Healing with Real Food.
This blog post details a firm stance around the manner in which social media is perpetually shaping our decisions, and ultimately leading to detrimental health outcomes that almost never truly heal our bodies, minds, or relationships with food.
Alicia shares her experience with how this influenced many years of traversing with eating disorders, and what she feels the real solution is.
Social media has become a double-edged sword. It offers us endless amounts of information, motivation, and communities; but at what cost?
There’s a growing trend of people justifying their actions through posts, and encouraging others to do the same, especially when it comes to health and nutrition.
Recently I saw a post that read: “If you are an athlete, you will require processed foods to meet your energy requirements.”
I couldn’t disagree more, and to be completely honest, I find this sort of information incredibly harmful.
Whether you are an athlete, someone who loves the gym, or living a high-energy lifestyle; there is never a scenario where your body requires processed foods to function optimally. You can nourish your body entirely through whole foods, healthy fats, and quality proteins. There is simply not a single processed product that you can’t find in real, unprocessed, nutrient-dense food.
So, why are people turning to social media posts to back up unhealthy habits?
Because it’s easier. But when has the easy route ever been what’s best for you?
As someone who traversed through an eating disorder for four years, I feel that I have a unique perspective on how social media shapes our perceptions of food and health.
Initially, I was influenced to lose weight, to chase an impossible ideal that I thought would bring me happiness. But even when this bought me to a hospital bed, muscle deteriorating from my heart, it still wasn’t enough. Which then brings us to “recovery” Instagram pages that glorify eating anything and everything under the illusion of self-love and body acceptance. This led me straight into binge eating disorder, thinking that gaining all of my weight back, plus more, was what my body needed.
I was told that food was just food, that eating sugar-packed, processed junk could heal me emotionally.
What I needed wasn’t more junk or emotional numbing through food. What I needed was to respect my body.
And respecting my body meant giving it real food that truly nourished it.
The truth is, I found healing by turning to whole, nutrient-dense foods. It wasn’t about restricting or punishing myself; it was about giving my body what it needed to thrive. Whole foods, healthy fats, and quality proteins restored my energy, my health, and ultimately, my relationship with food.
No amount of processed food will ever do for your body what real, whole food can do. Healing is a journey that begins with respect; for yourself, for your health, and for the food you choose to eat.
If you’re trying to find peace with your body image, it won’t come from following Instagram trends or justifying unhealthy habits with “influencers” who push fast fixes. Peace will come when you start respecting your body; truly respecting it, by giving it nourishing food that heals and fuels you, not food that breaks you down and clouds your mind. And this can take time, lots of time. But patience truly is a virtue and that is what you deserve.
We need to stop allowing social media to define our choices, and instead, look inward to what our bodies actually need. Healing isn’t found in the quick fix or the processed option; it’s found in the simple, natural, whole foods that have always nourished humans.
Don’t let social media justify choices that hurt you. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your body needs anything less than the best.
Real food is the only thing that’s going to heal you; not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. It’s time to respect your body, and when you do, you’ll find that inner peace and strength that no one else could ever give you.
