Dear Reader,

What does healthy eating look like? Oftentimes, we imagine something like a green salad, lean protein, (maybe) some carbs, water, and not a dessert in sight.

But this illustration of the healthy lifestyle is not just wrong, but its skewed version of reality can set us up for resignation. Any moment we’re not exemplifying perfection, it can feel like failure.

The reality is, no healthy person actually lives like this all the time. In reality it looks… kind of unhealthy?

Here are three common misconceptions about the healthy diet:

Misconception 1: Eating healthier means never taking shortcuts

I steam my broccoli in the microwave. It's something I learned from Japanese bento box culture: just 1-2 minutes in a covered glass bowl. I can't even remember the last time I used a pot to cook broccoli.

There is sometimes a strange sort of pretentiousness to healthy cooking, that it must be done to an artistic caliber, in the most precise and old-fashioned way possible.

Yet the truth is that if I had to use a pot to boil or steam my broccoli in water every time I wanted to have it for lunch or dinner, I would probably end up forgoing the vegetable more often than not.

But even if I am tired, stressed, overwhelmed, and hungry, I can usually find the time to wash, chop, and microwave broccoli. Served with salt and crushed sesame seeds, or a light dollop of mayo, it turns into an extra vegetable serving that I otherwise wouldn’t have had.

For broccoli steamed in the microwave is still broccoli.

Misconception 2: Eating healthier means not eating desserts/fried foods/etc.

I just about have something sweet and “unhealthy” every day. It’s not because I’m some gluttonous monster, but it’s because I’m human.

It’s a reflection of my favorite idea that I’ve derived from living in Japan, which is that healthy eating is not never eating unhealthy foods, but to develop a relationship with it where it is not put on a pedestal as a rare vice, but seen as it truly is: food.

One psychology experiment found that individuals when told they were going to go on a diet for a week, would eat significantly more food than those who were not given such a restriction, suggesting that just the mere planning of going on a diet can trigger overeating.

On the flip side, a different psychology experiment found that when individuals were told they were going to have an indulgent dessert after their meal, the participants ended up choosing healthier meals and consuming less calories overall, suggesting that the mere planning of eating something a little less healthy can help us make better decisions before the fact.

This doesn’t mean we should snack and eat desserts with abandon — the importance of mindfulness and thoughtfulness about our choices still stands — but sometimes the healthier choice may not be the one of restraint, but of indulgence.

Misconception 3: Eating healthier means eating less

There is some truth in the statement that we need to pay attention to overeating, but there is a very fine line between “eating less” and “not eating enough” (ie. Japanese harahachi-bunme, or 80% full), and many people tend to find themselves falling into the latter when going on a healthy diet.

For we are often made to believe that we need to do something drastic to live out a healthy life — going on a juice cleanse, a salad-only diet, no carbohydrates whatsoever — and consequently equating the feeling of hunger with health, and fullness with a loss of discipline.

But a truly healthy diet flips this on its head: when we are constantly hungry, we are not healthy. When we feel full and satisfied after our meals, and for long stretches of time, we are eating in accordance with our body’s needs. This means eating plenty of vegetables, fresh fruit, fiber-rich whole grains, and nutrient-dense proteins: a focus on eating more, not less.

The added benefit is that instead of becoming preoccupied with everything you are doing “wrong”, we spend our energy eating more nutrient-dense and filling food, which builds our confidence and our motivation. Feeling better about our bodies rather than trapped by it.

So your “unhealthy” habits? Maybe not so unhealthy after all.

What’s one small change you’ve made recently to improve your health, and what impact has it had?

What's a habit that you still struggle with?

Let me know! I read everything that comes my way 😊

Warmly,

Kaki

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