In The Terrible Tragedy of the Healthy Eater, blogger Erica Strauss descends into madness as she follows the healthy eating “wisdom” provided by the Internet to its logical conclusion. Prior to her research on the Internet, she thought she had a healthy and “clean” diet. As she learned from various websites, there was something wrong with every “healthy” item she consumed, and all the experts made very strong and contradictory claims. Her journey led her to consume all sorts of crazy “fringe” foods, eliminate seemingly healthy vegetables and grains, and finally… Well, read it yourself. It’s very funny.
I think those of us who have decided to focus on our health, including healthier eating habits, are on a slippery slope. We might start out with the Standard American Diet (SAD), and frankly, anything healthy is an improvement. As we “clean up” our food choices, there are signposts along the way. Gluten free? Turn here. Paleo? Vegetarian? Dairy-free? Vegan? Soy-free? All these decisions will lead you down an increasingly narrow path.
Comparison of Paleo vs Clean Eating (emeals.com)
A while back, a friend told me about her cousin, who is often paralyzed by food choices, especially at social events. He panics if there is no “healthy” food available, according to his strict definition. Later, I learned the psychological term for this is orthorexia. As we travel the road between “eating whatever” and “clean eating” we have to remember why we are making certain choices, and how they affect our quality of life. If it takes too much time, causes too much stress, or the expense does not justify the benefits, then maybe that “healthy choice” isn’t worth the trouble.
For example, if you’re trying to eat only organic produce, review the Dirty Dozen list of fruits and vegetables which should be purchased from an organic source, and the Clean 15 list of produce which do not generally contain pesticides, even from non-organic farms. This can save you time and money, and provide peace of mind.
Jillian Michaels often mentions two simple rules when it comes to healthy living. The first is “Don’t eat processed food.” This is a little bit of a judgement call. Are frozen vegetables “processed”? (Sometimes they are fresher than the fresh ones sitting in the grocery store bin.) Generally, anything with a list of manufactured ingredients is “processed.” The second rule: Eat healthy 80 percent of the time (or 80 percent of your total calories for the day), and the other 20 percent can be whatever you want. (Jillian likes peanut butter cups and “Oreo” cookies containing natural ingredients.)
Most important of all is to maintain a proper perspective. If you’ve decided to lose weight, or you are at a healthy weight but you want to make better food choices, remember that you are in a special group of people. As of 2010, more than two-thirds of the U.S. adult population was overweight or obese (Weight Control Information Network). If you’re taking positive steps to improve your health, you are reversing that trend! Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by health-related information. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done, and help others whenever you can.
