We find ourselves in an era where everything is immediate, automatic and precise. Technology and the media allow you to share your daily life with a single click. Trends become the law by which we govern ourselves as a culture; They dictate what music we should listen to, how we should dress, behave and even what to eat to belong to the society in which we live.
In terms of health specifically, this has promoted different physical and mental conditions in the population. There is a disturbed concept of health and what this entails, such as body image and diets to follow. Currently, the influence of social networks is considered a risk factor for eating disorders (TCA), due to the projection of an idealized image of thin bodies and a false version of health as synonymous with beauty. Like the appearance of websites that advocate anorexia and bulimia, since they present eating disorders as a way of life and not as mental illnesses.
This easy access to share and receive any type of information makes us vulnerable and a easy target to poor eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction. A person would be considered healthy if there was a balance between the perceived real image of oneself and the ideal image, which would be a good self-concept, i.e. good self-esteem. But what happens when the “ideal image” is altered?
The pressure to follow a beauty standard false affects people's eating behaviors, making them fall into endless vicious circles of restrictive diets that lower blood glucose levels, alter the mood and increase the person's irritability, generating constant hunger and dissatisfaction for not satisfying it, triggering hypercaloric binges that give immediate but not prolonged pleasure that leads to guilt and body shaming, enough reason to start the cycle again.
Many are handled food recommendations and quick diets to the public, generalized, which are not applicable to everyone. There are different somatotypes of bodies and according to them, one or another dietary strategy is carried out for optimal health. Therefore, what is good for one person will not necessarily be good for another, just as there is not just one type of complexion. A healthy body comes in many forms and can be nourished in various ways.. It is ignorance that keeps us from achieving the best version of ourselves, both physically and mentally. That is why it is imminent to go to the nutritionist as part of our personal maintenance.
The problem with these quick diets and health trends is that they promote immediate results from only one variable, weight. Weight is completely relative, it varies according to the height and complexion of each person. An American football player could weigh over 120 kg, which could be thought of as overweight, when the reality is that he is a completely healthy high-performance athlete since 13% of his weight is made up of fat, 45% of muscle, 37% of water and 5% of bone mass.
Also they demonize carbohydrates and prohibit foods, generating restrictive diets. The rigidity with which they expose permitted foods ends up generating severe decompensations in the body since they are not sustainable diets in the long term. The body needs carbohydrates as its main source of energy for its development and functioning. Others promote fasting and diets based exclusively on drinks such as juices, focusing only on the micronutrients that the body needs, generating gastrointestinal problems in the medium and long term by altering the intestinal microbiota. Nutrition goes beyond avoiding “junk food” and eating fruits and vegetables.
The job of the nutritionist is to adapt an exclusive and personalized eating plan for the patient and educate them to carry out a complete, balanced, varied, sufficient and safe diet that allows them to make better food decisions and promote adequate physical activity. Unfortunately, we usually go to the health professional when we find ourselves in an emergency, whether medical or social pressure. It is rare to find a patient who comes to a consultation because they want to improve their habits and change their lifestyle just for the sake of their health. Nutrition is and should be a preventive practice, not something we turn to when we want to look better for a social event. It frequently happened to me that patients came asking for a “diet” because they were going on a trip to the beach or because they were getting married and had to fit into that wedding dress.
Going to health professionals to ensure our physical and mental health is something that will give us quality of life in the short, medium and long term. They will provide us with sustainable tools that will facilitate the process to resume and/or keep us healthy. It is difficult to understand from the nature we find ourselves in today that things that are worthwhile take time and effort. The point is to enjoy the process, because that's where your best self is.
So let's forget about weight, sizes, food prohibitions, restrictive diets and miracle products. Better let's start carrying out a more intuitive diet, where learn to listen to the body and nourish it optimally with the help of a health professional. This will lead us to feel in harmony with ourselves and this will be reflected in the different areas of our life.
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ABOUT
Astrid is a nutritionist who studied a Master of Science in Public Health in Monterrey and lives in Culiacán with her husband. She likes to research current health topics in the company of her dog Lya. She is a yoga instructor and enjoys the friendships she has generated through her classes.
