If thoughts of food and what you eat consume you day in and day out, it might be time to look into orthorexia and orthorexia recovery. Maybe you’ve never heard the term “orthorexia” before, or perhaps you’ve looked it up and thought it sounded all too familiar.
Either way, know that deciding what and how much to eat doesn’t have to feel stressful or all-consuming. If your meals are taking up the majority of your daily mental energy, it’s time to consider the possibility that you’re dealing with orthorexia.
Read on to learn more about what orthorexia is and the steps you can take (starting today) toward healing.
What is Orthorexia?
You’ve spent a lot of time curating the perfect nutritious meals for yourself. You only eat “healthy” foods and avoid “junk” food at all costs. You follow all the rules you’ve set for yourself regarding eating, 3 meals a day, 356 days a year. Except when you don’t, and when that happens, you’re hard on yourself in the hopes that it won’t happen again (but it inevitably will).
All of this good, nutritious, healthy eating is going on, so why don’t you feel good?
Instead of feeling light and energized, you feel trapped and exhausted, unsure of why. I eat so healthy, shouldn’t I feel amazing by now? Why do I berate myself when I eat a slice of pizza or a cookie? Why do I become anxious when faced with a restaurant menu or eating a meal at someone’s house?
If this feels relatable, you are likely suffering from orthorexia. Orthorexia is defined as a harmful obsession with healthy eating. As you might be now realizing, this preoccupation with eating “right” is anything but healthy.
It doesn’t have to be this way. As Certified Nutrition Specialists, we have helped countless women take their lives back from this disorder and completely heal their relationships with food.
The first step in orthorexia recovery is this: you need to change your thoughts surrounding food and eating. It’s time to recognize that what once made you feel in control is actually controlling you.
Healing From Orthorexia: You Are Not What You Eat
You are what you eat, right?
In the case of orthorexia, this idea is often the root of this harmful obsession with “proper” eating.
It enables you to believe that…
I eat “good” foods = I am good.
I eat “bad” foods = I am bad.
In case you need to hear it, you are not defined by what you eat. Healing orthorexia will involve separating your value as a person from what you eat. This means silencing the small, critical voice in your head that holds you back from getting seconds or saying “NO” to satisfying a craving.
There are no good or bad foods
Part two of ridding yourself of the toxic idea that what you eat is related to your self-worth is also ridding yourself of the idea that good or bad foods even exist to begin with.
The truth is – there are no good foods or bad foods. There is just food, and every food serves its own unique purpose.
Sometimes, food is fuel, assisting you before a workout or through a long shift. Sometimes, food is healing, healing your gut issues with added fiber or increasing your iron levels by making changes to what you eat. Other times, food is about joy and pleasure, like going to your favorite restaurant for a special occasion or eating the kind of Christmas cookie that always reminds you of your childhood.
Removing the labels from foods and unlearning food bias is essential to orthorexia recovery.
The Road to Orthorexia Recovery
Once you’ve recognized that you have been suffering from orthorexia, the road to recovery can begin. In addition to working to change your mindset about good/bad foods and how food ties into how you feel about yourself, you’ll have to work on letting go of the control orthorexia has tricked you into thinking you have.
This sense of control may come from having a long list of “safe” foods and an even longer list of “unsafe” foods that you do not stray from. It may also look like reading every nutrition label, limiting your portions, or spending a lot of your time (even when it’s not mealtime) thinking about food and healthy eating.
I know it feels scary to loosen your rules. There is the fear of “unhealthy” choices and the worry that if you stop micromanaging what you eat, everything will somehow fall apart.
But here’s the truth: True health isn’t found in restrictions, rules, or limitations. It’s found in freedom—being able to eat without fear, to trust your body, and to nourish yourself without obsessing.
Don’t worry – the first step to healing orthorexia isn’t about suddenly eating everything that scares you. It’s about realizing and accepting that your well-being is worth so much more than the illusion of control.
How a Certified Nutrition Specialist Can Help With Orthorexia Recovery
Where do I begin to start healing from orthorexia? is a question you’ve probably found yourself asking.
The first thing we do is to understand your current mindset and behaviors around food. Awareness is always the first step.
Here’s a journal prompt to get you started: What are the top 5 food rules that I follow? Where did these food rules come from and do they serve me – both physically and emotionally?
Once you understand & have awareness about how orthorexia is affecting you, the real healing can begin.
It’s hard to know where to start when it comes to undoing patterns you’ve been tightly holding onto. Trying to figure out how to heal from this all on your own often leads to more frustration, self-doubt, and getting stuck back in those same patterns.
The process of healing from orthorexia isn’t easy, but it can be made a whole lot easier with professional support.
Imagine what it would feel like to enjoy meals without anxiety, to eat what your body wants without guilt, and to truly experience life beyond food rules.
It’s all possible and waiting for you at the end of your orthorexia recovery journey.
At Kate Brock Nutrition, we help you heal from orthorexia through a specific, tried-and-true process that helps you release fear, rebuild trust with food, and create a way of eating that feels both nourishing and free.
Ready to Take the First Step to Orthorexia Recovery?
Orthorexia recovery starts with a single decision: Choosing to get support.
If you’re ready to break free from your obsessive thoughts, discover balance, and develop a better relationship with food and eating, we are here for you on this journey. You can learn more about our services here or book a free consultation call with us here.
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How to Verify Insurance Benefits for Nutrition Counseling (Aetna & Cigna)
