While some may think they’re eating the healthiest diet, the reality is it could be hurting them without them even realizing it. There can be many reasons for this, from undiagnosed food intolerances and allergies to sneaky additives in some health foods.
What are the signs showing your diet isn’t the healthiest diet?
If you think your eating habits may need some improving, or the foods you’re consuming could potentially be hurting you, here are a few things to think about.
How To Know If Your Diet Is Harming You
Even though some may think it would be obvious if their diet was actually hurting them, the truth is, sometimes it can be hard to tell how your diet is negatively affecting you. It’s especially difficult if some symptoms have crept up on you slowly over an extended period of time, or if they are mild. In some cases, it can be possible to live with a food intolerance for years before having it diagnosed. Crazy to think, but those that do seek medical help may be misdiagnosed before they figure out what’s truly going on. Some signs your diet may be hurting your health more than helping it are:
- frequent fatigue, especially after eating
- thinning hair
- weak nails
- poor sleep quality
- frequent digestive issues
Health Supporting Foods
When trying to adjust your diet, it’s a good idea to be as clear as possible about what foods truly support your health. Not only do you need plenty of fresh leafy greens, fruits and vegetables, but you also need to make sure you’re getting plenty of lean protein and healthy fats into your diet. While some may think that all fats are bad, the reality is there are good fats as well as bad ones, and your body and brain need adequate amounts of good fat to function properly.
Sources of good fat include:
- grass fed butter
- coconut oil
- wild caught salmon
Additionally, if you struggle to get all the nutrients you need from your diet, it can be beneficial to start taking a daily supplement. However, before you choose one, it can be helpful to make sure that you’re properly informed about what a supplement can do for you and read about thrive side effects first.
Health Harming Foods
While many may think they know what foods are harmful for their health, there can be many foods that seem healthy, but are actually not. This can be particularly true of diet foods. Diet food like protein bars and fruit juices, which are marketed as being health-boosting often contain many hidden additives like high fructose corn syrup and aspartame that can actually hurt your health and lead to weight gain. By learning to read labels carefully and opting for fresh fruits and vegetables instead of packaged snacks, you can avoid these pitfalls.
Food Diaries and Elimination Diets
In some cases, even if you’re aware of what foods are actually good for you and what ones aren’t, you may still be experiencing issues due to your diet. In this situation, a food intolerance or allergy may be to blame. If you suspect you’re suffering with a food intolerance, one of the best things you can do is keep a food diary.
A food diary allows you to record what you eat and how you feel after you eat it for a minimum of two weeks. This can provide clarity and insight about how your diet is affecting you. If that doesn’t seem to help, the next step is to try an elimination diet. With an elimination diet, you slowly cut out different food groups for at least two weeks, and see if you begin to feel better without certain foods in your diet.
The Bottom Line
For some, even if they think they’re eating a healthy diet, it could actually be hurting them instead. While it may feel difficult to know what to do about a healthy-seeming diet that is actually harming your health, the truth is there can be simple fixes that will help you feel better, like keeping a food diary or trying an elimination diet.
About the Writer: Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health and fitness. She also developed a passion for traveling during her college years. Today she spends most of her time writing about the things she loves.
