That time I drank straight vodka because it was “healthy”.
In my early and mid 20s I was really suffering from orthorexia. I was obsessed with eating a “perfect” diet that checked all the boxes:
“Clean”
Organic
Free from dairy, grains, soy and vegetable oils
Nothing artificial or processed
Local was optimal, homemade was essential
And so naturally when it came time to hang out with my friends and act like young 20 somethings I would just drink straight vodka… because that was the healthiest option, right?! 😬
It’s amazing how we can twist things around based on these “rules”.
10 years ago, I would have said that eliminating all of those different food groups was the healthiest option. Now, I think the more types of foods my body can eat, digest and enjoy, the better.
10 years ago, I thought pounding straight vodka and staying up with friends til the wee hours of the night was perfectly ok because we were young and technically vodka fit all of my food rules. Now I have (maybe) 1 drink a week and get to bed as early as parenting will allow.
10 years ago, I didn’t think taking any pharmaceutical drugs was ever considered healthy. Now I happily take a pharmaceutical to manage my blood pressure and I’m really thankful for this option (in addition to all the other options I have to support my body and decrease hypertension).
What’s considered “healthy” is going to ebb and flow. Health trends will come and go. We have to decide what works for us, our bodies, our health, and our own well being.
And.
This may fluctuate over time. It certainly has for me.
Curiosity around our health and well being is a good thing, IMO. We can be curious and experiment with how certain aspects of our health improve with changes, such as drinking less alcohol, exercising more (or less!) often or reintroducing once condemned food groups.
Healthy can look like a lot of things and it doesn’t have to follow any sort of rules.
