Labeling food as good or bad is usually justified on the basis of the nutritional quality of a certain food. It might seem quite reasonablee at first glance, but let’s have a second look on this approach:
– all foods have nutritional value (yes, even sugar and fats! Sugar are basically carbohydrates – which is a nutrient)
– if a food is “healthy” can not be defined only by looking at the nutrional value. Sometimes eating a pizza is healthier than steamed broccoli – it just depends on the situation. And eating only one type of food is even more harmful.
– no food will harm us the way an unhealthy relationship with it will do. Restricting food and not listening to your cravings causes insatisfaction and stress on your mind.
– food also means socializing: eating celery and carrot sticks with low fat-hummus on a birthday party, whilst everyone is passing around birthday cakes, can absolutely NOT satisfy you – I refuse to believe that.
– everyone has different needs, even different needs every day.
– even researches about how specific components of food are related to our health are constantly changing (f.e. a few years ago – all fats have been bad, now “healthy” fats are labelled as “good”)
– only by adding a moral label like “bad” to a certain food makes it actually “bad”. And just think about this: If you don´t label any food as good or bad, you won´t ever go off your diet.
So, speaking of food as good or bad is really not justified by scientific understanding. It is simply based on an lack of education about food and peace in people’s relationships with food in general. So, next time you are thinking: „ough, I shouldn’t have eaten that“ – Remind yourself, that I am asking you: why? You provided your body with nutrients and energy like you are supposed to do. It really doesn’t matter a lot what kind of food you are eating! Take the pressure out. There is place for all kind of foods in your diet.
