Healthy Vs Orthorexia Trap: A Helpful Guide To Wanting Out

What is Orthorexia?

Orthorexia nervosa derives from the Greek words “ortho,” meaning straight or correct, and “orexia,” meaning appetite or hunger. It describes an obsession with eating ‘clean’ and ‘healthy’ foods.

Orthorexia nervosa involves a fear of not eating healthy enough or following strict dietary rules, distinct from typical diets like vegetarianism or veganism. It extends to foods demonized by diet culture or personal beliefs, leading to their avoidance as they are deemed impure.

Despite receiving less attention, it is as significant an illness as any other eating disorder.

Many people may not realize they’re affected because it often lurks in the background. However, by closely examining habits, you can identify the warning signs—covered in my previous blog, Orthorexia: Discover The Truth And Its 7 Warning Signs.

In this blog, I aim to delve deeper into recovery strategies from Orthorexia. Stay tuned to learn how to reclaim a balanced relationship with food.

What is healthy eating really?

Healthy eating has a different meaning for everyone. Some might consider healthy eating as restricting calories, skipping meals, overloading on supplements, or obsessing over every macro and micronutrient. But that isn’t what healthy eating truly is. So, what is it?

It is about listening to your body—its hunger signals, cravings, and needs. It’s about nourishing your body with what it truly requires, not what diet culture dictates. Healthy eating is making sure your body gets consistent energy, so skipping meals should never be part of the plan.

According to Everyday Chocolate, consuming adequate amounts of food every 3 hours helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels throughout the day. Getting nutrients from real food, not just supplements is so important. As Penn Medicine’s Dr. Millstein explains, “Supplements are meant to be supplementary—they enhance the benefits already provided by eating a well-rounded diet.” They should never replace a balanced diet.

Healthy eating isn’t about labeling foods as pure, impure, healthy, or unhealthy. Instead, it’s about viewing all foods as part of a balanced diet and understanding that moderation is key. There’s no such thing as inherently healthy or unhealthy food—anything can be part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation, and even the healthiest foods can be harmful if consumed in excess.

Steps to healing and healthy eating

Educate yourself

Before you start your journey to healing it is important to understand what you are up against. Learning what Orthorexia is, its signs, and its dangers, will help you assess what you need to work on. You can find more information here.

Make a checklist and set goals

I always find that writing down points on what I want to improve helps me visualize my goals. Whether it’s a mental checklist or handwritten, it provides a helpful overview. Write down your struggles, what you want to change, and how you plan to achieve this.

‘I must’ and ‘I want’ mindset

It’s easy in recovery to fall into the “I must” mindset. I too fell into this trap. It’s almost as if we are trying to find a reason to recover that doesn’t involve our own health.

Common phrases like “I have to recover for my family” or “I must eat” often dominate our thoughts. Here are some other common ones:

• “I should be able to eat normally.”
• “I need to prove I can do this.”
• “I must follow my meal plan perfectly.”
• “I have to recover to be a good role model.”
• “I need to eat this because it’s healthy.”

But what we lose sight of is the wanting. We shouldn’t be recovering for others; we should be recovering for ourselves. It’s your life, and if you don’t want to live any longer in restriction, start by saying that you want to recover, for you!

Avoid labelling food

As mentioned above food should be viewed equally.

Remember, no food is inherently healthy or unhealthy. Moderation is key for healthy living (unless you have specific dietary requirements like being gluten-free or diabetic)

Embrace a balanced approach to eating, where all foods can fit into a healthy diet.

I found this amazing blog on WHY NO FOOD IS GOOD OR BAD which I would highly recommend reading.

Here are some other blog recommendations:

• LifeCycle WHY NO FOODS ARE UNHEALTHY
• Goodhousekeeping ‘As a Registered Dietitian, I Can Tell You That There Absolutely Are No “Bad” Foods’
• Everyday Health ‘The Case Against Food Morality: Why Foods Aren’t ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’’

Challenge your fears

Recovering from an eating disorder requires challenging what holds you back. This means facing your fear foods, rules, and beliefs head-on, which is essential for achieving full freedom.

Although challenging these aspects can be really hard and you might feel like giving up, it’s crucial that you don’t.

Writing down your fears can provide a clear overview, helping you create a hierarchy of fears. Start with the easier challenges and gradually work your way up. Remember, everyone’s recovery happens at their own pace.

When life knocks you down, stand up, dust off, and keep fighting

mentalbeing

Seek support

Recovery is always possible, whether with support or on your own. However, I understand that seeking support can be very challenging. Despite the difficulty, I strongly recommend reaching out for external support. You can find either outpatient or inpatient options.

One great resource is the Beat charity helpline. They provide excellent support and can help you find a community team that will guide and look after you during your recovery.

Friendly reminder: reaching out for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it shows your strength. And as they say, “With great power comes great strength.”