If you open my kitchen cabinet, you’ll find an assortment of protein powders and vitamins.
I wear athletic wear and running shoes almost every day to class, and I’ve been referred to as “that girl who’s always at the gym” more times than I can count. Some of my friends have said I’m the “epitome of health.”
But there’s another side of me.
I shamelessly eat one dessert a day and I have a soft spot for boba tea and doughnuts.
Too many people are scared of foods that aren’t 100 percent nutritional, but the truth is as long as you are maintaining a balanced diet, there is nothing wrong in indulging — even if it’s every day.
I’m tired of seeing people shame others for eating desserts or saying they can’t eat something because it’s not good for them.
Yes, there are foods that can be bad for you if you eat too much too often, but everything should be in moderation. It’s about balance. The fats and carbs in desserts shouldn’t be scary. You need fats and carbs to survive.
When trying to be healthy, I see far too many people who have excessively strict diets and end up binging on junk food or quitting eating healthy altogether.
Researchers at the University of Toronto discovered that cutting out specific foods in a diet makes it harder to stick to a plan and removing chocolate from your diet just for a week can lead to extreme cravings.
This is why it’s better to eat a dessert you love every day because you’ll eat a smaller portion and be less tempted to binge.
Adam Bornstein, New York Times best-selling author and founder of Born Fitness, said if you’re avoiding desserts because you’re worried about your weight or trying to lose some pounds, not eating certain foods is not the solution to your problems.
“Stuff yourself with gluten- free, dairy-free, sugar- free foods, and you can still pack on the pounds,” Bornstein said in his article “Why Eating Dessert on Your Diet Is Pretty Much Necessary for Losing Weight.”
We have a tendency to have such a negative relationship with food, and it’s time to start creating positive relationships.
There are already so many things to stress about in life, why worry about eating something that tastes good and that you love? Life is too short to not eat that chocolate.
