We ve covered this in the past here on the Pure Jeevan blog, but it s something that s being discussed again online in major news feeds. Since many people read and learn from such sources, especially Yahoo! News, there is potential for a lot of damage and misinformation to be ?learned? by many individuals. In a recent article on Yahoo!, we re informed in the ?Health Experts Main/HealthLine? category that consuming only healthy foods is an eating disorder. Those who desire a healthy body by consuming healthy (as opposed to unhealthy) foods are labeled as having ?orthorexia,? a supposed eating disorder that can be cured with cognitive behavioral therapy.

What does that mean, really? If we desire a healthy body, and all the vibrant energy that comes with it, then we are psychologically unbalanced? [Sarcasm to follow ] However, if we eat those same healthy foods, but also consume things like Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald s burgers, Wendy s French fries, or Skittles candies then we are balanced individuals and deemed psychologically healthy? What if we consume no healthy foods, preferring instead the Standard American Diet of fast foods, heavy meats and gravies, that includes few fruits or vegetables? Well, that s considered normal and of no concern in the least bit ? there is no eating disorder when consuming a diet like that. You can require caffeinated beverages to have enough energy to get through the day and that s normal, too. Die of a heart attack from such a diet and that s normal, too.

In the most recent ?orthorexia? article on Yahoo!, the author cites ?social isolation? as the risk of living with ?orthorexia. No other risks were mentioned. Perhaps it would have been too shocking to list the true risks of eating only healthy foods: You become healthy, you glow with vibrant energy, your body regenerates and appears to reverse in age, oh and the scariest and most shocking thing of all you will become a mirror to others, allowing them to see what true health is like and how much of it they are lacking. As for the isolation, that s usually brought about by others? reactions to something that isn t ?normal? (because, let s face it ? eating fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds isn t natural/normal). It s others who are excluding those who are eating healthy foods, others who are uncomfortable with the choices being made that don t fit in with their beliefs of what is the ?right? way to eat. They ll tell you they re concerned for your health (even if they are overweight, run-down, taking medications, etc., and you are vibrantly healthy and happy) and that you need help with your eating disorder.

What s sad is the fact that those who are concerned for your health truly believe you have an eating disorder. They genuinely feel you are harming yourself by eating foods fresh from nature, and that you have a psychological problem and need help. Many are so blind to the truth of their own ill-health, their own eating habits and dietary choices. As a society, we are raised to go through stages of growth ? from one level to the next, set out for us by a societal view of what is best for the majority ? and to never question or challenge those stages, or anything else that is a part of ?normal? society. Many never question whether processed foods are truly food for the human body, whether artificial additives do harm to the body, or why we create ?food? from non-food items. When someone does break free from the mass non-thinking way of living, and begins questioning such things, they are often met with blank faces or ridicule. ?Of course it s a food ? it s sold in the grocery store and people eat it. People aren t dying from eating it, so it s definitely okay to eat. It s an underlying trust, which society teaches us to have, that seems to turn off our innate ability to question for ourselves. We trust that the thinking has been done for us, that no one would try to feed us something that isn t truly food (or that is harmful to our bodies). Everyone else is doing it, so it must be right.

Living a life outside of the ?norm? ? thinking for ourselves, asking questions, and making choices that don t always fit into society very well ? can sometimes be frustrating. Once we have woken up and exercised our ability to think for ourselves, to question what others never even consider, there is no going back. The most we can hope to do is continue sharing what we know, what we have experienced, with others. Those walking in the shadows between sleep and waking may be inspired by something we say or do. It may awaken their own ability to think outside the box, to question and research and learn a lot more than what is commonly understood about things. It is actually our society, as a whole, that is suffering from a disorder. The irony is that consuming fresh, healthy foods is what can begin waking them up from it!

[On a side note, we re not making light of eating disorders. There are definitely individuals who suffer from eating disorders. Yes, some of them find the raw food lifestyle and continue suffering while eating a natural, healthy diet. This does not mean, however, that the majority of individuals who choose to consume only healthy foods have ?orthorexia? or some other eating disorder.]