Is It OK to Eat Unhealthy Sometimes?
Categories: Advice, Health, Healthy Eating, Dear Healthy Foodie
PrintIs It OK to Eat Unhealthy Sometimes?">
Dear Healthy Foodie, I'm a pretty healthy person. I eat really well and take vitamins and eat superfoods and drink smoothies and so on. Overall I would say I'm healthy 80 percent of the time. Now, what I want to know is, do I really have to beat myself up and feel bad about the other 20 percent? Cheesey, carby pasta dinners at nice Italian restaurants, an afternoon of beer and nachos at a pub, a vacation where fresh veggies are hard to come by? As long as I'm healthy most of the time do I really have to obsess? Can't the occasional indulgence be OK?!
Thanks,
Jen
Hi Jen,
There are many ways that you could approach this question, but really what it comes down to is what your goals are. If, for example, you're trying to deal with candida overgrowth and 80 percent of the time you're sticking to the protocol but the other 20 percent you're indulging in sugar, flour products and booze, you're not going to get anywhere with your goals. Similarly, if you're trying to lose weight and are on an anti-inflammatory diet, but you're "cheating" 20 percent of the time, you may never see any results.
On the other hand, if we're looking at the situation as a progression, the 80:20 split might be extremely positive. If you were a person who barely touched vegetables and ate restaurant food almost exclusively, doing the right thing most of the time is a huge step and one you should be proud of. Going from 100 percent processed garbage to 80 percent holistically sound is awesome!
Transitioning to a healthy diet can be a very difficult thing to do and it's important to make sure you're celebrating your victories instead of weighing yourself down in your failings. You asked if you need to feel guilty, beat yourself up or obsess about that 20 percent - absolutely not! Carrying around guilt and stress is one of the worst things you can do for your health.
The good thing about transitioning to a holistically healthy diet is that, if you really are making efforts, you start to notice how bad unhealthy food makes you feel and start avoiding it out of habit, not guilt. When someone is eating a diet made up of foods that are difficult for their body to deal with, it's hard for them to notice that they're having difficulty. If inflammation and dietary struggle are the norm, nothing stands out as bad. It's amazing how many times I hear people say they have healthy digestion yet they're gassy, constipated or always popping antacids!
If, on the other hand, you're eating light and healthy foods, clean and healthy meats, lots of vegetables, no heavy glutinous grains or dairy, then when you do consume something your body struggles with you'll actually notice it. These can lead to some enlightening moments which make avoiding these offending foods that much easier. Usually it only takes one or two sleepless nights due to digestive upset after a cheesy ,carby pasta dinner to get some real momentum behind your resolution to get to that 100 percent, if that is what you aim to do.
One of the most important things in taking on a holistic health plan is to clearly define your goals. Write them down and keep an eating journal where you record every single thing you consume. This isn't so that you can obsess over it, but to find out which foods are causing you problems. This will help you view your 80:20 split in the right light, and to evaluate any shortcomings of your eating plan from a healthy perspective - not by burdening yourself with guilt.
The Healthy Foodie is Doug DiPasquale, Holistic Nutritionist and trained chef, living in Toronto. Doug specializes in private in-home holistic cooking lessons. You can email him with inquiries or questions for the blog at dugdeep@gmail.com.
Recent Posts
- Weight Loss and Alcohol: Is Extra-Light Beer a Better Choice? (7/30/2010)
- The Importance of Friends, Pregnancy Eating, Loving Your Body... (7/30/2010)
- Baby on the Way? Get Your Arms in Shape for Baby-Holding Marathons (7/30/2010)
- How to Be Happier in 30 Days: Release Your Fear (7/30/2010)
- Nutritious Green Beans Are Now in Season... (7/29/2010)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
grandmapamela 3-03-2010 @ 7:40AM
Altho I try to eat healthy, excercise, and now I have a personal trainer,who I can not really afford..... I still crave those carbs. and Nothing else will satisfy, not matter what devious ideas I come up with, e.g. a walk, hot bath, read, TV, carrot sticks,sex, my brain is like a computer, and it gets stuck on carbs...eventually, by about 10p.m. I surrender ! I am 72yr I weigh 195lb I have type 2 Diabetes, Medicated for high blood pressure, cholestral....any new techniques to get me thru the evenings when the craving begins??
Reply
Chris Burgess 3-03-2010 @ 9:54AM
Carbs are good especially the cheesy ones what I try and do is try to stay away from is the processed mind you I still love my kraft singles but the point is that it is good for you. You are allowed to treat yourself. But from living a very active lifestyle lifting heavy trays etc my body needs carbs just keeping them healthy is key
Emily 3-14-2010 @ 11:06AM
Hey grandmapamela - the secret is.....gluten. I was addicted to carbs; I'd pick at them, play with them, gorge myself on them, abstain from them, and then come right back to them. My _body_ AND _mind_ was addicted to - gluten. I saw a homeopath for general wellness and I learned I was gluten intollerant. 8 months later - less asthma, less allergies, no more eczema, no more IBS or acid reflux, no more dizzy spells or cravings. NO more cravings. I guarantee it. It's like being addicted to cocaine. (not that I would have experience). I overall crave less sugar. Go to www.celiac.com and see the safe and unsafe food lists. Read up on it. Heal your 'leaky gut' and watch your weight and blood sugar levels even out to something better for you.
Best,
E
j 3-03-2010 @ 6:55PM
Many people suffer cravings for sweets – it can occur late at night, during a mid-day slump, or just before your menstrual cycle. The causes of these cravings can vary widely but among them are hormonal imbalances, especially low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or low serotonin levels, as well as poor eating habits or unbalanced nutrition. Here are a few of my standby tips to help keep you on your diet plan while satisfying your urge to splurge.
To curb your cravings:
Go for frozen fruit (berries only). Have a ¼ cup of these. It's hard to eat too many and, because they are frozen, you have to eat slower.
Drink herbal teas. Those with fruit flavours tend to be more satisfying.
Glutamine: Open up a 500mg capsule under the tongue to beat your cravings.
More tips, after the jump...
Chewable vitamin C pills: One or two are sweet enough to get you through.
Slentiva Chews from Metagenics: These tasty chocolate chews contain an extract from potatoes that has been proven to reduce appetite and to assist with cravings.
If you are stressed, look for Nusera Chews from Metagenics.These tasty caramel chews contain hydrolyzed milk protein extract, which lowers cortisol and quickly helps to reduce stress, anxiety and tension. High stress is known to cause more cravings and weight gain. Chew no more than three per day. Both chews can be purchased at our online store.
To prevent cravings in the first place:
Make sure that you are getting enough protein at each meal. Revisit the allowed proteins and your recommended serving sizes in the Nutrition chapter of The Hormone Diet.
Never miss your afternoon snack. This will help balance your blood sugars so you avoid the "afternoon slump." You will also achieve greater weight loss if this is your goal.
Make sure you are not over-doing it on the carbs. Remember you should have only one serving of grains or starchy vegetables the size of your fist daily – more than this can contribute to cravings.
Increase your fibre intake. This will help you to feel full and more satisfied. Add ground flaxseeds or Salba to your salads; purchase a fibre supplement like Metafiber to add to your smoothies. It is hypoallergenic and easy on your digestive system.
Improve your sleep and consider a natural sleep aid if necessary. Sleep deprivation is proven to increase cravings for sweets and our appetite in general.
Reply
yoohoomissblue 3-03-2010 @ 10:06PM
I think it's alright to eat unhealthy foods sometimes. Although in my case, I am a meal skipper. Meaning that I don't eat to a schedule and go long hours without food. I find my weak snacky times are in the night and moreso at a certain time of the month. (mid cycle) That of course could be oppressed by other activity that I'd rather do at night. (however the bad food just may be healthier in many cases).. Cheesecake.. Mmm. I compare that to an appetizing male. We need to indulge in some way, right? We only live once but we must try to do what's best.
Reply
Daniel 3-06-2010 @ 10:11AM
This is all nice and dandy, but think about this for a minute, we are all worried aobut cheating, may i ask why?
hey folks, most weight loss program fails just because hey are too strick, i see it all the time, it is sad. these people want it bad, and they work hard for it and they can't seem to hold it. simple solution:
-stop counting your calories (carbs, fats and proteins)
-stop depriving yourself
-enjoy rewarding yourself (yes, this means cheat)
you are working hard, so treat yourself with respect, a couples meals a week, no more. you deserve it.
why are we making nutrition so complicated??????????
sincerely
Reply
yoohoomissblue 3-11-2010 @ 4:07AM
Daniel, go back to the Asylum!! This is the WOMEN'S page.. don't come here and critisize. Go do that with the men on your own site!
... Men are to be CRAZY and that's ok, just not here...lol. This place is for women to be FIT. Crazy for us women would be giving us some male nudie pictures to snack on. Or is that UNHEALTHY?
Reply
Al 3-11-2010 @ 11:04AM
Yoohoo,
I'm sorry, but I don't think that this site is JUST for women. Are men not allowed to be interested in health and fitness articles? To me, this is a site for EVERYONE. Men and women are BOTH welcome to read and learn and enjoy, articles are written by BOTH men and women, so please keep your sexist attitude to yourself and stop discouraging people from educating themselves about how to live a healthier lifestyle.
Thanks.
Reply
yoohoomissblue 3-12-2010 @ 4:33AM
Al, that was precisely my point.. I'm not the SEXIST ONE here. Submit a letter to AOL. If you go to their page you will read at the side where is says FOR WOMEN and we end up here. Then if you click on FOR MEN you will get a completely different thing and not much based on "how men should be to appeal to women" or much pertaining to what you must eat and how you must look (body shape etc) Do some investigation before being so quick to knock me as sexist.
Oddly enough though is that I'm noticing that a vast majority of male comments at this site appear to be made in order to call women sexist or say women are male bashing. Take a look around the site and see how you may feel if you are a woman reading much of this stuff. Would your hips be humanly correct??
Reply