Vanessa Alford always loved sport, and when a friend suggested she run a marathon, she embraced the challenge.
Quickly, running became her identity. She constantly pushed herself to go further and faster. But while she became incredibly fit, she wasn’t necessarily healthy.
In fact, her body was struggling to keep up.
“I was the fittest that I’d ever been and I looked very healthy. But looking back, my passion for exercise became more of an obsession, and then it led to an addiction.”
Ten months after Vanessa’s marathon triumph, she developed a debilitating fatigue, which caused her to stop work and move back in with her parents.
“I went from running 150km a week to not being able to get out of bed. I was convinced I had MS (multiple sclerosis). I felt drunk 24 hours a day, foggy in the head, really unbalanced. I had weird sensations down my legs, and it went on for four years. I felt horrible.”
Vanessa became addicted to exercise, with running a huge part of her identity. Source: Supplied
She also had other warning signs, such as stress fractures and an irregular menstrual cycle.
Vanessa saw countless doctors and had endless tests, which uncovered little other than a high cortisol level.
“Looking back, it’s obvious that it was just my body saying, ‘Enough, you need to stop pushing me to extremes’. I was so caught up in my exercise, I didn’t realise how detrimental it was to my health.”
‘I was limiting foods quickly’
Imogen Kars, 29, started dieting obsessively after the steroids she’d taken as a child for asthma led to steroid toxicity and, in turn, inflammation, brain fog and weight gain.
“When you’ve got these mystery inflammatory issues and autoimmune diseases, the first thing everyone says is cut out gluten and sugar.
“I started with gluten-free for about three years, and then I went completely sugar-free as well for maybe six months. I was limiting foods very quickly.”
Imogen says she progressively cut out food groups to feel more healthy, but ended up feeling worse. Source: Supplied
Imogen also tried keto and a diet free of oxalate (a natural compound found in many plant-based foods that can form crystals in urine and lead to kidney stones and inflammation).
“I really wanted to feel better, and each diet helped me for a little while, but I never really found any long-term help with them.”
In fact, after years of trying various fads, diets and approaches, she felt worse, at least mentally.
“I was isolating myself because of my food choices, not eating with family or friends or not eating this or that, so it was very isolating.”
Unhealthy ‘healthy’ habits
Australians are slowly becoming more aware of their health and body’s needs.
Market research firm IBISWorld expects health consciousness in Australia to increase by 0.5 per cent in 2024-25, supported by a declining national smoking rate and decreasing alcohol consumption.
However, negative trends are also at play, including rising obesity levels, an ageing population more likely to live sedentary lifestyles than their younger counterparts, and the busier lifestyle of the younger population likely to contribute to increased consumption of fast food with high-fat content.
Young people in Australia are eating more fast food. Source: Getty / ljubaphoto
Amongst it all, misinformation remains rampant, with some Australians adopting lifestyle choices and habits they may think are healthy, but actually are causing their bodies more harm than they realise — such as over-exercising and overly restrictive diets.
Cutting out all carbohydrates and fats or limiting yourself to clean food or vegetables you hate may seem like a way to control your eating habits, but dietitian and nutritionist Lyndi Cohen says they can be detrimental to our health.
“Of course it’s good to be aware of what we’re eating, and black and white rules may seem simple to follow. But when this becomes a compulsive habit, I don’t think it’s very healthy. And restrictive diets are not sustainable.”
She offers the example of intermittent fasting and keto.
“These may have proven health benefits but the majority of people are unable to sustain any health benefits over the long term, and if you can’t stick to it, you don’t get to keep those benefits.”
Yo-yo dieting is also problematic, she adds.
“What we know from the research is that weight cycling, or losing weight then regaining it, is actually worse for your health than simply being overweight. We also know that being underweight is worse for your body than being overweight [because it can reduce bone density].”
Cohen says other unhealthy habits people think are healthy include eating the exact same thing every single day, replacing carbs with very high protein or excessive amounts of processed protein, relying on supplements over food for nutrients, and weighing yourself daily, which she says “isn’t a useful metric because body weight naturally fluctuates and can be a slippery slope obsession”.
Bend the ‘rules’
Nutrition experts recommend a diet that includes essential nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats and vitamins and minerals.
Cohen suggests intuitive eating, or eating specifically in response to hunger and satiety cues, can help to provide your body with what it needs.
“This is quite hard to begin with, but gets easier to maintain over the long haul.”
Nutritional experts say for optimal health we should consume a varied diet. Source: Getty / Liudmila Chernetska
She adds that people shouldn’t be too wary of a little sugar and fat in moderation, especially if it encourages them to eat healthy food.
“There’s a lot of fearmongering around things that are actually healthy. For example, we may think salad dressing is unhealthy, but if adding a tablespoon of salad dressing helps us enjoy a bowl of vegetables, who cares? It’s helping us to make a healthy habit consistent.
She also disagrees with the belief that we should only eat fresh food.
“Most frozen vegetables are not only cheaper but are often more nutritious because they’re snap frozen, which means they lock in nutrients.”
Sleep — but at the right time
Another potentially harmful habit often considered healthy is enjoying a luxurious lie-in at the weekend to catch up on lost sleep.
But research shows that ‘catch-up sleep’ can shift your sleep cycle and often make you feel more tired.
Matthew (not his real name) has experienced this first-hand.
“Sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday felt like a treat, a renewal after a week of early starts. But waking up late meant I then went to bed late, so by Monday I was no longer in sync so my productivity paid the price.”
We may love to sleep in on a Saturday or Sunday, but this habit may not help us come Monday. Source: Getty / Djavan Rodriguez/Getty Images
Cohen adds that sufficient sleep is also core to regulating hunger hormones.
“If you don’t get enough shut-eye, your body will seek out energy, and the easiest way to gain this is through high-energy, high-calorie foods.
“People completely underestimate the importance of sleep for managing their weight and their appetite.”
Reading the cues
Imogen no longer cuts out food groups; her only current rule is eating whole foods rather than those from a packet.
“I learned that how I eat and how I approach my food makes more of a difference than what I eat,” she says.
“I can eat the cleanest meal but if I’m anxious, I won’t be able to digest it. I’ll feel bloated. Now I try to be mentally at peace with the way I eat and the food choices I make.”
She also tries to eat intuitively.
“It’s about learning to listen to your body and see what it needs in the moment. Food should come from a place of nourishment, not restriction. Of love, not punishment.”
“Most of the time we’re not tuning into what we’re craving. Are we cold? Do we just want a warm soup?”
Vanessa, who has written a book called Fit Not Healthy, says her symptoms of fatigue and fogginess disappeared after four years when she put on weight and became pregnant.
Vanessa says she now has a healthy relationship with exercise and is more aware of signs she’s pushed her body too far. Source: Supplied
Now at 45, she feels well and takes a moderate approach to fitness. She runs in moderation, mixing her routine up with strength training, swimming and cycling.
“I still exercise most days. It’s part of my life, but I’m not addicted. I would say I have very healthy habits now.”
Looking after herself has even allowed her to run her first marathon in nearly 20 years in Melbourne.
“I never thought I would run another marathon after I got sick. I just thought I’d punished my body too much.”
“Now when I get injuries, I know it’s my body’s talking to me and just saying, back off.”
Readers seeking support for eating disorders or body image concerns can call the Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or visit .
