DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A REGISTERED DIETITIAN BY ANY MEANS! I go to school to study nutrition and dietetics, and I am a foodie.
*TRIGGER WARNING FOR PEOPLE WITH EATING DISORDERS: I USE NUMBERS IN THIS BLOG POST.
I know that as I write this, many people will disagree with me, especially my friend Tia...
There is no such thing as an "unhealthy food."
There are many types of food: fruits; vegetables; carbs, fats; proteins, which are broken down further into thousands of categories such as meat protein, dairy protein, low fat, regular, seasoned, salty, sweet, sour, fresh, ripe, high fiber. The list can go on for quite a while. But, I never place "healthy" or "unhealthy" on the list.
When a company comes out with a new product claiming to be "low fat," chances are there are more chemicals in the product or more sugars. Don't believe me? You can check the side of the box for the millions of words ending in "-ose" (some form of sugar) to prove it to yourself.
But, unless you NEED to be counting calories because you're diabetic, actually overweight, for some reason NEED to lose weight, have health concerns, or a food allergy, there's no such reason to check the side of the box. The numbers don't matter.
Let me explain why.
When we emphasize that foods are "unhealthy," it gives us a negative mindset towards them. Take a cookie, for example. If you grow up learning that cookies are bad for you, (that sucks if you did...I'm so sorry) you're highly likely to develop some sort of negative thoughts associated with foods related to cookies, which will often times lead you to feel guilty after eating them or restricting them from your diet. This is completely unnecessary. While desserts are tasty, and I eat them very often (yum!), they aren't very high in nutritional value. But they are still good for you! They provide some sort of variety, but aside from this fact, you deserve to go ahead and eat that cookie without feeling guilty.
Many people disagree with me on this one, but I actually find it unnecessary to count calories. Why? Because if you become educated and follow a proper diet (as in what you eat and not what you have restricted from your meals), then there is no reason to be obsessing over numbers. People also think that I'm absolutely crazy when I say this, but I think that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.
It's all about balance and not labeling foods as "healthy" or "unhealthy."
You could eat 2,500 calories a day by eating a variety of all kinds of foods, which include a couple of cookies in there, as well as foods high in fiber, foods with high nutritional value, nice hearty protein, and (if you'd like, whole grain) carbs. If it's a day that includes some exercise in there, amazing! You will feel great. You could also eat 2,500 calories of lettuce. That isn't that pleasant even to think about. In comparison, you'd be feeling pretty sick after eating all of that lettuce.
That's why balance is key.
As long as you include food from all food groups and make sure that you are having the correct portion for you, then you're on your way. No need to be sad about dieting or extra exercise. No need for sad salads or feeling guilty about eating a cookie.
Even if you disagree with every word that I just said, please keep in mind that there is NO NEED for you to comment on what other people are eating. If someone wants a cookie, they could have a god damn cookie. There shouldn't be a thing as "treating yourself" to a cookie. Saying that certain foods are "unhealthy" creates a negative thought process, which will never be helpful in the long run. There is NO NEED to feel guilty for eating that cookie, as long as you have balance in the food and food groups that you eat throughout the entire day. There is NO NEED for you to restrict cookies from your diet.
Don't create a bad relationship with food. It's just not worth it.
At the end of the day, stressing about what you're eating is physically worse for your body than actually eating something "unhealthy" because of the stress hormones and all of the stuff that happens within your body.
So, as a quick summary: eat what you want and stop calling foods "healthy" or "unhealthy." Some are just higher in nutritional value. Stop telling your friends or little children that they can't eat a cookie or whatever it is that they may want. If you believe in that, then tell it to yourself. End of story.
*Mic Drop*
