When Eating Healthy and Being Healthy No Longer Go Hand in Hand

Wanting to eat healthy to maintain an optimal health level is a healthy concern. Eating enough vegetables and fruits, reducing sodium intake, or introducing plant base proteins to one’s menu are realistic nutritional objectives. Unfortunately, for some people, that concern sometimes turns into an obsession difficult to live with. Objectives rapidly become hard to attain and the simple act of eating becomes an ordeal. 

Orthorexia is an excessive concern about the quality of one’s diet. At first, people are preoccupied with some parts of their diet: eliminating refined sugars or eating more fibres. And then, gradually, their entire diet becomes an issue.         

The Bratman test allows identifying people that are more likely subject to suffer from orthorexia.

• Do you spend over 3 hours a day thinking about your diet?
• Do you plan all your meals several days in advance?
• Do you feel like the nutritional value of your meal is more important to you than actually enjoying your meal? 
• Do you feel like the quality of your life is lessened whereas the quality of the food you eat is improved?
• Have you recently become more demanding towards yourself?
• Do you feel your self-esteem increased because of your will to eat healthy?
• Do you avoid food you used enjoy in favour of healthier food?
• Does your diet keep you from seeing your friends and family?
• Do you feel guilty as soon as you deviate from your diet?
• Do you feel in peace with yourself and do you think you are in control when you eat healthy?

If you answered yes to two or more questions, learn to be easier on yourself! Excess, one way or another, is never good for you!