Weight loss: There are 'no good foods and bad foods' when dieting and other misconceptions

DIETS can sometimes be complex and instead of making you feel good about yourself, they can make you feel miserable due to lack of information around which foods you should and should not eat. However, a nutrition expert told Express.co.uk that diets are simple: there are no "good" foods and there are no "bad" foods - it's about eating what's best for you and still enjoying your meals.

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Pixie Turner is a nutrition counsellor based in London who often answers people’s questions and dilemmas surrounding food and diets on her Instagram account. She spoke to Express.co.uk about the misconceptions around dieting and explained how people can achieve a healthier relationship with food.

Pixie often shares nutrition tips and advice on her Instagram page, and she hosts regular questions and answer sessions so that people can ask her about any queries they may have around diets and food.

The nutrition counsellor explained that the most common question she receives on social media is: “Is this food bad?”

Pixie expanded: “And it could be any food. It could be cheese, bread, meat, fish, eggs, even fruit. It could be absolutely anything.

“People want someone like me who has qualifications to sometimes just give them permission to eat the foods that they really want to eat.”

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Foods

There is no such thing as good foods and bad foods, says our expert (Image: GETTY )

Pixie went on to say that she does give people permission to eat whatever they want, because “if food isn’t enjoyable, what’s the point?”.

She said: “I usually reply, there is no such thing as good foods and bad foods. It always depends on context.

“For example, nuts are good for you, but not if you’re allergic to them.

“Avocados are really good for you, but for some people, like people who had their gallbladder removed, they can’t eat foods like avocados that are high in fat,” Pixie added.

“Also, fruit is great, but if you eat nothing but fruit, that’s not a good idea either because you’re missing out on a lot of other nutrients.”

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Pixie said that one of the main misconceptions about diets is that they are necessary.

She explained: “They’re not necessarily necessary. You can absolutely be healthy without going on a diet.”

Pixie emphasised that if you do go on a diet, you have to ensure that it is the right one for you because “a lot of the time they just don’t work for people”.

“It's not that someone’s failed at the diet, the diet has failed them. It’s the fault of the diet, not the person,” Pixie said.

Avocado meal

Avocados may help some people feel healthy and lose weight but they may not aid others (Image: GETTY )

“It’s like doing a degree, if you're really struggling with a degree, it might be that you're just studying the wrong subject that doesn't really suit you as a person, and you need to switch to something else.

“But we don't think of it that way. We blame ourselves so much when we haven't done anything wrong.”

Pixie explained that cutting one “bad” food out of your diet is not going to help you lose weight as food is “incredibly complex”.

She said: “That’s why I love my job so much, because food is so complex and interesting. And it tells us so much about people.”

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Pixie continued: “It’s [food] human connection, it’s culture, it’s comfort, it’s care, it’s nourishment, its survival. It’s everything.

“It’s power, and status, and love, and all of those complex things.”

Pixie explained that she believes that lockdown has unfortunately had a negative impact on people’s relationship with food.

She said: “We are suddenly in a place where we have no distractions and so people who found that really difficult turned to food, because it's the most obvious source of comfort and relief for a lot of people.

“Also, when the world is so uncertain, food can feel so wonderfully certain. And we know that if we eat food, we will be full, and will be warm and content, and it feels good.”

Pixie recommended speaking to a nutrition counsellor or therapist if you are struggling with your relationship with food and diets.

Only when you know which diet is right for you can you start to feel healthier both physically and mentally, leading you to feel better about yourself and your body.

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