06/08/2021
“Healthy” & “unhealthy” are two terms people tend to throw around way too easily.
I personally don’t like these words at all - they’re oversimplified and never really tell the full story.
What’s “healthy” for one person can be “unhealthy” for another. People have different dietary needs, different goals, etc.
What’s deemed “healthy” for one person could be seen as “unhealthy” for another.
For instance, let’s assume a person is eating about 70-80% whole foods during the day. Then they decide to eat a pizza, some cookies - stuff people are quick to call “unhealthy”. Granted that this individual’s diet is pretty well rounded, there’s nothing “unhealthy” about eating a few foods that are less nutrient dense.
This is why a much more accurate depiction of whether you have a well rounded diet that’ll benefit your health long-term is more about looking at the bigger picture, and ensuring you’re eating plenty of nutrient dense foods like veggies, fruits, whole grains, etc. You should also be consuming enough fats, enough protein, and enough carbs (crucial for energy!)
Calories also matter - if you’re eating way too little, you can be creating gateways for nutrient deficiency, higher cortisol, etc.
On the contrary, if you’re eating way too many calories, this may lead to you putting on excess weight, and being at a high BF% has many risks associated with it.
Your diet should also consist of foods you love. Nutrition is all about balance, not deprivation. Could be argued that this can have negative effects long term if you’re constantly restricting yourself whether alone or in social settings.
The point to drive home is that there’s a lot of nuance in nutrition. Simply saying “healthy” or “unhealthy” can be wrong and misleading.
Look at the bigger picture to get a clearer understanding of how “healthy” your diet is. 👍
