Yep…we are going there, and before you come at me read to the end. And if you get to the end and you still don’t share my beliefs I won’t hold it against you. The “diet mentality” is ingrained in every single aspect of society, this ranges from fitness facilities, to weight loss programs and studios, to calorie counts on menus, to food marketing in grocery stores, to the things we say to others and ourselves around our weight, appearance and fitness levels. Honestly, stop and take a day or two and start to look at the conversations and the world around you and you will notice it. Its actually everywhere and it breeds unhealthy relationships with food for so many people.
A common question these days when it comes to nutrition is what is the best diet? The answer there isn’t one.
But Ashlee…have I been lied to all along? I’m not going to accuse people of lying no, but there are certain ways of eating (let’s get rid of the word diet altogether shall we) that are appropriate for different people. Is a gluten free diet required? For some people yes it absolutely is, although unless you experience celiac disease you likely don’t need to completely remove gluten from your diet. What about dairy products…well if your lactose intolerant of course you will likely limit dairy, however if you don’t suffer symptoms then you probably don’t need to remove dairy. The diet industry demonizes certain food groups and many diets pick different food groups to target…but at the end of the day there are nutrients in (almost) all food groups and cutting out things like gluten or diary if its not needed can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
So how do we avoid possible nutrient deficiencies…the simple answer is to eat a variety of foods from a variety of food groups including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fruits, vegetables and more.
It’s also important to stop classifying foods as “good” and “bad”. One of the things about diets that is the hardest thing to move past for people is that fact that different diets say certain foods are “bad” and other foods are “good”. Are their foods that are more nutritious and less nutritious…absolutely, but a less nutritious food does not make it a “bad” food, especially if it’s something you enjoy. Striving to include more foods that have lots of nutrients in them will result in improved health, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t eat the yummy foods that have less nutrients. We just want to eat them less often, and instead eat more nutritious foods more often.
When purchasing foods we want to be aware of food marketing. This is something that can influence our food choices without us even realizing it. Terms like “organic”, “vegan”, “gluten free”, “dairy free” and so many more can influence our food choices when we are shopping for groceries. Because diet mentality is so ingrained in our everyday lives when we see these terms without even always thinking about it associate them with “healthier” food. Although these habits can be difficult to change, starting by being aware of it is one of the best things that we can do. Try to notice this when you head into the grocery store next time and notice if marketing of certain foods impacts with items you buy…it may surprise you.
Overall, diet mentality is extremely ingrained in society today. By becoming more aware of it and focusing on a balanced, nutritious diet we can improve overall health while still getting to enjoy the foods we love. Because let’s face it…if you are aren’t enjoying the food that you’re eating are you really living?! What are your thoughts on diet mentality? Hop over to my Instagram and share your thoughts on diet mentality or what influences your food choices day to day!
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