Naming and shaming
Humans love to name and categorise things -- objects, people, places, things. We find a name for something, work out how it’s similar or different to other things (often using comparing) then often find a meaning or a label for it. The world of food and eating doesn’t escape this labelling, and I don’t mean the sort from food manufacturers. I mean the sort of labels we give to food or groups of foods that are more about our opinion than fact. There are countless examples, but here are a few that stand out from the crowd.
“Good” and “Bad”
Nutrition is a science, an ever-evolving one at that. Food is a combination of nutrients and eating is a behaviour. Each of these are prone to the “good” or “bad” label – but it’s not simply that black and white. Is it bad to enjoy a slice of cake on your birthday? Of course not. Is it “good” to include or exclude certain foods? Not necessarily. One major issue with labelling food as good or bad is that we then associate eating certain foods with good or bad behaviour. We've all heard someone begin a sentence with, "I've been so bad today, all I've eaten is..." or another phrase might be, “Oh gosh, I’ve been so naughty…” Or perhaps you've heard somebody say something like, "I've been really, really good this week and only eaten X/Y." In my experience this sort of talk is linked to associating certain foods with feelings of guilt (“I feel bad”) or, even worse, shame -- emotions that should never be related to food.
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There are no “good” or “bad” foods. Aim to fill your diet with high nutritional foods, and aim to really enjoy foods which you eat just for pleasure. Remember that the pleasure you get from a food doesn’t increase when you eat more of it. In fact, it’s often the opposite.
“Guilt-Free”
I must have missed the lecture at uni when we learned about this latest nutrient -- guilt. The way the word is splashed across foods and billboards makes us think guilt is actually an ingredient of food, like sugar, fat or additives. “Guilt-free” simply suggests that there are other foods that are “guilt-full”.
It is important to find an eating style that fits best for you (and this is incredibly unique,) which focusses on whole foods but also leaves room for some “eating for pleasure” at appropriate times. Feeling guilty (or avoiding guilt) can make eating a rather stressful activity. Just ask anyone who’s ever dieted or attempted to “eat clean”. And research shows that we are in fact less likely to eat well when we associate eating and foods with guilty feelings.
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There is no such thing as Vitamin G, so leave the guilt at the door. Make a decision about what to eat, enjoy it, then move on. Feeling bad about eating certain foods doesn’t do anything but – make you feel guilty! And is a poor motivator to make a different choice next time.
“Clean”
Speaking of clean, here is my definition: clean food is any food that hasn’t been dropped on the ground (although I do still have a 3 second rule). I still see #clean clinging to the end of a lot of food photos online and I do wonder about the way we use the word. I don’t have any issue with low sugar/fat/salt foods but I do have an issue with the claim that a food is low in sugar only for it to be packed with replacements such as rice malt, maple syrup or honey which, let’s face it, are still sugar! It's fantastic to eating whole foods and reduce highly processed foods in your diet, but calling something “clean” doesn’t automatically make it healthier.
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Beware of foods that are labelled as #clean. Don't be fooled that these foods are somehow “healthier” for you. They may or may not be but calling them “clean” doesn’t really mean much.
“Toxic”
I see celebrities using highly emotional words such as “toxic” and it makes me cringe. The idea that there are nutrients or foods that are toxic is highly misleading and can fuel fear and anxiety. It is particularly unhelpful for children and teens who are still finding their way around foods.
For some people, food allergies or intolerances are managed by reducing or eliminating certain foods, and this is a necessity for health. As well, there are definitely eating habits or patterns that can, over time, lead to poor health. But to label individual foods as toxic just doesn't make much sense. Think of it this way -- all vitamins and minerals (such as Vitamin A, calcium and magnesium) play a role in the diet but they also have an “upper limit” -- an intake level above which they start to have an adverse effect, or can be harmful. In the absence of an allergy or intolerance, the quantity of food we eat is important, and labelling something as “toxic” is simply unhelpful.
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The way we speak about foods can be highly influenced by our beliefs and the way in which we perceive its effect on our body. Become more aware of the way foods are labelling around you, and the way you label foods yourself. You will have noticed that nutrition is an ever-changing landscape and one thing is for certain, things will continue to change. Let’s move with it!