Once your family or friends find out you are interested in nutrition/health no matter if you are a Registered Dietitian, Dietetics student/intern, or just another health-concise person, every occasion encompassing food involves some variation of the following statements:
“This is not healthy so you will not like it”
“You’re so healthy! You can’t eat that.”
“Don’t judge me, I know this is not healthy!”
But what is healthy? I spend endless hours with my classmates studying and discussing nutrition. What I have found is that we are all “healthy” in different ways. There are vegans, vegetarians, or clean eaters. There are also people who follow certain diets such as: paleo, gluten-free, low carbohydrate, and high-protein diets. Then, we have our dog walkers, triathletes, runners, and yogis. So is anyone healthier than the next?
In my opinion the answer is no. I believe that comparing ourselves to others and setting goals that are not made with our personal limitations in mind is why we have such a hard time accomplishing our health goals.
There are many ways to be healthy. Taking little steps each day can help you accomplish whatever goal you have set for yourself. These can be small goals such as cutting back on processed foods, running a faster mile, walking the dogs for ten more minutes, or eating at home more. Being healthy is when both your actions and food choices make you feel better each day.
So what is “healthy” to you?