Is healthy the new unhealthy?

A recent encounter with a slice of raw food "cheesecake" that was so nauseatingly sweet, had the texture of hair mousse (what is this called? Mouthfeel? And yes, I have unfortunately eaten hair mousse, but maybe more of that later), that induced a gag-reflex that almost got the better of me, and that left me with an explosive headache to rival Mount Etna for hours afterwards, got me thinking about the burgeoning trend for "healthy eating" and really just how healthy is healthy? By the way, I use the term "cheesecake" loosely, as this was vegan cheesecake and so, just to add insult to injury, there was actually no cheese in it, but that's not the point. Or maybe it is?

It seems that every 2nd person I meet these days is on some kind of healthy food regimen or restricted diet. They no longer eat x, y or z because it's (supposed to be) bad for them, or they are eating x, y or z because it's the new superfood and possesses miraculous life-enhancing properties. There seem to be so many restrictions in what people are eating or, more to the point, allowing themselves to eat, that I often wonder about how far the balance has tipped. Sure, a diet of fast food, doughnuts and cola is not the way to go, but has the search for the Holy Kale somehow got the better of the rest of us? And just what is the new Quinoa? Actually, the Huffington Post has the answer, in case you were worried.

A recent article in the UK's Daily Telegraph reported an alarming rise in malnourished - mainly middle class - children, who are missing out on vital nutrients due to parents cutting out certain foods or food groups because they are worried about allergies or that the food can be harmful for a miriad of reasons, mostly unfounded. Equally alarming is the increase in incidences of childhood rickets, which is caused by Vitamin D deficiency, partly due to not enough time spent in sunlight but also due to Vitamin D-rich foods such as fatty fish, dairy, liver etc being reduced or eliminated from childrens' diets by over-concerned parents.

This exaggerated focus on food actually has a name, 'orthorexia nervosa'. The term was first used by American doctor Steven Bratman as far back as 1997 after he developed an unhealthy obsession with eating "proper" food. In our quest for the perfect healthy diet, we risk making ourselves more unhealthy, both physically and in some cases, mentally. It seems that no-one wants to admit to just eating a normal, balanced diet anymore.

So when I came across a piece extolling the virtues of Charcoal Lemonade a couple of days ago, I actually laughed out loud. Good grief. Really? Are there really people who want to drink this stuff and furthermore believe that it is good for them? Goop.com, the weekly lifestyle publication curated by Gwyneth Paltrow, seems to think so. If you're curious for more information on this ridiculousness, I am sure that this article will prove to be enlightening.

Whilst I am most certainly an advocate of healthy eating, I also believe that it's OK to pig out from time to time. My mantra is more about eating sensibly. After all, there is so much conflicting information out there, what advice should we actually follow? A few years ago, eggs, butter and milk were amongst the dreaded Evil Foods, to be avoided at all costs. Now, they're amongst the Good Foods. Go figure.

One rule that I follow is that if it is brightly coloured, crunchy and grew on a tree or came from the ground, it's in most cases good for you. And if it's processed, starchy, doughy and white, it's probably best to proceed with caution. That said, it's OK to swap the carrot sticks for carrot cake - just don't eat the whole cake at once. After all, life is for living and enjoyment, and eating should be part of that. There probably is some virtue in many of the popular food trends - it's important, for example, to eat raw food, but just not all the time. Same with the high-protein, low-carb diets. The danger lies in when we allow these trends to take over. Let's just not forget that food should also be about joy.

One of the downfalls of cutting out certain foods or food groups - I exclude genuine health reasons from this - is that the minute we tell ourselves we can't eat something, the urge to eat that particular thing becomes all-pervading, occupying too much time and energy, and failure is more or less a self-fulfilling prophecy. And if (when) we do cave in, the temptation to stuff ourselves can get the better of us, leaving us guilty and miserable, and back where we started or worse. And where's the joy in that?

I'm interested to hear your views, so if you'd like to add to the discussion, you'll find the comments box below. In the meantime, pass the chia seeds.

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