Bananas are Not Bad for You, and Other Lies from "Diet” Culture

First of all, and for the love of all that’s holy, CARBS ARE NOT BAD FOR YOU! Eat carbs! (Actually we don’t even eat “carbs” we EAT FOOD!) Eat all the foods!** There is NO magical “eat this, not that” list!

We don’t even eat macros (unless you’re being fed by a tube or an IV), we eat FOOD, which has macro (carbs, fat, protein) and micro (vitamins, minerals, and other chemical compounds from food) nutrients that are the (scientifically named) compounds of food that nourish and fuel our body - for the every day processes of living, as well as for the additional repairing, replenishing, and healing that the body may need - because, well, life isn’t always easy!

So eat the banana - any fruit for that matter, and the grains, and the starchy veggies (think potatoes and corn)! And you know what? You can have cake, too! Go for it! Really! You choose! Feel like cake? Eat it! Or an apple? Eat that, too! I mean it.

Carbohydrates (all become glucose in the blood - some more quickly than others though - nutrition and health science to learn about here ) fuel the body! And many “carb” containing foods have many other good-for-you nutrients like fiber and vitamins, minerals, etc (like the banana); some even come with that and more - like always sought after protein (did you know 1/2 cup of oats or a slice of bread can add 5 g of protein to your meal?)!

So, YES, bananas are good for you - as is all fruit, and so is bread, potatoes, and the list of foods - you may have been told to avoid - goes on!

More importantly, whatever you do, please get off the (fad, restrictive, do not eat list) “diet” train! It’s a time and money suck, full of lies. After 20 years of practicing as a Dietitian I’ve yet to meet anyone that can eat “low carb” for life to manage their weight in a healthy manner (mentally and/or physically). You may feel like you can, and maybe you do for a bit, but let’s be honest that you probably also fall off that low carb wagon at times, feel guilty, eat more carbs (or overeat in general) than you would have, gain weight, then restart the low carb diet all over again. Frankly, it’s also a slippery slope to potentially disordered eating, or at the least disturbing your peace with food, your life and body, and sending negative diet and weight stigma messages to young people (your kids are watching!).

The current (most often negative and quite toxic actually) “diet” industry and culture has not helped the world get any lighter (not saying that we all need to focus on that, either - another talk for another time but basically eating disorders are more common than breast cancer!). Well in the beginning, your “diet” may have led you to believe it “worked” (i.e. lost weight), which falsely reinforces that you should continue to “diet,” but eventually it just lets you down - hard. It gets harder and harder to maintain (i.e. eat the same foods over and over again and deny yourself the foods you love), and can even be dangerous (mentally and physically). Eventually your mind and body comes to a screeching halt! You can even become physically unhealthy from an overly restrictive or mis-informed “diet.” Or what most feel is worse (unfortunate, right?) the weight loss stops - which isn’t that the point of all this torture? Or your mind can no longer tolerate being emotionally, mentally, and socially restricted. And then you stop. Then you feel bad. (Then you probably eat less nutritious than you did in the first place.) Then when you can muster up the energy, you repeat the whole cycle again. Phooey.

Stop right there, though, and give yourself a break. IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT! “Diets don’t work.” You my friend were set up for failure by an industry that loves your money (of course the “diet” industry loves us -they work hard at trying to get you to give them money!). They prey on our fears and weakness of being bigger vs smaller, or having more body fat that others, or gaining body fat with age (which is another topic for another day but basically is crap, too - because we all come in different shapes and sizes and that’s fine, too!). The “diet” industry is ready to pounce on us, and our wallets, from any angle! Unfortunately though, along with missing out on many nourishing foods - like the : ) banana - the ultimate cost is your peace.

So Stop! It’s not helping, working, fixing any problems -and it’s most likely making things worse (burying your metabolism actually - along with your self esteem, time, and energy - because your body figures out what you’re up to and the next time you diet it will put the brakes on things for you).

The first step is getting off that “diet” wheel. Step 2 is educating yourself about YOU! Check in with your doctor to review your health - current and potential/future risks. Then start learning more about the evidenced based sciences (nutrition included) for improving and/or maintaining a healthy mind and body. Obviously, I recommend working with a Registered Dietitian who can help you build your nutrition knowledge, goals, and action plan. And this takes TIME! Time to trust yourself, and time to figure out how to enjoy, nourishing meals. There is no “I lost 10 pounds in the first week (while holding hands on your hips proudly)! Weight (body fat) reduction does not need to (or should) happen overnight! And does not require you to give up bananas, or cake! : )

You never needed to starve or deprive yourself of an entire group of nutrients or foods - it was all lies - for some to make money off your fears and vulnerabilities. (and again, we need to talk another time about weight and body stigma in our culture!) Your body needs, tolerates, and/or even enjoys all the food - yes, even “carbs”!

Not being on a restrictive “diet” is liberating, and healthy! You focus on YOU! When you start to make peace with you, your body, and with all the foods (carbs too!), you can work towards eating well for good health - that makes you feel good -inside and out!

So stop the “diet” madness, GET INFORMED about your health, your body’s needs (nutrition, activity, love, peace, fun - all the things), and yes you can “have your cake and eat it, too!”

-Bridget

**Obviously there are some allergies, rare diseases, disorders, and syndromes that require some individuals to avoid specific foods, food groups, or nutrients, so please follow your doctor’s orders regarding any specific dietary limitations or restrictions. This blog post is intended for those people that unnecessarily restrict specific foods from their diet to achieve weight loss or a certain body physique, and is NOT intended to replace any doctor’s orders or individual medial nutrition therapy recommendations.