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Being obsessed with healthy food is more common than people realize. And it is actually contributing to stress and chronic health issues. And it has a name….orthorexia. Have you crossed the line?
The neverending snowball effect
I originally wrote this post in August of 2013. But it’s such an important topic that I’ve updated it with new information.
You’re trying to eat healthily and so you begin to make changes to your diet. The first things to go are all packaged and processed foods. They have little nutritional value and are filled with so many chemicals and additives. And of course, you must get rid of the fast food too!
Then you look at grains and you change to whole wheat because you read somewhere that it is healthier. And you switch to turbinado sugar from white sugar because it’s better. You also begin eating more fresh fruits and vegetables because they are healthy too. Then you start learning about healthy fats and start to consume those.
Then you read the information that says that wheat is bad to eat unless it’s either sprouted or soaked. So you begin soaking and sprouting. Until you read the information that gluten is bad for your health. So you go gluten-free. Until you read that all grains are bad for your health and will cause cancer and obesity, in desperation, you give up all grains completely!
Pesticides and GMOs
Then you find out that regular, store-bought produce contains too many pesticides, so it’s best to buy organic. But be careful with GMOs. Oh, and avoid cruciferous vegetables because they can affect the thyroid. Oh, and nightshade veggies are out too because they can cause inflammation! So you end up switching to eating from a small group of organic produce that you feel are safe enough to eat.
Then there are the fats. First, it was all about Extra virgin olive oil. That was EVERYTHING! But then you find out that it doesn’t contain enough omega 3s. And of course, you read something that says that we really need much more fat…..but fat like butter….and lard! And don’t forget Virgin Coconut oil! Then you read that fat is bad and you shouldn’t be eating fat at all.
Nuts are out unless you soak and dry them first….but even then, nuts can cause problems. There are nut allergies to worry about. And skip the peanuts altogether because they contain aflatoxins that will poison you according to another article you read.
And now you need to think about your meat. You can’t buy store-bought because those animals are kept in horrible living conditions, fed both GMO soy and corn, and given steroids and antibiotics. And there might be some kind of pink slime….at least in the ground beef. Eeeewwwww! So you absolutely MUST find pasture-raised, grass-fed meat and eggs. And they can’t have been fed any GMO soy or corn….ever.
You know you have to avoid all seafood because farm-raised is bad and wild-caught fish are full of mercury and toxins.
What about dairy?
Dairy should be okay so you can drink milk and eat dairy products….organic of course.
Except that it is just wrong to drink milk and eat dairy. Experts online say that only baby cows do that! You hear that drinking milk and eating dairy is going to make you sick! So that is out.
Then you discover that you shouldn’t really eat any sweeteners. Even fruit is bad because any kind of sugar is downright dangerous and can lead to obesity and diabetes.
But there are so many vegetables that you can’t eat because they contain phytotoxins or might be irradiated unless you have grown them yourself in your own backyard.
So you can’t eat grains, meat, eggs, dairy, sweeteners, fruit, nuts, fats, and a whole lot of vegetables. Let’s not even talk about seasonings or salt!
AArrrrrrggggghhhh! This line of thinking, which is based on fear can have a snowball effect. Now you are positively obsessed with every meal and every bite! And frustrated at what is safe to eat, because according to some expert somewhere, it’s bad for your health. And it’s going to cause you to have more than one chronic illness!
Does this sound familiar?
This is the world I lived in when I was involved in the “crunchy” movement. I had these thoughts regularly and didn’t know what to eat anymore. I was stressed out all the time. And that stress was impacting my health negatively.
Orthorexia Nervosa
If you are feeling overwhelmed about food choices and obsessed over what you eat, then you may be suffering from an addiction to the healthiest and purest food possible. This obsession is known as Orthorexia Nervosa.
Orthorexia is not an eating disorder that is recognized in the DSM-5. But it is a disorder that has serious and even fatal consequences. The fear of eating “unclean” and “unhealthy” food can become so strong that people who struggle with orthorexia begin to avoid entire food groups.
This can lead to issues such as:
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Malnutrition
- Anxiety and obsession
- Isolation
- Strained relationships
- An impact on daily life
- Death
In September of 2024, the news reported that Obi Ndefo who had previously starred in television shows such as Dawson’s Creek and Stargate SG-1 passed away as the result of orthorexia. So it is important to take it seriously if you are struggling.
Luckily, many people avoid getting to this point, but those who do get this far do struggle with health issues.
So if you find yourself stressing a little too much over the foods you are eating, then take a deep breath! It isn’t healthy to be obsessed with healthy food. That stress can undermine any efforts you are making to eat well.
When trying to eat healthier, remember these things
Eat fewer processed foods
While it is good to limit packaged, processed, and fast food to around 20% of your diet, there will most likely be times when you eat more than that. Vacations and holidays are filled with extra processed foods. But as long as you are making that the exception, it’s okay! Don’t beat yourself up when that happens. It’s not the occasional fast food meal that will have an impact on your overall health. It is the consistent consumption of processed foods that will cause issues. The standard American diet isn’t great, but the opposite extreme isn’t either! It’s important to find a healthy balance and not become so extreme that it becomes disordered eating.
Whole foods rule!
If it works for your body, then sprouted or soaked grains (which remove the chemicals that prevent nutrient absorption), nuts, seeds, meat, dairy, fruits, healthy fats, vegetables, and natural sweeteners should comprise more of your diet when possible. Around 80% seems to work well for most people.
Stop trying to be perfect!
We have a bad habit in our society about trying to be perfect. But perfect doesn’t exist! Give yourself permission to not have to try and be perfect all the time. The stress you create when you do that is worse than eating a bit of junk food now and then. The more “perfect” you try to be, the more you will stress yourself out….and that WILL affect your health!
Eat how grandma used to eat
Model what you eat after the way your grandparents and great-grandparents ate! It really is about doing more cooking from scratch and not relying on the hamburger helper and fast food! We have tons of great, easy, and quick recipes here on the site that can help to make cooking much less stressful! And there are lots of other fabulous real food bloggers out there cooking up a storm and sharing their recipes as well!
Listen to your body!
If you do not tolerate a specific food, then avoid it! Yes, even if it is bacon….or chocolate! Suspect that you are intolerant of a food? Remove it from your diet for two weeks. See if your symptoms subside. Then add it back in. If your symptoms return, then it’s a pretty good bet that you and that food just don’t get along! Kick it to the curb!
Get help if you are struggling!
If you find that you are at a point where you are afraid to eat large groups of foods because they aren’t healthy or “clean” enough, please talk to a mental health professional! You don’t have to face the stress of that alone!
