The Soapbox Series: Why I Hate the Word Healthy
Something most of my clients and friends might have noticed about me is that I try to avoid saying “healthy.” This term is used universally and is included in a lot of wellness, fitness, and diet campaigns.
I’ve got some beef with this word, and since I can tie the previous topic of goal setting into the conversation, we’re going to talk about it today!
The Problem with Healthy Goals
As a reminder, earlier this month I talked about why it’s perfectly acceptable to not set any New Year’s Resolutions yet. This doesn’t mean you can’t set goals right now, but what matters is doing it well! Here’s how I think “healthy” keeps us from success.
A lot of New Year’s Resolutions sound something like this:
“I’ll be healthier!”
“I’m going to eat healthy.”
“I’m going to be healthy this year!”
“I’ll work on healthy habits.”
Do you know what the problem is with each of these ideals? We have no idea what they actually mean. While reading these examples, you might think about what your goals would look like. However, the picture someone else paints for themselves is probably quite different.
Without a clearer idea of what these phrases mean, finding resources to help you reach your goals can be a challenge. Additionally, such a vague goal makes it difficult to pin down what specifically an individual is looking to achieve, which in turn makes it nearly impossible to know what steps to take for success. Setting goals we truly intend to reach means making it clear to ourselves what we’re striving for.
This isn’t the only area where “healthy” causes problems.
Defining Healthy
According to Merriam-Webster, “healthy” can be defined as: “beneficial to one’s physical, mental, or emotional state.” While this definition makes sense, it’s still pretty subjective. What benefits my physical, mental, and emotional state differs greatly from what will benefit another person.
Yes, there are plenty of things defined as “healthy” that are generally beneficial to most people. However, a lot of those will differ based on personal factors. Many exercises, dietary restrictions, and self-care tactics for a 24-year-old non-binary person with POTS will not have the same effect on a 58-year-old man who has worked a physically taxing job since they were 16.
It’s not that this is an inherently bad term, but it is too vague and has inconsistent connotations. I think of myself as a “healthy” person, but a lot of people would disagree because of my weight, dietary habits, exercise routine, the products I use in my daily life, and plenty of other reasons.
I’m not saying you should banish the term from your personal dictionary, but I do encourage you to consider what you actually mean when you say healthy. It’s a great way to start talking about changing habits, but don’t let the conversation end there!
Food: Healthy is Out
Thanks to numerous fad diets, celebrities, influencers, and misinterpreted nutrition research, there’s a range of opinions on what foods are “good” or “bad.” *For a deeper dive into that particular topic, check out Sprout’s blogs on Carbs, Fats, and Dietary Restrictions.
Because of this wide discrepancy, answering “does this seem like a healthy meal?” is challenging. Anyone who asks me this question has to deal with my response, “well, what do you mean by that?”
My goal isn’t to annoy anyone or keep them from discussing food with me, but to understand what they actually want to know. Are they looking for a nutritious meal? A meal that includes all three macronutrients? Do they want a meal that will keep them sated until the time of their next meal? A snack to fuel them for a workout?
Then there are more problematic versions of healthy idealism they might be trying to ask about. Is there any sugar? Any carbs? Is it more than 600 calories? Is it keto?
I strive to dig deeper when people bring up “healthy” food. I want to understand what they’re asking, what their intentions are with the knowledge they get, and why they feel certain ways about some foods. I also think asking more questions allows me to start a conversation about problematic opinions, such as the ones mentioned above. Trying to do simple research on “healthy eating” can lead anyone down an online rabbit hole into less-savory opinions on foods, extreme diets, and information that can be confusing and overwhelming.
Once again, healthy just doesn’t do justice where more specific and important ideas and questions belong.
Nutritious is In
Rather than stress over whether or not your meal is conforming to someone else’s ideas of good and bad, focus on the more objective, less complicated questions. In other words, focus on the nutrition of your meal. Does it contain a balance of carbs, fats, and protein? Are there fruits and vegetables? Is the serving size appropriate for you?
In my opinion, building a nutritious meal and asking these questions shouldn’t make us feel guilty or bad. It’s not about what you’re doing wrong or how “unhealthy” you’re being. We want meals that will nourish our bodies and provide the necessary nutrients, but we should be able to enjoy our food too.
There is no denying that many foods taste great and can bring us joy. It’s not right to deprive ourselves of these things just because someone on the internet says they’re bad. I love cake so much that I buy and eat cake at least once a month, and I refuse to feel any negativity about that.
In addition, food is an important part of many lives, cultures, and experiences. We shouldn’t be guilted into “healthifying” any dishes in these instances, especially when these meals are culturally significant.
I feel that focusing on eating nutritious meals that fuel our body means there is less room for negative thoughts and emotions that can lead to disordered eating behaviors. Rather than getting specific about what to eat and not eat, let’s just ask ourselves what we’re getting out of the meal. Is it going to keep us full? Is there a variety of food and food groups? Are we going to be satisfied once we finish eating? Are we satisfying our cravings while still fulfilling our dietary needs?
We can feed ourselves properly and enjoy it too!
Putting This Knowledge into Practice
Let’s review those first few resolutions and see how we can turn them into tangible goals.
Instead of: “I want to be healthier!”
Let’s try: “I want to add more fruits and vegetables to every meal, start walking twice a week, and get seven hours of sleep a night.”
Instead of: “I want to eat healthy!”
Let’s try: “I want to learn how to build nutritious, tasty, and satisfying meals without breaking the bank or spending all day in the kitchen.”
Instead of: “I’m going to be healthy this year!”
Let’s try: “I’m going to take care of my physical and mental health by taking three walks a week, journaling nightly, and meditating for ten minutes every morning.”
Instead of: “I’ll work on my healthy habits”
Let’s try: “I will make a conscious effort to take movement breaks every hour during my workday, eat two servings of vegetables at every meal, and journal before bed.”
It doesn’t have to be complicated! One of the scariest things you can do is decide you need to change. From there, it’s just a matter of deciding on your goals and putting the steps in place to achieve them.
The Takeaway
We can do better than healthy!
Dig a little deeper into your goals and desires! It might take some time and will probably be uncomfortable to think about, but being thoughtful and intentional will make all the difference between a year of successes and a year of “I should’ve/could’ve/would’ve.”
Look at the way you’ve been viewing nutrition, meals, and food in general. It will take time to unlearn the myths and biases to which we’ve all been exposed, but it’s well worth the peace that comes from not letting food or ideas about food have such a hold on the way we live our lives. For a general idea of how to build nutritious meals, check out Harvard’s “Healthy Eating Plate” (naturally I hate the name, but it’s a helpful resource and the guidelines can be helpful for most people).
As you go about your day, I encourage you to think about your and other people’s use of “healthy” and determine what you’re trying to say and accomplish. If you ask someone “what do you mean by that?” It can be a nice opportunity for others to think more in-depth about their struggles, desires, and needs.
If you’re having a hard time understanding this topic, want to talk more in-depth about it, or have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you! The Soapbox Series is a form of me expressing my opinions as a fitness professional, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m right or you have to agree with me.