The Price to Pay for Eating Healthy

Being healthy is more than shooting Instagram-worthy photos of your freshly baked, sugar-free, oat-bran muffins (although, those do sound absolutely delicious, and I would totally go for one anytime). It’s more than planning your next healthy potluck via perusing Pinterest during lecture, or ordering fancy teas you saw in a Facebook ad because of claims they’ll “detox” your body. I’m not saying these things are bad. They’re not. In fact, if your #cleaneating caption actually gets you to eat clean then that’s great. But, it’s important to note that commitment to a healthy lifestyle is exactly that – a commitment – and likewise it will involve a degree of sacrifice. As I’m sure most of you that are health-conscious know, real healthy eating – that is, the kind which encourages you to nourish your body according to your unique nutrient needs, not the fad-diet type way that promises cure-all cleanses that will certainly (um, no) work for everyone – poses its own challenges and constraints. To be honest, most of the time, following a healthy diet isn’t going to be a (cake-less) celebration.

Of course, there’s the actual expenses that naturally accompany a healthy lifestyle –– the whole-wheat everything, unprocessed snacks, artisan granola bars… – you know, the whole nine yards – but there’s also some prices that do not involve cash.

Price #1: The faulty assumptions. For some reason, too often people hear that I’m a dietetics major and assume that everything I put into the body is healthy, quality food. Once I was at dinner and a friend looked at the small pile of white potatoes on my plate and excitedly exclaimed, “If Dena’s eating it, it must be healthy!” and then proceeded to fill up half her plate with potatoes. Haha as if I eat only healthy. First off, I’d like to say that I am honored that people consider me strong-willed enough to eat only “healthy” foods all the time, but that is very far from the truth. As a college student, one of the key ideas I believe in is moderation, which, in other words, means that I eat mostly healthy most of the time. It’s okay to have a small portion of sliced potatoes because, in that amount, white potatoes are healthy – which is what I proceeded to explain to my friend that evening over my (mostly healthy) dinner. I strongly believe that in order to sustain a healthy diet, you must allow yourself the leeway to eat some “unhealthy” foods. Also, working on being okay with hearing some wrong assumptions about your healthy self from time to time can’t hurt either. In my experience, it doesn’t take too long to get used to. Likewise, another faulty assumption I encounter often is that I don’t eat dessert. It usually goes something like, “We would offer you dessert, except we won’t, since we know you won’t eat it.” Um what basis do you have for this exactly? Can you please bring some empirical evidence to prove that I, Dena Gershkovich, will not devour your (insert any chocolate dessert here)? As I mentioned, I am a firm believer of eating in moderation; I don’t see anything wrong with indulging every so often. I’m not guaranteeing that I’ll accept (unless it’s chocolate – then it’s a fact that I’ll want), but it shouldn’t matter. Even if us “healthy people” say no, it’s still nice to be considered. The feeling of reaching for the chocolate chip cookie tray after it’s been “decided” that I don’t want any due to my healthiness is an awkwardness that speaks for itself. Price #2: The mental pain of knowing what exactly is happening when you eat a “bad” food. I understand that this “price” may not be applicable for all health-oriented individuals, as my inner dietitian is a bit of a nerd and enjoys researching nutrition in her free time (don’t worry, I promise I still have friends!). Although I do strongly support indulgence in moderation, whenever I eat an “unhealthy” food, I experience this guilt sort of feeling. Even when I decide to indulge, it’s difficult for me to be completely okay with it, because I understand how the nutrients I’m ingesting will manifest once they’re digested. I know that as soon as my body uses up the glucose in my dessert, my body’s glycogen stores will fill up, and then the remaining sugar will be stored as fat. I know the ill effects colorings, chemicals and additives commonly found in “cheat” foods have on the body. Often times when I chose unhealthy over healthy foods, I feel like I’m missing an opportunity to nourish my body optimally.

Price #3: Having higher standards for food. Through personal experience, I’ve found this to be true. When you start eating healthfully and minimize processed white sugar and salt in your diet, you’ll start to appreciate the tastes of real, quality food, as your senses will become more attuned to subtle tastes. Good, whole foods will taste even better, and junk food will likely lose its appeal. You may actually end up preferring a Greek salad to pizza (yes, this could really happen!). Many say that after starting to “eat clean” their former fast-food favorites become nauseating at best. Friends all around you may be telling you the fries at the dining hall are excellent, while you might be in more of an “eh, it’s okay” type of mindset. It may become more difficult for you to enjoy foods in a mass produced setting like a college dining hall when you’re used to cooking your own healthy, “clean” food.

Price #4: The price of commitment itself

Commitment means sticking to a goal despite desires to stray from it. I’m sure you could easily name areas of life where you’re exerting characteristic traits of commitment – take the realm of family, friends, or academics, for example. While the results of a commitment are generally well worth the efforts, the journey that will get you there will often be a tough one. The pros of committing to a healthy lifestyle speak for themselves; who wouldn’t want to feel and look great? Dietitians, doctors and researchers have strongly highlighted the benefits of nourishing our bodies with whole, natural foods. However, the challenges are often underplayed or ignored entirely. Being health-conscious is certainly is not an easy task. As with all commitments, it generally involves a lot of planning. Once you have to consider healthy meals, packing for day trips becomes harder (think of all those salad containers and the accompanying coolers you’ll have to stock your car with), and planning to bring your own coffee instead of stopping for that caramel latte with whipped cream on the way to your 8:00am despite your current I’d-rather-be-anywhere-but-here mood poses obvious struggles.

However, despite this “price,” remember that the seriousness of your commitment is measured by your willingness to say no when you all you want to do is scream yes. It’s packing those coolers despite the need to pay for a locker in the amusement park. It’s walking past the coffee stand despite your “need” for a pumpkin spice latte. Once you’re on the go, as we all are while in college, there is even less time for preparation, and keeping up the healthy commitment becomes that much more complicated. However, the results, consequently, become that much more rewarding.

At the end of the day, know that by eating healthfully you aren’t missing out, but rather cueing in. If you understand the wonders that accompany a healthy diet, you also know that ultimately, the “prices” are minimal compared to the benefits of eating healthfully. Oscar Wilde once said, “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Sometimes it’s the value rather than the price that we should give attention to.