How have I not made a post on orthorexia yet?

Sometimes I just assume that everybody already knows all the things I know. Not helpful, Caroline.

So let’s talk about orthorexia.

I had orthorexia, and if you’re stressy with food, there is a high chance you do too.

Orthorexia is the obsession with purity of food.

An obsession with righteous eating. Or an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating

It’s clean eating gone rogue.

It’s obsession masked by ‘health’.

Fixating on the kinds of oils your food is cooked in at a restaurant? Orthorexia.

Obsession with the toxins that might be in your food? Orthorexia.

Only being able to eat ONE BRAND because they have the least ‘bad ingredients’? Orthorexia.

Thinking almost everything is bad for you? Orthorexia.

Having a very small list of acceptable foods you’re allowed to eat? Orthorexia.

Unable to eat food other people cook for you? Orthorexia.

The biggest thing that categorizes orthorexia is the level of stress and fixation that accompanies it. It is possible to do many of the things above without any fixation, fear, or obsession and I would call that fine. The issue with orthorexia is the dogma and the black and white thinking.

It’ll take over your life.

And it IS an eating disorder.

So start eating things that scare you. I fully believe that the only way to move past orthorexia is the willingness to look at your beliefs, exposure therapy, and a willingness to not be the healthiest person that exists.

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Full disclosure, these days I sometimes look at ingredients in the food I’m buying and think “huh, there’s a lot of fake shit in this.” But depending on lots of factors, I sometimes buy or eat it anyway. It’s just not the biggest deal now.

And during the beginning of my own Fuck It Diet, I purposely ate LOTS of things that scared me because, hello it’s just food. Even if health nuts would call it “sub-optimal”. Eating less than perfect health food is better for you than obsessing over it. You can quote me on that.

You’re allowed to care what you put in your body. But you do not want to let it take over your life. Eating is supposed to enhance your life, not define it.