Ever clicked on one of those articles that pop up on Facebook promising to reveal what influencers eat from the minute they wake up to the minute they go to bed?
Or maybe you're a youtube fan and have followed around your fav #girlcrush or #guycrush (in the virtual reality world) as they show you their polished lifestyle and perfectly placed plates of food?
P.S is anyone else thinking about those photos of people laughing while they eat their salad?
Disclaimer: if salad makes you laugh this much its probably been mixed with something else...
Anyway, you're probably reading this because I'm not sharing 'what I eat in a day' and wondering why considering I'm an accredited practicing dietitian and would know the ins and outs of nutrition.
Why I'm being Greedy and Not Sharing my Day
Look, you're right, I do know nutrition pretty well and could share my day to day food choices with you but heres why I'm not
I eat differently every day
My lifestyle and finances will differ from yours (e.g. family, income, time management, likes, dislikes, job, life demands)
Nutrition is individual and I eat what my body needs
I share a different cultural upbringing than yours
It can be triggering for those that battle to have a healthy relationship with food and theirselves
Most Importantly! By copying someone you are NOT learning valuable skills that will help you in the long run and not just right now
Let me explain
Some of best ways to learn is observation, we do this from when we are little babies all the way through life. What I want to highlight is that without stepping up to the challenge and practicing these skills, whether that be organising a food shop for the week, packing healthy snacks or learning to cook a new dish, we cannot turn these observations into easy daily habits.
Triggering posts
Diets these days are disguised as #cleaneating #paleo #sugarfree #whateverelseyoucanthinkof. These trends glorify one type of food while degrading the next. Not only that but it's now gone as far as becoming smug when looking into each other's trolly at the supermarket or feeling like a 'good' person because of the food we've chosen that day.
The problem with sharing what I eat in a day, and not the other important things such as, tips, facts, strategies and compassion to be a human, is that my post could do more harm than good.
Eating Disorders and Disordered eating. We might struggle with this battle ourselves or know a loved one. After studying this area my understanding has grown, but my goodness I know how much I need to learn. From what I have learned over the past years increased my awareness of how unhelpful these articles and posts can be.
To take this one step further, it is no good for the person recording 'what they eat in a day', but explain everyone's nutritional needs are unique. That's like telling children 'do what I say, not as I do'. New's flash, your viewers are still going to copy you and pretending otherwise is irresponsible.
Going against the grain
Responsible, non-thrilling, unsexy nutrition information such as
Restrictive diets don't work in the long run
Eat a balanced diet
Drink plenty of water
Exercise and move your body daily
Do what's right for you and your body
This, unfortunately, does not make for groundbreaking headlines. But it's the sanest thing I've ever heard.