Are You An Almond Mum?

With new trending words coming out every week, I can hardly bother keeping up with them.

But ‘Almond Mum‘, however, is one that I’ve taken upon myself to spread the meaning of, from the moment its existence was brought to me. And that’s because it isn’t a good one! 

So I see it almost as my civic duty to spread the knowledge about almond mums, as someone who had one! 

Basically, an ‘Almond Mum’ is defined as ‘A parent who has unhealthy eating habits and tries to force them onto their children.’

The term originated from when supermodel mum- Yolanda Hadid told her daughter to chew three almonds well when her daughter complained of feeling faint.

But what kind of unhealthy are we talking about here? Chips for breakfast, burgers for lunch, and pizza for dinner? 

Nope. We’re talking about ‘A boiled egg and nuts for breakfast, salads for lunch, then soup for dinner’, kind of unhealthy.

But how is this unhealthy? Aren’t those healthy foods?

Yes, they are, but it’s more of the eating habits that the people in the latter group have that make it unhealthy.

Let me explain!

Orthorexia 

So there’s an eating disorder that’s not as infamous as its popular counterparts:  anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.

And maybe it’s because instead of starving yourself or gorging your face with food, then maybe puking it all out, you actually eat healthy!

But the problem is when someone becomes obsessed with “healthy food.” Then they become orthorexic. And “healthy” means something different to everyone. But here, it means someone who obsesses about the “purity” and the quality of their food.

Take Emily, who has a huge salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You might think this is unhealthy and that she’s orthorexic. 

But when you take Ryan, who only eats cafe-free eggs cooked in olive oil for breakfast, 1 litre of an all-organic chicken soup for lunch, and wild-caught salmon for dinner. It’s easy to see what’s actually unhealthy and who has orthorexia. 

So while orthorexia isn’t considered an actual eating disorder, because… where’s the line? It is a serious mental illness that can definitely impact your physical health!

Because when you’re orthorexic, you’re restricting your eating. So it could lead to excessive weight loss, malnutrition, and everything that comes from it. Like losing hair, your bones and muscles getting weaker, and mental health problems!

How Does It Affect Your Child?

If you’re orthorexic, you have certain eating habits because of your views. So your habits will probably show up in the meals you feed your child. 

But even if you try to separate preparing your meals from theirs, children always try to mirror their parents’ actions.

Whether they’re in kindergarten, secondary school, or JC, your growing child needs healthy, nutritious food in the right amounts to support their growing body and developing minds.

So if their eating is restricted, how will they get those nutrients they need? And this might be the foundation for eating disorders to manifest in the future.

The Balance Between Your Life and Theirs

However, maybe you live this way because of a certain lifestyle philosophy, or you follow a certain diet. And when you eat this way, you feel good. 

Well, in that case, I can’t stop you. But you should definitely strike a balance. Do not let your eating habits rub off your children as much as possible. To do so, 

Follow the 80-20 rule 

Since almond mums have a certain mindset, especially when it comes to “unhealthy food,” following the 80-20 rule when it comes to your children will be a good middle ground between their eating and yours.

The 80-20 rule means eating healthy 80% of the time, then allowing for treats or “junk food” 20% of the time.

Don’t label foods as good or bad. 

A huge part of why almond mums have the mindset that they do is because there are two types of food in their mind: good and healthy or bad and unhealthy.

And this is what you believe in. 

So I know it will be hard not to teach your children what you believe in, but hold it in! As with everyone, deciding on what’s “right” and “wrong” is up to that individual. 

Don’t tell your child unless they ask about your diet

Lastly, as I said above, children usually mirror their parents’ actions.

Monkey see, monkey do.

If they’re interested and asking questions, answer their questions. But don’t advertise the diet, and especially do not ask them if they’d like to try it!

Conclusion

I can’t lie. I do not support this ‘Almond Mum’ habit and mindset of eating at all.

It sets a bad example for children, and it could trigger anyone with a past of eating disorders. It doesn’t even do its followers any good!

However, who am I to tell anyone how to live their life? I can only give advice. 

So if you suspect you might have orthorexia, please seek professional psychiatric help today before it consumes your health and rubs off on your children.

Eating disorders should be the least of your child’s worries. But if their grades are a worry of yours, contact SmileTutor, Singapore’s #1 tutoring agency, today!