As a young female, I understand that there are so many unrealistic
expectations in today's society for us young girls. The media tells us that we
need to dress a certain way, look a certain way and even eat a certain way. If
you look through any magazine, I am 100% certain that almost every single one
of them will have some raving new articles with titles like "How to Lose
Fat Fast", "Kim Kardashian's New Diet (or insert other celebrity name)" or "Tips on
Getting That Summer Body". All of these expectations and 'standards' create so many body image problems and it is so sad to see
that it affects negatively in so many young girls. (To be fair, I will also
mention that some young men can also be affected by the stereotypical
expectations to be built and 'muscley', although majority of the
time, girls are more likely to experience body image problems).
As a result, many young people go through unhealthy eating cycles and habits in
order to try and achieve the ultimate ‘ideal’ body and feel good about
themselves.
This is WRONG.
Fad diets come and they go. How many of you have ever tried
crash dieting where you starve yourself? Or cut out having every type of food except a
salad or something along that line? And how long did that last? Not very long right? People binge. People vomit their food.
People starve. People over-obsess about their body. They diet in such an
unhealthy way that they don't realise that it's not helping them at all, physically
or mentally.
This is where nutrition comes in. As a nutrition student (and future
dietitian hehe), I believe that the most important thing is to be H E A L T H Y.
It is not about being skinny or being the most built or 'muscley' person. Everyone
is unique and we all have different body types, so it is not always possible for everyone
to be six feet tall and a size six. I believe in counting nutrition,
not counting calories or kilojoules. Although it is important to an extent,
however, in reality, we as humans eat food. We don't just eat
one protein, or carbohydrate or fat. We eat breads and meat, fruits and vegetables. Foods can and should be eaten in moderation. We are supposed to ENJOY food. Food bring
people together and they can define cultures and backgrounds. Most importantly, they
are essential for our lives, our health and well-being. That is why I believe
that being healthy is a lifestyle and it is all about balance!
Yes. ONE meal will not make a difference
However, by putting in consistent effort to have a balanced lifestyle by staying active and eating healthy meals everyday WILL. As they say, "Old Habits Die Hard" - which is why it is a lot easier to make small and gradual lifestyle changes instead of just jumping on the bandwagon and then relapse one week later.
Until next time..
- Fitria
