Diet culture in its entirety essentially revolves around restrictive eating routines, unrealistic body standards, and an unhealthy obsession with the “perfect” physical appearance. It perpetuates this belief that in order to achieve the “perfect physical appearance” you must adhere to the “perfect eating standards.” Dieting has been around forever and it comes in many different forms. It continues to evolve—sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Each generation seems to have its “claim to fame” diet fad—from eating like hunters and gathers (the paleo diet), to restricting all animal products (the vegan diet), even an all-juice detox (if you’re close in age to me, ask your mom about this one!) Ironically, people aspire to meet these standards of “perfection” yet dieting in itself is constantly changing and conflicting—which is far from perfection.
Diets can be necessary for individuals who may be experiencing more severe health issues. (E.g. high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, etc.) But more often, diets are short-term, quick-fix solutions people seek out in order to accomplish a weight or health goal. Dieting is temporary, mentally and physically exhausting, can disrupt your hormones, moods, and motivations, and increase your likelihood of developing an eating disorder.
From a young age, I have been personally sucked in and out of diet culture. Looking back at it, I can now realize how easily I was influenced as a result of my limited knowledge of nutrition. Proper human nutrition is well-overlooked, under-taught, and not a major focal point in our today’s society. While it can be confusing, intimidating, and at times discouraging to learn, things can be so simple when broken down to the basics.
Without getting too science-y, I found this to be a good foundation to the basics of human nutrition:
| Consume Carbs to feel: | Energized |
| Consume Fiber to feel: | Full (For Longer) |
| Consume Protein to feel: | Satisfied |
| Consume Fat to feel: | Stabilized Energy Levels |
| Consume Cravings to feel: | Enjoyment |
Now let’s put it together…consuming a meal that includes carbs + fiber + protein + fats + your cravings will create a meal that not only you enjoy BUT also makes you feel energized, full, satisfied, stabilized! A good rule of thumb: eat what you want, add what you need.
Taking these factors into consideration when building your plate can help enhance your relationship with food for the long run. The focus on short-term, quick-fix, and temporary goals needs to shift to a focus on a long-term mindset to nourish your body with a mindful, wholesome, and diverse diet. It’s all about finding balance and enjoying the pleasure and nourishment food has to offer.
If you feel motivated enough to hop on the latest and greatest diet trend, I urge you to pour that motivation into a long-term solution and apply new lifestyle practices that will nourish and fulfill you. Enhance your relationship with food—learn how to build a plate, try new foods, diversify your recipes. A little nutrition education and learning to eat I intuitive can take you a long way. Stop restricting, start adding.
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