“Is [insert any random food] food bad for me?”
This is a very common question that I get from people whether they be clients or a person sitting next to me on a plane after they learned that I’m a nutritionist. I still don’t have a good standard answer to this question as it depends (that is usually my answer!).
Do you know what is bad for you?
Arsenic, cyanide, and if you are a dog – chocolate.
Everything else is negotiable.
The dose makes the poison, as does the frequency of consumption.
Piece of white bread slathered in trans fat containing margarine? One slice won’t kill you, it won’t do anything for you other than make you want to have another slice.
Part of the problem with this question has to do with how people look at their diets. People want to know how much damage a food will do so that they can determine how frequently they can have it without lowering their health status to a level below what they deem acceptable (this level widely varies from person to person). (that sentence was a little long, maybe wordy…but read it again as it is important).
The “is this food bad for me” line of questioning reveals a mindset problem. Why would you be looking for the worst possible level in which you would treat yourself?
I notice a distinct shift in clients (some never make it) where they modify their thinking from:
“how bad is this for me”
to
“will this keep me healthy and moving towards my goal”
No one food is good or bad for you. But how you look at selecting the foods you eat has major implications on your long term success and health.
