Orthorexia Nervosa: The New Eating Disorder

Amazing post Katie! 🙂

I think as a person who is always trying to be “healthier” in one way or another I can see some of these traits in myself. But at the same time I never pass up a big bowl of ice cream, I definitely agree that food can have positive effects other than nutritional values!

I agree with anonymous. Thank you so much for being brave and honest in this post!

I definitely have some of these tendencies. I try to eat as healthy as I can most of the time, but I throw caution to the wind occasionally and eat something out of the ordinary. Last night, I had white bread with dinner. I didn’t feel like making rolls, so I stole one of Lucas’ white hamburger buns. Do I feel guilty about it? Absolutely not!

Stellar, stellar post! Have you ever thought about working as a writer for a magazine, Katie? Just wondering!

I think this is one of the BEST posts I’ve ever read. Kudos to you for your bravery in sharing it.
I am going to link back to this post, and I’m bookmarking it as well.

Just like anonymous, I wanted to tell you how muh I appreciate your honestly and down to earth attitude in your posts. Especially with this one. I am one of the people who you’re talking to. It’s getting to a bad point for me, though, because like you mentioned in the post, I am having a hard time eating out or letting someone else prepare my food now. But I have struggled with anorexia too, so this is just another spin off for me and I’m getting help. Thank you Katie!

I loved this post!
I am far from orthorexic, but I can totally see how it could happen to someone. I’m just starting to get into healthy eating, but it’s making me sometimes feel virtuous or, on the other hand, guilty if I make a “bad” choice.

hey lovie! wow Katie, this was such a great post, and i agree 110% with you on Orthorexia…everyone needs to really have balance, you made such great points about white starch etc…its okay it once in a while, and having foods that we may not deem the healthiest isn’t going to kill us, what will is depriving our bodies of certain things, not kill us per say but take away enjoyment from our lives, b/c food is meant to be enjoyed!….i always just think that orthorexia is another label for anorexia…but it is different, yet can be easily turned into Anorexia if it is taken to far, and as you said it can be just as detrimental to ones body as anorexia or bulimia etc if it is taken to a great extent when the person’s life is revolved around food, and they are lacking vital nutrients that they need to live…i think i saw a really good show/documentary on this…it was very interesting.

xx
Eliza

I can say first hand that orthorexia is just as dangerous as any other eating disorder. During high school I suffered from anorexia. I went to therapy to help me beat the anorexia, but what happened instead is that I shifted my weight/food obsessions from not eating at all to only eating healthy. For 3 years after my initial treatment I thought I was healthy and in recovery. I still only ate what I deemed “healthy foods.” I limited myself on things like processed foods, white flour, etc. By the time I reached last summer, my obsessions got worse and I was limiting myself even more. I felt guilty for eating anything outside of my “healthy” category. I felt extremely guilty for eating too much protein, fat, bread, sugar…whatever. The guilt and obsession with healthy eating consumed my life, the same way that not eating consumed my life in high school. As a result of it, I lost a lot of the weight I gained during my initial recovery period and my mental health hit an all time low.

Orthorexia became just as dangerous as anorexia was for me. A lot of people probably think that being a little obsessed with being healthy is a good thing, but it’s far from it. Doing your best to eat healthy is a good thing, but when it becomes an obsession it’s not. No one should feel guilty for eating an extra piece of fruit because of the sugar content. That is not worrying about health, it’s disordered.

i once read about a girl who died becaus all she ate was carrots. you would think eating carrots is a healthy thing, but not always so if its all you eat.

Ok you already have more comments on this post than I get in a month, but I had to add to the comments and say that I loved this post and it is SO relavent to our lives as healthy bloggers and everyone of us should read this and try to see that health isn’t just about food!
Well said!

Interesting….I didn’t know they had a name for this.
I agree with the last commenter, health isn’t just about food it’s about exercise, stress management, etc. If we regularly exercise and try to eat as much whole foods as we can then that’s the best!

I had never heard of this until I saw it mentioned in the latest VegNews. Katie, your writing style is commendable as is your ability to share your true feelings. I can’t believe you ever worry about coming across as “holier than thou” because the opposite is true! Although you are amazing, you somehow make it impossible for people to hate you, even though I know I’m not the only one who wishes she were as amazing as you!

This was a great post, very informative. I definitely display a lot of those qualities at various times and didn’t know there was a name for it. I’m glad you posted this, it helps to see that some of these things really are problems that other people struggle with too. Thanks again for posting this!

Have a great Monday!

Thank you so much for writing an posting this! Reading these comments, I am so happy to know that I am not alone in my struggles and you’ve inspired me to start to work harder to get better. So not only thank you to Katie, but thank you to EVERYone for helping me to know I’m not the only one struggling!

Hey Katie, what’s your formspring account again?
I can’t find it!
😕
😕

I’m so glad you pointed this out! There’s so much more to EDs than anorexia and bullimia and it’s absolutely wonderful to inform your readers about other issues!

I think I do have some tendencies in being obsessive about healthy foods. I eat crisps, chocolates and biscuits in moderation and don’t feel guilty about it at all but that’s because I am in control of that, I can choose to eat it or not without affecting anyone around me.
But, in a few weeks I will be going on a field trip with Uni and we will be staying in Poland for 5 days.
I am SO scared, this really stresses me out because I will not have the control over what I’m going to eat. I won’t be the one who will cook the food and I don’t know how people cook it. Though I don’t worry about dinners so much (as we will just eat in restaurants and I can pick whatever off the menu) I worry about breakfasts and lunches.
I try to eat the healthiest breakfast possible, whole grains, healthy fats, protein. I want to cover as much as possible. For lunch I usually eat raw veggies and fruits and snack in between. When we are going around I don’t want to be the pain in everyone’s backside because I will not buy myself a sandwich for lunch or not eat that burger etc. I have a routine, not strict but a routine nevertheless and I am so scared about those few days, especially because I won’t be able to workout either, they don’t have those facilities in the hotel.
I thought about taking foods, like good raw protein bars and some peanut butter BUT we are travelling with hand luggage only which means I won’t have the space nor am I allowed to take liquidy things like peanut butter with me on board.
My bf assured me I will be ok, I don’t have to eat things I don’t want to eat and 5 days without a workout isn’t the end of the world but it still stresses me out…
I feel embarrassed, what will the other people think? I don’t want to come across as some crazy person or something.

So I guess my diet does restrict me in certain ways but I will try to make the best of the situation and maybe get creative instead of stressed out…

Sorry for the looooong post.
xxx

Wow, I have never heard of this before and I think a few things definitely describe myself. Thanks for putting this out there!

I know I struggle with deeming foods “good” or “bad” and have extreme guilt if I eat too much good or anything that is bad.

Looks like your post was a huge success, Katie! Like you, I just do what I want in all facets of life, maybe to a fault, but it serves me well. I feel sad for people worrying about this. Like you and the storybook character Milo know, there is no “perfect.”

Thanks for putting this out there, Katie. Like you said, I think we all could use a reminder. I try way too hard to copy other bloggers in my food choices and feel guilty for indulging. But life is too short to worry like that!

I did a post about this a while back. I provided two links there for an article and also for a video that are VERY insightful.

Let me know if you want to see the links, I will go back to that post for u.

Great post, Katie!

I too have to watch myself sometimes… I have to remind myself that when I start adopting new ‘healthy’ ideas to my life, to not go overboard. When eating starts to loose it’s fun, I know that I’ve gone too far and have to pull back and ask myself why I am refusing my old ways.

This is such a great post and something that as a food blogger, I find extremely interesting and a great reminder to always find balance in eating.

Also, I made pancake roll-ups today for the artisan giveaway!! Here’s the link!

Hi Katie, I enjoyed this post just as much as the 80+ others.

I did want to point out that it might not be accurate to say “Unlike with anorexia, orthorexics don’t necessarily think they’re fat.” As I understand it, anorexia (in many ways very similarly to orthorexia) is largely a mental disorder, not stemming from a feeling of fatness or a desire to be thin. In short, many anorexics also do not think they’re fat.

Great post Katie. Although I am not orthorexic and don’t really know anyone who is, I was still riveted while reading this. And even though I’m not orthorexic, I still am glad for the reminder that life is short and therefore we need to stress less about silly things. Most of us reading probably don’t have orthorexia, but we DO have too much stress!!!

When I began to eat high-full raw, I noticed that I had a lot of those characteristics. I still think that I have some of those characteristics, but I think I also have a negative body image still. I was suffering with anorexia nervosa about a year ago and now I feel that I am going back to that. I am trying not to, but it’s so hard sometimes. I am, however, doing a lot better than I was a year ago at around 100 lbs. and only consuming 900 calories a day at most. I don’t even know how I went on with my day to day life, kept my grades up, and stayed physically active.

Thanks for this post. I am looking for any little thing like this to help me with my disordered eating.

Beautifully written post Katie. You have such a talent; thank you for sharing it with us!

Great post! I’ve seen some disordered tendencies in myself as well, but I also enjoy food way too much to ever treat it in this way. Sure, most of the food I eat is for fuel, but I always make sure it’s something I at least like if not love! And you can pry my potatoes and rice noodles away from my cold dead hands.

Well, I think you already know how superior I think a vegan diet is! I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think it was the best diet for me, the animals, and our planet! So heck yes, check me off for feeling superior.

BUT, my diet is way too complex and varied for me to fit into any of the categories. Do I love having a green smoothie for breakfast? Yes. But do I look down on people who have sugar puffs? As long as it is vegan, no. Because I typically follow up my breakfast with a big slice of my latest dessert!

Food does NOT equate goodness or anything like that. I eat healthy 90% of the time because I want to feel GREAT, not because I want to feel better than everyone else. Life is too short to say no to delicious food, even if it isn’t organic and contains more than a little sugar.

The reason I exclude veganism is because I’m an ethical vegan. It doesn’t have to do with health, it has to do with not murdering animals. That definitely will change my view of a person.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have orthorexic tendencies, but I can’t help myself after losing weight. If I don’t stick to whole foods with little sugar 99% of the time, I gain weight super easily, and I never want to be overweight again. So, my fears do keep me from eating many foods that I used to enjoy. However, I feel like I’ve replaced those foods (pizza, ice-cream, candy, soda, etc.) with foods that are good for me that I never ate before, and that I truly enjoy. I had never touched a roasted Brussel sprout or broccoli floret before I lost weight. Now, I can’t imagine life without them. So, I pass up on the Ben & Jerry’s. No big deal…especially since I discovered So Delicious coconut milk ice-cream. 🙂 Healthy foods make me happy and for me, it’s the sugar-laden and processed foods that cause me stress. Therefore, I stay away from them, and my mind, body, and soul are happy. That does not sound disordered to me.

Good post Katie. Very thought provoking.

Hey Katie,
I have been wanting to reply all day and kid is in bed at 1:20am and here I finally am.

Thank you for this post b/c honestly, I am so sick and tired of going to blogs where the author won’t eat this or that b/c it’s not organic, perfectly raw (i.e. uncooked oats are not considered raw b/c they have been heated in the milling process…but to the rest of us mere mortals, uncooked oats are simply “raw” oatmeal…but these types of distinctions drive me insane actually) or blogs where the author scoffs at x,y,z food or sweetener or this or that b/c they personally don’t deem it healthy.

For instance…Many say Sugar is bad, agave is bad, HFCS is bad, Splenda is bad, stevia is bad…every single one of those sweeteners has been criticized, and while I truly believe some are bad, not all are horrid, if used in conscious thought and careful moderation. Point being, people get wayyyyyy tooo caught up and if we don’t at some point let go a bit, and chill out, we will find ourselves either not able to enjoy eating anything or very miserable. I have hung out with too many ultra-holistic people before and their extreme concern, i.e. orthoexia, surrounding food choices is off-putting, frustrating to be around, and frankly, not for me!

Wonderful post and I think I am lucky commenter # 100. Wow.

xoxo

When I first learned about “dieting” as a teenager I displayed some of these tendencies… I had a strict list of foods I would eat and would not eat ones I deemed “unhealthy.” I would have an almost panic attack if my mom cooked a vegetable with a bit of oil and would insist to make my own batch. I would pile my plate high with bare iceberg and a few slices of apples and walnuts but REFUSED to add a couple of raisins because they were sweetened. It was a sad time in my life, but I honestly believe that the experience really taught me about balancing healthy foods with fun foods. All that to say that moderation is the key to so many things in life… in our diets moderation should be practiced in so many ways, inculding allowing us to eat foods that might not be healthy.

I noticed that when I first starting writing my blog I would receive comments like “Oh, you eat Skippy natural peanut butter and not the fresh one from Whole Foods” and other such comments. I took those comments to heart and started to switch, or felt guilty for eating them. I do not anymore. I eat what I eat because I choose to, and I do not let others influence that.

This is really interesting Katie! I used to have flat out semi-anorexic tendencies. I wasn’t so much worried about what foods I was consuming, but how much of them and how often. I would find myself having to force myself to eat the cheese on my sandwich because I was just so hungry. Then again, at the same time I was working 35+ hours a week and taking a full load in school of pretty advanced college courses. Food was always on the back burner. Needless to say I dropped down to 135 (which is pretty thin for my 5’7″ medium boned frame) and I looked awesome =P

I definitely want to keep losing weight since I’ve gained a ton since then, but at least overall I’m eating very healthy and getting all of the nutrients I need. I think it’s awesome you’re helping spread awareness of this. There are tons of different eating disorders out there, people need to realize just because you don’t starve yourself or throw up your food doesn’t mean you might not have eating issues.

I don’t get the “orthorexia” vibe from your blog AT ALL. I had an eating disorder throughout high school and college and my radar for that type of thing is pretty good;)

I loved reading some of the comments…it can be a fine line between being conscientious and being obsessive. I think moderation in all things is a good way to go – but at the same time, if you believe something is poison – why put in your body ever?

What frustrates me is when other people project that type of idea on someone else’s habits… i.e. “You don’t eat xyz so you must be orthorexic, anorexic, high maintainance, etc, etc.” We have never taken our children to McDonalds. We do eat in restaurants occasionally (though not fast food) but generally eat simple, healthy foods prepared from scratch at home. I actually had a mom tell me that I was “depriving” my kids by not taking them to fast food restaurants or feeding them Pop tarts or similar garbage!

I agree with the poster who said cooked food is not a poison…I think the standard western diet doesn’t include ENOUGH raw food, but it would be easy to go too far too.

What you said about 90% of the time is right on – I did a post about this & new year’s resolutions. I eat nourishing, life-affirming foods 90% of the time, so if every once in awhile I eat something less than perfect…it just means I’m a human being:)

What a great post! As someone who struggles with bingeing (and therefore obsessive tendencies with food), but who also works as a weight loss counselor, is going to school for nutrition, and writes a food blog, I can definitely see myself falling into some of those categories. I definitely get a little too obsessed with how I eat sometimes and have to take a step back and relax about it!

Anonymous,
You misunderstood my post. Nowhere in the post did I say that people who don’t eat processed foods are, by definition, orthorexic. It is only when someone takes the idea of “being healthy” so far that it consumes his/her life that a person becomes orthorexic. If you wish to never eat processed foods and you still live a happy life, without stressing about–or feeling guilty about–eating healthily all the time, all the more power to you.
However, I think your analogy to heroin was way off. Processed foods are certainly not as dangerous as heroin. Heroin has the power to kill from even just a one-time use. Conversely, there are people (my great-grandma included) who have eaten many processed foods and yet live to be over 100.
Also, as much as I love a good debate and am happy for people to express views that are not the same as mine, there is a way to disagree respectfully, without calling someone (in this case, me) or someone’s post ridiculous and without using profanity. Such put-downs make it hard for others to focus on your actual message. Just something to keep in mind.

I do struggle with this kind of thinking and know others who do, as well. This was a very good, inspiring post.

Wow. This post has really opened my eyes. I’ve never heard of Orthorexia…but I do show a lot of the characteristics. 🙁 I went from obsessive calorie counting to stopping that and simply enjoying whole, unprocessed foods (having intolerance to both refined sugars and dairy help too) but STILL find myself thinking “i’m fat” and such negative talk. It’s slightly hyprocritical because I really dislike hate talk and try and love my body as much as I can! But I still find myself coming up with EXCUSES as to why I shouldn’t exercise, WHY I ate this “unhealthy” food item, etc etc,
It’s a long road, I guess.

Nice post. It is also good to remember that you do not know why someone maybe eating the white foods. For example, my son is allergic to brans…yep…no brown rice, whole wheat, oat bran…nothing allowed. So as long as this allergy persists he can eat many healthy items– but will be eating white bread, rice, etc.

Katie,
Thank you so much for this post! I have been battling a endless war with anorexia/bulimia for almost 8 months now, and until reading this post I had never even heard of orthorexia. But it is the SPITTING IMAGE of me. I constantly find myself unable to go out with friends because of a tempting food, or feeling “superior” or “in control” due to my healthy food choices. Now that I know it’s not me just being a (excuse me) hard ass, I may be able t get a grip on reality. Another great life tool to add to the belt!

This is amazing! Thank you:)!

I ran across your recipes the other day and they are AWESOME. I was looking you back up to print some of them out and “chocolate covered katie anorexic” popped up. There is some lady with a whole blog entry dedicated to bashing you, and accusing you of having an eating disorder. If I could have commented on her pathetic blog, I would have (and it would have been really mean, ans immature.. lol). There is nothing wrong with wanting to eat a healthy “less-guilt” versions of dessert & food. Hate to say this, but she is probably over weight and hates herself. only a miserable person would spend so much energy on hating someone who writes healthy recipes. jesus… anyway. i love your site and im so glad that I found it! Keep up the good work!!!

Katie, this is a wonderful post.

I know how it must feel to be orthorexic. Though, I never considered myself to have full-out orthorexia, I showed some orthorexic tendencies.

I would spend much time planning out what I would eat and when.
I would always self-loathe after eating too much food or something unhealthy
I would rather not eat than eat something unhealthyish
I would feel guilty if I didn’t feel i ate enough vegetables
I would devote numerous hours to finding out which foods/which diets are best.

I still exhibit some of these behaviors, but I think I’ve decreased my risk for orthorexia. I think my orthorexic habits were caused by that I would be exposed to so much information about which food to eat for optimum health. But now, I just feel bombarded with contradictory facts. Saturated fat is bad, saturated fat is good. Too many fruits are bad, eat more fruits.

It’s really ridiculous, and I think I just need to enjoy everything. But I think it’s most helpful to eat plenty of veggies. I’m glad though, because I can eat some ground meat without suffering a fit of depression afterwards.

Gawd, it is so easy to be orthorexic nowadays. I mean there’s always some report saying that this new food is bad for you. Look at all the foods that have undergone hatred, and exaltation

Meat: It’s high in fat, cholesterol, hormones, and sodium, but is a very good source of protein, and cholesterol doesn’t affect blood cholesterol

Milk: It’s also high in fat, hormones, and it comes from cows, but is a good source of calcium, and satfat doesn’t affect blood cholesterol

Nuts: Are so high in calories and fat and phytic acid, and easily-oxidizing pufas, but have a little bit of protein, and the fats are healthy

Saturated oils: Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol, but these saturated fats are unique and aren’t digested like butter.

Grains and beans: are high in carbs, and you’ll never lose weight if you eat carbs, and are full of phytic acid and gluten, but are full of fiber and complex carbs keep you fuller.

Fruits and starchy vegetables: are full of sugar and carbs and high glycaemic and make you gain weight, but are full of vitamins and fiber.

Lettuce: Nutritionally worthless leaves

Basically, the only thing left is raw vegetables, which on there own can be fairly bitter and well, not pleasing to the palate. When we believe everything the media says about unhealthy food, all we’ll be eating are kale and spinach. One vegan has this blog and she won’t eat olive oil or nuts because they are pure calories and have too many calories per ounce. She also thinks that if you eat one egg white, you will get kidney disease because they are mostly protein and have no fiber. I think she’s pretty ridiculous and does not know how to be a vegan.

this hit very close to home–i had this for about a year, and while i loved how i looked, i was upset, compulsive, critical, nervous, angry…i wasn’t happy with ME. doing 80/20, 75/25, or whatever i’m feeling that day, has definitely made life soooo much better and easier and happier. i’m still health conscious, but as a marathon runner, i have to make sure that i fuel my body properly so i can do what i love. more light needs to be shed on this! thank you cck!!!

Favorite junk foods… Peanut butter eaten on a spoon! dark chocolate anything but particularly Lindt 90%, coconut ice cream and frozen banana ice cream. Yum!

Hi Katie! I have been following your site for a while now and absolutely love it. I must say however, that I think this is your best post ever! I have also been following foodbabe and while she provides a lot of helpful tips– I was recently just thinking about how sometimes its all a bit extreme. I think your message is so needed and critical, especially from someone like you. I had never heard of Orthorexia, but it makes a lot of sense! I make a lot of efforts to eat right, but i think you are so correct when you point out guilt and stress are as if not more destructive. Looking forward to your posts and wonderful work!

Thanks so much for writing about this. I wish I had seen this before now. I had orthorexia almost 2 years ago and, at the time, it ruined my life! I had all the signs and would avoid hanging out with friends in fear of being pressured to eat something “unhealthy.” I remember that I would stress out so much if I had to go out to eat. Sometimes, I still struggle with eating.
Anyway, it’s nice to know that there’s a name to what I had. Thanks for spreading awareness!

Wow Katie! You’re my favorite blogger out there- your site is practically my homepage. I made the brownies several times, and I’d take a picture, but they’re almost out 🙂 I had orthorexia last year, and it just makes me feel kind of enlightened when someone touches on the subject. People pretty much think of anorexia and bulimia as the only eating disorders. Your recipes are delicious! I’m definitely going to link back to you in my blog. Once again, well done (again)!

A few weeks ago I realized and admitted to myself that I may have a problem. I am always thinking about food, reading about it, hearing about “this is good for you” “this is bad for you” etc, and usually they contradict each other. I’ve been gluten-free for 8 months now (I am not Celiac), and while it has really helped with digestion issues, it has led to thinking maybe I should cut out this or that because of some other issues I have had (daily runny nose without having a cold, inflammation issues in my feet, etc). I’ve become quite obsessed to the point that I just give up at times because I just don’t know what to cut that’ll help. I’ve strictly stuck with eating gluten free though since I believe it does make me feel better, but I’ve been wanting to “test it” since my 12 week mark…and now here I am at 8 months and scared to test it – fearful of how it will make me feel. Obviously if I do test it at some point, and it makes me feel awful, I will stick with being GF, but there is just that not-knowing that is driving me nuts. What if gluten really isn’t an issue? Could it be coincidence that my digestion improved, despite going GF? I have a hubby and two awesome children (almost 6 and almost 5) that are not fully GF, but some meals are just naturally GF so they are “part-time”. It is really tough sometimes because they can be a bit picky at times, so I haven’t taken them fully GF with me, worried they might not eat enough. Sometimes I think life would be so much easier for us all if I wasn’t eating GF…but I’m just so afraid to test it.

Anyways 🙂 Thank you for putting a name to what I had been admitting to myself. Love your posts, and will keep on reading!

Hi Katie-I just came upon this post, and it’s the exact thing I was looking for! I have had a problem with excessive orthorexic tendencies- to the point where 95% of my diet is based on raw fruits and vegetables. I also tend to get really bad sugar cravings, but never satisfy them with anything other then fruits or artificial sweetners! I’m a vegan also- any suggestions on how to make my diet more wholesome and prevent these sugar cravings/feelings of starvation?

THANK YOU for writing a post on this! I have suffered from a mixture of orthorexia and anorexia for the past few years, and I can personally say that orthorexia is just as dangerous as anorexia! With all of the focus on “clean eating” lately I believe people are just fueling this disease. It is sad because most people don’t realize they have an eating disorder until things are no longer in their control any more. Through recovery I am learning moderation is the key to a true healthy lifestyle. Thank you again for raising awareness about this eating disorder, as it truly is just as harmful as the rest and yet it seems to go mostly unnoticed!

I love this post. It is very helpful for me. It is a great reminder that stress is deadly.

Oh, I love this post. I feel like lately I am in danger of this. I have put a huge focus on nutritional eating, planned meals, etc. And I have started eating the same thing every. single. day, because I know it’s healthy. But.

But.

I am enjoying VERY MUCH the things I am eating, which is why I’m sticking to a few things now, until I get sick of them. Also, I am definitely one to splurge, but then I do feel very, very guilty afterwards. I am starting to get hard on myself for the few handfuls of chocolate chips I have after supper. And that’s not cool. I have lately been feeling superior and pretty self-righteous about how much better I am eating than others.

Time to take a step back. Splurges are good, enjoying my food is key. Don’t be self-righteous. Everyone is different.

Whew.

Thank you, Katie!

I told my M.D. yesterday that my eating regimine gave me a certain degree of anxiety. I want to learn more about this Orthorexia Nervosa…..I’m so “worried” about adhering to somewhat of a diabetic “diet”…..OR ELSE! At one time in my life I was Vegan (7-8 years), now my son is on a “caveman diet”……all protein. The hype for all the various “diets” is so convincing in each of their respects! So, I don’t know that my “diet” could be catagorized…..but of course I worry about the every 3 month A1C test. And……….of course in the evening, I must have my sweet “need” satisfied. Then if I have ice cream, well, then I “fail”, and the same is true if I have any potatoes, bread or carbohydrates. Guess, you already know, I gravitated to or found CCK – searching for ideas or recipes that will help me get my evening cravings – satisfied and not have the anxiety or consequences of to much of whatever – I am “Type II” taking oral meds, and want so bad to reverse this diabetic crapola.

I’m totaly agree with you. I have regrets we are not in a perfect world with only unprocessed foods, but balance is a healthy way to enjoy life as she are. You know what? You are my favorite bloggers!!!!

Audrey Potvin, diet technician (sorry for my English writting), I speak french but its easy for me to read you)

Excellent article. I found one of your receipes and made it a week ago, looked at your site for seconds only,had all the ingredients and like u got the basics and winged it. But as the universe would have it your site crossed my path more than once since then and this lazy Sun. Morning I found myself on your site actually looking around for an hr or so. This article hit home. I do have this disorder. Whew hard to say but it is so. I’ve been working on it, I became neurotic about food! I realize it was a control thing, it was the only thing I could control in my life while everything else was lost!!!! I needed this, another stepping stone on the way to balance!! Thank you for your hard work & honesty!

This is very insightful, I have never heard of Orthorexia nervosa before. But I have heard something of being obsessively concerned of one’s diet. So its nice to see a name for it. I made a comment before about how I like seeing things here that I will actually allow myself to eat, well I want to make that clear. I am a type 1 diabetic, so when it comes to sugary things, or high glucose things, I have them rarely. I usually make them myself too. I haven’t had any grains or actual candy in over 4 years. I do feel guilty sometimes but it is more from high fat and high protein meals that end up bringing my glucose numbers high because of gluconeogenesis (that is the breakdown of protein and fat into glucose, if you don’t know). I am also trying to do the supposed impossible and heal myself from this terrible disease, so thats where my guilt resides as well, when I do something bad. But as for healthy people, there is no need to obsess, and I don’t think I need to obsess as well. I can see someone being Orthorexia nervosa being very stressed and having chronic stress is no way to live.

Thank you so much Katie for this post! In February, 2014, I was discharged from my part-time hospitalization because I was diagnosed with Anorexia. I was doing really, really well after I got discharged! I would have a slice of pizza, chocolate cake, and even candies. But now I can’t find myself the eat those. I feel so guilty afterwords. I feel as though I will gain weight. I’m not trying to lose weight I’m just trying to eat healthy all the time and it is really affecting my life. I fit all the categories of having Orthorexia Nervosa. I am trying really hard but my eating disorder is still really strong. I am trying to fight it by myself, without telling my parents. This post is really motivating me to have that slice of cake. I will recover slowly by adding a little bit of sugar at a time, I don’t want to overload. Thanks Katie! 🙂

Someone said ” moderation in all things, including moderation. ”
Keep up the good work, Katie.

9 pages of comments, no wonder this is a very important topic and i’m glad you wrote about it. thanks katie for addressing this immensely important. these days people try stuff like paleo diets because our ancestors ate that and its pure and all that, but nowadays we have so much more options so why leave it all to waste? what’s the point of life if we dont enjoy it (in moderation of course)? you read a magazine and you see celebrities and all the smoothies and cleansers they try and the tough workouts they do and how it can help you and you really need it. but these celebrities are only doing it because they need to lose weight for the red carpet. they don’t need to build muscle, they don’t need to get abs, they need to lose weight. but realistically? everyday people like me and you don’t need to lose weight to fit into a size 4 dress. what helps the most is building muscle. and muscle helps you burn fat, fast, and helps you to get the healthiest you can be. and how do we do this? not 2- hour long sessions at the gym. try rock climbing! soccer! something fun that doesn’t help you get a tiny waist, but a strong waist and a strong, healthy body. that’s how. and for food? whole, nutritious food. the kind that our ancestors ate, plus more. stuff to enjoy a full, healthy, whole, happy life. thanks.

Hi! 2 years ago I was actually diagnosed with orthorexia and was down to 75 pounds two weeks before graduating college. I was a collegiate d1 soccer player and started to focus a lot on health as I was becoming captain. Was the worst thing I could have ever asked for. But I made it. Without any help (besides friends and family of course). Summer 2015 I decided I could not be this weak and isolated anymore and made changes. I want my competitive physicality back. So I began to eat more and workout. Of course this took me the long route to recovery, but since I have won many marathons and shorter races. As well as, 40 miles and weight lifting everyday. I am up to my healthy weight and feel amazing. I still struggle with eating choices but orthorexia is never an option for me again!

i am just so scared to eat currently!! Like i have lost 26kg and yes i’m super proud of myself but i’m just so scared to gain everything back. I’m so hungry right now but I’ve already had one snack today and I ate lunch just over an hour ago. Mind you, I feel so flat with no energy. I’ve recently gone vegan and I feel great but I don’t think it’s the right decision because it’s making me more and more restrictive. I’m even too scared to have nuts because they’re fat, but I know they’re good fats. I’m very unsure on what to do, please help!!