A little over a year ago, Jordan Younger began her blog “The Blonde Vegan”- now “The Balanced Blonde”- to chronicle her vegan journey. Younger had suffered from stomach problems her whole life and for the first time she felt good about the healthy diet she was following.
Younger’s blog gained a large following and she left grad school to pursue growing The Blonde Vegan’s brand. As her brand expanded, Younger’s vegan and healthy lifestyle habits shifted into more obsessive eating behaviors and an eating disorder called Orthorexia.
“I wanted to feel as healthy as I could so I got really carried away with reading about veganism, doing research and following other blogs,” Younger said. “I developed fears around food and was constantly trying to find different ways to be as clean internally as I possibly could.”
Orthorexia is an eating disorder characterized by the fear of eating anything that is not completely pure or clean. It can start out as an attempt to eat healthier, but escalates into an obsession with eating only healthy foods, according to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
“I was obsessed with health, not being super skinny,” Younger said.
While suffering from Orthorexia, Younger tried to mask her healthy obsessions, she said. She went out to eat with friends, but would eat beforehand to make sure she got in a healthy meal. When going out, Younger checked that there was an organic grocery store around and panicked about when and what her next meal would be.
With eating disorders, many people assume it’s something written on your body that you can notice, Younger said. But with Orthorexia, Younger was suffering more psychologically.
“I was almost thinking about food 100 percent of the time,” Younger said. “It was confusing because you’re trying to think about other things, but in the back of your mind, you’re always thinking about food.”
According to Younger, it was a very scary and dark time in her life. Her own life was unhealthy while she was trying to lead people toward healthier lifestyles. Younger realized it was time to get help so she brought the eating disorder up to her family and they were relieved she wanted help. Younger saw a therapist who specializes in eating disorders and started treating her Orthorexia.
“The scariest fact was that I was a vegan food blogger and had branded myself as that. I had so much anxiety that I would have to change the brand and it would come crashing down,” Younger said.
On June 23, 2014, about a year after Younger started The Blonde Vegan, she wrote a blog post sharing that she was transitioning away from veganism with her readers. When Younger came out about Orthorexia on The Blonde Vegan, there was immediate interest, as the eating disorder is not very well known. Her followers gave mixed responses too. While some were very supportive, others from the vegan community were outraged Younger would associate veganism with eating disorders.
“I never expected this to be a popular story. There is no reason I would come out with this for personal fame,” Younger said. “I just wanted to be honest with my followers.”
Since moving away from a strict vegan diet, Younger has transitioned to a more balanced lifestyle. She has started eating a wider variety of foods like eggs, wild fish and salmon, and enjoys trying new meals. Younger is also improving her lifestyle spiritually and physically. Rather than working on her blog constantly, she makes time to connect with herself through exercise, going on walks, spending time outdoors, enjoying her neighborhood and yoga.
“Listening to your body is the best thing you can do for yourself,” Younger said. “I’m trying to not be so all or nothing in my life and am finding balance in all aspects.”
Younger shares her story today to help raise greater awareness around Orthorexia. She is working on a book chronicling her vegan journey that lead to the eating disorder, is working on mini documentaries and is in contact with blog readers who think they are also Orthrexic. Her blog, once known as “The Blonde Vegan” is currently under redesign as it transitions to “The Balanced Blonde.”
“I think developing a stronger mind-body connection will enhance my life from here on out,” Younger said. “For the first time in my life, I’m truly showing my body kindness.”
Want to learn more about Orthorexia and other eating disorders? Join our Twitter #HERchat tomorrow at 7 p.m. EST. Jordan Younger will be participating and answering questions about eating disorders.
Sources
Orthorexia Nervosa. National Eating Disorders Association. Retrieved August 20, 2014. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/orthorexia-nervosa.