What is "clean-eating"? To this day, there is still no clear definition of what clean eating is. General consensus however suggests that clean-eating is following a diet that contains no or only minimally processed foods with no harmful chemicals. Sounds good? If the focus of the term "clean-eating" was just on eating healthy, then yes, it would be perfect and everyone could stick with it. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. What the term does however, is instil a sense of fear surrounding food and what’s being eaten. It develops a mentality of restrictive eating in its’ followers, delivering false hope by overlooking the inevitable "slip-ups" and lacking the ability to be sustained long-term. As a result, people develop a poor relationship with food, one that can see clean-eaters becoming consumed by eating clean, becoming "too healthy".
You’re sitting there, reading this, wondering how eating "too healthy" could be a problem, right? Sounds a little too strange to be true I’m sure. What has happened though is that with the rise of such trends as the clean eating movement, so too has the increased recognition of a condition known as "orthorexia".
The term literally translates to a "fixation on righteous eating". What starts off as a seemingly harm-free attempt at healthy eating quickly turns to an unhealthy fixation on the purity, quality and quantity of foods eaten and how to deal with inevitable ‘slip-ups’. This truly dedicated style of eating is difficult to persevere with, becoming incredibly restrictive in regards to the variety of foods eaten and calories consumed, too restrictive in a lot of instances. Ironically, the health of someone with orthorexia suffers, considering they were completely dedicated to healthy eating.
While this is an extreme example of what can, and does, happen when clean-eating goes wrong, it does further highlight that this dieting mentality is unrealistic, unsustainable and in some cases unhealthy.
So what’s AmSo Fit & Healthy’s answer to healthy eating? Following a more holistic approach, one that encompasses all things that lead to a healthy relationship with food.
Food is not something to be afraid of. It’s what we need to fuel our body to do all of the amazing things it does. Food anxiety and restrictive eating is not good for the body or the mind. Fad diets try to suck you in and make you scared to eat, check out our previous blog post "" for tips on how to avoid these scams.
ä Simple meal-prep
Do you find that you’re reaching for chocolate bar, cakes or biscuits when you’re hungry because you don’t have the time to make or sit down to eat something healthy? Meal-prep is a wonderful thing, not to just be used by gym junkies and body builders but something that us mere mortals can take up. Compile your favourite and some new recipes to try for the week, write yourself a grocery list, allowing yourself a treat, and get prepping. It may just mean that you chop up your vegies and have them ready to be used throughout the week, or you cook up some meals and put them in the freezer, ready to grab on the go. Whatever you can do to make your life a little easier and entice you to grab something healthier for lunch or the 3pm snack.
ä Maintain a healthy balance of food
Aim for your 5 serves of vegetables (1 serve = 1 cup of salad or ½ cup cooked) and 2 serves of fruit (1 serve = 1 medium piece). Enjoy these in a wide variety of colour – the more colour the better. Don’t be afraid of carbs – go for wholegrain options that fill you up and fuel your body for longer. Eat lean meats, the size of your palm. Have oily fish 2-3 times per week – salmon, mackerel or sardines. Try a meat-free night by swapping the steak for lentils – delicious in a curry. Go for reduced-fat dairy – stick with milk in your coffee, not butter. And have a piece of cake. Don’t punish yourself for having a "naughty" treat, but keep in mind that it is a treat – enjoy every mouthful.
ä Create a healthy eating environment
This doesn’t mean throwing out all of the treats in the house. It means to make your eating experiences positive ones by control the environment around you, incorporating ideas from mindful eating, as discussed below. Switch off the T.V, let some fresh air in and eat with friends or loved ones. Take time between mouthfuls to catch up, talk about you day, chat about the foods you are eating and the flavours of each dish. When cooking dinner, pay attention to all of the ingredients your putting in. Smell the herbs and spices, taste the veggies before you put them into the dish and see if you can find those flavours when you’re eating the finished dish.
ä Practice a bit of mindful eating
I know it may sound a little "wanky" but there is some pretty strong evidence that suggests that paying attention to the food that goes into your mouth has positive impacts on your physical and mental health. Mindfully eating requires you to focus on the colours, smells, textures, flavours, temperatures and sounds of the foods you eat, developing a true appreciation for the experience of eating food both inside and outside of the body. The opposite, "mindless eating", is shown to have connections with overeating, stress and increased anxiety according to growing research. You can practice a little mindful eating/drinking each day with your first cup of tea or coffee. Take time during your first 4 sips to really understand the flavours, the smells, the warmth and effects of caffeine. By being more aware you will come to understand and recognise physical hunger and fullness cues which will help you decide when you really need to begin and finish eating. For more information, check out: https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/docman/fact-sheets/234-fact-sheet-mindful-eating
Enjoy your food and enjoy the company of others and you will develop a happy and healthy relationship with your food. If you find that you’re struggling with your relationship with food, reach out for help. While orthorexia is not yet considered an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa or bulimia, it is still a health concern and one that needs to be addressed. If you would like to learn more about mindful eating or how to develop a healthy food relationship, I’m here to help, just send me a message or give me a call and we’ll have you and your food becoming best friends!
- Danica
AmSo Fit & Healthy
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ben@amsofitandhealthy.com.au | 0405 268 619
danica@amsofitandhealthy.com.au | 0458 001 848
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