I hear this type question all the time; “Is coffee bad?” “Is milk bad?” “Is oatmeal bad?” “Is [insert any kind of food here] bad?” I want to set the record straight, once and for all. There is no food that is “bad”. Not even doughnuts. I know, you’re totally shocked to hear that coming from me, but it’s true. Pick your jaw up off the floor and let me explain…
The best food choices you can make completely depends on your goals, your current health and physical status, your genetics, etc. Dairy foods are probably not a good choice for you if it upsets your stomach, if you have autoimmune disease, or if you are struggling to lose weight. If you’re an adolescent football player trying to build muscle, drinking grass-fed whole milk every day may be a great choice for you.
I see this “bad food” logic applied all the time to carbs in general. I’ve read and heard tons of information about carbs being bad, and I’ve also seen tons of information about how NOT eating carbs can be bad. In my personal training courses and in my search for nutrition education organizations in the past, I saw and heard a lot of these blanket statements. One nutrition organization declared that low carb diets were only good for quick fluid loss and also caused muscle loss. I ran as quickly as I could in the other direction! A low carb/ ketogenic diet can be life changing for someone with a neurological condition, as it can be healing for the brain. Properly done ketogenic diets can actually be an excellent tool for maintaining muscle while losing fat (contrary to what that previously mentioned nutrition organization told me), but they definitely aren’t for everyone. It all depends on who you are, what your goals are, and how your body responds. It’s no wonder there is so much confusion out there about how the heck you should be eating!
You've probably seen information regarding coffee, and how recent research has proven that it's incredibly healthy. And if you're like me, you do your happy dance and fill another mug. And then you see another article about how some other research has shown that coffee actually isn't good for you! So what the heck?! The fact is, the outcome of the research depends on who they're doing the research on. Some people can metabolize caffeine quickly and can enjoy the benefits of the antioxidants that several cups of coffee daily provides. Others don't metabolize caffeine so well, and the antioxidant benefits are outweighed by the negative impact from the caffeine. Not everyone reacts the same way to the same foods!
To decide whether or not a certain food choice is a “good” one or a “bad” one, you first need to be clear on what your goals are. Maybe you’re trying to lose some fat. In this case, eating a doughnut probably won’t get you closer to that goal. And even though you LOVE doughnuts and eating them brings you intense joy (except for the guilt you feel afterward) you swear them off and banish them from your life. Until you don’t. Because at some point, your willpower runs out, your cravings get the better of you, and you find yourself diving headfirst into two dozen chocolate glazed doughnuts. It’s pure ecstasy! And then suddenly, it’s pure guilt and self hatred. So you go back on your diet, and you restrict yourself even more to punish yourself for eating such “bad” food and allowing yourself to go so far off track. And the cycle continues…
A better way to move toward your weight loss goal if you’re a behind the scenes junk food lover, would be to choose nutritious meals that will contribute to your weight loss goals most of the time, while choosing meals that make you happy and fulfill your cravings some of the time. This approach can really help you in the sanity department. Choosing doughnuts once a week may help you stay on track with healthier meals for the rest of the week. Just knowing that you’ll get that doughnut on Sunday makes it easier for you to stick with real food on Monday through Saturday. Eating a few doughnuts once a week to maintain your sanity and help you stay on track with the rest of your meals is NOT a bad choice! In this case, it can actually help you eat more nutritious foods the rest of the time, and I’d tell you to go eat some doughnuts! But stop calling it “cheating” don’t feel guilty for it!
When you’re wondering if it’s “ok” to eat something, think about your long term goal. Will this food help you move closer toward that goal, or farther from that goal? If it will move you closer to your goal, then it’s probably a good choice! If it will slow your progress toward your goal, then you need to decide if it’s worth it. Figure out why you want it... maybe you're just feeling bored or lonely, and can come up with another way to feel fulfilled. In some cases, you’ll decide that heck yes, it’s worth it! Other times, you’ll know it isn’t, and you should stick with a healthier choice. Just pay attention to your goals, notice how you feel after eating different foods, and be aware of how your body responds. Keep a food journal and take notes about how well you sleep, what your energy levels are like, and when you don’t feel so good. Over time, you will be able to figure out when certain foods are good choices for you to eat and when they aren’t, and when veering off the path toward your long term goals may be worth it. As long as everything you eat is always consciously chosen, rather than uncontrollably shoved down your throat, there are no bad foods and no shame in eating them!
Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming that doughnuts are healthy and you should always eat them. So don't go out and buy and dozen, and claim that I told you to do it!
