We Need to Stop Demonising Foods!

Sugar, maida and other treats can be a part of a healthy diet.

Many social media posts related to food and wellness gain traction when they portray certain foods in a negative light. Phrases like "sugar is poison” and "maida (refined wheat flour) can block your arteries," greet me every time I open Instagram. However, I'm here to present a contrasting perspective, even if it goes against popular sentiment. I believe that the ongoing vilification of foods doesn't quite benefit us and often heightens stress levels.

Photo by Brent Ninaber on Unsplash

Let me clarify: I'm not advocating that sugar is healthy; most of us are already familiar with the problems associated with excessive sugar consumption. But when we continually engage with content that vilifies specific foods, it affects our mindset and behaviour. 

Take sugar, for instance, especially with the festive season just around the corner. Upon learning about the damage that sugar can do, some people feel compelled to eliminate it entirely from their diet. While this approach might work for a few, the reality is that many of us relish the sweet taste of the food preparations that are popular during the festive season. Is it really fair to deprive ourselves of these joyous moments, missing out on traditional delicacies, and potentially disconnecting from our cultural roots?

Then there's another set of individuals who, when faced with strict dietary restrictions, end up succumbing to binge eating episodes when they reach their breaking point. The stigma associated with such foods often results in secretive, late-night indulgences, intensifying feelings of shame and guilt.

Rather than falling into this cycle of deprivation and overindulgence, I'd always recommend savouring a small piece of mithai, cake, or dessert. The goal should be to maintain a balance: if 80% of our meals are wholesome and moderate, then there's always room for the remaining 20% to be indulgent moments shared with loved ones during special occasions.

By reframing our perspective and ceasing to demonise certain foods, we can foster a healthier relationship with our meals. This approach not only reduces stress but also heightens our enjoyment of food. While vilifying foods might be a surefire way to gain followers on social media, the reality of our daily lives differs starkly from such online portrayals. My focus as a practitioner has always been on reshaping our connection with food, not promoting restrictive and unsustainable diets. Remember, true well-being is a journey, and it's more sustainable when approached with understanding and balance.

I'd like to conclude with an excerpt from an essay written by my daughter recently. Her words serve as a poignant reminder of the pitfalls of attributing moral values to food.

Somewhere near the age of thirty, in the aftermath of a prolonged episode of health anxiety, I altered my relationship with food. I resolved to eat only that which would directly accrue benefit to my body and promise to cause no harm, because in my intensely fearful state, every morsel of processed food that went into my body could potentially turn against it, leading to diseases I imagine so often, but can’t bring myself to name, and maybe that’s very much a part of the problem. I was experiencing something that can be best described as orthorexia.

orthorexia | ˌɔːθəˈrɛksɪə | 

noun [mass noun] 

an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy. 

• (also orthorexia nervosa) a medical condition in which the sufferer systematically avoids specific foods that they believe to be harmful. 

This puritanical approach couldn’t and didn’t last very long, and I gradually desisted from attaching moral values to the foods I desired, although that’s all that popular discourse wants us to do. Even the most questionable preparations of food occupy prime real estate in retail stores, with misleading labels that assure us of their healthful benefits.

When I listened to my body carefully, I realised that I don’t particularly enjoy dessert other than ice-cream, and that too only because I like cold foods. That’s also why I think I love soda or “pop” or “cool drink” (whatever they call it in your region!). I thought I loved Coke, but it took me years to realise that it was its fizz that I liked most, and the temperature at which it is typically served. On a visit to Uzbekistan many years ago, I noticed that they only ever serve Coke at room temperature, and there’s nothing worse than drinking warm, flat Coke. Why was I ingesting heaps of sugar and other caramelised crap when all I ever wanted was a cold and fizzy drink? A dash of lemon and a spoonful of sugar blended into cold sparkling water is much nicer than the cloying cola. 

If you’ve ever struggled to resist temptation, consider exploring why you like (or dislike) a certain food. It could be because of the way it's served (temperature, presentation), or maybe you like its texture (I have a thing for tarts), or you may have an association with it, or simply because pop culture has you believe that you like it. For instance, my mother doesn’t like chocolate, but she goes to great lengths to avoid mentioning this, because every time someone learns of it, they invariably exclaim, “But who doesn’t like chocolate!”

It took me thirty years to conclude that I don’t love everything that’s bad, and I don’t hate everything that’s good, and that much of what’s labelled good and bad is entwined with its accessibility and desirability.

You can read the full post here.

Have you ever struggled to resist temptation? Share your story in the comments. As always, thanks for reading!