There's No "Bad Foods"

“Good foods” and “bad foods” are the devil and angel equivalent of the diet culture…as it seems. As humans, we naturally do strive for perfectionism in specific aspects of life. Some of us who have health and fitness goals may relate to this in

terms of our eating habits. Everyday, we make decisions based around our nutrition choices. These decisions are based on nutritional demands if you have nutritional goals, food availability at that given time, cravings, health demands, timetables and more often than not, the old “is this a good food or bad food?”. Below, we have debunked why there is no such “thing” as “good foods” and “bad foods”:

What works for you may not work for someone else...or anyone! And that's ok! Everyone is different - yes we know everyone is different but in terms of nutrition choices, this stands out like a sore thumb. On the most simplest terms, some experience food intolerances in the forms of allergies or even just direct, negative influences on our bodies. For example, people who can’t tolerate high acidic foods really do not respond to foods such as cabbage, onion, garlic etc. Food like this can cause major stomach distress and GI problems on different levels. However, for most, these foods provide a range of nutritional benefits in terms of micronutrients that our bodies need.

Everything serves a diverse benefit...even chocolate!

Different foods provide different benefits - for example, the majority of marathon runners wouldn’t do a marathon race after a big steak that morning. Instead, they would opt for higher carbohydrate sources which will provide them with energy. These include bread, potatoes, oats, bagels, rice cakes to name a few. During the race, they may turn to “quick carbs” in the form of lollies, gels and sugary liquids. Why? Because their bodies are normally in high demand of energy to suffice their energy needs. I’m sorry but a carrot, at that point in time, won’t make the cut. However, post race and after all the “post race treaties”, their bodies will require lean protein sources to facilitate in the recovery process. Restriction This stigma creates unhealthy habits - as soon as the term “bad foods” is instilled in our minds with specific foods, we start to generalise and categories associated foods also. In-turn, we have a bank of foods that we either don’t want anything to do with, we create stress around those specific foods and we limit our food choices. We were all told as kids to enjoy some foods in moderation. Why can’t we as adults? At the end of the day, we all have cravings and for most of the time, it’s vital we go for a variety of food sources to keep our body balances healthy and happy! So yes, that toasted cheese & ham sandwich (or two) the day before a long run, your body will thank you for later! Remember, balance is key and and 80/20 approach to whole foods/soul foods will outrun any form of restriction any day.