With food bloggers and Instagrammers being accused of promoting the rise of so-called ‘clean eating’, Celia Jarvis explores how negative emotions such as guilt around ‘wrong’ foods could be a sign of what some consider to be a new kind of eating disorder
It’s 7am in East London, and Pinakin Patel has just completed an hour of yoga and now he’s ready for his breakfast. Like every other morning, Pinakin will start his day with a glass of orange juice, followed by fresh fruit and then some dried fruit. For his 11am snack he’ll enjoy a carrot, cucumber and broccoli salad, finished off with five almonds, five cashew nuts and exactly 10 black grapes. At around midday Pinakin will have his last meal of the day, a vegetable curry, before heading out for a five-mile walk.
While some may view Pinakin as an extremely healthy eater, could he also be crossing the line towards orthorexia nervosa?
Orthorexia, from orthos meaning straight or right and orexis meaning appetite, is literally the fixation on correct eating. The term was first coined in 1997, in an essay written by Steven Bratman for Yoga Journal. Bratman described it as: “an unhealthy fixation with what the individual considers to be healthy eating.”1
Orthorexia usually starts with the desire to cut out foods considered to be unhealthy, such as processed, sugary or fatty foods, and increase the intake of fresh foods. However, the problem begins when healthy eating turns obsessive and the list of forbidden foods gets longer. Refined carbohydrates, dairy, sugar and meat are commonly removed from the diet. Fruit and vegetables remain but in some cases only if they’re organic, locally-grown and GM-free. Such a restricted diet inevitably leads to weight-loss. However, unlike anorexia and bulimia, the focus of orthorexia is on healthy eating and any weight-loss is incidental.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Summer Of
Summer is when we want to be out and about, as the warm embrace of the sofa on a cold winter’s night becomes a distant memory. So where do you go when the brain is willing but the body just can’t cut it at the same level of performance that it managed decades ago? Graeme Wilcockson reviews a few ways to satisfy those competitive weekend instincts that will tax both mind and body — yet leave you able to move on Monday morning
Common Kitchen Practices Making Us Sick
Every year, thousands of us fall sick from food poisoning because of how we have handled food. Louise Scodie and Louise Wates look at common ways in which we are going wrong
Could Antioxidants Save Our Bacan?
Nitrates and nitrites have long been linked to cancer. We look at how they are part of a chain reaction that may not always be harmful to human health... So what’s the case with bacon?
Eat For A Glow That Is More Than Skin Deep
Now that summer is here, it’s time to peel off the layers and make some vitamin D. But if your skin isn’t as peachy as you would like, or if you are worried about staying safe in the sun, find out how good nutrition may support your skin’s health. Maggie Charlesworth writes
Natural Beauty
If headlines about microbeads from cosmetics polluting our seas have got you wondering how you can do your bit for the environment, try using nature’s harvest to feed your skin. Hannah Maryse Robinson writes
A Summer Selection Of Goods And Goodies
Lazy Vegan frozen Chunky Pulled Peaz is a gluten-free, plant-based protein source suitable for vegans and — with a substantial texture — flexitarians.
Do Something Different
As many of us are concerned about keeping our brains active, Ellie Smith investigates whether trying something completely new could boost both our brain health and mental wellbeing
Lifting Weights, Lifting Confidence
When Bianca Mills was bullied at school she could not have dreamt that she would be able to speak in front of a group of women, let alone coach them in lifting free weights. She told Louise Wates why she believes buddying-up is just as important as physical strength for fostering confidence
Teaching Children How To Forage
Catherine Morgan finds out how foraging can teach children (and adults) about more than nature’s store cupboard, and can foster an understanding of and respect for the environment.
Keep Calm And Curry On
In August, India celebrates the anniversary of Indian Independence, yet the Anglo-Indian community, a legacy of the British Raj with its roots in European and Indian ancestry, still treads the cultural line between both communities. Jenny Mallin, author of A Grandmother’s Legacy, tells us about the fusion food in her family and recipes passed down through the generations
