4 Things to Keep in Mind About Diet Tribes
Whether you’re a “clean” eater, Paleo or vegan, more and more people consider their diet patterns to be such a part of their overall identify and community, their diets are essentially tribal in nature. Welcome to the era of diet tribes! With the Internet and social media becoming such an integral part of our everyday lives, more and more people are finding like-minded individuals within their diet tribes to hang out with, virtually or physically. This reinforces the community spirit of wellbeing when you find a group of like-minded individuals with the same diet philosophies to bond with. But what does this mean to the world of diet, health, and eating? What are the pros and cons? I’m sharing four things you should keep in mind about your diet tribe.
4 Things to Keep in Mind About Diet Tribes
1. Find Your Place at the Table. There are positive feelings of warmth and inclusion when people accept you, for who you are and how you eat. This can apply to all manner of eating patterns, whether it’s a weight loss group or flexitarianism. “I think it’s basic human nature to want to belong to a group, and people express that need by choosing a certain way of eating that works for them, then finding satisfaction in interacting with like-minded others,” says Elizabeth Ward, RDN, of Better is the New Perfect. “It is not necessary to be part of a tribe, but it can help you stay accountable, and as long as the diet is safe and balanced, I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
2. Enrich Your Life. Diet tribes can help you find your road to a more vibrant, healthy life, if done well. “I think what it really comes down to is that we have a human need to seek validation that we’re making the right choices,” says Diana Rice, RDN. If it’s done well, it can enrich your life. Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, of Champagne Nutrition, says, “As a dietitian, I try to remain open-minded, thinking about the pros and cons. Personally, I feel very connected to the vegetarian/vegan community and there is a sense of belonging and inclusion there.”
3. Watch out for Diet Fads. One of the downsides of diet tribes is that you can be following an imposter or “cult” leader, who proposes a diet that is not healthful for the long term. Rice suggests that following diet gurus spouting their rules on the diet pattern is a little like religion, in that it can be done well and enrich lives, or done very poorly and lead to isolation and closed-mindedness. Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, of Champagne Nutrition says tribes are evidence that people just want a plan, as in “tell me what to do” in an effort to simplify the complexity of nutrition. However, it’s important to seek the advice of registered dietitian nutrition experts before you jump into a diet tribe.
4. Don’t Forget Diet Tolerance. Just because you’ve found a communal table to belong to, it doesn’t mean you hold the only true secret to wellbeing, for now and forever. “I’m saddened to see America further divided by something that has traditionally united people,” says Michele Redmond, RDN, of the act of eating together. Ward adds that she’s ok with it, as long as people in tribes don’t berate others for their views. Hultin agrees, adding, “It’s my hope that, especially in our nutrition tribe, that we can continue to be inclusive and open-minded, helping support people of any ‘diet’ do it to the best of their ability in a way that fits into their lifestyle and includes more types of foods rather than excludes many.”
For other tips on healthy eating, check out these blogs:
7 Vegan and Vegetarian Weight Loss TIps
Eating for IBS on a Plant-Based Diet
Fill Your Whole Grains Gap
Image: Sesame Tempeh Buddha Bowl, Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN