What’s wrong with clean eating & cheat meals ?

🍦 First, let’s unpack why the term “cheat meal / day” is unhealthy in itself.

It portrays that some foods are forbidden and so you need to cheat to eat them. Cheating is not exactly encouraging positive associations, meaning there is guilt attached. Wherever the is guilt, there is deprivation, because “it’s bad”, which encourages the bingeing and purging cycle. Many of us know where it takes us. Down the toxic rabbit whole and self-hatred.

 🥦 Similarly, “clean eating” portrays that all food that doesn’t qualify as “clean” is unhealthy and so it should be avoided. Once again, labelling = deprivation = bingeing and purging.

 🍦 So to answer the question, if you’re only including foods you normally exclude when you feel guilty about eating them, there are no positive outcomes attached to such behaviour. Not only you are putting unnecessary pressure on yourself, but also your stress levels are going through the roof, negatively impacting your digestion and mental health.

 🍦 There is no need for terms like that in your vocabulary if you want to have a positive relationship with food and with yourself.