Being conscious about what we eat in today’s continually questionable grocery and agriculture markets is not an unfounded habit.

In fact, educating yourself about the sources of your foods and how they were produced from start to finish is advisable. There is so much we assume is safe that is not, so much we should consider outrageous that is acceptable (i,e, animal treatment on factory farms for instance), and so many commonly used ingredients that go by an endless list of curious, unrecognizable names. Educating yourself, and making smart choices about what you consume is very empowering. However, just like any habit or practice, there is a tipping point that makes it extreme. In this case, one can be so hyper-vigilant about the quality of their foods it can have negative health consequences. This is called Orthorexia.

What is Orthorexia?

Orthorexia is defined as, “…a pathological obsession with proper nutrition that is characterized by a restrictive diet, ritualized patterns of eating, and rigid avoidance of foods believed to be unhealthy or impure”***. It often results in heavily restricting ingredients or food groups due to the inability to find the “best” source or worrying that the ingredient or food will do significant harm to their health. In some cases, this obsession with finding and avoiding certain foods and ingredients comes from excessive research (and not always from credible sources). Additionally, long term orthorexia can lead to nutrient deficiencies and chronic fixations on only choosing the purest foods possible.

Although not much clinical attention has been paid to orthorexia, it is both a behavioral condition and a disease disguised as a “virtue”. Yes, it is smart and responsible to be health-conscious, but when our food choices negatively impact our health and mental well being, contribute to nutrient depletion and other health complications, and lead us to avoid food altogether, it is a serious problem verging on eating disorder territory.

Read More: ***The Clinical Basis or Orthorexia Nervosa

Symptoms of Orthorexia

1. Obsessively researching proper nutrition and purity of foods to maximize their wellbeing.
2. A hyper-focus on the quality of a food rather than the quantity.
3. Spending excessive time scrutinizing food sources and ingredients.
4. Restricting or avoiding food groups and ingredients due to quality, sourcing, or packaging.
5. Spending excessive time cataloging foods, weighing and measuring foods, preparing foods, following specific rules about food combining, and going unusually long periods of time
6. Fasting or skipping meals if “impure” foods are consumed.
7. Often strongly vocalize their health opinions to friends and family.
8. May often experience health-related anxiety.

The Slippery Slope of Orthorexia

From a nutrition perspective, there is a fine line between educating yourself to make healthy, informed choices, and refusing to eat anything but the highest quality foods available. Learning to read food labels, and researching unrecognizable ingredients is advised. Avoiding unsafe and clearly unhealthy foods is also encouraged. But remember that as Americans, we live in a society where almost any ingredient or food product is available through global distribution. We must learn to balance our own desire to eat and live in a healthy manner, with the variety of food choices presented to us in a typical supermarket.

It’s possible to make simple dietary changes without crossing the line into obsession. For example, if you’re concerned about the BPA content in canned foods, try buying dried beans and soaking them most of the time, but if you’re in a pinch and need a can of beans, that’s okay. You can also get to know your local farmers and support local health food stores by purchasing organic produce when available, while also remembering that seasons and weather are unpredictable. If a food is not available for a week or two, it’s okay to accept that and choose a different food in the meantime.

Nutrition Tips for Healthy Choices

The 80/20 Rule – Think of the entirety of your day and week. If you’re making mindful and conscious nutrition choices about 80% of the time, while 20% allows for some wiggle room, desserts, or a less mindful purchase, you’re doing a great job!

Get to know your local farmers, and shop local – Do you have a local farmers market? If so, go! Get to know your local farmers and gardeners and see what they have available. Ask them questions about their farms and their agriculture practices. Buying fresh fruits and vegetables locally is a gentle encouragement to try new foods and come up with new recipes. With each season bringing a new set of available goodies, you’ll hardly get stuck eating the same ingredient twice. Plus, supporting your local farmer is incredibly beneficial for your community.

Practice intuitive eating & try eating with gratitude – Intuitive eating is the personal practice of developing a relationship with your body and your food. It means learning to listen and pay attention to your body’s hunger/fullness cues and cravings, and mindfully making choices to support your body’s needs. Eating intuitively breaks the cycle of dieting, encourages body positivity, and teaches you to be confident in making choices outside of any diet label or protocol.

Read More: 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

Grow your own ingredients – If you’re lucky enough to have a yard or a sunny corner inside your home, plant some vegetables in a garden bed or in containers. Living in an industrialized nation, we often take for granted that our food is harvested by farmers near and far. Organic produce is the gold standard for nutrient density, and although we may find organic produce in the supermarket, it is not always available locally. If there are no Organic or Certified Naturally Grown farmers in your region, try growing your own fresh food and share the bounty with your community.

Helpful Resources:

• Food Rules by Michael Pollan
• Intuitive Eating Resources
• Orthorexia Nervosa: An Obsession With Healthy Eating

If you need nutrition support or want to learn more about creating a healthy relationship with food and making your own educated dietary choices, consider requesting an appointment online with naturopathic doctor and nutrition expert, Dr. Viktoriya Beliy, ND, MScN.