When January rolls around, it’s all too easy to embrace the ‘new year, new you’ mantra with unwavering determination. First up: we start to cut out ‘bad’ food – but it doesn’t need to be this way. In fact, it’s completely unnecessary as Lucy Mountain, @thefashionfitnessfoodie, knows all too well.

“Food phobia is rife, where anything remotely beige or carb-y is constantly being cut out and restricted,” she tells Stylist. “We’ve [women] been told we need to be smaller and take up less space, and wear weight loss like a badge of honour by hitting the perfect balance of carbs, fats and protein on your fitness tracker food app.

“Balance is not found by starting a new diet this month, or by detoxing or drinking skinny tea – or whatever other b******t you’ve been fed.

“It’s perfectly possible to have a well-balanced diet and still enjoy all of the foods you love.”

From limiting our calorie intake to waving goodbye to takeaways for life, cutting out foods doesn’t equate to balance.

“Balance is releasing there are no good or bad foods, and giving all foods you enjoy a place in your diet,” says Mountain. “And that balance will be unique to you. Whatever allows you to – one: give your body all the nutrients your body needs. And two: live a really happy, non-restrictive, fun life.

“Just as vitamins and minerals look after our physical health, an open, positive, relaxed relationship with food looks after our mental health.”

“If we spent as much time helping women have a positive relationship with food as we do giving them weird food rules, and annoying labels, and tips on grating cauliflower we would be healthy overall,” concludes Mountain.

Lucy Mountain, @thefashionfitnessfoodie, gets things started by sharing her no-nonsense approach to eating well in our video above.

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