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There is this common phrase: “You are what you eat”. The meaning of it is quite simple: if you eat crappy food, you are going to feel crappy. If you eat healthy food, then you will feel and look healthy. But what does it really mean to eat healthy? Is it possible that healthy food can be dangerous for us? Surprisingly, yes.
To “eat clean” is largely associated with gluten, antibiotics, fat and sugar free products. Some clean eaters go even further and have a wholly raw, vegan diet. But when an interest in healthy eating becomes an obsession, it turns into orthorexia. And it can have a devastating effect on a person’s life.
The term ‘orthorexia’ was introduced in 1998 and means an obsession with proper or healthy eating. Orthorexia is not medically recognised in the same way as anorexia and bulimia are, and according to psychiatrists, it is much closer to a phobia than to a food disorder.
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People with orthorexia become so fixated on so-called ‘healthy eating’ that they actually damage their own well-being. As they become more and more obsessed with being pure, their diet becomes very restrictive. Their health suffers from nutrition deficiencies and their body systems and organs are not getting enough energy. What started out as a way of being “healthy” has become the thing that is causing harm. Additionally, by imposing very strict laws on themselves, obsessive clean eaters inevitably isolate themselves, skipping social engagements where food is involved.
Doctors say they rarely see orthorexia on its own. It is normally a cap on anorexia, bulimia or binge-eating disorder. Some specialists believe that fixating on health is becoming a kind of religion in our society. If we think of the role of religiosity, it gives us community, a value system, routine and structure, somewhere to turn when we are feeling down. Now, we get that from our gym or our eating club. We go and get the shakes, and we talk about them. And the culture supports this. The organic section has come to the regular supermarkets. Parents are schooled that they can’t give their kids foods with toxins, antibiotics. When do we go from a belief in whole and fresh food to a drive to perfection and an extreme? We live in an all-or-nothing culture.
Questions:
What does clean eating means to you?
Do you believe you are what you eat?
Do you know people who are obsessed with healthy lifestyle?
When does clean eating cross the line?
Sources:
Comments
I know many people that are vegetarian or vegan but I don’t really think it’s their obsession. Still for me it’s crossing the line of clean eating.
Sure, food you eat everyday play a vital role in your well-being but when it comes to health it's not the only thing that drastically affects your life. Overall, I think everybody should know limits of their body if they want to avoid going to doctors and taking digestion pills.
I don't know anybody who is obsessed with the healthy lifestyle. I would rather say that most people I know tend to restrain themselves by eating less than not eating a certain type of unhealthy food at all.
Healthy eating crosses the line when human body stops receiving certain amount of vitamins and calories that are important for sustaining proper metabolism thus damaging organism.
Certainly, food is our main source of energy and resources so it has to affect us.
I know people that try to keep fit and follow rules of healthy lifestyle, but I don't think they are obsessed with it.
I think that clean eating crosses the line when it keeps you from normal functioning.
Many people think, that only fast food like McDonald or KFC makes people fat. However, many beautiful salads for example from salad story, has got same amount of fat as fast food burgers or chips.
Clean eating? Never heard this term before, but it sounds like eating anything other than fast-foods and drinking not much alcohol and soda drinks. And I'm trying to eat like this but, man, pizza is delicious.
Do you believe you are what you eat?
Yes, that's why I'm not eating beetroot and potatoes.
Do you know people who are obsessed with healthy lifestyle?
Fortunately not, or at least I'm not aware of it.
When does clean eating cross the line?
When person is without energy and still eats no more than mice, and comments about what anyone nearby eats something less healthy.
I believe that eating healthy has a great influence on how we look and feel. We shouldn't care that much about it, though. Having too restrictive diet doesn't make us feel happy either.
I know some people who are too obsessive about eating healthy, it's pretty hard not to know these people in these times. It's nothing wrong with that as long as they don't want to enforce their habits on me.
In my opinion, crossing the line is when we start to feel bad and stressed about what we eat. So many people love cooking, eating what they want. Some give up on everything just because of their obsession. That's where the line is crossed - once we can call it an obsession.
For the majority yes. But for some people with food intolerance it might not as i discovered. It can make my eczema worse for example i have a friend who has nickel allergy and some clean foods like brown rice, nuts and other clean foods are actually high in nickel.
Yes, I believe. That's why I'm trying to eat only meals that I prepare myself.
But of course sometimes I happen to eat something from mcdoland or other fast food.
I know a lot. But everyone does as he thinks.
In my opinion, for example, when we are at a party and eat nothing because we only eat self clean meals.
I know a few people who are dedicated to a healthy life. I think that when people who use clean food, force others or this mode of eating has a negative impact on others.
2. There is no doubt that what we eat has a great influence on our well-being. From my experience I can say that there was a time when I didn’t care about what I ate and it was a terrible experience as I didn’t have enough energy and felt tired all the time.
3. I know many people who really care about healthy lifestyle but I wouldn’t say they are obsessed with it as they can find balance between being healthy and other areas in their life.
4. Clean eating crosses the line when it becomes an addiction, so when people’s life is only focused on this area and they don’t see or care about any other aspects of their life.
I would rather say that I believe than not because I can see the difference of my skin, physical shape, etc depending on what I eat.
Yes, I know but only 1 - 2 people that keep their diet and healthy lifestyle 24 / 7.
To my humble opinion clean eating cross the line when you sacrifice particullary everything in order to eat clean.
Yeah, I believe that we are what we eat. I am sure that healthy, regular meals can make us feel better, we are no longer tired or we simply sleep better.
I know these kinds of people. They are obsessed with healthy food, fitness etc.
I have never been thinking of that but maybe it is like this. It is possible that more and more people nowadays idenify themselves with what they eat.
I know some people who are obsessed with healthy lifestyle, e.g. those who are addicted to the gym and various diets.
I know that we have something like metabolic age. I think that if we eat healthy and we are doing sports it is lower. It shows of what is our body is build. In that way we can say that we are what we eat.
I don't know people obsessed on healthy food. Rather in opposite i know people who loves unhealthy food.
I think that clean eating cross the line when you can't take pleasure in eating other food. It's unhealthy for our psyche.
Yes I know a lot of people like this and to be honest they are not happy (joke).To be serious it is hard to be in a relationship with ludicrous obsessed healthy-eater. If would say that crossing the line is when you never pleasure yourself with some kind of reward like donut or something like that.
Kind of i believe that what we eat greatly impacts how we feel. I believe that eating healthy will greatly improve your quality of life in a long run even if those few first weeks are hard.
Yes i have some health obsessed friends and i can clearly see that its ruining their life and experiences. When u spend more time reading labels on food than actually eating it there is something wrong wit you.
When a clean eating person starts trying to influence me and starts to meddle with my choices thats where clean eating crosses the line.
There is some truth in you are what you eat, but as i noticed when i eat healthy, well-balanced food i have more power and energy in the gym, but when I eat pizza i feel mentally happier.
I know lots of people that believes in diets that only look healthy but in fact they are destroying your metabolism. I know a person who didn’t eat any carbohydrates to lose weight and what’s even worse he believed it is healthy, slimming diet.
Yeah, I know couple of them - I don't like the way they obey it. I admire their determination but on the other hand, they refuse so much pleasure. For them, eating clean means no cheat meals, no candy's, no sweet drinks, no alcohol - I know, that they maybe don't need it, but for me, it's not worthy - As I said, You have to find the balance. When does clean eating cross the line? - When people that stick to this lifestyle, starts to bully people that lead they life diffrent. Showing perspective is diffrent from imposing perspective ;)
2 In some point, yes. I really feel how my body reacted on what I eat and when I eat it.
I like feeling of lightness.
3. Actually yes, but they look like not healthy.
4. When you started feel anxious, tired and exhausted, lose a lot of weight.
It means to eat your properly washed and/or cooked food in clean environment using clean dishes and cutlery.
2. Do you believe you are what you eat?
I agree with this phrase partially, as I can see how people (myself included) look like, how they're feeling and how they're changing depend on what they're eating.
3. Do you know people who are obsessed with healthy lifestyle?
Yes, I do know some healthy freaks and some of them are pretty close to me in my life. It is very good to stay fit and have a healthy lifestyle, however it not cool to keep talking about this all the time.
4. When does "clean eating" cross the line?
Well when you find yourself in the situation in which you're totally obsessed and freak out about every little detail about your food and the way it is prepared or not.. I think you'll know that you've crossed the line.
Clean eating means to me that the food is all natural without any additions like toxins or antibiotics and it is better to buy it from a local farmer. I believe that you are what you eat because the body absorb all the nutritions and also unesessary things that can make us powerless, ill and tired. Yes I do know some people but only from the internet. some youtube vlogers that are very obsessed by healthy lifestyle and I watch them because I was curious what they consider healthy and how much they actually know about .
The only time I remember that someone crossed the line was when a read an article that vegan parents were accused to starve their newborn because the mother didn't want to breastfeed because SHE IS AN ANIMAL ...