Over the years, simple dietary changes have helped countless patients mend their depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar. And yet, I have created a few cases of orthorexia (an obsession with eating correctly) along the way. This weighs heavily on me. On Instagram, someone recently asked what to do about the fact that she’s obsessing about meal prep and avoiding social situations to eat clean. This is the crux of the issue.
Those of us who know we feel better when we eat in a particular way can get stuck avoiding social situations that are oriented around food and obsessing about meal prep. Once you’re avoiding social engagements to eat in a way that serves your body, you’ve gone too far. Good social connection is better for your health than any amount of clean eating, so avoiding dinners with friends to eat clean is counter-therapeutic.
Solutions I’ve found in my own life: I bring a dish with me when I go to a dinner party; I’m not shy about asking to have my dietary restrictions accommodated at a dinner party (sorry for all the extra trouble friends! Please keep inviting me over), I hire a task rabbit 1-2 hours a week to help me with meal prep and cooking so it doesn’t feel like a part-time job; I steer dinners out toward restaurants I trust; when I eat at a restaurant I don’t trust, I order very simply and sometimes off menu (e.g., veggies, rice, potatoes, legumes, occasionally fish); I carry nuts and dark chocolate in my bag for emergency blood sugar crashes; and when all else fails, I just slacken the reins and eat whatever is available and remind myself that my body is strong and capable.
