How to Balance "Eating Healthy" with "Living your Life"

If you know me, then you would know that I am the 'healthy friend'. I have been vegan for over 2 years but I was usually the healthy one even before that. Diets, losing weight, and food are topics that are talked about on the daily all over the world.

I personally try to eat whole, nutritious foods 80% of the time. But that other 20%? You better believe I am eating chocolate cake, pizza, cookies, mac and cheese, cupcakes, burgers...you get the picture.

You could eat the healthiest foods all the time but if your mental health isn't good then what's the point? You should be able to have some pizza WITHOUT feeling guilty about it. You should never associate food with guilt. I think that I have mastered this pretty well but I am not perfect. I know what makes me bloated and what doesn't digest well for me but do I still eat it sometimes? Yes. Because that is balance. Some days I make all of the healthy choices and other days I don't. The key is to not think that just because you are eating that donut that you are 'doing bad' or 'should go workout'. If you want a donut go eat that donut!!! But, if you find yourself in a constant state of wanting to change and putting yourself down then it sounds like you should make a lifestyle change. Start today. With the next thing that you eat. Think about what that food is going to do for you. Is it going to make you feel like crap? Is it going to energize you? Is it going to give you a stomach ache? Eat something nutritious that will benefit you!

I promote a lifestyle change, NOT A DIET. People "diet" their entire lives. Going from extreme calorie deficits (barely eating) to eating everything in sight and feeling horrible about it after. Wouldn't you love to eat healthy, feel great, and also eat the foods you love and still feel great?

I want you to have a great relationship with food. It shouldn't control your life. Food is what fuels you and keeps you alive. Food is what gets you through the day and those tough workouts. If you find yourself feeling lethargic, mood swingy, and just bad overall then you might want to take a look at what you are eating. For example, I have noticed that when I eat whole, nutritious foods I feel better. My mind is more clear, and it makes me want to continue to eat those kinds of foods. When I am in a bad/sad mood I turn to "junk" food. And then it turns into a cycle of feeling bad-> eating bad-> continuing to feel bad and eat and eat and eat even though I'm not even hungry. Your food choices could contributing to your bad/sad moods. Next time, pay attention to what you are eating when you are feeling down. Making a healthy choice could lift your spirits and actually make you feel better.

Being vegan, I am used to people commenting on my food choices (even though they don't hear me saying OH REALLY?? CHICKEN AGAIN KAREN??) I think we should all make a conscious effort to not make any comments about what anyone is eating. Your friend is eating a salad? Cool. Let them. Your friend is eating a donut? Maybe they've been doing great all week and they decided to reward themselves with a donut and then you just made them feel bad about it? Not cool!!

I recently learned about orthorexia. Orthorexia is classified as an eating disorder in which a person is obsessed with the healthiness of their food. There is a very fine line between making healthier choices and being obsessed with it. You should be thinking about what foods you are putting into your body but when it starts to cause anxiety, stress, obsessive thoughts, self-criticism, depression, guilt or shame then that is when it starts to become an issue. This is why I promote that 80/20 lifestyle. If you are putting good, nutritious foods into your body 80% of the time, then you should feel free to eat that thing that you've been wanting even though it isn't the "healthiest" WITHOUT ANY REGRET OR GUILT! If it is going to help your mental health then I am all for it!

by Jordan Syatt

One bad meal, one bad day, one bad week--whatever it may be-- will not kill you!! It will not hurt your overall progress. So it's your friend's birthday or your birthday and you're going out to dinner... don't worry about making the healthiest choices! If you're on vacation, ENJOY IT!! Life is too short to be constantly worrying about food and how much you weigh. The number on the scale shouldn't even matter to you but that's a whole other blog post. Is a great body worth more to you than your mental health? Because it shouldn't be. If you are reading this then I want you to know that mental health is more important than being "healthy" and for the love of G*d PLEASE EAT SOME VEGETABLES!

Thanks for reading!

-Jess