The term “dieting” freaks a lot of people out. Our thought processes tend to turn to the unhealthy ways that people choose to lose weight. Though it’s important to keep your body healthy, that doesn’t mean that losing weight fast is the way to reach that goal. There are many ways to think about dieting, and when we think about it, we prefer the term “nutrition” over “diet.”
The idea behind nutrition is that we’re working out our relationship with food to give us a healthier body and mind. This doesn’t mean cutting out everything we love and getting down to an ideal weight in order to find happiness. Think about eating healthier as a way to love your body and not just to drop fat. Here are some of the other common nutrition misconceptions that we hope you can let go of in order to find your ideal health.
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All Changes in Nutrition are Bad
If you think about changing up your nutrition as a bad thing, then it’s time to find a new way to think about how you view food. If you’re eating processed foods for every meal, then it’s time to switch up your diet. This doesn’t necessarily mean going all the way to intermittent fasting, but it does mean thinking intentionally about what nutrition you’re giving your body. Now is the time to get out of the mindset that all diet switches are unhealthy—switches in nutrition are often just what our bodies need.
You Have to Give Up Everything You Love
It’s also time to let go of the mindset that a switch in diet/nutrition means getting rid of everything you love. If you think about keeping one or two of the foods or drinks you love, then your mindset just needs to switch from excess to limited. For example, if you enjoy some nighttime wine-downs, then switch to low-calorie wine options so you can still get the wine, but you’ll get it in a way that’s better for your body. You can still eat ice cream, but maybe you can switch to dairy-free and limit how often you allow yourself to divulge. Changes in nutrition do not have to mean saying goodbye to things you love.
You Can Pick Up Any Label that Says “Natural”
Now, if you’re trying to eat healthier and choose foods that have more nutritional value, that’s great. However, if you’re just going through and putting everything that says “Natural” into the cart, then you could end up doing more harm than good. This is probably one of the most common nutrition misconceptions. The term is loosely defined by the government, so even if a package reads “natural,” the ingredient list could still include a whole bunch of unhealthy additives. Do yourself a favor and look through the ingredient list—pick the foods that have the natural ingredients you’re sure of.
Remember, there are more ways to make an impact on your health than by just relying on your diet. If your nutrition plan is strong but you’re still just lazing about on the couch, then you won’t get the results you’re looking for—you won’t feel your best. A healthy body comes from more than the food you put in (or the food you don’t put in)—it comes from your movements, your mindset, and the general care you give yourself. Having a healthy body means finding your ideal health—mentally, physically, and emotionally.
