10 Healthy Eating Habits People Don’t Know Can Lead to Orthorexia

Eating well is an important part of leading a healthy life. However when you become absorbed by your efforts to stay fit and balanced can lead to the development of orthorexia. You may not know what orthorexia is. No need to worry, we are about to tell you what it is and how it can affect your life.

So what is orthorexia?

Orthorexia - the "healthy" eating disorder

Orthorexia – the “healthy” eating disorder

Orthorexia is an eating disorder. If one does not seek treatment or therapy to counteract this eating disorder it could lead malnutrition and even death.

Individuals with orthorexia spend inordinate amounts of time thinking about and planning their meals, going to extreme lengths to avoid foods that could lead to negative effects when eaten in excess. However, even foods that contain fat and sugar are healthy to eat when eaten in moderation and the body needs both fat and sugar in order function properly. Orthorexia leads individuals to deprave their bodies of nutrition that they need in order to lead a healthy life.


It is a condition that is about what is put into the body but it stems from the mind. Low self-esteem, an extreme desire to achieve high standards of beauty, and obsessive personalities can all lead people to develop orthorexia. It differs from other eating disorders because it is not focused on the amount of food that one eats, rather the type of food that one eats.

One should seek to eat a diet that contains fruits, vegetable, and even supplements to aide weight loss such as Calotren. There are certain behaviors and healthy eating habits that one should be wary of.

  1. Counting your calories

You should be watching what you eat but counting your calories is not altogether necessary. As long as you are aware of the portions that you are intaking and the types of foods that you are eating you don’t need to count the calories that you eat in order to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.

  1. Measuring your food on a scale

Many people use scales in order to weight their food before eating a meal. This is another behavior that can lead to obsessive behavior.

  1. Keeping a food diary

Some keep journals that log every single thing that they eat throughout the day. You should be aware of what you are eating to avoid overeating, and sometimes those who have busy schedules keep food logs to stay organized but this is something that you should be cautious of.

  1. Reading food blogs frequently

Every person is different. Your age, level of fitness, height, and gender can all change the amount of food and types of food that you should be eating. Reading blogs and comparing oneself to others constantly can lead to negative consequences.

  1. Following an excess of healthy eating social media pages

Many of the insecurities that we face today stem from the constant connection that we now have to media thanks to technology. There are social media pages that are specifically dedicated to healthy eating. Overloading one’s mind with these images and mantras is another thing that could possibly lead to orthorexia.

  1. Avoiding all restaurants

When one has orthorexia they will avoid any foods that are not prepared by them because they do not have control over the ingredients that are in the food they are eating.

  1. Thinking of measures to improve your diet all the time

As previously mentioned, orthorexia leads to obsessive behavior and part of this is one’s mind being constantly on the food that they are eating and the effects that it has on their body.

  1. Making vows to cut out certain foods

If something is detrimental to your physical health then one could limit the intake of certain foods, but a person who is fixated on their diet may cut them out completely.

  1. Constantly researching foods

This is another trait that characterizes orthorexia or may lead to sudden weight loss. Wanting to know exactly what is in the food and how it will affect the body.

  1. Seeking to cut out all foods with fat and sugar

An individual with healthy eating habits will seek to manage their diet, but cutting out all foods that have fat and sugar could potentially lead to orthorexia.

References

https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/health-conditions/orthorexia-nervosa.html

 

Author Bio

Willo Conner is a Health and Wellness Expert. He loves to write on a variety of topics such as joint health, weight loss, beauty and skin care for blogs and online publications sites, also loves latest technology, gadgets fashion and style. Willo also takes pleasure in riding bikes, likes to eat, especially the fresh veggies and organic food. Follow him here – Facebook, Twitter, Google+

 

Parental Help for Eating Disorders: A free guide for parents of children with eating disorders.


Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders

With Eating Disorders Awareness Week just passed we have been asked by Laura Shay to let you know about her recent research.

Laura has been working on a guide for parents of children and adolescents who suffer from eating disorders.

Shay writes “Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders in the U.S. have eating disorders, which have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder or EDNOS (Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified) are more common in women than men, though studies have shown that men often fail to get the support they need out of a misconception that these disorders are ‘a female thing’. If your loved one has just been diagnosed with an eating disorder, there are many steps you can take to ensure that they recover. Increase your awareness of the nature of eating disorders, find a good team which may comprise a doctor, nutritionist and therapist, and above all, do not blame yourself or your loved one; eating disorders can arise from many causes, including genetics and other illnesses and disorders. Be patient and expect a few setbacks along the way; treatment will take at least six months, though with your support and the right therapy, your loved one will surely recover and build a much more positive relationship to food.

You can read it here: http://www.bulimia.com/topics/for-parents-and-families/


Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2015 – The importance of early intervention.


Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Eating Disorder Awareness Week

A few years ago now the daughter of one of my oldest friends was diagnosed with anorexia.

I’ve now seen at close quarters how eating disorders can cause huge amounts of pain to the person with the condition and to the people they love.

So I am delighted to support the campaign which is running in both the UK and the USA. If you have links to other countries or , indeed, any events in your area please do mention them in the comments sections below! The week is scheduled, this year, for the last week in March.

This year there are for core messages the organisers wish to get out. It would be great if you could share them using the hashtag #NEDAwareness:-

a) The primary thing to get over is the importance of early intervention and the need to pick up on signs that you or a friend has an eating disorder. Hence the week uses the theme “I had no idea”.
b) Getting people to get checked out for an eating disorder. In fact you can now do it online by going for a free online screening for eating disorders at www.MyBodyScreening.org.
c) Correcting commonplace myths and increasing awareness about the facts are important steps to eating disorder prevention. The sites linked to above will be of use we feel.
d) Help is available and recovery is possible.

A few years ago we set up a Facebook page called Anorexiatalk. Please feel free to join us and take part in promoting awareness.