Many people expect me to be really disciplined around ‘healthy’ eating.
Oftentimes with new clients or even with friends, I find people instinctively apologising or making disclaimers about their food choices as if I’m going to judge certain foods they’re eating as ‘bad’!
What I really see going on here is that the diet industry has made people believe that if you eat anything outside of what is fresh, raw, low sugar and/or low fat – many people think they’re doing something wrong.
That if you eat anything outside of those parameters it’s automatically bad for you or unhealthy.
This is an all-or-nothing, black-and-white perspective. Whereas my approach is always about balance.
To be black and white about food, or anything in life for that matter, is unhealthy and more importantly, unrealistic.
This way of thinking actually sets people up to fail when they’re trying to make positive changes and create healthy habits.
Or it creates neurotic, obsessive, control-freak behaviour, which is far from healthy.
Balance is healthy in all aspects, including the way you eat.
This is why I recommend approaching food using the ‘80/20 rule’:
80% of the time you eat ‘healthy foods’ and 20% of the time you can eat the foods that are deemed as not so healthy.
Obviously, what’s deemed healthy and unhealthy is somewhat subjective and can often differ for each person.
So, to clarify, my definition of healthy foods is those that are:
High quality: fresh, ideally organic, foods that are in their natural state. Or made from as simple, pure, unprocessed ingredients as possible.
Truly unhealthy foods would be those that are highly processed, made from chemical ingredients and/or those that have been exposed to chemicals like pesticides or animals who have been raised in poor conditions.
However, many people also view all foods like cakes, ice cream, pastries, chips, pizza, chocolate etc. as 100% unhealthy.
Yes, they can be, and again I’d say if you are eating foods like that always aim for the best quality possible – fresh, made with high quality, simple, pure ingredients.
But the 80/20 rule allows for moments where we want to eat out, when we feel like indulging, ordering a takeaway, on special occasions like birthdays, weddings, Christmas and holidays. Or for moments when we don’t have full control over what we can eat – when travelling or at an event for example.
It accounts for balance, spontaneity, fun and real life.
Living in this way diffuses a lot of the stress, pressure, and internal guilt that many people subject themselves to when they’re being too strict, ridged and controlling around their own food choices, or even those of their loved ones!
I also believe that indulgence every once in a while is good for our wellbeing.
You do want to predominantly eat healthy foods but think of it like you’re crowding out the seemingly ‘bad’ foods with the good.
This also relieves a lot of the guilt I hear people laying on themselves any time they eat something indulgent. Which ultimately isn’t good for your overall wellbeing either!
Everything in moderation. Balance is always key.
Kate x
