that isn’t “healthy.”

Do you know someone, or are you someone who is constantly obsessing over food? Is food something that is always on your mind? Do you plan every meal that you are going to have? These are all signs of orthorexia. So what do you do?

Be Mindful
The best kind of eating is mindful eating. Eating a meal is not supposed to be a task, a chore. It’s supposed to be something that we can enjoy and feel good about. Food gives us energy and it can make us happy, excited, and satisfied. Each food is unique in its own ways. Being mindful means being aware of the smell, the texture, the taste of food. It means enjoying every bite, every lick. Next time you sit down for a meal, really think about what you are eating and how freakin’ good it tastes.

Eat when you are hungry
Don’t just eat because you have nothing better to do or because its your typical “dinner time.” Eat because your body wants it and needs it. It will satisfy you that much more and keep you fuller for longer. Also, it will allow you to not plan the next thing you are going to consume, and rather focus on all the other things going on in your life. We are busy people with busy lives so we can’t let food get in the way!

Indulgence is a good thing!
Listen, you only live once so you gotta make the best out of it. Indulging once in a while won’t kill you, and it wont make you fat, either. As long as you aren’t eating a Big Mac everyday, fulfilling an occasional craving is okay!

Don’t classify yourself by the food you eat
You are more than just a vegan, a vegeterian etc. You are a person. And food is such a small aspect of life and by no means should it define who you are in any way. There are so many more important things about who we are as individuals, and how we eat and the types of food we eat are just not part of that.