Has 'eating clean' become your god?

Actavella

Orthorexia nervosa (also known as orthorexia) is a term used by Steven Bratman to describe people who have developed a fixation with healthy or righteous eating[1] and has been referred to as a mental disorder.[2] It is not a medically recognized term.[a] Bratman claims that in rare cases, this focus may turn into a fixation so extreme that it can lead to severe malnutrition or even death.[3] Even in less severe cases, the attempt to follow a diet that cannot provide adequate nourishment is said to lower self-esteem as the orthorexics blame themselves rather than their diets for their constant hunger and the resulting cravings for forbidden foods. [4]-Orthorexia.com

I just stumbled upon this new term 'Orthorexia'. Lately i've been feeling like I am religiously devoted to healthy eating and eating perfectly or else I feel bad. No one should condemn themselves over ONE cookie. Sounds like an abusive relationship. I've even started to get anxious about going out to restaurants because even if they have a 500 calorie meal, what about high fructose corn syrup, or was the fish farm raised. I worry that it's not organic enough or what about the sugar and sodium. Obsessive is the word. Before I used to feel controlled by unhealthy foods like doughnuts and oreos. Now I feel controlled by 'organic tomatos' or grass-fed beef. I want my sanity back! I am totally an overachiever and the last thing I need is to develop an unhealthy relationship with HEALTHY food! Does anyone else have these issues?

skinnyhappy

Yes sand it's NO FUN. I'm trying to be well-behaved, because negative thoughts about yourself become cyclical and hard to break free from...

SO, I've been doing A LOT of yoga and even meditation. I've found this makes me much more mindful of how I treat and talk to myself. It's getting a bit easier. It takes time and the ability to recognize when you're being hard on yourself. I still freak out about farm-raised fish and types of sugars and everything in between but I'm slowly learning to strike a balance. (I had a piece of pie Saturday and I didn't die, I consider that a step in the right direction).

Anyway, GOOD LUCK!!!

lunakalia

I understand COMPLETELY. I only realized I had developed this problem when friends came to my apartment and noticed my kitchen looked like an advertisement for Whole Foods. Nothing "bad" in sight, organic everything. I even stopped eating red meat, gluten, and even gum because it contained soy lecithin, which I read once promotes inflammation. Eventually, I realized I had to let go of my hang ups and let myself relax. My relationship with food is still rocky as a result of recovering from an eating disorder, but I feel better now that I understand that I don't have to eat "clean" 100% or even 60% of the time. As long as I don't consciously eat crap for the sake of it (i.e. fast food, McDonald's), it's ok if I don't eat all organic or only whole wheat bread. The mind is a powerful thing; just wish I could get un-obsessed about food completely. Relaxing my "rules" has definitely helped, though.

WWhitaker

It's complicated. Your last few sentences describes so much. I'm finally educating myself about foods, ingredients, how it's prepared, etc. and it's difficult to not get carried away with it. I haven't reached that point where I eat 100% well, and I really could care less if it's "organic". A fruit is a fruit; just because a label says it's organic, doesn't mean it is....unless you're growing your own. I would, but I lack a green thumb. I used to find people who were really picky about their food annoying, but now that I'm becoming one, I get it. Some people have to be more concious about what's going in their bodies than others, and if you have to be more informed or picky, so be it. It's what's best for you. Now, if you become stranded somewhere, I wouldn't get too picky about whatever food you're able to salvage. "Eating clean" needs to be balanced too.

Actavella

I understand COMPLETELY. I only realized I had developed this problem when friends came to my apartment and noticed my kitchen looked like an advertisement for Whole Foods. Nothing "bad" in sight, organic everything. I even stopped eating red meat, gluten, and even gum because it contained soy lecithin, which I read once promotes inflammation. Eventually, I realized I had to let go of my hang ups and let myself relax. My relationship with food is still rocky as a result of recovering from an eating disorder, but I feel better now that I understand that I don't have to eat "clean" 100% or even 60% of the time. As long as I don't consciously eat crap for the sake of it (i.e. fast food, McDonald's), it's ok if I don't eat all organic or only whole wheat bread. The mind is a powerful thing; just wish I could get un-obsessed about food completely. Relaxing my "rules" has definitely helped, though.

I soo agree! I don't want to eat crap but I cannot destroy myself in the process of choosing to live! I am learning to relax!

Actavella

It's complicated. Your last few sentences describes so much. I'm finally educating myself about foods, ingredients, how it's prepared, etc. and it's difficult to not get carried away with it. I haven't reached that point where I eat 100% well, and I really could care less if it's "organic". A fruit is a fruit; just because a label says it's organic, doesn't mean it is....unless you're growing your own. I would, but I lack a green thumb. I used to find people who were really picky about their food annoying, but now that I'm becoming one, I get it. Some people have to be more concious about what's going in their bodies than others, and if you have to be more informed or picky, so be it. It's what's best for you. Now, if you become stranded somewhere, I wouldn't get too picky about whatever food you're able to salvage. "Eating clean" needs to be balanced too.

Balance! Exactly, I want to feel good and feel light. But we should not abuse ourselves on either end of the spectrum!

taso42_DELETED

Yes, I've been obsessed. I took about 5-6 days off logging and just ate intuitively during that time. Actually I also splurged quite a bit on things like desserts, simple carbs, and various "unauthorized foods" like pizza. It was mentally refreshing. I highly recommend taking a time out from logging for a few days. It will do you some good.

saltorian

They say that people with obsessive personalities (and people who are prone to becoming addicted) sometimes break out of one bad fixation only to jump into another one. I saw a woman on TV who was a drug addict. She got clean, but became obsessed with professional bodybuilding instead.

Maybe, for some of us, our relationship to food is kind of like that. We break an addiction to "bad" foods only to become obsessed with controlling our diets. Those of us who know we're prone to being obsessive (and that includes me, sadly) should be extra careful not to overburden ourselves with restrictions. We have to remember to breathe once in a while.