THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF NUTRITION

A lot of people think that food is just nutrients and fuel for the body. But food can also be fuel for the soul. It brings people together, allowing them to connect and care for one another. Think about your fondest childhood memories – there’s a fair chance that food is part of them.

Nutrition is just one aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Isolating yourself to stick to a diet is worse than an occasional glass of wine or slice of cake. In fact, an occasional treat can boost your feel-good hormones and brain chemicals. By finding a balance between eating for health and eating for pleasure, you are much more likely to have a healthy relationship with food and yourself.

One thing that often gets overlooked in the Blue Zones, where people often live past 100 years, is the social aspect. These people eat food with loved ones, are always socialising and don’t stress over what they are eating. To them, food is fuel, but also pleasure and connection.

Health is so much more than what you put into your mouth. Even the food that you do eat is also about how you eat it and why, not just what you’re eating.

FINDING THE BALANCE – MY TOP TIPS

So how can you eat good food but still maintain the social aspect of nutrition and wellbeing? Here are the ways that I find the balance.

✔️ DON’T EAT THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE

It’s as simple as that. Yes, it’s important to eat good food, but find good food that you enjoy. If you truly hate kale with a passion no matter how it’s prepared, don’t eat it. Save yourself the bother and have a vegetable that you do like instead!

✔️ AVOID FOODS THAT MAKE YOU SICK

There are limits on eating socially and for pleasure. If a food makes you sick, you don’t want to be eating it. This might be a diagnosed issue such as Coeliac disease and gluten, or it might be that you’ve always been sick after eating a food. Either way, there is no real pleasure in eating a food that will make you ill.

✔️ LOOK AT YOUR AVERAGE FOOD INTAKE

Many people get caught up in their daily consumption and forget to consider the long-term. You will be healthier if you eat 3 serves of vegetables daily for a year than if you ate 10 serves for a week and then rarely ate them at all afterwards. Aim for consistency in healthy eating patterns over perfection.

✔️ PICK YOUR OCCASIONS

There will be times where you just want to enjoy what you eat. But rather than deciding it on the spot, pick the times when you want to do this. If you know you have a holiday coming up, stick to a mostly healthy diet until then. If you know you’re going to a wedding on the weekend, you can probably skip the trip to get a sneaky cupcake today. Make it a choice, rather than an impulsive decision.

✔️ IF YOU FIND YOURSELF OBSESSING, SEEK HELP

It can be easy to get caught up in the world of healthy eating – even if you’re a nutritionist or nutrition student! But if you do find yourself obsessing over healthy choices, it is time to seek help. Orthorexia is a diagnosed eating disorder where obsession over the nutrient values and ‘clean’ness of food takes over. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional who can help.