Orthorexia: If healthy eating is not healthy anymore.
When healthy eating becomes an obsession, we call orthorexia. Orthorexia patient thinking every minute of every day healthy eating and reject anything that they consider unhealthy. They are suspicious for each gram of fat, yet they eat only raw vegetables (vegetable cooking means vitamin loss), they are terrified of junk food, they store each cookie with coffee and dessert, and are not at a restaurant. On day trip with their own “survival kit”.
In other words, they have only interest in the nutritional and physiological benefits of food. Unlike the eating disorders anorexia or bulimia nervosa, it orthorexia mainly in the quality as opposed to the quantity of food.
Among athletes and fitness professionals, the obsession is relatively common.
Danger of an overly diet
People who are addicted to healthy eating, thinking thus to get in optimum condition. On the contrary. Because too many foods with suspicion be seen and avoided, there is often one-sided diet, and consequently all kinds of shortages and physical complaints.
Consideration should be given gastric problems, menstrual disorders, muscle cramps, cardiac arrhythmias, and renal and liver damage. About Concerned about healthy eating can evolve to a strict diet which can lead to eating disorders anorexia or bulimia nervosa.
Healthy eating means enjoying
Unlike eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia, has someone who suffers orthorexia generally not self-esteem. In fact, many patients feel very superior. Other people come up but since everything inside, as she (or he) just the best of the best eats. While work on orthorexia nervosa not so much the quantity of food, but its quality. The quality of the food, the quality of life measured. And this insidious disease that slowly begins. Often first meat, fish, wheat and dairy from the diet suppressed. After that only organically grown food consumed. Eventually there is no cooked food eaten. Raw fruits and vegetables is ultimately the only thing eaten. And apart from the fact that this choice is clearly not the most healthy, it removes all the fun out of life. You are after all working days with healthy diet. Healthy eating means eating a balanced and varied, but also enjoy. A healthy diet does not matter a delicious meal. It comes with the right balance between the calories, the nutritional value and enjoyment aspect. Finally, there are no good or bad foods. How much you eat certain foods and how often is more decisive.