Jordan
Do you feel inundated with celebrities and their body transformations? We are living in an era of diet culture and to put it simply, it’s just not good for you.
Taking care of your body and feeling healthy and more confident should actually be an enjoyable experience. Let’s take a look at the harmful effects of dieting and what you should be doing instead.
The Danger of Diet Culture
Fad diets are absolutely everywhere, and almost all of them promise to be something more than just a fad. The truth is that starving your body of the calories it needs for a prolonged period of time will only ever lead to illness, both physically and mentally.
Cutting out entire food groups means cutting out essential vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to function properly. Of course, you can quickly lose weight if you only eat a few different foods and exist in a huge caloric deficit, but its impossible to maintain that.
Numerous studies have found that the chances are if you look to diets to lose weight, you’re setting yourself up to put it all back on again. After all, a diet can’t last forever. Liquid diets, mono diets, and detox diets are all too much of a radical change to your system for them to be sustainable.
Dieting can be incredibly taxing; mentally and physically. There’s a reason so many people find dieting difficult and that’s because you’re asking your body to exist without sufficient fuel. This can increase inflammation and spike cortisol levels in the body. Blood pressure can also drop as well as weakening the immune system, making you more prone to illness.
Once a diet is over, you’re probably so pent up with desire for food that actually tastes of something, the inevitable binge will quickly undo the rewards of your suffering. So, what’s the alternative.
How to Take Care of Your Body
Just addressing what you don’t put into your body is a fool’s game. If all your strength and will-power are being used to only eat watermelon for a month then you’re set to burn out. You need energy and you need a sense of well-being in order to maintain any sort of lifestyle change.
Think of starving yourself as a form of self-harm. It’s a type of punishment, which means that deep-down there’s some self-loathing going on. Comparing yourself to others and deciding you’re going to do whatever it takes to look more like them is no way to develop a healthy relationship with yourself.
The human body is designed to move around, breathe clean air, drink water, sleep, and eat healthy food. The more you participate in those activities the more you’re actively taking part in looking after your body.
A diet can at most take care of one of those, but the chances are it will have you not eating enough. If your goal is to feel healthy and more confident then it’s important to approach it from all angles.
Exercise
Don’t panic, we’re not here to tell you its time to put all your spare time into pursuing marathon running. However, it is important to find some form of exercise that you enjoy doing. It’s just not possible to be healthy and confident, and sedentary. Some people like running, swimming, boxing, and others enjoy team sports or hiking. Be reassured that there is some form of exercise out there that’s enjoyable.
The benefits to your physical health and sense of well-being well outweigh however difficult it might seem now. Exercising even gives you a good reason to eat those foods that you enjoy. You know the ones those fad diets tried to take away from you!
Healthy Eating Is Not a Diet
The sad fact is that the stigma around dieting makes people afraid of ‘healthy eating.’ Under no exceptions do you need to starve yourself to be eating healthy, quite the contrary. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to function, and if you exercise that amount of calories goes up.
If you’re looking to lose unwanted weight, then you have the option of eating fewer calories or burning more calories through exercise. Whatever you choose, if you’re looking for a sustainable caloric deficit aim for -500 calories a day. This way you won’t feel like you’re starving yourself.
What you eat also plays a huge part. It’s okay to treat yourself with the things you love. This is life, not a prison sentence. But it pays to be mindful of the amount of high-sugar foods and drinks you put into your body. Avoiding anything with added sugar or fruit juices for the most part of your daily intake is a good start.
Vitamins and Supplements
No one should ever try to rely on vitamins and supplements to reach their nutritional goals, but that’s not to say they can’t help you along the way. Taking supplements such as fish oil and additional protein can help you to meet daily goals.
Fish oil can help to fight off inflammation, which is a crucial first step when it comes to becoming a healthier you. You can also buy wholesale CBN extract for the same purposes. Inflammation and the immune system go hand in hand. So by taking care of inflammation you are also helping to maintain your immune system.
If you are regularly exercising, then meeting your recommended daily intake of protein is a must to ensure that your body gets what it needs to recover so you’re ready to go again. Prioritizing protein in meals is not just important for building muscles, but it plays a huge part in your immune system and balancing many body chemicals. Taking a protein supplement can help ensure you meet your daily protein goals.
It’s All About Mindful Living
You should be excited that you’ve decided to take care of your body and feel healthier. You should never be scared! Diet culture has a way of making getting in shape feel like you’re about to take on the impossible, but that’s definitely not the case.
Remember to use how you feel instead of the scales to measure your progress. If you feel proud and better than you did yesterday then whatever you are doing is working. Work towards a smile on your face, not starvation.
For more tips and tricks for a healthier and happier life, just take a look around our site.
