I decided a few years back to start eating as healthy as possible. Since March I cut also meat from my meals and I left only fish. This decision was so easy and I don’t consider as diet, just my way of eating healthy. I don’t have the gallbladder anymore so eating meat was always with pills after, because I didn’t feel so good after. Not eating meat means not taking those pills anymore and it feels great.
What is the definition of diet? Diet can refer to two things: “the kinds of foods a person habitually eats” or, “a special course of food to which a person restricts them, either to lose weight or for medical reasons”.
Dietitian Felicity Curtain says that following restrictive weight-loss diets that call for you to measure precise portions or omit whole foods or meals is quite different to eating a healthy diet, which she views as more about balance (unless you have to restrict certain foods for medical reasons).
“Unless that diet offers you long-term solutions and provides you with extra knowledge and teaches you how to cook healthy foods to fit into your lifestyle, it’s not going to work long term,” says Curtain, who is a spokesperson for the Dietitian’s Association of Australia.
By contrast, she says healthy eating is about, “incorporating little healthy habits that become second nature, and make a really big difference to your health in the long term”.
“It’s framing health as a larger thing than just your weight,” she says.
Even my friends tell me I am on a diet because I don’t eat meat I am not thinking like that. I choose to eat food that makes a big difference to my health in the long term. Also, I choose not to eat food that hurts my health in the long term.
I choose the beast food for me. I still eat donuts but are healthier than the ones other eat.
I still eat desserts, but are not with process sugar. I use maple syrup, agave or honey.
Healthy eating for me is focusing on all the healthy foods. And I can tell you that I have more energy and I feel great. I am also running and that makes me feel even greater.
Not eating meat made me discover other legumes that I forgot about them and is a shame. Now my eating is do diverse and I love it.
I was never on a diet but I always tried to eat healthy. Recipes with fruits and vegetables as raw as possible, soups, legumes and salad are one of the beast way to eat healthy.
Stay healthy and enjoy food and cooking!
Cooking Without Limits 
Congratulations on your healthy journey!
Thank you
Congratulations on your healthy journey. I also have my own rollercoaster healthy journey. And it’s a long process until I finally feel great with my body, mind and health.
And cutting sugar is definitely important.
Thank you. Congrats!
Isn’t it amazing how healthy your body feels when you cut out the sugar and the processed food and eat as wholesome a meal as possible? I recently started on a journey similar to yours, on a whim, but I must say that my body feels wonderful after the switch in the dietary lifestyle. Cheers to exploring and finding the various sources of health from Nature!
So true!
Agree! The changes in your eating habit should be the ones you can keep permanently. And it should not be a struggle or a sacrifice.
Awesome to hear! It’s great to find those foods that make your body feel good. In my case I am trying to lose weight and have tried to do it without measuring portions, but find that I need to count calories and measure portions because it’s a tool to learning how much my body actually needs. I personally try to restrict any kind of refined sugar – including maple syrup or honey – because ANY kind of sugar has bad effects on me, even eating too much fruit. Just eating natural foods didn’t help me lose weight because I still ate too much! Each of us needs to find what works out best and I’m really happy you found your way.
True! I hope you find your way too!
🙂 Yeah, I think I did – I’m 44 pounds down since January 6 of this year with increased muscle mass and a lot less body fat. I have a ways to go though.
I am happy for you!
I wouldn’t say that I “restrict” sugar (other than sugar in fruits) since I never really ate much of it growing up anyway (I was the kid with 1/3 of her Halloween candy left around Christmas), but I DO feel sick after eating “too much” sometimes. Like today, after just a slice of chocolate chocolate chip banana bread (store bought). Could also be some of the other ingredients….
By contrast I ate waaaaaay too much. So I need to watch what I put in. I feel a lot better when I am careful about sugar.
Congratulations on your healthy lifestyle journey!
Thank you
Bună! We still eat meat but we don’t eat it on Wednesdays and Fridays generally, nor on other ‘post’ days, and try to eat fish at least once a week. This ‘diet’ seems to suit us.
Last October I thought I was going to lose my gall bladder and that would have meant even less meat but in the end a ‘stent’ cured the problem.
If is good for you is great! I hope you are well now!
This is a very encouraging post, thank you
Thank you.
Pleasure
I applaud your efforts to improve your eating, no matter if it is a “diet” or actual “healthy eating”. If it works for you, good job!
Interesting thought but “diet” as in the way a person (or group of people) eat tended to evolve because of the availability of certain foods. Some areas didn’t have, for example, salt water fish. Others might not have certain types of vegetables or grains. The standard fare tended to evolve around what was available and handy.
To me, the idea of “healthy” tends to point to how many, or how few, additives or adjustments are made to any given food to make it shelf stable to accommodate long distance shipping. The closer to home you buy your food, the fewer the adjustments, the better.
Reminds me of encountering those gigantic strawberries found in California. I grew up in Arkansas where the berries flourish – and they are full of flavor, color and not the size of my fist. Those west coast options may look amazing, but in my experience have little to no flavor. Apparently their only real claim to fame is cosmetic at best. 🙂
So true! I live in a small city and we try to eat food cultivated in our gardens and our farmers. We also have fresh meat in our city so, for us is something normal. You are so right about that!
I don’t know if it’s generational, cultural or a mix of both, but my parents seriously think I have an eating disorder. I mostly avoid refined grains, red meat and added sugar, yet they somehow believe I’m “restricting” and thus, have an eating disorder. They also think I’m not eating enough rice – even brown (we’re ethnic Chinese)! I generally feel better eating the kinds of foods I eat (but they think it’s psychological). As for sugar, I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, but I don’t do that well if I eat too much unless it’s fruit (must be the fibre)…I’ll buy a package of cookies but usually can’t eat more than two or three before it expires!
I think is general for older people. They lived different times and is difficult to understand that not eating some food means you want to stay healthy. I make healthy recipes and I made them read books about food and watch movies about food maybe they will start changing the way they cook and eat: less fried and more natural.
It’s hard for them to understand how to feed children, too. They still think my son should eat more meat and that lentils and tofu can’t be protein subs (I always remind them about some observant Buddhists). And that I should feed him to make him eat more (they now say that (force) feeding can lead to disordered eating and that kids won’t learn to enjoy food). I’ve sent them resources in nutrition both in English and Chinese.
So true! Same in Romania.
Lovely article and very well articulated ! I know I have been through this episode in my life many a times and at the end I have now reached a pathway .. and have become a health coach myself 😊
Thank you. Good job!
I’m with you. We changed our eating habits ~15 years ago due to cholesterol concerns. At the time it seemed like a diet but as we’ve kept with all the changes it is simply a way of life. We lost weight, kept it off, and can’t say we feel deprived in any way. And desserts are absolutely in my repertoire – lightened up as much as possible. Good post and I enjoy reading your blog.
Thank you. Good for you!
Great post!
Thank you
Great post! Looking forward to following you on your journey 🙂 I prefer healthy-eating over dieting any day! Diets always seem unsustainable and come attached to an end date. Healthier choices last forever 🙂
Thank you. So true!
Eating as cleanly as possible makes such a difference.
Love the pictures ♥️
Thank you.
Interesting read! Just as the nutritionist and you believe, I too believe that a good “diet” is a diet that informs you and sustain you in the long run. You’re healthy or willing to take a certain level of risk associated with your food by knowing what you consume and how it fulfills you: physically and mentally. 🥰 have a great week ahead
Thank you. Have a great weekend!
Thanks for diet and healthy living. I am so excited about this post. To me your diet you eat should heal you and that is exactly what you are doing. Its good you eliminated meat from your diet. I have been reading some of your post and you are doing great. Keep it up. Read some veggies suggestions here https://fantastic-hustler-268.ck.page
Thank you.
I agree with you. I always try to push myself to eat as per my mood and not as per a diet. The more you allow yourself things the lesser you will binge on things, which means no more guilt and bloated stomach.
I chose healthy eating as well since I always always failed in diet 😁
Bravo!
You are very insightful. We need to be more reasonable about our diets and it sounds like you are in tune with your body’s needs. I also have no gallbladder and I am learning about what keeps my gut happy. Studies show that legumes increase your longevity and they are a tasty option. Thank you for liking my first ever blog too. I would like to ‘like’ your site as well but I have no clue how to yet 😉
Thank you. You will learn. You like a post and follow the blog.
I love this post! I’ve always been against saying I’m on a diet because it made it sound too restrictive. I like to think of food as fuel and never want to see food as the enemy and using the term diet always made it sound like food is evil. Maybe it was because of my surroundings and what I heard while growing up but now I never say Im on a diet, I just always say I’m eating healthy.
Nice!
That’s great!!
Thank you
Beautifully written x
Thank you
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Thank you
Semantics can be important when considering change. As you say there’s a difference between being in a “diet” and choosing to “eat healthy.” I’m in the process of doing the same and it’s changed my world. For what it’s worth, a number of years ago, after “quitting” numerous times, I chose to “not smoke” for now and haven’t had the urge for around 15 years. 😁
Good for you!
Lovely article 🙂🙂
Thank you
I have found limiting portions has helped me lose weight and so far am keeping it off.
I also feel much better.
Bravo!
I really noticed such a positive difference in the way that I ate once going plant-based! It taught me how to cook, what I like to eat and what I don’t, as well as nutritional value.
Good for you!
Grt experience and sharings of yours👍🙂
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Thank you
I like the distinction between healthy eating and being on a diet. Very useful.
Thank you.
Awesome!
Thank you
Good for you! I went vegan last year and never felt better. Now I’ve switched to clean eating to get my family on board. Vegan was “too extreme” for them. With every meal I ask myself “is this food hurting me, or healing me?” that really makes the lifestyle easier to maintain.
Congrats!
This is wonderful advice. A change in diet has to be sustainable!
Thank you
Most welcome! Thanks for a great post! 🙂
I am trying to live this advice, but sometimes I slide back into unhealthy habits. I have learned that difficult diets don’t work, but they provide this bizarre hope. Thanks for the reminder!
You are welcome.
informative article on healthy diet, thanks “Cooking Without Limits”
Thank you
Yes,clean eating is the way to healthy life🙌🙌
This totally resonates with me! When I first started “eating healthier” it did seem like a bit of a chore and the food I was eating had little variety and was pretty boring. But when I discovered all of the things you can do with whole foods, I started falling in love with healthy eating! I think every one is different and you should eat what makes your body feel the best, and make sure that it’s sustainable for you. Going on extreme diets every once in a while to cut weight shouldn’t be the go-to; you should find a way to build healthy food habits and incorporate them into your every day life:))
So true!
Great post, I will share.
Thank you
instead of eating less, I’d go for eating healthy
You are so right about eating healthier, and eating healthier versions of certain desserts instead of cutting them out completely.
I am forty-six. I stopped eating meat when I was twelve years of age.
The first thing I noticed back then was that I had more energy! So, yes, eating healthier promotes energy as well as better health!
Great post!
Thank you