Health vs. Diet Culture, part 2!
Let's keep this conversation rolling this week! See part 1 here.
Now as a reminder, it's not bad to want or need to lose weight or alter your eating habits. We always want to be pursuing long-term wellness! And sometimes, that means second guessing some of the mainstream advice we've heard over the years to find what really resonates with us and our human biology.
Here's an additional list of “rules” I've heard from so-called wellness advocates that I don't tend to live by anymore!
Not eating after 5-6 pm.
This one is nuanced, because I do really like honoring natural light rhythms when it comes to food (if the sun is down, I don't tend to eat - so that changes in winter when we are resting more and watching the sun set earlier!), and there is certainly good truth to not having a huge meal too close to bedtime.
However, bedtime snacks can be a huge part of healing and getting good rest! They can support our liver function, sleep quality, & hormone regulation, and women are especially prone to issues from prolonged, recurring fasting periods. There's no shame in a balanced bedtime snack if need be! My meal plans provide dozens of snack examples!
Low carb diets.
Our bodies need carbs in the right balance. Yes, it's possible to over-consume or have them in a non-supportive way (without protein, in processed form, etc), but too few carbohydrates can lead to imbalanced stress hormones, mineral deficiencies, blood sugar issues, and even weight loss resistance. Our bodies' preferred source of energy is glucose, ie carbs!
Obsessing over BMI (or using it at all…)
Your BMI means very little in the grand scheme of things and only considers your height to weight ratio. It does not include muscle mass, bone density, fat storages, etc and is a poor standalone indicator of overall health.
If you're a fan of objective body measures, I prefer fat percentage, but even then we have to be careful - a women can hold up to 20-30% and still be healthy and vibrant (although most celebrities and fitfluencers fall more into the 8-12% range).
More than anything, I like using symptoms as a marker - how are you feeling? Sleeping? How is digestion and mood? Do you feel vibrant and well? These matter more than most markers!
Avoiding dairy.
Dairy is an ancestral and nutrient dense food, and unfortunately our modern conventionally raised dairy can cause issues that may not be present with quality sourcing. Cutting dairy just because can lead to severe mineral imbalances and overall long-term health issues.
Of course, if you're working around a true allergy or intolerance, this avoidance can be necessary. If that's the case, I like to add in awareness of getting enough calcium and fat soluble vitamins elsewhere! See my IG post on that, here!
If you're needing to be off dairy, my dairy-free meal plan can help you navigate getting the right nourishment, and even help reintroduce dairy when you're ready!
You can also read how we are healing my son from his dairy allergy here.
Distance Running.
This is probably going to ruffle some feathers - hang with me! If you enjoy running, that is wonderful, but we have to also consider the implications on the female physiology, especially when paired with chronic undernourishment. Marathon level training with toddler-level caloric intake is going to have some really negative effects. Shorter sessions can be more supportive, and always make sure your food intake is sufficient for you running habits!
Don't forget my calorie quiz if need be, which takes your activity level into account!
No carbs after lunch/3pm/etc.
Did anyone else get suckered into this trend? Pairing protein and carbs every time you eat helps support healthy blood sugars and thyroid function. Your body is perfectly capable of utilizing carbs in the second half of the day - at the core this is just a weight loss gimmick to lower your overall carb intake (which if you need to do, is better to still spread out over your meals!).
Smoothies for breakfast.
Like most things, there can be a “better way” and “not so great” way. Smoothies can be supportive, but drinking our food bypasses a very necessary part of our digestion - chewing! And not to mention many breakfast smoothie recipes you find online focus on harder to digest foods like almond milk, heaps of nuts and seeds, and handfuls of raw spinach.
You can find my personal favorite Nutrient Powerhouse smoothie in my meal plans!
Weird detox drinks.
Please don't try to make your body survive off of water and lemon juice and cayenne pepper 😭. & please don't fall into the trap of thinking water and lemon will heal your digestion or weight issues. Warm lemon water can be lovely and supportive, but it's probably not going to be a fix-all. Instead, I like to focus on nutrient dense eating and having liquids that are mineral-rich! If you're going to drink anything before meals or first thing in the morning, a bit of apple cider vinegar in water is great for blood sugar stabilization!
Never miss a workout mentality.
If you're running off 5 hours of sleep and trying to fit in an intense workout in, that's a step in the wrong direction. Sometimes the best way you can support your body is to rest, even if that means skipping a workout. Taking a walk is still a great way to care for your body and be active! Remember my IG post about “earning your workout”? This is a great real-life example! We need enough sleep & nourishment to be able to be active in a healthy, sustainable way.
As with the first installment of this series, I'm not here to tell you what to do, truly (also not medical advice 😊). I think if you have found long-term, enjoyable, and sustainable health even with any of these practices and your sleep is great, energy is kicking, digestion is a well-oiled machine, your emotions and mood are stable, and you feel good - you keep on!
Some helpful principles to think through: is {insert whatever} health principal something that women have been shown to thrive with, or just men? Is this something I could have found people doing hundreds of years ago, and does it also fit within the context of our modern stressful society? (For example, fasting - our bodies are often too stressed to undergo regular, long periods without eating because of the environment we live in, even though our ancestors may have been able to do it successfully!). Is this practice something you were inspired to do because of the way somebody's body looked on Instagram or does it actually have solid (women-inclusive) evidence to support it's beneficial properties?
I hope these tips help, friend! Until next time!
-Fallon