10 Ways to Get Healthier Without Dieting
Because of the diet culture we live in, when someone says they want to get healthier, what they usually mean is they wan to lose weight. But more often than not, dieting harms health rather than promoting it. This post shares ways to get healthier without dieting.
The following is an excerpt from my book, Gentle Nutrition, which will be available Feb 23rd. Preorder today on Amazon or Bookshop. I greatly appreciate your preorder, as preorders are something that can make or break a book launch! The list of 15 ways to get healthier without dieting is exclusive content to the blog.
What comes to mind when someone tells you about their plans to “get healthy?”
My guess is when most people say they are “getting healthy,” they don’t mean seeing a therapist, meditating, getting enough sleep, or spending more time with family, driving the speed limit, getting vaccinated, practicing safe sex, purchasing better health insurance, getting a job that pays more money, or moving to an area with less pollution.
For most people, “get healthy” is code for losing weight. It means exercising more, eating less, and eating “healthier,” according to whatever diet is currently in vogue. It may even mean following a rigid weight loss plan—often one that is fairly explicitly unhealthy, eliminating entire food groups and/or requiring dangerously low levels of caloric intake. That’s because health is viewed superficially as an outcome of food, fitness, and the number on the scale.
It’s understandable. What do you see decorating almost every single doctor’s office? A BMI chart. No matter your size, it’s impossible to leave a visit without some kind of commentary about weight, whether it’s a stern conversation about the need to lose weight (you were just there for a sore throat!), or a reminder to “be careful” and not gain because your weight is OK now. Weight is hammered into us as the most important predictor of health. It’s as if a “normal” BMI imbued some kind of immortality and a higher BMI were a death sentence.
Because of this, food and fitness get put up on a pedestal as the primary means to improve health with the assumption being that health is a personal choice, something you earn by getting every bite of food just “right” and sticking to rigid exercise routines. But health is not a choice, and weight is not an important determinant of it either. And even if health was all about weight, the fact would still be that weight is more complex than diet and exercise, with over 100 factors influencing the number on the scale. Yet, the mainstream belief is still that weight equals health, which is why the misguided “eat less, move more” has become the prevailing motto on how to take care of your body.
This belief that dieting and weight loss is an effective way to improve health is a misguided one, perpetuated by a diet industry that’s infiltrated healthcare. While much of health is outside of our control, there are many ways we can get healthier without dieting - not to mention the fact that dieting more commonly results in being less healthy. Here’s 10 ways to get healthier without dieting:
Schedule a zoom or socially distant dinner date with a friend. Human beings evolved to connect over food, and while that may be harder to do right now, it’s still possible thanks to technology!
Get your flu shot. We need to protect our healthcare system from having two pandemics at once, and early research shows getting a flu shot may protect you against COVID.
Watch a funny TV show (without the distraction of your phone!). Let yourself laugh out loud. Currently recommend PEN15, Schitt’s Creek, and Big Mouth.
Start a garden. It’s a great way to get more active, soak up some vitamin D, and eat more produce (that is, if you don’t kill everything in said garden, like the hubs and I do each year).
If it’s accessible to you, make an appointment with a therapist. Mental health is health too.
Start your morning with a light stretch or a brief walk outside. Gentle movement to start the day can have a huge impact on your mood. I’ve personally noticed a huge difference myself with my husband taking over the morning dog walking duties now that he’s working from home. I started more intentionally bringing some gentle movement in early in the day, and it really does make me feel better physically and mentally.
- Start turning off your phone 30-60 minutes before going to bed. Instead of doom-scrolling twitter or mindlessly checking out instagram, read a book for pleasure. I’m currently reading an advance copy of my friend Alissa’s book, Unapologetic Eating, which I highly recommend. Next on my list is The Radium Girls, which I became fascinated with after a podcast episode.
8. Do a daily puzzle. Think of it like a brain workout! Sign up for the NYT daily crossword, which my mom and husband do every single day.
9. Volunteer with an organization you care about.
10. Vote tomorrow for candidates that support access to free/affordable healthcare, environmental protections, and have plans to address income and racial inequality. We are only as healthy as the community we live in. And after the election, advocate for policies that promote free/affordable healthcare, environmental protections, income and racial inequality, because our work isn’t done on November 3rd!
Remember, dieting is a distraction from the things that matter, the things that promote real health and wellness.
What non-dieting things are you doing to improve health?
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